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

Fill blank (ii).

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. journey

  2. sand

  3. running

  4. border

  5. hunt
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'journey' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (v).

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. decided

  2. fell

  3. made

  4. want

  5. left
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'decided' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (x).

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. talk

  2. push

  3. engrave

  4. add

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

Only 'engrave' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (iv).

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. as

  2. until

  3. from

  4. with

  5. through
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Only 'as' fits best here.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (vii).

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. separated

  2. leaked

  3. died

  4. recovered

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

Only 'recovered' fits best here.

Multiple choice

In the titanic battle for survival, the ultimate survivors only manage to survive because they adapt fast.

  1. In the titanic battle for survival, the ultimate survivors only manage to survive because they adapt fast.

  2. In the battle for survival, the only ultimate survivors manage to survive because they adapt fast.

  3. The survivors manage to survive in a battle for survival only because they adapt faster.

  4. In the battle for survival, the survivors survive only because they adapt faster.

  5. Fast adaptation in the battle for survival only helps the ultimate survivors survive.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; the sentence is pithy, removes redundancy, and uses 'only' as it should be. The use of the word 'survivors' instead of 'ultimate survivors' cuts down on over-stressing which GMAT frowns upon. Also, the use of 'only' suggests that the survivors survive just because they adapted faster. Additionally, the use of 'faster' correctly suggests that though other species/ members of their species might have adapted, the survivors managed to do so because they adapted faster.

Multiple choice

Part of the expected hike in tax collections is due to higher number of taxpayers, since the number of taxpayers in the country have grown steadily since 1990's and, at 55 million, are at a record high.

  1. taxpayers, since the number of tax payers in the country have grown steadily since 1990's and, at 55 million, are at

  2. taxpayers, with a number of tax payers in the country growing steadily since 1990's and, at 55 million, reaching

  3. taxpayers; since taxpayers in the country have grown steadily since the 1990's and, at 55 million, have reached

  4. taxpayers; the number of taxpayers in the country has grown steadily since the 1990's and, at 55 million, has reached
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; removes the subject-verb error by referring to 'the number of taxpayers' with a singular verb 'has' and following it up with another singular verb 'has reached'

Multiple choice

Many analysts believe that real democracy exists only when the right of citizens to freedom of speech as well as to vote freely is regarded as an undeniable right of a citizen's, and it is not a favor granted by the government that is revocable at an impulse.

  1. vote freely is regarded as an undeniable right of a citizen's, and it is not

  2. are regarded as citizen's undeniable rights, and that it cannot be

  3. is regarded as a citizen's undeniable right, not

  4. are regarded as a citizen's undeniable rights, not when they are
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; uses the right singular verb (is) for a singular subject (right to freedom of speech).

Multiple choice

Directions: This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

Giant Squid, a deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae, lives at depths up to one km, where it was long thought that it was immune from human intervention.

  1. was long thought that it was immune from

  2. was long thought to have become immune from

  3. was long thought as being immune to

  4. was long thought to be immune to

  5. was long thought to have been immune to
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; compact sentence without any ambiguity; removes error of incorrect word usage by using 'immune to'

Multiple choice

Directions: This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

A perennial shrub called turmeric contains curcumin and is considered as an essential spice by most Asians, though it is virtually unavailable outside India.

  1. A perennial shrub called turmeric contains curcumin and is considered as an essential spice by most Asians, though it is virtually unavailable outside India.

  2. Considered to be an essential spice by most Asians, turmeric is a perennial shrub that contains curcumin, virtually unavailable outside India.

  3. A perennial shrub called turmeric contains curcumin and is considered an essential spice by most Asians, though it is virtually unavailable outside India.

  4. Most Asians consider turmeric, a perennial shrub which contains curcumin, as an essential spice virtually unavailable outside India.

  5. Though virtually unavailable outside India, most Asians consider turmeric, a perennial shrub that contains curcumin, an essential spice.

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

Correct; removes idiomatic error by using 'considered + noun (essential spice)

Multiple choice

Nancy was supposed to break up with her boyfriend because he drank incessantly, was a chain smoker and a shoplifter but I do not know what happened that they are still together.

  1. Nancy was supposed to break up with her boyfriend because he drank incessantly, was a chain smoker and a shoplifter but I do not know what happened that they are still together.

  2. Nancy was supposed to break up with her boyfriend because he drunk incessantly, was a chain smoker and a shoplifter but I do not know what happened that they are still together.

  3. Nancy was supposed to break down with her boyfriend because he drank incessantly, was a chain smoker and a shoplifter but I do not know what happened that they are still together.

  4. Nancy was supposed to break in with her boyfriend because he drank incessantly, was a chain smoker and a shoplifter but I do not know what happened that they are still together.

  5. Nancy was supposed to break over with her boyfriend because he drank incessantly, was a chain smoker and a shoplifter but I do not know what happened that they are still together.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The given sentence is grammatically correct because 'break up' means 'ending a relationship'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the best revision for the underlined part in the given sentence.

Recent studies indicate that if employees find common ground with and bond with other employees, they experience lesser settling in problems and develop quicker than do employees that stay relatively aloof.

  1. bond with other employees, they experience lesser settling in problems and develop quicker than do

  2. bond with other employees, they will experience lesser settling in problems and develop than do

  3. bonded with other children, they experienced fewer settling in problems and develop quicker than will

  4. bond with other employees, they experience fewer settling in problems and develop quicker than do

  5. bonded with other employees, they have experienced fewer settling in problems and have developed more quickly than do
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Corrects the error of determiner. Problems (a number) are fewer, not lesser.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the best revision for the underlined part in the given sentence.

Imagine a scenario where new companies compete with your business, not from office buildings or business parks, who require no expensive real estate, or any particular geographic location.

  1. who require no expensive real estate, or any particular geographic location

  2. that require no expensive real estate, or any particular geographic location

  3. that requires no expensive real estate, or any particular geographic location

  4. which requires no expensive real estate, or any particular geographic location

  5. which require no expensive real estate, or any particular geographic location
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Companies are not persons. This option correctly replaces 'who' with 'which'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the best revision for the underlined part in the given sentence.

In addition, HS3 will examine the extent to which deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is key driver of intensity change or just a response to storms finding favorable sources of energy.

  1. deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is key driver of intensity change or just a response to storms finding favorable sources of energy.

  2. deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is key driver of intense change or just a response to storms finding favorable sources of energy.

  3. deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is a key driver of intensity change or just a response to storms finding favorable sources of energy.

  4. deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is a key driver of intensity change or just a response to storms finding sources of energy favorably.

  5. deep convection in the inner-core region of storms is a key driver of intensely change or just a response to storms finding favorable sources of energy.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

is incorrect because of wrong usage of an adjective (intense) in place of (intensity).

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the option that expresses the central idea in the most clear, concise and correct manner.

  1. The smooth passage of the Insurance Bill through the House is the best news that the country had in recent years.

  2. The smooth passage of the Insurance Bill through the House is the best news which the country has had in recent years.

  3. The smooth passage of the Insurance Bill through the House is the best news that the country has had in recent years.

  4. The smooth passage of the Insurance Bill through the House is the best news the country could have in recent years.

  5. The smooth passage of the Insurance Bill through the House is the best news which the country has in recent years.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 We use 'that' when refernce is being made to something or somebody specific. Also, for 'which' to be right, it should have been preceded by a comma. 'The country has had' is the correct usage. Here 'has' is a helping verb to indicate present perfect tense; 'had' is a verb that means 'got'.