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EIKEN Grade 1 study materials
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EIKEN Grade 1 practice questions

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Question 1Reading

In the sentence "The committee, having reviewed all the proposals, rejected the most expensive one," what is the grammatical function of the phrase "having reviewed all the proposals"?

  1. An absolute construction with an independent subject
  2. A gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of "rejected"
  3. A reduced relative clause modifying "proposals"
  4. A participial phrase modifying the subject "The committee" Correct answer.

Explanation

A perfect participle phrase (having + past participle) set off by commas modifies the subject of the main clause, indicating an action completed before the main verb. Here it describes the committee's prior action. Absolute constructions require their own distinct subject, and a reduced relative clause would attach directly to the noun it modifies without comma separation.

Question 2Reading

Which word best completes the sentence: "The new regulations are so ______ that even large firms struggle to comply with every provision"?

  1. spurious
  2. onerous Correct answer.
  3. munificent
  4. tenuous

Explanation

"Onerous" means burdensome or demanding, which fits regulations that firms struggle to follow. The context of difficulty in complying signals a word denoting heavy burden.

Question 3Reading

Read this sentence: "Had the researchers anticipated the funding shortfall, they would have scaled down the trial." Which statement about the meaning is accurate?

  1. The researchers did not anticipate the shortfall and did not scale down the trial. Correct answer.
  2. The researchers may have anticipated the shortfall, and the outcome is uncertain.
  3. The researchers anticipated the shortfall and scaled down the trial.
  4. The researchers will anticipate the shortfall and will scale down the trial.

Explanation

An inverted third conditional (Had + subject + past participle, would have + past participle) describes a counterfactual past situation. It implies the opposite of the stated condition actually happened: they did not anticipate, so they did not scale down.

Question 4Reading

In the passage-level sense, which sentence uses "notwithstanding" correctly?

  1. The project notwithstanding was completed on budget the delays.
  2. The delays notwithstanding completed the project on budget.
  3. Notwithstanding the delays, the project was completed on budget. Correct answer.
  4. Notwithstanding, the project was completed on budget the delays.

Explanation

"Notwithstanding" functions as a preposition meaning "in spite of" and can precede its object, as in "notwithstanding the delays." It introduces a concessive phrase that does not disturb the main clause structure.

Question 5Reading

A writer wants to signal that the second clause contrasts with the first: "The data were limited; ______, the conclusions were cautiously framed." Which connective fits best?

  1. therefore
  2. similarly
  3. accordingly
  4. nevertheless Correct answer.

Explanation

"Nevertheless" marks concession or contrast, showing that the cautious framing occurred despite the limited data. The semicolon plus conjunctive adverb structure requires a contrastive adverb here.

Question 6Reading

Identify the sentence in which the pronoun reference is unambiguous.

  1. The manager told the engineer that she would revise the schedule.
  2. The manager and the engineer argued because she had missed the deadline.
  3. When the manager met the engineer, the manager outlined the new safety protocol. Correct answer.
  4. When the manager met the engineer, she outlined the new safety protocol.

Explanation

Repeating the noun "the manager" removes the ambiguity that a pronoun would create when two same-gender referents are present. Clear pronoun reference requires that only one plausible antecedent exist.

Question 7Reading

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

  1. After walking through the archive, the historian discovered an unpublished letter.
  2. Walking through the archive, an unpublished letter was discovered by the historian. Correct answer.
  3. While walking through the archive, the historian discovered an unpublished letter.
  4. Walking through the archive, the historian discovered an unpublished letter.

Explanation

A participial modifier must attach to the subject of the main clause. In the passive version, the subject is "an unpublished letter," which cannot logically be walking through an archive, so the modifier dangles.

Question 8Reading

"The senator's remarks were widely interpreted as a tacit admission of error." The word "tacit" most nearly means:

  1. forcefully denied
  2. officially recorded
  3. deliberately misleading
  4. expressed without being directly stated Correct answer.

