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

Her simple style is .......: what she has to say is very profound.

  1. deceptive

  2. damp

  3. daunting

  4. daft

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

The sentence means her simple appearance or manner is 'deceptive' - it misleads you because her actual ideas are very profound. Deceptive means misleading or giving a false impression. The contrast is between simplicity on the surface and depth underneath, showing that appearances can be misleading.

Multiple choice

The idea isn't as ....... as it sounds!

  1. deceptive

  2. damp

  3. daunting

  4. daft

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

The sentence 'The idea isn't as daft as it sounds!' means the idea is not as silly or foolish as it might initially seem. 'Daft' is a colloquial British term meaning silly, foolish, or crazy. The sentence structure suggests the idea might sound silly at first but actually has some merit.

Multiple choice

Don't use those sheets - they're still.........

  1. deceptive

  2. damp

  3. daunting

  4. daft

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

The warning 'Don't use those sheets - they're still damp' means the bed linens are still slightly wet and not ready to use. Damp means slightly wet or moist, often referring to fabrics that haven't fully dried. This is a practical warning about using wet bedding.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (viii).

Directions: Read the following passage.

When we think of a ____(i)_____, we are likely to think of a _____(ii)____ place covered with sand. Well this is a good _____(iii)_____ of many deserts. However, the world's ___(iv)____ desert Antarctica is cold and chilly and covered with ____(v)____ all year round. The continent of Antarctica ____(vi)____ very little rainfall and the ___(vii)_____ does not hold much moisture. Being the most benumbed place on earth, it has an average temperature ___(viii)_____ usually falls below the stiffening point. It is considered a desert ___(xi)_____ it gets very little precipitation every year. Blizzards or snow storms are very common in this area. Thus, Antarctica is ____(x)_____ a cold desert.

  1. who

  2. that

  3. those

  4. whom
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Options 1 and 4 are used for addressing people. Option 3 is grammatically incorrect as it is a plural word.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the correct option to fill in the blank.

Before the elections, a small __________ of the party broke away and joined the opposing party.

  1. society

  2. sector

  3. faction

  4. clique

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

This is the correct option as ‘faction’ here implies a small organised dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics. This is correct in this context, as a small organised dissenting group broke away and joined the opposing party.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (v).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. has been

  2. will have been

  3. have been

  4. had been

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

This is the correct past perfect continuous tense, as the action took place in the past.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (iv).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. arranged

  2. sketched

  3. designed

  4. performed

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

This is the correct option, as in this context ‘designed’ implies it was well planned out and well created. Here, the ferry was very well designed and carefully maintained.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (iii).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. developed

  2. proceeded

  3. happened

  4. ensued

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

Something that occurs without apparent reason or design is called a happening. In this context the reference is to the ‘sinking of the ferry’ that seemingly shocked everyone. Thus, it can be said that it ‘happened’ without any apparent reason.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (xi).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. chilblains

  2. frostnip

  3. hypothermia

  4. frostbite

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

Hypothermia is a potentially dangerous drop in body temperature, usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. In this context the people on the ferry died due to hypothermia, as the body temperatures dropped due to exposure to the cold water.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (x).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. scramble

  2. hike

  3. stroll

  4. cruise

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

This is correct in this context, as to ‘scramble’ is to move or climb hurriedly, especially on the hands and knees. Of those who managed to climb hurriedly overboard, only a few survived.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (viii).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. on call

  2. on board

  3. on case

  4. on course

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

This is the correct option, as the idiom ‘on board’ implies aboard a ship. In this context, all the people who sank were aboard the ferry.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (ii).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. will

  2. would

  3. shall

  4. should

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

The auxiliary verb ‘should’ is used to express that one wishes something had happened but it did not or could not. In this context the reference is to the ‘sinking of the ferry’. Thus, this is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (vii).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. quickly

  2. hurriedly

  3. instantly

  4. briskly

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

This is the correct option, as ‘quickly’ in this context implies that the ferry went down so rapidly that no one had the time to react.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (ix).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. had

  2. has

  3. have

  4. will have

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

This is the correct option, as in this context ‘had’ is used with a past participle to form perfect tense. The people on board ‘had’ no chance to save themselves.

Multiple choice

Fill blank (vi).

Directions: The following passage has some numbered blanks.

Naval architects never (i) ___ that a ship is unsinkable, but the sinking of the passenger-and-car ferry Estonia in the Baltic surely (ii) ____ have never (iii) ____. It was well (iv) ____ and carefully maintained. It carried the proper number of lifeboats. It (v) ____ thoroughly inspected on the day of its (vi) ____ voyage. Yet hours later, the Estonia rolled over and sank in a cold, stormy night. It went down so (vii) ____ that most of those (viii) ____, caught in their dark, flooding cabins, (ix) _____ no chance to save themselves. Of those who managed to (x) ____ overboard, only 139 survived. The rest died of (xi) _____ before the rescuers could pluck them from the cold sea.

  1. fatal

  2. crippling

  3. malignant

  4. woeful

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

This is the correct option, as in this context ‘fatal’ implies the voyage, which resulted in death and destruction because the ferry sank.