Aptis English Usage Practice — All Questions
22 questions
We ___ in this town since 2015, and we still love it here. Which choice is correct?
- a.live
- b.lived
- c.have lived✓
- d.are living
'Since 2015' marks an action that started in the past and continues now, so the present perfect 'have lived' is required. The past simple 'lived' would suggest the action is finished.
If I ___ more free time, I would learn another language. Which choice is correct?
- a.had✓
- b.have
- c.am having
- d.will have
This is a second conditional describing an unreal or unlikely present situation. The pattern is 'if + past simple, would + base verb', so 'had' is correct.
The colleague ___ desk is next to mine has just been promoted. Which choice is correct?
- a.whose✓
- b.whom
- c.which
- d.who
'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun and correctly links the person to the desk they own. 'Who' and 'whom' cannot show possession, and 'which' is used for things, not people.
The lights are on and her car is outside, so she ___ be at home. Which choice is correct?
- a.needn't
- b.can't
- c.shouldn't
- d.must✓
The evidence points to a confident logical conclusion, so 'must' expresses near-certainty. 'Can't' would express the opposite conclusion, that she is definitely not at home.
During the meeting she said she ___ finish the report the following day. Which choice is correct?
- a.is going to
- b.would✓
- c.will
- d.has
In reported speech the reporting verb 'said' is in the past, so 'will' shifts back to 'would'. This backshift keeps the tense consistent with the past reporting verb.
The instructions were so ___ that nobody in the room could follow them. Which word fits best?
- a.obvious
- b.confusing✓
- c.straightforward
- d.precise
If nobody could follow the instructions, they must have been 'confusing'. The other options mean clear or exact, which contradicts the result described in the sentence.
Could you ___ me a favor and post this letter on your way out? Which word fits best?
- a.make
- b.give
- c.do✓
- d.take
The fixed collocation is 'do someone a favor'. English pairs 'do' with favor, not 'make', 'give', or 'take'.
After a twelve-hour shift with no break, the nurses were completely ___. Which word fits best?
- a.energetic
- b.bored
- c.relaxed
- d.exhausted✓
A very long shift with no break causes extreme tiredness, so 'exhausted' fits. 'Relaxed' and 'energetic' are the opposite, and 'bored' describes a lack of interest rather than tiredness.
The new recycling policy will ___ into effect at the start of next month. Which word fits best?
- a.turn
- b.get
- c.come✓
- d.go
The set phrase is 'come into effect', meaning to start applying officially. The other verbs do not form this idiom.
She has a real ___ for languages and speaks five of them fluently. Which word fits best?
- a.habit
- b.routine
- c.flair✓
- d.hobby
'A flair for' something means a natural talent for it, which matches speaking five languages fluently. A 'habit' or 'routine' is a repeated action, and a 'hobby' is a leisure activity.
Despite the ___ of the task, the team stayed calm and finished on time. Which form is correct?
- a.difficulty✓
- b.difficult
- c.difficulties
- d.difficultly
After 'the' a singular noun is needed, so 'difficulty' is correct. 'Difficult' is an adjective, and the plural 'difficulties' would not fit after 'the ... of the task'.
The manager thanked the volunteers for their ___ contribution to the event. Which form is correct?
- a.impressively
- b.impressive✓
- c.impress
- d.impression
A word before the noun 'contribution' must be an adjective, so 'impressive' is correct. 'Impress' is a verb, 'impression' a noun, and 'impressively' an adverb.
He spoke ___ about the importance of honesty in public life. Which form is correct?
- a.passion
- b.passionate
- c.passions
- d.passionately✓
The blank describes how he spoke, so an adverb is needed: 'passionately'. 'Passionate' is an adjective and 'passion' a noun.
Her ___ to stay calm under pressure impressed the whole panel. Which form is correct?
- a.ably
- b.able
- c.ability✓
- d.enable
After the possessive 'her' a noun is needed, and 'ability' is the noun. 'Able' is an adjective, 'ably' an adverb, and 'enable' a verb.
She was completely exhausted; ___, she finished the marathon. Which connector fits best?
- a.moreover
- b.nevertheless✓
- c.because
- d.therefore
There is a contrast between being exhausted and still finishing, so 'nevertheless' is correct. 'Therefore' shows result and 'moreover' adds information, neither of which signals contrast.
We arrived an hour early ___ order to get good seats at the concert. Which preposition fits?
- a.on
- b.in✓
- c.for
- d.at
The fixed phrase expressing purpose is 'in order to'. The other prepositions do not form this expression.
___ the heavy rain that morning, the outdoor match went ahead as planned. Which word fits?
- a.Because
- b.Although
- c.Despite✓
- d.However
'Despite' is followed directly by a noun phrase such as 'the heavy rain', and it signals contrast. 'Although' would need a full clause with a verb, and 'because' shows cause, not contrast.
I'm not very good ___ remembering people's names at parties. Which preposition fits?
- a.at✓
- b.on
- c.of
- d.in
The adjective 'good' is followed by 'at' when describing a skill or ability. 'Good in', 'good on', and 'good of' are not the correct pattern here.
Which sentence is correct?
- a.She explained the problem to me.✓
- b.She explained to me it.
- c.She me explained the problem.
- d.She explained me the problem.
'Explain' is followed by the thing explained, then 'to' plus the person: 'explain something to someone'. You cannot say 'explain me something' or place the pronoun before the object in this way.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
- a.There are less cars on the road today.
- b.There are fewer cars on the road today.✓
- c.There are lesser cars on the road today.
- d.There is less cars on the road today.
'Cars' is a countable noun, so it takes 'fewer', not 'less'. 'Lesser' means smaller in importance and does not describe quantity here.
Choose the sentence with correct word order.
- a.I have saw never such a view.
- b.I have never seen such a view.✓
- c.Seen I have never such a view.
- d.Never I have seen such a view.
The adverb 'never' goes between the auxiliary 'have' and the past participle 'seen'. The correct participle is 'seen', not 'saw', and the subject must come before the verb.
Which sentence uses articles correctly?
- a.He is engineer by profession.
- b.She is the best student in the class.✓
- c.I saw a elephant at the zoo.
- d.She is a honest person.
Before a superlative like 'best', the definite article 'the' is required. 'Honest' begins with a vowel sound so needs 'an', 'engineer' needs an article, and 'elephant' needs 'an'.