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 these fits gap 17?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Long, long ago, when humans _______(17)______ the world, they used to live in groups. These forms of early groups are what we call tribes.
The members of a tribe hunted together, fought together, ate together, and slept together _____(18)_____ caves or primitive dwellings owned by the tribe.
The food brought in by the hunters or farmers _____(19)______ to the entire tribe, and cooking was done in common.
This was the time when there _______(20)______ still no families, as you know families today.

  1. was first seen

  2. had first seen

  3. had first saw

  4. have first seen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'Humans' is plural and the reference being made is in past tense. Therefore, 'had first seen' is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 20?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Long, long ago, when humans _______(17)______ the world, they used to live in groups. These forms of early groups are what we call tribes.
The members of a tribe hunted together, fought together, ate together, and slept together _____(18)_____ caves or primitive dwellings owned by the tribe.
The food brought in by the hunters or farmers _____(19)______ to the entire tribe, and cooking was done in common.
This was the time when there _______(20)______ still no families, as you know families today.

  1. was

  2. were

  3. had

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

Since 'families' is being referred to, which is plural, therefore, 'were' will be used.

Multiple choice

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

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. should

  2. may

  3. would

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

The paragraph is about the expansion program of the ICICI bank.

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: 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. “we will continue our financial inclusion agenda in the years to come.”

  2. “we will, continue our financial inclusion agenda in the year's to come.”

  3. “We will continue our financial inclusion agenda in the years to come.”

  4. “We will continue our financial inclusion agenda in the years' to come.”
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(3) takes care of all the punctuations correctly and uses 'years' correctly.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 19?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Long, long ago, when humans _______(17)______ the world, they used to live in groups. These forms of early groups are what we call tribes.
The members of a tribe hunted together, fought together, ate together, and slept together _____(18)_____ caves or primitive dwellings owned by the tribe.
The food brought in by the hunters or farmers _____(19)______ to the entire tribe, and cooking was done in common.
This was the time when there _______(20)______ still no families, as you know families today.

  1. had reached

  2. demanded

  3. belonged

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

The meaning that is to be conveyed is that the food brought was for all the tribe people. Therefore, (3) is the correct answer.

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 these fits gap 17?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
The coelacanth is a primitive fish that once ______(17)______ to be long extinct.
They are called living fossils because they have several body structures and adaptations that are _____(18)_____ in fossil fish and in no other living specimen.
They date _____(19)_____ the Devonian Period of the Earth that is at least 350 million years old.

They ______(20)_____ the deep sea and are found in small numbers below a depth of 200 meters in the Indian Ocean.

  1. is true

  2. was thought

  3. was confirmed

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

It was believed that the fish was long extinct, therefore, (2) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 17?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Fire ____(17)_____ things hot by adding heat, and that raises temperature.
You _______(18)______ a fire with its hissing tongues of orange flame.
When something gets too hot and its temperature rises more than it can take, it bursts into hot flames and _____(19)_____ to burn.

Fire is _____(20)_____ than sunlight and it quickly heats up anything it touches.

  1. made

  2. makes

  3. will make

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

Fire (singular) makes things hot.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 18?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Fire ____(17)_____ things hot by adding heat, and that raises temperature.
You _______(18)______ a fire with its hissing tongues of orange flame.
When something gets too hot and its temperature rises more than it can take, it bursts into hot flames and _____(19)_____ to burn.

Fire is _____(20)_____ than sunlight and it quickly heats up anything it touches.

  1. also seen

  2. may be seen

  3. must have seen

  4. must be seen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The statement is about something that you may have done anytime or many times.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 20?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Fire ____(17)_____ things hot by adding heat, and that raises temperature.
You _______(18)______ a fire with its hissing tongues of orange flame.
When something gets too hot and its temperature rises more than it can take, it bursts into hot flames and _____(19)_____ to burn.

Fire is _____(20)_____ than sunlight and it quickly heats up anything it touches.

  1. much hotter

  2. more hot

  3. much hot

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

Much indicates the intensity of heat. More hot is incorrect. The correct comparative is hotter.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 17?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Christopher Columbus ______(17)______ by many to be the first European explorer to find the continents of America.
Columbus was actually looking for a sea route to Asia from Spain, when he _____(18)______ land in the Caribbean Islands.
He and his people named the Caribbean Islands as West Indies. They thought that they _____(19)_____ the western part of India.

In the United States, the second Monday of October is a colourful holiday, called Columbus Day, in _______(20)______ Christopher Columbus.

  1. was thought

  2. is taken

  3. will be assumed

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

The sentence here wants to convey the meaning that man7 believe that Columbus was the  first European explorer to find the continents of America. Therefore, (2) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 18?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Christopher Columbus ______(17)______ by many to be the first European explorer to find the continents of America.
Columbus was actually looking for a sea route to Asia from Spain, when he _____(18)______ land in the Caribbean Islands.
He and his people named the Caribbean Islands as West Indies. They thought that they _____(19)_____ the western part of India.

In the United States, the second Monday of October is a colourful holiday, called Columbus Day, in _______(20)______ Christopher Columbus.

  1. would sight

  2. sighted

  3. must see

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

The sentence is in past tense, therefore, sighted is the correct answer here.

Multiple choice

Which of these fits gap 20?

Directions: Complete this passage by selecting the most suitable option for the corresponding gap.
Christopher Columbus ______(17)______ by many to be the first European explorer to find the continents of America.
Columbus was actually looking for a sea route to Asia from Spain, when he _____(18)______ land in the Caribbean Islands.
He and his people named the Caribbean Islands as West Indies. They thought that they _____(19)_____ the western part of India.

In the United States, the second Monday of October is a colourful holiday, called Columbus Day, in _______(20)______ Christopher Columbus.

  1. respect to

  2. honour of

  3. memories with

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

This holiday is celebrated in honour of Christopher Columbus.

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

What is the best way to rephrase the following sentence?

In which of the following organism the cell organelles have protective covering?

  1. In which of the following organism, does the cell organelle have protective covering?

  2. In which of the following organisms the cell organelle has protective covering?

  3. In which of the following organisms, do the cell organelles have protective covering?

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

null