English Language

English Grammar and Usage

2,711 Questions

English grammar and usage questions test fundamental sentence structure, correct verb forms, and accurate syntax. Topics include identifying grammatical errors, filling blanks with appropriate verbs, and changing narration. These are essential for the English language sections of competitive exams.

Verb FormsSentence CorrectionTense IdentificationNarration ChangeRelative PronounsSyntactic Productivity

English Grammar and Usage Questions

Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence:
While I was out playing badminton: trying to forget my poor exam scores, I turned my ankle and injured it.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. While I was out playing badminton - trying to forget my poor exam scores - I turned my ankle and injured it.

  3. While I was out playing badminton, trying to forget my poor exam scores; I turned my ankle and injured it.

  4. While I was out playing badminton, trying to forget my poor exam scores - I turned my ankle and injured it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, em dashes are used to set off parenthetical information, as using em dashes, on both sides, puts the focus on the information between the em dashes. 
Thus, in the given sentence, the use of em dash, Option B, will be correct.
The remaining options are incorrect. A semi colon and comma is used to connect two independent clauses. A colon is used between clauses when the second clause illustrates or explains the first.


Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the given sentence:
Friends, Romans, countrymen: lend me your ears.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Friends, Romans, countrymen; lend me your ears.

  3. Friends, Romans, countrymen - lend me your ears.

  4. Friends, Romans, countrymen (lend me your ears).
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, the em dash is often used to resume a scattered subject in a sentence. Thus, the correct answer in the given sentence must be Option C.
Option A is incorrect. A colon is used to introduce a list of items in a sentence.
Option B is incorrect. A semi colon is used to connect two independent clauses in a sentence.
Option D is incorrect. A pair of parentheses is used to add additional information in a sentence.
Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the given sentence:
Southampton, Cherbourg and Queenstown: were the ports the Titanic embarked from and stopped at on her maiden voyage.

  1. Southampton, Cherbourg and Queenstown ... were the ports the Titanic embarked from and stopped at on her maiden voyage.

  2. Southampton, Cherbourg and Queenstown - were the ports the Titanic embarked from and stopped at on her maiden voyage.

  3. Southampton, Cherbourg and Queenstown; were the ports the Titanic embarked from and stopped at on her maiden voyage.

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, the em dash is often used to resume a scattered subject in a sentence. Thus, the correct answer in the given sentence must be Option B.
Option A is incorrect. An ellipsis is used to indicate omission or trailing off thought.
Option C is incorrect. A semi colon is used to connect two independent clauses in a sentence.
Option D is incorrect. A colon is used to introduce a list of items in a sentence.

Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence. 

I prefer working in the morning to working in the evening; but why state a preference if you don't have a choice.

  1. I prefer working in the morning to working in the evening: but why state a preference if you don't have a choice.

  2. I prefer working in the morning to working in the evening - but why state a preference if you don't have a choice.

  3. I prefer working in the morning to working in the evening (but why state a preference if you don't have a choice?)

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, the em dash can be used in place of a colon or semi colon, when we want to emphasize at the conclusion of a sentence. In the given sentence, the speaker clearly wants to emphasize on the conclusion of the sentence. 
Thus, the correct answer is Option B.
Option C is also incorrect, as a pair pf parentheses is used to add additional but non essential information in a sentence.
Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence:
(Line 1) Because some members of the ballet company were absent, the dir
(Line 2) ector decided to re pair the dancers and perform the show.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Because some members of the ballet company were absent, the dir-
    ector decided to re-pair the dancers and perform the show.

  3. Because some members of the ballet company were absent, the dir
    ector decided to re-pair the dancers and perform the show.

  4. Because some members of the ballet company were absent, the dir-
    ector decided to repair the dancers and perform the show.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
When flowing text, it is sometimes preferable to break a word in half so that it continues on another line rather than moving the entire word to the next line. 
The word may be divided at the nearest break point between syllables, and a hyphen inserted to indicate that the letters form a word fragment, rather than a full word.
Compound words are connected using en dash.
According to the following rules, the correct form of writing the sentence is, as given in Option B.
Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Her two year old and my ten year old wreak havoc on the flower pots when they play in the playground.

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Her two-year-old and my ten-year-old wreak havoc on the flower-pots when they play in the playground.

