Quiz: English Basics and Grammar — 18 questions

1. Which list gives the days of the week in their usual order from Monday onward?

A. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday

B. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

C. Monday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Saturday

D. Tuesday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

Answer: (B)

Explanation

The week is ordered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The other lists rearrange at least two days, so they do not preserve the usual sequence.

2. Which month comes immediately after September?

A. November

B. October

C. August

D. December

Answer: (B)

Explanation

October follows September in the yearly sequence. November comes after October, while August comes before September and December is later in the year.

3. Which sequence lists the cardinal numbers from one through ten correctly?

A. one, two, four, three, five, six, seven, nine, eight, ten

B. ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one

C. one, three, two, four, six, five, seven, eight, ten, nine

D. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

Answer: (D)

Explanation

The cardinal numbers from one through ten follow the sequence one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. The other sequences either change the order or count backward.

4. Which spelling correctly represents the cardinal number 40?

A. fourty

B. fortee

C. fourti

D. forty

Answer: (D)

Explanation

The standard spelling of the cardinal number 40 is forty. The form fourty is a common spelling error, and the other forms are not standard English spellings.

5. Which word is the ordinal number for position 5 in a sequence?

A. the fifty

B. the fifteenth

C. the fifth

D. the five

Answer: (C)

Explanation

The ordinal number for position 5 is the fifth. The word five expresses quantity, while fifteenth and fifty refer to different numbers.

6. A race result identifies one runner as being in position 30. Which ordinal form describes that position?

A. the thirtieth

B. the twentieth

C. the thirty

D. the thirteenth

Answer: (A)

Explanation

The ordinal form for position 30 is the thirtieth, because ordinal numbers indicate order or position. Thirty expresses quantity, while thirteenth and twentieth identify different positions.

7. Which sentence uses an adverb of frequency to express that an action happens every time?

A. I sometimes check my homework.

B. I always check my homework.

C. I rarely check my homework.

D. I often check my homework.

Answer: (B)

Explanation

“Always” indicates that the action happens every time. “Often” describes a frequent action but does not mean that it happens on every occasion.

8. Which sentence places a frequency adverb correctly with a main verb?

A. She reads before often bed.

B. She often reads before bed.

C. Often she reads before bed.

D. She reads often before bed.

Answer: (B)

Explanation

A frequency adverb normally comes before the main verb, as in “often reads.” Placing it after the main verb is not the usual pattern for this sentence.

9. Which sentence correctly places a frequency adverb with the verb be?

A. They are ready usually by eight.

B. They usually are ready by eight.

C. Usually they are ready by eight.

D. They are usually ready by eight.

Answer: (D)

Explanation

With the verb be, the frequency adverb comes after the verb, as in “are usually ready.” The other placements do not follow the standard pattern being tested.

10. Which question word asks about the person who performs an action?

A. Who called this morning?

B. When called this morning?

C. Where called this morning?

D. Why called this morning?

Answer: (A)

Explanation

“Who” asks about a person. “Where,” “why,” and “when” ask about place, reason, and time, respectively.

11. Which question correctly asks about the number of apples?

A. How much apples are in the basket?

B. How many apples are in the basket?

C. How often apples are in the basket?

D. How old apples are in the basket?

Answer: (B)

Explanation

“How many” is used with countable nouns such as apples. “How much” is used with uncountable nouns, while the other expressions ask about different kinds of information.

12. In the sentence “They opened the window,” what does the pronoun “They” do?

A. It identifies who performs the action.

B. It follows a preposition in the sentence.

C. It replaces a thing mentioned after the verb.

D. It identifies who receives the action.

Answer: (A)

Explanation

A subject pronoun indicates who performs the action and is followed by a verb. An object pronoun identifies the receiver of an action or appears after a preposition.

13. Which sentence uses an English subject pronoun correctly to refer to a non-human thing?

A. It is on the table.

B. They is on the table.

C. She is on the table.

D. He is on the table.

Answer: (A)

Explanation

“It” can refer to a non-human being or thing and functions here as the subject. “He” and “she” generally refer to people, while “they is” has incorrect subject–verb agreement.

14. Which sentence correctly uses an object pronoun after a preposition?

A. The gift is for herselfs.

B. The gift is for her.

C. The gift is for hers.

D. The gift is for she.

Answer: (B)

Explanation

Object pronouns are used after prepositions such as “for,” so “her” is correct here. “She” is a subject pronoun, while the other forms do not function correctly in this sentence.

15. Which statement correctly describes possessive adjectives?

A. They show where something is located

B. They describe when an action takes place

C. They indicate how often something happens

D. They show who or what possesses something

Answer: (D)

Explanation

Possessive adjectives identify the person or thing that possesses something, using forms such as my, your, his, her, its, our, and their. Location, time, and frequency are expressed by other kinds of words.

16. A female owner has a bicycle. Which possessive adjective should describe the bicycle?

A. His bicycle

B. Its bicycle

C. Her bicycle

D. Their bicycle

Answer: (C)

Explanation

Her is used when the possessor is female, so it describes something belonging to a woman or girl. His refers to a male possessor, while its refers to a thing.

17. Which sentence correctly uses the affirmative simple present with a third-person singular subject?

A. She watching television every evening.

B. She watch television every evening.

C. She watches television every evening.

D. She watched television every evening.

Answer: (C)

Explanation

The affirmative simple present adds -s or -es to the base verb with he, she, or it, so watches is correct. The base form watch is used with I, you, we, and they, while watching and watched express different forms or tenses.

18. Which sentence correctly uses both be and have in the affirmative simple present?

A. He are tired and have a new coat.

B. He is tired and has a new coat.

C. He am tired and has a new coat.

D. He is tired and have a new coat.

Answer: (B)

Explanation

With he, she, or it, be becomes is and have becomes has in the affirmative simple present. The forms am, are, and have belong to other subjects in this context.