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ECAT — Engineering College Admission Test (UET)

ECAT English — Tenses and Subject-Verb Agreement (Set 2)

Take the ECAT English — Tenses and Subject-Verb Agreement (Set 2): 30 multiple-choice questions (40 minutes) with instant scoring and a full answer…

What this test covers

Sample questions with answers

The first 5 questions of this test, with the correct answer and explanation.

  1. Q1. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: The teacher, together with her students, ___ planting trees in the school garden.

    • A. is ✓
    • B. were
    • C. have been
    • D. are

    Answer: A. is

    Explanation: Phrases like 'together with her students' do not change the subject; the subject 'the teacher' is singular, so 'is'.

  2. Q2. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Nobody in the two villages ___ seen the missing child since Tuesday.

    • A. have
    • B. has ✓
    • C. were
    • D. are

    Answer: B. has

    Explanation: Indefinite pronouns such as 'nobody' take a singular verb, and 'since Tuesday' needs the present perfect: 'has seen'.

  3. Q3. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: 'The Arabian Nights' ___ a famous collection of ancient tales.

    • A. are
    • B. have
    • C. is ✓
    • D. were

    Answer: C. is

    Explanation: The title of a single book is treated as singular even if it looks plural, so 'is'.

  4. Q4. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: If I ___ you, I would accept the scholarship at once.

    • A. will be
    • B. were ✓
    • C. have been
    • D. am

    Answer: B. were

    Explanation: An imaginary present condition (second conditional) uses the past subjunctive 'were' with 'would' in the main clause.

  5. Q5. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: If she had left home earlier, she ___ the flight.

    • A. would not miss
    • B. had not missed
    • C. will not miss
    • D. would not have missed ✓

    Answer: D. would not have missed

    Explanation: Third conditional: if + past perfect, would have + past participle, so 'would not have missed'.

The other 25 questions

Take the timed test (free, no sign-up) to see your score and the answer and explanation for every question.

  1. Q6. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: The pilot ___ the plane for twelve hours when he finally landed in Karachi.

    • A. has been flying
    • B. had been flying
    • C. was flown
    • D. is flying

  2. Q7. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: I ___ in Islamabad for five years, and I still live there.

    • A. have lived
    • B. am living
    • C. had lived
    • D. lived

  3. Q8. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: According to the timetable, the train to Lahore ___ at 6:15 tomorrow morning.

    • A. left
    • B. has left
    • C. had left
    • D. leaves

  4. Q9. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Many a student ___ failed to understand this concept.

    • A. has
    • B. are
    • C. were
    • D. have

  5. Q10. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Half of the mangoes in the basket ___ rotten.

    • A. are
    • B. is
    • C. was
    • D. has

  6. Q11. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Two-thirds of the land ___ under water after last year's flood.

    • A. have
    • B. was
    • C. were
    • D. are

  7. Q12. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: The boy who won all the medals ___ my cousin.

    • A. were
    • B. is
    • C. have
    • D. are

  8. Q13. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: There ___ several reasons for his poor result.

    • A. are
    • B. is
    • C. was
    • D. has

  9. Q14. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: While I ___ along the canal, I saw a kingfisher dive into the water.

    • A. will walk
    • B. have walked
    • C. was walking
    • D. am walking

  10. Q15. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: By 2030, the company ___ in this city for fifty years.

    • A. is operating
    • B. will have been operating
    • C. has been operating
    • D. will be operating

  11. Q16. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: When we reached the cinema, the film ___, so we missed the opening scene.

    • A. already starts
    • B. had already started
    • C. will have started
    • D. has already started

  12. Q17. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: This soup ___ delicious; may I have some more?

    • A. has been tasting
    • B. tastes
    • C. tasting
    • D. is tasting

  13. Q18. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: I ___ the answer now that you have explained it.

    • A. have been understanding
    • B. understand
    • C. was understanding
    • D. am understanding

  14. Q19. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: My friend and colleague, Dr Asif, ___ coming to dinner tonight.

    • A. have
    • B. are
    • C. were
    • D. is

  15. Q20. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: The secretary and the treasurer ___ arrived for the meeting.

    • A. have
    • B. is
    • C. has
    • D. was

  16. Q21. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Either the manager or his assistants ___ responsible for this error.

    • A. has
    • B. are
    • C. is
    • D. was

  17. Q22. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Measles ___ a highly contagious disease.

    • A. were
    • B. have
    • C. is
    • D. are

  18. Q23. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: The people of this village ___ very hospitable to visitors.

    • A. are
    • B. is
    • C. was
    • D. has

  19. Q24. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: It is high time we ___ for the station, or we will miss the train.

    • A. left
    • B. will leave
    • C. have left
    • D. leave

  20. Q25. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: I wish I ___ the answer to this question right now.

    • A. will know
    • B. knew
    • C. have known
    • D. know

  21. Q26. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Unless he ___ harder, he will fail the final exam.

    • A. would work
    • B. will work
    • C. works
    • D. had worked

  22. Q27. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Hardly anyone ___ the seminar yesterday because of the strike.

    • A. has attended
    • B. attends
    • C. attending
    • D. attended

  23. Q28. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: Rice, not wheat, ___ the main crop of this district.

    • A. are
    • B. have
    • C. is
    • D. were

  24. Q29. Ten years ___ a long time to wait for a reply.

    • A. is
    • B. were
    • C. have been
    • D. are

  25. Q30. Which negative sentence in the past tense is grammatically correct?

    • A. She not went to school yesterday.
    • B. She did not go to school yesterday.
    • C. She did not went to school yesterday.
    • D. She does not went to school yesterday.