Free Faulty Sentence Structure MCQs with Answers

1. Choose the sentence with correct parallel structure.

• A. She likes swimming, cycling and to run.
• B. She likes swimming, cycling and running.
• C. She likes to swim, cycling and running.
• D. She likes swim, cycle and to run.

Explanation: Items joined in a list must share the same grammatical form, so three gerunds are consistent while mixing a gerund with an infinitive is not. The alternative correct version would be to swim, to cycle and to run. Faulty parallelism is one of the most commonly tested writing errors.

2. Identify the dangling modifier: Walking to the hospital, the rain began to fall.

• A. The sentence is correct
• B. Walking to the hospital wrongly appears to describe the rain
• C. began should be begun
• D. the rain should be a rain

Explanation: The introductory phrase must describe the subject of the main clause, but here that subject is the rain, which cannot walk. Correcting it means naming the walker, as in walking to the hospital, I felt the rain begin to fall. Dangling modifiers produce sentences that are grammatically neat but absurd in meaning.

3. Choose the correctly written sentence.

• A. The doctor told the patient that he needed rest, which was true.
• B. Being tired, the exam was difficult.
• C. To pass the test, hard work is required.
• D. Having studied all night, the paper seemed easy to him.

Explanation: Only the first sentence keeps every modifier attached to something that can logically perform the action. In the others, an exam cannot be tired, hard work cannot pass a test and a paper cannot study all night. Rewriting each with a human subject would repair them.

4. Identify the run on sentence.

• A. The lecture ended early; the students left.
• B. The lecture ended early, the students left.
• C. The lecture ended early, so the students left.
• D. Because the lecture ended early, the students left.

Explanation: Two independent clauses joined by nothing more than a comma form a comma splice, which is a type of run on. It is repaired with a semicolon, with a coordinating conjunction after the comma, or by subordinating one clause, all three of which appear as the other options. A full stop would also work.

5. Identify the sentence fragment.

• A. Although the results were promising.
• B. The results were promising.
• C. The results, which were promising, were published.
• D. Promising results were published.

Explanation: A subordinating conjunction such as although turns the clause into a dependent one, so it cannot stand alone and needs a main clause to complete it. Adding one gives although the results were promising, further trials were needed. A fragment may contain a subject and a verb yet still be incomplete.

6. Choose the sentence with correct subject verb agreement and parallel structure.

• A. The report was clear, concise and it was accurate.
• B. The report was clear, concise and accurate.
• C. The report were clear, concise and accurate.
• D. The report was clear, concisely and accurate.

Explanation: Three adjectives in a row keep the structure parallel, whereas adding a clause or slipping in an adverb breaks it. The subject report is singular, so was is correct. Parallelism and agreement are often tested together in a single option set.

7. Choose the sentence that avoids the double negative.

• A. He didn't say nothing about the results.
• B. He didn't say anything about the results.
• C. He hasn't got no results.
• D. He never said nothing.

Explanation: In standard English two negatives cancel, so didn't say nothing literally means he said something, which is not the intended meaning. The correction replaces the second negative with anything. Double negatives are common in speech and in some dialects but are marked as errors in formal writing.

8. It was unanimously resolved that the parties _____ launching of popular programmes.

• A. Should unitedly undertake
• B. Should be united undertook
• C. Should be unitedly undertaken
• D. Should be unitedly undertake

Explanation: After “resolved that,” the modal “should” takes the base verb “undertake,” so “should unitedly undertake” is grammatical. “Should be unitedly undertake” incorrectly combines a passive form with a base verb.

9. The research study is an eye-opener and _____ us with the problems of poor nations.

• A. Attempted to acquaint
• B. Attempting to acquaint
• C. Attempts at acquainting
• D. Attempt to acquaint

Explanation: “Attempts at acquainting” is a grammatical noun phrase that can follow “is an eye-opener and,” with the study as its subject. The other choices create incorrect tense or number agreement with “study.”

10. It is _______ today.

• A. too much hot
• B. so much hot
• C. too hot
• D. more hotter

Explanation: “Hot” is an adjective modified directly by “too,” giving the correct phrase “too hot.” “Too much” modifies uncountable nouns, while “more hotter” incorrectly uses two comparative markers.