Check your grammar for IELTS (I)

     Choose the correct answer A, B or C for each question. When you have finished, check your answers. 

1.       Most university students _______on campus in their first year.

A.      lives

B.      live

C.      are living

2.       From this graph we can see that the economy _______ at the moment.

A.      improves

B.      improve

C.      is improving

3.       They _____ personal computers when my father was a student.

A.      hadn’t

B.      didn’t have

C.      weren’t having

4.       I _____ want to be a practising doctor but now I’m more interested in research.

A.      was used to

B.      used to

C.      would

5.       The teacher _____ us how to do the experiment when the fire bell rang.

A.      showed

B.      shown

C.      was showing

6.       I finished my essay yesterday but ______ it in to the tutor yet.

A.      I’ve given

B.      I haven’t given

C.      I didn’t give

7.       _____ the experiment three times now with different results each time!

A.      We’ve done

B.      We did

C.      We’ve been doing

8.       When I arrived the lecture _____ so I didn’t find it easy to follow.

A.      started

B.      had started

C.      had been starting

9.       She ____ well at school but that changed when she became friends with a different group of girls.

A.      did

B.      had done

C.      had been doing

10.   _____the doctor at 2.00 this afternoon so I can’t go to the lecture.

A.      I’m seeing

B.      I see

C.      I will see

11.   My sister _____ economics and politics when she goes to university.

A.      is going to study

B.      studies

C.      will study

12.   While we’re working on the project our boss ____ on a beach in Greece!

A.      will sit

B.      will have sat

C.      will be sitting

13.   If the train continues, the average income _____ by 107% by 2020.

A.      will increase

B.      will have increased

C.      will be increasing

14.   You can base your geography assignment on _____ country – it doesn’t matter which.

A.      a

B.      some

C.      any

15.   There aren’t ____ places left on the course so you’d better apply soon.

A.      much

B.      many

C.      lots of

16.   I don’t know whether to accept the job offer. It’s ____

A.      a difficult decision

B.      the difficult decision

C.      difficult decision

17.   For those of you new to the company, this leaflet is full of ____

A.      a valuable information

B.      the valuable information

C.      valuable information

18.   The manager interviewed ____ candidates in turn.

A.      each of the

B.      each

C.      every

19.   I know it’s not much of a present but I made it ____

A.      me

B.      myself

C.      by myself

20.   You should visit Bath. It’s ______city.

A.      a historical and interesting

B.      a historical interesting

C.      an interesting historical

21.   The government has realised some ____ data showing how schools are not providing an adequate education to our children.

A.      shocking

B.      shock

C.      shocked

22.   You really should go to Namibia. The scenery is _____ stunning and the people are very friendly.

A.      very

B.      fairly

C.      absolutely

23.   This factory produces some of _____ cameras in the world.

A.      best

B.      the best

C.      the most best

24.   _____people live in the country side than 100 years ago.

A.      less

B.      few

C.      fewer

25.   The bookshop _____ the end of the road is excellent.

A.      at

B.      on

C.      in

    Test taken from Grammar for IELTS with answers by Diana Hopkins & Pauline Cullen (2007). Cambridge university Press 

key answers

1.    B       

2.    C     

3.    B       

4.    B

5.    C

6.    B

7.    A

8.    B 

9.    C

10.  A

11.  A

12.  C       

13.  B       

14.  C

15.  B       

16.  A

17.  C      

18.  A

19.  B

20.  C

21.  A       

22.  C       

23.  B       

24.  C       

25.  A