Explanation

"Tacit" describes something implied or understood without being openly expressed. The phrase "interpreted as" supports the idea that the admission was implicit rather than explicit.

Question 9Reading

Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?

  1. The board insisted that the report was submitted by Friday.
  2. The board insisted that the report will be submitted by Friday.
  3. The board insisted that the report is submitted by Friday.
  4. The board insisted that the report be submitted by Friday. Correct answer.

Explanation

After verbs of demand or insistence such as "insist," "demand," or "require," a that-clause takes the base form of the verb (the mandative subjunctive): "be submitted." This expresses a requirement rather than a factual report.

Question 10Reading

In the sentence "Only after the audit did the directors acknowledge the discrepancies," why is inversion used?

  1. Because the subject is indefinite
  2. Because the verb is in the passive voice
  3. Because a negative or restrictive expression is fronted, triggering subject-auxiliary inversion Correct answer.
  4. Because the sentence is a direct question

Explanation

When a restrictive adverbial beginning with "only" is placed at the front of a clause, English requires subject-auxiliary inversion, producing "did the directors acknowledge." This is a stylistic emphasis device, not a question.

Question 11Reading

Which option best replaces the underlined portion to make the sentence coherent: "The report was criticized for its ______ tone, offering neither praise nor blame."

  1. judicious
  2. partisan
  3. noncommittal Correct answer.
  4. vehement

Explanation

The clause "offering neither praise nor blame" defines a neutral, evasive stance, which "noncommittal" captures exactly. The choice must match the definition supplied in the sentence.

Question 12Reading

Which sentence is grammatically complete and correct as written?

  1. Although the experiment failed, learning valuable lessons by the team.
  2. Although the experiment failed, the team learning valuable lessons.
  3. Although the experiment failed, but the team learned valuable lessons.
  4. Although the experiment failed, the team learned valuable lessons. Correct answer.

Explanation

A subordinate clause introduced by "although" must be followed by an independent main clause. Option 0 pairs the concessive clause with a complete main clause, producing a correct complex sentence.

Question 13Reading

A passage argues: "Cities that invested in public transit saw faster economic recovery. Therefore, transit investment is the primary driver of urban growth." Which logical flaw does this reasoning contain?

  1. It commits a straw-man fallacy by misrepresenting opponents.
  2. It relies on circular reasoning by restating the conclusion.
  3. It appeals to authority without justification.
  4. It treats correlation as sufficient evidence of causation. Correct answer.

Explanation

The argument moves from an observed association (transit investment and faster recovery) to a causal claim (transit is the primary driver). Correlation alone cannot establish causation because other variables may explain both.

Question 14Reading

In the sentence "The scientist whose findings were challenged defended her methodology," the word "whose" functions as:

  1. A relative pronoun introducing a possessive clause that modifies "scientist" Correct answer.
  2. A subordinating conjunction introducing a noun clause
  3. A demonstrative determiner pointing to a specific noun
  4. An interrogative pronoun introducing an indirect question

Explanation

"Whose" is a relative pronoun in the genitive case, linking the relative clause "whose findings were challenged" to its antecedent "scientist." It marks possession within the relative clause.

Question 15Reading

Which sentence correctly uses a colon?

  1. The proposal: had three goals reducing costs, improving safety, and expanding access.
  2. The proposal had three goals, reducing costs: improving safety, and expanding access.
  3. The proposal had three goals: reducing costs, improving safety, and expanding access. Correct answer.
  4. The proposal had three goals: and reducing costs, improving safety, and expanding access.

Explanation

A colon follows a complete independent clause and introduces an explanatory list or elaboration. "The proposal had three goals" is a full clause, and the colon properly introduces the list.

Question 16Reading

"The committee's decision was met with a chorus of dissent from the rank and file." The phrase "rank and file" refers to:

  1. Senior executives of an organization
  2. A formal parliamentary procedure
  3. Ordinary members rather than leaders Correct answer.
  4. A type of written petition

Explanation

"Rank and file" is an idiom referring to the ordinary membership of an organization as distinct from its leadership. The contrast with "the committee's decision" signals dissent from the general membership.

