English Language

English Grammar and Usage

1,563 Questions

English grammar and usage form a critical component of language sections in competitive exams. This hub provides practice with fill in the blanks, prepositions, and appropriate word selection. Strong grammar skills are necessary to score well in verbal ability tests.

Fill in the blanksPrepositions usageConjunctions selectionSentence correction

English Grammar and Usage Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below has been divided into four parts. One of the parts may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the part having the error.

  1. Continuing its sharp slide, the currency tumbled

  2. 47 units touched a new low of 55.86 against the

  3. US dollar in the late morning trade due to

  4. persistent demand for the American currency
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Error in option (2). 'touch' should be replaced with simple infinitive 'to touch'.

Multiple choice

Direction: Choose the best expression out of the following options.

  1. The Mayans first discovered that cut rose accelerated its growth, made it more fragrant, improving its colour.

  2. The Mayans first discovered that cutting rose accelerated it's growth, made it more fragrant, improving its colour.

  3. The Mayans first discovered that cutting rose accelerated its grow, made it more fragrant, improving its colour.

  4. The Mayans first discovered that cutting rose accelerated its growth, made it more fragrant and improved its colour.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Option (4) is grammatically the most correct option. Option (1) is incorrect because of the wrong tense (cut). Option (2) is incorrect because of the usage of “it's”. Option (3) is incorrect because of the wrong tense (grow). Option (5) is incorrect because of wrong tense (make).

Multiple choice

Directions: The question has four statements. Each statement uses a pair of words marked (A) and (B), one of which will make coherent sense in context of the sentence. For each sentence, choose the best fit and select the option that indicates all correct answers.

(1) Everyone was (A) respective / (B) respectful towards his/her parents. (2) Please (A) precede / (B) proceed towards the main exit. (3) The feeling was (A) too / (B) two good to be true. (4) (A) Who's / (B) Whose book is this?

  1. AAAA

  2. BBAA

  3. BBAB

  4. BABA

  5. ABAB
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(B) 'Respectful' means someone showing respect. (B) 'Proceed' means to move forward. (A) 'Two' means a pair. The correct usage is 'too good to be true'. (B) 'Who's' is the short form of 'who is'. 'Whose' is the correct usage as the possessive of case of 'who'.

Multiple choice

This scheme of marriage that Father Maurice had opened to him, even all that had said to him of her virtue and good sense, made him pause to think.

  1. even all that had said to him of her virtue and good sense, made him pause to think

  2. even all said to him of her virtue and her good sense, made him pause to think

  3. even all that had been said to him of her virtue and good sense, made him pause to think

  4. even all which was said to him of her virtue and good sense, made him pause to think

  5. even all which had been said to him of her virtue and good sense, made him pause to think
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Even all that had said to him' is obviously in passive voice. It misses the third form of the auxiliary. This option corrects the error by placing 'had been said' in place of 'had said'.

Multiple choice

Rudy Giuliani had been the Mayor of New York in 2001, the year when the city had been targeted by terrorist strikes by Al-Qaeda.

  1. had been the Mayor of New York in 2001, the year when the city had been targeted by terrorist strikes by Al-Qaeda

  2. had been the Mayor of New York in 2001, the year Al-Qaeda had targeted the city with terrorist strikes

  3. was the Mayor of New York in 2001, the year Al-Qaeda had targeted it with terrorist strikes

  4. was the Mayor of New York in 2001, the year in which the city had been the target of terrorist strike by Al-Qaeda

  5. was the Mayor of New York in 2001, the year in which the city was the target of terrorist strikes by Al-Qaeda
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Correct. The option removes the error of Tense Usage by referring to both the events (that began and ended in the past) in the Simple Past Tense and replacing 'when' by 'in which'.

Multiple choice

The anatomical knowledge and technical skill of the embalmers of Ancient Egypt, who mummified the corpses, in preserving the corpse for centuries was valued not only in Egypt but also in the neighboring nations.

  1. who mummified the corpses, in preserving the corpse for centuries was valued not only in Egypt

  2. who mummified the corpses, in preserving the corpse for centuries were valued not only in Egypt

  3. employed for mummification and preservation of corpses for centuries, was valued not only in Egypt

  4. which was employed for mummification and preservation of corpses for centuries, was valued not only in Egypt

  5. which were employed for mummification and preservation of corpses for centuries, were valued not only in Egypt
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Correct. The option removes the ambiguity regarding the subject of the sentence. Also, it uses plural verb for the compound subject.

Multiple choice

It was found that a mass of the living roots of the old strong elm near had twined about and entered the structure through the apertures.

