Grammar for Business Writing Test

'The business opens Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m. sharp, it’s closed all day Sunday.'

Due to the above sentence, which one is NOT the better way to improve the sentence?

• NO CHANGE

• The business opens Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m. sharp, and it’s closed all day Sunday.

• The business opens Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m. sharp; it’s closed all day Sunday.

• The business opens Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m. sharp. It’s closed all day Sunday.

Answer explanation

This is the comma splices sentence that means it uses a comma to connect two sentences without connectors. So, 'no change' is the best answer.

Which sentence is right?

• The couple arrived to review theirs tax return.

• The couple arrived to review they’re tax return.

• The couple arrived to review there tax return.

• The couple arrived to review their tax return.

Answer explanation

In this case, we replace the couple by 'they', so the possessive adjective must be 'their', while the first one 'theirs' is a possessive pronoun, with no need to put any noun after it.

Which sentence is grammatically wrong?

• Each night, the clerk balances the ledger.

• Each night, the clerk balance the ledger

• Each night, the clerks balance the ledger.

• None of the above

Answer explanation

If the clerk is a singular person, there should be 's' after the verb.

On the other hand, if the clerk is a plural noun, we leave the verb 'balance' without 's'.

Which sentence is grammatically right?

• A) I'm study online English.

• B) I study English online.

• C) I studies online English course.

• D) I studying English course online.

Answer explanation

B is the best answer as it expresses the present simple tense with the adverb 'online' modifying the verb 'study'.

Which sentence is the most properly and grammatically correct?

• A) Due to COVID-19, we conference online.

• B) Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we hold the conference online.

• C) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the conference will be held online.

• D) Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, we will meet you in online conference.

Answer explanation

C) 'Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the conference will be held online.' is the best answer as it uses the passive voice that seems more formal and polite than B. And the sense of this announcement should be in the future not at the present to use the present simple tense as B.

For D) it is wrong because the preposition 'in'

To respond to the question:

'Will you have time to visit with us?'

on the instant messenger, which one would be the best in case you cannot go?

• A) I'm not sure. Let me find the way out.

• B) Due to the COVID-19 situation, I think we'd rather not meet each other.

• C) I'm really hoping to, but my schedule will be pretty tight. Let me get back to you about that after the weekend.

• D) Sorry, but my schedule is too tight. I cannot visit you for sure

Answer explanation

C) is the best answer, while is another good reason; but it doesn't express any hopeful idea.

Which sentence contains the grammatical error?

• A) One of my most embarrassing moment happened when I went for an interview for a job as a receptionist in a large hotel in Brighton.

• B) I had driven there and, because of the traffic and the difficulty of finding the hotel, I was slightly late.

• C) I had just reached the hotel car park and was about to reverse into a parking space when a man in a big, white Mercedes drove into it.

• D) This made me really angry so I wound down the window and swore at him, but he just ignored me and walked away, which made me even madder.

Answer explanation

A) one of + plural noun so it should be moments

Which sentence is completely grammatically correct.

*Hint: consider the underlined words.

• A) To make matters worse, the car park was full, so far I had to wait another ten minutes before then I found an empty parking space.

• B) By this time, I was over a quarter of an hour late for the interview, so I had rushed to the manager’s office, knocked on the door and walked in.

• C) When the manager looked me up, I nearly died: it was the same man that I had sworn at in the car park – he the one who had taken off my parking space.

• D) Happily, we both saw the funny side of things and if I got the job, but on one condition: that I promised never to swear at the guests!

Answer explanation

B) is the best answer.

To make matters worse, the car park was full, so (there shouldn't be far ; it means until then) I had to wait another ten minutes before .... (no then) I found an empty parking space.

Which are the best answer to complete the blanks in the following sentence?

I (recognize)______________ him because I (meet) ____________ him at a meeting earlier in the year.

• A) recognize, meet

• B) recognized, met

• C) recognized, had met

• D) had recognized, had been meeting

Which one is the right word order of these scrambled phrases?

hotel owned businessman The tall was German a middle-aged by

• A) The businessman was a German tall middle-aged by hotel owned.

• B) The hotel was owned by a tall middle-aged German businessman.

• C) The tall middle-aged businessman was by a German hotel owned.

• D) The hotel was owned by a businessman, tall middle-aged German.

Answer explanation

B) is the best answer.