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Grammar and usage
10 ECAT English questions with answers and explanations.
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Had I known the answer, I ___ told you.
- 1 will have
- 2 would have
- 3 would
- 4 had
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Correct answer: would have
This is a third conditional sentence. The pattern is had + past participle, then would have + past participle.
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The number of students in the class ___ increasing every year.
- 1 are
- 2 were
- 3 have been
- 4 is
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Correct answer: is
The number of takes a singular verb because the subject is number. A number of takes a plural verb.
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A number of students ___ absent today.
- 1 is
- 2 are
- 3 was
- 4 has been
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Correct answer: are
A number of means several, so it takes a plural verb.
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He is senior ___ me by two years.
- 1 than
- 2 from
- 3 to
- 4 of
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Correct answer: to
Senior, junior, superior and inferior are followed by to, not than.
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She prefers tea ___ coffee.
- 1 than
- 2 to
- 3 over than
- 4 from
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No sooner had the bell rung ___ the students left.
- 1 when
- 2 than
- 3 then
- 4 that
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Correct answer: than
No sooner is paired with than. Hardly and scarcely are paired with when.
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One of my friends ___ an engineer.
- 1 are
- 2 were
- 3 is
- 4 have been
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Correct answer: is
The subject is one, which is singular, so the verb is is.
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Despite ___ tired, she finished the work.
- 1 be
- 2 being
- 3 was
- 4 to be
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Correct answer: being
Despite is a preposition and is followed by a noun or an -ing form.
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I am used to ___ up early.
- 1 wake
- 2 woke
- 3 waking
- 4 be waking
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Correct answer: waking
In be used to, the word to is a preposition and takes an -ing form.
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The engineers submitted ___ report on Monday.
- 1 a their
- 2 their
- 3 theirs
- 4 them
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Correct answer: their
A possessive adjective, their, is needed before the noun report.