Grammar Practice Bank

68 original Standard English Conventions questions — by sub-skill & difficulty

30 min read

#Digital SAT (Bluebook, 2024+) · 68 original questions

How to use this bank: Work through Part 1 (questions only) as a timed or untimed self-test. Choose the single best answer for each blank. Then check Part 2 for the answer key, the exact rule tested, and the specific trap in each wrong choice. Every item is original.

Conventions this bank follows (digital-SAT rules): a colon must follow a complete clause; a semicolon equals a period and joins two independent clauses; a supplement (nonessential element) requires a matched pair of marks; no comma sits between a subject and its verb; singular they is acceptable for a generic person, so it is never treated as an error here.

#PART 1 — QUESTIONS

#BOUNDARIES

Linking Clauses

1. [Linking Clauses · Easy] The Andean condor is one of the largest flying birds in the world ____ can reach a wingspan of more than three meters.

A) world it
B) world, and it
C) world, it
D) world; and it

2. [Linking Clauses · Easy] Maria Sibylla Merian studied insects in the seventeenth century ____ detailed illustrations of metamorphosis astonished naturalists across Europe.

A) century, her
B) century her
C) century. Her
D) century; and her

3. [Linking Clauses · Easy] Because glassblowing demands precise control of temperature ____ many early artisans guarded their techniques closely and passed them only to apprentices.

A) control,
B) control;
C) control:
D) control

4. [Linking Clauses · Easy] The library's oldest manuscripts are extremely fragile ____ visitors must wear cotton gloves before handling them.

A) fragile so
B) fragile: so
C) fragile, so,
D) fragile, so

5. [Linking Clauses · Medium] Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor ____ they provide habitat for roughly a quarter of all known marine species.

A) floor, however,
B) floor; however,
C) floor however,
D) floor, however

6. [Linking Clauses · Medium] The experiment produced a startling result ____ the bacteria had survived temperatures once believed to be lethal to all living cells.

A) result, the
B) result the
C) result; the,
D) result — the

7. [Linking Clauses · Medium] Some migratory birds navigate using Earth's magnetic field ____ others steer by the position of the stars.

A) field; others
B) field, others
C) field others
D) field; and others

8. [Linking Clauses · Medium] The curator carefully examined the faded tapestry ____ and then recorded its exact measurements in a leather-bound ledger.

A) tapestry,
B) tapestry;
C) tapestry
D) tapestry:

9. [Linking Clauses · Hard] Bioluminescent fungi glow through a chemical reaction similar to the one in fireflies ____ producing an eerie green light that can linger for hours on the forest floor.

A) fireflies;
B) fireflies,
C) fireflies.
D) fireflies, and

10. [Linking Clauses · Hard] The novel was rejected by a dozen publishers ____ it went on to win the nation's most prestigious literary award, surprising the very editors who had passed on it.

A) publishers; yet
B) publishers yet
C) publishers, yet
D) publishers, yet,

11. [Linking Clauses · Hard] Desalination can supply fresh water to arid coastal regions ____ the process remains expensive and energy-intensive, so it is not yet a universal solution.

A) regions; however,
B) regions, however,
C) regions however
D) regions: however,

12. [Linking Clauses · Hard] The composer spent nearly a decade perfecting her only symphony ____ a sprawling work that fused traditional folk melodies with jarring modern dissonance.

A) symphony; a
B) symphony, a
C) symphony. A
D) symphony a

Punctuation

13. [Punctuation · Easy] The recipe called for three spices the cooks had never used ____ sumac, grains of paradise, and dried barberries.

A) spices,
B) spices;
C) spices
D) spices:

14. [Punctuation · Easy] The mural depicted farmers planting rows of ____ harvesting grain, and carrying baskets of fruit to market.

A) rice,
B) rice;
C) rice:
D) rice

15. [Punctuation · Easy] Founded in ____ Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

A) 1636
B) 1636;
C) 1636,
D) 1636:

16. [Punctuation · Medium] The trade conference drew delegates from Lima, ____ Nairobi, Kenya; and Oslo, Norway.

A) Peru,
B) Peru;
C) Peru:
D) Peru —

17. [Punctuation · Medium] The towering sequoias that dominate this stretch of the ____ can live for more than two thousand years.

