AQUINAS COLLEGE OF HIGHER STUDIES – COLOMBO 08

DIPLOMA IN ENGLISH
FINAL GRAMMAR
APRIL 2023

Examination No: ………………………. Marks: ……………

Admission No : ……………………….
NIC No : ……………………… Duration: 2 ½ hours

01. Complete each of the following words by selecting the appropriate group of letters
from the brackets. (1/2x10=5marks)

1. expl…………………….. (oit,ait,eit) 6. black…………………….. (male,mail,mael)

2. geno…………………… (cyde,cide,syde) 7. e……………………drop (aves,aers,eive )
3. accom…………………. (plise,plice,please) 8. comman………………. (dear,dier,deer )
4. v………………………tta (ande,onde,ende) 9. nepo……………………. (tisam,tysm,tism )
5. v………………………tim ( erba,arba,urba) 10.hypo……………………. (krite,cryte,crite)

02. Replace the words with a single word from the grammar appendix and if necessary,
reconstruct the sentences grammatically without changing the original meaning.
(1/2x10=5marks)

1. Although the government tried to settle the dispute through talks, the discussions broke down;
it ended in a ……………………………………………. (inability to come to a settlement)
2. The money demanded for the release of the captive was paid as
a……………………………………. (money paid to release a captive)
3. ……………………………………………… was their method of collecting funds as the
people were not willing to contribute (act of exacting money by force).
4. Suspicious individuals are kept under ……………………………………….. to check on their
movements. (a close check on a person’s movements)

Page 1 of 8
5. A ……………………………………………….. is a catastrophic event where a large number
of people are slaughtered, like the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II..
(Slaughter of a large number)
6. Government should make necessary steps to ………………………… the poverty in the
country. (to lessen the suffering)
7. The main …………………………………………. was taken into custody by the police.
(partner in guilt/crime)
8. The flight of the flock of birds in the sky at dusk forms a
……………………………………………….. scene. (forming a pleasing picture)
9. Few members in the organization boast that they belong to
………………………………………. society. (distinguishing upper class)
10. Among the beauty contestants the tallest candidate with a pleasant smile became the
………………………………………….of the spectators.(center of attraction)
03. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the word given in brackets.
(1/2x10=5marks)

1.No one believes the story as it was an ………………….. one. (usual)

2. To …………………………………. is human, to forgive divine. (error)
3. Pack the glasses carefully to avoid ………………………………. (break)
4. I apologise for the ………………………………, but we need to reschedule our meeting for
next Tuesday. (convenience)
5. The reason of the ………………………………of dinosaurs is still a mystery. (extinct)
6.The cricket Board has not yet ………………………………… the players for the world Cup
2023. (final)
7………………………………………………… programmers are also being conducted to
educate people living in landslide prone areas. (aware)
8. Over 60 villages in this area have been ……………………………. as extremely at risk for
landslides by the NBRO (identify)
9. Cleanliness is next to …………………………………. (god)
10. Tiger is a large member of the cat family with yellow brown coat …..……………………….
with black. (stripe)

Page 2 of 8
04. Fill in the blanks with a determiner, proposition or an adverbial particle. (1/2x30=15marks)

The birds identified as having the disease, named plasticosis, have scared digestive tracts 1.
…………………….. ingesting waste, scientists 2. …………………… the Natural History Museum in
London say. It is 3. ………………………… first recorded instance of specifically plastic induced
fibrosis 4. …………….. wild animals.
Plastic pollution is becoming so prevalent 5 ……………. the scarring was widespread across different
ages 6 ……………………… birds, according 7. ……………. the study published 8.
………………the journal of Hazardous Materials.
Young birds were found to have 9. ……………. disease, and 10. ……………….. is thought chicks
were being fed 11. …………………plastic pollution by parents accidentally bringing it back 12.
……………. food. Scientists, including 13. ……………… Natural History Museum’s Dr. Alex Bond
and Dr. Jennifer lavers, studied flesh footed shearwaters 14. ……………… Australia’s Lord Howe
Island to look 15. …………….. the relationship 16. ……………………… levels 17. ………………
ingested plastic and the proventriculus organs – 18. ……………….first part of a bird’s stomach. They
found that the 19. ……………… plastic 20. …………………… bird had ingested, the 21.
…………….. scarring it had. The disease can lead to 22. ……………… gradual breakdown 23.
…………………………..tubular glands 24. …………………….. the proventriculus. Losing 25.
…………………… glands can cause the birds to become 26. …………………. vulnerable to infection
and parasites and affect 27. ……………… ability to digest food and absorb some vitamins.

