Daily Olympiad: English - Grammar [20260512] – 10 Practice Problems & Printable PDF

1. Identify the grammatically correct sentence.

A. Neither the students nor the teacher was ready. B. Neither the students nor the teacher were ready. C. Neither the students or the teacher was ready. D. Neither the students nor the teacher was been ready.

Solution

Correct: A

The subject-verb agreement rule states that when two singular nouns are joined by 'either...or' or 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Here, 'teacher' (singular) is nearer to 'nor,' so the verb is singular ('was').

2. Choose the correct transformation into passive voice: 'The team is building a new bridge.'

A. A new bridge is being built by the team. B. A new bridge is built by the team. C. A new bridge is building by the team. D. A new bridge is been built by the team.

Solution

Correct: A

The correct passive voice uses the present continuous tense: 'be + being + past participle.' Here, 'is being built' aligns with the active sentence's continuous aspect.

3. Replace the underlined word with the correct preposition: 'She has been working here ___ a month.'

A. for B. since C. during D. in

Solution

Correct: A

The preposition 'for' is used to indicate a duration of time. 'Since' refers to a specific starting point, but here the duration is emphasized.

4. Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: 'The scientist has made a groundbreaking discovery.'

A. Adjective B. Adverb C. Noun D. Article

Solution

Correct: A

'Groundbreaking' modifies the noun 'discovery,' functioning as an adjective describing the nature of the discovery.

5. Choose the correct sentence.

A. He is taller than her. B. He is taller than she. C. He is the tallest compared to her. D. He is taller compared to her.

Solution

Correct: B

In comparative constructions, the subjunctive form 'she' is used after 'than' when the subject is emphasized. However, informal usage often accepts 'her.'

6. What is the correct order of the words to form a grammatically correct sentence? 'has / she / her / decided'

A. She has decided her. B. She her decided has. C. She has her decided. D. She decided has her.

Solution

Correct: A

The correct word order is subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + object. 'She has decided her' is incorrect because 'her' is misplaced. The correct answer places the object correctly.

7. Identify the correct form of the verb: 'If I ___ rich, I would travel the world.'

A. am B. was C. were D. will be

Solution

Correct: C

In second conditional sentences expressing unrealistic conditions, 'if + past simple' (were) is used, even with first person ('I').

8. Choose the correct modal to complete the sentence: 'You ___ finish your homework before playing.'

A. must B. can C. might D. need

Solution

Correct: A

'Must' expresses a strong obligation, fitting the context of a requirement ('before playing').

9. Replace the underlined phrase with the correct one: 'He ran so fast that I ___ catch him.'

A. could not B. can not C. was not able to D. am not able to

Solution

Correct: A

'Could not' is the correct past tense modal for expressing inability in the same clause as 'ran,' maintaining tense consistency.

10. Identify the grammatically incorrect sentence.

A. Neither of the books is interesting. B. Each of them have their own opinion. C. Ten thousand rupees is a lot. D. All the water in the reservoir has dried up.

Solution

Correct: B

The subject 'Each' is singular, requiring 'has' instead of 'have.' This breaks the subject-verb agreement rule.