Grammar Gaffes
Correct the error in this sentence: "Me and my friend went to the mall."
"My friend and I went to the mall."
"The classroom was a zoo on the last day of school" is an example of which literary device?
A metaphor.
If someone tells you to "break a leg" before a presentation, what do they actually mean?
Good luck!
The prefix "un-" (as in unhappy or unusual) or "dis-" (as in disagree) both mean what?
Not / Opposite of.
Summer officially begins in the Northern Hemisphere on the "Summer Solstice," which usually falls around June 21st. What makes this day unique compared to every other day of the year?
It is the longest day of the year
Fix the mistake: "They left there backpacks over by the door."
"Their"
Giving human characteristics to non-human things, like saying "the wind whispered through the trees," is called what?
Personification.
What does the idiom "bite the bullet" mean?
To face a difficult situation with courage / get something unpleasant over with.
If the root word "audi" relates to hearing (like audio or audience), what does the Latin root "vis" or "vid" relate to?
Seeing / Sight
Which famous European landmark can actually grow up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) taller during the summer heat because the iron it is made of expands?
The Eiffel Tower (in Paris).
Identify the error: "Every students want to skip the final exam."
"Every student wants to skip the final exam."
What is the term for the turning point or the moment of highest tension in a story's plot?
The climax.
If you tell a story that is "a bittersweet pill to swallow," what does that mean?
It has both good and bad aspects / it is a harsh truth that is hard to accept.
The prefix "bi-" means two (like bicycle). What prefix would you use to mean "three," and what prefix means "many"?
Tri- (three) and Poly- or Multi- (many).
What popular, cold summer treat was originally invented by accident in 1905 by an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson who left a cup of soda powder, water, and a stirring stick outside overnight?
The Popsicle (or ice pop/ice lolly).
Identify the mistake: "I love reading books, I go to the library every Friday."
A comma splice.
"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" is a classic example of this sound device.
Alliteration.
If a rumor turns out to be completely false, someone might say, "That is completely unfounded." What does "unfounded" mean?
Having no basis in fact; unsupported by evidence.
The Greek root "graph" means "to write" (as in autograph or biography). What does the root "bio" mean in those same words?
Life (Biography = writing about a life).
To survive the brutal summer heat, some animals enter a state of deep, prolonged sleep similar to winter hibernation. What is the specific scientific term for "summer hibernation"?
Aestivation (or estivation).
Correct this sentence: "Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful."
"Walking down the street, I thought the trees looked beautiful"
What literary term describes a stark contrast between expectation and reality—for example, a fire station burning down?
Irony
If a speaker refuses to get straight to the point and instead talks around the topic to avoid a difficult conversation, what four-word idiom are they using?
Beating around the bush (or "to beat around the bush").
If you are "omnipresent," you are present everywhere. What does the Latin prefix "omni-" mean?
All / Everything.
July is historically famous for the phrase "the dog days of summer," which refers to the hottest, most sultry weeks of the season. Which celestial object or star constellation is this phrase actually named after?
Sirius (the Dog Star) / the constellation Canis Major.