  3. Her two-year-old and my ten-year-old wreak havoc on the flowerpots when they play in the playground.

  4. Her two year old and my ten year old wreak havoc on the flower-pots when they play in the playground.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, certain compound words require hyphens between every word. These are known as hyphenated compound words.
In the given sentence, 'ten-year-old' and 'two-year-old' are examples of such words.
Thus, the correct form of writing the sentence is given in Option C. The remaining options are incorrect.
Multiple choice dash and hyphen punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

The children love playing on the new merry go round in the park, as they do on the swings.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. The children love playing on the new merry-go-round in the park, as they do on the swings.

  3. The children love playing on the new merry go round in the park as they do on the swings.

  4. The children love playing on the new merry go round in the park - as they do on the swings.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
According to general rule, a hyphen is used to connect two words to make it clear to readers that the words work together as a unit of meaning. In the given sentence, 'merry-go-round' is one such word.
Also, a comma is used between two clauses joined using a coordinating conjunction.
Thus, the correct answer is Option B. The other remaining options are incorrect.
Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the non-finite clause in the given sentence:
It took us only a second to realize the scam.

  1. It took us only a second

  2. to realize

  3. to realize the scam

  4. took us only a second to realize
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A finite clause contains a verb that shows tense whereas a non-finite clause contains a verb that does not show tense. The latter is often seen in subordinate clauses, where the tense is figured out through the main clause.
Option C is correct as the clause "to realize the scam" does not show any tense, hence it is a non-finite clause.
Option A is incorrect because "took" is a verb in the past tense, hence the clause is finite.
Option B is incorrect because "to realize" is an infinitive phrase and not a clause.
Option D is incorrect because the words do not form a clause, also, the verb in the past tense "took" is included.

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the part that contains a non-defining relative clause:
Neal's new phone, which has a dual camera setup, cost him a fortune.

  1. Neal's new phone

  2. which has a dual camera setup

  3. cost him a fortune

  4. Neal's new phone cost him a fortune
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A defining relative clause gives essential information about someone or something, whereas a non-defining relative clause gives extra or unrelated information about someone/something.
The clause "which has a dual camera setup" is a relative clause (it begins with the relative pronoun "which") and gives more information about the noun, "phone". This information does not define the phone, as it is already identified as "Neal's new phone". Hence it is the non-defining clause and option B is correct.
Option A is incorrect because it isn't a relative clause; it is the subject in the given sentence.
Option C is incorrect because this is a predicate, containing a verb "cost". Relative clauses do not contain the main verbs in them.
Option D is incorrect because this is the main clause, excluding the relative clause.

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the part that contains a non-defining relative clause:
Jane, who is my colleague and friend, has decided to resign from the company.

  1. Jane has decided to resign

  2. who is my colleague and friend

  3. has decided to resign

  4. from the company
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A defining relative clause gives essential information about someone or something, whereas a non-defining relative clause gives extra or unrelated information about someone/something.
The clause "who is my colleague and friend" gives more information about the proper noun "Jane", but does not define the noun, non-defining clauses do not define proper nouns as they are already specified by their name. Hence it is a non-defining clause and option B is correct.
Option A is incorrect because it is not a relative clause; it does not begin with the relative pronoun (who).
Options C and D are not clauses, they are fragments of the sentence without a subject in each, and without a verb in option D; they do not even contain the relative pronoun, hence C and D are incorrect.

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence:

I was very enchanted with the style of the writer rather than the content of the novel.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. I was very enchanted with the style rather than the content of the novel.

  3. With the style of the writer, I was very enchanted rather than the content of the novel.

  4. I was very enchanted rather with the style than the content of the writer.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Since "I ...enchanted" is qualified by "with the style of the writer", the qualifying clause should be placed after the former. Hence, Option A  is correct, as the given sentence is structured in that manner. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the statement:
She worked for a man who used to be a teacher.

  1. worked for a man

  2. who used to be a teacher

  3. for a man

  4. all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause is one that describes the noun that precedes it in the main part of the sentence. Here the clause "who..teacher" describes the man. Hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the statement:
They called a doctor who lived nearby.

  1. called a doctor

  2. lived nearby

  3. a doctor who lived nearby

  4. who lived nearby
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause is one that describes the noun that precedes it in the main part of the sentence. Here the clause "who lived nearby" describes the doctor. Hence Option D is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the statement:
This is the man who saved the kid.

  1. the man

  2. the man who

  3. saved the kid

  4. who saved the kid
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause describes the noun that precedes it, in the main part of the sentence. Here "who ...kid" describes "man", hence Option D is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the statement:
I dropped a glass that was new.

  1. a glass

  2. that was new

  3. dropped

  4. all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause is one that describes the noun that precedes it in the main part of the sentence. Here the clause that was new" describes the glass. Hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect.