1. Complete the following sentences by using the appropriate articles (a, an, or the). (0.5 × 10 = 5)
In ______ heart of ______ ancient city stood ______ enormous cathedral built by ______ forgotten emperor. It was said that ______ structure had survived ______ thousand storms and witnessed ______ rise and fall of ______ empire. At ______ entrance, ______ lone statue guarded its silent mysteries.
- In the heart — the is used because "heart" here refers to a specific, unique central part of that city (definite reference).
- of the ancient city — the again marks a specific city already defined by context: "the ancient city" is definite and known to the reader.
- an enormous cathedral — an is required before a noun starting with a vowel sound ("enormous"); it indicates one non-specific large building.
- built by a forgotten emperor — a is used because the emperor is not previously identified; we introduce him as one among many (indefinite).
- It was said that the structure — the refers back to the specific cathedral already mentioned: definite reference to that structure.
- had survived a thousand storms — a thousand is an idiomatic way to express a large, indefinite number; "a" is used with numeral phrases to mean "many."
- witnessed the rise and fall — the is used with the paired abstract nouns "rise and fall" because they specify a particular historical cycle experienced by that place.
- of an empire — an here indicates an empire in general (not previously specified). It's indefinite because the empire isn't uniquely identified in the sentence.
- At the entrance — the is used because "entrance" refers to the specific entrance of that cathedral (definite location).
- a lone statue — a introduces a single, non-specific statue (we haven't named it or assumed prior knowledge); it emphasizes one among possible statues.
Summary tip: Use "the" for specific/known/unique references and for nouns made definite by context; use "a"/"an" to introduce non-specific items, choosing "an" before vowel sounds and "a" before consonant sounds.
2. Complete the following sentences by inserting the correct prepositions in each blank. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
______ the storm, the travelers took shelter ______ an abandoned cabin hidden ______ the dense pine trees. They huddled ______ a small fire that crackled softly ______ the iron chimney. Outside, the wind howled ______ the valley, echoing ______ the frozen hills. A lantern hung ______ the doorway flickered faintly ______ the darkness.
- During the storm — during indicates a time period; the specifies a particular storm already understood from context (or the one affecting them now).
- took shelter inside an abandoned cabin — inside locates them within the physical interior of the cabin; "inside" emphasizes being enclosed and protected from elements.
- hidden among the dense pine trees — among denotes position within a group or cluster (the cabin is surrounded by many trees, not beside a single tree).
- huddled around a small fire — around describes circular positioning surrounding the fire (implies closeness and shared warmth).
- crackled softly beneath the iron chimney — beneath means directly below; the sound source (fire) is under the chimney structure — a vertical relationship.
- the wind howled through the valley — through indicates movement from one side to the other within a space (wind traveling the length of the valley).
- echoing across the frozen hills — across conveys movement or propagation over the surface of the hills (sound traveling over and beyond them).
- a lantern hung above the doorway — above signals vertical placement higher than the doorway but typically near it — a fixed vertical relation.
- flickered faintly against the darkness — against is used to describe contrast or visible contact: light appearing in contrast with the surrounding darkness (the light meets or borders on the dark area).
Usage notes: Prepositions express spatial, temporal, or abstract relationships. Choose the preposition that best matches whether you mean location (inside, among), vertical relation (above, beneath), movement (through, across), or contrast/association (against).
🔑 Members Only Exercises
3. Complete the following sentences using the words and phrases provided: was born, has to / have to, would rather, had better, let alone, what if, as if, as soon as, what's it like, what does ------ look like, introductory 'there' or 'it'. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
1. He ______ in a small town by the river, and everyone still remembers his childhood stories. 2. You ______ finish your homework before going out to play; no excuses. 3. I ______ stay at home tonight than attend a loud party. 4. You ______ take an umbrella; it looks like rain is coming. 5. He can barely lift one box, ______ carry three of them by himself. 6. ______ we miss the train? We should have left earlier. 7. She spoke to him ______ he were guilty of the crime, even though there was no proof. 8. ______ I finish my chores, I will join you in the garden. 9. ______ living in a big city? I’ve always wondered. 10. ______ your new office look like? I heard it has huge windows. 11. ______ seems to be a mistake in this calculation. Can you check it again? 12. ______ was surprising to see how quickly the baby learned to walk.
📘 Detailed Explanation – Phrases & Constructions
- was born — Indicates the time or place of birth.
- has to / have to — Expresses necessity or obligation.
- would rather — Shows preference between two or more choices.