Question 17Reading

Which sentence demonstrates correct use of "fewer" versus "less"?

  1. The revised policy resulted in less complaints and fewer delays.
  2. The revised policy resulted in less complaints and less delays.
  3. The revised policy resulted in fewer complaints and fewer delay.
  4. The revised policy resulted in fewer complaints and less delay. Correct answer.

Explanation

"Fewer" modifies countable plural nouns (complaints), while "less" modifies uncountable or mass nouns (delay). Option 1 applies each correctly.

Question 18Reading

Read the sentence: "Scarcely had the meeting begun when the fire alarm sounded." Which statement about its structure is correct?

  1. It is ungrammatical because "scarcely" cannot begin a sentence.
  2. It uses negative inversion, and "when" introduces the second event. Correct answer.
  3. It uses a conditional structure expressing a hypothetical.
  4. It requires "than" instead of "when" to be correct.

Explanation

Fronting the negative adverb "scarcely" triggers subject-auxiliary inversion ("had the meeting begun"), and the paired structure is "scarcely ... when" for two closely timed past events. "Hardly ... when" and "no sooner ... than" follow similar patterns.

Question 19Reading

Which option best completes the sentence: "The author's argument, ______ it is elegant, rests on questionable assumptions"?

  1. however
  2. although Correct answer.
  3. because
  4. unless

Explanation

The clause "it is elegant" is concessive, contrasting with the main clause's criticism. "Although" introduces a concessive clause and fits the structure "although it is elegant." "However" would require a different construction such as "however elegant it is."

Question 20Reading

A paragraph states: "Contrary to popular belief, the medieval university was not a haven of free inquiry. Curricula were tightly regulated, and dissenting scholars faced expulsion." What is the function of the first sentence?

  1. It states the paragraph's main claim and sets up supporting evidence. Correct answer.
  2. It summarizes evidence presented earlier in the passage.
  3. It offers a concession that the rest of the paragraph refutes.
  4. It provides a counterexample to the paragraph's thesis.

Explanation

The first sentence corrects a misconception and asserts the paragraph's central claim. The following sentences supply supporting evidence about regulated curricula and expulsion.

Question 21Reading

Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?

  1. Covered in dust, the curator examined the sculpture in the storeroom. Correct answer.
  2. Examining the sculpture, the curator noticed a hidden signature.
  3. The curator examined the sculpture, which was covered in dust.
  4. The museum displayed a sculpture carved by a local artist.

Explanation

The participial phrase "Covered in dust" is placed next to "the curator," implying the curator was covered in dust. The modifier should attach to "the sculpture," so the sentence misplaces it.

Question 22Reading

"The evidence was largely circumstantial, yet the jury found it compelling." Which word is closest in meaning to "circumstantial" as used here?

  1. Irrelevant to the case at hand
  2. Overwhelmingly conclusive
  3. Fabricated by the prosecution
  4. Indirect, based on inference rather than direct observation Correct answer.

Explanation

"Circumstantial evidence" refers to indirect evidence that requires inference to connect it to a conclusion, in contrast to direct eyewitness evidence. The contrast with "compelling" shows the jury drew strong inferences from indirect proof.

Question 23Reading

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

  1. The two companies merger was announced yesterday.
  2. The two company's merger was announced yesterday.
  3. The two companies' merger was announced yesterday. Correct answer.
  4. The two companies's merger was announced yesterday.

Explanation

For a plural noun ending in -s, the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe after the s: "companies'." This correctly indicates that the merger belongs to both companies.

Question 24Reading

In the sentence "What surprised the reviewers was not the plot but the prose," the clause "What surprised the reviewers" functions as:

  1. An interrogative clause embedded as a question
  2. An adverbial clause of reason
  3. A relative clause modifying "reviewers"
  4. A nominal relative clause serving as the subject of the sentence Correct answer.

