9. Practice Section

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Attempt all 100 questions before checking the answer key. The set is mixed: error-spotting, fill-in-the-blank (adjective vs adverb / confused pairs), MCQs on placement, and a new section on adverbial clauses and comparative forms.

Part A — Error Spotting (Q1–25)

Identify the part of the sentence (A, B, C) that contains the error. If there is no error, mark (D).

(A) She sang beautiful / (B) at the farewell function / (C) held last evening. / (D) No error
(A) He hardly ever / (B) misses his morning revision / (C) even during exam week. / (D) No error
(A) The manager felt badly / (B) about the delay in / (C) processing the refund. / (D) No error
(A) They will shortly / (B) announce the results / (C) on the official website. / (D) No error
(A) She is always punctual, / (B) is she is / (C) rarely late for meetings. / (D) No error
(A) He completed quickly / (B) the entire syllabus / (C) before the mock test. / (D) No error
(A) The paper was too lengthy / (B) that nobody could finish / (C) it in the given time. / (D) No error
(A) I have never seen / (B) such a well organised / (C) exam centre before. / (D) No error
(A) The board rightly / (B) cancelled the flawed question / (C) after the objection window. / (D) No error
(A) He is enough qualified / (B) to apply for the senior post / (C) advertised last week. / (D) No error
(A) Only she scored / (B) a perfect hundred / (C) in the entire batch, no error. / (D) No error
(A) The soup tasted deliciously / (B) even though it was / (C) made in a hurry. / (D) No error
(A) He hasn't hardly / (B) prepared for the / (C) upcoming interview round. / (D) No error
(A) She performed more better / (B) than she had / (C) in the previous attempt. / (D) No error
(A) The candidates waited patient / (B) outside the gate / (C) for nearly an hour. / (D) No error
(A) We need to discuss / (B) this issue farther / (C) before finalising the policy. / (D) No error
(A) He is always / (B) among the most sincere / (C) students in the batch. / (D) No error
(A) She freely admitted / (B) her mistake during / (C) the panel interview. / (D) No error
(A) The results were declared / (B) lately, right after / (C) the review petition was rejected. / (D) No error
(A) Most candidates found / (B) the reasoning section / (C) fairly straightforward. / (D) No error
(A) She filled carefully / (B) out the entire form / (C) before the counter closed. / (D) No error
(A) The file thoroughly / (B) was checked / (C) before submission. / (D) No error
(A) Never / (B) she has missed / (C) a single class this term. / (D) No error
(A) The three winners were awarded / (B) medals in order / (C) of merit, respectfully. / (D) No error
(A) There were less / (B) candidates this year / (C) compared to last year. / (D) No error

Part B — Fill in the Blank: Adjective or Adverb (Q26–45)

Choose the correct word.

She answered every question ______. (confident / confidently)
The milk has gone ______; don't drink it. (bad / badly)
He ______ finished the report before the deadline. (hard / hardly)
The manager reviewed the file ______ before signing it. (careful / carefully)
This is a ______ written application. (clear / clearly)
The train arrived ______ due to fog. (late / lately)
I have ______ started preparing for the mains exam. (recent / recently)
He looked ______ after hearing the news. (nervous / nervously)
The instructions were explained ______. (clear / clearly)
She works ______ every single day without fail. (hard / hardly)
The exam centre is ______ located near the station. (conveniently / convenient)
He answered the question ______ than his neighbour. (more confidently / more confident)
The room was ______ for all fifty candidates. (big enough / enough big)
She ______ finished her revision before the exam. (nearly / near)
He was ______ disappointed with his score. (deep / deeply)
The panel was ______ impressed by her project. (highly / high)
Her performance improved ______ this term. (considerable / considerably)
The two scores were compared ______. (respectfully / respectively)
He gave the wrong answer and ______ lost marks. (consequent / consequently)
The generator ran ______ throughout the night without a single break. (continuous / continuously)

Part C — MCQ: Placement and Confused Pairs (Q46–65)