- had better — Strong advice or warning.
- let alone — Highlights that one thing is even less likely than another.
- what if — Introduces a hypothetical situation or concern.
- as if — Shows manner or comparison, often hypothetical.
- as soon as — Something happens immediately after another action.
- what's it like — Asking about experience or situation.
- what does ------ look like — Asks for a description of appearance.
- there — Introductory “there” indicates existence.
- it — Introductory “it” for general observation or situation.
4. Complete the following sentences by using appropriate conditionals, phrases, or clauses. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
If it ______ tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic. She would have helped you if you ______ her politely. You can borrow my car ______. We arrived late ______. He behaves ______. I will call you ______. If I ______, I would take that opportunity. You won’t succeed ______. She looked ______. We couldn’t finish the task ______.
- If it rains — First conditional; used for a possible future event and its result.
- If you had asked — Third conditional; expresses a past unreal situation and its hypothetical result.
- as long as you drive carefully — Conditional phrase indicating a restriction or requirement.
- because the bus broke down — Adverb clause of reason showing why they were late.
- as if he knew everything — Comparative clause expressing an unreal or pretended condition.
- when I reach home — Adverb clause of time indicating when the action will occur.
- If I were you — Second conditional; used for giving advice in hypothetical situations.
- unless you work hard — Conditional clause expressing a negative condition ("if not").
- as though she had seen a ghost — Clause of comparison describing her frightened look.
- although we tried our best — Concessive clause showing contrast between effort and result.
Summary tip: Use conditionals for "if" situations (real or unreal), phrases for short related ideas without full verbs, and clauses for complete ideas containing a subject and a verb.
5. Complete the following sentences by using the correct form of the verb or the correct subject–verb agreement. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
Every student ______ hard to pass the final exam. Neither the teacher nor the students ______ the exact time of the meeting. The team ______ its best this season. She ______ her assignment yet. By the time you arrive, we ______ the preparations. If I ______ you, I would accept the offer immediately. There ______ many challenges to overcome before the project ends. The number of applicants ______ since the advertisement was published. Each of the boxes ______ a different set of tools. He ______ to cooperate with the investigation.
- Every student studies — "Every" makes the subject singular; use the third person singular simple present ("studies").
- Neither the teacher nor the students know — With "neither...nor" the verb agrees with the nearer noun ("students" → plural), so use "know".
- The team is playing — Collective noun "team" is treated as a single unit here; present continuous ("is playing") describes an ongoing action.
- She hasn't finished — Present perfect ("has not finished") is used to indicate an action not completed up to now.
- We will have completed — Future perfect ("will have completed") shows the action will be finished before a specified future time.
- If I were you — Use the subjunctive/second conditional ("were") to express an unreal or hypothetical situation.
- There are many challenges — "There" as an introductory subject requires agreement with the real subject "many challenges" (plural → "are").
- The number of applicants has increased — With the phrase "the number of ...", the subject is singular ("the number") so use "has". The sentence has been present perfect in order to make a linkage between past and prsent (action started in the past but result is felt now)
- Each of the boxes contains — "Each" is singular and requires a singular verb ("contains").
- He refuses — Simple present third person singular requires the -s form ("refuses") for habitual or general statements.
Tip: Decide whether the subject is singular or plural (watch for words like every, each, neither...nor, the number of, there is/are), then choose the verb tense/form that matches the time/aspect required by the sentence.
6. Complete the following sentences by changing voice, sentence type, or degree as directed. (1 X 5 = 5)
1. Change to passive voice: The chef prepared a delicious meal. — ______.
2. Change to an interrogative sentence: She will finish the report tomorrow. — ______.
3. Change to imperative: You must obey the rules. — ______.
4. Change to assertive (wish): May you succeed in your exam. — ______.
5. Change to assertive: What a beautiful view this is! — ______.
6. Convert into compound sentence: As she studies hard, she passed the test. — ______.
7. Change to complex sentence (use because/when/although): Despite the heavy rain, he went out. — ______.
8. Change to positive degree: She is the most intelligent of the three sisters. — ______.
9. Change to comparative degree: This book is the most interesting in the shelf. — ______.
10. Change to superlative degree: My brother is taller than all his classmates. — ______.
- Passive voice: The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive. "A delicious meal was prepared by the chef."
- Interrogative: Use auxiliary inversion to form a question. "Will she finish the report tomorrow?"
- Imperative: Give a command by using the base verb; subject ("you") is usually omitted. "Obey the rules."