Explanation

A nominal relative clause (also called a fused relative) introduced by "what" functions as a noun phrase. Here it is the subject of the main verb "was," equivalent to "The thing that surprised the reviewers."

Question 25Reading

Which option best completes the sentence: "The instructions were written so ______ that few readers could follow them"?

  1. obscuring
  2. obscurely Correct answer.
  3. obscurity
  4. obscure

Explanation

The "so ... that" construction requires an adverb to modify the verb "written" (or an adjective to modify a complement). Here "obscurely" modifies how the instructions were written, matching the result clause about difficulty following them.

Question 26Reading

In the sentence "Had the researchers disclosed their funding sources, the reviewers might have questioned the study's conclusions," what does the opening clause express?

  1. A hypothetical condition contrary to what actually happened Correct answer.
  2. A factual statement about the researchers' disclosure
  3. A command issued to the researchers
  4. A concession that the reviewers were biased

Explanation

This is a past unreal conditional written with inversion instead of "if": "Had the researchers disclosed" means "if they had disclosed," but they did not. The main clause with "might have questioned" confirms the counterfactual reading.

Question 27Reading

Which sentence uses "not only ... but also" in a way that keeps the two elements grammatically parallel?

  1. The policy not only raised taxes but also it reduced services.
  2. The policy not only raised taxes but also reduced services. Correct answer.
  3. Not only the policy raised taxes but also reduced services.
  4. The policy not only raised taxes but also was reducing services.

Explanation

Correlative conjunctions must join matching grammatical units. Here "raised taxes" and "reduced services" are both past-tense verb phrases, so the structure is parallel.

Question 28Reading

"The committee's report was so ______ that even its supporters struggled to summarize its central claim." Which word best fills the blank?

  1. succinct
  2. lucid
  3. convoluted Correct answer.
  4. candid

Explanation

The clause "even its supporters struggled to summarize" signals that the report is hard to follow, which "convoluted" conveys. The contrast with "supporters" reinforces that the difficulty is stylistic rather than substantive.

Question 29Reading

In the sentence "The archaeologist discovered a tomb that had lain undisturbed for centuries," why is the past perfect "had lain" used rather than the simple past "lay"?

  1. It marks the clause as passive voice.
  2. It describes a state that continues into the present.
  3. It emphasizes an action completed before another past event. Correct answer.
  4. It signals that the action was habitual in the past.

Explanation

The past perfect places an earlier past situation before a later past reference point; here the centuries of lying undisturbed precede the discovery. Simple past would blur that sequence.

Question 30Reading

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

  1. The experiment failed; the sample was contaminated. Correct answer.
  2. The experiment failed; because the sample was contaminated.
  3. The experiment failed; which the team later confirmed.
  4. The experiment failed; and the sample was contaminated.

Explanation

A semicolon may join two independent clauses that are closely related and not already linked by a coordinating conjunction. "The experiment failed" and "the sample was contaminated" each stand alone as a clause.

Question 31Reading

"Despite the ______ of the evidence, the panel concluded that the link was well established." Which word best completes the sentence?

  1. paucity Correct answer.
  2. consistency
  3. clarity
  4. abundance

Explanation

The concessive "Despite" requires a noun that contrasts with a firm conclusion. "Paucity" (scarcity) supplies that contrast: the panel concluded confidently even though evidence was thin.

Question 32Reading

In the sentence "The novelist, who had spent years in obscurity, was suddenly celebrated," what does the pair of commas indicate?

  1. That the sentence contains a list of three items
  2. That the clause adds nonessential information Correct answer.
  3. That the clause is a direct quotation
  4. That the clause restricts which novelist is meant

Explanation

Commas set off a nonrestrictive relative clause, which supplies extra information about an already identified noun. Because "the novelist" is specific, the clause could be removed without changing which person is meant.

Question 33Reading

Which word correctly completes the sentence: "The proposal drew ______ criticism that its authors withdrew it"?

  1. such a
  2. too many
  3. very few
  4. so much Correct answer.

