COMPASS English as a Second Language (ESL) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect tense?
- I have visited Paris last year.
- I visited Paris last year.
- I have visited Paris. (Correct answer)
- I am visiting Paris.
Correct answer: I have visited Paris.
Present perfect (have + past participle) describes an experience without specifying when; specific time words like 'last year' require simple past.
Question 2: Identify the indirect object in: 'Maria gave her friend a gift.'
- Maria
- her friend (Correct answer)
- a gift
- gave
Correct answer: her friend
The indirect object is the recipient of the action; 'her friend' receives the gift.
Question 3: Which word correctly completes the sentence: 'He is _____ than his brother.'
- more tall
- taller (Correct answer)
- tallest
- most tall
Correct answer: taller
For one-syllable adjectives, form the comparative by adding '-er', not 'more'.
Question 4: Select the passive voice sentence:
- The chef cooked the meal.
- The meal was cooked by the chef. (Correct answer)
- The chef is cooking the meal.
- The chef had cooked the meal.
Correct answer: The meal was cooked by the chef.
Passive voice puts the object first and uses 'to be + past participle'; the agent follows 'by'.
Question 5: Which sentence contains a gerund?
- She wants to swim.
- Swimming is great exercise. (Correct answer)
- She will swim tomorrow.
- She swam yesterday.
Correct answer: Swimming is great exercise.
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing used as a noun; 'Swimming' is the subject of the sentence.
Question 6: Choose the correct conditional form: 'If it rains, we _____ stay inside.'
- would
- will (Correct answer)
- had
- were
Correct answer: will
First conditional (real future possibility) uses 'if + present' and 'will + base verb'.
COMPASS English as a Second Language (ESL) 2
Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect tense?