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Common Entrance English: Grammar, spelling and usage

Verbs, comparisons, plurals, articles, spelling and sentence types. 20 original, exam-style questions with worked answers.

Read every question with its answer and working.

  1. Question 1 of 20

    Choose the correct word: The boys ___ playing football.

    Answer: A. are. “Boys” is plural, so we use “are”.

  2. Question 2 of 20

    Which sentence is correct?

    Answer: D. She doesn’t like rice.. With “she” we say “doesn’t”.

  3. Question 3 of 20

    What is the past tense of “bring”?

    Answer: C. brought. “Bring” is irregular: bring, brought.

  4. Question 4 of 20

    Choose the correct word: Ngozi is ___ than her sister.

    Answer: B. taller. We compare two people with “taller”.

  5. Question 5 of 20

    What is the plural of “child”?

    Answer: A. children. The plural of “child” is “children”.

  6. Question 6 of 20

    Choose the correct word: Yesterday, we ___ to the market.

    Answer: D. went. “Yesterday” shows the past, so we use “went”.

  7. Question 7 of 20

    Choose the correct word: I have ___ my homework.

    Answer: C. finished. After “have” we use the past participle: “have finished”.

  8. Question 8 of 20

    Choose the correct word: ___ going to school now.

    Answer: B. They’re. “They’re” is short for “they are”.

  9. Question 9 of 20

    Choose the correct word: She is ___ honest girl.

    Answer: A. an. “Honest” starts with a vowel sound, so we use “an”.

  10. Question 10 of 20

    Choose the correct word: He is afraid ___ snakes.

    Answer: D. of. We say “afraid of”.

  11. Question 11 of 20

    Which word is a noun?

    Answer: C. happiness. A noun names something. “Happiness” names a feeling.

  12. Question 12 of 20

    Which word is an adverb?

    Answer: B. carefully. An adverb tells us how something is done. “Carefully” describes an action.

  13. Question 13 of 20

    What is the plural of “mouse”?

    Answer: A. mice. “Mouse” has an irregular plural: “mice”.

  14. Question 14 of 20

    Choose the correct word: Each of the girls ___ a bag.

    Answer: D. has. “Each” is singular, so we use “has”.

  15. Question 15 of 20

    Which sentence needs a question mark at the end?

    Answer: C. Where did you put my pen. It asks a question.

  16. Question 16 of 20

    Which sentence is in the passive voice?

    Answer: B. The window was broken by the boy.. In the passive voice the thing that is acted on comes first: “The window was broken”.

  17. Question 17 of 20

    Choose the correctly spelt word.

    Answer: A. necessary. “Necessary” has one c and two s’s.

  18. Question 18 of 20

    Choose the correctly spelt word.

    Answer: D. separate. Remember “a rat” in sep-a-rate.

  19. Question 19 of 20

    Choose the correct word: I could not ___ the music.

    Answer: C. hear. “Hear” is what we do with our ears.

  20. Question 20 of 20

    Choose the correct word: He was very tired, ___ he kept working.

    Answer: B. but. “But” shows the surprising contrast between being tired and still working.

More English worksheets

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Common Entrance questions parents ask

What is the Common Entrance examination?

It is the entrance exam Primary 6 pupils take to move on to secondary school in Nigeria. The National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE) is used for the Federal Unity Colleges, and many states and schools set their own. Papers, subjects and dates differ between exam bodies and from year to year, so always check your child’s exam for the current format.

Which areas do these worksheets cover?

Mathematics, English, quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning and general knowledge (basic science, social studies and civic education). Each area has worksheets of 20 questions with worked answers.

Are these the real past questions?

No. They are original, exam-style practice questions with worked answers, written to build the same skills. They are not copies of past papers.

How do Answers, Practice and Test yourself differ?

Answers shows every question with its answer and working. Practice shows if you are right straight after each question. Test yourself hides the answers until you have answered all 20, then shows your score and every answer.

What does “ready” mean?

Scoring 16 out of 20 (80%) or more in a test. Your best score is saved in this browser. It is a practice guide and not a prediction of an exam result.

Is Hour of Math linked to NECO or a state exam board?

No. Hour of Math is independent and is not affiliated with any examination body.