Grammar with Eliot

1. Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence: “Had they known about the change, they ______ (react) differently.”

Correct Answer: would have reacted. This is the correct form for the past perfect conditional.

2. Which of the following sentences uses the subjunctive mood correctly?

Correct Answer: She insisted that he go immediately. The subjunctive form “go” is used after verbs of insistence.

3. Select the sentence with the correct use of relative clauses.

Correct Answer: The book which I borrowed was very interesting. “Which” is the appropriate relative pronoun for inanimate objects.

4. Identify the sentence with the correct use of a gerund or infinitive.

Correct Answer: Swimming is my favorite activity. “Swimming” is used as a gerund acting as the subject of the sentence.

5. Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun.

Correct Answer: The committee has met to discuss the issue. Here, the committee is acting as a single unit.

1. What is the passive form of: “The chef cooked a delicious meal.”

Correct Answer: b) A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.
Explanation: Passive voice uses “was + past participle” for past simple sentences.

2. Choose the correct passive sentence:

Correct Answer: c) The book was written by J.K. Rowling.
Explanation: Passive structure = subject + verb BE + past participle.

3. Which sentence is in the present continuous passive voice?

Correct Answer: b) The house is being built now.
Explanation: Present Continuous Passive = subject + ‘is being’ + past participle.

4. Convert to passive voice: “They will announce the winner tomorrow.”

Correct Answer: c) The winner will be announced tomorrow.
Explanation: Future passive = subject + ‘will be’ + past participle.

5. Which sentence uses the past perfect passive correctly?

Correct Answer: a) The cake had been eaten before dinner.
Explanation: Past Perfect Passive = subject + ‘had been’ + past participle.

1. Choose the correct zero conditional sentence:

Correct Answer: a) If you heat ice, it melts.
Explanation: Zero conditional is used for general truths and facts. Both clauses are in present simple.

2. Which is a correct first conditional sentence?

Correct Answer: c) If it rains tomorrow, we’ll stay inside.
Explanation: First conditional = real future possibility. Structure: if + present simple, will + base verb.

3. Choose the correct second conditional sentence:

Correct Answer: b) If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
Explanation: Second conditional = hypothetical or unlikely situation in the present/future. Structure: if + past simple, would + base verb.

4. Which is a correct third conditional sentence?

Correct Answer: d) If she had studied, she would have passed the exam.
Explanation: Third conditional = talking about past hypothetical situations. Structure: if + past perfect, would have + past participle.

5. Choose the mixed conditional form:

Correct Answer: c) If he hadn’t left early, he wouldn’t have missed the train.
Explanation: Mixed conditionals mix time frames — often third conditional structure with a result in the present or past.

1. Choose the correct comparative form:

Correct Answer: b) My brother is taller than me.
Explanation: Use “taller than” to compare two people. ‘More tall’ is incorrect – ‘taller’ is already the comparative form.

2. Which sentence is correct?

Correct Answer: c) Apples are better than oranges.
Explanation: ‘Better’ is the correct comparative of ‘good’. ‘Gooder’ and ‘more better’ are incorrect forms.

3. Choose the correct sentence:

Correct Answer: a) This book is more interesting than that one.
Explanation: For adjectives with more than one syllable, use ‘more + adjective’ to form the comparative.

4. What is the correct comparative form of ‘happy’?

Correct Answer: d) Happier
Explanation: For short adjectives ending in ‘y’, change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘er’ (e.g., happy → happier).

5. Choose the correct comparative sentence:

Correct Answer: b) She sings louder than her sister.
Explanation: ‘Loud’ → comparative ‘louder’. Adverbs like ‘loudly’ → ‘more loudly’, but not used here.

1. Choose the correct superlative form:

Correct Answer: c) Mount Everest is the highest mountain.
Explanation: ‘Highest’ is the correct superlative of ‘high’. ‘Most highest’ is incorrect – don’t double-compare!

2. Which sentence is correct?

Correct Answer: a) She is the most intelligent student in the class.
Explanation: Use ‘most + adjective’ for adjectives with two or more syllables (e.g., intelligent).

3. What is the correct superlative form of “good”?

Correct Answer: d) Best
Explanation: ‘Best’ is the correct superlative of ‘good’. Irregular adjectives like ‘good → better → best’ must be memorized.

4. Choose the correct sentence:

Correct Answer: b) This is the fastest car I’ve ever seen.
Explanation: ‘Fast’ → ‘fastest’ is the correct superlative. Don’t use ‘most’ with short adjectives like ‘fast’.

5. Which is the correct superlative form of “beautiful”?

Correct Answer: c) Most beautiful
Explanation: For long adjectives like ‘beautiful’, use ‘most + adjective’ to form the superlative.

1. Which sentence uses a preposition correctly?

Correct Answer: a) The cat is sitting on the table.
Explanation: ‘On’ is used to indicate position on a surface. ‘In’ means inside, and ‘above/over’ don’t mean physical contact.

2. Choose the correct preposition of time:

Correct Answer: c) We will meet at 3 p.m.
Explanation: Use ‘at’ with specific times (e.g., at 3 p.m.). ‘On’ is used with days/dates; ‘in’ with months/years.

3. Which word is NOT a preposition?

Correct Answer: d) quickly
Explanation: ‘Quickly’ is an adverb, not a preposition. Prepositions show relationships between nouns/pronouns and other words.

4. Which sentence uses a preposition of direction?

Correct Answer: b) She walked into the room.
Explanation: ‘Into’ shows movement or direction toward the inside of something. Other options describe location.

5. Which sentence uses a preposition incorrectly?

Correct Answer: c) She depends from her parents.
Explanation: The correct phrase is “depends on”, not “depends from”.

1. Which sentence uses the present simple tense correctly?

Correct Answer: a) She drinks coffee every morning.
Explanation: Present Simple is used for habits, general truths, and things that happen regularly.

2. Choose the correct sentence using the present continuous tense:

Correct Answer: c) I am eating lunch now.
Explanation: Present Continuous = subject + ‘am/is/are’ + verb-ing. Used for actions happening right now.

3. Which sentence uses the past simple tense correctly?

Correct Answer: b) He played football yesterday.
Explanation: Past Simple is used for completed actions in the past. Regular verbs add -ed; irregular ones change form (e.g., play → played).

4. Which sentence uses the future simple tense correctly?

Correct Answer: d) She will go to school tomorrow.
Explanation: Future Simple = subject + ‘will’ + base verb. Used for predictions or decisions made at the moment of speaking.

5. Which sentence uses the present perfect tense correctly?

Correct Answer: c) I have eaten breakfast this morning.
Explanation: Present Perfect = subject + ‘have/has’ + past participle. Used for actions completed at an unspecified time before now.