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Aragón PAU English study materials
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Aragón PAU English practice questions

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Question 1English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that completes the sentence correctly: "By the time the results were published, the research team ___ on the project for over three years."

  1. has been working
  2. was working
  3. works
  4. had been working Correct answer.

Explanation

The past perfect continuous (had been working) expresses an action that began before a past reference point and continued up to it, often emphasising duration with 'for over three years'. The past reference point is 'By the time the results were published'.

Question 2English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the conditional sentence? "If the council ___ the new language policy earlier, more schools would have joined the bilingual programme."

  1. has announced
  2. had announced Correct answer.
  3. would announce
  4. announced

Explanation

This is a third conditional, which describes an unreal past situation: 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle'. The main clause uses 'would have joined', so the if-clause requires 'had announced'.

Question 3English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and choose the option that best explains the function of the underlined word: "The results were surprising, yet the authors remained cautious." The word 'yet' is used to...

  1. introduce a condition for the second clause
  2. express a cause-and-effect relationship
  3. introduce a contrast between the two clauses Correct answer.
  4. add a similar idea to the first clause

Explanation

'Yet' is a coordinating conjunction meaning 'but' or 'nevertheless'. It signals that the second clause contrasts with or qualifies the first, here opposing surprising results with cautious authors.

Question 4English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "She is one of the few students who ___ the advanced English seminar without any previous preparation."

  1. passes
  2. is passing
  3. has passed
  4. have passed Correct answer.

Explanation

In 'one of the few students who...', the relative pronoun refers to the plural noun 'students', so the verb takes a plural form: 'have passed'. The singular 'one of' does not determine the verb inside the relative clause.

Question 5English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option best completes the sentence with an appropriate gerund or infinitive? "The committee decided ___ the proposal until the next academic year."

  1. postponing
  2. postpone
  3. having postponed
  4. to postpone Correct answer.

Explanation

The verb 'decide' is followed by a to-infinitive: 'decide to do something'. This is a fixed pattern and cannot be replaced by a gerund or a bare infinitive.

Question 6English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the passive sentence: "The final marks ___ to students by email before the end of the week."

  1. will be sending
  2. will be sent Correct answer.
  3. are sending
  4. will send

Explanation

The subject 'the final marks' receives the action, so a passive construction is required: 'will be sent'. The passive is formed with 'be' + past participle.

Question 7English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly reports the sentence: Direct speech: "I have already finished my essay," said Laura. Reported speech: Laura said that she ___ her essay.

  1. had already finished Correct answer.
  2. has already finished
  3. already finishes
  4. would already finish

Explanation

When the reporting verb is in the past ('said'), the present perfect in direct speech normally shifts back to the past perfect: 'had already finished'. This is standard backshift in reported speech.

Question 8English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "This is the author ___ novel won the national prize for young readers."

  1. who
  2. whose Correct answer.
  3. whom
  4. which

Explanation

The relative clause needs a possessive determiner relating to 'the author': 'whose novel' means 'the novel of the author'. 'Whose' is the only relative word that expresses possession here.

Question 9English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "The teacher asked us to hand in the assignment ___ Friday at the latest."

  1. until
  2. since
  3. during
  4. by Correct answer.

Explanation

'By' is used with a deadline to mean 'not later than'. It marks the latest acceptable moment for completing an action.

Question 10English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option best completes the sentence with a modal verb? "Students ___ bring dictionaries to the exam; the invigilators will provide them."

  1. needn't Correct answer.
  2. shouldn't
  3. couldn't
  4. mustn't

Explanation

'Needn't' expresses absence of obligation: it is not necessary to bring dictionaries because they are provided. The meaning is 'you don't have to', not prohibition.

Question 11English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and choose the option that best explains the effect of the underlined expression: "Needless to say, the students who revised every day performed better." The expression 'Needless to say' indicates that the information...

  1. is a personal opinion only
  2. is surprising and unexpected
  3. is uncertain and doubtful
  4. is obvious and predictable Correct answer.

Explanation

'Needless to say' introduces information the writer considers obvious or already known, so it need not be stated. It signals predictability rather than surprise.

Question 12English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "Hardly ___ the classroom when the fire alarm went off."

  1. we entered
  2. had we entered Correct answer.
  3. we had entered
  4. did we enter

Explanation

When a negative adverbial such as 'hardly' begins the sentence, subject and auxiliary are inverted: 'Hardly had we entered...'. The past perfect is used because one past action immediately precedes another.

Question 13English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The novel, ___ was published in 1998, has been translated into twelve languages."