Explanation

The "so ... that" construction links an intensified adjective or adverb phrase to a result clause. "So much criticism that" fits because "much" modifies the uncountable noun "criticism."

Question 34Reading

A passage states: "The city's new bike lanes reduced traffic fatalities by 30 percent. Cycling groups praised the policy, and a council member now proposes extending the lanes citywide." Which assumption most directly underlies the council member's proposal?

  1. Traffic fatalities are the only measure of road safety.
  2. The cycling groups have significant political influence.
  3. Cyclists pay more in taxes than drivers do.
  4. The fatality reduction can plausibly be reproduced in other districts. Correct answer.

Explanation

Generalizing a successful local result to the whole city assumes the effect will recur elsewhere. If conditions in other districts differ sharply, the extension would not be justified by the original data.

Question 35Reading

"The professor's critique was trenchant, exposing flaws that three earlier reviewers had overlooked." The word "trenchant" most nearly means:

  1. hesitant
  2. repetitive
  3. incisive Correct answer.
  4. courteous

Explanation

The appositive "exposing flaws that three earlier reviewers had overlooked" shows the critique was sharp and penetrating. "Incisive" captures that cutting clarity.

Question 36Reading

Which sentence correctly uses a dash to set off an interruption?

  1. The finalists-two from Osaka and one from Kyoto, presented their findings.
  2. The finalists, two from Osaka and one from Kyoto-presented their findings.
  3. The finalists-two from Osaka and one from Kyoto-presented their findings. Correct answer.
  4. The finalists two from Osaka-and one from Kyoto presented their findings.

Explanation

A pair of dashes can enclose a parenthetical interruption, and they must be balanced. The first option opens and closes the aside consistently before the main verb resumes.

Question 37Reading

Which sentence avoids a faulty comparison?

  1. The new bridge is longer than any other bridge in the region. Correct answer.
  2. The new bridge is longer than any bridge in the region.
  3. The new bridge is longer than any of the region's bridges.
  4. The new bridge is longer than any bridge that the region has.

Explanation

A comparative must not include the item being compared within the comparison group. Adding "other" excludes the new bridge from "any bridge in the region," making the claim coherent.

Question 38Reading

"The manuscript was returned with a terse note: revise the argument, condense the introduction, and ______ the citations." Which option best completes the parallel series?

  1. checking
  2. to check
  3. verification of
  4. verify Correct answer.

Explanation

The series consists of bare imperative verbs: "revise," "condense," and the missing item. "Verify" matches that form, preserving parallelism across the three instructions.

Question 39Reading

In the sentence "The theory, however elegant, fails to account for the anomalies," what is the function of "however elegant"?

  1. It concedes a point while the main clause asserts a contrasting judgment. Correct answer.
  2. It states the cause of the theory's failure.
  3. It questions whether the theory is elegant at all.
  4. It defines the theory for readers unfamiliar with it.

Explanation

The reduced concessive phrase means "although it is elegant." It grants an attractive quality and then contrasts it with the theory's explanatory failure in the main clause.

Question 40Reading

Which sentence uses "whose" correctly?

  1. The author whose novel won the prize was declined to attend.
  2. The author whose won the novel prize declined to attend.
  3. The author whose novel won the prize declined to attend. Correct answer.
  4. The author whose the novel won the prize declined to attend.

Explanation

"Whose" is the possessive relative pronoun modifying "novel" and linking it to "the author." The resulting clause, "whose novel won the prize," is grammatical and clearly identifies the author.

Question 41Reading

A writer wants to signal that the second sentence qualifies, rather than contradicts, the first: "The drug is effective in most patients. ______, it causes side effects in a minority." Which connective best fits?

  1. Moreover
  2. Nevertheless Correct answer.
  3. Therefore
  4. For example

Explanation

"Nevertheless" introduces a qualification that limits the force of the preceding claim without denying it. The side effects in a minority do not overturn the drug's general effectiveness.

Question 42Reading

Which sentence correctly uses the past participle "proven"?

