English Language

English Grammar and Usage

2,780 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 inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

"Let me go!" she screamed, fighting off her mother.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Let me go, she screamed, fighting off her mother.

  3. "Let me go!" she screamed, "fighting off her mother."

  4. Let me go, she screamed, "fighting off her mother."
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. In the given sentence, only the first part of the sentence is in direct form of speech and it should be enclosed within quotations. Thus, according to the rules, the correct answer is Option A, no change.
Option B does not enclose the direct speech within quotation marks.
Option C and D are incorrect because the part of the sentence that is not direct is also enclosed within quotation marks.

Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

"I shall miss you when you depart for your own country, said he."

  1. "I shall miss you when you depart for your own country," said he.

  2. I shall miss you when you depart for your own country, said he.

  3. "I shall miss you when you depart for your own country?" said he.

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. Quotation marks must begin and end with the direct speech. 
According to these rules, Option D can be termed wrong, as it encloses the whole sentence within quotes. 
Option B is incorrect, the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option C is incorrect as, the given sentence does not require a question mark at the end of the direct speech.
The correct answer is Option A.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

Peter said to John, Will you help me make dinner?"

  1. "Peter said to John, will you help me make dinner?"

  2. Peter said to John, "Will you help me make dinner"?

  3. Peter said to John, "Will you help me make dinner?"

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option C.
Option A and D are incorrect. Quotation marks end when the direct speech ends and starts when the direct speech begins.
Option B is incorrect as, punctuations that are part of the speech go inside the quotation marks.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"I want to buy some new shirts," Christina said to her mother.

  1. "I want to buy some new shirts, Christina said to her mother."

  2. I want to buy some new shirts, Christina said to her mother.

  3. "I want to buy some new shirts", Christina said to her mother.

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option D, no change.
Option B is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option A is incorrect because quotation marks end when the direct speech ends and starts when the direct speech begins.
Option C is incorrect as, the punctuation that are part of the original sentence go inside the quoted text.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly."

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly.

  3. "Come into my parlour," said the spider to the fly.

  4. "Come into my parlour" said the spider to the fly.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option C.
Option A is incorrect because quotation marks end when the direct speech ends and starts when the direct speech begins.
Option B is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option D does not contain all the punctuations required in a quoted text.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"I am coming to your party," Mary told Helen.

  1. I am coming to your party, Mary told Helen.

  2. "I am coming to your party", Mary told Helen.

  3. I am coming to your party, "Mary told Helen."

  4. No Change
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option D, no change.
Option A is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option B is incorrect as, the punctuations that are part of the quoted text go inside the quotation marks.
Option C is incorrect as it includes the indirect speech within quotation marks in place of the direct speech.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"Was your friend at school today? Rita asked her daughter."

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Was your friend at school today? Rita asked her daughter.

  3. "Was your friend at school today?" Rita asked her daughter.

  4. "Was your friend at school today," Rita asked her daughter.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option C.
Option A is incorrect because quotation marks in a sentence when the direct speech begins and ends when the direct speech ends.
Option B is incorrect as, the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option D is incorrect because all the punctuations required in the given sentence are not included in the sentence.

Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

Will you throw a party for my birthday? John asked his father.

  1. "Will you throw a party for my birthday?" John asked his father.

  2. "Will you throw a party for my birthday"? John asked his father.

  3. "Will you throw a party for my birthday," John asked his father.

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option A.
Option B is incorrect as, the punctuation that are part of the original sentence go inside the quoted text.
Option C is incorrect because all the punctuations required in the given sentence are not included in the sentence.
Option D is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.

Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"Lets go for a walk," said Jim to his wife.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Let's go for a walk, said Jim to his wife.

  3. "Let's go for a walk, said Jim to his wife."

  4. "Let's go for a walk" said Jim to his wife.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option A.
Option B is incorrect because the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option C is incorrect because quotation marks end when the direct speech ends and starts when the direct speech begins.
Option D does not contain all the punctuations required in a quoted text.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

Rebecca told me, "Jim said I am coming."

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Rebecca told me, "Jim said, 'I am coming.' "

  3. Rebecca told me, "Jim said, I am coming."

  4. Rebecca told me, Jim said, "I am coming."
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. Quotes within quotation marks are marked using single quotes. Thus, the correct answer should be Option B.
Option A, B and D are incorrect as, the correct part of speech is not enclosed within quotation marks and the quote within the quote is not punctuated correctly.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option which correctly punctuates the sentence:

"The sky is blue," she said, and the grass is green.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. "The sky is blue", she said, "and the grass is green."

  3. The sky is blue, she said, "and the grass is green."

  4. "The sky is blue," she said, "and the grass is green."
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option D.
Option A and C are incorrect as, all of the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option B is incorrect because the punctuations are not included within the quoted text.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Correct the punctuation of the given sentence, if necessary:
"If you will go with me, she said, I will visit my aunt."

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. If you will go with me, she said, I will visit my aunt.

  3. "If you will go with me," she said, "I will visit my aunt."

  4. "If you will go with me" she said, "I will visit my aunt."
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word.  According to general rule, commas and periods that are part of the original sentence go inside the quotation marks, even though they are not part of the original quotation. Thus, the correct answer should be Option C.
Option A is incorrect because quotation marks in a sentence begin when the direct speech begins and end when the direct speech ends.
Option B is incorrect as, the speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option D is incorrect because the punctuations are not included within the quoted text.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

"I read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and loved it," I said.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. I read Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and loved it, I said.

  3. "I read Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and loved it," I said.

  4. "I read Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' and loved it," I said.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to cite direct quotes in a sentence. However, when a run-in quotation contains quotation marks within the quoted material itself, single quotation marks should be used in their place. Thus, in the given sentence, the title of the book, Little Women should be put within single quotes.
Thus, the correct answer is Option D.
Options B and D are incorrect. When the material being quoted contains a quotation within a quotation, double quotation marks are used.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined part of the sentence:
Really girls, you are both to be blamed, said Meg, beginning to lecture in her elder-sisterly fashion.

  1. "Really girls, you are both to be blamed," said Meg, "beginning to lecture in her elder-sisterly fashion."

  2. "Really girls, you are both to be blamed," said Meg, beginning to lecture in her elder-sisterly fashion.

  3. Really girls, you are both to be blamed, said Meg, " beginning to lecture in her elder-sisterly fashion."

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Quotation marks are used to indicate material that is being reproduced word for word. In the given sentence, only the first part of the sentence is in direct form of speech and it should be enclosed within quotations. Thus, the correct answer is Option B,
Option A and C are incorrect because the part of the sentence that is not direct is also enclosed within quotation marks.
Option D does not enclose the direct speech within quotation marks.
Multiple choice inverted commas/quotation marks punctuation english

I stopped and asked her, do you not wish to live in your own country.

Choose the option that best corrects the underlined words.

  1. I stopped and asked her, do you not wish to live in your own country?

  2. I stopped and asked her, "Do you not wish to live in your own country?"

  3. I stopped and asked her, "Do you not wish to live in your own country!"

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
The given sentence cites direct words of a speaker, this speech should be enclosed within quotation marks. The speech is in the form of a question to the listener, such a sentence should end with a question mark. Thus, according to the rules, the correct form of writing the sentence will be, as given in Option B.
Option A is incorrect, as the direct speech is not enclosed within quotation marks.
Option C is incorrect, as exclamation marks are used to indicate a speech of strong feelings or high volume.