SAMPLE ENTRY TEST FOR ENGLISH STUDY AT UNIVERSITY

This is a edited version of a sample college / university level entrance exam for English study at Moscow Pedagogical State University. You can try a similar entry test from a college in Finland here; an entrance exam from University of Singapore here; a German entrance exam here; and a Polish entry test for English philology students here.

If you're interested in studying English or trying general English language tests and quizzes, visit: World English . They have hundreds of free tests and quizzes for efl students, which you can do online.

TASK I. Complete the story by supplying the correct form of the verb.

One day I ______ (1. to return) home later than usual. I ______ (2. to have) a lot of work to do at the office that day. I ______ (3. to walk) along London streets ______ (4. to look) for a cafe ______ (5. to have) supper: I ______ (6. to go) down Bond Street, ______ (7. to turn) left and ______ (8. to find) myself in a quiet street. I ______ (9. to see) a small cafe. I. ______ (10. to die) of hunger as I hardly ______ (11. to have) anything to eat that day. So I ______ (12. to feel) happy when I ______ (13. to see) light in the windows and ______ (14. to come in). The owner ______ (15. to welcome) me warmly and hardly I ______ (16. to say) a word when he ______ (17. to bring) a hot supper and a cup of tea for me. It ______ (18. to be) just what I ______ (19. to dream) of all the way. After supper I ______ (20. to thank) him and ______ (21. to ask): “Why your cafe still ______ (22. to open)? It ______ (23. to be) nearly midnight, eh?”

“The thing ______ (24. to be)”, ______ (25. to answer) the man, “that one of my customers ______ (26. to fall) asleep here at the table”.

I ______ (27. to look around) and really ______ (28. to see) a man ______ (29. to sleep) at the table with a bottle of whisky on it. “ Why ______ (30. not to wake up) you him up?”

“I ______ (31. to try) to”. “He ______ (32. to refuse) to pay?”

“Just the contrary. Every time I ______ (33. to try) ______ (34. to wake) him up, he ______ (35. to pay) the bill, ______ (36. to give) me a rip and ______ (37. to fall) asleep again. So I ______ (38. not to think) I ______ (39. to close) my cafe until he ______ (40. to wake) up himself, ______ (41. to understand) what ______ (42. to happen) around him and ______ (43. to leave) the cafe.”

I ______ (44. to come) across a lot of smart people in my life, but upon my word, I don’t think I ever ______ (45. to know) a cunning man like him.

TASK II. Choose the right answer. Only one answer is correct.

1. ____ a lot of time for museums at the weekend.
A.) There are; B.) It is; C.) It will be; D.) There is

2. The table cloth Mary ____ is very pretty.
A.) has laid; B.) lay; C.) lied; D.) has lain

3. ____ tasteless clothes!
A.) What; B.) What a; C.) How; D.) How a

4. I can’t see you ____ the picture.
A.) on; B.) at; C.) from; D.) in

5. I like all kinds of music ____ jazz.
A.) besides; B.) except; C.) beside; D.) accept

6. He behaved ____ .
A.) strange; B.) strange way; C.) strangely; D.) very strange

7. I saw her open the window and ____ to someone.
A.) waved; B.) wave; C.) waving; D.) to wave

8. ____ Pamela’s cousins.
A.) They is; B.) This are; C.) There is; D.) These are

9. To give ____ is easier than to follow it.
A.) an advice; B.) advice; C.) advices; D.) the advices

10. Michael’s new apartment is ____ .
A.) much large; B.) much more larger; C.) much larger; D.) more larger

11. He said he didn’t know when ____ .
A.) was her birthday; B.) is her birthday; C.) her birthday was; D.) her birthday will be

12. We have to prepare the documents by tomorrow, ____ we?
A.) haven’t; B.) don’t; C.) have; D.) has

13. I don’t like ____ tasteless things.
A.) so; B.) such a; C.) such; D.) so a

14. Must you really go now? Can’t you ____ for a drink?
A.) to leave; B.) stay; C.) be left; D.) to stay

15. John asked Mary ____ late for dinner.
A.) didn’t be; B.) don’t be; C.) not to be; D.) not be

16. Can you make your son ____ more agreeable?
A.) be; B.) to be; C.) being; D.) will be

17. I couldn’t find that house as I ____ there only once.
A.) have been; B.) was; C.) had been; D.) was being

18. They’ll arrive ____ the Congress Hall in half an hour.
A.) in; B.) at; C.) to; D.) –

19. There will come a day when we ____ again.
A.) will meet; B.) meet; C.) will have been meeting; D.) are meeting

20. When I came back, a new metro line ____ .
A.) was being built; B.) had built; C.) was building; D.) has been built

The Keys and Explanations:

Task I

1. was returning The Past Continuous is used to denote an action going on at a given past moment. You can’t use the Past Simple here because it denotes a completed past action.

