Intermediate nouns. 45 questions on abstract and collective nouns, compound nouns, and possessive forms.
What this test covers
- Abstract & Collective Nouns
- Compound Nouns
- Possessive Nouns
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1The committee ___ reached a unanimous decision today regarding the new policy.
Answer: B. has
The noun 'committee' is a collective noun. In this context, it acts as a single unit making one 'unanimous decision,' so it takes the singular verb 'has'.
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Q2She showed great ___ when she stood up for her beliefs.
Answer: C. bravery
'Bravery' is an uncountable abstract noun. Abstract nouns represent qualities and typically do not have plural forms like 'braveries.' The word 'brave' is an adjective, not a noun.
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Q3The team ___ arguing among themselves right now about the strategy.
Answer: B. are
Collective nouns like 'team' take a plural verb when the members are acting as individuals. The clue 'arguing among themselves' indicates individual actions, making the plural verb 'are' the correct choice.
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Q4He possesses a deep ___ of classical literature.
Answer: B. knowledge
'Knowledge' is an uncountable abstract noun. In English, we do not use 'knowledges' or 'knowings'; uncountable nouns stay in the singular form.
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Q5Her ___ was evident in her bright smile.
Answer: A. happiness
'Happiness' is the abstract noun form of the adjective 'happy.' We need a noun here to serve as the subject of the sentence.
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Q6A ___ of fish swam past the coral reef.
Answer: D. school
'School' is the specific collective noun used for a group of fish. 'Pack' is used for wolves, 'flock' for birds, and 'herd' for cattle.
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Q7They finally reached an ___ regarding the project timeline.
Answer: B. agreement
The indefinite article 'an' indicates that a singular noun starting with a vowel must follow. 'Agreement' is the abstract noun form of the verb 'agree'.
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Q8The jury as a whole ___ deliberating in the courtroom right now.
Answer: A. is
The phrase 'as a whole' is a context clue that the collective noun 'jury' is acting as a single unit. Therefore, it requires the singular verb 'is'.
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Q9A ___ of lions rested under the shade of the tree.
Answer: A. pride
'Pride' is the specific collective noun for a group of lions. Other animals use different terms, such as 'swarm' for insects or 'pack' for dogs.
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Q10His ___ for music has always been a major inspiration.
Answer: B. passion
'Passion' is the abstract noun used here in an uncountable sense to describe a strong feeling. 'Passioning' is not a standard noun form.
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Q11The staff ___ currently split on the decision to change the hours.
Answer: A. are
The context clue 'split' indicates that the members of the 'staff' have different opinions and are acting as individuals. In this case, the collective noun takes the plural verb 'are'.
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Q12She has the ___ to overcome these difficult challenges.
Answer: D. courage
'Courage' is an uncountable abstract noun. We do not use it in the plural form ('courages') or use the adjective form 'courageous' after the article 'the'.
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Q13A ___ of bees buzzed around the hive.
Answer: B. swarm
'Swarm' is the specific collective noun for a group of flying insects like bees.
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Q14Patience is a great ___ when working with children.
Answer: C. virtue
'Virtue' is the abstract noun used to describe a good moral quality. While 'virtues' is the plural, 'a great virtue' requires the singular form.
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Q15The audience as a group ___ clapping loudly at the end of the show.
Answer: D. was
The phrase 'as a group' indicates the collective noun 'audience' is acting as one unit. This requires a singular verb, so 'was' is correct.
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Q16I need to buy a new ___ because mine is worn out.
Answer: D. toothbrush
'Toothbrush' is a closed compound noun (two words joined as one). Note that the first part of the compound remains singular ('tooth'), even though you brush all your teeth.
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Q17The ___ in the kitchen is making a strange noise.
Answer: D. washing machine
'Washing machine' is an open compound noun, meaning it is written as two separate words without a hyphen.
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Q18She works a ___ job to support her studies.
Answer: D. part-time
When a compound word like 'part-time' functions as an adjective before a noun ('job'), it usually requires a hyphen.
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Q19Please write your notes in this ___.
Answer: C. notebook
'Notebook' is a closed compound noun. It is written as a single word without spaces or hyphens.
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Q20He is a ___ author known for his mystery novels.
Answer: A. well-known
'Well-known' is a hyphenated compound adjective. We use a hyphen when the compound adjective comes before the noun it modifies ('author').
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Q21We enjoyed eating ___ on the beach.
Answer: C. ice cream
'Ice cream' is an open compound noun, typically written as two separate words.