A) forest
B) forest,
C) forest;
D) forest:

18. [Punctuation · Medium] By dawn the exhausted climbers had finally reached their ____ the snow-covered summit that had turned back three earlier expeditions.

A) goal; the
B) goal the
C) goal, — the
D) goal — the

19. [Punctuation · Medium] For four months, researchers tracked the migration of monarch ____ across nearly three thousand kilometers of North American sky.

A) butterflies,
B) butterflies
C) butterflies;
D) butterflies:

20. [Punctuation · Hard] The retrospective featured works by three pioneering ____ Dorothea Lange, whose portraits captured the Depression; Gordon Parks, who documented urban life; and Ansel Adams, celebrated for his landscapes.

A) photographers;
B) photographers,
C) photographers:
D) photographers

21. [Punctuation · Hard] The astronomer Vera Rubin gathered decades of evidence for the existence of dark ____ and helped convince skeptics that galaxies spin far too fast to be held together by visible matter alone.

A) matter
B) matter,
C) matter;
D) matter:

22. [Punctuation · Hard] The startup's first product failed to attract a single ____ nevertheless, the founders used what they had learned to build a second, far more successful venture.

A) customer,
B) customer
C) customer:
D) customer;

23. [Punctuation · Hard] Although the new suspension bridge was completed nearly a year ahead of ____ its designers faced sharp criticism for underestimating the project's impact on the wetlands.

A) schedule;
B) schedule,
C) schedule:
D) schedule

Supplements

24. [Supplements · Easy] The axolotl, a salamander that never fully ____ can regenerate entire lost limbs, along with parts of its heart and brain.

A) matures;
B) matures —
C) matures,
D) matures

25. [Supplements · Easy] Scientists have identified a species of frog ____ can survive being frozen almost solid through the depths of winter.

A) that
B) , which
C) , that
D) which

26. [Supplements · Easy] Sequoia ____ some of which live for more than three thousand years, are among the oldest living organisms on Earth.

A) trees;
B) trees —
C) trees
D) trees,

27. [Supplements · Medium] Several Romantic composers — Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann among ____ transformed the piano into a vehicle for intense personal expression.

A) them,
B) them —
C) them;
D) them

28. [Supplements · Medium] The Rosetta Stone ____ helped scholars finally decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs, is now one of the most visited objects in the British Museum.

A) that
B) , that
C) , which
D) which

29. [Supplements · Medium] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Any ____ will be placed on a waiting list until a spot opens.

A) student who submits the application after the posted deadline
B) student, who submits the application after the posted deadline,
C) student, who submits the application after the posted deadline
D) student who submits the application after the posted deadline,

30. [Supplements · Hard] Amateur stargazers can find several striking objects with ordinary ____ the Andromeda Galaxy, the Orion Nebula, and the Pleiades — even from the edges of a large city.

A) binoculars,
B) binoculars:
C) binoculars
D) binoculars —

31. [Supplements · Hard] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? For decades, a single ____ the most effective cancer treatment available.

A) compound, researchers had extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew, remained
B) compound researchers had extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew remained
C) compound researchers had extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew, remained
D) compound, researchers had extracted from the bark of the Pacific yew remained

32. [Supplements · Hard] The first successful vaccine (developed by the English physician Edward Jenner in ____ used material from cowpox sores to protect people against the deadly smallpox virus.

A) 1796,
B) 1796 —
C) 1796)
D) 1796

#FORM, STRUCTURE & SENSE

Subject-Verb Agreement

33. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Easy] The museum's collection of ancient Mediterranean coins ____ displayed in a single glass case near the main entrance.

A) are
B) is
C) were
D) have been

34. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Easy] The two rival theories about what killed the dinosaurs ____ still fiercely debated by paleontologists today.

A) is
B) was
C) has been
D) are

35. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Easy] Each of the trail volunteers ____ responsible for monitoring a different section of the mountain path.

A) is
B) are
C) were
D) have been

36. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Medium] There ____ a series of free public lectures on Byzantine architecture scheduled for the coming month.

A) are
B) were
C) is
D) have been

37. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Medium] The novelist's sharp wit and her keen eye for social detail ____ evident on nearly every page of the book.

A) is
B) are
C) was
D) has been

38. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Medium] Either the state senators or the governor ____ likely to break the deadlock over the budget before the deadline.

