All Free English MCQs with Answers

141. Identify the run on sentence.

• A. The lecture ended early; the students left.
• B. The lecture ended early, the students left.
• C. The lecture ended early, so the students left.
• D. Because the lecture ended early, the students left.

Explanation: Two independent clauses joined by nothing more than a comma form a comma splice, which is a type of run on. It is repaired with a semicolon, with a coordinating conjunction after the comma, or by subordinating one clause, all three of which appear as the other options. A full stop would also work.

142. Identify the sentence fragment.

• A. Although the results were promising.
• B. The results were promising.
• C. The results, which were promising, were published.
• D. Promising results were published.

Explanation: A subordinating conjunction such as although turns the clause into a dependent one, so it cannot stand alone and needs a main clause to complete it. Adding one gives although the results were promising, further trials were needed. A fragment may contain a subject and a verb yet still be incomplete.

143. Choose the correctly spelled word.

• A. occurence
• B. occurrence
• C. ocurrence
• D. occurrance

Explanation: Occurrence doubles both the c and the r and ends in ence, which is why it is misspelt so often. The doubling follows from the stress falling on the second syllable when the suffix is added, the same rule that gives referred and preferred. Reading the word syllable by syllable helps.

144. Choose the correct word: The medicine had a strong ____ on the patient.

• A. affect
• B. effect
• C. affects
• D. efect

Explanation: Effect is the noun meaning result, while affect is the verb meaning to influence, so the medicine affected the patient and had an effect on him. The rare noun affect is a psychological term for emotional expression and can be ignored here. Substituting the word result mentally settles most cases.

145. Choose the correct word: The hospital accepted all patients ____ those with contagious diseases.

• A. accept
• B. except
• C. expect
• D. aspect

Explanation: Except means excluding, while accept means to receive willingly, and the sentence needs the sense of leaving a group out. Expect means to anticipate and aspect means a feature or side of something. These four are confused because they sound similar in rapid speech.

146. Choose the correct word: There were ____ complications than expected.

• A. less
• B. fewer
• C. lesser
• D. little

Explanation: Fewer is used with countable nouns such as complications, while less is used with uncountable ones such as time, money or water. The distinction is widely ignored in speech but is marked in tests. Lesser means smaller in importance and is not a quantity word at all.

147. Choose the correct word: The two departments agreed to divide the funds ____ themselves.

• A. between
• B. among
• C. amongst all
• D. within

Explanation: Between is used for two parties and among for three or more, and here there are exactly two departments. Had there been five departments, among would be correct. The rule is sometimes relaxed when relationships between several pairs are meant, but tests apply the simple version.

148. Proofread and choose the correct version.

• A. Their going to submit there reports tomorrow.
• B. They're going to submit their reports tomorrow.
• C. There going to submit their reports tomorrow.
• D. They're going to submit there reports tomorrow.

Explanation: They're is the contraction of they are, their is the possessive and there indicates place, so the sentence needs the contraction first and the possessive second. Expanding the contraction is the quickest test: they are going works. This trio is among the most common proofreading errors in English.

149. Choose the most concise version of: Due to the fact that the patient was in a critical condition, surgery was performed immediately.

• A. Due to the fact that the patient was critical, surgery was performed immediately.
• B. Because the patient was critical, surgery was performed immediately.
• C. Owing to the fact of the patient's critical condition, immediate surgery was performed.
• D. The patient being in a critical condition, therefore surgery was performed.

Explanation: Due to the fact that is a wordy way of saying because, and concise writing prefers the single word. The last option also adds a redundant therefore after a subordinate clause. Removing empty phrases without losing meaning is the core skill in editing questions.

150. Identify the redundant expression.

• A. return back to the ward
• B. return to the ward
• C. walk to the ward
• D. go to the ward

Explanation: Return already contains the idea of going back, so adding back repeats it. Other common redundancies are repeat again, free gift, past history and advance planning. Removing them tightens writing without changing the meaning at all.