Master these tricky questions on English grammar covering subject pronouns, gerunds, and verb tenses to boost your language proficiency.
Test Your Skills With Tricky Questions on English Grammar: 6
Ready to test your language skills? Let’s dive into our latest round of tricky English grammar questions. Take your time, try to answer each question on your own, and then check your answers with the detailed explanations below! If you enjoy this quiz, be sure to check out our earlier challenges like Tricky Questions on English Grammar Part 1 and Tricky Questions on English Grammar: Part 2 to sharpen your core English skills even further.
The Quiz: Advanced Grammar Questions
Question 1: Subject Pronoun Choice
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
- A) Me and him went to the movies.
- B) Him and I went to the movies.
- C) He and I went to the movies.
Question 2: Past Participle Usage
Select the correct sentence:
- A) I should have went to the party yesterday.
- B) I should have gone to the party yesterday.
Question 3: Identifying the Gerund
Identify the gerund in the following sentence:
"Swimming is my favorite summer activity."
Question 4: Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
Choose the sentence with the correct subject-verb agreement:
- A) Each of the students need a calculator.
- B) Each of the students needs a calculator.
Question 5: Pronoun Identification
What type of pronoun is "it" in the following sentence?
"The cat knocked over the vase, and it shattered into pieces."
Question 6: Punctuation and Conjunctive Adverbs
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- A) She won first prize, however, it was not easy.
- B) She won first prize; however it was not easy.
- C) She won first prize; however, it was not easy.
Question 7: Correct Semicolon Usage
Identify the correct use of the semicolon:
- A) I enjoy playing tennis; even though, I'm not very good at it.
- B) I enjoy playing tennis; therefore I practice every day.
- C) I enjoy playing tennis; because it's a fun and challenging sport.
Question 8: Conditional Verb Tenses
Choose the sentence that uses the correct verb tense:
- A) If I would have known, I will help you.
- B) If I had known, I would help you.
- C) If I knew, I will help you.
Answer Key & Detailed Grammar Explanations
- Question 1: C) He and I went to the movies.
Explanation: Use subject pronouns like he and I when they serve as the subjects performing the action of the sentence. For more practice with confusing pronouns, review Tricky Questions on English Grammar: Part 3. - Question 2: B) I should have gone to the party yesterday.
Explanation: The past participle "gone" must follow the modal auxiliary verb phrase "should have," rather than the simple past form "went." - Question 3: Swimming
Explanation: A gerund is a verb form ending in "-ing" that acts as a noun. Here, "swimming" serves as the subject of the sentence. - Question 4: B) Each of the students needs a calculator.
Explanation: The indefinite pronoun "Each" is grammatically singular and requires the singular verb needs. - Question 5: Personal pronoun
Explanation: In this sentence, "it" is a personal pronoun referring back to the noun "vase." - Question 6: C) She won first prize; however, it was not easy.
Explanation: When joining two independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb like "however," use a semicolon before it and a comma after it. Test more punctuation rules in Tricky Questions on English Grammar: Part 4. - Question 7: B) I enjoy playing tennis; therefore I practice every day.
Explanation: A semicolon is used to connect two related independent clauses. Options A and C incorrectly use semicolons before dependent clauses. - Question 8: B) If I had known, I would help you.
Explanation: This hypothetical conditional structure requires the past perfect tense ("had known") in the conditional clause paired with a past modal ("would") in the main clause. Continue challenging your logic with Tricky Questions on English Grammar: 5.
How did you do? English grammar rules can be subtle, but consistent practice makes all the difference. Keep testing your skills and stay tuned for our next quiz!
Key Takeaways
- Always match subject pronouns (like *he* and *I*) to the subject position of a clause.
- Modal auxiliary verbs like *should have* must always take a past participle.
- Indefinite pronouns such as *each* are singular and demand singular verbs.
- Proper punctuation with conjunctive adverbs requires a semicolon before and a comma after the transition word.
Quick Practice & Community Challenge
Do you know the answer? Try to create your own sentence using a gerund as the object of a preposition and write it in the comments section below!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are tricky English grammar questions?
Tricky English grammar questions are test items designed around common exceptions, easily confused verb forms, tricky subject-verb agreement rules, and advanced punctuation principles that even native speakers often get wrong.
Why is "Each of the students needs" correct instead of "need"?
The word "Each" is a singular indefinite pronoun that refers to members of a group individually, which requires a singular verb ending in "-s" (*needs*).
How can I improve my English grammar score?
You can improve your English grammar by reading regularly, studying structural rules, and consistently testing yourself with quizzes available on english-grammarblog.blogspot.com.