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 or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Unlike a typical automobile loan which requires a fifteen to twenty % down payment, the lease loan buyer is not required to make an initial deposit on the new vehicle.

  1. the lease-loan buyer is not required to make

  2. with lease-loan buying there is no requirement of

  3. lease-loan buyers are not required to make

  4. a lease-loan does not require the buyer to make

  5. The lease loan buyer's are not required to make
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The first part of the sentence is making a comparison between the down payment system in two different types of loans, from all the options present only the (D) option recognizes the lease loan as a loan, so (D) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

In his research paper. Dr. Frosh, medical director of the Payne Whitney Clinic distinguishes mood swings, which may be violent without their being grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis.

  1. mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease and genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  2. between mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental diseases, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  3. between mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  4. between mood swings, perhaps violent with out beings grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  5. among the mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Since the sentence is distinguishing between two symptoms and diseases, so 'distinguishes' should be followed by 'between' which is not present in options (A) and (B), (E) uses the word 'among' which is also incorrect as among is used for more than 3 things, 'between' should always be followed by 'and' as a grammar rule, so (C) is the correct option.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Paleontologists believe that fragments of a primate jawbone unearthed in Burma and estimated at 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of a crucial step along the evolutionary path that led to human beings.

  1. at 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of

  2. as being 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of

  3. that it is 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of what was

  4. to be 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of

  5. as 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

the subject 'Jawbone' is an object and it has to be followed by pronoun 'it', which is not used in any other option except (C), so (C) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

The first decision for most tenants living in a building undergoing being converted to co-operative ownership is if to sign a no-buy pledge with the other tenants.

  1. being converted to co- operative ownership is if to sign

  2. being converted to co -operative ownership is if to sign

  3. being converted to co -operative ownership is whether or not they sign

  4. conversion to co-operative ownership whether to sign

  5. of being converted to co-operative ownership is if to sign
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

All the options (A) , (B), (C) are not using any conjunction before being, so no meaning can be derived from the sentence.  Option (E) uses a wrong preposition 'of' so, it is incorrect.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Though garlic is often associated with Italian cuisine, it is actually the use of oregano which most distinguishes the Italians from the French.

  1. which most distinguishes the Italians from the French.

  2. which primarily distinguishes Italians from Frenchmen.

  3. which generally serves to distinguish an Italians sauce from a French one.

  4. which is the major distinction between the two great cuisine.

  5. which most distinguishes Italian cookery from French.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence here talks about the cuisine, so it's the food that is to be distinguished and not the people. When we add 'the' before any language it refers to the people and not the language i.e. the French would mean the people in France. So (A) and (B) are incorrect, (E) is incomplete and (C)is introducing something new 'seuce' which does not matches with what is being said in the previous part of clause.  Hence it is wrong.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 4.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. a

  2. the

  3. an

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'The population' means the total population of a particular place (here, Malawi).

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 3.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. an

  2. the

  3. a

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'The vulnerability' is correct as it is something particular to the country.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the best option to fill blank 2.

In January, torrential rain brought unprecedented floods to Malawi in Southern Africa. It (1) ___ nearly (2) ____ quarter of a million people, devastated 640,000 hectares of land, highlighting (3) ___ vulnerability of a country in which 65% of (4) ___ population are farmers, most (5) ___ below the poverty line.

  1. a

  2. an

  3. the

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'A quarter of a million' is the correct phrase here.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the word which is not a determiner.

  1. The

  2. These

  3. Which

  4. Among

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Determiners are words placed in front of a noun to make it clear what the noun refers to. Options 1, 2 and 3 are determiners. The is an article, Option 4 is a preposition.

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 the best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose any one of the others.

Volcanism occurs on Earth in several geological settings, much of which is associated with the boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that makes up the lithosphere.

  1. much of which is associated with the boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that makes up the lithosphere.

  2. most of which are associated with the boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that make up the lithosphere.

  3. some of which is associated with the boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that makes up the lithosphere.

  4. many of which are associated with the boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that make up the lithosphere.

  5. much of which are associated with the boundaries of the enormous, rigid plates that make up the lithosphere.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): 'Settings' is a countable noun, hence 'much' is incorrect and should be substituted by 'many' and a plural verb.

Explanation for (2): This option changes the meaning of the sentence.

Explanation for (3): This option fails to correct the error of adjective usage and also changes the meaning of the sentence.
Explanation for (4): 'Settings' is a countable noun, hence 'much' is incorrect and should be substituted by 'many' and a plural verb. Explanation for (5): 'Settings' is a countable noun, hence 'much' is incorrect and should be substituted by 'many' and a plural verb.

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 the best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose any one of the others.

Dinosaurs are traditionally classified as cold-blooded reptiles, but recent evidence based on their eating habits, posture, and skeletal structure suggested some may have been warm-blooded.

  1. eating habits, posture, and skeletal structure suggested some may have been warm-blooded.

  2. eating habits, postures, and skeletal structures suggested some may have been warm-blooded.

  3. eating habit, posture, and skeletal structure suggested some may have been warm-blooded.

  4. eating habits, posture, and skeletal structure suggested some might have been warm-blooded.

  5. eating habits, posture, and skeletal structure has suggested some may have been warm-blooded.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): 'Skeletal structure suggested' is in past tense, whereas 'recent evidence' suggests the present.

Explanation for (2): This option makes unwarranted changes but fails to correct the error of tense.

Explanation for (3): This option makes unwarranted changes but fails to correct the error of tense.
Explanation for (4): This option makes unwarranted changes but fails to correct the error of tense. Explanation for (5): 'Skeletal structure suggested' is in past tense, whereas 'recent evidence' suggests the present. This option corrects the error.

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 the best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose any one of the others.

In many of the Scandinavian countries, the growth of population has been nothing during the last two decades.

  1. growth of population has been nothing during the last two decades

  2. growth of population has been almost nothing during the last two decades

  3. growth of population has been nil during the last two decades

  4. growth of population has been none during the last two decades

  5. growth of population has been little during the last two decades
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): Error of diction. Growth can be 'nil' but not 'nothing'.

Explanation for (2): This option fails to correct the error of diction.

Explanation for (3): Error of diction. Growth can be 'nil' but not 'nothing', hence (3) is the best choice.
Explanation for (4): Growth can be 'nil' but not 'nothing'. Explanation for (5): This option changes the meaning of the sentence.