MCQ Guru LogoMCQ Guru
AI-assisted, automatically checked• Updated August 2026

English Grammar MCQs

English verbal ability MCQs covering tenses, prepositions, voice, subject-verb agreement, and vocabulary.

49 MCQsEnglishAll Levels
Key Concept Overview & Exam Context

Review core principles of English Grammar before answering questions. These questions simulate placement technical assessments (TCS, Infosys, Amazon), university exams (CS/IT), and technical certifications.

Target Readiness
Placements & Job Interviews
Question Format
Multiple-Choice with Explanations
Explained Solutions
Written explanations

English Grammar & Vocabulary Test

10 questions · Interactive timed test · Instant score & review

Start Quiz

English Grammar MCQ Questions

Page 1 of 1 (49 total)
Q1

Which of the following sentences correctly uses the past perfect tense?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: By the time she arrived, the movie had already started
Explanation:
The past perfect tense, formed with had plus a past participle, describes an action that was completed before another past action, in this case the movie starting before she arrived.
Q2

Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas at the market
Explanation:
This sentence correctly uses commas to separate items in a list, including the comma before the final conjunction, often called the Oxford comma, which many style guides recommend for clarity.
Q3

Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'Neither of the boys ___ finished their homework.'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: has
Explanation:
When 'neither' is used as the subject, it is treated as singular even though it refers to two people, so the verb must also be singular, which is 'has' rather than 'have.'
Q4

What is the correct plural form of the word 'analysis'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: analyses
Explanation:
Words of Greek origin ending in -is, such as analysis, crisis, and thesis, typically form their plural by changing -is to -es rather than simply adding an s.
Q5

Which sentence uses the passive voice correctly?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: The report was written by the committee
Explanation:
In passive voice, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it, formed here using a form of 'to be' plus the past participle 'written.'
Q6

Identify the correctly formed conditional sentence.

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic
Explanation:
This is a first conditional sentence, used for realistic future possibilities, and it correctly pairs the present simple tense in the if clause with 'will' plus the base verb in the main clause.
Q7

Which of the following is a correctly formed indirect (reported) speech sentence for: She said, 'I am tired.'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She said that she was tired
Explanation:
When converting direct speech into reported speech, present tense verbs typically shift back one tense, so 'am' becomes 'was,' and the pronoun changes from 'I' to 'she' to match the new speaker perspective.
Q8

What part of speech is the word 'quickly' in the sentence: 'She ran quickly to catch the bus'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Adverb
Explanation:
Quickly modifies the verb 'ran' by describing how the action was performed, which is the defining role of an adverb, and many adverbs of manner are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
Q9

Which sentence correctly uses an article before the noun?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She is an honest person
Explanation:
The article 'an' is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, and although 'honest' starts with the letter h, the h is silent, so the word actually begins with a vowel sound.
Q10

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a semicolon.

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: I have a big exam tomorrow; I cannot go out tonight
Explanation:
A semicolon can be used to join two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning without using a coordinating conjunction like 'and' or 'because.'
Q11

Which word is a synonym of 'meticulous'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Careful
Explanation:
Meticulous describes someone who pays extremely close attention to detail, making careful the closest synonym among the given choices, while careless and hasty are closer to antonyms.
Q12

What is the correct comparative form of the adjective 'good'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: better
Explanation:
Good is an irregular adjective, so its comparative form does not follow the usual pattern of adding -er, instead changing entirely to 'better,' with 'best' reserved for the superlative form.
Q13

Which sentence correctly uses a gerund?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Swimming is my favorite activity
Explanation:
A gerund is formed by adding -ing to a verb and functions as a noun in a sentence, in this case acting as the subject of the sentence.
Q14

Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct agreement between the subject and the verb?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: The list of items is on the table
Explanation:
The subject of the sentence is 'list,' which is singular, so the verb must agree with 'list' rather than with 'items,' which is part of a prepositional phrase modifying the subject.
Q15

