C. Munzenmaier • Hamilton College • Urbandale, IA

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• Grammar Diag. B
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Grammar Review
• Review Exercises • Diagnostic Tests

Many students don't do as well as they expected to on the grammar diagnostic test. To raise your grammar score, you can

• complete review exercises
  (the number of items correct will be averaged with your score)

• take another grammar diagnostic
  (your highest score will count)

• practice proofreading for the mistakes you tend to make

Review Exercises

Your scores for Grammar Diagnostics B or C are broken down into the categories in the chart below.

If you have many errors, you can

• target the most significant errors, like sentence structure and verb tense
• choose short activities with explanations, such as those at Grammar Bytes! (print the handouts)
• work your way through the common error hit lists
• check out online tutorials like Sentence Sense

If you have just a few things to review, you can

• choose a chapter/quiz from your textbook
• select an appropriate quiz from Charles Darling's site
• choose an activity from the chart below (easiest exercises are first)
• use Dr. Hirst's Professional Writing Style tutorial to polish your writing

If you feel discouraged,

• work on only one or two errors at a time
• make a personal proofing checklist and concentrate on just those errors when you revise
• remember that avoiding just 20 common errors will correct 90% of all grammar mistakes (Connors & Lunsford, 1992, p. 398).
• remind yourself that writing is the Ticket to Work

If you just want to brush up on grammar, work out at the Grammar Gym, review the explanations at Charles Darling's site, or read Becoming Your Own Grammar Tutor.

For a more detailed review, consult NASA's handbook for writers or Sentence Sense, an online tutorial.

Note: Exercises from Grammar Bytes have handouts you can print, fill out, and hand in. To get credit for others, you'll have to print your results.

Other Diagnostic Tests

If you choose to take another test:

• Take Grammar Diagnostic C. Email your scores to yourself and to your instructor: cmunzenmaier_dm@hamiltonia.edu.

• Take this 42-item Grammar Diagnostic from Successful College Writing. You will be asked to log in, but you can simply give your initials. You do not need to enter an instructor's email address, but if you want me to see the scores, send them to cmunzenmaier@hamiltonia.edu. After finishing, print your test.

• Looking for a challenge? Take the Hartford Courant's challenge, intended to sort the true grammar gurus from the wannabes.