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Placement Aptitude (Quant, Logical, Verbal) Module 17

Grammar and usage interview questions

Interview questions on grammar and usage: short warm-ups, then what each harder question tests, the first step of a good answer and its follow-ups.

24 questions: 6 warm-ups and 18 with model answers · Levels: Fresher

Warm-up questions

Short questions with short answers, each answered in full.

Fresher

What is the difference between a clause and a phrase? Give one example of each.

Answered in the lesson Parts of speech and sentence structure
Fresher

Why is it "The list of items is long" and not "The list of items are long"?

Answered in the lesson Subject-verb agreement and pronouns
Fresher

When do you use "since" and when "for" with the present perfect? Give an example of each.

Answered in the lesson Tenses, modals and conditionals
Fresher

Why do we write "an hour" but "a university"?

Answered in the lesson Articles, prepositions and determiners
Fresher

How do you form the passive of a verb in any tense, and why do verbs such as "arrive" and "happen" have no passive?

Answered in the lesson Active and passive voice, reported speech
Fresher

Why run the checks of an error-spotting item in a fixed order instead of choosing the part that sounds wrong?

Answered in the lesson Error spotting and sentence correction

Questions with model answers

What each question tests, the first step of a good answer and the follow-ups to expect.

Fresher

A project report says: "The deadline was brought forward, however the team finished on time." A team lead marks it wrong and the writer disagrees. Who is right? Explain the rule, give three correct versions, and say which suits a formal report.
What it tests

Telling conjunctions from linking adverbs, repairing a comma splice in more than one way, and choosing punctuation that suits formal writing.

First step

Split the sentence at the comma and ask whether each half can stand alone. Both can: "The deadline was brought forward" and "the team finished on time" are independent clauses. Then ask what joins them: "however" is an adverb, not a conjunction, so only the comma is left.
Follow-ups
- Would "but" in place of "however" change the verdict?
- Is "The deadline was brought forward; the team, however, finished on time." correct?
- When does "however" need no semicolon at all?
From the lesson Parts of speech and sentence structure
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In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 3 minutes
Fresher

Classify "Although the server crashed twice, the test resumed and every candidate finished" as simple, compound, complex or compound-complex. A classmate says compound-complex. Settle it, and give a method that works on any sentence in under thirty seconds.
What it tests

Finding clauses through their subject and finite verb, telling dependent from independent clauses, and a fast method that gives the same answer every time.

First step

List every finite verb with its own subject: "the server crashed", "the test resumed" and "every candidate finished". Three pairs mean three clauses. Then mark the clauses that begin with a subordinating word such as "although".
Follow-ups
- What if the sentence were "Although the server crashed twice, the test resumed and finished"?
- Does a command such as "Call me when you reach the gate" contain a clause?
- How do relative clauses such as "who scored highest" change the count?
From the lesson Parts of speech and sentence structure
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

An item asks for the part of speech of "that" in three sentences: "That form is torn", "I know that the list is final" and "The form that I filled is torn". Name each, explain the test you used, and say why such items catch students who memorise word lists.
What it tests

Deciding a word's class by its job, here the determiner, conjunction and relative-pronoun uses of "that", with a test that works on other words too.

First step

Look at what follows "that" each time. A noun follows it in the first sentence and a whole clause with its own subject in the second; in the third, "that" itself stands for the noun "form" inside the clause "that I filled".
Follow-ups
- What is "that" in "That is mine"?
- Can "that" be left out of the second and third sentences?
- Name two other words that change class in the same way.
From the lesson Parts of speech and sentence structure
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

Fill the blank and defend it: "Neither the manager nor the interns ___ informed." Then reverse the order of the two subjects. What changes, and how would you rewrite the sentence if a reader found both versions awkward?
What it tests

The nearer-subject rule for or and nor, what the dictionaries record when both subjects are singular, and rewriting a sentence so that agreement is no longer in doubt.

First step

Find the subject nearest the verb. With neither … nor, the verb agrees with that subject, so "the interns", plural, give "were informed".
Follow-ups
- What if both subjects were singular: "Neither the manager nor her deputy ___ informed"?
- Does the rule change with either … or?
- How does "Neither of the interns ___ informed" differ?
From the lesson Subject-verb agreement and pronouns
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

A recruiter's form says "Each applicant must upload their CV." A colleague wants to change it to "his CV". What do you advise, what does current dictionary guidance say, and what are two other ways to write the instruction?
What it tests

Current guidance on singular they, the agreement of each, and rewriting an instruction so that it is clear and includes every reader.

First step

Check the two agreements separately. "Each applicant" is singular, so "must upload" is fine. Then ask whether "their" may refer to one person, which the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary's note on singular they settles.
Follow-ups
- Which verb follows singular they: "they is" or "they are"?
- Would "his or her CV" be wrong?
- What changes if the form is only for applicants to a women's hostel?
From the lesson Subject-verb agreement and pronouns
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

Find every error in "Between you and I, the panel and myself was not happy with the results." Write the corrected sentence and the test you would use to catch each error under time pressure.
What it tests

Pronoun case after a preposition and in a pair of subjects, the misuse of myself, and agreement with subjects joined by and.

First step

Split the sentence into the phrase "Between you and I" and the clause "the panel and myself was not happy". Check each pronoun by covering the noun beside it, then check the verb against the whole subject.
Follow-ups
- Is "The panel and me were not happy" any better?
- When is "myself" correct in a sentence like this?
- Why does "between you and I" sound right to many people?
From the lesson Subject-verb agreement and pronouns
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

A resume line reads "I have completed my B.Tech in 2024." A mentor says it is wrong in British English. Explain why, give two correct versions, and say when the present perfect would be the right choice on a resume.
What it tests

The finished-time rule for the present perfect, the British and American difference, and choosing tenses for resume lines.

First step

Find the time expression and ask whether that time is finished. "In 2024" is over, while the present perfect links the past to now, so the two clash.
Follow-ups
- Would "I have completed my B.Tech" without a year be correct?
- Which tense suits a project you are still working on?
- Is the sentence acceptable in American English?
From the lesson Tenses, modals and conditionals
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

One exam notice says "Candidates mustn't bring calculators", another "Candidates don't have to bring calculators". Explain the difference, say which notice fits a hall that provides calculators but allows personal ones, and say where "needn't" fits.
What it tests

Telling prohibition from lack of necessity, matching a modal to a rule, and the formal modal needn't.

First step

Turn each notice into a plain statement of what is allowed. "Mustn't" means that bringing one breaks a rule; "don't have to" means that bringing one is optional.
Follow-ups
- How would you say that calculators are optional using "need"?
- What is the past of "don't have to"?
- Is "must not" stronger than "should not"?
From the lesson Tenses, modals and conditionals
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

Convert "If I study daily, I will clear the cut-off" into the second and the third conditional. Explain how the meaning changes each time, and write a mixed conditional that joins a past choice to a present result.
What it tests

Forming the second, third and mixed conditionals, and explaining the change in time and likelihood that each form expresses.

First step

Keep the two ideas fixed, studying daily and clearing the cut-off, and move only the verb forms: the past and "would" for the second, "had" and "would have" for the third.
Follow-ups
- In a test, is "If I was" or "If I were" correct?
- Rewrite the third conditional without "if".
- Can "will" ever appear in an if clause?
From the lesson Tenses, modals and conditionals
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 3 minutes
Fresher

Find and fix every error in this line of an email: "Kindly discuss about the offer with a HR executive and send the informations by Monday." Name the rule behind each fix.
What it tests

A verb that takes no preposition, a or an before an abbreviation, and an uncountable noun, all in one realistic sentence.

First step

Read the sentence once for each of three questions: does each verb take the preposition after it, does each a or an match the sound that follows it, and can each noun be counted?
Follow-ups
- Is "Kindly" itself an error?
- What if the abbreviation were said as a word, as NASSCOM is?
- How would you write the line for a recruiter outside India?
From the lesson Articles, prepositions and determiners
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

One placement report says "Few students cleared the aptitude round", another "A few students cleared the aptitude round". If 9 of 240 students cleared it, which sentence fits better, what does each suggest to a reader, and how should the number be reported?
What it tests

The difference between few and a few, matching a determiner to what the facts support, and reporting a share clearly.

First step

Work out the share first: 9 of 240 is 3.75 %. Then ask what each word suggests: "few" presents the number as small and disappointing, "a few" as small but welcome.
Follow-ups
- Which would you choose if 9 of 12 students had cleared it?
- What are the matching words for an uncountable noun?
- Is "less students cleared it" acceptable in a report?
From the lesson Articles, prepositions and determiners
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

A practice app marks "The panel is comprised of five members" as wrong and gives "The panel comprises five members" as the only answer. Is the app right? Use the dictionary entry to decide, and say how a fair item would test "comprise".
What it tests

Checking an item's key against the dictionary, telling a recorded form from an error, and writing an item with one defensible answer.