Which of the following words is spelled correctly?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Occurrence
Explanation:
The correct spelling doubles both the r and includes -ence at the end, a pattern that commonly trips people up since the pronunciation does not clearly signal the doubled consonant.
Q16

What is the function of a relative clause in a sentence like: 'The book that I borrowed is overdue'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: It provides additional information about the noun 'book'
Explanation:
A relative clause, introduced here by 'that,' adds descriptive detail about a noun in the main clause without forming a separate, independent sentence on its own.
Q17

Which sentence correctly uses the modal verb 'must' to express obligation?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: You must submit the form by Friday
Explanation:
Modal verbs like 'must' are always followed directly by the base form of the main verb, without 'to' and without any change in the verb's form regardless of subject.
Q18

Which sentence correctly demonstrates parallel structure?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She likes reading, writing, and cooking
Explanation:
Parallel structure requires that items in a list or series share the same grammatical form, and here all three activities are consistently expressed as gerunds.
Q19

What is the antonym of the word 'benevolent'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Malevolent
Explanation:
Benevolent describes a kind or well meaning disposition, while malevolent describes the opposite, a desire to cause harm to others, making it the direct antonym among the given options.
Q20

Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' rather than 'less'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: There are fewer apples in the basket today
Explanation:
Fewer is used with countable nouns, such as apples, while less is reserved for uncountable nouns like water or time, a distinction that is often confused in casual speech.
Q21

Which of the following is an example of a compound sentence?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She studied hard, and she passed the exam
Explanation:
A compound sentence joins two independent clauses, each of which could stand alone as a complete sentence, using a coordinating conjunction such as 'and' along with a comma.
Q22

Which sentence correctly uses the future perfect tense?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: By next year, she will have completed her degree
Explanation:
The future perfect tense, formed with 'will have' plus a past participle, describes an action that will be finished before a specific point in the future.
Q23

Identify the sentence that correctly uses a dangling modifier fixed with proper structure.

hard
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Walking to the store, I noticed the rain had started
Explanation:
A dangling modifier occurs when the subject performing the introductory action is missing or unclear. Here, 'I' is clearly the one walking, which fixes the ambiguity.
Q24

Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'Each of the students ___ required to submit the form'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: is
Explanation:
'Each' is a singular pronoun, so it takes a singular verb even though it is followed by a plural noun phrase like 'of the students'.
Q25

What is the correct plural form of the word 'phenomenon'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Phenomena
Explanation:
Phenomenon is a word of Greek origin, and it follows the Greek pattern of pluralization, becoming 'phenomena' rather than adding a regular English suffix.
Q26

Which sentence is written in the active voice?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: The committee approved the proposal
Explanation:
In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action directly, as opposed to the passive voice, where the subject receives the action.
Q27

Which sentence correctly uses a third conditional to describe an unreal past situation?

hard
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam
Explanation:
The third conditional refers to a hypothetical situation in the past that did not actually happen, using 'had' plus a past participle in the if-clause and 'would have' in the main clause.
Q28

Which is the correct indirect speech version of: He said, 'I will call you tomorrow.'?

hard
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: He said that he would call me the next day
Explanation:
When converting direct speech to reported speech in the past tense, 'will' typically shifts to 'would' and time references like 'tomorrow' often shift to 'the next day'.
Q29

What part of speech is the underlined word in: 'The extremely tall building dominated the skyline'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Adverb
Explanation:
'Extremely' modifies the adjective 'tall', describing the degree to which the building is tall, which is the role an adverb plays when modifying another modifier.
Q30

Which sentence correctly uses the indefinite article before a word that begins with a vowel sound?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She waited for an hour before the meeting began
Explanation:
The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound that follows, not the letter. Since 'hour' begins with a silent h and a vowel sound, 'an' is correct.
Q31

Choose the sentence that correctly uses a colon.

