Grammar Tests C1

Master advanced grammar: inversion, complex clauses, and subtle tense distinctions used in academic and professional English (CEFR level C1). Quizzes for this level will be added soon.

Grammar Topics

Inversion with Negative Adverbials – «Seldom have I seen…», «Only after…», «Not until…» (full consolidation across all tenses)
Formal Conditional Inversion – «Had I known…», «Were she to arrive…», «Should you require…» (formal alternatives to «if»)
Inversion with «So + adjective/adverb… that» – «So difficult was the exam that…» (extreme emphasis for dramatic effect)
Relative Clauses with Prepositions in Initial Position – «The company in which he invested…» vs. «The company which he invested in…» (formal vs. colloquial register)
Non-Defining Relative Clauses with «Which» Referring to a Whole Clause – «He arrived late, which annoyed everyone» (advanced anaphoric reference)
Advanced Cleft Sentences – «It wasn’t until…», «What … is/was…», «The reason why… is…», «All I want is…»
Pseudo-Cleft Structures – «What she did was (to) quit…», «What happens is (that)…» (fronting for emphasis)
Advanced English Subjunctive – «It is imperative that he be present», «They demanded that he resign» (formal mandates and recommendations)
Subjunctive with «As if» / «As though» + Past Perfect – «She spoke as if she had been there» (unreal past comparisons)
«Would rather» / «Would sooner» + Subject + Past/Past Perfect – «I’d rather you didn’t smoke» / «I’d rather you hadn’t told her» (preferences involving other people)
«It’s (about/high) time» + Past Simple – «It’s high time we left» (criticism about overdue actions)
«Suppose» / «Supposing» + Past/Past Perfect – For hypothetical suggestions («Suppose you won the lottery…»)
«If it weren’t for…» / «If it hadn’t been for…» – Expressing dependence in hypothetical conditions («If it weren’t for you, I’d be lost»)
Mixed Conditionals (All Types) – Full consolidation: 2/3, 3/2, 1/2, etc. («If I had taken that job, I would be rich now»)
«But for» + Noun / Gerund – Formal alternative to «if it weren’t/hadn’t been for» («But for your help, we would have failed»)
«Were it not for» / «Had it not been for» – Formal inversion of the above structures
«Whether… or…» with Subjunctive and Inversion – «Whether he be right or wrong…» (formal/literary style)
«No matter + wh-» + Inversion – Consolidation across all tenses («No matter what you say, I won’t agree»)
«However» + Adjective/Adverb + Subject + Verb – «However hard he tried, he couldn’t…» (formal alternative to «no matter how»)
«Whatever» + Noun + Subject + Verb – «Whatever decision he makes…» (emphatic concession)
Passive Voice with Verbs of Perception and Causatives – «She was heard to say…» / «He was seen leaving…» (passive with full/ bare infinitives and participles)
«Have/Get + Object + Past Participle» vs. «Have/Get + Object + Infinitive» – «I had my car stolen» (negative experience) vs. «I had him carry it» (causative with a person)
Advanced Reporting Verbs with Impersonal Passive – «He is rumored to have fled…» / «It is feared that…» (journalistic and academic English)
«To be said/thought/believed» + Perfect and Continuous Infinitives – «She is thought to have been working…» (levels of certainty in past continuous actions)
Infinitive with «To» in Initial Position as Subject – «To err is human…» (formal/literary gerund alternative)
Gerund with its Own Subject (Genitive vs. Accusative) – «Do you mind my leaving?» vs. «Do you mind me leaving?» (formal vs. informal distinction)
Gerund in Complex Nominal Functions – «The government’s having failed to act…» (nominalized syntax for formal writing)
«Used to» + Infinitive vs. «Be used to» + Gerund vs. «Get used to» + Gerund – C1 consolidation across all tenses and aspects
«Be accustomed to» / «Be in the habit of» – Formal alternatives to «be used to»
Modal Verbs of Deduction in Continuous and Perfect Continuous Forms – «He must have been sleeping» / «She can’t have been working» (deduction about ongoing past actions)
«Need» and «Dare» as Modal vs. Lexical Verbs – «Need I go?» vs. «Do I need to go?» / «He dare not speak» vs. «He doesn’t dare to speak» – Total consolidation
«Shall» in Formal British English for Offers and Suggestions with «I/We» – «Shall I open the window?» (consolidation and politeness levels)
«Will» and «Would» for Habits and Characteristics – «He will always interrupt» (annoying habit) / «When we were kids, we would play…» (past habit) – Advanced consolidation
«Won’t» for Refusals and Technical Failure – «The car won’t start» (mechanical failure) / «He won’t listen» (stubborn refusal)
«Would» for Wishes and Extreme Politeness – «Would that I could…» (literary, expressing desire) / «Would you be so kind as to…» (ultra-formal politeness)
«May» and «Might» in Concession and Contrast – «He may be rich, but he’s unhappy» / «Try as he might…» (adversative use)
«Could» + Perfect Infinitive for Missed Opportunities – «I could have been a contender» / «You could have told me!» (reproach)
«Should» + Perfect Infinitive for Unfulfilled Expectations and Criticism – «They should have arrived by now» (expectation) / «You should have asked» (criticism)
«Ought to» + Perfect Infinitive – Formal alternative to «should have» (criticism and recommendation)
«Needn’t have» vs. «Didn’t need to» – C1 consolidation (unnecessary action done vs. action not done – nuance mastery)
Contrast Connectors with Parallel Structures – «Whereas», «Whilst», «Nonetheless», «Notwithstanding» (formal written English)
Cause and Effect Connectors with Nuance – «Consequently», «Hence», «Thus», «Therefore», «As a consequence», «For this reason» – Formal vs. informal distinction
Addition Connectors with Semantic Nuance – «Furthermore», «Moreover», «In addition», «Besides» – Distinguishing «adding to the argument» vs. «on another note»
Purpose Connectors with «Lest» – «He ran away lest he be caught» (formal/archaic – expressing «in order to avoid»)
«For fear that» + Should – Modern alternative to «lest» («He left early for fear that he should miss the train»)
Advanced Ellipsis and Substitution – Omitting verbs and clauses to avoid repetition («She can play the piano and her brother [can play] too» / «I hope so», «I think not»)
«So» and «Not» as Substitutes for «That» Clauses – «I’m afraid so», «I suppose not», «I hope so» – Consolidation with all opinion verbs
«Do so», «Do it», «Do that» as Verbal Substitutes – Formal and contextual distinction («He told me to leave, and I did so»)
Articles with Diseases, Institutions, and Transport – «He has the flu» vs. «He has cancer» / «Go to hospital» vs. «Go to the hospital» – British/American distinction
Advanced Articles with Proper Nouns and Geography – «The Netherlands», «The Hague», «(The) Sudan», «Lake Victoria» vs. «The Thames» – Total consolidation
«All» vs. «Every» vs. «Each» with Collective vs. Individual Nuance – «All students» (general group) vs. «Every student» (individual members) vs. «Each student» (one by one)
«Either» and «Neither» + Singular Verb + Question Tags – «Neither of them is…» / «Either is acceptable» – Consolidation with tag formation
«None of» + Singular vs. Plural Verb – «None of them is/are…» (formal singular vs. informal plural distinction)
«Much», «Many», «Little», «Few» in Predicative Position and with «Very» – «There is much to do» / «Very few people came» – Consolidation
«That» + Relative Clause vs. «That» + Result Clause – «The book that I read» vs. «It was so big that I couldn’t carry it» – Structural distinction
Prepositions with «Which» and «Whom» in Formal Relatives – «To whom it may concern» / «The matter about which we spoke»
«Whether» + Infinitive vs. «Whether» + Clause – «I don’t know whether to go or not» vs. «I don’t know whether I should go»
«If so» / «If not» – Replacing Entire Clauses – «Are you coming? If so, I’ll wait» (advanced discourse reference)
«Hence», «Thence», «Whence» – Formal/archaic words for «from here», «from there», «from where» (literary and legal texts)
Double Negation for Stylistic Effect (Litotes) – «Not uncommon», «Not without reason», «No small feat» – For understatement and emphasis in formal registers