B2 Mixed Grammar Review Test (IELTS, TOEFL, YDS Advanced Practice)
Review all key B2 grammar topics with this mixed test designed for IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS preparation. Improve accuracy with exam-style questions and very detailed explanations covering advanced structures.
Choose the correct answer.
RESULTS
#1. By the time we arrived, the meeting ___.
#2. Not until the results were published ___ the mistake.
#3. She speaks ___ fluently than anyone else in the team.
#4. The documents ___ to have been stolen overnight.
#5. If he had listened more carefully, he ___ the instructions.
#6. She denied ___ any responsibility for the error.
#7. The proposal was rejected; ___, several changes were suggested.
#8. He had his laptop ___ while he was abroad.
#9. This is the first time I ___ such a complex problem.
#10. Only by working harder ___ achieve the desired results.
#11. The woman ___ daughter won the award is a scientist.
#12. The report must ___ before it is submitted.
#13. Hardly ___ the announcement when the phones started ringing.
#14. She apologized for ___ so abruptly.
#15. The manager demanded that the issue ___ immediately.
#16. He speaks French very well; ___, he struggles with writing.
#17. The building ___ they held the seminar has been renovated.
#18. You ___ be tired after working all night.
#19. The data ___ carefully before publication.
#20. If I were in your position, I ___ the offer.
#21. The article, ___ was published last month, caused controversy.
#22. She didn’t revise enough; ___, she failed the exam.
#23. He was made ___ the report again.
#24. This is the only solution ___ makes sense.
#25. The project was delayed ___ several technical problems.
#26. I’d rather you ___ me the truth.
#27. The files might ___ accidentally deleted.
#28. Seldom ___ such dedication from employees.
#29. He claimed that he ___ the issue before.
#30. Despite ___ late, they continued the discussion.
✅ Answer Key with VERY DETAILED EXPLANATIONS
🧠 B2 Mixed Grammar Logic (IELTS · TOEFL · YDS)
🔑 Core B2 Strategy (Read First)
B2 grammar tests integration, not isolated rules. Examiners check:
timeline accuracy (tense relations),
form–meaning fit (passive, modals),
formal emphasis (inversion, subjunctive),
cohesion (linkers, relatives).
1. had already started
Past perfect shows an action completed before another past action.
❌ present simple / present perfect → wrong timeline.
📌 IELTS narrative sequencing.
2. did we realize
“Not until” triggers inversion in the main clause.
❌ no inversion → incorrect.
📌 YDS inversion marker.
3. more
Comparative adverb with than.
❌ superlative / intensifier → wrong form.
📌 TOEFL adverb comparison.
4. are reported
Reporting passive focuses on information, not the agent.
❌ active/participle → wrong structure.
📌 News-style academic English.
5. would have understood
Third conditional: unreal past cause → unreal past result.
❌ present/second conditional → timeline mismatch.
📌 IELTS regret structures.
6. taking
Deny is followed by a gerund.
❌ infinitive/base → incorrect pattern.
📌 YDS verb-pattern favorite.
7. moreover
Adds information after a negative outcome.
❌ result/contrast → wrong logic.
📌 Cohesion control.
8. repaired
Causative: have + object + past participle.
❌ base/gerund → incorrect.
📌 YDS causative trap.
9. have faced
This is the first time requires present perfect.
❌ present/past → wrong fixed structure.
📌 IELTS classic.
10. can we
“Only by …” causes inversion.
❌ normal order/conditional → incorrect emphasis.
📌 Advanced emphasis.
11. whose
Possession requires whose.
❌ who/which → no possession.
📌 YDS possession logic.
12. be checked
Modal passive: must + be + past participle.
❌ active/missing auxiliary → incorrect.
📌 TOEFL modal-passive combo.
13. had we heard
“Hardly” → past perfect inversion.
❌ no inversion / wrong tense → incorrect.
📌 High-yield YDS item.
14. leaving
Apologize for + V-ing.
❌ infinitive/base → wrong pattern.
📌 IELTS accuracy.
15. be resolved
Subjunctive after demand uses base form.
❌ is/was → not formal subjunctive.
📌 Academic reporting.
16. however
Shows contrast between speaking and writing skills.
❌ result/addition → wrong relationship.
📌 Coherence marking.
17. where
Refers to a place (in which).
❌ which/that → would need a preposition.
📌 TOEFL place-reference logic.
18. must
Strong evidence → high certainty.
❌ might/can’t → weaker or contradictory.
📌 Modal deduction.
19. must be analyzed
Necessity + passive.
❌ active/continuous → wrong focus.
📌 Academic processes.
20. would accept
Second conditional: unreal present/future.
❌ will/would have → wrong conditional type.
📌 IELTS hypotheticals.
21. which
Non-defining relative referring to the article.
❌ that/what → incorrect usage.
📌 IELTS punctuation + grammar.
22. therefore
Clear cause → result.
❌ contrast markers → illogical.
📌 Argument flow.
23. to read
Passive causative: be made to + infinitive.
❌ bare/gerund → incorrect.
📌 YDS transformation.
24. that
After the only, defining relatives prefer that.
❌ which/what → wrong structure.
📌 YDS superlative rule.
25. because of
Followed by a noun phrase.
❌ conjunctions → wrong form.
📌 Preposition vs clause.
26. told
I’d rather + past simple for present preference.
❌ present/past perfect → wrong meaning.
📌 IELTS nuance.
27. have been
Modal perfect passive: might have been + V3.
❌ incomplete forms → incorrect.
📌 Advanced deduction.
28. do we see
Negative-frequency adverb → inversion with do-support.
❌ normal order/perfect → incorrect.
📌 YDS inversion classic.
29. had seen
Backshift in reported speech.
❌ present/perfect → wrong timeline.
📌 Reporting accuracy.
30. being
Despite + gerund.
❌ infinitive/clause → incorrect form.
📌 Form–function alignment.
🧠 Final B2 Survival Notes
This test reflects true B2 integration:
YDS: structure precision,
IELTS: coherence and formality,
TOEFL: logical grammar control.
