Free Grammar MCQs with Answers

41. Choose the correct form: The room needs ____.

• A. to clean
• B. cleaning
• C. cleaned
• D. clean

Explanation: After need, want and require, a gerund carries a passive meaning, so the room needs cleaning means it needs to be cleaned. The alternative correct form would be needs to be cleaned, which states the passive explicitly. Needs to clean would wrongly suggest the room is doing the cleaning.

42. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

• A. Its raining and the dog has lost its collar.
• B. It's raining and the dog has lost it's collar.
• C. It's raining and the dog has lost its collar.
• D. Its' raining and the dog has lost its' collar.

Explanation: It's with an apostrophe is only ever the contraction of it is or it has, while its without one is the possessive. Expanding the contraction mentally settles every case: it is raining works, but the dog has lost it is collar does not. Its' is not a word at all.

43. Choose the correct word: The number of applicants ____ increased this year.

• A. have
• B. has
• C. are
• D. were

Explanation: The number takes a singular verb because it refers to a single figure, whereas a number of takes a plural verb because it means several. So the number of applicants has increased but a number of applicants have applied. This pair is tested precisely because the two look so similar.

44. Choose the correct sentence.

• A. He is one of the best players who has ever played.
• B. He is one of the best players who have ever played.
• C. He is one of the best player who have ever played.
• D. He is one of best players who has ever played.

Explanation: The relative pronoun who refers back to players, which is plural, so the verb is have. Testers expect has because one stands nearby, but one is not the antecedent of who here. The article the is also required before best.

45. Choose the correct transitional device: He studied hard; ____, he passed with distinction.

• A. nevertheless
• B. consequently
• C. although
• D. whereas

Explanation: The second clause states the result of the first, so a consequence connector such as consequently, therefore or as a result is needed. Nevertheless and whereas both signal contrast, which does not fit. Although is a subordinating conjunction and could not follow a semicolon in this way.

46. Identify the clause type: I will call you when I reach home.

• A. noun clause
• B. adjective clause
• C. adverb clause of time
• D. independent clause

Explanation: When I reach home tells us when the calling will happen, so it modifies the verb and functions as an adverb clause of time. Note that a future time clause takes the present tense, which is why reach rather than will reach is correct. An adjective clause would describe a noun instead.

47. Choose the correct passive form: Someone has stolen my bicycle.

• A. My bicycle has stolen.
• B. My bicycle has been stolen.
• C. My bicycle was been stolen.
• D. My bicycle is stolen by someone.

Explanation: The present perfect active becomes has or have been plus the past participle in the passive, and the vague agent someone is normally dropped. Omitting been leaves an active construction that says the bicycle did the stealing. Choosing the passive here is natural because the identity of the thief is unknown.

48. Choose the correct form: I wish I ____ taller.

• A. am
• B. was
• C. were
• D. will be

Explanation: After I wish, an unreal present situation takes the subjunctive were for all persons, so I wish I were is correct in formal English. Was is common in speech but is marked wrong in grammar tests. The same subjunctive appears in if I were you.

49. Identify the part of speech of the word but in: Everyone attended but Ali.

• A. conjunction
• B. preposition meaning except
• C. adverb
• D. verb

Explanation: Here but means except and governs the noun Ali, which makes it a preposition rather than the coordinating conjunction it usually is. The same word changes class with its function, as happens with for, since and after. Deciding the part of speech always means examining the job the word does in that sentence.

50. Choose the correct preposition: He was accused ____ negligence.

• A. for
• B. of
• C. with
• D. on

Explanation: Accuse takes of, while charge takes with, so he was accused of negligence but charged with negligence. Blame takes for, giving blamed for the accident. These three are tested together precisely because they seem interchangeable.