Lesson T3.2.2

T3.2.2 Precise linguistic and literary terminology Quiz: KS3 English, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T3.2.2, Precise linguistic and literary terminology: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 English (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Grammar and vocabulary, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a noun?

    • A word that links two clauses together to show a relationship between ideas.
    • A word that describes how an action is carried out in the sentence.
    • A word that shows the position of a noun in relation to another object.
    • A word that names a person, place, thing or idea.

  2. Which term describes a word that tells us more about a noun?

    • Adjective, which describes or modifies a noun, such as 'bright' in 'bright star'.
    • Preposition, which shows the position or direction of one thing in relation to another.
    • Adverb, which describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb in the sentence.
    • Conjunction, which joins words, phrases or clauses together into a longer sentence.

  3. What is the term for a word that replaces a noun, such as 'she' or 'it'?

    • Preposition, which shows the relationship of a noun to another word in the sentence.
    • Pronoun, which stands in for a noun to avoid repetition.
    • Interjection, which expresses a sudden emotion, such as 'Oh!' or 'Wow!'.
    • Determiner, which specifies which noun is meant, such as 'the' or 'this'.

  4. What is a subordinate clause?

    • A clause that is used only in questions and begins with a question word.
    • A clause that depends on a main clause and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
    • A clause that consists of a single noun and no verb at all in the sentence.
    • A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence with its own subject and verb.

  5. What is the term for the form of a verb that shows whether an action happens now, in the past or in the future?

    • Voice, which shows whether the subject does the action or receives it in the sentence.
    • Tense, which places an action in time through changes to the verb form.
    • Aspect, which shows only whether an action is complete or still continuing at a point.
    • Mood, which shows whether the speaker is stating, questioning or commanding something.

  6. Which term describes a word or phrase that comes before a noun and specifies which one is meant?

    • Adverb, which tells how, when or where an action happens within the sentence structure.
    • Determiner, such as 'the', 'this' or 'three', which specifies the noun it accompanies.
    • Conjunction, which joins two clauses together to show how their ideas relate to each other.
    • Pronoun, which replaces a noun so that it does not need to be repeated in the text.

  7. What is a root word?

    • The base part of a word to which prefixes or suffixes can be added to form new words.
    • The first word of a sentence, which always signals the subject and the verb in English.
    • The title of a text, which names the subject and the main theme of the whole piece.
    • The last word of a paragraph, which is used to summarise the main idea of the paragraph.

  8. What is the meaning of the prefix 'inter-' in 'international'?

    • Between or among, so international refers to relations between nations.
    • Before or in advance, so international refers to plans made before the trip begins.
    • Against or opposite, so international refers to conflicts against foreign nations at war.
    • Inside or within, so international refers to matters contained inside one single country.

  9. Which suffix turns a verb into a noun meaning 'the act of'?

    • -ly, as in 'quick' becoming 'quickly' to describe how an action is carried out.
    • -ation, as in 'organise' becoming 'organisation' for the act of organising.
    • -ful, as in 'hope' becoming 'hopeful' to describe a person who feels optimistic.
    • -less, as in 'hope' becoming 'hopeless' to describe a state without any hope.

  10. What does the Greek root 'graph' mean, as in 'autograph'?

    • Earth, so an autograph is a map of the ground showing its shape and features.
    • Sound, so an autograph is a recording of a voice made for a sound archive.
    • Light, so an autograph is a picture drawn using only light and shadow effects.
    • Writing, so an autograph is a person's own handwritten signature.

  11. What is a clause?

    • A single word that connects two sentences together in a longer piece of text.
    • A group of words that contains only nouns and adjectives and no verb at all.
    • A title or heading that introduces a section of text and its main subject.
    • A group of words that contains a subject and a finite verb.

  12. Which term describes the use of a word or phrase to mean something other than its literal meaning?

    • Literal language, which uses words in their exact and ordinary dictionary meaning.
    • Formal language, which uses polite and correct vocabulary for official situations.
    • Technical language, which uses specialist terms that are used within one profession.
    • Figurative language, which uses images or comparisons to create a deeper effect.

  13. What is the term for a word that expresses a sudden emotion, such as 'Ouch!' or 'Hooray!'?

    • Preposition, which shows the position of one thing in relation to another object.
    • Interjection, which is a short exclamation that can stand alone in a sentence.
    • Determiner, which specifies the noun that follows it in the sentence structure.
    • Conjunction, which joins words, phrases or clauses together in a longer sentence.

  14. What is a noun phrase?

    • A phrase that joins two clauses together so that the sentence can show a relationship.
    • A phrase that contains only verbs and adverbs, and always describes an action in time.
    • A phrase that is used only at the start of a question to signal that a question follows.
    • A group of words built around a noun, which can act as the subject or object of a sentence.

  15. Which term describes the grammatical role of 'the' in 'the apple'?

    • Determiner, because it specifies which apple is meant in the phrase.
    • Pronoun, because it replaces the word apple so that the noun is not repeated in text.
    • Conjunction, because it joins the word apple to another noun in a longer sentence.
    • Adverb, because it describes how the apple is eaten or prepared in the kitchen.

  16. What is the term for a verb that takes an object, such as 'hit' in 'She hit the ball'?

    • Modal verb, because it expresses possibility, obligation or permission in the sentence.
    • Intransitive verb, because the action stays with the subject and has no object.
    • Transitive verb, because the action passes from the subject to an object.
    • Auxiliary verb, because it helps another verb form a tense or a question structure.

  17. Which term describes a word that joins two equal clauses, such as 'and' or 'but'?

    • Subordinating conjunction, which introduces a clause that depends on a main clause.
    • Preposition, which shows the position of a noun in relation to another part of the sentence.
    • Adverbial, which tells how, when, where or why an action happens in the sentence.
    • Co-ordinating conjunction, which links two main clauses of equal grammatical status.

  18. What is an adverbial?

    • A determiner that specifies which thing is being talked about in the sentence.
    • A word or phrase that tells how, when, where or why an action happens.
    • A pronoun that replaces a noun and avoids repetition in a longer piece of writing.
    • A noun that names the person who performs the action described by the verb.

  19. What does 'preposition' mean in grammar?

    • A word that replaces a noun in a sentence so that the same noun is not repeated.
    • A word that asks a question and expects an answer from the reader of the sentence.
    • A word that describes the quality of a noun using a comparison or an exaggerated image.
    • A word that shows the relationship between a noun and another word, often showing place or time.

  20. What is the term for the arrangement of words, phrases and clauses in a sentence?

    • Morphology, which is the study of how words are built from smaller units of meaning.
    • Phonology, which is the study of the sound system of a language in speech.
    • Syntax, which is the study of how words are ordered and combined into sentences.
    • Semantics, which is the study of the meaning of words and of sentences in context.

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