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 types of sentences sentences english

Given below are compound sentences, choose the option that is made up of adversative clauses:

  1. We must leave the facility or else we will get into trouble

  2. I need to finish the household chores and leave for work by 9 o'clock.

  3. There was so much chaos around her, still she kept her cool.

  4. He's awake, for I see the light is on in his bedroom.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Adversative compound sentences contain two ideas that contrast each other in meaning. The conjunctions used in such sentences include but, yet, still and so on. Option C contains two contrasting ideas, "chaos around her" and "kept her cool", hence option C is correct. Option A contains two alternate ideas, represented by "or else", hence it's not adversative in nature, option A incorrect. Option B contains two cumulative clauses, connected with the conjunction "and", hence B is incorrect. Option D is inference based, as one idea is inferred or deduced from another, hence D is also incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Given are a pair of clauses in each option. Choose the appropriate pair which can be joined together with the conjunctions 'either...or' :

  1. We love to travel. We love to try different cuisines.

  2. You can go to Rome and set up your business. You can stay here and expand it locally.

  3. He is an author. He is a politician.

  4. She had reached home. It began to rain.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Alternative compound sentences express a choice between two alternatives. The pair of sentences in option B have the alternatives "go to Rome..." and "stay here..." They can be joined using "either...or", hence B is the correct option. Option A contains two unrelated sentences, they are not alternatives hence A is incorrect. Similarly, C does not contain alternatives, hence it's incorrect. Option D is in relation to time, they are not alternatives, hence D is incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Given below are a pair of clauses in each option, choose the appropriate pair which can be joined together by the adversative conjunction 'yet':

  1. My grandmother is sixty-five. She plays basketball with me.

  2. She must be very tired. She fell asleep the moment she sat on the bed.

  3. Would you prefer to go for a swim? Would you prefer to go for a walk?

  4. I have to go to the dairy. I have to buy some milk from there.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Adversative compound sentences contain two ideas that contrast each other in meaning. The conjunctions used in such sentences include but, yet, still and so on. From the options, A is the most suitable as it contains contrasting ideas, the general idea being that at this age one does not play basketball. Option B contains inference based sentences, where the former is inferred from the latter, hence B is incorrect. Option C presents a choice between two ideas "swim" and "walk", hence C is incorrect. Option D contains two ideas that can be connected with a cumulative conjunction 'and', since they have a similar goal, 'go to the dairy and buy milk'. Hence D is incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Choose the compound sentence from the following options:

  1. I like playing football, whereas my brother likes playing golf.

  2. My brother plays golf as if he's a champion at it.

  3. Because she didn't finish her meal, she was punished.

  4. When do you plan on completing your target?
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of independent clauses, i.e., both clauses can stand as complete sentences. They use a coordinating conjunction to combine the clauses. Option A contains a compound sentence which contains two independent clauses (I like playing football and my brother likes playing golf). The conjunction that combines them, "whereas" is a coordinating conjunction. Hence option A is correct. Option B contains a complex sentence; the clause that begins with "as if" is the dependent clause. Hence option B is incorrect. Similarly, option C is also a complex sentence; the clause beginning with "because" is a dependent clause. Hence C is incorrect. Option D contains a simple sentence, with one clause, hence D is also incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

There are a pair of clauses in each option. Choose the appropriate pair that can be combined with the help of the conjunction 'or' :

  1. Saira has to bake a cake. She had promised her friend one.

  2. I met with a minor accident. I went to work.

  3. Solve your own problems. You will learn from them.

  4. You can stand up and make changes. You can sit and complain.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Alternative compound sentences express a choice between two alternatives. Option D expresses two alternatives, "make changes" and "complain", hence option D is correct. Option A expresses a cause and effect relationship between the sentences, hence it's not the appropriate option. Option B expresses two contrasting ideas, "met with...accident" and "went to work", hence it isn't the appropriate option. Option C is inference based, where one is deduced from the other, hence it's not an appropriate option.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Choose the sentence that is made up of Illative clauses:

  1. Marty read this biography and lent it to me.

  2. I had misbehaved in school, therefore, I was punished.

  3. Shakti died in his sleep.

  4. I am taller than my elder sister.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Illative compound sentences contain clauses where one is inferred or deduced from another; for example, "There's someone in the hall for the light is on", where "for" is an Illative conjunction. From the given options, Option B contains a sentence of the Illative nature as the clause "I was punished" is the conclusion or inference of the clause "I had misbehaved in school". Hence B is correct. Option A does not contain Illative main clauses: one does not conclude the other, Hence A is incorrect. The sentence in C is a simple sentence, there is only one clause; hence C is incorrect. Option D is a complex sentence whereas sentences with Illative clauses are compound. The sentence in D expresses comparison and not inference; hence D is also incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the type of sentence given below:
After reaching the station, we waited for half an hour for the train to arrive.