A) is
B) are
C) were
D) have been

39. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Medium] The committee that oversees the city's historic buildings ____ meeting on Thursday to review the developer's proposal.

A) are
B) were
C) have been
D) is

40. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Hard] The influence of Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Titian, and Michelangelo ____ still visible in the work of artists centuries later.

A) are
B) were
C) is
D) remain

41. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Hard] Among the most celebrated treasures of the ancient world ____ the bronze sculptures that divers recovered from shipwrecks in the Mediterranean.

A) is
B) are
C) was
D) has been

42. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Hard] Neither the director nor the lead actors ____ willing to discuss the film's controversial ending in interviews.

A) are
B) is
C) was
D) has been

43. [Subject-Verb Agreement · Hard] The number of students enrolling in introductory astronomy courses ____ risen sharply over the past decade.

A) have
B) were
C) has
D) are

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

44. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Easy] A hummingbird beats its wings up to eighty times per second, an effort so demanding that ____ must eat almost constantly to survive.

A) it
B) they
C) we
D) you

45. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Easy] The earliest telescopes were remarkably crude, yet ____ allowed astronomers to see the moons of Jupiter for the very first time.

A) it
B) it's
C) one
D) they

46. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Medium] Neither of the two natural history museums has updated ____ dinosaur exhibit since the newly discovered fossils were unearthed.

A) their
B) its
C) it's
D) there

47. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Medium] The ancient scrolls were so brittle that the curators feared ____ would crumble at the slightest touch.

A) it
B) each
C) they
D) it's

48. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Medium] Before entering orbit around Mars, the spacecraft adjusted ____ trajectory with a series of brief thruster burns.

A) its
B) their
C) it's
D) they're

49. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Hard] The series of experiments, despite the many setbacks the team encountered, ultimately proved ____ worth when the resulting vaccine entered clinical trials.

A) their
B) it's
C) there
D) its

50. [Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement · Hard] Neither the old stone bridge nor the tunnels linking the two islands had been inspected in years, and engineers feared that ____ could collapse in a major earthquake.

A) it
B) they
C) it's
D) one

Verb Forms & Tense

51. [Verb Forms & Tense · Easy] Last summer, a team of ecologists ____ three previously unknown species of beetle in the rainforest canopy.

A) discovers
B) will discover
C) discovered
D) has discovered

52. [Verb Forms & Tense · Easy] Every morning, the village baker ____ dozens of loaves long before the shop opens its doors at seven.

A) bakes
B) baked
C) baking
D) will bake

53. [Verb Forms & Tense · Medium] By the time the rescue team finally arrived, the stranded hikers ____ already found their own way back to the trailhead.

A) found
B) have found
C) will have found
D) had found

54. [Verb Forms & Tense · Medium] Marie ____ at the mountaintop observatory since 2015, cataloging thousands of faint and distant galaxies.

A) worked
B) has worked
C) works
D) had worked

55. [Verb Forms & Tense · Medium] If the museum had received the grant it applied for, it ____ the crumbling frescoes years ago.

A) would have restored
B) would restore
C) will restore
D) restored

56. [Verb Forms & Tense · Hard] The nature documentary follows a pod of orcas as they hunt for prey, migrate along the coast, and ____ their young in the cold northern waters.

A) raised
B) raising
C) raise
D) will raise

57. [Verb Forms & Tense · Hard] By the time the festival opens next June, the volunteers ____ more than ten thousand trees along the eroded hillsides.

A) planted
B) will have planted
C) had planted
D) plant

Modifier Placement

58. [Modifier Placement · Easy] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Gliding low over the coastline at dawn, ____

A) the pelicans searched for schools of fish near the surface.
B) schools of fish were visible to the pelicans below.
C) it was easy for the pelicans to spot schools of fish.
D) the surface of the water revealed schools of fish.

59. [Modifier Placement · Easy] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Painted on a plaster wall more than five hundred years ago, ____

A) visitors still admire the fresco's vivid colors.
B) the colors of the fresco remain remarkably vivid.
C) the fresco still retains its remarkably vivid colors.
D) it is remarkable that the fresco stays so vivid.

60. [Modifier Placement · Medium] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Having studied the region's fault lines for over a decade, ____

A) the data allowed accurate predictions of tremors.
B) the geologist could predict where tremors were most likely.
C) predicting where tremors would strike became possible.
D) it was possible to predict where the tremors would strike.

