Quizzes

Grammar Myths

In this quiz, we will separate the genuine rules from the old wives' tales. Can you tell fact from fiction

Shai K. 8/4/2026

Be honest now: were you ever scolded by a teacher for ending a sentence with a preposition, or for daring to begin one with "and"? If so, we have some good news. Many of the grammar "rules" we were taught as children are not really rules at all, but stubborn myths that have been passed down for generations. Of course, some rules are perfectly real and worth knowing. In this quiz, we will separate the genuine rules from the old wives' tales. Can you tell fact from fiction

TRUE or FALSE: The passive voice, as in "the ball was thrown," is grammatically incorrect.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: You can never begin a sentence with the word "because."

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: In careful writing, "fewer" is used for things you can count and "less" for things you cannot.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: The word "whose" can only refer to people, never to objects.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: A paragraph must contain at least three sentences to be correct.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: Using "they" for a single person of unknown gender is a modern invention that older writers never used.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: "Whom" is the correct form to use as the object of a verb or preposition.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: Beginning a sentence with "however," followed by a comma, is forbidden.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: The old rule against splitting infinitives came from an effort to make English behave like Latin.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: The word "none" is always singular and must always take a singular verb.

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: When describing an emotion, "I feel bad" is more correct than "I feel badly."

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE or FALSE: The word "data" must always be treated as plural, and "the data is clear" is always wrong.

TRUE

FALSE

Schooled by the Old Rules

Well, it seems a few of these myths still have you in their grip, and honestly, who could blame you? Most of us were taught these "rules" as children and never had reason to question them. That is exactly why they have survived so long. The good news is that once you know which rules are real and which are merely superstition, you write with far more freedom. Why not read through the explanations and try again? You may be surprised how much you were worrying about for nothing. Thanks for playing along!

A Fine Sense for Fact and Fiction

Nicely done! You have a good instinct for which rules are genuine and which are simply myths that refuse to die. You were not fooled into thinking a sentence cannot start with "but," and you still knew your real rules when they appeared. A few of the trickier ones caught you out, but that is no shame at all, as some of these myths are remarkably convincing. With a little more reading, you would spot every one. A splendid result to be proud of!

A Grammar Myth-Buster!

Outstanding! You are a true master of the language, and it shows. You knew that ending with a preposition is perfectly fine, that infinitives may be split with a clear conscience, and that many a cherished "rule" is really nothing but folklore. Yet you never lost sight of the genuine rules hiding among them. That is precisely the sort of clear, confident knowledge that sets a real wordsmith apart. Take a well earned bow, because you have busted these myths with flair. Simply magnificent!