Grammar Quiz With Answers and Explanations (40 Items)

TL;DR. Forty grammar items, each with the answer and a paragraph-length explanation. Use as a self-study set or as the basis for a teacher-led lesson. If you'd rather hear the rules explained before working through them, our Grammar and Punctuation audio lesson covers the core rules in about three minutes, with its own 10-question practice quiz.

Tenses (10)

Present perfect for a state that began in the past and continues now. With duration markers like “for 10 years,” either present perfect or present perfect continuous works (subtle aspectual difference).

Past continuous describes an ongoing past action interrupted by another past event (simple past, “rang”).

Past perfect for an action completed *before* another past event.

Past continuous emphasises the ongoing situation; past simple states it as fact.

Present perfect for life experience with no specific past time.

“Going to” for a prediction based on present evidence.

Future continuous for an action in progress at a specific future time.

Future perfect for an action completed by a specific future point.

Present simple for general truths and habits.

Present simple for habits.

Articles (5)

Musical instruments take “the” when describing playing them.

Most mountains take no article; mountain *ranges* take “the” (the Alps).

Use “an” before vowel *sounds* — “an apple”, “an hour”, but “a university”.

Abstract nouns in a general sense take no article.

Superlatives take “the”.

Prepositions (5)

“On” with specific days and dates.

“In” with years, months, seasons.

“At” with specific times.

“In” with cities, countries, regions.

“On” for surfaces.

Conditionals (5)

First conditional: present simple in if-clause + “will” in main clause.

Second conditional uses “were” (subjunctive) for all persons in formal writing.

Third conditional: past perfect in if-clause + “would have + past participle”.

Zero conditional: present simple in both clauses for general truths.

Second conditional — formal advisory.

Passive voice (5)

Past passive: be + past participle.

Present passive.

Future passive.

Future perfect passive for completion by a future point.

Past simple passive.

Reported speech (5)

Tenses shift back in reported speech (present → past).

Will → would.

Yes/no questions use “if” or “whether”.

Imperatives: “to” or “not to” + verb.

Wh-questions: tense shifts back, wh-word retained.

Modal verbs (5)

Mustn’t = prohibition.

Must = strong logical conclusion.

Needn’t = lack of necessity.

Could = past general ability. For a specific past achievement, use “was able to”.

Same as 38 — not necessary.

Using these in class

The format works best when the explanation is taught *after* students attempt the question. Hand out only the items first; collect; then walk through each with the explanation.

Related reading

Generate a grammar quiz with explanations →

Turning this set into a self-marking digital quiz

Reading 40 items on a page is useful; answering them under light pressure and getting the explanation immediately is far more effective. The fastest workflow:

On SimpleQuizMaker the free plan covers 5 AI generations a month with up to 100 student submissions, which is enough to digitise this whole set as four quizzes and pilot it with a class before deciding whether a paid plan makes sense — the AI quiz generator handles the conversion in under a minute per block.

Scheduling the reviews (when to re-quiz)

Grammar rules fade quickly if they are only tested once. A schedule that works well for this set:

This is standard spaced repetition applied to grammar, and it is where explanations earn their keep: a student who understood *why* “had started” is correct can transfer the rule to a new sentence, while a student who memorised the answer cannot. If the schedule idea is new to you, the spaced repetition guide covers the timing research in more depth.

Common mistakes when writing your own explanation-based items

If you extend this set with your own items, avoid the failure modes that show up most often:

For a broader treatment of item-writing, the step-by-step quiz guide walks through distractor design and answer-key hygiene.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use these 40 grammar questions in my own class or worksheet?

Yes. The set is intended for classroom and self-study use. Split it by category for topic-focused lessons, or sample across categories for a mixed review. Rewriting the sentences with your own names, places, and time markers is encouraged — it prevents answer-sharing between class groups while testing the same rules.

What CEFR level are these questions?

The set spans roughly A2 to B2. Prepositions and basic articles sit at the A2 end; future perfect, reported speech shifts, and the modal nuances (needn’t, could vs. was able to) are B1–B2. For a single-level class, pull only the categories that match your syllabus.

Should students see the explanation before or after answering?

After. The testing effect depends on retrieval effort — students must commit to an answer first, then read the reasoning. Handing out questions and explanations together turns a retrieval exercise into passive reading, which is measurably weaker for retention.

How do I grade a quiz built from this set?

If you run it as a digital quiz, scoring is automatic. For paper versions, one point per item is fine; where two answers are accepted (items 4 and 29), credit either. To convert raw scores into percentages or letter grades quickly, a quiz grade calculator saves the arithmetic.