Free GCSE SPaG Question and Answers — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Select the appropriate usage of tenses in the sentence below.

I has made a mistake.
I have done the washing-up. (Correct answer)
You gone the wrong way.
They been fighting a lot.

Correct answer: I have done the washing-up.

This sentence correctly uses the present perfect tense ('have done') to describe an action that was completed in the past but has a connection to the present (e.g., the washing-up is now done). Options A, C, and D contain subject-verb agreement errors or incorrect past participle forms: 'I has made' should be 'I have made,' 'You gone' should be 'You have gone,' and 'They been fighting' should be 'They have been fighting.'

Question 2: Which of the following sentences uses the tenses incorrectly?

I am reading a book while Liam is listening to music.
The festival has been cancelled and we have received a refund.
Advent begins two weeks ago. (Correct answer)
The teachers will go on strike in two days’ time.

Correct answer: Advent begins two weeks ago.

The sentence 'Advent begins two weeks ago' incorrectly mixes the present simple tense ('begins') with a past time marker ('two weeks ago'). To correctly refer to an event that started in the past, it should use a past tense, such as 'Advent began two weeks ago.' The other options correctly use present continuous, present perfect, and future simple tenses respectively.

Question 3: Pick the phrase that effectively employs negative terms from the list below.

I am not telling nobody about my new hobby.
We don’t know none of the people over there.
Nothing could prepare them for what happened. (Correct answer)
There doesn’t seem to be no reason for the conflict.

Correct answer: Nothing could prepare them for what happened.

This sentence correctly uses a single negative ('Nothing') to convey a negative meaning. Options A, B, and D all contain double negatives ('not telling nobody,' 'don’t know none,' 'doesn’t seem to be no reason'), which are grammatically incorrect in standard English. Double negatives cancel each other out, often implying a positive meaning or creating confusion, whereas standard English requires only one negative word to express a negative idea.

Question 4: Take a look at these phrases. Which of the following words lacks the letter "e"? The Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan is a curious geographic_l phenomenon in the heart of the Karakum Desert. It is believed that the crater was created when a rig drilling for natur_l gas accident_lly fell into an underground cav_rn.

cav___rn (Correct answer)
accident___lly
natur___l
geographic___l

Correct answer: cav___rn

The word 'cav___rn' is missing the letter 'e' to form 'cavern.' The other words, when completed, are 'geographical,' 'natural,' and 'accidentally,' all of which correctly include the letter 'a' or 'e' in the blank space. 'Cavern' is the only word that specifically requires an 'e' in that position to be spelled correctly.

Question 5: Pick the following sentence that improperly uses brackets.

In Antarctica, summer (December-February) temperatures are generally close to freezing.
In 1923, France invaded and occupied an industrial region of Germany (the Ruhr).
The Inspector announces the death of Arthur’s ex-employee (Eva Smith) in Act One.
Christians believe that God sacrificed (Jesus his son) to forgive the sins of mankind. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Christians believe that God sacrificed (Jesus his son) to forgive the sins of mankind.

Brackets (parentheses) are used to enclose supplementary information, explanations, or comments that are not essential to the main sentence but provide additional detail. In option D, 'Jesus his son' is an essential part of the statement about who was sacrificed, not merely supplementary information. It should be integrated into the sentence without brackets, for example, 'God sacrificed Jesus, his son' or 'God sacrificed his son, Jesus.'

Question 6: Pick the incorrectly spelled sentence from the list below.

Overloaded vehicles can be serious road hazards.
The protesters gave an impassioned response to the arrival of the police.
Carla’s reward was misproportionate to the effort she had made. (Correct answer)
The Prime Minister asked for some impartial advice.

Correct answer: Carla’s reward was misproportionate to the effort she had made.

The word 'misproportionate' is incorrectly spelled in sentence C. The correct spelling is 'disproportionate,' meaning out of proportion or lacking appropriate relation in size, amount, or degree. The other sentences use correctly spelled words and are grammatically sound.

Question 7: Pick the following phrase that effectively employs capital letters.

There are often endangered species in National Parks.
The League of Nations was the idea of Woodrow Wilson. (Correct answer)
General Nivelle was a French officer during World war one.
Victor Frankenstein is a Scientist with an obsessive desire for knowledge.

Correct answer: The League of Nations was the idea of Woodrow Wilson.

This sentence correctly uses capital letters for proper nouns: 'League of Nations' (a specific organization) and 'Woodrow Wilson' (a specific person). Proper nouns, which name specific people, places, or things, always require capitalization. The other options contain errors in capitalizing specific historical events or titles.

Question 8: Select the word from the list below that doesn't have a double consonant missing in the void.

va___ish (Correct answer)
di___erent
disa___ear
di___imilar

Correct answer: va___ish

The word 'va___ish' correctly completes to 'vanish,' which only has a single 'n' and therefore does not require a double consonant. The other words require a double consonant to be spelled correctly: 'di___erent' becomes 'different' (double 'f'), 'disa___ear' becomes 'disappear' (double 'p'), and 'di___imilar' becomes 'dissimilar' (double 's').

Question 9: Determine which of the following sentences has correct spelling.

It was a great releif to discover that the snake on my leg wasn’t poisonous.
When the phone rang, Caroline dashed to pick up the receiver. (Correct answer)
Although Jonathan is on a diet, he has just ordered a gigantic peice of cake.
Even though my friend asked for a reciept for her dress, she didn’t get one.