- Optative (wish): Use modal or wish structure (may/long live/wish) to express a wish. "May you succeed in your exam."
- Exclamatory: Use "What" or "How" + subject + verb or an exclamatory sentence with emotion. "What a beautiful view this is!"
- Compound sentence: Join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so). "She studies hard, and she passed the test."
- Complex sentence: Use a subordinate conjunction (because, although, when) to combine clauses showing reason, contrast, or time. "He went out although it was raining heavily."
- Positive degree (from superlative): Convert superlative to a plain positive or comparative form: "She is more intelligent than her sisters."
- Comparative degree: Use "more" or "-er" with "than" to compare two items/groups: "This book is more interesting than the others on the shelf."
- Superlative degree: Use "the + -est" or "the most" to show the highest degree within a group: "My brother is the tallest in his class."
Tip: Identify what the sentence asks you to change (voice, type, or degree). For voice, swap subject/object and adjust auxiliary verbs; for sentence types, change structure and punctuation; for degrees, adjust comparative/superlative words and use "than" or "the" as needed.
7. Read the passage and convert the bold sentences into indirect speech; click on each blank space to reveal the correct answers. (1 X 5 = 5)
Last Monday, during our biology class, the teacher said, "Plants need sunlight to grow properly." She asked us, "Have you observed the growth of seedlings in different light conditions?" I replied, "I noticed that the seedlings in bright sunlight grew faster." Then she advised the class, "You should water the plants regularly and check their progress daily." Later, my classmate remarked, "I am going to the greenhouse to measure the plant height." I told him, "I will join you after the lecture ends."
Last Monday, during our biology class, the teacher said that ______________. She asked us ______________. I replied that I ______________. Then she advised the class that we ______________. Later, my classmate remarked that he ______________. I told him that I ______________.
- plants need sunlight to grow properly — Universal truth remains in the present tense.
- if we had observed the growth of seedlings in different light conditions — Question converted using “if”; present perfect → past perfect.
- had noticed that the seedlings in bright sunlight grew faster — Past tense reported as past perfect.
- should water the plants regularly and check their progress daily — Advice expressed with “should” remains the same.
- was going to the greenhouse to measure the plant height — Present continuous changes to past continuous.
- would join him after the lecture ended — Future “will” changes to “would”; “ends” → “ended” for past context.
Tips:
- Keep universal truths in present tense.
- Shift tenses back one step for past narration.
- Adjust pronouns and time references according to the reporting verb.
- Use "that" for statements and "if/whether" for yes-no questions.
8. Read the passage carefully and correct the pronoun reference errors; click on each blank space to reveal the correct answers. (1 × 5 = 5)
Last Sunday, Rahim and Karim went to the city park for a morning walk. He enjoyed the fresh air and the chirping of birds. While they were walking, they saw a group of children playing with toys, but they seemed bored after a few minutes. Near the zoo enclosure, a bear and a tiger were resting, and it frightened some visitors. Later, they bought ice cream, but the box was empty, and we were disappointed eating it. Finally, their teacher gave them instructions about the school project, but it was not clear to everyone, and Noman and Mahbub forgot to submit he on time.
Last Sunday, Rahim and Karim went to the city park for a morning walk. ______________. While they were walking, they saw a group of children playing with toys, but ______________. Near the zoo enclosure, a bear and a tiger were resting, and ______________. Later, they bought ice cream, but the box was empty, and ______________. Finally, their teacher gave them instructions about the school project, but ______________, and Noman and Mahbub forgot to submit ______________.
- Rahim enjoyed the fresh air and the chirping of birds — "He" was ambiguous; specifying Rahim clarifies the antecedent.
- the children seemed bored after a few minutes — "they" could be unclear; specifying "the children" removes ambiguity.
- the tiger frightened some visitors — "it" was unclear; specifying "the tiger" resolves the antecedent ambiguity.
- they were disappointed eating the ice-cream — Original "we" and "it" were confusing; clarifying pronouns and antecedent ensures meaning.
- the instructions were not clear to everyone — "it" was vague; replacing it with "the instructions" makes the antecedent explicit.
- their project on time — "he" was incorrect; specifying "their project" corrects the pronoun reference and agreement.
Tips:
- Ensure each pronoun has a clear, singular antecedent unless context allows plural.
- Avoid hidden antecedents; make nouns explicit when they work as adjectives.
- Check pronoun-verb agreement for singular and plural nouns.
- Replace vague pronouns like "it," "this," "that" with explicit nouns when necessary.
