STEP (Standardized Test of English Proficiency) · Structure and Grammar

Advanced English Grammar, Verb Tenses, Conditionals and Sentence Structure

62 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

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Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 62 questions

  1. Neither the project manager nor the civil engineers ______ satisfied with the preliminary soil test results.
  2. By the time the international flight landed at King Khalid International Airport, the delegation ______ for three hours.
  3. If the pharmaceutical company ______ the clinical trial protocol earlier, the regulatory approval would have been granted last month.
  4. Hardly ______ the laboratory building when the fire alarm sounded loudly throughout the campus.
  5. The university committee recommended that every incoming student ______ a comprehensive mathematics placement examination.
  6. The new solar energy plant, ______ construction was completed ahead of schedule, will supply electricity to over 50,000 households.
  7. The CEO insisted ______ reviewing all financial disclosures personally before submitting them to the regulatory commission.
  8. The more rigorous the university entrance criteria become, ______ the competition among graduating high school seniors.
  9. She spoke so ______ during the technical conference that every attendee in the large auditorium could understand the complex findings.
  10. The research scientist would rather conduct field observations in the desert ______ analyze secondary datasets in an office.
  11. Despite ______ extensive experience in petroleum engineering, Tariq decided to pursue an advanced degree in artificial intelligence.
  12. Not only ______ the prestigious academic scholarship, but she also secured a funded research internship in robotics.
  13. Each of the newly appointed medical directors ______ responsible for overseeing clinical quality assurance across three regional hospitals.
  14. The historical documents were so fragile that the archivist handled them ______ cotton gloves to avoid moisture damage.
  15. The architectural team ______ on the blueprint for six months before the municipal permit was finally approved.
  16. It is essential that every laboratory technician ______ protective goggles and gloves while handling volatile chemical reagents.
  17. The municipal council postponed the vote on urban zoning ______ several members requested additional traffic impact assessments.
  18. Under no circumstances ______ permitted to operate the heavy industrial machinery without certified safety training.
  19. The director asked the candidates whether they ______ any previous experience managing enterprise cloud infrastructure.
  20. The archaeological discovery was ______ significant that international research teams immediately requested permission to excavate the site.
  21. The civil engineering firm has constructed ______ bridges across the province than its commercial competitors.
  22. The graduate student regretted ______ so much time on non-academic activities during the final semester.
  23. Rarely ______ such an extraordinary display of meteors visible to the naked eye across the northern desert.
  24. The government introduced tax incentives to encourage private corporations to invest ______ renewable solar technology.
  25. Had the transport authority ______ the warning about flash floods, the highway would have been closed proactively.
  26. The university board decided to postpone the commencement ceremony, ______ disappointed many graduating students and their families.
  27. By next September, the municipal authorities ______ the new desalted water transmission pipeline.
  28. No sooner had the keynote speaker stepped onto the stage ______ a thunderous round of applause erupted from the audience.
  29. The legal contract stipulated that all disputes ______ resolved through binding arbitration in Riyadh.
  30. The laboratory technicians were praised for their meticulous attention to protocol, ______ ensured total sterility in the culture medium.
  31. The newly developed ceramic alloy is superior ______ traditional metallic components in terms of thermal resistance.
  32. Scarcely ______ seated in the lecture hall when the professor began the complex organic chemistry presentation.
  33. Neither of the proposed routes through the mountain pass ______ safe for commercial transport during the winter storm season.
  34. The regional airline apologized to passengers ______ the unexpected four-hour departure delay caused by severe dust storms.
  35. The academic journal article was praised not only for its theoretical rigor ______ for its practical applicability to water management.
  36. If you ______ across any archival records regarding ancient trade routes, please notify the university research team immediately.
  37. The lead architect insisted that the construction crew ______ safety harnesses at all times while working on elevated scaffolding.
  38. The modern hospital facility is equipped ______ state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging technologies.
  39. The supervisor demanded to know why the safety protocols ______ during the overnight maintenance shift.
  40. The more thoroughly you review the lecture notes, ______ your performance will be on the final standardized assessment.
  41. The research grant will be awarded to ______ submits the most innovative proposal for solar desalination.
  42. The civil engineering firm succeeded ______ completing the complex underground metro station ahead of the contractual deadline.
  43. Little ______ that the small experimental software script would eventually evolve into an international operating platform.
  44. The newly enacted environmental legislation aims to prevent industrial factories ______ discharging untreated chemical effluents into coastal waters.
  45. It is imperative that every team member ______ present at the safety briefing tomorrow morning.
  46. The archaeological team discovered an ancient burial site ______ artifacts dated back over 3,000 years.
  47. Had Tariq prepared more thoroughly for the licensure exam, he ______ the passing threshold on his initial attempt.
  48. The laboratory director was praised for handling the delicate institutional audit with remarkable ______ and professionalism.
  49. The university board voted to allocate 15% of the annual budget ______ renewable energy and campus sustainability initiatives.
  50. The project supervisor insisted on ______ the concrete mixture tested before pouring the structural foundation.
  51. Only after the water quality results were certified by the health ministry ______ the municipal reservoir opened to the public.
  52. The municipal department is committed ______ reducing carbon emissions across public transit networks by 40% before 2030.
  53. Identify the sentence that correctly employs subject-auxiliary inversion after a negative adverbial.
  54. Choose the correct mixed conditional sentence expressing a past condition with a present outcome.
  55. Identify the sentence that correctly uses the subjunctive mood in a noun clause following a verb of recommendation.
  56. Which sentence correctly avoids a dangling participial modifier?
  57. Choose the sentence that demonstrates correct parallel structure with correlative conjunctions.
  58. Choose the sentence that correctly employs a non-restrictive relative clause with a prepositional object.
  59. Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement with a quantified fraction and collective prepositional phrase.
  60. Which sentence correctly uses a cleft sentence structure with preparatory 'it' for focal emphasis?
  61. Select the sentence that correctly structures a passive reporting statement with a perfect infinitive.
  62. Choose the sentence that correctly uses a causative verb construction.

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