Grammar Review No. 5

Click the answer button to see the correct answer.

1. I'm worried _____ the entrance examination.
   1. about failing
   2. with failing
   3. to fail
   4. to failure
   Answer 1
   hint What preposition do you use to indicate the subject of your worry?
2. Many parents look forward _____ their children when they are away from home.
   1. to see
   2. to seeing
   3. with seeing
   4. of seeing
   Answer 2
   hint What is "look forward" always used with?
3. Who is responsible _____ dishes--the husband or the wife?
   1. for doing
   2. for do
   3. with doing
   4. to do
   Answer 1
   hint What is "responsible" always used with?
4. _____ at the train station will surprise your mother.
   1. You are
   2. You being
   3. You to be
   4. Your being
   Answer 4
   hint What is the subject of this sentence?
5. "How do I start the engine?"
   "_____ the button on the right."
   1. To push
   2. From pushing
   3. By pushing
   4. You pushing
   Answer 3
   hint In the second sentence "You start it" has been omitted from the beginning of the sentence.
6. "Why did you decide to go back to school?"
   "I was tired _____ as a secretary."
   1. to work
   2. for work
   3. of working
   4. or working
   Answer 3
   hint Which preposition is used to indicate what makes you tired?
7. "How do you like American food?"
   "Well, it's not bad. I _____ hot dogs and hamburgers."
   1. have used to eat
   2. use to eat
   3. used to eating
   4. am used to eating
   Answer 4
   hint The speaker often eats hot dogs and hamburgers.
8. _____ the first prize really surprised me.
   1. Mary got
   2. Mary getting
   3. Mary's getting
   4. Mary gets
   Answer 3
   hint The main verb of this sentence is "surprised".
9. "What are you reading now?"
   "It's a newspaper article _____ your own house."
   1. to build
   2. for build
   3. about build
   4. about building
   Answer 4
   hint This refers to a newspaper article concerning making your own house. The -ing form of a verb follows a preposition.
10. _____ for president must have made Mike very happy.
    1. His nominating
    2. His being nominated
    3. He nominated
    4. He's being nominated
    Answer 2
    hint "Made" is the main verb phrase of this sentence. This means that Mike was nominated for president, and it must have made him happy.
11. The teacher encouraged us _____ English newspapers.
    1. to read
    2. read
    3. reading
    4. to reading
    Answer 1
    hint What follows "to"? "Encouraged" is the main verb in this sentence.
12. Please ask them _____ in the no smoking area.
    1. don't smoke
    2. not smoking
    3. not to smoke
    4. to not smoke
    Answer 3
    hint How do you make the negative form of "smoke" in a clause?
13. "Why did you change jobs?"
    "_____ on my previous salary was impossible."
    1. Living
    2. I live
    3. Me living
    4. To live for me
    Answer 1
    hint "Was" is the main verb in this sentence. Some of the choices are not grammatical.
14. "Why are you mad?"
    "I dislike _____ by my nickname."
    1. you call
    2. you not call me
    3. you call me
    4. your calling me
    Answer 4
    hint The object of "dislike" fits in _____.
15. "Which baseball team do you support?"
    "Of course, we'd like _____. They are from Detroit, our hometown."
    1. the Tigers win
    2. that the Tigers win
    3. the Tigers will win
    4. the Tigers to win
    Answer 4
    hint This means that the second speaker would like to see the Tigers win.
16. "May I help you?"
    "Yes, I need someone _____ the dent in my car."
    1. to fix
    2. fixing
    3. fix
    4. to be fixed
    Answer 1
    hint This means that I need someone who can fix the dent in my car. What follows "needs + person(s)", a verb, to + a verb, or the - ing form?
17. "I'd like to go see a movie tonight."
    "Don't forget that we've already made plans _____ to dinner at the Johnsons."
    1. for go
    2. going
    3. to go
    4. go
    Answer 3
    hint What follows "make plans", a verb, to + a verb, or the -ing form?
18. "How did you travel so economically in Europe?"
    "We reduced our expenses by using a train pass and _____ in inexpensive restaurants."
    1. eat
    2. ate
    3. eating
    4. to eat
    Answer 3
    hint Pay attention to "using a train pass". "By" before _____ is omitted.
19. "I heard that Jack is going to work for the president."
    "Yes, he was lucky _____ such a good job."
    1. to get
    2. getting
    3. to give
    4. about getting
    Answer 1
    hint This means that because he got such a good job, Jack is lucky.
20. "Your cooking is great. What's your secret?"
    "_____ good dishes, you need to use lots of spices."
    1. For make
    2. To make
    3. Making
    4. Make
    Answer 2
    hint This means that you need to use lots of spices in order to make good dishes.
21. "My parents tell me that I can't marry Kathy."
    "They should let _____ your own mind."
    1. you make up
    2. you making up
    3. you to make up
    4. that you make up
    Answer 1
    hint What follows "let"? Does "let" precede to + a verb?
22. "Why do the police want to talk to you?"
    "Because we saw a man _____ yesterday."
    1. murdering
    2. murder
    3. murdered
    4. being murdering
    Answer 3
    hint This means that someone murdered a man, and the second speaker saw it happen.
23. I can hear a dog _____ outside of the house.
    1. barking
    2. bark
    3. to bark
    4. was barking
    Answer 1
    hint This means that a dog is barking, and the speaker can hear it.
24. "I can't open this bottle."
    "_____ it."
    1. Have David do
    2. Make David to do
    3. David have to do
    4. Have David done
    Answer 1
    hint The second speaker suggests that the first speaker get David to open the bottle.
25. "Where are the kids?"
    "I saw _____ TV in the family room."
    1. them to watch
    2. them watching
    3. they watching
    4. to them watching
    Answer 2
    hint An object follows "saw".