61. [Modifier Placement · Medium] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Discovered by a shepherd in a desert cave in 1947, ____

A) scholars soon recognized the value of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
B) the value of the Dead Sea Scrolls was soon recognized.
C) it was clear that the Dead Sea Scrolls were priceless.
D) the Dead Sea Scrolls transformed scholars' understanding of ancient texts.

62. [Modifier Placement · Hard] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? While excavating a burial site in northern Peru, ____

A) archaeologists uncovered a tomb filled with gold ornaments.
B) a tomb filled with gold ornaments was uncovered.
C) gold ornaments were found filling an ancient tomb.
D) there was a tomb filled with gold ornaments.

63. [Modifier Placement · Hard] Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A self-taught mathematician who never held a university post, ____

A) the theorems that Srinivasa Ramanujan produced still astonish specialists.
B) Srinivasa Ramanujan produced theorems that still astonish specialists.
C) specialists still study Srinivasa Ramanujan's astonishing theorems.
D) it is astonishing how many theorems Srinivasa Ramanujan produced.

Plurals & Possessives

64. [Plurals & Possessives · Easy] Marine biologists have tagged dozens of whales in order to map the ____ migration routes across the entire Pacific.

A) whale's
B) whales
C) whales'
D) whales's

65. [Plurals & Possessives · Easy] The robin built ____ nest in the crook of the old oak tree beside the barn.

A) its
B) it's
C) its'
D) it is

66. [Plurals & Possessives · Medium] Visitors to the museum can tour the ____ laboratory, preserved almost exactly as it was a century ago.

A) inventors'
B) inventors
C) inventor
D) inventor's

67. [Plurals & Possessives · Medium] For nearly a year, the two ____ collaborated on the enormous mural that now covers the library's south wall.

A) artist's
B) artists
C) artists'
D) artist

68. [Plurals & Possessives · Hard] The city's new ____ museum, which opened last spring, features hands-on exhibits designed for visitors under the age of ten.

A) children's
B) childrens'
C) childrens
D) children

#PART 2 — ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS

#BOUNDARIES — Linking Clauses

1. Answer: B — Rule: two independent clauses may be joined by a comma + a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). A "world it" = fused run-on (no punctuation). C "world, it" = comma splice. D "world; and it" = semicolon plus a coordinating conjunction, a redundant double join.

2. Answer: C — Rule: two independent clauses may be separated by a period. A "century, her" = comma splice. B "century her" = run-on. D "century; and her" = semicolon plus coordinating conjunction (double join).

3. Answer: A — Rule: an introductory dependent clause ("Because…control") is followed by a comma before the main clause. B semicolon and C colon both require a full independent clause before them, but "Because…control" is dependent. D omits the required comma after the introductory clause.

4. Answer: D — Rule: comma + coordinating conjunction "so" joins two independent clauses. A "fragile so" = run-on. B "fragile: so" misuses the colon (a colon is not followed by a coordinating conjunction). C adds an extra comma after "so."

5. Answer: B — Rule: "however" is a conjunctive adverb, so the clauses need a semicolon before it (and a comma after). A and D put only a comma before "however" = comma splice. C omits punctuation before "however" = run-on.

6. Answer: D — Rule: a single dash can join two independent clauses, the second elaborating the first. A "result, the" = comma splice. B "result the" = run-on. C "result; the," adds a stray comma after the semicolon.

7. Answer: A — Rule: a semicolon joins two closely related independent clauses. B "field, others" = comma splice. C "field others" = run-on. D "field; and others" pairs a semicolon with a coordinating conjunction (double join).

8. Answer: C — Rule: "examined…and then recorded" is a compound predicate (one subject, two verbs), so no punctuation belongs before "and." A inserts an unnecessary comma into a compound predicate. B semicolon and D colon both need an independent clause after them, but "and then recorded…" is not a clause.

9. Answer: B — Rule: a comma sets off the trailing participial phrase "producing…"; it is not an independent clause. A semicolon and C period each require an independent clause on the other side, so both create a fragment. D "fireflies, and producing" forces faulty coordination (a finite verb joined to a participle).

10. Answer: C — Rule: "yet" is a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS), so it takes a comma, not a semicolon, before it. A "publishers; yet" wrongly pairs a semicolon with a coordinating conjunction. B "publishers yet" = run-on. D adds an extra comma after "yet."

