Composition Grammar Test #3

Part I: Choose the answer that will keep the verb tense consistent.

1. When he turned around, he ____ his friend standing behind him.

a. sees
b. saw
c. has seen
d. will see

2. Since she works in a coffee shop, she ____ various types of specialty coffee and tea for
customers.
a. makes
b. used to make
c. will make
d. made

3. They all like camping, but none of them ____ crowds very much.
a. had liked
b. will like
c. liked
d. like

4. After they arrived at her aunts house, they ____ there werent enough beds for everyone.
a. discovered
b. will discover

c. have discovered
d. are discovering

5. When I ____ to the park with my friend Jake, we ____ fun because it was such a nice day.
a. was going / have
b. went / had
c. am going / will have
d. go / will have

6. After natural gas ____ out of the ground, it ____ to a processing plant where it is cleaned of
impurities.
a. comes / goes
b. is coming / will go
c. came / will be going
d. comes / was going

7. When the doctor ____ into the room the nurse ____ him the temperature chart of the patient.
a. was coming / will hand
b. will come / was handing
c. comes / will hand
d. comes / was handing

8. Anatomy ____ the branch of biology that ____ with the structure and organization of living
things.
a. is / would deal
b. was / is dealing

c. would be / deals
d. is / deals

9. Although soccer players mainly ____ their feet to move the ball around, they ____ other parts of
their bodies other than their hands or arms when trying to score.
a. are using / used
b. will use / are using
c. were using / will be using
d. use / also use

10. Sheila _____ a new play ____ at the Wharton Center.

a. will see / yesterday
b. will see / tomorrow
c. saw / tomorrow
d. is watching / yesterday

Part II: Choose the answer that corrects the underlined portion. If no error exists, choose No
change is necessary.
11. Jeffrey lifted weights for more than an hour before someone mentioned the rip in his shorts.
a. will mention
b. mentions
c. has mentioned
d. No change is necessary.

12. When Nelson is a puppy, he chewed toys and furniture.

a. becomes

b. was
c. grows into
d. No change is necessary.

13. When Felicia saw the turtle trying to cross the busy road, she leaped out of her car and would
carry the reptile to safety.
a. wanted to carry
b. carried
c. will carry
d. No change is necessary.

14. Everyone is sleeping soundly when Dan dropped the glass pitcher of lemonade on the kitchen
floor.
a. will be sleeping
b. would sleep
c. was sleeping
d. No change is necessary.

15. Grandpa plans to plant a backyard garden, in the hopes that it was helping with the high cost of
food.
a. will help
b. would help
c. helped
d. No change is necessary.

Part III: Choose the letter that correctly answers each task.

16. Choose the verb that is written in past tense.

a. take
b. will take
c. took
d. is taking

17. Choose the verb that is written in future tense.

a. has spoken
b. speaks
c. spoke
d. will speak

18. Choose the sentence that is written in present tense.

a. She will look beautiful tomorrow in her wedding gown.
b. She looks beautiful in her wedding gown.
c. She looked beautiful in her wedding gown.
d. She is going to look beautiful in her wedding gown.

19. A tiny baby bird sits on the ground, close to the nest. The bird cries out nervously for its mother.
Several people passed by and looked at it, but no one touches the bird.

Which underlined portion is given the wrong verb tense?

a. sits

b. cries out
c. passed
d. touches

20. The students realized the fruit will spoil after they had purchased twelve crates of grapes. If they
had inspected the grapes at all, they will see the grapes' condition. Having struggled to get the
grapes home, they were frustrated with their efforts. They were embarrassed to have made so
foolish an error.

Looking at the underlined parts in the paragraph above, how many verb tense errors exist?
a. 8
b. 5
c. 3
d. 2

Part IV: Sentence Fragments and Run-ons

21. When Harry first arrived, he was boiling mad.

a. fragment
b. run-on
c. complete sentence

22. Bobby and I went fishing he forgot his fishing pole.

a. fragment
b. run-on
c. complete sentence
23. Although cell phones will replace computers in the future.

a. fragment
b. run-on
c. complete sentence

24. Its lovely.

a. fragment
b. run-on
c. complete sentence

25. The holiday lights, with their twinkling colors and eye-catching designs.
a. fragment
b. run-on
c. complete sentence

Part V: Commonly Confused Words

26. ___ not ___ fault that he went ___ the wrong location.
a. Its / your / to
b. Its / youre / too
c. Its / your / too
d. Its / your / to

27. ___ going to love ___ new kitten.

a. Their / their
b. Theyre / their

c. Theyre / theyre
d. Theyre / there

28. ___ going to tell the truth about how ___ window got broken?
a. Whos / their
b. Whos / theyre
c. Whose / their
d. Whose / there

29. ___ ___ many people to tell ___ not here.

a. Theirs / too / whos
b. Theres / too / whose
c. Theres / too / whos
d. Theres / to / whose

30. You want to go ___ the store, ___?

a. too, too
b. to, to
c. too, to
d. to, too