High English | Gap Filling Exercise to Test Knowledge of Grammar

High School English Quiz - Grammar 68 - Gap Filling (Questions)

We have now studied English for a long time and we have covered the entire range of topics, from parts of speech, vocabulary, tenses and subject-verb agreement to finites/non-finites. We have dealt with the nuances of grammar. We have seen how words from different parts of speech convert to perform the functions of other parts of speech. We have looked at sentences and their variations. We have seen how active and passive voices behave in certain situations. In this High English quiz, we put to the test our knowledge of English grammar by conducting an exercise known as gap filling.

A gap filling exercise is a great way to practise your English. This exercise will leave a gap to be filled by a word or group of words that fall into a particular category, and so test your knowledge. Here are some examples:

‘If they don't get angry ______ five minutes everything will be all right.’ This gap can be filled by the preposition ‘within’.

[readmore]

'Ranbir Kapoor is __ Indian actor.’ This gap can be filled by the article ‘an’.

‘How long ____________ to drive from Mumbai to Bangalore?’ This gap can be filled with ‘did it take you’, which is in simple past tense.

‘____________ to Sri Lanka three times.’ This gap can be filled by ‘They have been’, which is in present perfect tense.

‘You ____ be mad to spend so much money on a motorcycle.’ This gap can be filled with the positive modal verb, 'must'.

‘You __________ attend the ceremony if you don’t want to; it is optional.’ This gap can be filled with the negative modal phrase, ‘don’t have to’.

Doing these gap filling exercises will help you to run through all that we have learnt in the past and so test your knowledge of English grammar.

[/readmore]

'He ______ at the seminar on Thursday because he was sick.'
Fill the gap to complete the sentence in simple past tense.

[ ]	was not
[ ]	is not
[ ]	will not be
[ ]	Both options 1 and 3 above are right but option 2 is wrong.

'The stairs are wet and slippery. Walk _________.'
Fill the gap using an adverb.

[ ]	carefuller
[ ]	carefuls
[ ]	careful
[ ]	carefully

'The selection committee will interview the candidates next week.'
'The candidates _________________ by the selection committee next week.'
The first sentence is in active voice. The second sentence is the passive voice form of the first sentence. Fill the gap by choosing from the following options.

[ ]	are interviewed
[ ]	will be interviewed
[ ]	were interviewed
[ ]	have been interviewed

'I saw a great film.'
'I ________ a great film.'
The first sentence is in past tense. Fill the gap in the second sentence to convert the first sentence into present perfect simple tense.

[ ]	am seeing
[ ]	will see
[ ]	have seen
[ ]	could see

'I intend to _____ to my boss about my salary.'
Fill the gap with the appropriate word from the following options.

[ ]	tell
[ ]	speak
[ ]	talk
[ ]	Both options 2 and 3 are correct but option 1 is wrong.

'How ________________ renew a passport?'
Complete the sentence with the correct order of adverb of frequency.

[ ]	often do you have to
[ ]	do often you to have
[ ]	you often do have to
[ ]	you do have to often

'There wasn't enough paper in the printer, ________?'
Fill the gap with a suitable question.

[ ]	are there
[ ]	is there
[ ]	was there
[ ]	were there

'He is a well known architect. His designs won an international award last year.'
'He is a famous architect _____ designs won an international award last year.'
The first two sentences are made into a single sentence by placing which relative pronoun in the gap?

[ ]	that
[ ]	which
[ ]	whose
[ ]	who

'No one was allowed to use any written materials ______ the exam.'
Fill the gap by using the appropriate preposition.

[ ]	on
[ ]	by
[ ]	over
[ ]	during

10.

'In the last few months, competition has become ___________.'
Fill the gap with the appropriate comparative adjective.

[ ]	much tougher
[ ]	more tougher
[ ]	much more tough
[ ]	more tough

High School English Quiz - Grammar 68 - Gap Filling (Answers)

'He ______ at the seminar on Thursday because he was sick.'
Fill the gap to complete the sentence in simple past tense.

[x]	was not
[ ]	is not
[ ]	will not be
[ ]	Both options 1 and 3 above are right but option 2 is wrong.

'Was not' are the correct words to fill the gap and now the sentence is complete in simple past tense. Option 2 is in present tense and option 3 is in future tense

'The stairs are wet and slippery. Walk _________.'
Fill the gap using an adverb.

[ ]	carefuller
[ ]	carefuls
[ ]	careful
[x]	carefully

'Carefully' is the adverb formed from the adjective 'careful'. The other options are the incorrect forms of adverbs

[ ]	are interviewed
[x]	will be interviewed
[ ]	were interviewed
[ ]	have been interviewed

Since the active voice is in future tense, the passive voice should also be in future tense. The other options are not in future tense

'I saw a great film.'
'I ________ a great film.'
The first sentence is in past tense. Fill the gap in the second sentence to convert the first sentence into present perfect simple tense.

[ ]	am seeing
[ ]	will see
[x]	have seen
[ ]	could see

'Have seen' is in present perfect simple tense. The other options, though grammatically correct, are not in the tense required

'I intend to _____ to my boss about my salary.'
Fill the gap with the appropriate word from the following options.

[ ]	tell
[ ]	speak
[ ]	talk
[x]	Both options 2 and 3 are correct but option 1 is wrong.

Both 'speak' and 'talk' are appropriate with reference to the context of the sentence. Option 1 is the wrong usage. Remember that 'tell', 'speak', 'say' and 'talk' are similar and we have to be careful while using these words

'How ________________ renew a passport?'
Complete the sentence with the correct order of adverb of frequency.

[x]	often do you have to
[ ]	do often you to have
[ ]	you often do have to
[ ]	you do have to often

'Often' is an adverb of frequency. In question form the adverb comes immediately after 'how.' The other options do not have the right order

'There wasn't enough paper in the printer, ________?'
Fill the gap with a suitable question.

[ ]	are there
[ ]	is there
[x]	was there
[ ]	were there

Note that the statement is in past tense and the question should be in past tense as well. Secondly, 'paper' is singular and the correct verb is 'was' and not 'were' which is used for plural

[ ]	that
[ ]	which
[x]	whose
[ ]	who

Remember, 'whose' is a relative pronoun used for persons. The pronouns in the other options do not refer to persons with reference to the context of the sentences

'No one was allowed to use any written materials ______ the exam.'
Fill the gap by using the appropriate preposition.

[ ]	on
[ ]	by
[ ]	over
[x]	during

We are looking for a preposition in relation to time and hence 'during' is the appropriate preposition. The other options are not appropriate with reference to the context of the sentence

10.

'In the last few months, competition has become ___________.'
Fill the gap with the appropriate comparative adjective.

[x]	much tougher
[ ]	more tougher
[ ]	much more tough
[ ]	more tough

In comparative form, when there is a regular superlative for an adjective, (a superlative is formed by adding the suffix 'er') we use that form and not the 'more tough' form. Option 2 is wrong usage as 'more' is redundant