ESL 3301 Midterm Exam

Name: _________________________

Answer the following questions about English grammar. Provide examples to support your
answers. Good luck!
1. What is a noun?
a person, place, thing, idea

2. What is the difference between a common noun and a proper noun?

A proper noun tells exactly what person, place, thing or idea: Victoria.
A common noun can be any person, place, thing or idea: girl.

3. What is the difference between a concrete noun and an abstract noun?

A concrete noun can be seen, touched, felt, etc. book.
An abstract noun cannot be touch but can be experienced love, wind.

4. What are the rules for forming regular plural nouns?

A regular plural noun adds an s boy to boys. If a word ends in
consonant + y, change
the y to i and add es. If a word ends in vowel + y (like boy), just
add an s.

5. Why do some nouns have funny looking plural forms?

Some nouns are irregular or of foreign origin causing them to be funny
looking,
children, stimuli.

6. How do we make possessive forms of nouns (both singular and plural)?

The singular form is apostrophe s, and the plural form is s apostrophe: I
went to Sallys
house.

7. What is an adjective?
a word that modifies a noun

8. What is the rule for making comparative forms of adjectives?

For one syllable adjectives, add er (tall, taller). For words with three or
more syllables, put
more in front of the adjective (beautiful, more beautiful). Words with two
syllables can
either use the er ending or the more form (ugly, uglier or more ugly;
funny, funnier,
more funny).

9. What is the rule for making superlative forms of adjectives?

For one syllable adjectives, add est (tall, tallest). For words with three or
more syllables, put
most in front of the adjective (beautiful, most beautiful). Words with two
syllables can
either use the est ending or the most form (ugly, ugliest or most ugly;
funny, funniest,

most funny).
10.How do you know when to use a comparative adjective and when to use a superlative
adjective?
Comparative is used when you are comparing two things, and superlatives
are used to show
when something is the most or the least of several things.

11.What is the difference between a possessive adjective and a possessive pronoun?

A possessive adjective is followed by a noun: her pencil. A possessive
pronoun takes the place
of a noun: The pencil is hers.

12.What are the articles in English, and which are indefinite and which are definite?
A definite article is the, and indefinite articles are a and an.

13.When can we omit using an article in English?

when making generalizations: bananas are yellow.

14.What is the difference between a demonstrative determiner (adjective) and a

demonstrative pronoun?
A demonstrative determiner modifies a noun and specifies which one (that
book).
A demonstrative pronoun replaces a noun (I want that).

15.What do quantifiers do, and what are some examples?

Quantifiers describe or tell how many or an amount: several, few, many,
less.

16.Why are post-noun modifiers considered adjectives?

because they describe the noun they follow

17.What is an appositive phrase?

An appositive phrase is a phrase that comes after a noun and tells more
about it.
Example: My mother, who just moved to Greensboro, still works in
Danville, VA.

18.What does a pronoun do?

replaces a noun or pronouns
(example: Sally and her sister went to the mall. They went to the mall.)

19.How can we avoid appearing sexist when using pronouns?

Instead of writing he or she, one could write they or he/she.
Example: He shall light the fire. He/she shall light the fire.
20.What is a gerund?
A gerund is the ing form of a verb BUT it functions as either a noun or an
adjective.
Ex: I like swimming in the swimming pool.

21.How is a gerund different from a present participle of a verb?

Gerunds are different because they function as a noun or adjective, instead
of showing
continuous action as part of a verb. For example: I like swimming in the
swimming pool
(both gerunds). I am swimming in the ocean now (present participle
shows action).
22.What is an infinitive?
An infinitive is the to + present form of a verb (to run, to walk, to sing).