Test your understanding of grammar constructions with this interactive exercise. Complete the following using an appropriate word or phrase. Choose your answers from the given options.
1This leather is inferior ............... that.
Wrong!
The adjective "inferior" is followed by "to" in standard English.
2Do you like ............... of meat pie?
Wrong!
The singular determiner "this" agrees with the singular noun "sort"; "this sorts", "these sort" and "these kind" mix singular and plural.
3The book was ............... on the chest of drawers.
Wrong!
The passive form needs the past participle "laid" from the verb "lay" meaning put something down.
4The garden shears ............... used to clip the hedge.
Wrong!
The plural noun "shears" takes the plural verb "were" here.
5Each of the boys ............... given a prize today.
Wrong!
The subject "Each" is singular, so the correct verb is "was".
6A strimmer is a machine ............... grass and weeds.
Wrong!
To describe the purpose of a machine, use "for cutting" followed by the object.
7To ..............., she got divorced shortly afterwards.
Wrong!
The fixed phrase is written "no one's surprise" with a space and a possessive apostrophe.
8The circus audience ............... a well-deserved round of applause for the perfectly timed acrobatic stunt.
Wrong!
An audience gives a round of applause to performers, so "gave" is correct.
9Because of its warm tropical climate, Hawaii ............... subzero temperatures.
Wrong!
The frequency phrase "almost never experiences" naturally comes before the object.
Answers
- This leather is inferior to that.
- Do you like this sort of meat pie?
- The book was laid on the chest of drawers.
- The garden shears were used to clip the hedge.
- Each of the boys was given a prize today.
- A strimmer is a machine for cutting grass and weeds.
- To no one’s surprise, she got divorced shortly afterwards.
- The circus audience gave a well-deserved round of applause for the perfectly timed acrobatic stunt.
- Because of its warm tropical climate, Hawaii almost never experiences subzero temperatures.