Researchers called the fibrotic disease plasticosis to make 28. …………………….clear that it was
caused 29……………………plastic in the environment . When birds ingest small pieces of plastic,
they found, it inflames the digestive tract. Over time, 30. ………………… persistent inflammation
causes fissures to become scarred and disfigured, affecting digestion, growth and survival.

05 A. Fill each blank of the following passage with a suitable finite or non-finite form of the verb
given in the brackets. (1/2x20=10marks)

‘ Gajaman’, comedy 3D movie made based on yesteryear popular comic character 1.

……………………(create) by Camilus Perera, created history in the recent past with 51000 domestic
patrons and 38000 viewers in Australia with the first ten days of its release.
Cartoonist Camilus Perera’s Gajaman 2 …………………. (be) one of the most popular cartoon series
that 3. …………………. (appear) with comic strip magazine ‘Sathsiri’. Originally created in 1960s,
the cartoon series 4. …………………… (be) so popular Camilus Perera 5. ……………………..
(publish) a separate newspaper on ‘Gajaman’. Young director Chanaka Perera made ‘Gajaman to the

Page 3 of 8
production of John Fonseka and Chanaka Jinadasa. The film 6 ………………. (be) a juncture in Sri
Lankan cinema history as it 7. …………………….. (mark) the first ever three dimensional (3D)
animation movie 8. ………………(use) motion capture technology in Sri Lanka. The two lead
characters of the film 9. …………………… …………………… (dub) by popular dubbing artist duet,
Suneth Chithrananda and Gaminda Priyaviraj. Other cast includes, Rashi Prabodha, Yureni Noshika
and Sunil Perera. Music is composed by Ravihansa and Anushka Udana .
The film ………………………….. (revolve) around Gajaman and his connection with Magodisthuma.
Gajaman, the most trustworthy aide of Mogodistghuma,10. ………………. …………………..
(assign) to escort his daughter who 11. …………………….. ………………(return) from higher
studies in abroad. But When Gajaman sees Padmi, the politician’s daughter, he 11. …………….. (fall)
in love with her at first sight. But Gajaman, is reluctant 12. ……. ………………(express) his love
and on top of that Padmi 13. ……………………. (speak) in English, the language Gajaman 14.
…………….. (be) no clue about. Over the next week, the love struck Gajaman 15.
………………………… (make) every possible attempt 16. …………………… ………………….
(reach) out to Padmi and express his feelings for her, well aware of the fact that if his boss gets to
know he 17. ………… surely ……………(be ) in hot water. He even signs up for an English class to
master the language to a level where he 18. ………………….. …………………….. (converse) with
her and may be even impress her. The news of Gajaman infatuation for his daughter reaches
Magodithuma and 19. ………… ……………….. (infuriate) . He stroms into Gajaman’s home and
banishes him from the village, threating 20. ………… ……………. (kill) him if he ever sets foot in
the village or attempts to get in touch with daughter.
05 B. (1/2x20=10marks)

Probably few men who have become famous as writers have produced less work of life-rate quality
than Dr. Johnson did. He 1. ………………….. (try) his hand at several kinds of literature- poetry,
essays stories, criticism, and even a play and was successful in all. His best work, from the literary
point of view, 2. ………………. (be) Lives of the poets, but what really 3. …………….. (bring) him
fame in his own day was his great Dictionary of the English Language. Although he 4.
………………….. (begin) it in 1747, he was not able to complete it until eight years later.
His purpose 5. ……………….. (be) to produce “a dictionary by which the pronunciation of our
language may be fixed”. He hoped also, 6. ………… ……………… (preserve) the purity of English,
and provide a guide to the use of the language. When he did, in fact, fix was the spelling, not many
important changes 7. …………. …………………….. (take) place since his day. He did not collect
words from authors who 8. ………….. ……………. (live) much earlier than Shakespeare, for he
thought that English literature from the last quarter of sixteen century down to his own day
9…………….. …………… (supply) enough good words for all practical and ornamental use. As a
foreign words, he 10. ………… ( warn) people against brining then into the language to the injury of
native words. When he 11. ……………… (speak) of “pure English “, however, he 12.
………………not…………………. (mean) that we should keep out foreign words altogether, but that
we 13. ……………. …………………… (take) , especially from Latin and Greek, such as are really

