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

Directions: In the following question two sentences, labeled I and II, have been given. Mark your answer as (I) My brother is at present in London. (II) My brother is presently in London.

  1. if only sentence I is correct

  2. if only sentence II is correct

  3. if both are correct

  4. if neither of the two is correct

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Both sentences are grammatically correct. 'At present' and 'presently' can both mean 'at the current time' or 'right now'. While 'presently' can also mean 'soon' in American English, it is commonly used to mean 'currently' in British English. Both sentences correctly convey that the brother is currently in London.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question two sentences, labeled I and II, have been given. Mark your answer as (I) I shall tell you about it by and by. (II) I shall tell you about it little by little.

  1. if only sentence I is correct

  2. if only sentence II is correct

  3. if both are correct

  4. if neither of the two is correct

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'By and by' means 'in a short while; before long' and little by little means 'a little bit, gradually.' You can discuss something or be told about something after a while but not little by little.....i.e in bits.

Multiple choice

In a consistent language, which of the following is correct?

  1. Similar situations are handled in a different way.

  2. Similar situations are handled in a similar way.

  3. Different situations are handled in a similar way.

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

A consistent language follows the principle that similar situations should be handled in the same way - this reduces confusion and makes the language predictable. This is a fundamental design principle in programming language design and software engineering. Options A and C contradict consistency, while D is incorrect since B is valid.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the option which is grammatically correct and the best version of the underlined part. Neither Jenny nor her friends is invited to pledge the local sorority.

  1. is invited to pledge the local sorority

  2. are invited to pledge the local sorority

  3. are invited to pledge for the local sorority

  4. is invited to take pledge for the local sorority

  5. are invited to show strength for the local sorority
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; the verb is correct in plural form according to the no. of the preceding noun, 'friends'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. I know all about the film because I have watched it twice.
  2. I am sure I have seen him at the party last night.
  3. The legend reveals how the castle received its meaning.
  4. His subordinates accused him with various offences.
  5. The people regarded him as an imposter and called him a villain.

  1. Both 3 and 4

  2. Both 1 and 5

  3. Only 2

  4. Both 2 and 4

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; sentence 2 has error of tense. The adverb 'last' shows that the action took place in the past, so the tense should be in simple past, i.e. 'saw'. Sentence 4 has the error of preposition. The verb 'accused' should be followed by the preposition 'of'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. She longed for the holidays to come so that she could be with her family again.
  2. Eating sweets is supposed to be bad for the teeth.
  3. The latest news of the earthquake survivors are very disturbing.
  4. I was often kept awake at night by their song which floated up through the window.
  5. Much remains to be done before the drug can be used by humans.

  1. 4 and 5

  2. 1 and 3

  3. 3

  4. 2

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; the sentence has the error of subject verb agreement. The word 'news' is always treated as singular, and followed by verb in the singular form. So, the verb should be 'is'.

Multiple choice

The sentence 'Madam drives a bicycle' is

  1. correct syntactically but semantically incorrect

  2. correct semantically but syntactically incorrect

  3. correct semantically as well as syntactically

  4. incorrect semantically as well as syntactically
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence is syntactically correct because it follows proper grammatical structure: subject (Madam) + verb (drives) + object (a bicycle). However, it's semantically incorrect because the word 'Madam' typically refers to an adult woman, and the mental image of an adult woman driving a bicycle violates our semantic expectations about who typically rides bicycles. This creates semantic implausibility despite grammatical correctness.

Multiple choice

A student says, "My mother ringed Principal ma’am last night." As a teacher, your response should be

  1. Oh really, your mother rang up Principal ma'am last night. Did she seek an appointment with her?

  2. Dear child, you are not using the correct form of verb.

  3. It should not be ringed, it should rather be rang.

  4. Why don't you listen carefully? As I told you earlier, it should be rang, not ringed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Option A models correct grammar naturally through conversation, making the correction implicit rather than explicit. This pedagogical approach maintains student confidence while embedding proper language usage. Options B, C, and D are teacher-centered corrections that focus on error identification rather than communication.

Multiple choice

I suggest that we all watch the movie 'TIGER'. It has been suggested that we watch the movie 'TIGER' together. The two given statements can be differentiated by drawing students' attention to the

  1. use of 'by' in the passive form

  2. the arrangement of words

  3. change in the verb forms

  4. roles of the subject and object in both sentences
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The first sentence ('I suggest...') is in active voice where 'I' is the subject performing the action. The second sentence ('It has been suggested...') is in passive voice where the subject 'It' receives the action, and the doer (the person who suggested) is either implied or mentioned with 'by'. This fundamentally changes the roles of subject and object - in active voice, the subject is the doer, while in passive voice, the subject is the receiver of the action.