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She had one goal: to finish the marathon
Explanation:
A colon can be used to introduce an explanation, example, or elaboration of what was just stated, as long as the part before the colon can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Q32

Which word is a synonym of 'ubiquitous'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Omnipresent
Explanation:
Ubiquitous describes something that seems to be everywhere at once, which is essentially the same meaning carried by the word omnipresent.
Q33

What is the correct superlative form of the adjective 'bad'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Worst
Explanation:
'Bad' is an irregular adjective, so it does not follow the usual pattern of adding -est. Its comparative form is 'worse' and its superlative form is 'worst'.
Q34

Which sentence correctly uses a participial phrase?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Exhausted from the long hike, the travelers rested by the river
Explanation:
A participial phrase begins with a present or past participle and functions as an adjective. Here, 'exhausted from the long hike' correctly describes 'the travelers'.
Q35

Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun?

hard
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: The team is celebrating its victory
Explanation:
In standard American English, collective nouns like 'team' are usually treated as singular, taking a singular verb and a singular possessive pronoun for consistency.
Q36

Identify the correctly spelled word among the choices below.

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Occurrence
Explanation:
'Occurrence' is a commonly misspelled word because of its double consonants. It requires two Rs and two Cs to be spelled correctly.
Q37

What is the function of an appositive in a sentence like: 'My brother, a talented artist, painted this mural'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: It renames or gives additional information about a nearby noun
Explanation:
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase placed next to another noun to identify or add detail about it. Here, 'a talented artist' further describes 'my brother'.
Q38

Which sentence correctly uses the modal verb 'might' to express possibility?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: It might rain later, so bring an umbrella
Explanation:
Modal verbs like 'might' are always followed by the base form of the main verb, without 'to' and without any added endings like -s or -ed.
Q39

Which sentence correctly demonstrates parallel structure in a list?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She enjoys reading, writing, and swimming
Explanation:
Parallel structure means keeping items in a list or comparison in the same grammatical form. Here, all three activities are written consistently as gerunds.
Q40

What is the antonym of the word 'ambiguous'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Clear
Explanation:
Ambiguous describes something open to more than one interpretation, so its opposite would be something that is clear or unmistakable in meaning.
Q41

Which sentence correctly uses 'fewer' instead of 'less'?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: There are fewer chairs in this room than in the other one
Explanation:
'Fewer' is used with plural countable nouns like chairs, while 'less' is generally reserved for uncountable or singular mass nouns such as water or time.
Q42

Which of the following is an example of a complex sentence?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Although it was raining, they decided to go for a walk
Explanation:
A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Here, 'although it was raining' is a dependent clause attached to the independent clause.
Q43

Identify the correct sentence with proper subject-verb agreement when using 'or' to join two subjects.

hard
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Neither the manager nor the employees were informed about the change
Explanation:
When two subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb generally agrees with the subject that is closest to it, which here is the plural 'employees'.
Q44

What is the antonym of the word 'diligent'?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Lazy
Explanation:
Diligent describes someone who works with steady, careful effort, so its opposite is a word describing a lack of effort, such as lazy.
Q45

Which sentence uses a reflexive pronoun correctly?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: She taught herself how to play the guitar
Explanation:
A reflexive pronoun, like 'herself', is used when the subject and object of a verb refer to the same person, showing the action was performed on oneself.
Q46

Which sentence correctly uses the past continuous tense to describe an interrupted action?

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: I was watching a movie when the power went out
Explanation:
The past continuous, formed with 'was' or 'were' plus an -ing verb, describes an ongoing action in the past that was interrupted by another completed action.
Q47

Identify the correct sentence with proper subject-verb agreement:

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Neither John nor his friends are coming to the party.
Explanation:
When subjects are joined by "either... or", the verb agrees in number and person with the nearest subject ("his friends" is plural, so "are" is correct).
Q48

Identify the correct sentence with proper subject-verb agreement:

medium
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Neither John nor his friends are coming to the party.
Explanation:
When subjects are joined by "either... or", the verb agrees in number and person with the nearest subject ("his friends" is plural, so "are" is correct).
Q49

What is the antonym of the word "CANDID"?

easy
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: Deceptive
Explanation:
Candid means frank, open, and straightforward. Its antonym is deceptive, secretive, or evasive.