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 general knowledge
  1. a

  2. the

  3. Ø

  4. those

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

In this sentence, we are referring to a specific car, so the definite article "the" should be used.

Option A) "a" - This option is incorrect because it is the indefinite article and does not indicate a specific car.

Option B) "the" - This option is correct because it is the definite article and indicates a specific car.

Option C) "Ø" (null article) - This option is incorrect because the null article is not used in this context.

Option D) "those" - This option is incorrect because "those" is a demonstrative pronoun that refers to multiple objects, not a specific car.

The correct answer is B) "the" because it correctly indicates a specific car.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. the - Ø

  2. the - the

  3. Ø - Ø

  4. a - the

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

We use "a" before "sound" because it's the first mention of an indefinite sound. We use "the" before "living room" because it refers to a specific, known room in the context - typically understood to be the speaker's or a relevant house's living room.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Play

  2. Host

  3. Make

  4. Do

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

The phrase 'Play a bigger game' means to take on larger challenges or think more strategically in business or life contexts. It's a common motivational expression about ambition. 'Host a bigger game,' 'Make a bigger game,' and 'Do a bigger game' don't match standard English idioms.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Expert

  2. Intellectual

  3. Snob

  4. Literate

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

Intellectual refers to a person with superior understanding, knowledge, and reasoning abilities. Expert is skilled in a specific field, snob is arrogant about culture, and literate means can read and write. Intellectual best captures 'good understanding knowledge and reasoning power'.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Disciplinarian

  2. Stickler

  3. Instantaneous

  4. Boaster

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

Stickler means a person who insists on something strictly or demands adherence to rules/details. Disciplinarian enforces discipline, instantaneous means immediate, and boaster brags excessively. Stickler specifically captures 'insists on something'.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Pedantic

  2. Verbose

  3. Pompous

  4. Ornate

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

Pedantic writing focuses on showing off the author's knowledge through excessive attention to technical details and formal rules. Verbose writing merely uses too many words, while ornate refers to elaborate decoration rather than knowledge display, and pompous describes an arrogant tone.

Multiple choice general knowledge
  1. Stadia

  2. Stadiums

  3. Stadium

  4. Statute

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

The Latin plural of 'stadium' is 'stadia' (following Latin nouns ending in '-um'). While 'stadiums' is also accepted in modern English, 'stadia' is the classical plural form used in academic and formal contexts. 'Stadium' is singular, 'statute' is a different word.

Multiple choice softskills communication
  1. ranks

  2. rank

  3. None of the above

  4. Both a and b

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

To solve this question, the user needs to know the difference between singular and plural forms of verbs.

In the given sentence, the subject is "New Orleans," which is a singular noun. When using a singular noun as the subject, the verb should also be in its singular form. Therefore, the correct verb to use in this sentence is "ranks," which is the singular form of the verb "rank."

Option A, "rank," is incorrect because it is the plural form of the verb and does not agree with the singular subject.

Option B, "ranks," is correct because it is the singular form of the verb and agrees with the singular subject.

Option C, "None of the above," is incorrect because option B is the correct answer.

Option D, "Both a and b," is incorrect because option A is not a correct answer.

Therefore, the answer is: B. ranks.

Multiple choice softskills communication
  1. costs

  2. cost

  3. None of the above

  4. Both a and b

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

The subject of the sentence is 'items', which is plural. Therefore, the verb must be 'cost' (plural) rather than 'costs' (singular) to ensure proper subject-verb agreement. The prepositional phrase 'bought before 1940' does not change the plural nature of the subject.

Multiple choice softskills leadership
  1. ?

  2. .

  3. !

  4. N/A

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

The verb 'yelled' indicates a loud, forceful exclamation. In written English, an exclamation mark (!) is the appropriate punctuation to convey the volume and emotion of a shouted statement. A period or question mark would not capture the intended tone.

Multiple choice softskills communication
  1. contains

  2. contain

  3. are containing

  4. none of the above

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

Contain is correct because Oranges is a plural subject, requiring a plural verb. Contains is singular. Are containing is present continuous, which doesn't fit this general fact statement about oranges containing vitamins.