NDA Exam - English (Grammar & Usage / Spotting Errors & Sentence Improvement) Practice Test 50 MCQs

NDA Exam - English (Grammar & Usage / Spotting Errors & Sentence Improvement) Practice Test

Targeted 50 MCQ Practice Module focusing on: Parts of Speech, Tenses, Voice & Narration, Subject-Verb Agreement, Spotting Errors, and Sentence Improvement — as per the NDA English syllabus.

Select your answers and click Submit Assessment Answers at the bottom to calculate your total score and review explanations.

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SECTION I: Parts of Speech, Articles & Prepositions [Questions 1 to 10]

1. Choose the correct article: He is ___ honest man and ___ European by birth.

a, a a, an an, a an, an

Explanation: "Honest" begins with a silent 'h', so it takes "an". "European" begins with a consonant sound /j/, so it takes "a".

2. Identify the correct preposition: She is good ___ Mathematics.

in at with on

Explanation: The idiomatic preposition used with skill/subject proficiency is "good at".

3. Pick the correctly used conjunction: ___ he was tired, he continued working.

Although Because Unless Since

Explanation: "Although" introduces a contrast/concession, which fits since he worked despite being tired.

4. Which word is a collective noun?

Soldier Bravery Rifle Fleet

Explanation: "Fleet" refers to a group of ships or vehicles collectively, making it a collective noun.

5. Choose the correct comparative degree: This road is ___ than that one.

more wide most wider wider wide

Explanation: Single-syllable adjectives like "wide" form the comparative by adding "-er": wider.

6. Identify the correctly used preposition: The train arrived ___ the station ___ time.

in, at at, on on, in at, in

Explanation: We say "arrived at the station" for a point/place, and "on time" meaning punctual.

7. Choose the correctly formed adverb from the adjective "quick":

quickly quickness quicker quickest

Explanation: Adding "-ly" to the adjective "quick" forms the adverb "quickly".

8. Which of the following is a proper noun?

city river mountain Himalayas

Explanation: "Himalayas" names a specific mountain range and is therefore a proper noun, capitalized accordingly.

9. Select the correctly used pronoun: Neither of the boys had done ___ homework.

their our his its

Explanation: "Neither" is singular, so it must be followed by a singular pronoun "his" for agreement.

10. Choose the correct preposition: He is afraid ___ dogs.

from of with about

Explanation: The correct idiomatic usage is "afraid of" something.

SECTION II: Tenses & Verb Forms [Questions 11 to 20]

11. Choose the correct tense: By the time we reached the station, the train ___.

had already left has already left already left is already leaving

Explanation: Past Perfect Tense ("had already left") is used for an action completed before another past action (reaching the station).

12. Fill in the blank with the correct form: She ___ tennis every Sunday.

is playing played plays play

Explanation: A habitual action ("every Sunday") requires Simple Present Tense with third person singular verb "plays".

13. Identify the correct future perfect construction: By next year, he ___ his degree.

will complete will have completed completes is completing

Explanation: "By next year" signals an action completed before a future point, requiring Future Perfect Tense: "will have completed".

14. Choose the correct past continuous form: While I ___ dinner, the phone rang.

cook cooked have cooked was cooking

Explanation: An ongoing past action interrupted by another action ("the phone rang") uses Past Continuous: "was cooking".

15. Select the correct present perfect continuous form: They ___ for three hours.

have been working had been working are working worked

Explanation: An action that started in the past and continues into the present, with duration stated, uses Present Perfect Continuous: "have been working".

16. Choose the correct form: If I ___ rich, I would travel the world.

am will be were was

Explanation: In the Second Conditional (unreal present), the subjunctive "were" is used for all persons, including "I".

17. Identify the correct past perfect continuous: She ___ for two hours before he arrived.

was studying had been studying has studied studies

Explanation: An action continuing up to a point in the past before another past action requires Past Perfect Continuous: "had been studying".

18. Choose the correct verb form: The committee ___ to meet next Monday.

are deciding have decided were deciding has decided

Explanation: "Committee" is a collective noun treated as singular when acting as one unit, so it takes "has decided".

19. Select the correctly formed sentence using the modal "must have":

He must have missed the bus. He must has missed the bus. He must missed the bus. He must had missed the bus.