11. Answer: A — Rule: with the conjunctive adverb "however," join the clauses with a semicolon (comma after). B "regions, however," = comma splice. C "regions however" = run-on. D "regions: however," misuses the colon before a contrasting clause.

12. Answer: B — Rule: a comma introduces the appositive noun phrase "a sprawling work…," which is not an independent clause. A semicolon and C period each need an independent clause after them, so both create a fragment. D "symphony a" omits punctuation.

#BOUNDARIES — Punctuation

13. Answer: D — Rule: a colon follows a complete clause and introduces a list. A "spices," makes the list look like a confusing appositive. B semicolon needs an independent clause after it, not a list. C omits punctuation before the list.

14. Answer: A — Rule: items in a series are separated by commas. B semicolon and C colon are too strong for a simple series here. D omits the needed comma, fusing "rice harvesting."

15. Answer: C — Rule: an introductory participial phrase ("Founded in 1636") is set off with a comma. A omits the required comma. B semicolon and D colon each require an independent clause before them, but the phrase is not a clause.

16. Answer: B — Rule: use semicolons to separate list items that already contain internal commas ("Lima, Peru"; "Nairobi, Kenya"). A comma creates ambiguity among the internal commas. C colon and D dash do not mark items within a series.

17. Answer: A — Rule: never place a comma between a subject ("The towering sequoias…forest") and its verb ("can live"). B inserts a subject-verb comma. C semicolon and D colon would break the sentence into a fragment.

18. Answer: D — Rule: a single dash can introduce a final appositive/elaboration after a complete clause. A semicolon needs an independent clause after it, not a noun phrase. B omits punctuation. C "goal, — the" doubles a comma and a dash.

19. Answer: B — Rule: no punctuation separates the verb "tracked…the migration of monarch butterflies" from its following prepositional phrase. A inserts an unnecessary comma before "across." C semicolon and D colon both create a fragment out of the phrase.

20. Answer: C — Rule: a colon follows the complete clause and introduces a list whose items contain internal commas/clauses. A semicolon needs an independent clause after it, not a list. B comma is too weak and clashes with the internal punctuation. D omits punctuation before the list.

21. Answer: A — Rule: "gathered…and helped convince" is a compound predicate, so no comma precedes "and." B inserts a comma into a compound predicate. C semicolon and D colon each need an independent clause after them, but "and helped convince…" is not a clause.

22. Answer: D — Rule: "nevertheless" is a conjunctive adverb joining two independent clauses, so use a semicolon. A "customer," = comma splice. B "customer" = run-on. C colon is wrong before a contrasting independent clause.

23. Answer: B — Rule: an introductory dependent clause ("Although…schedule") is followed by a comma. A semicolon and C colon both require an independent clause before them, but the "Although" clause is dependent. D omits the required comma.

#BOUNDARIES — Supplements

24. Answer: C — Rule: the supplement "a salamander that never fully matures" opens with a comma, so it must close with a matching comma. A semicolon, B dash, and D no punctuation all fail to match the opening comma (a supplement needs a matched pair).

25. Answer: A — Rule: the clause is essential (it identifies which species), so use restrictive "that" with no comma. B ", which" wrongly makes essential information nonrestrictive, implying all frogs survive freezing. C ", that" is never correct — "that" takes no preceding comma. D "which" without a comma is nonstandard for a restrictive clause.

26. Answer: D — Rule: the nonessential clause "some of which live…years" closes with a comma, so it must open with a matching comma. A semicolon and B dash do not match the closing comma. C omits the opening mark, leaving the supplement unbalanced.

27. Answer: B — Rule: the aside "Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann among them" opens with a dash, so it must close with a matching dash. A comma, C semicolon, and D no punctuation all fail to match the opening dash.

28. Answer: C — Rule: the Rosetta Stone is unique, so the clause is nonrestrictive — use ", which" (paired with the existing closing comma). A "that" (restrictive, no comma) clashes with the closing comma and wrongly treats the clause as essential. B ", that" is never correct. D "which" lacks the opening comma, unbalancing the pair.

29. Answer: A — Rule: "who submits the application after the posted deadline" is essential (it defines which students), so it takes no commas. B sets off essential information with a nonrestrictive pair. C and D each add a single comma, producing a mismatched pair that also severs the subject from its verb.