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

Explanation

A non-defining relative clause set off by commas requires 'which' for a thing. 'That' cannot introduce non-defining relative clauses.

Question 14English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "If I ___ you, I would apply for the Erasmus scholarship."

  1. was
  2. would be
  3. were Correct answer.
  4. am

Explanation

The second conditional uses 'If + past simple' for an unreal present situation, and 'were' is the standard form with 'I' in this hypothetical structure. 'If I were you' is a fixed advice formula.

Question 15English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: "The essay was written ___ a student who had never studied abroad."

  1. for
  2. from
  3. with
  4. by Correct answer.

Explanation

In passive constructions, the agent who performs the action is introduced by 'by'. The sentence means 'a student wrote the essay'.

Question 16English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "She speaks English ___ than her brother, although he has studied longer."

  1. most fluently
  2. fluently
  3. more fluent
  4. more fluently Correct answer.

Explanation

The comparative of the adverb 'fluently' is formed with 'more': 'more fluently than'. The comparison between two people requires a comparative, not a superlative or positive form.

Question 17English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "The teacher suggested ___ a short presentation on the topic."

  1. to give us
  2. us giving
  3. us to give
  4. that we give Correct answer.

Explanation

After 'suggest', English uses either a gerund ('suggest giving') or a 'that'-clause with the base form ('suggest that we give'). It does not take an object + infinitive.

Question 18English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and identify the function of the underlined clause: "Although the exam was difficult, most candidates finished on time." The clause 'Although the exam was difficult' expresses...

  1. a result of the main clause
  2. a concession contrasting with the main clause Correct answer.
  3. a reason for the main clause
  4. a condition for the main clause

Explanation

'Although' introduces a concessive clause: it acknowledges an obstacle that does not prevent the main clause from being true. It contrasts with 'most candidates finished on time'.

Question 19English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "Neither the teacher nor the students ___ aware of the timetable change."

  1. is
  2. were Correct answer.
  3. has been
  4. was

Explanation

With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which is the plural 'students'. The past plural 'were' is therefore required.

Question 20English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "By next June, she ___ her degree and will be looking for work."

  1. finished
  2. has finished
  3. will finish
  4. will have finished Correct answer.

Explanation

The future perfect ('will have finished') describes an action completed before a future point in time, here 'by next June'. It matches the future context of the second clause.

Question 21English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option best completes the sentence with a phrasal verb? "The students had to ___ their essays because the deadline was moved forward."

  1. take after
  2. put off
  3. bring up
  4. hand in Correct answer.

Explanation

'Hand in' means to submit work to a teacher or authority, which fits submitting essays. The other phrasal verbs have unrelated meanings.

Question 22English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "The book, ___ cover was torn, had to be replaced."

  1. whose Correct answer.
  2. which
  3. of which the
  4. that

Explanation

'Whose' is the relative determiner used for possession with both people and things: 'whose cover' means 'the cover of which'. It directly modifies the noun 'cover'.

Question 23English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and choose the option that best explains the use of the underlined verb form: "The orchestra is playing Beethoven's Fifth tonight." The present continuous here expresses...

  1. a past action with present relevance
  2. a habitual action
  3. an action happening at this exact moment
  4. a fixed future arrangement Correct answer.

Explanation

The present continuous with a future time expression ('tonight') describes a planned arrangement already decided. It is one of the standard ways to express future arrangements in English.

Question 24English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: "She apologised ___ arriving late to the seminar."

  1. to
  2. for Correct answer.
  3. of
  4. about

Explanation

The verb 'apologise' is followed by the preposition 'for' before a gerund: 'apologise for doing something'. This is a fixed prepositional pattern.

Question 25English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "It was not until the final term ___ he realised how much he had improved."

  1. where
  2. that Correct answer.
  3. which
  4. when

Explanation

This is a cleft sentence with the pattern 'It was not until ... that ...'. The fixed structure uses 'that' to introduce the emphasised clause.

Question 26English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

In the PAU English exam, you read: "The company's profits have grown steadily since 2019." Which option correctly transforms this into a sentence with a causative structure?

  1. The company has made its profits grow steadily since 2019. Correct answer.
  2. The company has been grown steadily since 2019.
  3. The company has got its profits growing steadily since 2019.
  4. The company has had its profits grown steadily since 2019.

Explanation

The causative 'make + object + bare infinitive' expresses that the company caused its profits to grow. 'Have something done' implies an external agent and is not appropriate with an intransitive verb like 'grow' in this context. The other options misapply causative patterns.

Question 27English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the conditional sentence? "If the students ___ more attention in class, they would have understood the instructions."

  1. have paid
  2. would pay
  3. had paid Correct answer.
  4. paid

Explanation

This is a third conditional sentence, which describes an unreal past situation. The if-clause requires the past perfect ('had paid'), and the main clause uses 'would have + past participle'. The other options do not form a correct third conditional.

Question 28English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The students were made ___ their mobile phones before entering the exam room."

  1. hand in
  2. handed in
  3. handing in
  4. to hand in Correct answer.

Explanation

In the passive structure 'be made to do something', the infinitive with 'to' is required. The active form 'make someone do something' uses the bare infinitive, but the passive restores 'to'. Therefore 'to hand in' is the only correct form.

Question 29English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher insisted that every student ___ a copy of the novel by Friday."

  1. will buy
  2. buy Correct answer.
  3. buys
  4. bought

Explanation

After verbs of insistence such as 'insist', 'demand', or 'request', English often uses the subjunctive mood: 'insist that someone do something'. The base form 'buy' is correct regardless of the subject. The other options do not follow this pattern.

Question 30English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and choose the option that best explains the function of the underlined words: "The more carefully you revise, the fewer mistakes you will make."

  1. It describes a habitual past action with 'used to'.
  2. It introduces a condition using 'unless'.
  3. It shows a cause-and-effect relationship using a subordinating conjunction.
  4. It expresses a comparison of two independent ideas using a parallel comparative structure. Correct answer.

Explanation

The structure 'the + comparative, the + comparative' links two clauses to show that one change depends on another. It is a parallel comparative construction, not a simple cause-and-effect with a conjunction. The other options describe structures not present in the sentence.

Question 31English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "She is used to ___ up early to study before her classes."

  1. have got
  2. get
  3. got
  4. getting Correct answer.

Explanation

'Be used to' means 'be accustomed to' and is followed by a noun or an -ing form. Therefore 'getting' is correct. 'Used to' without 'be' refers to past habits and takes the infinitive, but that is a different structure.

Question 32English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The novel, as well as its film adaptation, ___ popular among teenagers."

  1. have been
  2. are
  3. were
  4. is Correct answer.

Explanation

When a subject is followed by 'as well as', the verb agrees with the first subject. Here the first subject is 'The novel' (singular), so the singular verb 'is' is correct. The phrase 'as well as its film adaptation' is parenthetical and does not change the number of the subject.

Question 33English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "By the time the results are published, the candidates ___ for over a month."

  1. had been waiting
  2. have waited
  3. will have been waiting Correct answer.
  4. will be waiting

Explanation

The future perfect continuous 'will have been waiting' describes an action that will have been in progress for a period of time before a future point ('by the time the results are published'). The other options do not express this duration up to a future moment.

Question 34English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher, together with the students, ___ planning to attend the theatre performance."

  1. were
  2. is Correct answer.
  3. have been
  4. are

Explanation

The subject is 'The teacher', which is singular. The phrase 'together with the students' is a parenthetical addition and does not change the verb agreement. Therefore the singular 'is' is correct.

Question 35English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "I would rather you ___ your assignment before the weekend."

  1. have finished
  2. finish
  3. will finish
  4. finished Correct answer.

Explanation

'Would rather' followed by a different subject takes a past subjunctive form to express a preference about the present or future. Thus 'I would rather you finished' is correct. The other options do not follow this pattern.

Question 36English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The students were praised for ___ the project on time."

  1. to complete
  2. completed
  3. complete
  4. completing Correct answer.

Explanation

After a preposition such as 'for', the verb must take the -ing form. Therefore 'completing' is correct. The other options cannot follow a preposition.

Question 37English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The novel is said ___ into more than twenty languages."

  1. to translate
  2. to have been translated Correct answer.
  3. translating
  4. to be translating

Explanation

The passive structure 'is said to have been translated' means that people say the novel has been translated. The perfect infinitive passive 'to have been translated' correctly indicates an action completed before the statement. The other options do not convey the passive perfect meaning.

Question 38English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher asked the students to ___ their answers before submitting the exam."

  1. look after
  2. look over Correct answer.
  3. look up
  4. look into

Explanation

The phrasal verb 'look over' means to examine or review something carefully. In this context, students should review their answers. 'Look after' means to take care of, 'look up' means to search for information, and 'look into' means to investigate.

Question 39English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The students were ___ to hear that the exam had been cancelled."

  1. delight
  2. delighting
  3. delightful
  4. delighted Correct answer.

Explanation

The past participle 'delighted' is used as an adjective to describe how someone feels. 'Delightful' describes something that causes delight, not the person's feeling. The other forms are not adjectives describing feelings.

