1. How many words are there in the English language?
- A) About 500,000
- B) About a million, maybe more
- C) Exactly 1 million
- D) Less than 500,000
B) About a million, maybe more
2. What is the longest word in the dictionary?
- A) Antidisestablishmentarianism
- B) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- C) Floccinaucinihilipilification
- D) Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
B) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
3. What does 'floccinaucinihilipilification' mean?
- A) The estimation of something as worthless
- B) A lung disease
- C) Opposition to the disestablishment of the Church
- D) A very long word
A) The estimation of something as worthless
4. What does pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis mean?
- A) A factitious word for a lung disease
- B) The estimation of something as worthless
- C) Opposition to the Church
- D) A village in Wales
A) A factitious word for a lung disease
5. How do you figure out what a Roman numeral stands for?
- A) Add if same or smaller to right, subtract if smaller to left
- B) Always add all numbers
- C) Subtract all smaller numbers
- D) Multiply by position
A) Add if same or smaller to right, subtract if smaller to left
6. Does bimonthly mean twice a month or every two months?
- A) Twice a month
- B) Every two months (usually)
- C) Once a month
- D) Every month
B) Every two months (usually)
7. What is a thesis statement?
- A) A one or two-sentence condensation of the argument
- B) The conclusion of an essay
- C) A list of sources
- D) An introduction paragraph
A) A one or two-sentence condensation of the argument
8. What is a simile?
- A) A comparison using like or as
- B) An implicit comparison
- C) A direct statement
- D) A rhyme
A) A comparison using like or as
9. What is a run-on sentence?
- A) Two or more independent clauses improperly joined
- B) A short sentence
- C) A sentence with a conjunction
- D) A fragment
A) Two or more independent clauses improperly joined
10. What is a linking verb?
- A) A verb that identifies the predicate with the subject
- B) An action verb
- C) A transitive verb
- D) An infinitive
A) A verb that identifies the predicate with the subject
11. What is ambiguity in writing?
- A) Meaning cannot be understood by its context
- B) Clear meaning
- C) Repetition of words
- D) Long sentences
A) Meaning cannot be understood by its context
12. What is an annotated bibliography?
- A) A list of citations with notes for each
- B) A list of books only
- C) A summary of a book
- D) An index
A) A list of citations with notes for each
13. What is MLA style?
- A) Style for scholarly manuscripts by Modern Language Association
- B) A typing format
- C) A dictionary style
- D) A grammar rule
A) Style for scholarly manuscripts by Modern Language Association
14. What is redundancy in writing?
- A) Language that can be eliminated without loss of meaning
- B) Repeating ideas
- C) Short phrases
- D) Complex sentences
A) Language that can be eliminated without loss of meaning
15. What is the difference between its and it's?
- A) Its is possessive, it's is contraction of it is/has
- B) Both are the same
- C) Its is contraction, it's is possessive
- D) Its is plural
A) Its is possessive, it's is contraction of it is/has
16. What is the difference between i.e. and e.g.?
- A) i.e. means that is, e.g. means for example
- B) Both mean for example
- C) i.e. means for example, e.g. means that is
- D) Both mean that is
A) i.e. means that is, e.g. means for example
17. What is the difference in usage for like vs. as?
- A) As before a clause
- B) Like before a clause
- C) Both are interchangeable
- D) As for objects
A) As before a clause
18. What is the difference between there and their? Your and you're?
- A) Their/your possessive, there/you're location/contraction
- B) All are locations
- C) All are possessives
- D) No difference
A) Their/your possessive, there/you're location/contraction
19. What is the difference between dinner and supper?
- A) Supper is light evening meal, dinner is main meal
- B) Both are the same
- C) Dinner is light, supper is main
- D) Supper is midday
A) Supper is light evening meal, dinner is main meal
20. What is the only word with three consecutive sets of double letters?
- A) Bookkeeper
- B) Sweettoothed
- C) Committee
- D) Balloon
A) Bookkeeper
21. What is the origin of the word fuck?
- A) Latin futuere and Old German ficken
- B) For unlawful carnal knowledge
- C) French origin
- D) Greek origin
A) Latin futuere and Old German ficken
22. What is the rule for writing out numbers as words?
- A) Write out 1-9, figures for 10+
- B) Always use figures
- C) Write out all numbers
- D) Figures for 1-9
A) Write out 1-9, figures for 10+
23. What is the word meaning 'to throw out of a window'?
- A) Defenestrate
- B) Eject
- C) Toss
- D) Hurl
A) Defenestrate
24. What is the plural of virus?
- A) Viruses
- B) Viri
- C) Virii
- D) Virus
A) Viruses
25. What is one English word that ends in -mt?
- A) Dreamt
- B) Amount
- C) Payment
- D) Comment
A) Dreamt
26. Can I use 'and' (or 'but') at the start of a sentence?
- A) Yes
- B) No
- C) Only in formal writing
- D) Only with commas
A) Yes
27. What two words make the contraction 'ain't'?
- A) Am not
- B) Are not
- C) Is not
- D) Have not
A) Am not
28. What word rhymes with orange?
- A) No word
- B) Sporange
- C) Door hinge
