English MCQs – Page 46 (Q451-460)

The correct answer is ''is having' should be 'has'' because 'have' in the sense of possession is a stative verb and is not normally used in continuous tenses, requiring the Simple Present form 'has' rather than 'is having'. Note that 'have' can take continuous forms when used in a dynamic, action-based sense, such as 'is having lunch' or 'is having a party', making context essential for determining whether the continuous form is acceptable. This possession-versus-activity distinction with 'have' is a frequently tested nuance in stative verb questions.

The correct answer is ''could not able' should be 'was not able' or 'could not'' because 'could' is itself a modal verb already expressing ability, and combining it redundantly with 'able to' creates an ungrammatical double structure; the sentence should use either the modal alone, 'could not attend', or the alternative ability expression, 'was not able to attend', but never both together. This redundant-modal error is a commonly tested mistake, similar to other cases where two structures expressing the same grammatical function are mistakenly combined.

The correct answer is ''that' should be removed' because when a wh-question word like 'where' already introduces a reported clause in indirect speech, adding the conjunction 'that' as well is redundant and grammatically incorrect; the wh-word alone is sufficient to introduce the clause. This differs from reporting ordinary statements, where 'that' is the standard connector, showing how wh-question narration follows a distinct pattern that does not combine with 'that'. Confusing statement and question reporting structures is a common narration error.

The correct answer is ''but' should be removed' because 'although' and 'but' both signal contrast, and pairing them together in the same sentence creates a redundant double conjunction that is grammatically incorrect in standard English; only one contrastive conjunction should be used per sentence. The correct version, 'Although he was tired, he continued working', relies on 'although' alone to establish the contrast. This redundant-conjunction error, also seen with 'because...so' or 'though...yet', is a frequently tested structural mistake in competitive exams.

The correct answer is ''more wiser' should be 'wiser'' because 'wise', a short adjective, forms its comparative by simply adding '-er', and pairing it additionally with 'more' creates a redundant double comparative that is grammatically incorrect. This is the same type of error seen in 'more smarter' or 'more taller', all violating the rule that a comparative should be formed only one way, either with '-er' or with 'more', but never both simultaneously within the same adjective.

The correct answer is ''returned back' should be 'returned'' because 'return' already inherently means to come back, making the additional word 'back' redundant and repetitive. This is a classic example of a pleonasm, an unnecessary duplication of meaning, alongside similar common redundancies like 'repeat again' and 'revert back'. Competitive English exams frequently test recognition of these built-in redundant word pairs, where a verb's meaning already fully contains what a following word attempts to add.

The correct answer is ''were' should be 'was'' because phrases introduced by 'along with', 'as well as', 'together with', and 'accompanied by' do not affect the number of the main subject for the purposes of subject-verb agreement; the verb agrees only with 'the teacher', a singular subject, requiring 'was' rather than 'were'. This is a frequently tested exception, since these phrases add extra information resembling a compound subject but grammatically function more like a parenthetical aside rather than actually pluralizing the subject.

The correct answer is ''very much' should be simply 'very'' because 'very' alone is the standard intensifier used directly before an adjective like 'tired', and adding 'much' as well creates an unnecessary and stylistically awkward redundancy in this context. While 'very much' can correctly intensify a verb, as in 'I very much appreciate it', it should not be used to intensify an adjective, where plain 'very' is standard. This very-versus-very-much distinction based on what is being modified is a subtle but testable usage point.

The correct answer is ''is' should be 'are'' because 'both' is a plural indefinite pronoun referring to two entities together, always requiring a plural verb, 'are', regardless of the singular-looking structure of the sentence. This mirrors the plural treatment required for other plural quantifiers like 'several' and 'many', in contrast to singular indefinite pronouns like 'each' and 'neither'. Recognizing 'both' as consistently plural is a fundamental and frequently tested subject-verb agreement rule.

The correct answer is ''was hanged' should be 'hung'' because English distinguishes between two different past-tense and past-participle forms of 'hang': 'hanged' is reserved specifically for executions by hanging, while 'hung' is used for all other meanings, including hanging objects like pictures, clothes, or decorations. Using 'hanged' for a picture is a classic and frequently tested vocabulary trap, since the two forms carry entirely different, non-interchangeable connotations despite sharing the same base verb.