30. Answer: D — Rule: the aside closes with a dash before "even," so it must open with a matching dash; dashes also suit an aside that contains internal commas. A comma and B colon do not pair with the closing dash. C omits the opening mark, unbalancing the supplement.

31. Answer: B — Rule: "researchers had extracted…yew" is an essential (restrictive) contact clause modifying "compound," so it takes no commas. A wraps it in commas as if it were nonessential (and it lacks a relative pronoun to work that way). C and D each add one comma, creating a mismatched pair that also splits the subject "compound…yew" from the verb "remained."

32. Answer: C — Rule: information opened with "(" must close with ")". A comma, B dash, and D no closing mark all fail to close the parenthesis (a supplement needs a matched pair).

#FORM, STRUCTURE & SENSE — Subject-Verb Agreement

33. Answer: B — Rule: the singular subject "collection" governs the verb, not the nearer plural "coins," so use "is." A "are," C "were," and D "have been" are all plural, agreeing wrongly with the intervening "coins."

34. Answer: D — Rule: the plural subject "theories" requires the plural "are." A "is," B "was," and C "has been" are singular.

35. Answer: A — Rule: "Each" is singular, so use "is" regardless of the plural "volunteers." B "are," C "were," and D "have been" are plural, wrongly matching "volunteers."

36. Answer: C — Rule: in "There ___," the verb agrees with the true subject "a series" (singular), so "is." A "are," B "were," and D "have been" are plural, wrongly matching the nearer "lectures."

37. Answer: B — Rule: two subjects joined by "and" ("wit and…eye") form a plural compound subject, so "are." A "is," C "was," and D "has been" are singular.

38. Answer: A — Rule: with "either…or," the verb agrees with the nearer subject, "the governor" (singular), so "is." B "are," C "were," and D "have been" wrongly treat the nearer subject as plural.

39. Answer: D — Rule: the singular subject "committee" governs the verb across the clause "that oversees…buildings," so "is." A "are," B "were," and C "have been" are plural, wrongly matching "buildings."

40. Answer: C — Rule: the singular subject "influence" governs the verb despite the long list of painters, so "is." A "are," B "were," and D "remain" are all plural, wrongly matching the nearer plural nouns.

41. Answer: B — Rule: in this inverted sentence the true subject is the plural "sculptures," so "are." A "is," C "was," and D "has been" are singular, wrongly matching "world."

42. Answer: A — Rule: with "neither…nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject, "the lead actors" (plural), so "are." B "is," C "was," and D "has been" wrongly treat the nearer plural subject as singular.

43. Answer: C — Rule: "the number of…" is singular, so use "has." A "have" and D "are" are plural (that is the rule for "a number of…"). B "were" is plural and, with "risen," ungrammatical.

#FORM, STRUCTURE & SENSE — Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

44. Answer: A — Rule: the singular antecedent "A hummingbird" takes the singular "it." B "they" mismatches a singular antecedent (an animal, not a generic person). C "we" and D "you" shift person with no antecedent.

45. Answer: D — Rule: the plural antecedent "telescopes" takes the plural "they." A "it" and B "it's" are singular (and B is the contraction "it is"). C "one" has no matching antecedent.

46. Answer: B — Rule: "Neither" is singular, so use the singular possessive "its" (the antecedents are museums, i.e., things). A "their" mismatches the singular "neither." C "it's" means "it is." D "there" is the wrong word entirely.

47. Answer: C — Rule: the plural antecedent "scrolls" takes the plural "they." A "it" is singular. B "each" is not a referring pronoun here. D "it's" means "it is."

48. Answer: A — Rule: the singular antecedent "the spacecraft" takes the singular possessive "its." B "their" is plural. C "it's" means "it is." D "they're" means "they are."

49. Answer: D — Rule: the singular antecedent "The series" takes the singular possessive "its," despite the nearer plurals "experiments" and "setbacks." A "their" mismatches the singular subject. B "it's" means "it is." C "there" is the wrong word.

50. Answer: B — Rule: with "neither…nor," the pronoun agrees with the nearer antecedent, "the tunnels" (plural), so "they." A "it" mismatches the nearer plural. C "it's" means "it is." D "one" does not agree in number.

