Mixed Deck — All English Grammar Test Topics Flashcards
100 cards from real English Grammar Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Mixed Deck — All English Grammar Test Topics flashcards as text
What part of speech is 'although' in 'Although it rained, we had fun'?
Answer: Subordinating conjunction
'Although' introduces a dependent clause, making it a subordinating conjunction.
Which sentence correctly punctuates a tag question?
Answer: You're coming to the party, aren't you?
A tag question is separated from the main clause by a comma and ends with a question mark.
Where should an apostrophe be placed in the word 'its' to show possession?
Answer: its
The possessive 'its' never takes an apostrophe; 'it's' is only a contraction of 'it is.'
Which sentence correctly uses no article? 'She loves _____ music.'
Answer: She loves music.
Uncountable abstract nouns like 'music' used in a general sense take no article.
I enjoy cake.
Answer: Sam said she liked cake.
When converting direct speech into reported speech, if the reporting verb (like 'said') is in the past tense, the tense in the reported clause typically shifts one step back. The direct statement 'I enjoy cake' is in the present simple tense, which transforms into the past simple tense ('liked') in reported speech. Therefore, 'Sam said she liked cake' correctly applies this tense shift and pronoun change.
Which sentence correctly uses parentheses?
Answer: The meeting is at noon (12:00 p.m.).
Parentheses correctly enclose supplementary or clarifying information like a time equivalent.
Which of the following best defines 'zeugma'?
Answer: Using one word to govern two or more words in different senses.
Zeugma applies a single verb or adjective to two nouns in different (often incongruous) senses, as in 'She lost her keys and her temper.'
What is the indirect object in: 'The teacher gave the students a test'?
Answer: students
The indirect object tells to whom or for whom the action is done; the teacher gave the test *to the students*.
Identify the part of speech of 'never' in 'She never misses a deadline.'
Answer: Adverb
'Never' modifies the verb 'misses' by expressing frequency, so it is an adverb.
Which sentence contains a correctly used absolute phrase?
Answer: The storm approaching, we decided to stay indoors.
An absolute phrase ('The storm approaching') has its own subject and modifies the entire main clause without using a conjunction.
Choose the correct verb form: "The team _____ playing well tonight."
Answer: is
In American English, collective nouns like "team" are treated as singular and take singular verbs.
Which sentence correctly uses 'wish' to express an unreal present desire?
Answer: I wish I had more time.
'Wish' expressing an unreal present situation is followed by the simple past tense ('had'), following the same pattern as the if-clause in a second conditional.
Choose the correct present progressive sentence.
Answer: She is reading a book right now.
The present progressive "is reading" expresses an action happening at this moment.
Which verb does NOT require a gerund after it?
Answer: promise
'Promise' takes an infinitive (e.g., 'promise to call'), while enjoy, finish, and suggest all take gerunds.
The sentence structure is: On Thursday after school, I hurled snowballs towards three amusing boys.
Answer: Simple
The sentence 'On Thursday after school, I hurled snowballs towards three amusing boys' is a simple sentence. It contains only one independent clause, with a single subject ('I') and a single verb ('hurled'). The phrases 'On Thursday after school' and 'towards three amusing boys' are prepositional phrases, not additional clauses.
Select the appropriate sentence from the list below for each.
Answer: “How,” I asked, “can you always be so forgetful?”
Option A correctly punctuates the direct quotation with an interruption. Commas are used to set off 'I asked' from the quoted material. The second part of the quote, 'can you always be so forgetful?', correctly begins with a lowercase letter because it continues the original sentence. Finally, the question mark belongs inside the closing quotation mark because the quoted material itself is a question.
Which sentence correctly uses a gerund after 'there's no'?
Answer: There's no arguing about it.
The fixed expression 'there's no' is always followed by a gerund: 'there's no arguing about it.'
In the sentence 'Ouch! That really hurt,' what part of speech is 'Ouch'?
Answer: Interjection
'Ouch' expresses a sudden emotion and stands alone, classifying it as an interjection.
What is the negative form of a gerund in 'She regrets not telling the truth'?
Answer: not + gerund
The negative of a gerund is formed by placing 'not' directly before it: 'not telling.'
Which sentence correctly demonstrates the use of a parenthetical citation within academic writing?
Answer: Grammar is evolving (Smith, 2020).
APA and MLA styles use the format '(Author, Year)' for in-text parenthetical citations.