CELSA Basic 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Choose the sentence that correctly uses pronoun-antecedent agreement:
- Each of the students must bring their own pencil.
- Each of the students must bring his or her own pencil. (Correct answer)
- Each of the students must bring its own pencil.
- Each of the students must bring our own pencil.
Correct answer: Each of the students must bring his or her own pencil.
'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun, so it requires the singular pronoun 'his or her.'
Question 2: Which sentence uses a comparative adjective correctly?
- This exam is more harder than the last one.
- This exam is hardest than the last one.
- This exam is harder than the last one. (Correct answer)
- This exam is more hard than the last one.
Correct answer: This exam is harder than the last one.
One-syllable adjectives like 'hard' form the comparative by adding '-er,' not by using 'more.'
Question 3: Select the correct preposition: 'She has been studying English ___ three years.'
- since
- for (Correct answer)
- during
- by
Correct answer: for
'For' is used with a period of time (three years), while 'since' is used with a specific point in time.
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses a comma in a compound sentence?
- She wanted to go to college, but she needed to save money first. (Correct answer)
- She wanted to go to college but, she needed to save money first.
- She wanted to go to college but she needed to save money, first.
- She wanted, to go to college but she needed to save money first.
Correct answer: She wanted to go to college, but she needed to save money first.
A comma is placed before a coordinating conjunction (but, and, or) that joins two independent clauses.
Question 5: Which option correctly completes the sentence? 'Yesterday, she ___ to the store and ___ everything on the list.'
- go / buys
- went / buyed
- went / bought (Correct answer)
- goed / bought
Correct answer: went / bought
'Went' is the irregular past tense of 'go,' and 'bought' is the irregular past tense of 'buy.'
Question 6: Choose the sentence that uses articles correctly:
- She is an honest woman with a integrity.
- She is a honest woman with an integrity.
- She is an honest woman with great integrity. (Correct answer)
- She is a honest woman with great integrity.
Correct answer: She is an honest woman with great integrity.
'An' is used before words with a vowel sound (honest sounds like 'onest'), and 'integrity' is an abstract noun that does not take an article here.
Question 7: Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure?
- She likes reading, to swim, and cooking.
- She likes reading, swimming, and cooking. (Correct answer)
- She likes to read, swimming, and cook.
- She likes reading, to swim, and to cook.
Correct answer: She likes reading, swimming, and cooking.
Parallel structure requires all items in a series to use the same grammatical form; here, all are gerunds (-ing form).
CELSA Basic 2
Choose the sentence that correctly uses pronoun-antecedent agreement: