English Grammar Exercises with Answers: 60 Questions by Topic

Quick Answer: The best English grammar exercises make you produce the correct form, then show the answer with a reason. This page has 60 questions in six topics: present tenses, past tenses, articles, prepositions, modal verbs, and conditionals with the passive, each with an answer key. Do one set a day, note your mistakes and redo them after two days.

Key takeaways

• Gap-fill, transformation and error correction teach more than multiple choice alone.
• Read the short rule before each set, do the questions without looking, then check.
• Every answer below includes a reason, because knowing why prevents the same mistake later.
• Mark wrong answers and redo only those after one or two days.
• After each set, write three sentences of your own using the same pattern.
• If one topic gives you more than three mistakes, read the linked guide before trying again.

How to use these exercises

Work through one set at a time. Cover the answers, write your responses in a notebook, then check with the answer key at the end of the set. Count your score. Seven or more out of ten means you can move on; fewer means read the linked guide and retry the set tomorrow. If you are not sure which level you are, take the English level test first.

Set 1: Present simple and present continuous

Rule reminder: use the present simple for habits and facts ("She works in a bank"). Use the present continuous for actions happening now or around now ("She is working from home this week"). State verbs like "know", "like" and "want" are rarely continuous. Full guide: present simple vs present continuous.

1. Water ___ at 100 degrees Celsius. (boil)
2. Listen! Someone ___ at the door. (knock)
3. I ___ the answer now. (know)
4. My brother usually ___ to work, but this week he ___ the bus. (cycle, take)
5. ___ you ___ meat? (eat, habit question)
6. Look, it ___. Take an umbrella. (rain)
7. She ___ coffee. She prefers tea. (not like)
8. What ___ you ___ at the moment? (read)
9. The train ___ at 8:15 every day. (leave)
10. Correct the mistake: "I am wanting a new phone."

Answers

1. boils. A scientific fact.
2. is knocking. Happening now.
3. know. "Know" is a state verb.
4. cycles, is taking. Habit versus a temporary situation.
5. Do, eat. Habits use "do" or "does".
6. is raining. Happening now.
7. doesn't like. State verb, third person negative.
8. are, reading. Action in progress around now.
9. leaves. Timetables use the present simple.
10. I want a new phone.

Set 2: Past simple and present perfect

Rule reminder: use the past simple for finished actions at a finished time ("I saw him yesterday"). Use the present perfect for experiences or past actions connected to now, with no finished time ("I have seen that film"). Guides: past simple tense and present perfect tense.

1. I ___ to Rome in 2019. (go)
2. ___ you ever ___ sushi? (eat)
3. She ___ her keys, so she can't get in. (lose)
4. We ___ dinner at eight last night. (have)
5. I ___ here since 2020. (live)
6. They ___ the match two hours ago. (finish)
7. He ___ the report yet. (not finish)
8. When ___ you ___ your job? (start)
9. I ___ three cups of coffee today, and it's only ten o'clock. (drink)
10. Correct the mistake: "I have seen him yesterday."

Answers

1. went. Finished time: 2019.
2. Have, eaten. Life experience.
3. has lost. The result matters now.
4. had. "Last night" is finished time.
5. have lived. Started in the past and continues; "since" signals the present perfect.
6. finished. "Ago" requires the past simple.
7. hasn't finished. "Yet" goes with the present perfect in negatives.
8. did, start. "When" questions ask about a finished time.
9. have drunk. "Today" is not finished.
10. I saw him yesterday.

Set 3: Articles a, an, the and zero article

Rule reminder: "a" or "an" introduces a singular countable noun for the first time or as one of many. "The" refers to something specific or already known. No article is used for general plurals and uncountable nouns ("Dogs are loyal", "Milk is healthy"). Guide: articles a, an, the.

1. I bought ___ new laptop. ___ laptop is very fast.
2. She is ___ honest person.
3. ___ sun rises in the east.
4. I love ___ music.
5. He wants to be ___ engineer.
6. Can you close ___ door, please? (there is one door in the room)
7. We had ___ lunch at noon.
8. It's ___ university in Ankara.
9. ___ Mount Everest is the highest mountain in ___ world.
10. Correct the mistake: "My sister is doctor."

Answers

1. a, The. First mention, then a known item.
2. an. "Honest" starts with a vowel sound because the h is silent.
3. The. There is only one sun.
4. No article. Music in general.
5. an. "Engineer" starts with a vowel sound.
6. the. Both people know which door.
7. No article. Meals usually take no article.
8. a. "University" starts with a "you" sound, a consonant sound.
9. No article, the. Single mountain names take no article; "the world" is unique.
10. My sister is a doctor.

Set 4: Prepositions of time and place

Rule reminder: time uses "at" for clock times, "on" for days and dates, "in" for months, years and parts of the day. Place uses "at" for points, "on" for surfaces and "in" for enclosed spaces. Guides: prepositions of time and prepositions of place.

