1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of present tense from those given in brackets.

a. I am attempting the Civil Services exam coming up, so I …… (am/ is) studying hard these days.

b. My grandmother ………. (carries/ carrying) a walking stick when she goes out for a walk.

c. Shashi isn’t at home. She ………. (is/ are) out shopping with our father.

d. Can you speak louder please, I………. (am not/ cannot) hear you.

e. My widower uncle often ………. (coming/comes) to our house for lunch on Sundays.

f. Since he changed his job, he ………. (found/ has found) more time to relax and enjoy his hobby.

g. I feel proud of my team as it ………. (performed/ has performed) very well.

h. Look! They ………. (gossip and while away/are gossiping and whiling away) their time.

i. An apple a day ……… (keeps/is keeping) the doctor away.

j. By profession, an artist ……… (creates/is creating) a picture

k. whereas an author ………. (writes/is writing) a book.

1. Answer

(a) am

(b) carries

(c) is

(d) cannot

(e) comes

(f) has found

(g) has performed

(h) are gossiping and whiling away

(i) keeps

(j) creates, writes

2. Fill in the blanks in the telephone conversation given below with the correct present tense form of the verb given in brackets.

Sameer: Savita! How (a)…….. (be) you? This is Sameer.

Savita: Ahhh..Sameer! I (b) ………..(be) fine. How are you?

Sameer: I’m great, thanks.

Savita: That (c) ……….(be) good. So, what’s up?

Sameer: Well, I (d) ………. (has) a problem for you to solve.

Savita: Sure, just say it.

Sameer: My motorcycle (e) ……….(be) defective. I (f) ………. (try) to repair it for days. I (g) ………. (not, know) what is wrong with it. I (h) ………. (no, can, fix) it.

2. Answers

(a) are

(b) am

(c) is

(d) have

(e) is

(f) have been trying

(g) do not know

(h) cannot fix

3. Read the story given below and fill in the blanks with appropriate verb forms.

Once upon a time there ________ (live) a man called Damocles. A friend of his eventually ________ (become) the ruler of a small city. Damocles thought, ‘How lucky my friend ________ (be). He ________  (be) now a ruler. He must ________  (have) a great time. He ________ have fine clothes, lots of money and a number of servants. I wish I ________ (have) his luck.’ He ________ (decide) to visit his friend to enjoy his hospitality. When he ________  (reach) the palace, the king himself ________ (receive) him with respect and affection. Damocles then ________ (tell) the king that he ________ (be) indeed a lucky man. The king ________ (smile). He ________ (invite) his friend to have dinner with him.

3. Answers

Once upon a time there lived a man called Damocles. A friend of his eventually became the ruler of a small city. Damocles thought, ‘How lucky my friend is. He is now a ruler. He must be having a great time. He must have fine clothes, lots of money and a number of servants. I wish I had his luck.’ He decided to visit his friend to enjoy his hospitality. When he reached the palace, the king himself received him with respect and affection. Damocles then told the king that he was indeed a lucky man. The king smiled. He invited his friend to have dinner with him.

4. Fill in the blanks with suitable option given below.

1. Four independent ________ testified to seeing him at the scene of the crime.

(a) person

(b) witnesses

(c) spectator

(d) attestant

2. Could I have a ________ of chocolate?

(a) block

(b) bar

(c) slice

(d) piece

3. There is something wonderful _______ him

(a) of

(b) about

(c) for

(d) inside

4. Increasingly, post-graduate students are asked to become teaching assistants in order to __________ undergraduates

(a) instruct

(b) drill

(c) inform

(d) teach

5. My husband asked him if he’d ever been convicted ________ a crime

(a) with

(b) of

(c) by

(d) on

6. To err is _________ to forgive is divine

(a) humanity

(b) mankind

(c) human

(d) inhumanity

7. She lived _______ juice for ten days to slim down for the fashion show

(a) with

(b) by

(c) in

(d) off

8. I’m sorry __________ you can’t come to the party

(a) that

(b) with

(c) for

(d) to

9. Make only a few rules for students that emphasize ________ behaviour

(a) correct

(b) fitting

(c) appropriate

(d) useful

10. I usually have bread and butter for breakfast, but yesterday I _______ pasta

(a) have been

(b) had been

(c) have

(d) had

4. Answers

(b) witnesses

(b) bar

(b) about

(a) instruct

(b) of

(c) human(d) off

(a) that

(c) appropriate

(d) had

5. Fill in the blanks with an Articles

1. Sohan was ………… honest boy.
2. There was ………. hotel. They went to …….. hotel.
3. Mohan is not ………… European boy.
4. Johan was ……….. English boy.
5. There was …………. university.
6. There is ………. elephant.
7. …………. Ganges is ……….. sacred river.
8. He brought ……… umbrella from …….. market.
9. …………. Bible is ……. holy book.
10.  ……. boy is sitting at ….. door. Go and call ……. boy.

5. Answer

(a) an

(b) a

(c) a

(d) an

(e) a

(f) an

(g) The, a

(h) an, the

(i) The ,a

(j) The, a, a