Grammar practice

Ten topics, each on a mistake learners make often. Read the rule, then answer the questions.

There is no clock and no band score here. Take as long as you like.

Present perfect vs past simple

B1

The single most common tense mistake in English.

16 questions

a, an, the — and no article

A2

Articles are tiny and carry almost no meaning, which is exactly why they are hard: there is nothing to hear.

16 questions

The three conditionals

B2

Conditionals are just an if-clause plus a result clause.

16 questions

Verb + -ing or verb + to

B1

Some verbs must be followed by -ing, others by "to".

16 questions

The passive voice

B2

The passive moves the thing affected to the front.

16 questions

Relative clauses

B2

Relative clauses let you add information without starting a new sentence.

16 questions

Modal verbs: certainty and obligation

B1

Modals are how English expresses how sure you are and how strong a rule is.

16 questions

Word order and inversion

C1

English word order is fixed, which is why breaking it deliberately is so noticeable.

16 questions

Prepositions of time and place

A2

Prepositions rarely translate directly from another language, so they have to be learned as part of the phrase rather than as separate words.

16 questions

Countable and uncountable nouns

A2

English decides for you which nouns can be counted, and its choices are not always logical.

16 questions

More grammar topics on the way

New ones are written and added regularly — this is not the whole set.