  1. the living roots of the old strong elm near

  2. the living roots of an old strong elm near

  3. living roots of old strong elm nearby

  4. the living roots of the old and strong elm near

  5. the living roots of an old strong elm near by
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence bears errors of indefinite article ('the old strong elm' should be 'an old elm' because 'the' is used before a specific thing) and error of adjective ('near' should be 'near by'). This option corrects the twin errors of indefinite article and the adjective of location 'near by'.

Multiple choice

Some species of antelope which were saved and brought back from the verge of extinction by the efforts of WWF were endangered due to indiscriminate hunting during the last century.

  1. Some species of antelope which were saved and brought back from the verge of extinction by the efforts of WWF were endangered due to

  2. Some of the species of antelope which were saved and brought back from the verge of extinction by the efforts of WWF were endangered due to

  3. Some species of antelope that were saved and brought back from the verge of extinction by the efforts of WWF had been endangered due to

  4. Some species of antelope that had been saved and had been brought back from the verge of extinction by the efforts of WWF had been endangered due to

  5. Some species of antelope that were saved and were brought back from the verge of extinction by the efforts of WWF had been endangered due to
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct. The option removes the error of Tense Usage by referring to the indiscriminate hunting in the last century in the Past Perfect Tense.

Multiple choice

Nissan Micra's march towards the international markets was slightly delayed after its Japan launching to make it conform to European and American pollution standards.

  1. Nissan Micra's march towards the international markets was slightly delayed after its Japan launching to make it conform to European and American pollution standards.

  2. After its Japan launch, Nissan Micra's march towards the international markets was slightly delayed to make it conform to European and American pollution standards.

  3. To make it conform to European and American pollution standards, Nissan Micra's march towards the international markets was slightly delayed.

  4. After its Japan launch, Nissan Micra's march towards the international markets was slightly delayed to make the car conform to European and American pollution standards.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct. The option removes the error of missing modifier by referring to the car (Nissan Micra).

Multiple choice

Fill blank (iii).

Directions: In the following passage, there are blanks each of which has been numbered. Against each blank, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately and answer the question that follows.

Once upon a time, two friends were ____(i)____ through the desert. During some point of the ____(ii)____, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was ____(iii)____, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today, my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking ____(iv)____ they found an oasis, where they ____(v)____ to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got ____(vi)____ in the quicksand and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend ____(vii)____ from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and ____(viii)____, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend ____(ix)____, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can, erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must ____(x)____ it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

  1. dead

  2. captured

  3. presentable

  4. missing

  5. hurt
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'hurt' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (i).

Directions: In the following passage, there are blanks each of which has been numbered. Against each blank, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately and answer the question that follows.

Once upon a time, two friends were ____(i)____ through the desert. During some point of the ____(ii)____, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was ____(iii)____, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today, my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking ____(iv)____ they found an oasis, where they ____(v)____ to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got ____(vi)____ in the quicksand and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend ____(vii)____ from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and ____(viii)____, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend ____(ix)____, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can, erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must ____(x)____ it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

  1. crawling

  2. speaking

  3. swimming

  4. walking

  5. dancing
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'walking' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (vi).

Directions: In the following passage, there are blanks each of which has been numbered. Against each blank, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately and answer the question that follows.

Once upon a time, two friends were ____(i)____ through the desert. During some point of the ____(ii)____, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was ____(iii)____, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today, my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking ____(iv)____ they found an oasis, where they ____(v)____ to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got ____(vi)____ in the quicksand and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend ____(vii)____ from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and ____(viii)____, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend ____(ix)____, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can, erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must ____(x)____ it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

  1. home

  2. stuck

  3. blended

  4. mixed

  5. sitting
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'stuck' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (viii).

Directions: In the following passage, there are blanks each of which has been numbered. Against each blank, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately and answer the question that follows.

Once upon a time, two friends were ____(i)____ through the desert. During some point of the ____(ii)____, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was ____(iii)____, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today, my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking ____(iv)____ they found an oasis, where they ____(v)____ to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got ____(vi)____ in the quicksand and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend ____(vii)____ from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and ____(viii)____, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend ____(ix)____, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can, erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must ____(x)____ it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

  1. so

  2. how

  3. when

  4. tomorrow

  5. now
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'now' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (ix).

Directions: In the following passage, there are blanks each of which has been numbered. Against each blank, five words are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately and answer the question that follows.

Once upon a time, two friends were ____(i)____ through the desert. During some point of the ____(ii)____, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was ____(iii)____, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand, "Today, my best friend slapped me in the face." They kept on walking ____(iv)____ they found an oasis, where they ____(v)____ to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got ____(vi)____ in the quicksand and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend ____(vii)____ from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone, "Today my best friend saved my life." The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and ____(viii)____, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend ____(ix)____, "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can, erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must ____(x)____ it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

  1. called

  2. told

  3. replied

  4. questioned

  5. asked
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'replied' fits best here.