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

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

  1. Snow began to fall. The roads were blocked.

  2. You must leave early. You will get late for your interview.

  3. It was a cloudy day. It didn't rain.

  4. I gave my interview today. I will wait for the GM to call back.
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. Option B presents two alternate ideas, where one is the possible outcome of the other, hence 'otherwise' can connect these together and option B is correct. Option A does not present two alternate ideas, but states the events "snow...fall" and "roads...blocked" that happened one after the other, the latter being the result. Hence A is incorrect. Option C expresses two contrasting ideas and Option D contains two unrelated statements, that do not influence one another. Hence C and D are incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify which of these is a complex sentence:

  1. Sarah is better at Physics than I am.

  2. Ganesh took the keys and went for a midnight drive.

  3. It is raining cats and dogs today.

  4. Mother has baked us some chocolate chip cookies.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A 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(s) should be dependent; it should depend on the main/independent clause for its complete meaning. In option A, one clause "than I am" is dependent on the main clause "Sarah is better at Physics" for its full meaning. Hence A is a complex sentence. In B, the sentence is compound, as both the clauses are independent, "Ganesh took the keys" and "(Ganesh) went for a midnight drive". They are connected by the coordinating conjunction "and". Hence B is incorrect. Option C is a simple sentence, it contains one clause, hence it's the incorrect option. Option D is also a simple sentence, with one clause in it, hence D is also incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Choose the option which contains main clauses of the alternative type:

  1. Neither has she completed her assignment nor has she come to school today.

  2. Karina needs to finish her work before she leaves for a holiday.

  3. I bathed my dog and fed him with some of his favourite food.

  4. Take your medicines regularly lest you should fall sick again.
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. Alternative compound sentences express a choice between two alternatives. From the options given, A contains an alternative compound sentence in the negative sense; "neither...nor" is used when there are two alternate ideas and none are chosen. Hence A is correct. Option B is a complex sentence and does not present alternatives. It is spoken in the context of time ("before she leaves"), hence B is incorrect. Option C contains a cumulative compound sentence and option D is a complex sentence expressing a purpose. Hence options C and D are incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the main clause in the following sentence:
The house is smaller than what's shown in the picture.

  1. The house is smaller

  2. smaller than what's shown

  3. than what's shown in the picture

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A 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 a comparison sentence which contains one main clause. "The house is smaller" is the main clause, since it can stand as a sentence on its own; it does not require the other clause for its complete meaning. (Since it's a comparison sentence the clauses are more dependent on each other, and the comparative adjective 'small' is changed to "smaller" in relation to the clause that follows.) Hence option A is correct.
Option B contains a fragment of the main clause as well as the subordinate clause. It cannot form a clause of its own, hence B is incorrect.
Option C contains the subordinate/dependent clause; it cannot stand on its own as a sentence, hence it is incorrect.
Option D is incorrect because the answer lies in A.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Choose the type of sentence given below:
The sun rose high and the birds began to sing.

  1. Compound Sentence

  2. Simple Sentence

  3. Complex with subordinate noun clause

  4. Complex with subordinate adverb clause
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses joined together by coordinating conjunctions like "and". Here the clauses are "the..high" and "the birds...sing". These are joined together by the coordinating conjunction "And". Hence, Option A is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect.

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the principal or main clause in the following sentence:
Lizzie realized that she was late in collecting her child from school.

  1. Lizzie realized

  2. Lizzie realized that she was late

  3. in collecting her child

  4. in collecting her child from school
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Principal clauses form a complete sentence and can stand alone without any extra information. Here "Lizzie realised" makes a complete independent sentence, hence Option A is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Choose the type of sentence given below:
She either went to the cinema or she went to the mall.

  1. Complex - subordinate noun clause

  2. Complex - subordinate adverb 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, "she...cinema" and "she...mal". 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 whether the following sentence is simple, compound or complex:

The signal turned green and the truck started to move.

  1. Compound

  2. Simple

  3. Complex - subordinate noun clause

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

A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. Here the two clauses are, "the signal turned green" and "the...move". Hence, Option A 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:

He wept so she gave him a handkerchief.

  1. Simple

  2. Compound

  3. Complex - subordinate noun 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 wept" and "she...handkerchief". 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

Choose the principal or main clause from the following sentence:
I told him that he could leave.

  1. I

  2. I told him

  3. he

  4. he could leave
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Principal clauses form a complete sentence and can stand alone without any extra information. Here "I told him" makes a complete independent sentence, hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the principal or main clause in the following sentence:
As the rain continued to fall, Joe and Martha stayed indoors.

  1. the rain continued to fall

  2. the rain

  3. Joe and Martha stayed indoors

  4. Joe and Martha
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Principal clauses form a complete sentence and can stand alone without any extra information. Here "Joe and Martha stayed indoors" makes a complete independent sentence, hence Option C is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

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

She ran up to her home and flung the door open.

  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, "she...home" and "flung...open". 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 the principal/main clause in the following sentence:
Because the food was too cold, I heated it on the stove.

  1. the food was too cold

  2. I heated it on the stove

  3. the food

  4. I heated
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Principal clauses form a complete sentence and can stand alone without any extra information. Here "I heated..stove" makes a complete independent sentence, hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the principal or main clause in the following sentence:
Joe and Mary arrived after I had already left the house.

  1. Joe and Mary arrived

  2. left the house

  3. after I had already left the house

  4. Joe and Mary
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Principal clauses form a complete sentence and can stand alone without any extra information. Here "Joe and Mary arrived" makes a complete independent sentence, hence Option A is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice types of sentences sentences english

Identify the subordinate clause in the following:
Apart from the shy manner in which he greets his guests, there is something particularly distinct about his demeanor. 

  1. in which he greets his guests

  2. Apart from the shy manner

  3. Apart from the shy manner in which he greets his guests

  4. there is something particularly distinct about his demeanor
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Subordinate clauses start with conjunctions or prepositions and cannot exist without the on the main clause. Here “apart...guests” is dependent on “there...demeanour”. Hence, Option C is correct. The rest of the options do not fit this description, hence incorrect.