English Grammar Test: 30 Questions with Answers (A2-B2)

This is a mixed English grammar test. The 30 questions below cover the main topics learners ask about: verb tenses, articles, prepositions, modal verbs, conditionals and reported speech. The level runs from A2 to B2, so some questions are easy and some are designed to catch you out.

There is no time limit. Read each sentence, pick the option (a, b or c) that fills the gap correctly, and write down your choice. Every question has exactly one right answer. The full answer key is at the end, with a short explanation for each item so the test teaches you something rather than just marking you. Do not scroll down until you have finished.

Tenses

1. She ___ to work by train every day. a) go b) goes c) is going
2. Look! It ___ outside, so take an umbrella. a) rains b) is raining c) rain
3. I can't come out, I ___ my homework yet. a) didn't finish b) haven't finished c) don't finish
4. When I arrived at the station, the train ___ already left. a) has b) had c) have
5. This time tomorrow I ___ on a beach in Greece. a) lie b) am lying c) will be lying
6. I ___ television when the phone suddenly rang. a) watched b) was watching c) watch

Articles and prepositions

7. My neighbour is ___ honest man who always tells the truth. a) a b) an c) the
8. I bought ___ umbrella yesterday, but ___ umbrella was faulty. a) a / the b) an / the c) an / a
9. We finally arrived ___ the airport two hours before the flight. a) to b) at c) in
10. The team meeting has been moved to ten o'clock ___ Monday. a) in b) at c) on
11. He has been living in London ___ 2015 and loves it. a) for b) since c) from
12. She is really interested ___ learning to play the piano. a) on b) in c) for

Modals

13. You ___ smoke in here; it is strictly against the rules. a) mustn't b) don't have to c) can
14. We ___ rush, the train doesn't leave for another hour. a) mustn't b) don't have to c) can't
15. ___ I open the window? It's a little warm in here. a) May b) Do c) Am
16. She ___ be at home; her car is parked in the drive. a) must b) can't c) needn't
17. When I was a child, I ___ swim a length underwater. a) can b) could c) must
18. That ___ be John at the door; he's on holiday in Spain. a) must b) can't c) should

Conditionals and reported speech

19. If it rains tomorrow, we ___ at home and watch a film. a) stay b) will stay c) would stay
20. If I ___ rich, I would buy a house by the sea. a) am b) were c) will be
21. If I had studied harder, I ___ the exam last month. a) would pass b) would have passed c) passed
22. At the interview she said she ___ tired but happy. a) is b) was c) be
23. He told me he ___ already finished the report. a) has b) had c) have
24. The teacher asked me where I ___ before moving here. a) live b) lived c) do live

Mixed

25. Neither of the two answers ___ correct, I'm afraid. a) is b) are c) be
26. There are too ___ people in this room for it to be safe. a) much b) many c) lot
27. I'd rather you ___ smoke in the car, if you don't mind. a) didn't b) don't c) won't
28. The film was ___ boring that I fell asleep halfway through. a) so b) such c) too
29. By the time we get to the shop, it ___ for the night. a) closes b) will have closed c) closed
30. I look forward ___ from you very soon. a) to hear b) to hearing c) hearing

Answers

1. b - "Every day" signals a routine, so use the present simple. Third person singular adds -s: she goes.
2. b - "Look!" points to something happening right now, which is the present continuous: it is raining.
3. b - "Yet" goes with the present perfect for something not done up to now: I haven't finished.
4. b - One past action happened before another, so the earlier one takes the past perfect: had left.
5. c - An action in progress at a future moment ("this time tomorrow") uses the future continuous: will be lying.
6. b - A longer past action interrupted by a short one takes the past continuous: I was watching when the phone rang.
7. b - "Honest" begins with a silent h, so it sounds like a vowel and takes an, not a.
8. b - First mention of a singular countable noun takes a/an (an umbrella); the second mention is now known, so it takes the.
9. b - With arrive you use at for a point or building: arrive at the airport. (Arrive in is for a town, city, country or other large area.)
10. c - Days of the week take on: on Monday.
11. b - Since marks a starting point in time (since 2015); for marks a length of time (for nine years).
12. b - The fixed phrase is interested in something.
13. a - Mustn't means it is prohibited. "Don't have to" would wrongly mean it is allowed but optional.
14. b - "Don't have to" means there is no obligation. Mustn't would wrongly mean it is forbidden to rush.
15. a - May is the polite way to ask permission: May I open the window?
16. a - A confident, positive deduction from evidence uses must: she must be at home.
17. b - Past ability uses could: I could swim.
18. b - A confident, negative deduction uses can't: that can't be John.
19. b - First conditional (a real future possibility): if + present simple, then will + verb. We will stay.
20. b - Second conditional (unreal present): if + past, then would. In careful English the form is were for every person (if I were rich). If I was is common in speech, but it is not one of the options here.
21. b - Third conditional (unreal past): if + past perfect, then would have + past participle. I would have passed.
22. b - Reported speech backshifts present to past: "I am tired" becomes she said she was tired.
23. b - The present perfect backshifts to the past perfect in reported speech: "I have finished" becomes he had finished.
24. b - A reported question uses normal word order (no inversion), with no do or did: where I lived. (Where I had lived is also correct, but it is not an option here.)
25. a - Neither takes a singular verb in standard English: neither is correct.
26. b - People is countable, so use many, not much.
27. a - After "would rather you" the verb is in the past form for a present or future wish: I'd rather you didn't.
28. a - So goes before an adjective on its own (so boring); such goes before a noun phrase (such a boring film).
29. b - An action finished before a future point takes the future perfect: it will have closed.
30. b - "Look forward to" is followed by the -ing form: look forward to hearing.

What your score means

This is a quick check, not an official exam, so read the table as a guide, not a certificate.

What to study next

Every question tests one grammar point, and every point has its own page. Find the questions you got wrong in this table and go straight to the page that explains them.

If most of your mistakes are in the first six questions, start with the overview of all the English tenses before the single pages. Come back and retake the test in a week to see how much has stuck.