Grammar Flashcards

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "Little ___ that the project would collapse within a month."

Answer: did they realise

When a negative or restrictive adverb such as 'Little', 'Never' or 'Seldom' starts a sentence, the subject and auxiliary swap places, as in a question. In the past simple the auxiliary is 'did', followed by the base verb: 'Little did they realise...'. 'Had they realise' pairs the auxiliary 'had' with a base form, which is ungrammatical.

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "If she ___ the figures more carefully this morning, she wouldn't be facing these complaints now."

Answer: had checked

This is a mixed conditional. An unreal past condition ('this morning') has a result in the present ('now'). The if-clause takes the past perfect ('had checked') and the main clause takes 'would + base verb'. 'Would have checked' never goes in the if-clause, and 'checked' would describe an unreal present, not a past event.

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "The committee insisted that the report ___ before Friday's meeting."

Answer: be submitted

Verbs of demand and insistence ('insist', 'demand', 'recommend') take the subjunctive in formal English. The subjunctive uses the base form of the verb whatever the subject or tense, so the passive is 'be submitted'. 'To be submitted' cannot follow a that-clause subject, and the other options do not express the required mandate.

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "It's about time the government ___ something about rising housing costs."

Answer: did

'It's (about/high) time' + subject takes the past simple, even though the meaning is present or future. The past form shows that the action is overdue. 'Does' and 'would do' are wrong after this structure, and 'had done' moves the time back too far.

Which sentence is grammatically correct and has no dangling participle?

Answer: Having finished the report, Maria sent the email.

The implied subject of a participle clause must be the same as the subject of the main clause. In option B, Maria finished the report and Maria sent the email, so it is correct. Option A suggests the email finished the report. Option C uses the wrong participle form. Option D uses a passive participle with an object, which is ungrammatical.

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "You ___ so much food — only four guests turned up and we threw half of it away."

Answer: needn't have bought

'Needn't have + past participle' describes an action that really happened but turned out to be unnecessary. 'Mustn't have' is not used for deductions about the past ('can't have' is). 'Couldn't have bought' denies that the purchase happened, which contradicts the context. 'Shouldn't buy' has the wrong time reference.