1. Is this clause independent or dependent?

Until the sun sets.

This clause is dependent. What will or won't happen until the sun sets? We don't know. While this clause can pass by in dialogue, if it is in your narrative, it is an incomplete sentence and should be fixed. However, fiction is also an art. If it's part of your character's stream of consciousness, it can stand on it's own.

2. Is this clause independent or dependent?

I went to the store, but forgot to buy milk.

This clause is independent. It is a complete sentence and can stand on its own.

3. Is this a run-on sentence?

Sherry turned the doorknob and peeked into the room, risking the wrath of Mrs. Mauzy, who has no patience for students walking into class late.

No, it is a complete sentence.

4. Is there a comma splice in this paragraph? If so, how many?

Participants could leave the study at any time, they needed to indicate their preference. The results of the study were inconclusive, therefore more research needs to be done on the topic. The patient shows no improvement in any of the vital signs. The doctors, who were using peer-reviewed research articles that contributed to the body of knowledge in their field, improved their knowledge of obstetrics.

Yes, there are two comma splices. In the first sentence - in between time and they. In the second sentence - in between inconclusive and therefore. This is how it should be properly formatted:

Participants could leave the study at any time. They needed to indicate their preference. The results of the study were inconclusive; therefore, more research needs to be done on the topic. The patient shows no improvement in any of the vital signs. The doctors, who were using peer-reviewed research articles that contributed to the body of knowledge in their field, improved their knowledge of obstetrics.

5. Mix and match the following verbs with its correct verb tense.

Future Simple: By the time we finish this, the show will begin.

Past Perfect Progressive: Last time we had driven to the theatre hall, we had almost been late.

Present Perfect: We need to leave now if we're going to make it on time.

6. Would you change any of the verb tenses in this paragraph? If so, which verbs and what would you change them to?

"Thank you for helping me out yesterday. It was a handful by myself, if it had not been for you two. I told you, she wasn't actually going to show up. She never keeps promises, anymore. I have been wondering what could have happened for her to just keep going back on her word. It is a real shame."

7. Is this showing or telling?

She shook her head in disbelief.

Telling. You are showing she is dumbfounded by shaking her head, but then tell the reader what it means with "disbelief."

8. Is this showing or telling?

"I'm sure she wanted to help out," he said.

Showing, because it's apparent in the dialogue that he's trying to convince her otherwise.

9. What literary devices can you spot in this example?

Even though I keep trying to run from it, time is like a river, always pushing, prodding, and poking until you pop. The wind is calling my name and it is about time I gave it an answer.

Time is like a river is a simile.

Pushing, prodding, and poking until you pop is alliteration.

The wind is calling my name is personification.

10. How would you properly list the colors of the rainbow to form a complete sentence?

Usually after a storm, a rainbow will shine through the clouds in colors of red, of orange, of yellow, of green, of blue, of indigo, and of violet.

Because of that first of before you begin the list, you must put an of before every new color you list, and don't forget about the Oxford comma before and.

11. Does this sentence have a misplaced modifier?

She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.

Yes. The way we have it now, the children are on paper plates and she's serving them sandwiches. That isn't logical. Why would a child be on a paper plate?

No child would, so it should be: She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.

12. Does this sentence have a misplaced modifier?

Only Pastor Johnson gave me $5 to clean all his sidewalks.

Yes. This sentence is out of context. We have no idea if the speaker asked other people to clean their sidewalks, but since this sentence is on its own, it's safe to assume that Paster Johnson is the only one getting his sidewalks cleaned by the speaker.

Therefore, it should be: Pastor Johnson gave me only $5 to clean all his sidewalks.

13. Would you put 'who' or 'whom' in this sentence?

"Did you give it to him?"

"Give what to whom?"

This is one of those questions where the answer is actually in the question. Try to answer the second question in the dialogue: "Give what to ____?" It's whom because you can replace whom with him. Remember, him ends with an m and so does whom.

14. Would you put 'who' or 'whom' in this sentence?

"She wasn't there today."

"Who wasn't there today?"

The same logic applies here. "Who wasn't there today?" She wasn't. Think of swapping out the pronoun for a male pronoun, always. He wasn't there. It wouldn't be him wasn't there. That doesn't make any sense, so he would match up with who, not whom.

15. What is the proper conjugation to use of the verb lay/lie in this sentence?

I was told to lay down by the doctor yesterday.

I'm evil. I know. I gave you the trick question for the practice exercise. But this is good! You need to remember grammar's little quirks like this one.

We are speaking about the verb lie, as in to recline. However, the to-be verb, was, and the adverb, yesterday, should give you clues to the fact that this sentence should be in past tense, and the past tense conjugation of lie is lay.

16. What is the proper conjugation to use of the verb lay/lie in this sentence?

Don't shoot! I am laying the gun on the ground now.

This sentence is speaking about placing an object on the ground. Therefore, the verb should be lay, not lie. This sentence is also in present participle form as you can tell from the -ing.

17. Would you add a hyphen in this sentence? If so, where?

This hard-rock cake is impossible to eat.

Yes. As you can see, the hyphen would be added in between hard and rock because the adjective, hard-rock, comes before the noun, cake.

18. Would you add a dash or dashes to this sentence? If so, what type?

There is a north–south railway in the same area as the highway that runs east–west.

These are en dashes, which can be used between words to represent conflict, connection, or direction.

19. Would you put 'which' or 'that' in the following sentence?

The classrooms, which were painted over the summer, are bright and cheerful.

Your first clue should be the commas. If there are commas, it's which, not that. The which clause is what we call a nonessential—or nonrestrictive—clause. Since that sentence intends to tell us that ALL the classrooms were painted, the information in the adjective clause is not essential. The sentence would be clear even if the clause were omitted: The classrooms are bright and cheerful.

20. Would you put 'which' or 'that' in the following sentence?

Our house that has a red door and green shutters needs painting.

The use of that suggests that we own more than one house and therefore must explain to you that we are talking about a particular house of ours—the one with a red door and green shutters. We cannot leave out that adjective clause because it is essential to your understanding of the sentence; that is, you wouldn't know which one of our houses needs the paint job without that adjective clause.

21. Would you put 'further' or 'farther' in the following sentence?

The library is farther from my house than the bookstore.

We are talking about distance here, so it's farther. Simple as that.

22. Would you put 'further' or 'farther' in the following sentence?

I am further along in my holiday shopping than I was last year at this time.

In this example, we're talking about the speaker's holiday shopping progress compared to the same time last year. The speaker has done more shopping by this time compared to last year; therefore, it's further, not farther.

So, how do you do? Did you realize you need more practice in some areas compared to others?