Originally posted by Talentless
Are You Grammatically Incorrect?
Nice work!
Do you diagram sentences in your spare time? You got 8/10 correct.
1
Correct!
The correct answer: C There are
Your answer: C There are
"There are two ways to get there from heremy way and the wrong way."
Theres is shorthand for There is and should be used only with a singular subject--"Theres one way, and one way only." Because the sentence specifies two ways to get there, the verb must be plural--there are two ways. Theyre is short for They are. It may sound about right, but it means something else entirely.
2
Correct!
The correct answer: A affected
Your answer: A affected
"Having to share a room with my sister has definitely affected my ability to concentrate."
Affect and effect are often confused, because they sound similar and can have very similar meanings. To keep them straight, just remember that affect is only used as a verb, as in this example. Effect is nearly always used as a noun: Sharing a room with my sister has had a terrible effect on my concentration. And if your concentration is infected, just blame your sister.
3
Correct!
The correct answer: A me
Your answer: A me
"The professor gave the most difficult problems to Andrea and me."
No one would say, The professor gave the most difficult problems to I. Still, many of us instinctively use the pronoun I when we're paired with another person, even when me is required (because its an indirect object as in this example or because it follows a preposition). If youre unsure whether to use I or me, you may be tempted to skirt the issue by saying, The professor gave the most difficult problems to Andrea and myself. Nice try, but myself should only be used for emphasis, not in a sentence like this one.
Get the scoop on me, myself, and I in Grumpy Marthas Guide to Grammar and Usage.
4
Incorrect
The correct answer: C lay
Your answer: B lied
"After working on my car all evening, I finally lay down to sleep at around midnight."
Even your persnickety old English teacher is probably flummoxed by lay and lie now and then, particularly when the words are used in the past tense. To lay is to place something somewhere. To lie is to recline. But heres the kicker: The past tense of lie is lay!
5
Correct!
The correct answer: B regardless
Your answer: B regardless
"He tells everyone at school that Im his girlfriend, regardless of the fact that he never calls me."
People often use irregardless when they really mean regardless. In fact, irregardless is not really a word, regardless of its rampant misuse. Regardful means to be either mindful of something or respectful of someone.
Learn more about the irritating use of irregardless in Grumpy Marthas Guide to Grammar and Usage.
6
Correct!
The correct answer: A bad
Your answer: A bad
"I feel bad about revealing your imprecise use of the English language."
So many people misuse bad and badly that it may seem nitpicking to point out the distinction in usage. But to feel badly (or awfully for that matter) literally means to touch or handle something incorrectly. Use badly, an adverb, only to describe an action. Use bad, an adjective, to describe a condition or a passive state of being--like feeling.
7
Incorrect
The correct answer: C were
Your answer: B was
"He acts as if he were the coolest guy in school."
It may sound a bit pretentious, but were is called for in this sentence because it describes something thats untrue (hes clearly not the coolest guy in school). This is an example of the subjunctive mood, which is used to express doubts, wishes, possibilities, or untruths.
8
Correct!
The correct answer: A its
Your answer: A its
"I can't get the VCR to record; its instructions are too complicated."
Even though an apostrophe + s often indicates possession, the pronoun it breaks this rule--its (without an apostrophe) is the possessive form. Its (with an apostrophe) is not possessive at all; its short for it is.
9
Correct!
The correct answer: C we
Your answer: C we
"My English teacher seems convinced that we students will never use proper grammar."
The personal pronoun is the subject of this clause, so it needs to be in the subjective form (we), even though its being modified by a noun (students). To know which form to use, just imagine what you would say if you dropped the noun (in this case students). Youd never say,
us will use proper grammar or
me will use proper grammar. So, despite the addition of the word students, we shall overcome!
10
Correct!
The correct answer: B could've
Your answer: B could've
"I could've made a perfect score, if there hadn't been so many trick questions."
Many people mishear contractions involving would, should, and could as the verb + of instead of the verb + ve. Could of sounds similar to could've when spoken, but it's incorrect to use it as the contraction of could have. Coulda is not a word in the English language, no matter what people say.
Its cause im Mexican 
