FREE EAP Sentence Meaning Questions and Answers

Question 1

Shikibu Murasaki, who wrote almost a thousand years ago, was one of the world’s _____ novelists.

Accepted Answer

earliest

Answer

Explanation:
The correct answer is "D. earliest" because it correctly describes Shikibu Murasaki as one of the earliest novelists in the world. This choice uses the superlative form "earliest" to indicate that Murasaki wrote novels at a very early period compared to other novelists.

Question 2

The Chang children _____ their parents by making sandwiches for the whole family.

Accepted Answer

helped out

Answer

Explanation:
The correct answer is "A. helped out" because it correctly completes the sentence grammatically and idiomatically. "Helped out" is the correct phrasal verb to indicate assisting someone with a task or responsibility.

Question 3

As demonstrated by his last album, which was released after his death, Ibrahim Ferrer _____ one of the most beautiful voices in Latin music.

Accepted Answer

had

Answer

Explanation:
The correct answer is "A. had" because it agrees with the past tense of the sentence. "Had" is the past tense form of the verb "have," which is appropriate in this context to indicate possession or possession in the past.

Question 4

After we saw the play, we had different opinions _____ Vincent’s performance.

Accepted Answer

about

Answer

Explanation:
The correct preposition to use in this context is "about." When expressing opinions or thoughts regarding someone or something, the preposition "about" is commonly used. So, the sentence should read, "After we saw the play, we had different opinions about Vincent's performance."

Question 5

Having recorded many of the most beloved songs of the 1940s, jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald _____ one of the most prominent musical performers of her time.

Accepted Answer

was

Answer

Explanation:
In this context, the past tense "was" is appropriate because it refers to Ella Fitzgerald's status as one of the most prominent musical performers during the 1940s, which is a past period. The past perfect "had been" would suggest a sequence of events in the past, but here, a simple past tense is sufficient to convey the intended meaning.

EAP - English For Academic Purposes Practice Test

EAP - English For Academic Purposes Practice Test

FREE EAP Sentence Meaning Questions and Answers