Test your language proficiency with these 10 tricky questions on English grammar covering pronouns, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and exceptions to master your core English writing and speaking skills.
Welcome back to our comprehensive grammar series! If you enjoyed testing your language skills in our initial challenge, it is time to level up. As explored in our foundational English grammar quiz, English grammar can be full of sneaky traps, subtle exceptions, and confusing rules—even for native speakers.
Below, you will find 10 tricky English grammar questions designed to test your knowledge of pronouns, subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, and more. Grab a pen and try to answer them on your own before scrolling down to check the answer key at the end!
Test Your Skills: 10 Tricky Grammar Questions
1. Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
- a) Him and I went to the movies.
- b) He and I went to the movies.
- c) Me and him went to the movies.
2. Choose the correct sentence:
- a) Neither John nor Peter is going to the party.
- b) Neither John nor Peter are going to the party.
3. Identify the sentence with the correct subject-verb agreement:
- a) Each of the books are interesting.
- b) Each of the books is interesting.
4. Which of the following is the superlative form of the adjective "good"?
- a) Gooder
- b) Better
- c) Bestest
- d) Best
5. Select the sentence with the correct use of the apostrophe:
- a) Its time to leave.
- b) It's time to leave.
6. What is the grammatical error in this sentence?
"I didn't went to the store yesterday."
7. Choose the sentence with the correct use of the adverb:
- a) She performed bad in the exam.
- b) She performed badly in the exam.
8. Identify the sentence written in the passive voice:
- a) The chef cooked a delicious meal.
- b) A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
9. Which sentence uses a restrictive relative clause?
- a) The book, which is on the table, is interesting.
- b) The book that is on the table is interesting.
10. What type of pronoun is "none" in the following sentence?
"None of them could solve the puzzle."
Answer Key & Explanations
How did you do? Check your answers below and read the quick explanations to brush up on your rules. For more challenging concepts, you can also review our advanced English grammar challenge:
- 1. b) He and I went to the movies.
Explanation: Use the subjective pronoun forms ("he" and "I") when they are the subject of the sentence. ("Him and I" or "Me and him" are object forms incorrectly used as subjects). - 2. a) Neither John nor Peter is going to the party.
Explanation: When subjects are connected by "neither/nor", the verb agrees with the closer subject (Peter), which is singular. - 3. b) Each of the books is interesting.
Explanation: The subject is "Each" (singular), not "books." Therefore, it requires the singular verb "is." - 4. d) Best
Explanation: "Good" is irregular. Its comparative form is "better," and its superlative form is "best". - 5. b) It's time to leave.
Explanation: "It's" with an apostrophe is a contraction for "It is." "Its" (without an apostrophe) shows possession. - 6. The correct sentence should be: "I didn't go to the store yesterday."
Explanation: When using the auxiliary verb "did" in the past tense, the main verb must remain in its base form ("go"). Double past tense is incorrect. - 7. b) She performed badly in the exam.
Explanation: You need an adverb ("badly") to modify the action verb "performed," rather than the adjective "bad." - 8. b) A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
Explanation: In passive voice, the focus shifts from the doer of the action to the recipient of the action. - 9. b) The book that is on the table is interesting.
Explanation: Restrictive clauses (using "that") are essential to the meaning of the sentence and are not set off by commas. - 10. Indefinite pronoun.
Explanation: "None" refers to an unspecified amount or number of people/things, making it an indefinite pronoun.
Key Takeaways on Tricky Grammar Rules
- Always match subjective pronouns (like he, she, I) to sentence subjects.
- Use singular verbs with distributive pronouns like "each."
- Never combine auxiliary past tense verbs (like "did") with past tense main verbs.
- To test your further understanding, check out Part 4 of our grammar series and Part 5 of our grammar series.
Quick Practice & Comment Prompt
Did you get a perfect score, or did a tricky question catch you off guard? Try changing sentence #8 into active voice, or write your own sentence using "neither/nor" and share it in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions on Tricky English Grammar
What is the main focus of Tricky Questions on English Grammar: Part 2?
This quiz focuses on advanced rules regarding subject-verb agreement, pronoun cases, irregular adjectives, apostrophe usage, and relative clauses to help you master tricky questions on English grammar.
How can I improve my English grammar test scores?
You can improve your scores by practicing regularly, reviewing core sentence structures, and studying detailed explanations for common grammar traps.
Where can I find more English grammar challenges?
You can explore more lessons and quizzes like Part 6 of our grammar series right here on english-grammarblog.blogspot.com.
Stay tuned for Part 3!