This grammar exercise is aimed at intermediate level students. It tests your understanding of grammar structures and sentence patterns.
1. They ……………… the Emperor’s body away on a stretcher.
Bear means carry. Bore is the past tense of bear.
2. Thousands of children ………………… blind every year.
3. I want to get married but ………………. I have to find a job.
Either before that or first can be used here.
4. I will phone before I ……………………
In clauses with before, we use a present tense if the meaning is future.
5. Where are the ………………. mangoes?
When other is used with a noun, it does not have a plural form.
6. He looked at me ………………. strange.
Real is possible here in an informal style. This is common in American English.
7. I wasn’t …………………… to enter the house.
Let is not usually used in the passive voice.
8. My dog understands everything – he is ………………. human.
Almost can mean ‘similar to, but not exactly the same’.
9. I met Sally in Germany ………………….
We use ‘ago’ with a past tense and a time expression to count back from the present.
10. The dog was barking ……………..
The article ‘the’ is usually left out in expressions like all day, all night, all week, all summer etc.
11. I would have been in real trouble ………………. your help.
The expression ‘but for’ can mean ‘if something had not happened / existed.
12. My daughter is not interested in anything but …………….
After ‘interested in’ you need a noun or an ing form.
Answers
1. They bore the Emperor’s body away on a stretcher.
2. Thousands of children are born blind every year.
3. I want to get married but before that / first I have to find a job.
4. I will phone before I arrive.
5. Where are the other mangoes?
6. He looked at me real / really strange.
7. I wasn’t allowed to enter the house.
8. My dog understands everything – he is almost human.
9. I met Sally in Germany three years ago.
10. The dog was barking all night.
11. I would have been in real trouble but for your help.
12. My daughter is not interested in anything but reading.
