An interactive quiz is a great way to challenge your grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills at the intermediate level.

Quiz: Intermediate English (B1) Practice Quiz

Question (Topic: Present Perfect vs. Past Simple): 

I _____ in London for three years, but then I moved to Paris in 2024.
Option (Incorrect): have lived
Reason: Incorrect. The present perfect "have lived" implies the action is still true or connected to the present, but the speaker has already moved away.
Option (Correct): lived
Reason: Correct! The past simple is used because the action of living in London is completely finished and happened in the past.
Option (Incorrect): have been living
Reason: Incorrect. This present perfect continuous form implies that the speaker still lives in London today.
Option (Incorrect): live
Reason: Incorrect. "Live" is present simple, but the speaker is describing a past life situation.
Hint: Look closely at the phrase "but then I moved." This shows the time in London is over. 

Which tense describes a finished past action?

Question (Topic: First vs. Second Conditional): 

If I _____ a lottery prize tomorrow, I would buy a house by the beach.
Option (Incorrect): win
Reason: Incorrect. "Win" would make this a first conditional (real/likely future), but the second part uses "would buy," signaling an imaginary situation.
Option (Correct): won
Reason: Correct! This is a second conditional sentence (hypothetical/imaginary situation). We use the past simple in the "if" clause and "would + verb" in the main clause.
Option (Incorrect): will win
Reason: Incorrect. We do not use "will" in the "if" clause of a conditional sentence.
Option (Incorrect): had won
Reason: Incorrect. "Had won" is past perfect, which is used for third conditional (imaginary past events).
Hint: Check the second half of the sentence: "I would buy." Which tense matches "would" to create a hypothetical present or future scenario?

Question (Topic: Passive Voice): 

The new bridge _____ by the engineering company last month.
Option (Incorrect): completed
Reason: Incorrect. The bridge cannot complete itself; it needs a passive structure to show the action was done to it.
Option (Correct): was completed
Reason: Correct! This is the past simple passive form ("was/were" + past participle), which is correct because the action happened at a specific past time ("last month").
Option (Incorrect): has been completed
Reason: Incorrect. While this is a passive form, the specific time marker "last month" requires the past simple, not the present perfect.
Option (Incorrect): is completed
Reason: Incorrect. This is a present passive form, but the event took place in the past.
Hint: The subject "The new bridge" receives the action, and it happened in the past ("last month"). Look for the past passive structure.

Question (Topic: Relative Clauses): 

The scientist _____ discovered the new element won a Nobel Prize.
Option (Correct): who
Reason: Correct! We use the relative pronoun "who" to refer to people as the subject of the relative clause.
Option (Incorrect): which
Reason: Incorrect. "Which" is used to refer to things, objects, or animals, not people.
Option (Incorrect): whose
Reason: Incorrect. "Whose" is a possessive relative pronoun used to show ownership, which doesn't fit here.
Option (Incorrect): where
Reason: Incorrect. "Where" is used to refer to places, not people.
Hint: The noun being described is "The scientist." Choose the relative pronoun used exclusively for people.

Question (Topic: Business & Everyday Vocabulary): 

The company decided to _____ the meeting until next Tuesday because the director was sick.
Option (Incorrect): call off
Reason: Incorrect. "Call off" means to cancel an event completely, but the meeting is just being moved to a later date.
Option (Incorrect): put out
Reason: Incorrect. "Put out" can mean to extinguish a fire or cause inconvenience, which does not fit scheduling.
Option (Correct): postpone
Reason: Correct! To "postpone" (or "put off") means to delay an event or arrange for it to take place at a time later than originally planned.
Option (Incorrect): protect
Reason: Incorrect. "Protect" means to keep something safe from harm, which makes no sense in this context.
Hint: Think of a formal vocabulary word that means to delay an event or reschedule it for a future date.

Question (Topic: Dependent Prepositions): 

She has always been very good _____ learning foreign languages.
Option (Incorrect): in
Reason: Incorrect. People often mistake "good in" for subjects, but the standard English collocation for talent or skill is different.
Option (Incorrect): for
Reason: Incorrect. "Good for" means beneficial to health or well-being (e.g., "Vegetables are good for you"), not skillful.
Option (Correct): at
Reason: Correct! The adjective "good" is followed by the preposition "at" when describing someone's skills, talents, or abilities.
Option (Incorrect): with
Reason: Incorrect. "Good with" is used for handling things or people (e.g., "good with kids"), but "at" is used before a gerund (-ing verb) like "learning."
Hint: What preposition always follows the adjective "good" when you are talking about a skill or ability?

Question (Topic: Reported Speech): 

"I will call you later," Mark said. -> Mark said that he _____ me later.
Option (Incorrect): will call
Reason: Incorrect. In reported speech, we usually shift the tenses back. "Will" changes to a past modal form.
Option (Correct): would call
Reason: Correct! When reporting speech introduced by a past tense verb ("said"), "will" shifts back to "would."
Option (Incorrect): calls
Reason: Incorrect. "Calls" is present tense and does not follow the rules for shifting tenses back in reported speech.
Option (Incorrect): called
Reason: Incorrect. "Called" is past simple, which would be the report of a present simple statement ("I call"), not a future one ("I will call").
Hint: When we change direct speech to reported speech after "said," modal verbs shift into their past forms. What is the past form of "will"?

Question (Topic: Quantifiers): 

I have _____ time today, so I can only grab a quick coffee with you.
Option (Incorrect): a few
Reason: Incorrect. "A few" is used with countable nouns, but "time" is an uncountable noun in this context.
Option (Correct): little
Reason: Correct! "Little" is used with uncountable nouns to mean a small, often insufficient amount.
Option (Incorrect): many
Reason: Incorrect. "Many" is used with plural countable nouns, not uncountable nouns like time.
Option (Incorrect): a lot
Reason: Incorrect. "A lot" requires "of" before a noun (e.g., a lot of time) and implies a large amount, which contradicts "only grab a quick coffee."
Hint: Time is uncountable, and the speaker does not have enough of it. Choose the quantifier that means "not much."

Question (Topic: Gerunds vs. Infinitives): 

I look forward to _____ you at the conference next week.
Option (Incorrect): meet
Reason: Incorrect. The phrase "look forward to" requires a gerund or a noun because "to" acts as a preposition here, not part of an infinitive.
Option (Incorrect): met
Reason: Incorrect. "Met" is the past tense form and cannot follow the prepositional phrase "look forward to."
Option (Correct): meeting
Reason: Correct! The idiom "look forward to" is always followed by a gerund (verb-ing) or a noun phrase.
Option (Incorrect): to meet
Reason: Incorrect. You cannot double the "to" particle ("look forward to to meet") or use a bare infinitive here.
Hint: In the common phrase "look forward to," the word "to" is a preposition. Prepositions must be followed by a noun or a verb ending in "-ing."

Question (Topic: Conjunctions / Adverbial Clauses):

 _____ it was raining heavily, we thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour of the city.
Option (Incorrect): Despite
Reason: Incorrect. "Despite" must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund, not a full clause with a verb ("it was raining").
Option (Correct): Although
Reason: Correct! "Although" is a subordinating conjunction used to connect a clause of contrast to the main sentence.
Option (Incorrect): However
Reason: Incorrect. "However" is a transition word used to start a new sentence, usually followed by a comma, not to join two clauses directly.
Option (Incorrect): Because
Reason: Incorrect. "Because" shows cause and effect, but this sentence shows a contrast (enjoying a tour despite bad weather).
Hint: You need a word that shows contrast and can be followed by a full subject and verb clause ("it was raining...").