Core Grammar Sentence Completion Flashcards

If I had known you were coming, I __________ a cake for you.

Answer: would have baked

This sentence is a third conditional, which is used to talk about a hypothetical situation in the past that did not happen. The structure is 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle'. 'Would have baked' correctly follows this structure.

By the time the train arrives, we __________ for over an hour.

Answer: will have been waiting

The future perfect continuous tense ('will have been + -ing') is used to describe an action that will continue up until a particular point in the future. The phrase 'By the time the train arrives' sets that future point.

The manager insisted that the report __________ on her desk by 5 p.m.

Answer: be

This sentence uses the subjunctive mood, which is common after verbs of command or suggestion like 'insist', 'recommend', or 'suggest'. The structure is 'verb + that + subject + base form of the verb'. Therefore, 'be' is the correct form, not 'is' or 'was'.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?

Answer: I look forward to hearing from you.

The phrase 'look forward to' is always followed by a gerund (-ing form). 'He is used to' should be followed by 'waking'. 'Suggested' should be followed by 'going' (a gerund). 'Stopped' should be followed by 'to have' (infinitive of purpose).

Despite __________ hard, he didn't manage to pass the final exam.

Answer: studying

The prepositions 'despite' and 'in spite of' are followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form). 'Studying' is the gerund form of the verb and correctly completes the sentence.

Hardly __________ the house when the phone started ringing.

Answer: had I left

When a sentence begins with a negative adverbial like 'Hardly', 'Scarcely', or 'No sooner', the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted. The correct structure is 'Hardly + had + subject + past participle'.