APTIS - Aptis English Core Grammar Sentence Completion Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: If I had known you were coming, I __________ a cake for you.
- would have baked (Correct answer)
- will bake
- baked
- would bake
Correct answer: would have baked
This sentence is a third conditional, which is used to talk about a hypothetical situation in the past that did not happen. The structure is 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle'. 'Would have baked' correctly follows this structure.
Question 2: By the time the train arrives, we __________ for over an hour.
- are waiting
- will have been waiting (Correct answer)
- waited
- will wait
Correct answer: will have been waiting
The future perfect continuous tense ('will have been + -ing') is used to describe an action that will continue up until a particular point in the future. The phrase 'By the time the train arrives' sets that future point.
Question 3: The manager insisted that the report __________ on her desk by 5 p.m.
- was
- will be
- be (Correct answer)
- has been
Correct answer: be
This sentence uses the subjunctive mood, which is common after verbs of command or suggestion like 'insist', 'recommend', or 'suggest'. The structure is 'verb + that + subject + base form of the verb'. Therefore, 'be' is the correct form, not 'is' or 'was'.
Question 4: Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
- He is used to wake up early.
- She suggested to go to the cinema.
- I look forward to hearing from you. (Correct answer)
- They stopped for to have a coffee.
Correct answer: I look forward to hearing from you.
The phrase 'look forward to' is always followed by a gerund (-ing form). 'He is used to' should be followed by 'waking'. 'Suggested' should be followed by 'going' (a gerund). 'Stopped' should be followed by 'to have' (infinitive of purpose).
Question 5: Despite __________ hard, he didn't manage to pass the final exam.
- of studying
- he studied
- to study
- studying (Correct answer)
Correct answer: studying
The prepositions 'despite' and 'in spite of' are followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form). 'Studying' is the gerund form of the verb and correctly completes the sentence.
Question 6: Hardly __________ the house when the phone started ringing.
- I had left
- had I left (Correct answer)
- I left
- did I leave
Correct answer: had I left
When a sentence begins with a negative adverbial like 'Hardly', 'Scarcely', or 'No sooner', the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted. The correct structure is 'Hardly + had + subject + past participle'.
APTIS - Aptis English Core Grammar Sentence Completion Questions and Answers
If I had known you were coming, I __________ a cake for you.