  1. The hypothesis was proving false by later experiments.
  2. The hypothesis was proved false by later experiments.
  3. The hypothesis was proven false by later experiments. Correct answer.
  4. The hypothesis proven false by later experiments.

Explanation

Both "proven" and "proved" are acceptable past participles, but the passive requires an auxiliary: "was proven false." This option supplies it and uses the participle attributively.

Question 43Reading

Read the sentence: "Only by questioning every assumption can a theory be genuinely tested." Which statement best describes its structure?

  1. A prepositional phrase at the front requires a comma.
  2. A negative adverbial at the front triggers subject-auxiliary inversion. Correct answer.
  3. The sentence is a cleft construction focusing on "a theory."
  4. The sentence contains a dangling participle.

Explanation

Fronting the negative-restrictive adverbial "only by questioning every assumption" forces inversion of the modal auxiliary and subject: "can a theory be." Without inversion the sentence would be ungrammatical.

Question 44Reading

"The board approved the merger, ______ signaled a major shift in strategy." Which option correctly fills the blank?

  1. which Correct answer.
  2. that
  3. what
  4. it

Explanation

"Which" introduces a nonrestrictive relative clause referring to the whole preceding event, the approval of the merger. A comma before "which" marks the clause as supplementary.

Question 45Reading

In the sentence "The critics praised the film's ambition but faulted its execution," what does the conjunction "but" signal?

  1. A causal relationship between two events
  2. A contrast between two evaluations Correct answer.
  3. An elaboration of a single evaluation
  4. A sequence of two actions in time

Explanation

"But" coordinates two opposed judgments: praise for ambition set against faulting of execution. It marks contrast between two evaluative clauses, not causation or sequence.

Question 46Reading

Which sentence maintains consistent point of view?

  1. One should proofread carefully, or you may miss errors.
  2. One should proofread carefully, or they might miss errors.
  3. You should proofread carefully, or one may miss errors.
  4. One should proofread carefully, or one may miss errors. Correct answer.

Explanation

Consistency of person requires the same pronoun throughout. Using "one" in both clauses keeps the sentence uniform in point of view.

Question 47Reading

A passage argues: "Countries with strict gun laws report lower firearm homicide rates. It follows that adopting strict gun laws will lower homicide rates in any country." Which criticism most directly undermines the inference?

  1. The statistics on homicide rates may be unreliable.
  2. Strict gun laws are popular in many countries.
  3. Some countries have no firearm homicide at all.
  4. The correlation may reflect pre-existing social conditions rather than the laws. Correct answer.

Explanation

The argument moves from correlation to causation and then to universal generalization. If underlying social conditions drive both the laws and the lower rates, the causal claim collapses.

Question 48Reading

"The senator's statement was so hedged with qualifiers that it committed her to nothing and could be read as endorsing either side." Which term best describes the statement as characterized?

  1. equivocal Correct answer.
  2. unequivocal
  3. redundant
  4. cursory

Explanation

"Equivocal" describes language open to more than one interpretation, which matches a statement readable as endorsing either side. The hedging and qualifiers are the diagnostic clues.

Question 49Reading

Which sentence correctly uses "lie" and "lay"?

  1. The documents lie on the desk where she had laid them yesterday.
  2. The documents lay on the desk where she had lay them.
  3. The documents laid on the desk where she had lain them.
  4. The documents lay on the desk where she had laid them. Correct answer.

Explanation

"Lie" is intransitive (past "lay"), while "lay" is transitive (past participle "laid"). The documents rest on the desk ("lay"), and she had placed them ("had laid").

Question 50Reading

In the sentence "What the auditors found most troubling was not the missing funds but the absence of any record of them," what is the grammatical subject of the main clause?

  1. The missing funds
  2. The absence of any record
  3. The nominal clause "What the auditors found most troubling" Correct answer.
  4. The auditors

Explanation

The main clause is a copular structure: the subject is the fused relative clause "What the auditors found most troubling," and "was" links it to the predicate. "Not the missing funds but the absence ..." is the complement.