Advanced English language practice

Test your knowledge of the English language. This exercise includes 20 tasks, available without registration or restrictions. To start, we recommend reviewing the theory below. However, if you feel confident, click “start.”

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Advanced English practice (quiz, test)

“Please give me a pain killer.” the patient said. The patient begged the nurse _______ a pain killer.

to give her

she would give me

to give me

she would give her

“Did she agree with me?” He wondered if _______.

she’d agreed with him

she’d agree with him

she’d agreed with he

she agreed with him

Teachers have found the overhead projector to be invaluable as a teaching aid.

Teachers have found that the overhead projector _____.

to be invaluable as a teaching aid

invaluable as a teaching aid

was invaluable as a teaching aid

is invaluable as a teaching aid

“I’d love to come.” she said. She said _______ to come.

I’d liked

I’d like

she’d liked

she’d like

I wanted to know why no one _______.

hasn’t come

has come

hadn’t come

had come

Researches have now proved that earlier theories _______ incorrect.

were

to be

to have been

had been

“May I have my letters addressed in care of your office?” asked Mr. Taylor. Mr. Taylor asked if ______ letters addressed in care of ______ office.

I might have my / your

he might have his / my

he may have his / his

he may have his / my

He asked “Have you read The old Man and the Sea, Ted?” He wanted to know if _______ The old Man and the Sea.

I have read

I’d read

he’d read

he has read

They asked, “Is the work going to be easy?” They wondered if _____.

the work was going to be easy

the work was easy

was work going to be easy

the work is going to be easy

Many people considered it to be cruel to send animals in rockets into outer space. Many people consider that _______ cruel to send animals in rockets into further space.

to be

it is

it was

it to be

The Prime Minister clearly suspects his party to have little chance of winning the next election. The Prime Minister clearly suspects that his party _______ little chance of winning the next election.

has

would have

had

to have

“Whom did you see at the concert last night?” She asked us whom _______ the other night.

we saw

I’d seen

we’d seen

I saw

He began to realize that he _______ mistake.

is making

has made

had made

will make

I assured him that he _______ pneumonia.

get

would get

should get

gets

“Don’t eat those cherries, they are poisonous,” said David. David _______ not to eat those cherries because they were poisonous.

didn’t want me

warned me

said to me that

suggested that

The Prime minister warned that higher wages _____ higher prices.

mean

will mean

to mean

would mean

“Which of these films have you seen?” My friend asked me which of the films _______.

I had seen

have I seen

you had seen

have you seen

The law requires that all cars _______ regularly tested for safety and efficiency.

have to be

to be

should be

were to be

The witness later disclosed the evidence to have been destroyed. The witness later disclosed that the evidence _______.

has been destroyed

to be destroyed

would be destroyed

had been destroyed

The doctor says, “The moisture in the air might affect your breathing.” He thinks that the moisture in the air _______.

may affect your breathing

might affect my breathing

might affect your breathing

would affect my breathing

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Key grammar rules for advanced English proficiency

To successfully complete exercises involving filling in the blanks, you need a solid understanding of certain grammatical constructions and rules. Let’s briefly review the basics to help you succeed in the exercise.

Infinitives and gerunds

Infinitives

Infinitives are the base form of a verb preceded by “to” (to learn). They are often used after certain verbs, adjectives, and nouns.

Examples:

• “She wants to learn.”
• “He decided to leave.”

Gerunds

Gerunds are verbs ending in “-ing” that function as nouns. They are used after prepositions and certain verbs.

Examples:

• “Swimming is fun.”
• “She is good at drawing.”

Passive voice

The passive voice emphasizes the action rather than the subject performing it. It is formed using the verb “to be” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Structure:

• Subject + form of “to be” + past participle

Examples:

• Active: “The chef cooked the meal.”
• Passive: “The meal was cooked by the chef.”

Reported speech

Reported speech conveys what someone else has said without directly quoting them. When transforming sentences, verb tenses, pronouns, and time expressions often change.

Tense changes:

• Present Simple → Past Simple: “She says, ‘I am happy.'” → “She said that she was happy.”
• Present Continuous → Past Continuous: “He says, ‘I am going.'” → “He said that he was going.”
• Present Perfect → Past Perfect: “They say, ‘We have finished.'” → “They said that they had finished.”

Questions

When transforming questions, the verb “ask” is used, and the question is turned into a statement form.

Examples:

• Direct: “What time does the train leave?”
• Reported: “He asked what time the train left.”

Commands and requests

To report commands and requests, use the verbs “tell” or “ask” followed by the infinitive.

Examples:

• Direct: “Close the door.”
• Reported: “She told me to close the door.”

Conditional sentences

Conditional sentences express “if” situations. They are important for hypothetical or uncertain events.

Zero conditional

Used for general truths:

• Structure: If + present simple, present simple
• Example: “If you heat water, it boils.”

First conditional

Used for possible future events:

• Structure: If + present simple, will + base verb
• Example: “If it rains, we will cancel the trip.”

Second conditional

Used for hypothetical present or future situations:

• Structure: If + past simple, would + base verb
• Example: “If I were rich, I would travel the world.”

Third conditional

Used for hypothetical past situations:

• Structure: If + past perfect, would have + past participle
• Example: “If I had known, I would have acted differently.”

Relative clauses

Relative clauses provide additional information about a noun. They are introduced by relative pronouns such as “who,” “whom,” “whose,” “which,” and “that.”

Examples:

• “The book that I read was fascinating.”
• “She is the teacher who helped me.”

Modal verbs

Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) express necessity, possibility, permission, or ability. Transformations involving modal verbs require understanding their various uses and forms.

Examples:

• “She can swim.”  → “She is able to swim.”
• “He might come.”  → “He may come.”

Verb tenses

Understanding different verb tenses is crucial for correctly transforming sentences. Here are the main tenses and their uses:

Present simple

Used for habitual actions, general truths, and fixed arrangements.

• Example: “She studies every day.”

Past simple

Used for actions completed in the past.

• Example: “They visited the museum.”

Present perfect

Used for actions that occurred at an unspecified time or have relevance to the present.

• Example: “I have finished my homework.”

Past perfect

Used for actions completed before another action in the past.

• Example: “She had left before I arrived.”

Future simple

Used for decisions made at the moment of speaking or for future actions.

• Example: “I will call you tomorrow.”

This is just a small part of what you need to know. For more material, visit the “Grammar” section.