More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage 47
MORE PRACTICE IN GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE
The following exercises are keyed to the “Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage.” Solutions are
given at end of the exercises.
1. Possessive nouns
Review Section 1.1.4. Then, beside each noun below, write its possessive form.
a. women ______________________________________
b. secretaries ______________________________________
2. Antecedents
Review Sections 1.2, 1.2.1 and 1.2.2. Then, for each sentence that follows, underline the correct pronoun,
circle its antecedent, and then write its number (S for singular, or P for plural) in the left–hand column.
Number
___ a. Joe, Frank, and Bob gave (their, his) opinions.
___ b. Any company worth (its, their) salt has one.
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3. Case of pronouns
Review Section 1.2.4. Then underline the correct pronoun choice in each of the following
sentences.
a. (We, Us) sales representatives are overworked.
4. Possessive pronouns
Review Section 1.2.5. Then underline the correct word choice in each of the following sentences.
a. (Its, It’s) imperative that we close escrow today.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage 52
c. Drop the economy model.
d. Who of all our employees?
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16. Punctuation A
Review Sections 2.4 and 2.5. Then, in the space provided, write C if the sentence is punctuated
correctly, or I if the sentence is punctuated incorrectly.
a. _____ His writing skills are excellent, however he still needs to polish his management
style.
Copyright © 2018 Bovée and Thill LLC
20. Capitals
Review Section 3.1. Then capitalize the appropriate words below by putting three short parallel lines
under each letter that should be capitalized. (The first item in the first sentence is done for you.)
a. he was questioned about lifting the post-afghanistan embargo on grain sales to russia.
b. what did the senate foreign relations committee say about her as a human rights official?
21. Word division
Review Section 3.5. Then correct the way the following words are divided by crossing through
inappropriate hyphens and inserting slash marks where the words could more correctly be divided.
22. Frequently confused words
Review Section 4.1. Then underline the correct word in each sentence.
a. To be successful, one must (accept, except) a certain amount of stress.
b. Our plans were (all ready, already) when the news came in.
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23. Frequently misused words
Review Section 4.2. Then underline the correct or preferable word in each sentence.
a. Each carton contained (fewer, less) packages than were indicated on the outside.
b. His letter (inferred, implied) that there was no charge for the damaged items.
24. Frequently misspelled words
Review Section 4.3. Then underline the correct spelling of each word.
a. indispensible indispensable indespensable
b. permenent perminent permanent
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage 59
MEMO
TO: All department heads
FROM: Alan Kitchener, vice president of human relations
DATE: June 22 2014
SUBJECT: In-house training program
Several new training programs have been developed in response to the training needs assessment
conducted in February. (27 highly informative replies were received; I personally appreciated your
comments). Our goal in developing these new programs was to give each employee the skills to do
his job better, and to improve employee’s moral.
These are the new programs, which will be available beginning July 1.
1. Successful Blogging and Podcasting. Reviews the basic concepts of blogging and podcasting,
2. Keeping Customers Happy. Covers methods for answering the telephone and correspondence—
3. Writing Better for Business. Deals with the organization of messages, analyzing purpose and
audience, and style and tone.
Each course will be offered once a month beginning at the first week and continuing for 4 sessions.
Successful Blogging and Podcasting on Tuesdays, Keeping Customers Happy on Wednesdays, and
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage 60
SOLUTIONS TO MORE PRACTICE IN GRAMMAR, MECHANICS AND
USAGE
1. Possessive nouns
a. women’s h. Daily Times’s
2. Antecedents
a. their—Joe, Frank, and Bob—P f. her—Marilyn or Lupe—S
3. Case of pronouns
a. We e. me i. I
4. Possessive pronouns
a. It’s f. her or his
5. Verb tenses
a. provide j. had allowed s. has become
b. provided k. shrink t. had become
Copyright © 2018 Bovée and Thill LLC
6. Transitive and intransitive verbs
7. Voice of verbs
a. Mercury Message Service made the delivery.
8. Adjectives
a. best
9. Adverbs
a. intensely f. well
10. Prepositions
a. of, in
11. Conjunctions, articles, and interjections
a. C d. C g. C
