Mixed Grammar MCQ Test With Answers + PDF Exercise 024

The pattern is want + person + to + verb: I want you to help me. So we say What do you want me to do? There is no to before the person.

Had better + base verb gives strong advice or a warning about the present or near future: We had better find shelter. The words or we'll freeze show the danger. Would better is not correct English; the right forms are had better or would rather.

This is the causative have something done: someone else made the dress for you. In a past simple question we use did: Did you have that dress specially made? Not Have you or Had you, because have here is a main verb and needs do/did in questions.

Admit is followed by the -ing form: She admitted taking the key. Not to take, because admit does not take to + verb.

Appreciate is followed by the -ing form: I'd appreciate hearing from you. It is a polite phrase often used at the end of letters. Not to hear, because appreciate does not take to + verb.

Deny is followed by the -ing form: He denied saying it. Not to say, because deny does not take to + verb.

In look forward to, to is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing: We're looking forward to visiting the museum. Not to visit, a very common mistake.

The expression It's no good (= it is useless) is followed by the -ing form: It's no good locking the door now. Similar phrases: It's no use crying, There's no point waiting.

Try + -ing means doing something as an experiment to see if it works: Try hitting it with a hammer. The clue is It might work. (Try to do means make an effort to do something difficult.)

In reported speech after said, an event further in the past uses the past perfect: He had been arrested. The arrests happened before the police spoke, and previous occasions shows this. Not would have been, which is used for imagined, unreal situations.

Money is uncountable, so we use much, not many: He never spends much money. Not a lot, because before a noun we need a lot of.

After time words like until and when, we use the present simple for the future, not will: We will work until he comes back. Not until he will come back, a common mistake.

Must + base verb shows strong necessity now or in the future: He has an exam tomorrow, so he must study. Not had to, because it is past and the sentence is about now. Ought needs to (ought to study).

Ought to have / should have + past participle criticises a past action: it was the right thing to do, but it did not happen. You ought to have phoned him means phoning was a better idea than going to his office. After a modal verb, use have, not has or had.

This is the second conditional, for an unreal present situation: would + verb in one part, past simple after if: She would tell you if she knew. Not had known, because that needs would have told.

This is the first conditional: if + present simple, then will + verb: If you finish your book, you will have a long holiday. Do not use will after if.

This is the third conditional, for an unreal past: if + past perfect, then would have + past participle: I would have called him if I had known his number. Not would know, because would is not used after if here.

If introduces a condition: rain is the reason we will not eat outside. We will not eat outside if it rains. Not unless, because unless means if not, which gives the opposite, illogical meaning.

Questions in the past simple with a normal verb use did + base verb: Did you have coffee? Not Were you, because were is used with adjectives or -ing forms, not with have.

We say be born, and it is in the past: I was born in 2005. So the question is When were you born? Not did you, because born goes with the verb be.