B1 English Grammar and Vocabulary — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Choose the correct sentence: Which option uses the present perfect tense correctly?
- 'I have lived in London since three years.'
- 'I have lived in London for three years.' (Correct answer)
- 'I am living in London since three years.'
- 'I live in London for three years ago.'
Correct answer: 'I have lived in London for three years.'
'For' is used with the present perfect to indicate duration (for three years), while 'since' is used with a specific point in time (since 2023). 'For three years' is the correct form here.
Question 2: What does the British English term 'fortnight' mean?
- A period of four nights
- A period of two weeks (Correct answer)
- A type of holiday
- A long weekend
Correct answer: A period of two weeks
'Fortnight' comes from 'fourteen nights' and means a period of two weeks. It is commonly used in British English but rarely in American English.
Question 3: Choose the correct conditional sentence: 'If I _____ earlier, I wouldn't have missed the bus.'
- leave
- left
- had left (Correct answer)
- would leave
Correct answer: had left
This is a third conditional sentence (unreal past). The structure is: If + past perfect (had left), would have + past participle (missed). It describes a hypothetical change to a past event.
Question 4: In British English, what is the ground floor of a building?
- The floor below street level
- The floor at street level (Correct answer)
- The first floor above street level
- The top floor of the building
Correct answer: The floor at street level
In British English, the ground floor is at street level. The first floor is one level above. This differs from American English, where the ground floor and first floor are the same.
Question 5: Which sentence correctly uses a modal verb to give advice?
- 'You must to see a doctor about that cough.'
- 'You should see a doctor about that cough.' (Correct answer)
- 'You can to see a doctor about that cough.'
- 'You would see a doctor about that cough.'
Correct answer: 'You should see a doctor about that cough.'
'Should' is the correct modal verb for giving advice. Modal verbs are followed directly by the base form of the verb (see), never by 'to' + verb.
Question 6: What does the phrasal verb 'look after' mean in the sentence: 'Can you look after my children while I'm at work?'
- To search for something
- To take care of someone (Correct answer)
- To watch someone leave
- To look behind you
Correct answer: To take care of someone
'Look after' means to take care of or be responsible for someone or something. It is one of the most common phrasal verbs in everyday British English.
B1 English Grammar and Vocabulary
Choose the correct sentence: Which option uses the present perfect tense correctly?