  1. Simple Sentence

  2. Complex Sentence

  3. Compound Sentence

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A complex sentence is made up of two or more clauses, where at least one of them should be independent, i.e., complete in meaning. The other clause/clauses should be dependent; it should depend on the main/independent clause for its complete meaning. The given sentence is made up of a dependent clause "After reaching the station" that depends on the main clause "we waited for half an hour for the train to arrive" for its full meaning. Hence it is a complex sentence and option B is correct. A simple sentence requires only one clause. A compound sentence requires both clauses to be independent, hence options A and C are incorrect. Option D is incorrect because the correct answer lies in option B.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

There are a pair of clauses in each option. Choose the appropriate pair that can be combined with the help of the Illative conjunction 'for':

  1. I love chocolate. I don't eat cake.

  2. Someone's at the door. I heard somebody knock.

  3. I don't smoke. I don't drink alcohol.

  4. I was praised for my bravery. I was given a medal for it.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Illative compound sentences contain clauses where one is inferred or deduced from another; for example, "There's someone in the hall for the light is on", where "for" is an Illative conjunction.
In this question, we need to choose the option that can use "for" as a conjunction. The sentence in option B. "Someone's at the door" is deduced from "I heard somebody knock". Hence B is the correct option. A contains sentences that contrast each other, it would require an adversative conjunction such as "I love chocolate but I don't eat cake" (since most cakes have chocolate). Hence option A is incorrect. Option C contains alternative sentences ("Neither do I smoke nor do I drink alcohol") in the negative. Hence C is also incorrect. Option D contains cumulative clauses ("Not only was I praised for my bravery but also given a medal for it"). Hence it's the incorrect option.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Choose the complex sentence from the following options:

  1. Either you have lied to me or you have lied to her.

  2. The high school boys are singing a song from the 90's.

  3. Even though I read the chapter thoroughly, I couldn't understand it well.

  4. Neither had the chicken been cooked through nor was it seasoned well.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A complex sentence is made up of two or more clauses, where at least one of them should be independent, i.e., complete in meaning. The other clause/clauses should be dependent; it should depend on the main/independent clause for its complete meaning. From the options, C contains a complex sentence since the clause "Even though I read the chapter thoroughly" depends on the main clause "I couldn't understand it well" for its complete meaning; hence C is correct. A contains a compound sentence, since both clauses are independent on their own and is joined by the conjunction "either...or". Option B contains a simple sentence, it has only one clause. Option D contains a compound sentence, where both clauses are independent (the conjunction "neither...nor" is used in compound sentences). Hence options A, B and D are incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Given are a pair of clauses in each option. Choose the appropriate pair that can be combined with the help of the Illative conjunction 'therefore':

  1. I came home. I switched on the television.

  2. He was asked to resign today. He isn't in a very good mood.

  3. She has been sick. She is lively and happy.

  4. You can come here and work. You can work from home.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses, which are complete sentences on their own. Illative compound sentences contain clauses where one is inferred or deduced from another; for example, "There's someone in the hall for the light is on", where "for" is an Illative conjunction. From the given options, B contains suitable clauses that can be combined with 'therefore'. "He isn't in a very good mood." is concluded from "He was asked to resign today." hence option B is correct. In A, the clauses do not express any relation, they can only be added to one another, hence A is incorrect. In option C, the sentences contrast each other in meaning ("She has been sick, yet she is lively and happy"); hence C is incorrect. Option D shows a choice between two alternatives ("You can either come here and work or you can work from home"); hence D is also incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify whether the following sentence is simple, compound or complex:

The chair had a straight back.

  1. Compound

  2. Simple

  3. Complex - subordinate adverb clause

  4. Complex - subordinate noun clause
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The given sentence has only only one finite verb and thus, only one clause. Thus, it cannot be a complex or compound sentence. Therefore, Option B is the correct answer. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify whether the following sentence is simple, compound or complex:

Joe waited for the bus.

  1. Complex - subordinate adverb clause

  2. Complex - subordinate adjective clause

  3. Compound

  4. Simple
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

There is only one finite verb in the given sentence and, by extension, only one clause. Hence, the sentence cannot be a complex or a compound one. Thus, Option D is the correct answer. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify whether the following sentence is simple, compound or complex:

He neither slept at night nor did he finish the work.

  1. Simple

  2. Compound

  3. Complex - subordinate adverb clause

  4. Complex - subordinate adjective clause
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. Here the two clauses are, "he...night" and "he...work". Hence, Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not correctly denote the sentence, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify whether the following sentence is simple, compound or complex:

I waited for Mary at the train station but she had already left.

  1. Complex - subordinate noun clause

  2. Complex - subordinate adjective clause

  3. Simple

  4. Compound
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. Here the two clauses are, "I..station" and "she...left". Hence, Option D is correct. The rest of the options do not correctly denote the sentence, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the principal or main clause in the following sentence:

The moon was low and the light was dim.

  1. the moon was low

  2. the light was dim

  3. the moon

  4. the light
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A,B Correct answer
Explanation

Principal clauses form a complete sentence and can stand alone without any extra information. Here both "the moon was low" and "the light was dim" make complete independent sentences, hence Option A and B are correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect.