Test your English Language and Grammar Understanding

Verb Usage
Put The Verbs in Parentheses into the Correct Tense. Once you have decided on your answer, click on the arrow to check if you are correct.
EXAMPLE: Harish is (be) very tall.

1. Unfortunately, the traffic held me up. When I arrived at the airport, the plane -- had already left (already/leave).
2. -- Have you seen (you/see) the new Harley model yet?
3. After he -- got OR had got (get) home he -- made (make) himself a cup of tea.
4. What clothes -- are you going to take OR are you taking (you/take) with you on holiday next week?
5. I -- was watching (watch) TV when Ma telephoned.
6. When I was young our family -- would go OR went OR used to go (go) on picnics every Sunday.
7. Don't worry Manish -- is always (be/always) late.
8. Unless you -- study (study) , you -- won't pass (not/pass) the exam.
9. You look tired!
   Yes, I feel tired. I -- have been working (work) a lot recently.
10. I -- am used to getting up (be used to/get up) early in the morning now, but before I wasn't.

Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Once you have decided on your answer, click on the arrow to check if you are correct.

Example: Do you have a bicycle?
Have you got a bicycle?

1. The exam was so easy that everyone passed it.
   It was -- such an easy exam -- (that) everyone passed it.
2. Although he was well paid in his new job he wasn't very happy.
   Despite -- (his) being well paid in his new job, he wasn't very happy.
3. I started learning English three years ago.                                                                                       I've -- been learning English for three years.
4. June asked, "Are you going tonight?"                                                                                               June asked -- me if I was going that night.
5. You won't pass this exam if you don't study.
   Unless -- you study, you won't pass this exam.

The following is a practice test for intermediate levels testing tense usage and vocabulary accuracy. Feel free to use this test in class and/or share with your friends and colleagues.
......................

Read More>>

Read more...

Elements of an Effective Communicator

Active listening

Watching and listening play a big part in effective communication. The goal of active listening is to understand not just the words a person says but the meaning or point of view the person is trying to get across.

Timing and setting:

Some settings make communicating easier, just as certain times seem to be better than others. Be sensitive to potential problems and eliminate distractions by choosing the right time & place. For instance when calling on someone important over the mobile we must reconsider the time of the day, and also instinctively go to a corner which is less noisy and has good network coverage

Effective self-expression:

Be sensitive to your own style of communicating. Take note of how you say things. Are you saying what you really mean? Are you saying it clearly and simply?

Read More>>

Read more...