CSS English MCQs with answers
Practise CSS English (Compulsory) with 357 exam-style MCQs, each with the answer and a short explanation. Every test is marked the moment you finish and shows your score chapter by chapter, so you know what to revise next. It is free and needs no sign-up.
357 questions · 8 chapters
What each chapter covers 8 chapters
The questions follow the syllabus chapter by chapter. You can test the whole subject or one chapter at a time.
- Grammar · Verbs and tenses 44 questionsTenses and sequence of tenses, Subject-verb agreement, Modals, voice, conditionals and narration
- Grammar · Nouns, pronouns and determiners 44 questionsArticles and determiners, Pronouns and reference, Nouns: number, countability and forms
- Grammar · Prepositions, conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs 45 questionsPrepositions and dependent prepositions, Conjunctions and connectors, Adjectives, adverbs and comparison
- Sentence correction 44 questionsSpotting the error in a sentence, Parallelism, modifiers and word order, Sentence structure and punctuation
- Vocabulary · Words 60 questionsSynonyms, Antonyms, Pairs of words (commonly confused), One-word substitutes and spelling
- Vocabulary · Idioms and phrases 45 questionsIdioms and their meanings, Phrasal verbs, Proverbs and foreign phrases
- Comprehension 45 questionsMain idea, title and purpose, Inference, tone and attitude, Vocabulary in context and details
- Précis and composition skills 30 questionsPrécis writing principles, Essay structure and thesis statements
Sample CSS English MCQs with answers 12 questions
12 questions from the test, one or two from each chapter. Try each one, then open the answer.
1. She ____ swim across the river when she was ten years old.
- A
can
- B
must
- C
should
- D
could
Show answer
Answer: D. Could expresses ability in the past; can refers to the present.
2. Which revision removes the ambiguity in: The coach told the captain that he would lead the side?
- A
The coach informed the captain that he was to lead the side.
- B
The coach told the captain, "You will lead the side."
- C
The coach told the captain that he was going to lead the side.
- D
The captain was told by the coach that he would lead the side.
Show answer
Answer: B. Direct speech with you makes it clear that the captain will lead. The other versions still leave he open to two readings.
3. Not only did he fail the test, ____ he also lost his scholarship.
- A
but
- B
and
- C
so
- D
than
Show answer
Answer: A. Not only is paired with but (also).
4. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
- A
The plan is risky, however it is cheap.
- B
The plan is risky however, it is cheap.
- C
The plan is risky; however, it is cheap.
- D
The plan is risky; however it is, cheap.
Show answer
Answer: C. However is a connecting adverb, not a conjunction. It needs a semicolon before it and a comma after it.
5. The ____ child believed every story that he was told.
- A
ingenious
- B
ingenuous
- C
indigenous
- D
ingenuity
Show answer
Answer: B. Ingenuous means innocent and trusting. Ingenious means clever and inventive.
6. What does the idiom to cry over spilt milk mean?
- A
to waste food through carelessness
- B
to complain about the price of goods
- C
to be afraid of an uncertain future
- D
to grieve over what cannot be undone
Show answer
Answer: D. The saying advises against regretting a loss that cannot be repaired.
7. The old railway station has changed little. The same green benches face the same clock, and somewhere a tea-seller still calls in a voice I seem to have heard at ten years old. I stood there a long time, not at all sure whether I was waiting for a train or for my childhood.
The tone of the passage is best described as
- A
bitter
- B
wistful
- C
indifferent
- D
angry
Show answer
Answer: B. Wistful means longing for the past in a gentle, sad way, which suits the closing remark about waiting for childhood.
8. Which sentence best opens the paragraph that follows?
____ The banks lent too freely, buyers borrowed beyond their means, and when prices fell, hundreds of families lost their homes.
- A
The housing crash was caused by careless lending and careless borrowing.
- B
Houses in most cities are built of brick, steel and concrete.
- C
Many families in the cities live in rented homes and flats.
- D
Prices of land and property always rise and fall in cycles.
Show answer
Answer: A. The opening sentence should state the idea that the examples (lending, borrowing, loss) support.
9. The furniture in the old rooms ____ been sold.
- A
have
- B
has
- C
are
- D
were
Show answer
Answer: B. Furniture is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
10. ____ of the twins has a different teacher.
- A
Several
- B
All
- C
Each
- D
Many
Show answer
Answer: C. The singular verb has shows that a singular determiner is needed. Each takes a singular verb, while Several, All and Many take plural verbs.
11. Of the two brothers, Ali is the ____.
- A
taller
- B
tallest
- C
more tall
- D
most tall
Show answer
Answer: A. Standard usage keeps the comparative for two persons and the superlative for three or more.
12. The ____ hostel is near the main gate. (A hostel for many girls.)
- A
girls'
- B
girl's
- C
girls
- D
girls's
Show answer
Answer: A. The plural noun girls ends in s, so the apostrophe follows the s.
Try 345 more questions
Ways to practise 5 ways
- Quick check. 10 questions drawn fresh each time, about 10 minutes.
- By chapter. 10 questions from one chapter, for the topic you are revising now.
- Full paper. A full-length timed paper across the whole syllabus.
- Practice mode. See the right answer and an explanation after every question, with no clock.
- Exam mode. Timed like the real paper, with no going back.
When you get a question wrong, a short note called "The idea behind this" explains the topic it belongs to, with the rules to remember and a worked example.
Common questions
Is this CSS English test free?
Yes. Every test and every explanation is free, and you do not need an account. If you sign in, your results are kept across your devices.
Are these past paper questions?
The 357 MCQs are our own, written to the syllabus in the style of the exam.
How is the test marked?
Instantly. You get your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and a list of the topics to work on.
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