2. had had The Past Perfect is used to denote an action prior to the action expressed by the verb to return. You can’t use the Past Simple because it doesn’t denote priority.

3. walked;

4. looking If you had “and” you could have said was walking and looking.

5. to have The infinitive of purpose is used here.

6. went;

7. turned;

8. found;

9. saw The Past Simple is used to denote succession of actions in the past.

10. was dying Mind the spelling of such verbs as to die and to lie in the form of the Present Continuous – ie is changed into y(+ing.) The Present Continuous is used to denote an action going on at a certain moment in the past.

11. had had The Past Perfect is used to denote an action prior to the action expressed by the verb to die.

12. felt;

13. saw;

14. came;

15. welcomed The Past Simple is used to denote succession of actions in the Past.

16. had said The Past Perfect is used in the main clauses of complex sentences with hardly . . . when, scarcely . . . when, no sooner . . . than.

17. brought;

18. was The Past Simple is used to denote a simple action in the past.

19. had dreamt/dreamed or had been dreaming The Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous are used to denote an action which began before a given past moment (expressed by the verb to be) and continued into it.

20. thanked;

21. asked The Past Simple is used to denote succession of actions in the past.

22. is open;

23. is;

24. is The Present Simple of the verb to be is used to denote actions going on at the moment of speaking.

25. answered The Past Simple is used to denote a simple fact in the past.

26. has fallen The Present Perfect is used to denote an action connected with the present through its result. You don’t know the exact time of the action.

27. looked;

28. saw The Past Simple is used to denote succession of actions in the past.

29. sleeping Participle I is used here as an attribute to the noun man. You can’t say was sleeping as you don’t have who here.

30. don’t you wake him up If you didn’t have you here you could have said “why not wake him up”.

31. tried to, have tried to You can consider it as a single past action or as an action connected with the present. Mind the spelling of such verbs as try, cry in the Past Simple: y is changed into i.

32. does he refuse The Present Simple is used to refer the action to the present. did he refuse The Past Simple is used to denote an action which took place in the past when he tried to wake him up.

33. try to wake;

34. pays;

35. gives;

36. falls asleep The Present Simple is used to denote succession of actions in the present.

38. don’t think The Present Simple of the verb to think is used to denote an action going on at the moment of speaking, but the verb to think is not used in the Continuous in this meaning.

39. won’t/shan’t The Future Simple is used in the main clause of a complex sentence with a clause of time.

40. wakes up;

41. understands;

43. leaves They are homogeneous parts of the sentence. Although the action refers to the future, the Present Simple is used in clauses of time, condition and concession. Future tenses can’t be used here.

42. is happening The Present Continuous is used to denote an action going on at a certain moment at the present.

44. have come;

45. have known The Present Perfect is used to denote actions connected with the present. We don’t know the exact time of the actions, that’s why the Past Simple can’t be used here.

Task II

1. D.
      A. Can’t be used because the noun time is uncountable and can’t be used with the verb in the plural. B. and C. can’t be used because of it.

2. A.
     Mind the difference between the verbs to lie and to lay and the three forms of these verbs.

3. A.
     B. Is impossible because the noun clothes is always in the plural and can’t be used with the indefinite article. C. Is also wrong, how could be used in the sentence How tasteless the clothes are. D. The same case + the indefinite article.

4. D.
        E.g. in the picture, in the photo, but on the map.

5. B.

6. С.
    Only an adverb can be used here. B. Is not possible in this context. It can be possible in such a sentence He behaved in a strange way.

7. B.
     Open and wave are homogeneous parts of speech used as part of a complex object.

8. D.
     A.,B.,C. are impossible because of the subject-verb agreement.

9. B.
     The noun advice is uncountable, that is why it can’t be used in the plural and with the indefinite article.

10. C.
     Much intensifies the comparative degree of an adjective – much larger, but much more difficult.

11. C.
     Mind the sequence of tenses and the word order in reported speech. A. Is impossible because of the word order. B. Is impossible because of the word order and the sequence of tenses. D. Is impossible because of the sequence of tenses.

12. B.
     Have to is a modal verb, it requires the auxiliary verb do to form questions and negative sentences.

13. C.
     A. Can be used only in the following context: Your clothes are so tasteless (so refers to the adjective). B. The indefinite article can’t be used with nouns in the plural.

14. B.
     Mind the difference between the verbs to stay and to leave. D. Can’t be used because the infinitive is used without the particle to after modal verbs.

15. C.
     In reported speech only this construction is possible in negative sentences.

16. A.
     In the construction Complex Object after the verb to make the infinitive is used without the particle to.

17. C.
     Only the Past Perfect is possible here, because the action in the subordinate clause is prior to the action in the main clause.

18. B.
         To arrive in a country, a large place, but to arrive at a small place.

19. B.
     The Present Simple is used in clauses of time to denote future actions.

20. A.
     The action took place at a certain period of time in the past, this is the Past Simple in the Passive Voice.