Choose the correctly placed sentence: (a) I ate only rice for dinner. (b) I only ate rice for dinner. (c) Only I ate rice for dinner. (d) All three are grammatically valid but mean different things.
Which sentence correctly uses a frequency adverb? (a) She is rarely late. (b) She rarely is late. (c) Rarely she is late. (d) She late is rarely.
Choose the correct sentence: (a) The hall was enough spacious. (b) The hall was spacious enough. (c) The hall was enough spacious for all. (d) The hall enough was spacious.
Choose the correct sentence: (a) He performed very better this time. (b) He performed much better this time. (c) He performed very good this time. (d) He performed more gooder this time.
Which sentence uses "hardly" correctly? (a) He hasn't hardly slept before the exam. (b) He has hardly slept before the exam. (c) He hardly hasn't slept before the exam. (d) He has not hardly slept before the exam.
Choose the correct comparative form: (a) She types more fast than him. (b) She types faster than him. (c) She types fastest than him. (d) She types more faster than him.
Which sentence correctly distinguishes "farther" and "further"? (a) Let us discuss this farther in the next round. (b) We travelled further than expected to reach the venue. (c) Let us discuss this further in the next round. (d) We travelled farther in the discussion than expected.
Choose the sentence with the correct MPT (manner-place-time) order: (a) They practised every evening diligently at the academy. (b) They practised diligently every evening at the academy. (c) They practised diligently at the academy every evening. (d) They practised at the academy diligently every evening.
Which sentence avoids the squinting modifier problem? (a) Students who revise often score better. (b) Students who often revise score better. (c) Students revise who often score better. (d) Students who revise score often better.
Choose the correct inversion of "He had never seen such a tough paper." (a) Never he had seen such a tough paper. (b) Never had he seen such a tough paper. (c) He never had seen such a tough paper had. (d) Had never he seen such a tough paper.
Which sentence correctly uses a viewpoint adverb? (a) The board announced the results honestly. (b) Honestly, the board's decision surprised everyone. (c) The board honestly the decision announced. (d) The results, the board announced honestly them.
Which pair is correctly distinguished? (a) He lives near the station. / He is nearly done with the paper. (b) He lives nearly the station. / He is near done with the paper. (c) He lives near the station. / He is near done with the paper. (d) He lives nearly the station. / He is nearly done with the paper.
Choose the correct sentence: (a) The exam centre is highly on the hill. (b) The kite flew highly above the trees. (c) The kite flew high above the trees. (d) The exam centre is high impressed by her marks.
Which sentence correctly uses "shortly"? (a) He fell shortly of the cutoff. (b) The results will be declared shortly. (c) She is shortly than her classmate. (d) The line was shortly around the block.
Choose the correctly formed adverb from the adjective "gentle": (a) gentley (b) gentlly (c) gently (d) gentfully
Choose the sentence with the phrasal verb correctly kept intact: (a) She filled carefully out the form. (b) She carefully filled out the form. (c) She filled out carefully the form. (d) She filled the form carefully out.
Which sentence uses the negative-inversion correlative correctly? (a) No sooner she had submitted the form than the portal crashed. (b) No sooner had she submitted the form than the portal crashed. (c) No sooner had she submitted the form when the portal crashed. (d) She no sooner had submitted the form than the portal crashed.
Choose the correctly formed adverb from the noun-based "-wards" pattern: (a) backwardly (b) backwards (c) backward-ly (d) abackwards
Which sentence uses "respectively" correctly? (a) The winners bowed respectively to the judges. (b) The three prizes were given to Anil, Sunil, and Kunal respectively. (c) He answered every question respectively. (d) She thanked the panel respectively.
Which sentence correctly places the adverb in a passive-voice construction? (a) The application carefully was reviewed by the panel. (b) The application was carefully reviewed by the panel. (c) The application was reviewed carefully by panel the. (d) Carefully the application was by the panel reviewed.

Part D — Adverbial Clauses and Comparative Forms (Q66–80)

Identify the type of adverbial clause: "Although the paper was lengthy, most candidates finished it." (a) Time (b) Concession (c) Condition (d) Purpose
Identify the type of adverbial clause: "She left early so that she could avoid the traffic." (a) Purpose (b) Result (c) Reason (d) Manner
Identify the type of adverbial clause: "He revised twice because the first attempt had failed." (a) Condition (b) Reason (c) Concession (d) Time
Identify the type of adverbial clause: "The queue was so long that many candidates missed the reporting time." (a) Purpose (b) Result (c) Time (d) Place
Identify the type of adverbial clause: "If you clear the prelims, you become eligible for the mains." (a) Condition (b) Concession (c) Reason (d) Purpose
Which of the following is an adverbial clause of manner? (a) She answered as if she had rehearsed it. (b) She answered where the light was best. (c) She answered because she was confident. (d) She answered so that the panel would be convinced.
Choose the sentence where the underlined clause is an adjective clause, NOT an adverbial clause: "I still remember the day when I received my offer letter." (a) It is an adverbial clause of time. (b) It is an adjective clause modifying "day." (c) It is a clause of condition. (d) It is a clause of concession.
Choose the correct comparative form of "efficiently": (a) efficienter (b) more efficient (c) more efficiently (d) most efficienter
Choose the correct superlative form of "badly": (a) baddest (b) most badly (c) worst (d) worsest
Choose the sentence with the correct comparative structure: (a) He made less mistakes than his classmate. (b) He made fewer mistakes than his classmate. (c) He made least mistakes than his classmate. (d) He made lesser mistakes than his classmate.
Choose the sentence that correctly completes an incomplete comparison: (a) He worked harder this year. (b) He worked harder this year than he had the previous year. (c) He worked hard harder this year. (d) He worked more harder this year.
Choose the sentence with a correctly used adverbial clause of purpose: (a) He studied hard, lest he fail the exam. (b) He studied hard because he failed the exam. (c) He studied hard, although he failed the exam. (d) He studied hard when he failed the exam.
Which sentence correctly uses "as though" with a clause of manner? (a) She answered as if confident. (b) She answered as though she were confident. (c) She answered as confident. (d) She answered as though confidently.
Choose the correct superlative sentence for comparing only two candidates: (a) Between the two, she performed best. (b) Between the two, she performed better. (c) Between the two, she performed goodest. (d) Between the two, she performed most well.
Choose the sentence with the adverbial clause of concession correctly used: (a) Even though the server crashed, the deadline was not extended. (b) Because the server crashed, the deadline was not extended. (c) If the server crashed, the deadline was not extended. (d) So that the server crashed, the deadline was not extended.

Part E — Mixed Advanced Practice (Q81–100)

(A) The invigilator asked us to sit / (B) quiet / (C) during the listening test. / (D) No error
(A) She is presently / (B) working on her thesis, / (C) which is due next month. / (D) No error
(A) The two teams were awarded / (B) trophies respectfully / (C) at the closing ceremony. / (D) No error
(A) He noted quickly down / (B) the reference number / (C) before the call ended. / (D) No error
(A) Seldom does the board / (B) revise the syllabus / (C) mid-year without prior notice. / (D) No error
(A) Little did she know / (B) that the paper / (C) would be postponed the very next day. / (D) No error
(A) Not only he cleared / (B) the prelims but also / (C) topped the mains examination. / (D) No error
(A) The chairperson will address / (B) the gathering momentarily, / (C) once the technical issue is fixed. / (D) No error
(A) He answered as if / (B) confident, without / (C) any hesitation at all. / (D) No error
(A) The paper was very very / (B) difficult this year, / (C) according to most candidates. / (D) No error
Choose the best substitute for the underlined portion: "Please kindly submit your documents by Friday." (a) No improvement (b) Please submit your documents by Friday (c) Kindly please submit your documents by Friday (d) Please and kindly submit your documents by Friday
Choose the best substitute: "He is currently working on his thesis, which he hopes to complete presently." (a) No improvement (b) ...which he hopes to complete soon (c) ...which he hopes to complete currently (d) ...which he hopes to complete lately
Choose the sentence free of the double-negative error: (a) There wasn't scarcely any time left. (b) There was scarcely any time left. (c) There isn't hardly any time left. (d) There hasn't hardly been any time.
Choose the sentence that correctly uses "namely": (a) Two sections carry equal weight, namely quantitative aptitude and reasoning. (b) The section carries the namely weight in the paper. (c) He namely explained the process. (d) She scored namely well in the mains.
Choose the sentence that correctly distinguishes "evidently" from "apparently": (a) Apparently, the hall was clearly unprepared, as chairs were still being carried in. (b) Evidently, the hall was unprepared, as chairs were still being carried in at nine. (c) Apparently and evidently mean exactly the same thing in every context. (d) Evidently means "by hearsay" and apparently means "by visible proof."
Identify the correctly punctuated and placed viewpoint adverb sentence: (a) The exam, frankly, was poorly organised this year. (b) The exam was poorly, frankly, organised this year. (c) Frankly the exam poorly organised was this year. (d) The exam was poorly organised frankly this year, frankly.
Choose the sentence with the adverb correctly formed from the noun-based suffix pattern: (a) He read the report time-wisely. (b) He read the report timewise. (c) He read the report time-wise-ly. (d) He read the report in a timewisely manner.
Choose the correct sentence using "instantaneously" in its appropriate register: (a) The biometric scanner verifies a fingerprint instantaneously. (b) She instantaneously felt sorry for missing the class. (c) He instantaneously liked the new syllabus. (d) They instantaneously became friends after the interview.
Choose the sentence that correctly uses the "the more...the more" comparative pattern: (a) The more carefully you read, the fewer mistakes you will make. (b) The more careful you read, the fewer mistake you make. (c) More you read carefully, fewer mistakes you make. (d) The most carefully you read, the fewest mistakes you make.
Choose the sentence that correctly avoids a squinting modifier: (a) Candidates who apply early often get preference. (b) Candidates who apply early often get preference, whereas late applicants rarely do. (c) Candidates who often apply early get preference rarely. (d) Candidates apply who early often get preference.

