Year-End Quiz 2020
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Year-End Quiz 2020
We wish to thank each of you for joining us for another journey through the rich dimensions and details of American English in 2020. We reviewed diverse subjects along the way, from writing style to irregular verbs to how language is used in the U.S. and the U.K.
We conclude each twelve-month grammatical trip with a review of what we’ve studied and learned together. The 2020 master quiz features twenty-five items inspired by the year’s many different GrammarBook articles. Choose your answers and then check them against our answer key that follows. If you would like to re-examine a topic, we’ve also included the title and date of the source article with each answer.
Best of luck to you on the quiz. We hope it reinforces how much you gained in 2020—and how fun studying language can be.
Jumbo Pop Quiz: 2020 in Twenty-five Questions
1. Before you go out, be sure to let [she and I/me and her] know.
2. The issue will now proceed for discussion [among/between] the several committees.
3. Tesla told me she’s [swum/swam] across that lake before.
4. Have you heard of that new band? They [burst/bursted] onto the music scene last year.
5. The park-district committee is discussing whether there will be [any more/anymore] hiking excursions this year.
6. Shania wants to be sure that [every body/everybody] receives a party favor.
7. When you have finished using the ladder, please return it to Priscilla or [myself/me].
8. Ricardo has [assured/ensured/insured] us that the new hubcaps will arrive by tomorrow.
9. Henrietta is going to [assure/ensure/insure] the car with liability coverage only.
10. Choose the correctly written sentence:
a. Rosina goes to the baseball games; but not the football games.
b. Rosina goes to the baseball games, but not the football games.
c. Rosina goes to the baseball games but not the football games.
11. Janine would like the purse [that/which] has a double pocket.
12. He is the man [which/who] will provide the answers they need.
13. Wayne is [adverse/averse] to any bad news about his favorite football team.
14. Because she is [uninterested/disinterested], Malaika would be a good negotiator for the discussions.
15. If Jonah [were/was] ten feet tall, he’d be able to hang the lantern.
16. If Esther [were/was] truly interested, she would join the yearbook committee.
17. I thought the Secret Santa could have been [he/him], but it turned out to be [her/she].
18. Feel free to invite Alex, Daphne, Maya, and [whoever/whomever] else you choose.
19. The scientists hope to locate the [recreation/re-creation] of the genetic-sequence diagram that explains why cats always hide in the one place you can’t find them.
20. The story about [Brad’s and Cortney’s/Brad and Cortney’s] breakup was all over social media yesterday.
21. Which sentence includes a gerund phrase that emphasizes the action?
a. Have you ever seen Sheila’s typing 200 words a minute?
b. Have you ever seen Sheila typing 200 words a minute?
22. Which sentence is grammatically correct?
a. We are just as convinced as them that you painted the statue pink.
b, They are just as convinced as he that you painted the statue pink.
23. Which sentence has better placement of modifying phrases?
a. I have in my locker the class notes that you gave me.
b. I have the class notes that you gave me in my locker.
24. Which sentence is correctly composed?
a. Eating a healthful breakfast early in the morning enervates me.
b. Shopping at the mall for seven hours enervated me.
25. On Hanukkah the children love to play with the [dreidel/dradle].
Jumbo Pop Quiz Answers
1. Before you go out, be sure to let me and her know. Clearing the Air of Errors in English 1-21
2. The issue will now proceed for discussion among the several committees. Clearing the Air of Errors in English 1-21
3. Tesla told me she’s swum across that lake before. Staying Regular with Irregular Verbs 2-4
4. Have you heard of that new band? They burst onto the music scene last year. Staying Regular with Irregular Verbs 2-4
5. The park-district committee is discussing whether there will be any more hiking excursions this year. Anymore, Any more; Anyone, Any one; Everyone, Every one; Everybody, Every body 2-25
6. Shania wants to be sure that everybody receives a party favor. Anymore, Any more; Anyone, Any one; Everyone, Every one; Everybody, Every body 2-25
7. When you have finished using the ladder, please return it to Priscilla or me. Pronoun Tips 3-24
8. Ricardo has assured us that the new hubcaps will arrive by tomorrow. Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure 4-21
9. Henrietta is going to insure the car with liability coverage only. Assure vs. Ensure vs. Insure 4-21
10. Choose the correctly written sentence:
c. Rosina goes to the baseball games but not the football games. Connecting Sentences with Commas and Semicolons 6-30
11. Janine would like the purse that has a double pocket. To Restrict or Not to Restrict: That Is the Question 7-7
12. He is the man who will provide the answers they need. To Restrict or Not to Restrict: That Is the Question 7-7
13. Wayne is averse to any bad news about his favorite football team. Some Confusing Words 7-28
14. Because she is disinterested, Malaika would be a good negotiator for the discussions. Some Confusing Words 7-28
15. If Jonah were ten feet tall, he’d be able to hang the lantern. The Subjunctive Mood 8-11
16. If Esther was truly interested, she would join the yearbook committee. The Subjunctive Mood 8-11
17. I thought the Secret Santa could have been he, but it turned out to be she. I Subject, Your Honor 8-25
18. Feel free to invite Alex, Daphne, Maya, and whomever else you choose. I Subject, Your Honor 8-25
19. The scientists hope to locate the re-creation of the genetic-sequence diagram that explains why cats always hide in the one place you can’t find them. Hunting for Help with Hyphens 9-15
20. The story about Brad and Cortney’s breakup was all over social media yesterday. Expressing Possession Greater Than One 9-29
21. Which sentence includes a gerund phrase that emphasizes the action?
a. Have you ever seen Sheila’s typing 200 words a minute? Expressing Possession of Gerunds 10-13
22. Which sentence is grammatically correct?
b. They are just as convinced as he that you painted the statue pink. We the People, or…? 10-20
23. Which sentence has better placement of modifying phrases?
a. I have in my locker the class notes that you gave me. Dangling Phrases and Clauses 11-3
24. Which sentence is correctly composed?
b. Shopping at the mall for seven hours enervated me. Restoring the Meanings of Misused Words 11-10
25. On Hanukkah the children love to play with the dreidel. The Spell of the Holidays 12-8
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
I disagree with the answer to number 1. I was taught that you never say “me and (name)” as that is bad use of English. I was taught to use “myself and (name)” as that is a more polite version and grammatically correct.
I also think the answer to number 21 makes no sense. The typing belongs to Sheila but the sentence structure to me makes no sense.
Using the reflexive pronoun myself in the first sentence is not grammatically correct. Please see our post Reflexive Pronouns for a complete explanation. To help understand Question 21, our posts What Is a Gerund and Why Care? and Expressing Possession of Gerunds should be helpful.