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Q22She is in ___ and excels in science.
Answer: C. high school
'High school' is an open compound noun. It is written as two separate words without a hyphen.
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Q23He went to the barbershop for a ___.
Answer: C. haircut
'Haircut' is a closed compound noun, written as one word.
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Q24I need to go to the ___ to mail this package.
Answer: C. post office
'Post office' is an open compound noun. In modern English, it is written as two separate words.
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Q25She is a ___ woman who started her own company.
Answer: C. self-made
Compound adjectives beginning with 'self-' almost always require a hyphen, such as 'self-made' or 'self-confident'.
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Q26The ___ display was spectacular.
Answer: A. firework
'Firework' is a closed compound noun. In this sentence, it acts as a noun describing the type of 'display'.
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Q27The city is famous for its ___.
Answer: B. skyscraper
'Skyscraper' is a closed compound noun, meaning the two words 'sky' and 'scraper' are joined into one.
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Q28She bought a soft ___ for the bed.
Answer: A. bedspread
'Bedspread' is a closed compound noun, written as a single word.
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Q29He carries all his documents in a ___.
Answer: B. briefcase
'Briefcase' is a closed compound noun, written as one word.
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Q30This is a ___ solution to our problem.
Answer: B. long-term
'Long-term' is a compound adjective. When it is placed before the noun it modifies ('solution'), it must be hyphenated.
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Q31The only ___ car is parked in the driveway.
Answer: D. student's
The word 'only' and the singular verb 'is' indicate we are referring to one person. For a singular noun like 'student,' we form the possessive by adding 's.
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Q32The department ___ meeting will be held in the conference room.
Answer: B. manager's
To show that the meeting belongs to one manager, we use the singular possessive form: 'manager' plus an apostrophe and an s ('s). 'Managements'' is non-standard and awkward — 'management' is typically an uncountable collective noun and forming a plural possessive 'managements'' is not natural English.
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Q33All the ___ toys are scattered all over the floor.
Answer: B. children's
'Children' is an irregular plural noun (it does not end in -s). For irregular plurals, the possessive is formed by adding 's, just like a singular noun.
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Q34The ___ tail wagged happily when it saw its owner.
Answer: C. dog's
The phrase 'its owner' tells us we are talking about a single dog. For a singular noun, we add 's to show possession.
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Q35The ___ family home is located at the end of the street.
Answer: B. Smiths'
To refer to a whole family, we pluralize the surname first ('the Smiths'). For plural nouns already ending in -s, we only add an apostrophe (') to show possession.
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Q36The ___ office is always locked after hours.
Answer: B. manager's
This sentence refers to the office of one manager. For singular possessive nouns, add 's.
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Q37The ___ clothing department is organizing a charity event.
Answer: B. women's
'Women' is an irregular plural noun. Even though it is plural, it does not end in -s, so we use 's to form the possessive.
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Q38All the ___ wings were vibrant and colorful.
Answer: B. butterflies'
The word 'All' indicates a plural subject. The plural of 'butterfly' is 'butterflies.' Because this plural ends in -s, we show possession by adding just an apostrophe (') at the end.
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Q39The list of ___ names is on the notice board.
Answer: C. employees'
A 'list of names' implies multiple people. For the plural noun 'employees,' which ends in -s, we form the possessive by adding only an apostrophe. 'Employs' is a third-person singular verb form, not a noun form.
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Q40The ___ decision in this case was final and could not be appealed.
Answer: C. jury's
'Jury' is a singular collective noun. To show possession, we add 's.
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Q41The firm's ___ office is closed on weekends.
Answer: C. lawyer's
The sentence refers to a specific office belonging to one lawyer. For a singular possessive, add 's. 'Legal's' is not a valid possessive form — 'legal' is an adjective, not a noun, and cannot take a possessive apostrophe in this way.
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Q42All the ___ coats are hanging in the locker room.
Answer: A. men's
'Men' is an irregular plural noun. To make it possessive, we add 's. 'Mens' is not a correct plural form.
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Q43The lead ___ performance was truly moving.
Answer: A. actor's
The word 'lead' refers to a single main actor. We form the singular possessive by adding 's to the noun 'actor'.
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Q44This ___ petals are soft and fragrant.
Answer: A. rose's
The demonstrative 'This' indicates a singular noun. Therefore, we use the singular possessive form 'rose's'.
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Q45___ opinion matters in this discussion.
Answer: A. Everyone's
Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' or 'somebody' are treated as singular. We add 's to form the possessive.
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