1. The meeting is ___ Monday ___ 10 a.m.
2. I was born ___ 1998.
3. She's waiting ___ the bus stop.
4. The keys are ___ the table.
5. We usually relax ___ the weekend. (American English)
6. My parents live ___ Istanbul.
7. I'll see you ___ the morning.
8. There's a picture ___ the wall.
9. He arrived ___ midnight.
10. Correct the mistake: "I'll call you in Friday."

Answers

1. on, at. Day, then clock time.
2. in. Years.
3. at. A specific point.
4. on. A surface.
5. on. British English often says "at the weekend".
6. in. Cities.
7. in. Parts of the day.
8. on. A surface.
9. at. "Midnight" behaves like a clock time.
10. I'll call you on Friday.

Set 5: Modal verbs

Rule reminder: modals such as can, could, must, should, might and have to are followed by the base verb with no "to" (except "have to" and "ought to"). They never take -s. "Must not" means it is forbidden; "don't have to" means it is not necessary. Guide: can and could.

1. You ___ smoke here. It's against the rules.
2. You ___ bring food. Lunch is provided.
3. ___ you help me with this box?
4. She ___ speak three languages.
5. You look tired. You ___ go to bed early.
6. Take an umbrella. It ___ rain later.
7. When I was five, I ___ swim.
8. All passengers ___ show their passports.
9. Correct the mistake: "He cans drive."
10. Correct the mistake: "You should to see a doctor."

Answers

1. mustn't. Forbidden.
2. don't have to. Not necessary.
3. Could, or Can. "Could" is more polite.
4. can. Ability.
5. should. Advice.
6. might. Possibility.
7. couldn't, or could, depending on the truth. Past ability uses "could".
8. must, or have to. Obligation.
9. He can drive. Modals never take -s.
10. You should see a doctor. No "to" after "should".

Set 6: Conditionals and the passive

Rule reminder: the first conditional is "if" plus present, then "will" plus base verb, for real future possibilities. The second conditional is "if" plus past, then "would" plus base verb, for unreal or unlikely situations. The passive uses "be" plus the past participle. Guides: first conditional, second conditional, passive voice.

1. If it ___ tomorrow, we will stay home. (rain)
2. If I ___ you, I would apologize. (be)
3. If she studies, she ___ the exam. (pass)
4. If I had more time, I ___ a new language. (learn)
5. Make passive: People speak English all over the world.
6. Make passive: Someone stole my bike yesterday.
7. The new bridge ___ next year. (build, future passive)
8. This book ___ by millions of people. (read, present perfect passive)
9. Correct the mistake: "If I will see him, I will tell him."
10. Correct the mistake: "The letter was wrote by my grandfather."

Answers

1. rains. Present after "if" in the first conditional.
2. were. "If I were you" is the standard advice form; "was" is common in speech.
3. will pass. Real possibility.
4. would learn. Unreal present.
5. English is spoken all over the world.
6. My bike was stolen yesterday.
7. will be built.
8. has been read.
9. If I see him, I will tell him. No "will" after "if".
10. The letter was written by my grandfather.

Scoring and next steps

Total score out of 60	What it suggests
50 to 60	Solid A2 to B1 grammar. Move to longer writing tasks.
35 to 49	Good base. Redo weak sets and read the linked guides.
Under 35	Rebuild the foundations, starting with the present tenses.

For a map of all tenses, see the English tenses overview on our blog, and keep a personal list of the errors that keep coming back.

How LearnLingo helps you practice grammar

Worksheets like this are useful, but they cannot remember your mistakes for you. LearnLingo is a free browser course where Sage the Turtle, a wise and patient old teacher, turns grammar into short interactive lessons:

• Gap-fill and word-bank exercises make you build the form yourself, like the sets above.
• Matching and listening questions show the same grammar in sound and context.
• Spaced practice of mistakes automatically brings back the items you got wrong.
• Hearts, streaks, XP and weekly leagues keep you practicing daily.
• Turkish native-language support explains points that are hard for Turkish speakers, such as articles.

CEFR A1 is available now and A2 to B2 are in progress, so the higher topics on this page go beyond the current course. Browse the free English grammar hub for reference, or start the course.

People Also Ask

What are the best English grammar exercises for practice?

The most useful exercises make you produce the form yourself, such as gap-fill, sentence transformation and error correction, rather than only choosing from options. Always check an answer key with explanations so you understand why an answer is right.

Which grammar topics should I practice first?

Start with the present simple and continuous, the past simple, articles and prepositions of time and place. These appear in almost every sentence. Then move to the present perfect, modal verbs, conditionals and the passive.

How often should I do grammar exercises?

A short set of 10 questions most days works well. Redo the questions you got wrong after a day or two, because reviewing mistakes on a schedule helps the rule stick.

Are grammar exercises enough to speak correctly?

No. Exercises build accuracy, but you also need to use the structures in speaking and writing. After a set, write or say three sentences of your own with the same pattern.

Does LearnLingo have free grammar exercises?

Yes. LearnLingo lessons include gap-fill, word-bank sentence building and matching exercises, and your mistakes come back for spaced practice. CEFR A1 is available now, with A2 to B2 in progress.