Brief Intermission One
TEST YOUR GRAMMAR
How good is your English? Have you ever said me and then
wondered if it shouldn’t have been I—or vice versa? Do you
sometimes get a little confused about lay and lie or who and whom?
Perhaps you are often a little less than certain about the distinction
between effect and affect, principal and principle, childish and
childlike?
Here is a series of quick tests that will show you how skillful you
are in using the right word in the right place, that will give you a
reliable indication of how your language ability compares with the
average.
TEST I—EASY
If your English is every bit as good as average, you will have no
difficulty making a proper choice in at least eight of the following
ten sentences.
1. There is a beautiful moon out tonight and Estelle and I are going
for a stroll—would you like to come along with (she and I, her
and me?)
2. Your husband doesn’t believe that you are older than (I, me).
3. Maybe we’re not as rich as (they, them), but I bet we’re a lot
happier.
4. Does your child still (lay, lie) down for a nap after lunch?
5. When we saw Mary openly flirting with Nellie’s husband, we
(could, couldn’t) hardly believe our eyes.
6. You should (of, have) put more vermouth into the martini.
7. Does your company (leave, let) you have as long a lunch break
as you would like?
8. Harriet feels that her (brothers-in-law, brother-in-laws) are
impossible to get along with.
9. “What (kind of, kind of a) car are you looking for?” asked the
salesman.
10. Mrs. White was delighted that the Fennells had invited John and
(she, her) to their party.
Is your English up to par? HERE ARE THE CORRECT ANSWERS
1–her and me, 2–I, 3-they, 4–lie, 5–could, 6–have, 7–let, 8–
brothers-in-law, 9–kind of, 10–her
TEST II—HARDER
Choose correctly in at least seven of the following problems to
consider that your skill is distinctly above average—get all ten right
to conclude that you rarely, if ever, make an error in grammar.
1. What (effect, affect) has the new administration’s policies had
on investor confidence?
2. A feeling of one’s worth is one of the (principle, principal) goals
of psychological therapy.
3. There’s no sense (in, of) carrying on that way.
4. I can’t remember (who, whom) it was.
5. The infant (lay, laid) quietly sucking its thumb.
6. No one but (she, her) ever made a perfect score on the test.
7. In the early days of frontier history, horse thieves were (hanged,
hung).
8. Neither of your responses (are, is) satisfactory.
9. Either of these two small cars, if properly maintained, (is, are)
sure to give over thirty miles per gallon in highway driving.
10. Tell (whoever, whomever) is waiting to come in.
Is your English above average? HERE ARE THE CORRECT ANSWERS
1–effect, 2–principal, 3–in, 4–who, 5–lay, 6–her, 7–hanged, 8–
is, 9–is, 10–whoever
TEST III—HARDEST
Now you can discover how close you are to being an expert in
English. The next ten sentences are no cinch—you will be acquitting
yourself creditably if you check the correct word five times out of
ten. And you have every right to consider yourself an expert if you
get nine or ten right.
1. We have just interviewed an applicant (who, whom) the
committee believes is best qualified for the position.
2. She is one of those gifted writers who (turns, turn) out one best
seller after another.
3. Don’t sound so (incredulous, incredible); what I am saying is
absolutely true.
4. We were totally (disinterested, uninterested) in the offer.
5. This recipe calls for two (cupsful, cupfuls) of sugar.
6. Are you trying to (infer, imply) by those words that he is not to
be trusted?
7. We thought the actress to be (she, her), but we weren’t sure.
8. Was it (she, her) you were talking about?
9. Your criteria (is, are) not valid.
10. “It is I who (is, am) the only friend you’ve got,” she told him
pointedly.
Are you an expert? HERE ARE THE CORRECT ANSWERS
1–who, 2–turn, 3–incredulous, 4–uninterested, 5–cupfuls, 6–
imply, 7–her, 8–she, 9–are, 10–am