Explanation

(Option B) Sinking: In the sentence, "We felt as if the ground was sinking beneath our feet," the word "sinking" is the most appropriate choice. It conveys the sense of the ground gradually moving downward, which fits the context of the sentence where the feeling is described as if the ground is giving way or collapsing beneath the speaker's feet.

(Option A) Digging - This option does not fit the context of the sentence. "Digging" implies actively excavating the ground, which is not what the sentence describes.

(Option C) Slipping - While "slipping" could be a plausible option, it doesn't fully capture the sense of the ground giving way beneath one's feet as effectively as "sinking" does.

(Option D) Bursting - This option does not match the context of the sentence. "Bursting" implies a sudden and forceful breaking or splitting open, which is not what the sentence is describing in terms of the ground's movement.

 Subject: English

Topic: Combination of words, phrases and clauses

Subtopics: Idiomatic Expressions and Contextual Vocabulary

Difficulty Level: Easy

 Explanation

(Option D) Luckily: In the sentence, "(providentially), his mind was not injured," the word "providentially" suggests that something happened by divine intervention or by fortunate circumstances. "Luckily" conveys a similar meaning, indicating that his mind was not injured due to good fortune or favorable circumstances.

(Option A) Slowly: This does not convey a similar meaning to "providentially." "Slowly" refers to something happening at a low speed or with a lack of haste, which is not the intended meaning in this context.

(Option B) Steadily: This also does not convey a similar meaning to "providentially." "Steadily" refers to something happening consistently or without interruption, which is not the intended meaning in this context.

(Option C) Really: This does not convey a similar meaning to "providentially." "Really" is an adverb used to emphasize the truth or accuracy of something, which is not the intended meaning in this context?

Subject: English

Topic: Key vocabulary

Subtopic: Synonyms and Contextual Meaning

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Top of Form

Explanation

(Option B) had: In the sentence, "We just had a game of tennis," the past simple tense is used to indicate an action that occurred and was completed in the past. "Had" is the past tense form of the verb "to have," indicating that the action of playing the game of tennis took place recently but before the present moment.

(Option A) has: Has is the present tense form of the verb "to have," which does not agree with the past tense context of the sentence.

(Option C) have: It lacks the past participle "had" needed to form the past simple tense "had." It also lacks agreement with the subject "we" in terms of verb tense.

(Option D) have had: The present perfect tense "have had," is not suitable for the sentence's context. The sentence requires a simple past tense to convey that the action of playing tennis occurred and was completed in the past.

Subject: English

Topic: Tenses and their aspects

Subtopic: Verb Tense and Agreement

Difficulty: Moderate

Explanation

(Option C)  Penny did not let me get my book: This sentence is grammatically correct and effectively communicates the idea that Penny prevented the speaker from getting their book. The structure "did not let me get" is commonly used in English to express the idea of someone prohibiting or preventing another person from doing something.

(Option A) Penny did not let me to get my book.: This sentence contains an error in the use of the infinitive "to get" after "let." In English, "let" is followed directly by the base form of the verb without "to." The correct form is "let me get."

(Option B) Penny was not leaving me to get my book.: This sentence does not effectively convey the idea that Penny prevented the speaker from getting their book. The use of "was not leaving" suggests a continuous action of not departing from a location, which does not accurately represent the situation described.

(Option D) Penny had not left me get my book.: This sentence is grammatically incorrect. The use of "had not left me get" is not a standard English construction. It seems to attempt to convey the idea of Penny not allowing the speaker to get their book, but the phrasing is awkward and incorrect.

Subject: English

Topic: Miscellaneous grammatical errors

Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

(Option A) I do not enjoy being laughed at by other people: This sentence is grammatically correct. It uses the correct structure to express that the speaker does not like it when others laugh at them.

(Option B) I did not enjoy laughing by other people: This sentence is incorrect because "laughing by other people" implies that the speaker was doing the laughing, which is not the intended meaning. Additionally, "did not enjoy" should be followed by "being laughed at" to convey the intended meaning.

(Option C) I am not enjoying laughing by other people: This sentence is incorrect for similar reasons. It implies that the speaker is currently not enjoying the act of laughing performed by others, which is not the intended meaning.

(Option D) I do not enjoying being laughed at by other people: This sentence is grammatically incorrect because "do not" should be followed by the base form of the verb "enjoy," not the gerund "enjoying."

Subject: English

Topic: Active and passive voice

Difficulty Level: Easy