Exercises In English Grammar

- April 10, 2025

Here’s a set of challenging, real-world grammar and sentence structure exercises that focus on daily usage for college students, especially those navigating semesters, academic language, and effective speaking. These exercises target tricky and confusing areas that commonly arise in student writing and speaking.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement with Complex Subjects

Subject-verb agreement can be tricky when the subject is complex (e.g., sentences with conjunctions, collective nouns, or long phrases).

Exercise 1:

Choose the correct verb:

Neither the teacher nor the students (is / are) coming to class today.
The committee (decides / decide) on the schedule tomorrow.
Each of the students (has / have) a different perspective on the topic.

Examples:

Neither the teacher nor the students are coming to class today. (When subjects are joined with "nor," the verb matches the subject closer to it.)
The committee decides on the schedule tomorrow. (Collective nouns like "committee" take singular verbs if they are acting as one unit.)
Each of the students has a different perspective on the topic. (Singular "each" requires a singular verb.)

2. Correct Use of Articles ("a," "an," "the")

Articles often confuse learners, especially with non-countable nouns, abstract ideas, or plural nouns.

Exercise 2:

Fill in the blanks with "a," "an," or "the":

_____ university in our city is renowned for its engineering programs.
I need _____ important piece of advice.
He is studying to be _____ engineer.

Examples:

The university in our city is renowned for its engineering programs. ("The" refers to a specific university that is known to both the speaker and listener.)
I need an important piece of advice. ("An" is used before words beginning with a vowel sound.)
He is studying to be an engineer. ("An" is used for a job or profession.)

3. Dangling Modifiers

Dangling modifiers are phrases that don’t clearly or logically modify the word they’re supposed to. This is a common mistake in both written and spoken language.

Exercise 3:

Correct the dangling modifier:

Walking down the street, the car was parked on the sidewalk.
Hoping for a good grade, the assignment was submitted late.

Examples:

Walking down the street, I saw the car parked on the sidewalk. (Now the modifier "walking down the street" correctly modifies the subject "I.")
Hoping for a good grade, I submitted the assignment late. (Now the modifier "hoping for a good grade" modifies the subject "I.")

4. Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced modifiers are similar to dangling modifiers but the modifier is placed in the wrong part of the sentence, making it unclear or confusing.

Exercise 4:

Correct the misplaced modifier:

I almost drove my brother to school every day.
He only likes to study on weekends.

Examples:

I drove my brother to school almost every day. (Now it’s clear that you drove him almost every day, not just the act of driving him.)
He likes to study only on weekends. (The adverb "only" should directly modify "on weekends" to clarify that studying is limited to weekends.)

5. Parallel Structure in Complex Sentences

Using parallel structure helps create balance in sentences, especially when joining ideas with conjunctions (e.g., "and," "but," "or").

Exercise 5:

Rewrite the sentence to make it parallel:

She likes swimming, to run, and playing tennis.
The professor is strict with deadlines, patient with questions, but doesn’t tolerate lateness.

Examples:

She likes swimming, running, and playing tennis. (Now all verbs are in the same form: gerund form.)
The professor is strict with deadlines, patient with questions, and intolerant of lateness. (The elements in the list now have the same structure.)

6. Complex Sentences with Subordination

Complex sentences often confuse students, especially when using subordination (dependent clauses). The key is ensuring that dependent clauses are properly connected to the main sentence.

Exercise 6:

Choose the correct subordinating conjunction:

I didn’t finish my project ______ I was busy with exams.
- (because / although)
She decided to go home ______ it was late.
- (because / although)

Examples:

I didn’t finish my project because I was busy with exams. (Here, "because" explains the reason.)
She decided to go home although it was late. (Here, "although" introduces a contrast.)

7. Confusing Prepositions

Prepositions like "in," "on," and "at" often confuse learners when referring to time, location, or direction.

Exercise 7:

Fill in the correct preposition:

He’s studying ______ the library.
We’ll meet ______ the morning.
The exam is ______ Monday.

Examples:

He’s studying in the library. (Use "in" for enclosed places like rooms or buildings.)
We’ll meet in the morning. (Use "in" for parts of the day.)
The exam is on Monday. (Use "on" for specific days or dates.)

8. Pronouns and Their Antecedents

Pronouns must agree in number, gender, and person with the noun they replace (the antecedent). This is especially important when referring to people or things in a group.

Exercise 8:

Choose the correct pronoun:

Every student must bring his or her / their own laptop.
The professor gave his or her / their opinion on the topic.

Examples:

Every student must bring his or her own laptop. ("Every student" is singular, so it requires "his or her.")
The professors gave their opinions on the topic. (Here, "professors" is plural, so "their" is correct.)

9. Inversion in Questions and Negative Sentences

Inversion is the reversal of the normal subject-verb order, often used in questions or negative sentences.

Exercise 9:

Rewrite these sentences as questions or with inversion:

She has completed the assignment.
The students were not prepared for the lecture.

Examples:

Has she completed the assignment? (Inverted auxiliary verb "has" with the subject "she.")
Were the students not prepared for the lecture? (Inverted auxiliary verb "were" with the subject "students.")

10. Complex Vocabulary in Academic Writing

College students often use complex vocabulary in academic writing. Learning to balance formality with clarity is key.

Exercise 10:

Replace the informal words with more formal academic vocabulary:

He is very good at understanding the subject.
The result of the experiment was really important.

Examples:

He is proficient in understanding the subject. (More formal than "very good.")
The result of the experiment was significant. ("Really important" is more casual, "significant" is a more formal term.)

Bonus Speaking Exercises:

Debates: Choose a topic related to college life (e.g., online education vs. in-person learning) and speak for or against it. Focus on using complex sentences, conjunctions, and strong verbs for clarity.
Describe Your Daily Routine: Practice speaking about your day in well-structured, complex sentences. Use transitional phrases ("first," "next," "then," "finally") to ensure clarity.
Impromptu Speech: Pick a random topic (e.g., "The importance of time management") and speak about it for 2 minutes. Focus on clear sentence structure, avoiding filler words, and using academic vocabulary.