- D) Grange
A) No word
29. What's the difference between main and helping verbs?
- A) Helping accompanies main to make distinctions
- B) Both are the same
- C) Main is auxiliary
- D) Helping is chief action
A) Helping accompanies main to make distinctions
30. When do you use lie and lay?
- A) Lay to place, lie to recline
- B) Both mean recline
- C) Lie to place
- D) Lay to recline
A) Lay to place, lie to recline
31. What should be the spacing between sentences?
- A) One space, but two if readability issue
- B) Always two spaces
- C) No space
- D) Three spaces
A) One space, but two if readability issue
32. When do you capitalize words like mother, father?
- A) When used as proper nouns
- B) Always
- C) Never
- D) Only in titles
A) When used as proper nouns
33. When do you use well or good?
- A) Well for activity, good for thing
- B) Both for activities
- C) Good for activity
- D) Well for things
A) Well for activity, good for thing
34. Where does the phrase 'The whole nine yards' originate?
- A) Cement-mixer truck capacity
- B) Football field
- C) Clothing measure
- D) Sailing ships
A) Cement-mixer truck capacity
35. When was the first dictionary made?
- A) 1604
- B) 1598
- C) 1702
- D) 1720
A) 1604
36. When do you use 'whom' instead of 'who'?
- A) Whom for objective, who for nominative
- B) Both the same
- C) Who for objective
- D) Whom for subjects
A) Whom for objective, who for nominative
37. Which is right: 'I wish it were...' or 'I wish it was...'?
- A) I wish it were...
- B) I wish it was...
- C) Both correct
- D) Neither
A) I wish it were...
38. When do we use that and which?
- A) That for restrictive, which for nonrestrictive
- B) Both for restrictive
- C) That for nonrestrictive
- D) Interchangeable
A) That for restrictive, which for nonrestrictive
39. What is one of William Safire's Rules for writers?
- A) Remember to never split an infinitive
- B) Always split infinitives
- C) Use passive voice
- D) Start with conjunctions
A) Remember to never split an infinitive
40. Do adverbs always end with -ly?
- A) No
- B) Yes
- C) Only in formal writing
- D) Only for adjectives
A) No
41. How do I use the words might and may?
- A) May likelihood, might doubt or contrary
- B) Both for doubt
- C) Might for likelihood
- D) Interchangeable
A) May likelihood, might doubt or contrary
42. A misogynist hates women. What do you call a person who hates men?
- A) Misandrist
- B) Misogamist
- C) Misanthrope
- D) Misogynist
A) Misandrist
43. Does any word use the vowels a, e, i, o and u in it?
- A) Yes
- B) No
- C) Only with y
- D) Only long words
A) Yes
44. Does a comma go after i.e. or e.g.?
- A) Yes in American English
- B) No
- C) Only after i.e.
- D) Only after e.g.
A) Yes in American English
45. Do you hyphenate numbers?
- A) 21-99 hyphenated
- B) No hyphenation
- C) All numbers hyphenated
- D) Only even numbers
A) 21-99 hyphenated
46. Are philharmonic and symphony the same?
- A) Yes
- B) No
- C) Philharmonic is smaller
- D) Symphony is group
A) Yes
47. Do you put a comma before and?
- A) Sometimes (serial comma)
- B) Always
- C) Never
- D) Only in lists
A) Sometimes (serial comma)
48. Are there any English words that do not have vowels?
- A) Yes, like shh, psst
- B) No
- C) Only with y
- D) All words have vowels
A) Yes, like shh, psst
49. What is the difference between idiom and slang?
- A) Idiom is yesterday's slang
- B) Both the same
- C) Slang is formal
- D) Idiom is informal
A) Idiom is yesterday's slang
50. What are sentence fragments?
- A) Incomplete sentences
- B) Complete sentences
- C) Long sentences
- D) Compound sentences
A) Incomplete sentences
51. When can you use sentence fragments?
- A) In conversations or for effect
- B) Never
- C) Only in formal writing
- D) Always
A) In conversations or for effect
52. What is the difference between 'once in a while' and 'once and a while'?
- A) Both mean occasionally, use 'once in a while'
- B) Different meanings
- C) 'Once and a while' is correct
- D) No difference
A) Both mean occasionally, use 'once in a while'
53. What is the difference between the word 'into' and the words 'in to'?
- A) 'Into' for motion, 'in to' for infinitive particle
- B) Both for motion
- C) 'In to' for motion
- D) Interchangeable
A) 'Into' for motion, 'in to' for infinitive particle
54. What are the two largest dictionaries mentioned?
- A) Oxford English Dictionary and Webster’s Third New International
- B) Cambridge and Merriam
- C) Britannica and Oxford
- D) Webster and Cambridge
A) Oxford English Dictionary and Webster’s Third New International
55. What is antidisestablishmentarianism?
- A) Opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England
- B) A lung disease
- C) Worthless estimation
- D) A long word
A) Opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England
56. What is semimonthly?
- A) Happening twice a month
- B) Every two months
- C) Once a month
- D) Bimonthly
A) Happening twice a month
57. What is a metaphor?
- A) An implicit comparison
- B) Comparison with like/as
- C) Direct statement
- D) Rhyme
A) An implicit comparison
58. What is a copula?
- A) Linking verb
- B) Action verb
- C) Transitive verb
- D) Infinitive
A) Linking verb
59. What is redundancy often from?
- A) Wordy phrases
- B) Short words
- C) Clear sentences
- D) Single synonyms
A) Wordy phrases
60. What is the past tense of lie?
- A) Lay
- B) Laid
- C) Lain
- D) Lied
A) Lay
