Challenging English Grammar Quiz for Grade 5

1. Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

She don't like apples.

He doesn't likes bananas.

They doesn't have any pets.

I don't have any money.

The sentence "I don't have any money" is grammatically correct because it uses the proper form of the verb "do" in the negative. The contraction "don't" stands for "do not," which is appropriate with the subject "I." In contrast, the other sentences contain errors, such as using "don't" with "she" and "they," or incorrectly conjugating "likes" with "doesn't." Thus, "I don't have any money" is the only sentence that adheres to standard English grammar rules.

Explanation

The sentence "I don't have any money" is grammatically correct because it uses the proper form of the verb "do" in the negative. The contraction "don't" stands for "do not," which is appropriate with the subject "I." In contrast, the other sentences contain errors, such as using "don't" with "she" and "they," or incorrectly conjugating "likes" with "doesn't." Thus, "I don't have any money" is the only sentence that adheres to standard English grammar rules.

2. Identify the correct form of the verb in the sentence: 'If he ____ (to go) to the party, he will have fun.'

Go

Goes

Gone

Going

In the sentence "If he ____ (to go) to the party, he will have fun," the correct verb form is "go." This is because the sentence is a conditional statement in the present tense, often structured as "If + subject + base form of the verb." Here, "go" serves as the base form, indicating a hypothetical situation about attending the party. The future consequence, "he will have fun," follows the conditional clause, reinforcing the need for the base form in the "if" clause.

Explanation

In the sentence "If he ____ (to go) to the party, he will have fun," the correct verb form is "go." This is because the sentence is a conditional statement in the present tense, often structured as "If + subject + base form of the verb." Here, "go" serves as the base form, indicating a hypothetical situation about attending the party. The future consequence, "he will have fun," follows the conditional clause, reinforcing the need for the base form in the "if" clause.

3. Choose the correct pronoun to complete the sentence: 'Neither of the boys brought ____ lunch.'

Their

His

Her

Its

In the sentence "Neither of the boys brought ____ lunch," the pronoun must agree with the singular subject "neither," which refers to one boy at a time. The appropriate choice is "his," as it is a singular masculine pronoun that correctly corresponds to "boys." Using "their" would imply a plural reference, while "her" and "its" are not suitable as they do not match the gender or context of the boys. Thus, "his" is the grammatically correct option to complete the sentence.

Explanation

In the sentence "Neither of the boys brought ____ lunch," the pronoun must agree with the singular subject "neither," which refers to one boy at a time. The appropriate choice is "his," as it is a singular masculine pronoun that correctly corresponds to "boys." Using "their" would imply a plural reference, while "her" and "its" are not suitable as they do not match the gender or context of the boys. Thus, "his" is the grammatically correct option to complete the sentence.

4. Which sentence uses the past perfect tense?

She has finished her homework.

They had left before I arrived.

I will go to the store.

He is playing soccer.

The past perfect tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. In the sentence "They had left before I arrived," the action of leaving occurred prior to the arrival, clearly establishing a sequence of events. The use of "had left" signifies that this action was completed before the subsequent action of arriving, which is the hallmark of the past perfect tense.

Explanation

The past perfect tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. In the sentence "They had left before I arrived," the action of leaving occurred prior to the arrival, clearly establishing a sequence of events. The use of "had left" signifies that this action was completed before the subsequent action of arriving, which is the hallmark of the past perfect tense.

5. Select the sentence that is in passive voice.

The cat chased the mouse.

The book was read by the teacher.

She sings beautifully.

They are playing in the park.

In passive voice constructions, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. In the sentence "The book was read by the teacher," the focus is on the book, which is acted upon, while the teacher, who performs the action, is mentioned later in the sentence. This contrasts with the other options, where the subjects are actively performing the actions.

Explanation

In passive voice constructions, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. In the sentence "The book was read by the teacher," the focus is on the book, which is acted upon, while the teacher, who performs the action, is mentioned later in the sentence. This contrasts with the other options, where the subjects are actively performing the actions.

6. What is the correct form of the adjective in this sentence: 'This is the ____ (good) cake I've ever tasted.'

Goodest

Better

Best

More good

In the sentence, the adjective "good" needs to be in its superlative form to convey that this cake is the highest quality among all cakes tasted. The superlative form of "good" is "best," which indicates that it surpasses all others in excellence. The other options, such as "goodest," "better," and "more good," are either incorrect or do not fit the context of comparison implied in the sentence. Thus, "best" is the appropriate choice.

Explanation

In the sentence, the adjective "good" needs to be in its superlative form to convey that this cake is the highest quality among all cakes tasted. The superlative form of "good" is "best," which indicates that it surpasses all others in excellence. The other options, such as "goodest," "better," and "more good," are either incorrect or do not fit the context of comparison implied in the sentence. Thus, "best" is the appropriate choice.

7. Which of the following sentences contains a dangling modifier?

Running down the street, the dog barked loudly.

After finishing the book, the movie was watched.

The teacher gave the students homework.

She quickly finished her project.

A dangling modifier occurs when a descriptive phrase is not clearly connected to the subject it modifies, leading to confusion. In the sentence "After finishing the book, the movie was watched," the phrase "After finishing the book" seems to suggest that the movie completed the action of finishing the book, which is illogical. The intended meaning is likely that a person finished the book before watching the movie, but the sentence structure fails to clarify this relationship, resulting in a dangling modifier.

Explanation

A dangling modifier occurs when a descriptive phrase is not clearly connected to the subject it modifies, leading to confusion. In the sentence "After finishing the book, the movie was watched," the phrase "After finishing the book" seems to suggest that the movie completed the action of finishing the book, which is illogical. The intended meaning is likely that a person finished the book before watching the movie, but the sentence structure fails to clarify this relationship, resulting in a dangling modifier.

8. Choose the correct conjunction to complete the sentence: 'I wanted to go for a walk, ____ it started to rain.'

But

And

Or

So

The conjunction "but" is used to introduce a contrast or exception. In the sentence, "I wanted to go for a walk" expresses a desire, while "it started to rain" presents an obstacle to that desire. The use of "but" effectively highlights the conflict between the intention to walk and the reality of the rain, making it the most appropriate choice to connect the two clauses.

Explanation

The conjunction "but" is used to introduce a contrast or exception. In the sentence, "I wanted to go for a walk" expresses a desire, while "it started to rain" presents an obstacle to that desire. The use of "but" effectively highlights the conflict between the intention to walk and the reality of the rain, making it the most appropriate choice to connect the two clauses.