Explanation: "Must have + past participle" is the correct structure to express a confident guess about the past: "must have missed".

20. Choose the correct sentence expressing a future arrangement:

I meet him tomorrow. I have met him tomorrow. I am meeting him tomorrow. I had met him tomorrow.

Explanation: Present Continuous is used to describe fixed future arrangements or plans: "I am meeting him tomorrow".

SECTION III: Subject-Verb Agreement, Voice & Narration [Questions 21 to 30]

21. Choose the grammatically correct sentence:

Each of the students have submitted their assignment. Each of the students has submitted his assignment. Each of the students submit their assignment. Each of the students are submitting their assignment.

Explanation: "Each" is always singular and takes a singular verb "has" and a singular pronoun "his".

22. Select the correctly agreeing sentence:

The number of accidents are increasing. A number of students is absent today. The jury has given their verdict. The number of accidents is increasing.

Explanation: "The number of" takes a singular verb, while "A number of" takes a plural verb. Hence "The number of accidents is increasing" is correct.

23. Convert to passive voice: "The chef is cooking the meal."

The meal is being cooked by the chef. The meal was cooked by the chef. The meal is cooked by the chef. The meal has been cooked by the chef.

Explanation: Present Continuous Active ("is cooking") converts to Present Continuous Passive: "is being cooked".

24. Convert to passive voice: "They have completed the project."

The project is completed by them. The project was completed by them. The project has been completed by them. The project had been completed by them.

Explanation: Present Perfect Active ("have completed") converts to Present Perfect Passive: "has been completed".

25. Change into indirect speech: He said, "I am writing a letter."

He said that I am writing a letter. He said that he was writing a letter. He says that he was writing a letter. He said that he is writing a letter.

Explanation: In indirect speech, present continuous ("am writing") shifts to past continuous ("was writing") and "I" changes to "he".

26. Change into indirect speech: She said, "I will go there tomorrow."

She said that I would go there tomorrow. She said that she will go there the next day. She says that she would go there tomorrow. She said that she would go there the next day.

Explanation: "Will" shifts to "would", "I" shifts to "she", and "tomorrow" shifts to "the next day" in reported speech.

27. Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement:

Neither the teacher nor the students were present. Neither the teacher nor the students was present. Neither the teacher nor the students is present. Neither the teacher nor the students has present.

Explanation: With "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the subject closer to it — here "students" (plural), so "were" is correct.

28. Convert to passive voice: "Who wrote this letter?"

Who this letter was written by? By whom this letter is written? By whom was this letter written? By whom this letter was written?

Explanation: In passive interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb precedes the subject: "By whom was this letter written?"

29. Choose the sentence with correct agreement:

Mathematics are my favourite subject. Mathematics is my favourite subject. Mathematics were my favourite subject. Mathematics have been my favourite subject.

Explanation: Subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and News, though plural in form, are treated as singular and take a singular verb "is".

30. Change into indirect speech: The teacher said, "Do not make noise."

The teacher said that do not make noise. The teacher told that not to make noise. The teacher said to not making noise. The teacher told them not to make noise.

Explanation: Negative imperative sentences in reported speech use "told + object + not to + base verb": "told them not to make noise".

SECTION IV: Spotting Errors [Questions 31 to 40]

31. Spot the error: "Each of the boys / have brought / their own lunch box / today."

Each of the boys have brought their own lunch box today

Explanation: "Each" is singular, so the verb should be "has brought", not "have brought".

32. Spot the error: "One of my friend / is going / to abroad / next month."

One of my friend is going to abroad next month

Explanation: "Abroad" is itself an adverb meaning "to a foreign country" and should not be preceded by "to". It should be simply "going abroad".

33. Spot the error: "There is many reasons / why he failed / in the / examination."

There is many reasons why he failed in the examination

Explanation: "Reasons" is plural, so the verb must agree: "There are many reasons".

34. Spot the error: "She is one of the / best singer / who has / performed on this stage."

She is one of the best singer who has performed on this stage

Explanation: The error lies in "best singer", which should be "best singers" since "one of the" is followed by a plural noun.

35. Spot the error: "He is enough intelligent / to understand / this complex / mathematical problem."

He is enough intelligent to understand this complex mathematical problem

Explanation: The error is in Part 1: "enough" should follow the adjective, i.e., "intelligent enough", not precede it.

