Advanced Grammar MCQ Test With Answers + PDF Exercise 15

17 questions · about 6 min · Printable PDF

Show answers

0 of 17 answered

Question 1

He _____ out of the window for a moment and then went on working.

To glance is to look somewhere quickly and briefly, often followed by a preposition: glance out of the window, glance at the clock. Not glimpsed: to glimpse means to see something only for a moment, and it takes a direct object (I glimpsed her in the crowd), not out of the window. Viewed and regarded describe looking carefully or considering, not a quick look.

Question 2

It’s the _____ in this country to go out and pick flowers on the first day of spring.

A custom is a traditional practice shared by a society: It's the custom in this country to… Not habit: a habit belongs to one person (his habit of biting his nails), not to a whole country. Use and normal don't fit this pattern; normal is an adjective, not a noun here.

Question 3

He made a swift _____ from his illness.

We say someone makes a recovery from an illness, and a swift/quick/full recovery is a common collocation. Not relief: relief is the feeling when pain or worry stops, and we don't say make a relief from. Repair is for objects, and survival doesn't collocate with make … from.

Question 4

It gave me a strange feeling of excitement to see my name in _____.

In print means printed and published in a book, newspaper, etc.: to see my name in print. Not press: we would need the article, in the press, and it refers specifically to newspapers. News and publication don't form this fixed phrase.

Question 5

You’d better add it up. I am no good at _____.

Figures here means numbers and arithmetic, so I'm no good at figures means I'm bad at doing calculations. The clue is add it up. Counters, characters and summaries have nothing to do with calculating.

Question 6

Our main concern is to raise the voters’ _____ of living.

Standard of living is a fixed collocation meaning the level of wealth and comfort people have: raise the standard of living. Not condition: we say living conditions, not condition of living. Capacity and degree don't collocate with of living.

Question 7

I’d like to take _____ of this opportunity to thank you all for your cooperation.

The fixed expression is take advantage of an opportunity, meaning to make good use of it. Not benefit or profit: we say benefit from or profit from something, not take benefit/profit of. Occasion doesn't fit this pattern either.

Question 8

He _____ to hit me if I didn’t do as he said.

Threaten to do something means to say you will do something harmful if someone doesn't obey: He threatened to hit me if… Not warned: warn is used with an object (He warned me not to…) and usually gives advice about danger; it doesn't mean announcing your own intention to hurt someone.

Question 9

He does not feel like playing tennis because he’s _____.

Out of condition means not physically fit, usually because of lack of exercise: I'm out of condition, so I get tired quickly. The other phrases do not exist; the opposite is in good condition or fit, not out of fitness.

Question 10

He’s been working too hard and he’s _____. He needs a rest.

Run down (adjective) means tired and slightly ill because of overwork or stress; the clue is working too hard and needs a rest. Not broken up: break up means end a relationship or fall into pieces. Run over means to hit someone with a vehicle.

Question 11

We went to the station to _____.

See someone off means to go with someone to the station, airport, etc. to say goodbye as they leave. Not see them out: that means to walk a guest to the door of your home or office. Goodbye them and say them goodbye are ungrammatical; we say say goodbye to them.

Question 12

New problems are always _____ in the factory.

Come up means to arise or appear, often unexpectedly: Problems keep coming up. Not raising: raise needs an object (raise a problem); without one we use arising. Going up means increasing, and waking up is about sleep.

Question 13