First step

Look up "comprise" and read its notes. They say which forms are correct and which one is incorrect, and an item is fair only if its wrong answers are forms the dictionary calls incorrect.
Follow-ups
- Is "The panel comprises of five members" correct?
- How do "consist of" and "be composed of" compare?
- Name another form that tests sometimes mark wrong although the dictionaries accept it.
From the lesson Articles, prepositions and determiners
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

The options for the passive of "The college is renovating the library" differ only in the verb: "is renovated", "is being renovated", "was being renovated" and "has been renovated". Choose without relying on what sounds right, and describe a check that settles any voice item in about fifteen seconds.
What it tests

Naming the active tense from its helping verbs, carrying that tense on a form of be, and ruling out options by named rules instead of by ear.

First step

Name the active tense first: "is" followed by an -ing form is the present continuous. The passive keeps that tense on "be", so "be" itself takes the -ing form after "is", giving "is being", and the past participle comes last.
Follow-ups
- Which rule does each wrong option break?
- How does the check work on a question such as "Did the committee approve the budget?"
- What do you do when two options pass every check?
From the lesson Active and passive voice, reported speech
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

Months ago a librarian said, "The library closes at eight." One student reports it as "She said the library closed at eight", another as "She said the library closes at eight". Which is correct, and how would you answer an item that offers only one of them, or both?
What it tests

Knowing when the backshift of tenses is optional because a fact is still true, and answering items whose options hold more than one defensible form.

First step

Ask whether the fact is still true at the time of reporting. If the library still closes at eight, the tense may stay as it was; if the timing has changed, or you cannot tell, only the past form is safe.
Follow-ups
- What changes if the library now closes at nine?
- Is "She says the library closes at eight" also correct?
- Which tense never moves back at all?
From the lesson Active and passive voice, reported speech
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

Last week a recruiter told you: "Can you join next month? Bring your certificates, and tell me where you studied." Report the whole message in one or two sentences, and name every change you make.
What it tests

Combining the changes of reported speech in one report: a yes-no question, two commands and an embedded wh-question, with their tenses, pronouns and time words.

First step

Split the message into its three parts: a yes-no question, a command, and a command that contains a question. Each needs its own pattern: "asked if", "told me to", and a wh-clause in statement order.
Follow-ups
- Why is "She told me where did I study" wrong?
- Does "next month" have to change?
- How would you report it if the call had been this morning?
From the lesson Active and passive voice, reported speech
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

A friend marks No error whenever an error-spotting item looks clean, saying it is right often enough to pay. With +3 for a right answer and −1 for a wrong one, when is that true, and what would you advise instead?
What it tests

Expected marks under negative marking, the break-even share of No-error items, and why ruling out an option beats a blanket guess.

First step

Write the value of the blanket guess per item: the share of No-error items times 3, minus the share of the other items times 1. Set it to zero and solve for the share.
Follow-ups
- What is the break-even share under +2 and −0.5?
- What is a guess worth after ruling out one option?
- What changes in a test with no negative marking?
From the lesson Error spotting and sentence correction
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

"Having submitted the form, the portal showed an error." A classmate says the sentence is fine because everyone understands it. Explain what is wrong, give two correct versions, and say how you would spot the same fault quickly in a sentence-correction item.
What it tests

Recognising a modifier attached to the wrong subject, repairing it in two ways, and a quick test for the doer of an opening phrase.

First step

Ask who did the action in the opening phrase: a person submitted the form. Then read the subject of the main clause: the portal. They differ, so the phrase is attached to the wrong subject.
Follow-ups
- Is "After submitting the form, I saw an error on the portal" correct?
- How do you fix "To get a seat, the bus must be boarded early"?
- Which option would you rule out first in a four-option item?
From the lesson Error spotting and sentence correction
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes
Fresher

An item marks part B wrong in "Neither of the two clerks / were present / at the counter." A student argues there is no error. Who is right, what does a dictionary say, and how should you answer such items in a test?
What it tests

Agreement after "neither of", formal against informal usage, and a policy for items whose key rests on a disputed form.

