Take the ECAT English — Voice, Narration and Sentence Correction (Set 5): 30 multiple-choice questions (40 minutes) with instant scoring and a full answer…
The first 5 questions of this test, with the correct answer and explanation.
Q1. Choose the correct passive form: The council is going to build a new park.
- A. A new park is being built by the council.
- B. A new park is going to be built by the council. ✓
- C. A new park is going to build by the council.
- D. A new park was going to be built by the council.
Answer: B. A new park is going to be built by the council.
Explanation: 'Is going to build' becomes 'is going to be built'.
Q2. Choose the correct passive form: Has anyone seen my keys?
- A. Were my keys being seen by anyone?
- B. Has my keys been seen by anyone?
- C. Have my keys seen by anyone?
- D. Have my keys been seen by anyone? ✓
Answer: D. Have my keys been seen by anyone?
Explanation: Present perfect passive of a plural subject: 'have ... been seen'.
Q3. Choose the correct passive form: They were repairing the road when we passed.
- A. The road is being repaired when we passed.
- B. The road was being repaired when we passed. ✓
- C. The road had been repaired when we passed.
- D. The road was repaired when we passed.
Answer: B. The road was being repaired when we passed.
Explanation: The past continuous passive is 'was being + past participle'.
Q4. Choose the correct passive form: The principal awarded Hina a gold medal.
- A. A gold medal awarded Hina by the principal.
- B. Hina awarded a gold medal by the principal.
- C. Hina was awarded a gold medal by the principal. ✓
- D. Hina has been awarded a gold medal by the principal.
Answer: C. Hina was awarded a gold medal by the principal.
Explanation: With two objects, the indirect object can become the subject: 'Hina was awarded a gold medal'.
Q5. Choose the correct passive form: They should have informed the parents earlier.
- A. The parents should be informed earlier.
- B. The parents should have been informed earlier. ✓
- C. The parents should had been informed earlier.
- D. The parents should have informed earlier.
Answer: B. The parents should have been informed earlier.
Explanation: 'Should have' + participle becomes 'should have been' + participle in the passive.
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Q6. Choose the correct passive form: She hopes that someone will invite her.
- A. She hopes being invited.
- B. She hopes to be invited.
- C. She hopes to invite.
- D. She hopes to be inviting.
Q7. Choose the correct active form: The letter was being typed by the secretary.
- A. The secretary was typing the letter.
- B. The secretary is typing the letter.
- C. The secretary has typed the letter.
- D. The secretary typed the letter.
Q8. Choose the correct active form: By whom was the window broken?
- A. Who has broken the window?
- B. Who broke the window?
- C. Whom broke the window?
- D. Who was breaking the window?
Q9. Choose the correct active form: The bridge had been closed by the police before the flood reached the town.
- A. The police closed the bridge before the flood reached the town.
- B. The police have closed the bridge before the flood reached the town.
- C. The police had been closing the bridge before the flood reached the town.
- D. The police had closed the bridge before the flood reached the town.
Q10. Choose the correct passive form: Nobody could solve the riddle.
- A. The riddle could not be solved by anybody.
- B. The riddle could not solve by anybody.
- C. The riddle was not solved by anybody.
- D. The riddle could not have solved by anybody.
Q11. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: Hamid said, "My brother arrived yesterday."
- A. Hamid said that his brother would arrive the day after.
- B. Hamid said that his brother had arrived the day before.
- C. Hamid said that my brother had arrived the day before.
- D. Hamid said that his brother has arrived the day before.
Q12. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: The teacher said to the class, "Honesty is the best policy."
- A. The teacher told the class that honesty is the best policy.
- B. The teacher told the class that honesty had been the best policy.
- C. The teacher told to the class that honesty is the best policy.
- D. The teacher asked the class that honesty is the best policy.
Q13. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: The inspector said to the clerk, "What time does the office close?"
- A. The inspector told the clerk what time the office closed.
- B. The inspector asked the clerk what time did the office close.
- C. The inspector asked the clerk that what time the office closed.
- D. The inspector asked the clerk what time the office closed.
Q14. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: She said to the boys, "Don't make noise."
