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

Indian productivity is declining in relation to China’s; the energy expended per unit of production in India is as much as twice that expended in China.

  1. as much as twice that expended in China

  2. as much as twice that of China’s expenditure

  3. up to two times of China’s expenditure

  4. up to two times what China expended

  5. up to double the Chinese expenditure
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The question seeks to compare the energy expended by India with the energy expended by China. In options (2), (3) and (5), the energy is compared with the Chinese expenditure which is incorrect. Option (4) is incorrect because of its poor grammatical structure. Hence (1).

Multiple choice

As marketing communication grows more complex, the need that experts deal with technical issues becomes more apparent.

  1. that experts deal with technical issues becomes

  2. for experts to deal with technical issues became

  3. for experts to deal with technical issues becomes

  4. that technical issues be dealt by experts became

  5. that there be dealing of technical issues by experts has become
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Option (1) is incorrect because of ‘need that’. Option (2) is incorrect because of ‘became’. Option (4) is incorrect because of ‘need that’ and ‘became’. Option (5) is incorrect because of the wrong usage of present perfect tense. Hence (3).

Multiple choice

Among the reasons for the decline of Indian manufacturing in the last three decades were the high cost of land, the pressure of housing and commercial development, and basing a marketing and distribution system on importing products from China and South-East Asia.

  1. basing a marketing and distribution system on importing products from China and South-East Asia

  2. a marketing and distribution system based on importing products from China and South-East Asia

  3. basing a system of marketing and distribution on the import of products from China and South-East Asia

  4. basing a marketing and distribution system on the imported products of China and South-East Asia

  5. a marketing and distribution system importing products from China and South-East Asia as its base
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Parallelism is tested here. High cost and the pressure are concrete nouns. So the third parallel noun can only be a concrete noun. Basing being a simple gerund would not fit the bill. A marketing and distribution system is the correct choice as it is a concrete noun. But option (5) is incorrect as its structure implies that a marketing and distribution system is importing products. Hence (2).

Multiple choice

As a result of the ground-breaking work of Watson and Crick, many biologists now believe that all of the information encoded in 60,000 to 70,000 of the different genes found in a fruit fly cell are contained in merely two percent of the cell’s DNA.

  1. 60,000 to 70,000 of the different genes found in a fruit fly cell are contained in merely

  2. 60,000 to 70,000 of the fruit fly cell’s different genes are contained in a mere

  3. the 60,000 to 70,000 different genes found in fruit fly cells are contained in merely

  4. 60,000 to 70,000 of fruit fly cell’s different genes is contained in merely

  5. the 60,000 to 70,000 different genes found in a fruit fly cell is contained in a mere
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Options (1), (2) and (3) are incorrect because of subject-verb disagreement with ‘are’ being used for ‘information’. Option (4) uses ‘merely’ - an adverb – to modify ‘two percent of the cell's DNA’ (a noun) making it incorrect. Hence (5).

Multiple choice

According to evolutionists, the pattern of changes seen in DNA over the ages indicate the possibility that every being alive today might be descended from a single-celled organism that appeared in the primordial seas sometime between 1,000,000 and 1,500,000 years ago.

  1. indicate the possibility that every being alive today might be descended from a single-celled organism that

  2. indicate that every being alive today might possibly be a descendant of a single-celled organism that had

  3. may indicate that every being alive today has descended from a single-celled organism that had

  4. indicates that every being alive today may be a descendant of a single-celled organism that

  5. indicates that every being alive today might be a descendant from a single-celled organism that
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The question tests your knowledge of subject-verb agreement. ‘pattern of changes’ is singular and not plural, hence it requires ‘indicates’ and not ‘indicate’. So options (1), (2) and (3) are ruled out. Between (4) and (5), proper usage is 'descendent of' and not 'descended from'. Hence (4).

Multiple choice

In many cases, Chinese banks work with so-called trust firms to attract savings through high-yielding investment products while lend the money to high-risk sectors, including property developers and cash-strapped local governments, without having to book the loans on their balance sheets.

  1. with so-called trust firms to attract savings through high-yielding investment products while lend the money to high-risk sectors

  2. with so-called trust firms to attract savings through high-yield investment products to lend the money to high-risk sectors

  3. with so-called trust firms to attract savers through high-yield investment products to lend the money to high-risk sectors

  4. with so-called trust firms to attract savers through high-yielding investment products and lend the money to high-risk sectors

  5. with so-called trust firms to attract savings through high-yielding investment products and lend the money to high-risk sectors
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The points of contention in the sentence are – savers/savings, high-yielding/high-yield and while/to/and. Banks would work to attract savers obviously as savings per se cannot be attracted. The adjective form of high-yield that is apt for the sentence is high yielding. And the best conjunction for the sentence would be ‘and’ as ‘while’ and ‘to’ are out of context. Hence (4).

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, identify the word or words that are uncalled for (words which are redundant and are not required in the sentence) and should be omitted.

The subject matter of his discourse was excellent.

  1. subject

  2. matter

  3. discourse

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

The phrase "subject matter" is often considered redundant because "subject" and "matter" can serve the same purpose in this context. In formal writing, "The subject of his discourse" or "The matter of his discourse" is preferred. Removing "matter" streamlines the sentence while maintaining clarity.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, identify the word or words that are uncalled for (words which are redundant and are not required in the sentence) and should be omitted.

That was the sum and substance of his discourse.

  1. sum and

  2. and

  3. substance

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

The expression "sum and substance" is a pleonasm, where two words with nearly identical meanings are used together. In this sentence, "substance" alone conveys the core meaning of the discourse. Removing "sum and" makes the sentence more efficient and less repetitive.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, identify the word or words that are uncalled for (words which are redundant and are not required in the sentence) and should be omitted.

You need not wonder that the subject matter of his discourse was excellent; it was taken from the Bible.

  1. need

  2. subject

  3. matter

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

In the phrase "subject matter," using both words is redundant as they are synonymous in this context. While either could be removed, the question identifies "subject" as the uncalled-for word here. Using just "matter of his discourse" is grammatically sufficient.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, identify the word or words that are uncalled for (words which are redundant and are not required in the sentence) and should be omitted.

I was very ill every day of my life last week.

  1. I

  2. very

  3. ill

  4. of my life
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The phrase "of my life" is redundant because the sentence already specifies the timeframe as "last week." It is impossible to be ill during a time that is not part of one's life, making the addition unnecessary. Removing it results in a clearer, more natural statement.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, identify the word or words that are uncalled for (words which are redundant and are not required in the sentence) and should be omitted.

He fell down from the top of the house.

  1. down

  2. from

  3. top

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

The word "down" is redundant because falling is naturally a downward motion. While common in casual speech, formal writing often omits "down" when used with "fell" to avoid wordiness.