Grammar
C1
Cambridge English C1 Exam
Complete each sentence by choosing the option that best fits the gap. This exercise reviews a mix of grammar topics.
Past Tenses
Question 1
By the time the auditors arrived, the finance team .......... the discrepancy and drafted a preliminary report.
already identified
was already identifying
had already identified
has already identified
Question 2
I .......... to call you back, but the meeting ran over and I completely forgot.
was meaning
have meant
meant
had meant
Question 3
She .......... in Berlin for nearly a decade before she relocated to Lisbon.
was living
lived
has lived
had lived
Question 4
While the keynote speaker .........., several attendees quietly slipped out to take calls.
had spoken
spoke
was speaking
has been speaking
Question 5
It .......... for hours when the power finally came back on.
rained
was raining
had been raining
has been raining
Question 6
No sooner .......... the contract than the client requested a major revision.
had we signed
have we signed
did we sign
we had signed
Question 7
I .......... the email twice, but I still couldn’t work out what she was implying.
had read
was reading
read
have read
Question 8
He .......... the company for years, so the sudden resignation took everyone by surprise.
had been running
ran
was running
has been running
Question 9
When I got to the station, the train .........., so I had to wait for the next one.
had already left
has already left
was already leaving
already left
Question 10
She .......... the proposal when her laptop suddenly crashed.
was finalising
has been finalising
finalised
had finalised
About Grammar — Cambridge English C1
This Cambridge English C1 Grammar exercise reviews a mix of grammar points. For each sentence, choose the option that best completes the gap.
Regular grammar practice at C1 builds the accuracy you need across every part of the exam — Use of English, Reading, Listening and Writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this C1 Grammar exercise cover?
A mix of grammar topics, with each question focused on a specific point such as tenses, articles, prepositions or pronouns.
Why is grammar important for the Cambridge exam?
Grammatical accuracy is assessed directly in Use of English and Writing, and strong grammar helps you understand Reading and Listening too.
How can I improve my grammar?
Practise little and often, review the specific topic behind each mistake, and read the whole sentence before choosing your answer.
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What to do
This part consists of a series of assessments, each having only one valid answer.
Select the best answer according to what you read.
There's only a correct answer which you will have to select by clicking on it.
Don't spend time in an assessment you don't know. Wasting time on this activity might cost you points later in the exam because you won’t have enough time to do other tasks well. Get used to being quick!
Don't spend time in an assessment you don't know. Wasting time on this activity might cost you points later in the exam because you won’t have enough time to do other tasks well. Get used to being quick!
Although these grammar tests are not part of the official Cambridge exams, they are still important as they touch on language elements that you'll come across in all parts of the official exams, such as Reading and Use of English.
Strategy
- Read the assessment so you understand what it is about.
- Pay attention to the topic on the top-right corner of each assessment.
- Check the words before and after each gap and look for grammatical collocations.
- Remember that you select a choice by clicking on it.