Question 40English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The more you practise, ___ you will become at speaking English."

  1. the most confident
  2. more confident
  3. the confident
  4. the more confident Correct answer.

Explanation

The double comparative structure 'the more ..., the more ...' requires 'the' before each comparative. Therefore 'the more confident' is correct. The other options do not follow this parallel pattern.

Question 41English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The exam was so difficult that ___ students managed to finish it on time."

  1. little
  2. a few
  3. a little
  4. few Correct answer.

Explanation

'Few' without the article has a negative meaning: 'not many'. With 'so difficult that', the intended meaning is that very few students finished, so 'few' is correct. 'A few' would mean 'some', which contradicts the difficulty. 'Little' and 'a little' are used with uncountable nouns.

Question 42English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and choose the option that best explains the function of the underlined words: "Had I known about the deadline, I would have submitted my essay earlier."

  1. It is a second conditional expressing an unlikely present situation.
  2. It is a first conditional expressing a real future possibility.
  3. It is an inverted third conditional expressing an unreal past condition. Correct answer.
  4. It is a mixed conditional expressing a past condition with a present result.

Explanation

The sentence uses inversion ('Had I known') instead of 'If I had known', and the main clause 'would have submitted' shows a third conditional. It describes an unreal past condition and its unreal past result. The other options misidentify the conditional type.

Question 43English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher recommended that the students ___ the novel before watching the film."

  1. reads
  2. read Correct answer.
  3. to read
  4. reading

Explanation

After 'recommend that', English uses the subjunctive mood, which takes the base form of the verb regardless of the subject. Therefore 'read' is correct. The other options do not follow the subjunctive pattern.

Question 44English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The students, ___ had studied hard, passed the exam with excellent marks."

  1. whom
  2. whose
  3. which
  4. who Correct answer.

Explanation

The relative pronoun 'who' refers to people and acts as the subject of 'had studied'. 'Which' refers to things, 'whom' is an object pronoun, and 'whose' shows possession. Therefore 'who' is the only correct choice.

Question 45English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher explained the rule ___ the students could understand it."

  1. unless
  2. although
  3. so that Correct answer.
  4. because

Explanation

'So that' introduces a purpose clause meaning 'in order that'. The sentence means the teacher explained the rule in order for the students to understand it. The other conjunctions express reason, contrast, or condition, which do not fit the intended purpose.

Question 46English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The students were ___ to submit their essays by Friday, but many asked for an extension."

  1. supposed Correct answer.
  2. supposition
  3. suppose
  4. supposing

Explanation

'Be supposed to' is a fixed expression meaning 'be expected to'. The past form 'were supposed to' indicates an expectation that may not have been met. The other options are not adjectives or participles that complete this structure.

Question 47English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher asked us to write a ___ essay on the topic of climate change."

  1. five-hundred-words
  2. five-hundred-word Correct answer.
  3. five hundred words
  4. five-hundreds-word

Explanation

When a number and a noun form a compound adjective before another noun, the noun is singular and the parts are hyphenated: 'a five-hundred-word essay'. The other options violate this rule by using a plural or omitting hyphens.

Question 48English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The students were asked to ___ the main ideas of the text in their own words."

  1. sum up Correct answer.
  2. summarise
  3. summary
  4. sum

Explanation

The phrasal verb 'sum up' means to summarise. The sentence requires a verb after 'to', and 'sum up' fits the meaning. 'Sum' alone means to add numbers, 'summary' is a noun, and 'summarise' is a verb but would not be followed by 'up'.

Question 49English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Read the sentence and choose the option that best explains the use of the underlined verb form: "By the time the teacher arrived, the students had finished the test."

  1. The past perfect 'had finished' shows a habitual action in the past.
  2. The past perfect 'had finished' shows an action completed before another past action. Correct answer.
  3. The past perfect 'had finished' shows an action that will be completed before a future time.
  4. The past perfect 'had finished' shows an action that was still in progress when the teacher arrived.

Explanation

The past perfect tense is used to indicate that one past action was completed before another past action. Here, finishing the test happened before the teacher arrived. The other options misrepresent the function of the past perfect.

Question 50English (Lengua Extranjera: Inglés)

Which option correctly completes the sentence? "The teacher insisted on ___ the students' essays before the end of the term."

  1. marking Correct answer.
  2. marked
  3. mark
  4. to mark

Explanation

The verb 'insist on' is followed by a gerund (-ing form). Therefore 'marking' is correct. The other options cannot follow the preposition 'on' in this structure.