CAE CAE Grammar 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses an adverbial clause of concession?
- Although it was raining, but we went for a walk.
- Although it was raining, we went for a walk. (Correct answer)
- Although it was raining however we went for a walk.
- It was raining, although we went for a walk.
Correct answer: Although it was raining, we went for a walk.
'Although' already signals concession and must NOT be paired with 'but' or 'however'; the subordinate clause it introduces is followed directly by the main clause.
Question 2: What is the function of 'no sooner...than' in 'No sooner had we arrived than it began to rain'?
- It expresses a condition and its result
- It emphasises that one event immediately followed another (Correct answer)
- It shows two events happening at exactly the same time
- It signals that one event was expected but did not happen
Correct answer: It emphasises that one event immediately followed another
'No sooner...than' is a formal correlative conjunction expressing that one event immediately followed another; it requires inversion in the first clause.
Question 3: Which is the correct form: 'By the time she arrives, we _______ for two hours.'
- will wait
- will have been waiting (Correct answer)
- are waiting
- have waited
Correct answer: will have been waiting
The future perfect continuous ('will have been waiting') expresses an action that will be in progress over a duration up to a specific future time.
Question 4: Identify the error in: 'The team, as well as their coach, were praised for their performance.'
- 'As well as' should be 'along with'
- 'Were' should be 'was' because the subject 'the team' is singular in formal agreement (Correct answer)
- 'Their' should be 'its'
- There is no error in this sentence
Correct answer: 'Were' should be 'was' because the subject 'the team' is singular in formal agreement
When 'as well as' connects a parenthetical addition to a singular subject, formal grammar requires the verb to agree with the main subject ('team' = singular = 'was').
Question 5: Choose the sentence that correctly uses a gerund after a preposition.
- She is interested in to learn photography.
- She is interested in learning photography. (Correct answer)
- She is interested in learn photography.
- She is interested for learning photography.
Correct answer: She is interested in learning photography.
After prepositions, a gerund (-ing form) must be used, not an infinitive; 'interested in learning' is the correct structure.
Question 6: In 'The book, which was written in 1945, is still widely read', what type of relative clause is used?
- Defining (restrictive) relative clause
- Non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause (Correct answer)
- Nominal relative clause
- Free relative clause
Correct answer: Non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause
The commas around 'which was written in 1945' mark it as non-defining (non-restrictive) — it adds extra information but is not essential to identify which book.
CAE CAE Grammar 3
Which sentence correctly uses an adverbial clause of concession?