36. Spot the error: "Neither of the two candidates / were qualified / for the / senior post."

Neither of the two candidates for the were qualified senior post

Explanation: "Neither" is singular, so the correct verb form should be "was qualified", not "were qualified".

37. Spot the error: "I am knowing him / since / we were / in college together."

I am knowing him since we were in college together

Explanation: "Know" is a stative verb and is not used in continuous form. The correct form is "I have known him".

38. Spot the error: "Besides being a good player, / he is also / a good / captain, isn't it?"

Besides being a good player, he is also a good captain, isn't it?

Explanation: The question tag must agree with the subject "he" and verb "is", so it should be "isn't he?", not "isn't it?".

39. Spot the error: "The teacher along with her students / were present / at the / annual function."

The teacher along with her students were present at the annual function

Explanation: With "along with", the verb agrees with the main subject "teacher" (singular), so it should be "was present".

40. Spot the error: "Ram is taller / than any other boys / in his class / at school."

Ram is taller than any other boys in his class at school

Explanation: After "any other" in a comparative construction, a singular noun is required: "than any other boy", not "boys".

SECTION V: Sentence Improvement [Questions 41 to 50]

41. Improve the underlined part: "He is senior than me in the office."

He is senior to me in the office. He is more senior than me in the office. He is senior than I in the office. No improvement

Explanation: Latin comparatives such as "senior", "junior", "superior", and "inferior" take "to" instead of "than".

42. Improve the sentence: "Scarcely he had reached the station when the train left."

Scarcely he reached the station when the train left. Scarcely had he reach the station when the train left. Scarcely had he reached the station when the train left. No improvement

Explanation: "Scarcely" at the start of a sentence requires inversion of subject and auxiliary verb: "Scarcely had he reached...".

43. Improve the sentence: "No sooner the bell rang than the students left the classroom."

No sooner did the bell rang than the students left the classroom. No sooner did the bell ring than the students left the classroom. No sooner the bell had rung than the students left the classroom. No improvement

Explanation: "No sooner" requires inversion with "did" followed by the base verb "ring", and is correlated with "than".

44. Improve the sentence: "He insisted to go there alone."

He insisted for going there alone. He insisted going there alone. He insisted that going there alone. He insisted on going there alone.

Explanation: "Insist" is followed by the preposition "on" and a gerund: "insisted on going".

45. Improve the sentence: "Hardly he had left the house when it started raining."

Hardly had he left the house when it started raining. Hardly he left the house when it started raining. Hardly had he leave the house when it started raining. No improvement

Explanation: "Hardly" at the start of a sentence requires inversion: "Hardly had he left...".

46. Improve the sentence: "She is accustomed of hard work."

She is accustomed with hard work. She is accustomed for hard work. She is accustomed to hard work. No improvement

Explanation: The correct idiomatic preposition following "accustomed" is "to": "accustomed to hard work".

47. Improve the sentence: "If I was you, I would apologize immediately."

If I am you, I would apologize immediately. If I were you, I would apologize immediately. If I would be you, I would apologize immediately. No improvement

Explanation: In hypothetical/unreal conditionals, "were" replaces "was" for all subjects: "If I were you...".

48. Improve the sentence: "The teacher, as well as the students, were happy with the result."

The teacher, as well as the students, was happy with the result. The teacher, as well as the students, are happy with the result. The teacher, as well as the students, have been happy with the result. No improvement

Explanation: With "as well as", the verb agrees with the first/main subject "teacher" (singular), requiring "was happy".

49. Improve the sentence: "Not only he is intelligent but also hardworking."

Not only he is intelligent but also he is hardworking. Not only is intelligent he but also hardworking. Not only him is intelligent but also hardworking. Not only is he intelligent but also hardworking.

Explanation: "Not only" at the start of a clause requires inversion of subject and verb: "Not only is he intelligent...".

50. Improve the sentence: "He prevented me to attend the meeting."

He prevented me for attending the meeting. He prevented me of attending the meeting. He prevented me from attending the meeting. No improvement

Explanation: "Prevent" takes the preposition "from" followed by a gerund: "prevented me from attending".

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