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

Which of the following lines from Ezra Pound's poem "In a Station of the Metro" is an example of enjambment?

  1. The apparition of these faces in the crowd

  2. Petals on a wet, black bough

  3. And the days are not full enough

  4. And the nights are not full enough
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Enjambment is the running over of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause. The line "And the days are not full enough" from Ezra Pound's poem "In a Station of the Metro" is an example of enjambment.

Multiple choice

Which of the following lines from Walt Whitman's poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" is an example of enjambment?

  1. Flood-tide below me! I see you face to face!

  2. Clouds of the west! sun there half an hour high!

  3. I too lived, Brooklyn of ample hills was mine!

  4. I too walk'd the streets of Manhattan island, and bathed in the waters around it!
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Enjambment is the running over of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause. The line "I too walk'd the streets of Manhattan island, and bathed in the waters around it!" from Walt Whitman's poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" is an example of enjambment.

Multiple choice

Which of the following lines from Ezra Pound's poem "In a Station of the Metro" is an example of enjambment?

  1. The apparition of these faces in the crowd

  2. Petals on a wet, black bough

  3. And the days are not full enough

  4. And the nights are not full enough
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Enjambment is the running over of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause. The line "And the days are not full enough" from Ezra Pound's poem "In a Station of the Metro" is an example of enjambment.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is NOT a common characteristic of creole languages?

  1. They develop when two or more languages come into contact

  2. They often have simplified grammar and vocabulary

  3. They are typically spoken by a small group of people

  4. They are always mutually intelligible with the languages they derive from
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Creole languages are not always mutually intelligible with the languages they derive from, as they often develop unique grammatical structures and vocabulary.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a branch of English literature that deals with the study of poetry?

  1. Drama

  2. Fiction

  3. Non-Fiction

  4. Poetry

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

Poetry is the branch of English literature that deals with the study of poetry, including its forms, techniques, and themes.

Multiple choice

What is the term for a humorous or witty play on words?

  1. Pun

  2. Oxymoron

  3. Euphemism

  4. Malapropism
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A pun is a humorous play on words that exploits multiple meanings of a word or phrase.

Multiple choice

What is the term for a humorous or clever remark?

  1. Quip

  2. Pun

  3. Sarcasm

  4. Hyperbole
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A quip is a witty or clever remark that is often used to make a point or get a laugh.

Multiple choice

What is the term for the study of how words and phrases combine to form larger units of meaning?

  1. Syntax

  2. Semantics

  3. Pragmatics

  4. Morphology
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Syntax is the study of the rules that govern the combination of words and phrases into sentences.

Multiple choice

What is the abbreviation for teaspoon?

  1. tsp

  2. tbsp

  3. oz

  4. lb
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The abbreviation for teaspoon is tsp.

Multiple choice

Which phrase is often used to describe the idea of "better late than never"?

  1. Festina Lente

  2. Carpe Diem

  3. Memento Mori

  4. Melius Sero Quam Nunquam
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Melius Sero Quam Nunquam is a Latin phrase that means "better late than never" and is often used to encourage people to take action, even if it is delayed.

Multiple choice

What is the term for a group of words that expresses a complete thought?

  1. Phrase

  2. Clause

  3. Sentence

  4. Word
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.

Multiple choice

What is the term for a person who is not attracted to anyone?

  1. Heterosexual

  2. Homosexual

  3. Bisexual

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

Asexual is the term for a person who is not attracted to anyone.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is an example of a Petrarchan sonnet?

  1. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare

  2. Sonnet 29 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

  3. Sonnet 130 by Francesco Petrarca

  4. Sonnet 116 by John Donne
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Sonnet 130 by Francesco Petrarca is an example of a Petrarchan sonnet, which typically consists of an octave (eight lines) followed by a sestet (six lines), with a specific rhyme scheme and thematic structure.

Multiple choice

The boy (verb) the ball to his friend.

  1. threw

  2. caught

  3. hit

  4. kicked
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The verb 'threw' describes the action that the boy is performing, which is what is being asked for in the sentence.

Multiple choice

The (interjection) expressed surprise.

  1. Wow!

  2. Ouch!

  3. Oops!

  4. Help!
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The interjection 'Wow!' expresses surprise, which is what is being asked for in the sentence.