#FORM, STRUCTURE & SENSE — Verb Forms & Tense

51. Answer: C — Rule: the past-time marker "Last summer" requires the simple past "discovered." A "discovers" is present. B "will discover" is future. D "has discovered" (present perfect) cannot take a specific finished-past time marker.

52. Answer: A — Rule: the habitual present "bakes" matches "every morning" and the present-tense "opens." B "baked" is past (breaking consistency with "opens"). C "baking" is a nonfinite form. D "will bake" is future.

53. Answer: D — Rule: the past perfect "had found" marks the earlier of two past actions (finding the way happened before the team arrived). A "found" fails to sequence the two past events. B "have found" (present perfect) and C "will have found" (future perfect) clash with the past context.

54. Answer: B — Rule: "since 2015" (an action continuing to now) requires the present perfect "has worked." A "worked" (simple past) denies the ongoing sense. C "works" ignores the duration. D "had worked" (past perfect) needs a later past reference that isn't here.

55. Answer: A — Rule: past unreal condition "If…had received" pairs with "would have restored." B "would restore," C "will restore," and D "restored" all break the past-unreal conditional pattern.

56. Answer: C — Rule: parallel with the present-tense verbs "hunt" and "migrate," the third verb must be "raise." A "raised" (past), B "raising" (nonfinite), and D "will raise" (future) all break the parallel present-tense series.

57. Answer: B — Rule: an action completed by a future point ("By the time the festival opens next June") takes the future perfect "will have planted." A "planted" is simple past. C "had planted" is past perfect. D "plant" is simple present — none fits a future deadline.

#FORM, STRUCTURE & SENSE — Modifier Placement

58. Answer: A — Rule: the introductory phrase "Gliding low over the coastline" must modify the noun that follows, and only "the pelicans" can glide. B "schools of fish," C "it," and D "the surface of the water" cannot glide — each dangles the modifier.

59. Answer: C — Rule: what was "Painted…five hundred years ago" must be "the fresco." A "visitors," B "the colors," and D "it" were not painted five centuries ago — each is a dangling/illogical modifier.

60. Answer: B — Rule: the one who has "studied…fault lines for over a decade" must be a person — "the geologist." A "the data," C "predicting," and D "it" cannot study fault lines — each dangles the modifier.

61. Answer: D — Rule: what was "Discovered by a shepherd…in 1947" must be "the Dead Sea Scrolls." A "scholars," B "the value," and C "it" were not discovered by the shepherd — each is a dangling modifier.

62. Answer: A — Rule: the ones "excavating a burial site in northern Peru" must be people — "archaeologists." B (passive "a tomb…was uncovered"), C "gold ornaments," and D "there" all leave the phrase without a logical actor to modify.

63. Answer: B — Rule: the appositive "A self-taught mathematician who never held a university post" must rename a person — "Srinivasa Ramanujan." A "the theorems," C "specialists," and D "it" cannot be the mathematician — each misattaches the appositive.

#FORM, STRUCTURE & SENSE — Plurals & Possessives

64. Answer: C — Rule: plural possessive "whales'" shows routes belonging to many whales. A "whale's" is singular possessive. B "whales" is a plain plural (no possession shown). D "whales's" is a nonstandard form.

65. Answer: A — Rule: the possessive determiner is "its" (no apostrophe). B "it's" means "it is." C "its'" is not a word. D "it is" cannot precede a noun this way.

66. Answer: D — Rule: singular possessive "inventor's" shows the lab of one inventor. A "inventors'" is plural possessive. B "inventors" is a plain plural. C "inventor" shows no possession.

67. Answer: B — Rule: "the two artists" is a plain plural subject — no apostrophe, because nothing is being possessed. A "artist's" and C "artists'" wrongly add possession; A is also singular. D "artist" is singular, but there are two.

68. Answer: A — Rule: "children" is already plural, so its possessive is "children's." B "childrens'" and C "childrens" wrongly add an "s" to an irregular plural. D "children" shows no possession.

End of answer key. 68 questions total — Boundaries: 32 (Linking Clauses 12, Punctuation 11, Supplements 9); Form, Structure & Sense: 36 (Subject-Verb 11, Pronoun-Antecedent 7, Verb Forms & Tense 7, Modifier Placement 6, Plurals & Possessives 5). All items original.

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Grammar Unit Test

Twenty-two mixed items, nothing labelled, twenty minutes — the last thing you do in this domain

10 min