Grammar Jeopardy

Subject-Verb Agreement

100

What is the correct verb form? "The team (is/are) winning the game."

is

200

Identify the error: "Neither of the dogs were barking."

Neither of the dogs was barking.

300

Choose the correct verb: 

"Each of the girls (has/have) a new book."

has

400

Correct the sentence: "A group of students are going to the museum."

A group of students is going to the museum. 

500

What is the subject and what is the predicate? "The flock of birds fly south every winter."

Subject = The flock of birds

Predicate - fly (south every winter)

Punctuation

100

Choose the correct punctuation: "Its raining outside" or "It's raining outside."

It's 

200

Correct the sentence: "Lets eat grandma."

Let's (Let us)

300

Correct the error. If there isn't one, say "no error."

"I have visited Paris, London and Rome."

I have visited Paris, London, and Rome. 

400

Add ALL of the correct punctuation to the following (You may come up and use a marker!):

 "Then he said, you guys are crazy! She hates you guys."

"He said, 'You guys are crazy! She hates you guys.'"

500

What is an Oxford comma and when is it used? 

The Oxford Comma

Also known as a serial comma, the Oxford comma is placed immediately before the conjunction—usually “and,”

“or,” or “nor”—in a series of three or more terms.

Without the Oxford comma:  Would you like steak, chicken or pork for dinner?

With the Oxford comma:  Would you like steak, chicken, or pork for dinner?

While this might seem like a trivial distinction, the Oxford comma can eliminate confusion.

Confusing:  I have invited my parents, Lloyd and Marilyn.

Note: Without the Oxford comma, it is not clear whether Lloyd and Marilyn are the parents or separate

invitees. In other words, it is not clear if there are four invitees or two.

Better:  I have invited my parents, Lloyd, and Marilyn.

Note: The Oxford comma makes it clear that Lloyd and Marilyn are separate invitees. 

Verb Tenses

100

What is the tense of the italicized part of this sentence? 

"By the time she arrived, the concert had already begun."

Past perfect

have/has/had _____ -ed, -n, etc. 

200

Correct the verb form in this sentence: "By the time he arrives, I already (eat) my lunch."

has eaten (past perfect)

300

How would I rewrite this sentence to show that this was something that the subject - he- did regularly in the past?

 "He fixed the car."

He would fix the car. 

400

Transform this sentence to include a conditional clause: "She studies every night, so she does well on tests." 

Conditional = hypothetical

If she studied every night, she would do well on tests. 

500

Change the following sentence to the future continuous tense: "I read a book at this time tomorrow."

I will be reading a book at this time tomorrow. 

Sentence Structure

100

Correct the run-on sentence: "I love reading I don't have time."

I love reading, but I don't have time. 

200

Identify the main clause: "When he arrived, the party had already started."

The party had already started. 

300

What type of clause is "which was quite challenging" in this sentence: "The exam, which was quite challenging, took several hours"?

Dependent clause

400

Identify and correct the error in the following sentence: "The book that I borrowed from the library, was interesting but long."

The book that I borrowed from the library was interesting but long. 

500

Transform this compound sentence into a complex sentence: "She studied hard, and she passed the exam."

"Because she studied hard, she passed the exam."

Vocabulary and Usage

100

What does "benevolent" mean in this context: "The benevolent donor contributed to the charity"?

kind, generous

200

Choose the correct usage: "The committee (is/are) meeting to discuss their plans."

is 

300

What is an antonym of "meticulous"?

careless, sloppy, slapdash

400

Explain the difference in meaning between "effect" and "affect" and provide examples for each.

Effect (noun)

• Meaning: Refers to a result or outcome of a particular influence.
• Example: "The new law had a significant effect on reducing traffic accidents."

Affect (verb)

• Meaning: Refers to the action of causing a change or influence on something.
• Example: "The cold weather can negatively affect your mood."

Summary:

• Effect is the result (noun), while affect is the action (verb).
• Remember: "Affect" is an action (both start with "A"), and "Effect" is the end result (both start with "E").

500

Differentiate between "imply" and "infer," providing an example of how each is used in context.

Imply

• Meaning: To suggest or express something indirectly without stating it outright.
• Example: "Her tone of voice seemed to imply that she was unhappy with the decision."

Infer

• Meaning: To deduce or conclude information from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements.
• Example: "From his silence, I could infer that he disagreed with the plan."

Summary:

• Imply is used when someone suggests something indirectly, while infer is used when someone derives a conclusion based on what has been suggested or stated.