Page 4 of 8
needed. His dictionary 14. ………………. (be) out of date now, of course, but many of his
explanations of words some of them humorous- are still interesting 15. ………………… …………..
(read).
Up to this time Johnson had been driven to work by the need of the money, and had often lived in
great poverty. Sometimes he 16. ………………………….. (wonder) about the streets of London at
night because he 17. …………. (have) no lodgings to go to. He is said to have been very idle, disliking
hard work, though he 18. ……………… ………………………(read) a great deal and was certainly a
most learned man. A few years after the Dictionary 19. ……………… ……………… (appear) he was
given a yearly income of 300 dollars by the government. From this time on it 20……………… (be) no
longer necessary for him to write for a living, and during the last twenty years of his life he produced
very little.

06 A. Fill in the blanks with the correct phrasal verbs from the brackets. (1x5=5marks)

1. The chairman could not wind ……………………….the meeting till late evening owing to
the chaos raised by the members. (up, off, out)
2. The commuters were held ……………………………..in the traffic block due to an
accident. (out, up , on)
3. The union leaders decided to call …………………………..the strike (up, away, off)
4. Their marriage broke …………………………due to misunderstanding. (out, up, about)
5. The responsibility of the political leaders is to bring ……………………peace in the
country. (about, out, off)
06 B. Fill in each blank with a phrasal verb corresponding to the verb within brackets.
(Marks 1 x 5 = 5 Marks)

1. The patient was thoroughly advise be the oncologist to …………………………………

smoking. (stop)
2. I found it difficult to …………………………….. my friend whom I met almost after a
decade. (recognize)
3. Public events have at times to be ……………………………due to unavoidable
circumstances. (cancel)
4. Parents …………………………………… their children to be good citizens. (educate and
train)
5. Do not get absent. You will not be able ……………………the work. (fulfill, complete)

Page 5 of 8
07. Rewrite the following sentences correcting any errors. (Marks 1 x 10 = 10 Marks)

1.Raja is not clever as Ranil.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2.Each worker have been paid.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. The soccer is a popular sport around the world.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4.There is no secret between you and I.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5.Once in two weeks he is taking, his mother to see her doctor.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
6.The tall coconut tree fell as the wind was blowing hardly.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
7.When the tourist reached the destination the sun is setting.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8.The baby elephant has fallen into a abandoned well.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
9.The jewelries in these boxes are very valuable.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
10.They are leaving to England soon.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

08. Complete each of the following incomplete sentences so that it has the same meaning as
the complete sentences preceding it. (1x10=10marks)

1. Both candidates were absent.

Neither ………………………………………………………………………
2. It is a very lonely place.

Page 6 of 8
 What …………………………………………………………………………..
3. She collapsed when she heard the news.
On ……………………………………………………………………………………….
4. If he does not get visa he will not be able to start the course.
Unless………………………………………………………………………………….
5.People seldom get the opportunity to relax now a days.
Seldom………………………………………………………………………………..
6.This wood apple is too cheap to be good.
This …………………………………………………………………………………………..
7.Saman is the best boy of our class.
Saman………………………………………………………………………………….
8.The teacher is never on time.
The teacher …………………………………………………………………………………..
9.No one can pump the ocean dry.
Who……………………………………………………………………………………………….
10.As he was poor he could not continue his studies.
Due to……………………………………………………………………………………….
09A. Write in Passive Voice. (1x5=5marks)

1. Do it immediately.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. He told me that you had not paid the fees.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Did you see him crossing the road?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Students will make exhibits.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
5.The laborers are digging a trench.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Page 7 of 8
9B. Write in Active voice. (1x5=5marks)

1.He was dismissed from the service.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2.By whom was the speech delivered?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3.Let the fan be switched off.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4.How was it known?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5.Were you being admonished?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10A. Change into Indirect Speech. (5marks)

"Are you angry, my friends?" said the king. "Is it because you have lost your leader? I am
your king, and I will be your leader."
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10B. Write in Direct Speech. (5marks)
Ravi asked Nimal, what he preferred, string hoppers or hoppers. Nimal said that he preferred string
hoppers. Ravi ordered the waiter to bring them string hoppers with curries. The waiter showed them
the menu, and asked whether they wanted rice flour string hoppers. They agreed to have it with some
dhal curry.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Page 8 of 8