- A. She told the boys do not make noise.
- B. She asked the boys not making noise.
- C. She told the boys not to make noise.
- D. She told the boys that not to make noise.
Q15. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: He said to her, "Please help me."
- A. He requested her to help me.
- B. He requested her to help him.
- C. He requested her help him.
- D. He told her that please help him.
Q16. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: They said, "Alas! We have lost the match."
- A. They said sadly that they have lost the match.
- B. They exclaimed sadly that they had lost the match.
- C. They exclaimed sadly that we had lost the match.
- D. They exclaimed sadly to lose the match.
Q17. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: He said, "Let us go for a walk."
- A. He ordered that they should go for a walk.
- B. He suggested that they should go for a walk.
- C. He suggested them to go for a walk.
- D. He told them that let us go for a walk.
Q18. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: The old man said to me, "May you live long!"
- A. The old man prayed that you would live long.
- B. The old man told me that I would live long.
- C. The old man prayed that I would live long.
- D. The old man prayed that I will live long.
Q19. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: Rashid said, "I have been waiting here since morning."
- A. Rashid said that he has been waiting here since morning.
- B. Rashid said that he was waiting there since morning.
- C. Rashid said that I had been waiting there since morning.
- D. Rashid said that he had been waiting there since morning.
Q20. Choose the correct indirect (reported) speech: She said to me, "Did you see him yesterday?"
- A. She asked me had I seen him the day before.
- B. She asked me if I saw him yesterday.
- C. She asked me if I had seen him the day before.
- D. She asked me that if I had seen him the day before.
Q21. Choose the correct direct speech for: He said that he would visit us the following week.
- A. He said, "I would visit you next week."
- B. He said, "I will visit you next week."
- C. He said, "I will visit us the following week."
- D. He said, "He will visit us next week."
Q22. Choose the correct direct speech for: She asked me where I was going at that moment.
- A. She said to me, "Where is she going now?"
- B. She said to me, "Where I am going now?"
- C. She said to me, "Where are you going now?"
- D. She said to me, "Where were you going now?"
Q23. Choose the correct direct speech for: The captain ordered the soldiers to stand in a line.
- A. The captain said to the soldiers, "You stands in a line."
- B. The captain said to the soldiers, "Do you stand in a line?"
- C. The captain said to the soldiers, "Stand in a line!"
- D. The captain said to the soldiers, "Stood in a line!"
Q24. Which question tag correctly completes the sentence "I am late, ___?"
- A. isn't I
- B. aren't I
- C. wasn't I
- D. don't I
Q25. Which sentence has the correct sequence of tenses?
- A. She said that she has finished the report before the bell rang.
- B. She said that she will finish the report before the bell rang.
- C. She said that she finishes the report before the bell rang.
- D. She said that she had finished the report before the bell rang.
Q26. Which sentence says that the drive lasted almost six hours?
- A. Nearly she drove for six hours.
- B. She drove for nearly six hours.
- C. She nearly drove for six hours.
- D. She drove for six nearly hours.
Q27. Which sentence uses inversion correctly after 'Not only'?
- A. Not only forgot he the tickets, but he also missed the train.
- B. Not only he did forget the tickets, but he also missed the train.
- C. Not only did he forget the tickets, but he also missed the train.
- D. Not only he forgot the tickets, but he also missed the train.
Q28. Which sentence uses 'unless' correctly?
- A. Unless you work harder, you will fail the test.
- B. Unless you do not work harder, you will fail the test.
- C. Unless you worked harder, you will fail the test.
- D. Unless you will work harder, you will fail the test.
Q29. Which sentence shows correct agreement with 'the number of'?
- A. A number of unemployed graduates is increasing every year.
- B. The number of unemployed graduates are increasing every year.
- C. The number of unemployed graduates is increasing every year.
- D. The numbers of unemployed graduates is increasing every year.
Q30. Which sentence avoids a double negative?
- A. She hardly can't walk after the long hike.
- B. She can't hardly walk after the long hike.
- C. She can hardly walk after the long hike.
- D. She can hardly not walk after the long hike.