English grammar
A handful of mistakes account for most of the ones readers notice. They are all pairs of words that sound alike, or rules about counting and agreement, and each has a test you can run in your head.
What you'll learn
13 chapters, then the quiz
- 01Parts of speechThe eight jobs a word can do.
- 02Sentences and fragmentsWhat has to be there.
- 03Subject and verb agreementMatching singular to singular.
- 04TensesPlacing an action in time.
- 05Lie and layThe pair almost everyone gets wrong.
- 06PronounsStanding in without confusion.
- 07ApostrophesPossession and contraction, never plurals.
- 08Sound alike pairsTheir, there, they’re and friends.
- 09Fewer and lessCounting against measuring.
- 10PluralsRegular, irregular and borrowed.
- 11CommasThe four jobs that cover most cases.
- 12Other punctuationColons, semicolons and the rest.
- 13Active and passiveChoosing where the subject sits.
More language tests
See all →- Medium
Word meanings
Words that turn up often in writing and are often used loosely.
7 questions6 min - Medium
Spelling challenge
The words that catch people out, and the patterns behind them.
8 questions6 min - Medium
Vocabulary in context
Working out what an unfamiliar word means from the sentence around it.
8 questions7 min