9. Complete the following passage by filling in the blanks with single-word pre-modifiers or post-modifiers; click on each blank to reveal the correct answers. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
Last weekend, I visited a ______________ museum in the city. The museum, ______________, displayed ______________ artifacts. I was particularly impressed by a ______________ statue, which had been preserved ______________. Outside the museum, there was a ______________ garden, where children played under the shade of ______________ trees. I walked along ______________ paths, admiring the ______________ carvings on the walls. Before leaving, I bought a ______________ souvenir to remember the visit.
- historic — Pre-modifier adjective describing "museum".
- ancient — Post-modifier adjective giving additional information about the museum.
- rare — Pre-modifier describing "artifacts".
- golden — Pre-modifier describing "statue".
- perfectly — Post-modifier adverb describing how the statue was preserved.
- beautiful — Pre-modifier describing "garden".
- tall — Pre-modifier describing "trees".
- narrow — Pre-modifier describing "paths".
- intricate — Pre-modifier describing "carvings".
- small — Pre-modifier describing "souvenir".
Tips:
- Pre-modifiers are single adjectives or nouns that appear before the noun.
- Post-modifiers can be single adverbs or adjectives that clarify or add detail.
- Always place modifiers next to the word they describe to maintain grammatical correctness.
10. Complete the following passage by filling in the blanks with appropriate cohesive devices (connectors and linkers); click on each blank to reveal the correct answers. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
Last week, I decided to visit my grandparents. ______________, I packed my bag carefully to make sure I did not forget anything. ______________, I took a taxi to the railway station, ______________ I was running late. The train was crowded, ______________ I had to stand for the entire journey. ______________, I met an old friend who was traveling to the same town. ______________, we could not talk much because the train was very noisy. When I reached my grandparents’ house, they were very happy to see me. ______________, my grandmother had prepared my favorite food. ______________, I spent a wonderful evening with the family. ______________, I promised them that I would visit again soon.
- Firstly — Indicates the first step or point in a sequence.
- Then — Shows the next action in chronological order.
- because — Shows reason or cause.
- so — Shows result or consequence.
- Meanwhile — Indicates simultaneous action happening at the same time.
- However — Introduces contrast or exception.
- In addition — Adds extra information.
- Therefore — Indicates logical conclusion or result.
- Finally — Shows the last action or conclusion in a sequence.
Tips:
- Use connectors to show sequence (firstly, then, finally).
- Use cause-effect connectors (because, therefore, so) to show reasoning.
- Use contrast connectors (however, although) to show opposing ideas.
- Use addition connectors (in addition, moreover) to add extra information.
- Place the connector next to the clause it modifies to ensure clarity and coherence.
11. Read the passage and replace the bold words with appropriate words; click on each blank to reveal the correct answers. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
Last week, I had a pleasant (synonym) ______________ experience at the art exhibition. The paintings were beautiful (synonym) ______________ and full of vivid (synonym) ______________ colors. However, the crowd was chaotic (antonym) ______________, making it difficult to move around freely. Some visitors were rude (antonym) ______________, which spoiled the atmosphere. Despite the disturbances, the overall event was memorable (synonym) ______________. I felt happy (synonym) ______________ meeting so many talented artists. On the other hand, my friend felt uninterested (antonym) ______________ because he didn’t enjoy modern art. Some artworks were ordinary (antonym) ______________, and lacked creativity. Finally, the exit was difficult (antonym) ______________, making the leave a bit crowded (antonym) ______________.
- Synonyms: pleasant, beautiful, vivid, memorable, happy — use words with similar meanings in context.
- Antonyms: chaotic, rude, uninterested, ordinary, difficult, crowded — use words expressing contrast or opposite meaning.
- Each blank can accept 2–3 correct words based on context.
- Ensure the passage remains grammatically correct after filling all blanks.
Tips:
- Follow the instructions in brackets beside each bold word (synonym or antonym).
- Think about the nuance; multiple words may be suitable.
- Read the full sentence to maintain grammatical and contextual correctness.
12. Punctuate the passage: Read the passage carefully and decide where punctuation marks and capital letters should be placed. Click Show Answers to check. (0.5 × 10 = 5)
last weekend my friends and i decided to go on a picnic we packed sandwiches fruits and drinks and left early in the morning as we drove through the forest we saw a deer a rabbit and many colorful birds suddenly my friend asked did you see that huge tree over there i replied yes its amazing finally we reached the picnic spot and shouted hurray we are here we couldnt believe our luck