Correct answer: When the phone rang, Caroline dashed to pick up the receiver.

Sentence B, 'When the phone rang, Caroline dashed to pick up the receiver,' is spelled correctly. In the other sentences, there are common spelling errors: A) 'releif' should be 'relief.' C) 'peice' should be 'piece.' D) 'reciept' should be 'receipt.' These are frequent misspellings that demonstrate a need for careful proofreading.

Question 10: Decide which of the following sentences has inappropriate punctuation.

“Make sure you do your homework,” Dad said.
“They’ve bought a new car,” Steve explained.
Ross said, “the hills are covered with snow.” (Correct answer)
“I’m going to get up early tomorrow,” Farzana said.

Correct answer: Ross said, “the hills are covered with snow.”

When a direct quotation follows an introductory phrase like 'Ross said,' the first word of the quotation should be capitalized if it begins a new sentence. In sentence C, 'the' should be capitalized to 'The' because it starts the quoted sentence. The correct punctuation would be: Ross said, 'The hills are covered with snow.'

Question 11: Which of the following words is incorrectly classified? when adding a "ing,"double the last letter: pedal, demand When adding a "ing," do not double the last letter: catch, protest.

protest
protest
demand (Correct answer)
pedal

Correct answer: demand

The rule for doubling the last consonant before adding '-ing' applies to words ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, where the stress is on the last syllable (for multi-syllable words). 'Demand' ends in '-nd,' which is not a single consonant, so it should not double the 'd' when adding '-ing' (demanding). Therefore, it is incorrectly classified under the 'double the last letter' category.

Question 12: Which of the following sentences needs a semi-colon in place of the colon?

Jews worship in a synagogue: Muslims worship in a mosque. (Correct answer)
There are several themes in ‘Animal Farm’: power, language, class and education.
Christians believe in the idea of stewardship: the responsibility of humans to look after God’s creation.
In 1900, there were five main rival nations in Europe: Britain, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Germany.

Correct answer: Jews worship in a synagogue: Muslims worship in a mosque.

A colon is typically used to introduce a list, an explanation, or a quotation. A semicolon is used to connect two closely related independent clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences but are more closely linked. In option A, 'Jews worship in a synagogue' and 'Muslims worship in a mosque' are two independent clauses related by theme (places of worship for different religions), making a semicolon more appropriate to indicate a balanced contrast or comparison.

Question 13: Which of the following gaps cannot be filled in with the word "whose"?

Loans were provided for people _____ homes were in danger of being repossessed.
Catholics often pray to a saint on behalf of someone _____ suffering. (Correct answer)
The chief priests and elders asked Jesus on _____ authority he was acting.
During the war, Germany’s enemy was Britain, _____ empire and navy it envied.

Correct answer: Catholics often pray to a saint on behalf of someone _____ suffering.

'Whose' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'of whom' or 'of which,' indicating ownership or association. In option B, the blank requires a word that means 'who is' or 'who has' (e.g., 'someone who is suffering' or 'someone who has suffering'). 'Whose' does not fit grammatically here because 'suffering' is a noun or present participle, not something 'owned' by 'someone' in this context.

Question 14: Pick the following sentence that is error-free in spelling.

Cliffs formed from soft rock or lose material can retreat quickly.
The speeding driver had to accept the consequences of his actions. (Correct answer)
The affects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings can still be seen today.
Parliament past the Abolition of Death Penalty Act in 1965.

Correct answer: The speeding driver had to accept the consequences of his actions.

Sentence B, 'The speeding driver had to accept the consequences of his actions,' is spelled correctly. The other sentences contain common spelling errors: A) 'lose' should be 'loose' (referring to material that is not firm or fixed). C) 'affects' should be 'effects' (referring to the results or outcomes). D) 'past' should be 'passed' (the verb form of 'to pass').

Question 15: Decide which of the following sentences correctly employs verbs.

A layer of undergrowth, including brambles and mosses, cover the entire area.
First aid training, designed to teach life-saving skills, focus on a variety of things.
An electrical phenomenon, such as static electricity or lightning, is fairly commonplace. (Correct answer)
During droughts, soil, which is sometimes made up of clay and rock particles, dry out.

Correct answer: An electrical phenomenon, such as static electricity or lightning, is fairly commonplace.

Subject-verb agreement dictates that a singular subject requires a singular verb. In option C, "An electrical phenomenon" is a singular subject, and the verb "is" correctly agrees with it. Options A, B, and D contain singular subjects ("layer," "training," "soil") paired incorrectly with plural verbs ("cover," "focus," "dry out").

Question 16: Pick the incorrectly spelled sentence from the list below.

Once the farmers have been taught the new tecnique, they’ll be able to carry on using it. (Correct answer)
Governments decide how taxes are spent, and how much is collected.
Headlands are usually made of resistant rocks that have weaknesses like cracks.
The negative impacts of tourism may not be immediately apparent.

Correct answer: Once the farmers have been taught the new tecnique, they’ll be able to carry on using it.

The sentence "Once the farmers have been taught the new tecnique, they’ll be able to carry on using it" contains a common misspelling. The word "tecnique" is incorrectly spelled; the correct spelling is "technique." All other sentences in the list are spelled correctly.

Free GCSE SPaG Question and Answers

Select the appropriate usage of tenses in the sentence below.