Answer Key with Explanations

Part A

(A) — should be "beautifully" (adverb needed to modify "sang," a verb of manner).
(D) No error — "hardly ever" is correctly placed before the main verb "misses."
(A) — should be "felt bad" (linking verb "felt" takes an adjective, not "badly").
(D) No error — "shortly" correctly means "soon" here.
(B) — should be "but she is" or "yet she is"; "is she is" is an ungrammatical construction.
(A) — should be "quickly completed" (manner adverb should not split verb and object).
(A) — should be "so lengthy" not "too lengthy" (since a "that" clause follows, "so...that" is the correct pairing, not "too...that").
(D) No error.
(D) No error — "rightly" correctly modifies "cancelled."
(A) — should be "qualified enough" ("enough" follows the adjective).
(D) No error — "Only she scored" correctly emphasises "she."
(A) — should be "tasted delicious" (linking verb "tasted" takes an adjective).
(A) — should be "has hardly prepared" (double negative: "hasn't hardly" is incorrect).
(A) — should be "performed better" (double comparative error).
(A) — should be "waited patiently" (adverb needed to modify "waited").
(B) — should be "further" (abstract extent, not physical distance).
(D) No error.
(D) No error — "freely admitted" is correct.
(B) — should be "recently" (simple past "were declared" pairs naturally with "recently," not "lately," which implies "up to now").
(D) No error.
(A) — should be "carefully filled" (phrasal verb "fill out" wrongly split by the manner adverb).
(A) — should be "was thoroughly" (adverb wrongly placed before the auxiliary "was" in a passive construction).
(B) — should be "had she missed" (fronted "Never" requires subject-auxiliary inversion).
(C) — should be "respectively," not "respectfully" (the sentence matches winners to medals in order, not showing respect).
(A) — should be "fewer candidates" (countable noun "candidates" requires "fewer," not "less").

Part B 26. confidently 27. bad 28. hardly (context implies he barely finished in time — a close call) 29. carefully 30. clearly 31. late 32. recently 33. nervous (linking verb "looked" takes an adjective) 34. clearly 35. hard 36. conveniently 37. more confidently 38. big enough 39. nearly 40. deeply 41. highly 42. considerably 43. respectively 44. consequently 45. continuously

Part C 46. (d) — all three are valid, but each places emphasis differently based on "only"'s position. 47. (a) 48. (b) 49. (b) 50. (b) 51. (b) 52. (c) 53. (c) 54. (b) 55. (b) 56. (b) 57. (c) 58. (c) 59. (b) 60. (c) 61. (b) 62. (b) — "no sooner...than" is the correct correlative pairing, not "no sooner...when." 63. (b) 64. (b) 65. (b)

Part D 66. (b) Concession 67. (a) Purpose 68. (b) Reason 69. (b) Result 70. (a) Condition 71. (a) 72. (b) — it is an adjective clause modifying the noun "day," not an adverbial clause, since it cannot be moved to the front of the sentence without changing what it modifies. 73. (c) 74. (c) 75. (b) 76. (b) 77. (a) 78. (b) 79. (b) — only two candidates are being compared, so the comparative "better," not the superlative "best," is required. 80. (a)

Part E 81. (B) — should be "quietly" (adverb needed to modify "sit," describing how to sit). 82. (D) No error — "presently" used loosely to mean "currently" is acceptable in modern usage, though "currently" would be the more precise formal choice. 83. (B) — should be "respectively," not "respectfully." 84. (A) — should be "quickly noted down" (manner adverb should precede the phrasal verb as a whole, not be wedged between the verb and its particle). 85. (D) No error — "Seldom does the board" is a correctly inverted structure. 86. (D) No error — "Little did she know" is a correctly inverted structure. 87. (A) — should be "Not only did he clear" (the correlative "not only" at the front requires inversion). 88. (D) No error — "momentarily" is used here in its stricter "for a brief moment" sense. 89. (B) — should be "as though he were confident" (an adjective cannot directly follow "as if/as though" without a linking verb and subject). 90. (A) — should be "exceptionally difficult" or similar; stacking "very very" is poor formal style. 91. (b) — "Please kindly" is redundant; only one politeness adverb is needed. 92. (b) — "presently" in its traditional sense means "soon," so "which he hopes to complete soon" is the clearer, non-redundant fix (avoiding two overlapping "soon"-type words used inconsistently). 93. (b) 94. (a) 95. (b) 96. (a) 97. (b) 98. (a) — "instantaneously" fits its technical/precise register best in a scanner-verification context. 99. (a) 100. (b)

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