As a follow-up to our legal-usage quiz from last week, here are 10 questions of common English usage that can trip up even the most careful writers. Try your hand first and then check the answers at the end.
Before we meet with the client, can you talk briefly with Margaret and [(a) I, (b) me]?
Each of the defendants [(a) were, (b) was] required to perform 500 hours of community service.
He has [(a) drunk, (b) drank] six cups of coffee in the last two hours.
The signed contract was [(a) lying, (b) laying] on the corner of Sam’s desk the whole time.
What are you calling in [(a) regards, (b) regard] to?
The 4th floor of the library [(a) is comprised of, (b) comprises] several thousand books published between 1720 and 1899.
[(a) Regardless, (b) Irregardless] of the game’s outcome, both teams will be going to the playoffs.
If I [(a) was, (b) were] to move to Kansas City, I’d be closer to my sister.
The list of reported grievances against the company’s service representatives [(a) is, (b) are] growing each week.
There [(a) is, (b) are] a few things we can do to speed up the discovery phase.
Answers: 1. (b). 2. (b). 3. (a). 4. (a). 5. (b). 6. (b). 7. (a). 8. (b). 9. (a). 10. (b).
Did you hesitate before answering? You’ll find a detailed discussion on each of these points and more in Garner’s Modern English Usage (4th ed. 2016).
If you enjoyed this quiz, check out the new Garner’s Modern English Usage mobile app, available on the App Store and Google Play. The app contains the full text of the 2016 4th edition, with over 8,000 entries and essays—plus 30 usage quizzes like this one, with immediate feedback and links to relevant entries for further guidance on each question.
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