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

Which of the following could replace ‘resist’ as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

It was October. The pink-white leaves of the flowering dogwood covered (1) the entire yard. The clumps (2) of glossy red fruits, peaping (3) from gaps between its leaves, made the tree look like a giant sundae. A flock of bluebirds flying over the town’s sky couldn’t resist (4) the temptation and nosedived for the tree. The tree looked washed (5) in pink, white and red, with busy blue dots moving all over. The bluebirds were back again. The little six inch birds ate grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars. But, the fruits of the flowering dogwood surely (6) topped their list of favourites. Their numbers had fallen (7) recently, and may be the starlings and sparrows were giving them a hard time to find nests. But everybody in the town started putting out nesting boxes - and that seems to have worked pretty well (8). The bluebirds have returned to the town.

  1. disobey

  2. accept

  3. hold back

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

‘Resist’ means to hold back.

Multiple choice

Which of the following options best corrects / completes statement III?

Directions: This passage contains errors and an omission. Choose the correct option to complete the passage.

Statement I: Icici Bank opened 101 rural branches across six states.
Statement II: These rural branches had offer all the basic banking services.  
Statement III: They branches were formally inaugurated in 19 districts.  
Statement IV: ICICI Bank Executive Director Rajiv Sabharwal said, ________.                

  1. There

  2. Those

  3. These

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

For branches we need plural demonstrative ‘these’. Moreover we use 'these' to indicate a thing just mentioned.....and we are talking about the same branches of the bank in the previous line also.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'surely' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

It was October. The pink-white leaves of the flowering dogwood covered (1) the entire yard. The clumps (2) of glossy red fruits, peaping (3) from gaps between its leaves, made the tree look like a giant sundae. A flock of bluebirds flying over the town’s sky couldn’t resist (4) the temptation and nosedived for the tree. The tree looked washed (5) in pink, white and red, with busy blue dots moving all over. The bluebirds were back again. The little six inch birds ate grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars. But, the fruits of the flowering dogwood surely (6) topped their list of favourites. Their numbers had fallen (7) recently, and may be the starlings and sparrows were giving them a hard time to find nests. But everybody in the town started putting out nesting boxes - and that seems to have worked pretty well (8). The bluebirds have returned to the town.

  1. perfectly

  2. routinely

  3. certainly

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

The fruits most assuredly were the favourites. Therefore, the correct option here is 'certainly' which means the same.

Multiple choice

Which of the following options best corrects/completes statement IV?

Directions: This passage contains errors and an omission. Choose the correct option to complete the passage.
Statement I: It is a matter of common experience that ice floats at water.
Statement II: Howsoever large the size of ice may be it will not sink.
Statement III: Even icebergs which are huge masses of ice continuing floating in the sea.
Statement IV: Do you know _________________?                                         

  1. why ice floats on water

  2. why ice floated on water

  3. why ice was floated on water

  4. why ice float over water
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

(1) is the only grammatically correct sentence. Therefore, it is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

His parents have great ......... for his future.

  1. fallacy

  2. expectations

  3. farce

  4. fluke

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

'Expectation' means a belief about the future. The sentence is on a positive note. Option 2 is the correct answer. Rest of the options are on a negative note.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct option and fill in the blank.

The number of trees ____ gradually decreasing.

  1. is

  2. are

  3. has

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

(2) is incorrect because the phrase “The number” as a subject is used in the singular sense and as such a singular verb is needed whereas (2) is used for a plural subject or with the second person personal pronoun. (3) and (4) are incorrect because they are the helping verbs and as such they must have a main verb, which is not there or if 'decreasing is considered to be the main verb then it belongs to the continuous (progressive) tense, where (3) and (4) are not used.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the correct option and fill blank (I).

India is new one ___ (I)____ the major countries in nuclear power. The first Indian nuclear device was exploded ___ (II) ____ Pokhran, a place 106 ___ (III) ____ the north of Jaisalmer_(IV)__ the 18th May, 1979. It was an underground explosion, many km below the surface ___ (V) ____ the earth.

  1. in

  2. off

  3. of

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

(1), (2) and (4) are incorrect because the blank shows a reference to the selection of one country among the other countries.   Option 3 is the correct answer.