First step

Find the subject, "neither of the two clerks", and look up the agreement rule in a dictionary's entry for "neither", which says what verb it takes and in which style.
Follow-ups
- What change would make the item unambiguous?
- Is "Neither the clerk nor the cashier were present" any different?
- Name another form that some items mark wrong but dictionaries accept.
From the lesson Error spotting and sentence correction
Model answer, Pro.
In the answer:
- Model answer
- Follow-up answers
- Common mistakes
- Rubric
- Variants
- about 2 minutes

The lessons of this module

Parts of speech and sentence structure Free core, Pro depth: 7 of 25 minutes free
Subject-verb agreement and pronouns Free core, Pro depth: 6 of 20 minutes free
Tenses, modals and conditionals Free core, Pro depth: 7 of 20 minutes free
Articles, prepositions and determiners Free core, Pro depth: 7 of 20 minutes free
Active and passive voice, reported speech Free core, Pro depth: 12 of 30 minutes free
Error spotting and sentence correction Free core, Pro depth: 13 of 35 minutes free

All Placement Aptitude (Quant, Logical, Verbal) interview questions · The Placement Aptitude (Quant, Logical, Verbal) track

Warm-up questions

What is the difference between a clause and a phrase? Give one example of each.

Why is it "The list of items is long" and not "The list of items are long"?

When do you use "since" and when "for" with the present perfect? Give an example of each.

Why do we write "an hour" but "a university"?

How do you form the passive of a verb in any tense, and why do verbs such as "arrive" and "happen" have no passive?

Why run the checks of an error-spotting item in a fixed order instead of choosing the part that sounds wrong?

Questions with model answers

A project report says: "The deadline was brought forward, however the team finished on time." A team lead marks it wrong and the writer disagrees. Who is right? Explain the rule, give three correct versions, and say which suits a formal report.

Classify "Although the server crashed twice, the test resumed and every candidate finished" as simple, compound, complex or compound-complex. A classmate says compound-complex. Settle it, and give a method that works on any sentence in under thirty seconds.

An item asks for the part of speech of "that" in three sentences: "That form is torn", "I know that the list is final" and "The form that I filled is torn". Name each, explain the test you used, and say why such items catch students who memorise word lists.

Fill the blank and defend it: "Neither the manager nor the interns ___ informed." Then reverse the order of the two subjects. What changes, and how would you rewrite the sentence if a reader found both versions awkward?

A recruiter's form says "Each applicant must upload their CV." A colleague wants to change it to "his CV". What do you advise, what does current dictionary guidance say, and what are two other ways to write the instruction?

Find every error in "Between you and I, the panel and myself was not happy with the results." Write the corrected sentence and the test you would use to catch each error under time pressure.

A resume line reads "I have completed my B.Tech in 2024." A mentor says it is wrong in British English. Explain why, give two correct versions, and say when the present perfect would be the right choice on a resume.

One exam notice says "Candidates mustn't bring calculators", another "Candidates don't have to bring calculators". Explain the difference, say which notice fits a hall that provides calculators but allows personal ones, and say where "needn't" fits.

Convert "If I study daily, I will clear the cut-off" into the second and the third conditional. Explain how the meaning changes each time, and write a mixed conditional that joins a past choice to a present result.

Find and fix every error in this line of an email: "Kindly discuss about the offer with a HR executive and send the informations by Monday." Name the rule behind each fix.

One placement report says "Few students cleared the aptitude round", another "A few students cleared the aptitude round". If 9 of 240 students cleared it, which sentence fits better, what does each suggest to a reader, and how should the number be reported?

A practice app marks "The panel is comprised of five members" as wrong and gives "The panel comprises five members" as the only answer. Is the app right? Use the dictionary entry to decide, and say how a fair item would test "comprise".

Months ago a librarian said, "The library closes at eight." One student reports it as "She said the library closed at eight", another as "She said the library closes at eight". Which is correct, and how would you answer an item that offers only one of them, or both?

Last week a recruiter told you: "Can you join next month? Bring your certificates, and tell me where you studied." Report the whole message in one or two sentences, and name every change you make.

A friend marks No error whenever an error-spotting item looks clean, saying it is right often enough to pay. With +3 for a right answer and −1 for a wrong one, when is that true, and what would you advise instead?

"Having submitted the form, the portal showed an error." A classmate says the sentence is fine because everyone understands it. Explain what is wrong, give two correct versions, and say how you would spot the same fault quickly in a sentence-correction item.

An item marks part B wrong in "Neither of the two clerks / were present / at the counter." A student argues there is no error. Who is right, what does a dictionary say, and how should you answer such items in a test?