I've got online English grammar test today. I made 13 mistakes out of 60 questions there were. There's no explanation on that site, so I would like to someone help me to figure out which exact grammar rules or topics I need to learn more or just look it over...
These are some questions I've made mistakes:
1. When I arrive home, I'm going to have a (relaxing\ relaxed\ relax\ relaxation) bath.
2. German (is spoken\spoken\speaks\is speak) in Germany, Austria and Switzeland.
3. This painting (is worth\ is value\ values\worths) a fortune.
4. The boat sank, but they ( could\ were able to\ can\ abled to) swim to the shore.
5. We (redecorated the kitchen\had redecorated the kitchen\got redecorated the kitchen\ had the kitchen redecorated). We hired a very good interior designer.
6. Not only (did he disrespected\he disrespected\he did disrespected\he has disrespected), but he also lied to you.
7. (It's me who\It's I\Who\There's me) should be angry, not you.
8. It's (a two hours jorney\ two hours' jorney\a two hour's jorney\a two-hours jorney) to Paris.
9. They (are set\are on the verge\are due\are on the brink) to arrive next Friday.
(I marked the right answers to green and wrong answers to red).
Thank you!
#4 seems to have two possible answers. Could can be used in the past tense:
I wanted to go to the zoo yesterday, but I couldn't go because it was raining.
#6 has no correct answers. Whoever wrote question #6 does not know English well.
One of my students from Russia asks me questions from his college English course. It's possible that it is the same course you are taking. That course has quite a few mistakes in it. Whoever put that course together did a poor job.
I highly recommend English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy. The paper edition is reasonably priced and there is a PDF floating around the net.
Your exam has errors.
Q4 - "Could" and "were able to" have primary meanings of a general ability to do something. "Were able to" has an additional meaning of "managed to do" something specific. This applies for Q4. See Unit 26 of English Grammar in Use 4th edition.
Q6 - Q6 does not provide any correct choices. The correct answer is "Not only did he disrespect you, but ..." (Inversion required ... See Advanced Grammar in Use).
Q8 - Q8 does not provide any correct choices. The correct answer is "It's a two-hour journey..." See unit 80 of English Grammar in Use. [Also, journey is misspelled four times.]
Q9 - both "set" and "due" are acceptable in North American English.
you did very well but where you did not do well, as nothing much to do with grammar, but with not having enough listening experience. the questions you got wrong are ones relating to common expressions. the natural way of speaking.
1. going to --> relaxing
2.German is spoken = it is the language spoken
3. This painting is worth x = the painting is worth valued at x
4. The boat sank but they were able (able = HAD the ability to swim) to shore.
5. we had = past tense (in the past we redecorated the kitchen) we redecorated the kitchen also in the past and acceptable
6. question seems not quite correct to me. "not only has he disrespected --> (next bit)"
7."It' me who should be angry not you" "It's you who should be angry not (somebody else but not you (I))"
"It's you who should be angry not I" works but not very well.
8. "It's a two hour journey" "It's a two hours' journey" either would be fine.
9. you can find answer by searching any dictionary or type "definition due" into google search bar.
