WREN & MARTIN's English grammar-10 MCQs on the Usage of "Once" and "One" as Different Parts of Speech

 

10 MCQs on the Usage of "Once" and "One" as Different Parts of Speech

---

1. "Once upon a time, there lived a wise and generous king." — What part of speech is "once"?

• A) Conjunction
• B) Adjective
• C) Adverb
• D) Pronoun

Answer: C) Adverb ("Once" modifies the verb phrase and indicates a point in the past — it functions as an adverb of time.)

---

2. "Once she finishes her homework, she may go out to play." — What part of speech is "once"?

• A) Adverb
• B) Preposition
• C) Pronoun
• D) Conjunction

Answer: D) Conjunction ("Once" introduces the subordinate clause "she finishes her homework" and connects it to the main clause — it functions as a subordinating conjunction meaning "as soon as.")

---

3. "He has visited that museum only once in his lifetime." — What part of speech is "once"?

• A) Conjunction
• B) Noun
• C) Adjective
• D) Adverb

Answer: D) Adverb ("Once" modifies the verb "visited" and indicates the frequency of the action — it functions as an adverb of frequency.)

---

4. "That was a once in a lifetime opportunity that she let slip away." — What part of speech is "once"?

• A) Adverb
• B) Conjunction
• C) Adjective
• D) Noun

Answer: C) Adjective ("Once" is used here as part of a compound modifier "once in a lifetime" that describes the noun "opportunity" — it functions as an adjective.)

---

5. "The once famous actor was barely recognised on the street." — What part of speech is "once"?

• A) Conjunction
• B) Noun
• C) Adverb
• D) Adjective

Answer: C) Adverb ("Once" modifies the adjective "famous" and indicates that the fame belonged to a past period — it functions as an adverb meaning "formerly.")

---

6. "One must always respect the feelings of others." — What part of speech is "one"?

• A) Adjective
• B) Noun
• C) Adverb
• D) Pronoun

Answer: D) Pronoun ("One" is used here as an indefinite pronoun referring to people in general — it functions as the subject of the sentence.)

---

7. "She bought one dress and two pairs of shoes at the sale." — What part of speech is "one"?

• A) Pronoun
• B) Adverb
• C) Adjective
• D) Noun

Answer: C) Adjective ("One" comes before the noun "dress" and indicates a single quantity — it functions as a numeral adjective modifying the noun.)

---

8. "Of all the applicants, one stood out for her exceptional skills." — What part of speech is "one"?

• A) Adjective
• B) Adverb
• C) Conjunction
• D) Pronoun

Answer: D) Pronoun ("One" stands alone referring to a single unspecified person among a group — it functions as an indefinite pronoun, the subject of the sentence.)

---

9. "Chapter one introduces the main characters of the novel." — What part of speech is "one"?

• A) Pronoun
• B) Adverb
• C) Noun
• D) Adjective

Answer: C) Noun ("One" is used here as a number name identifying the chapter — it functions as a noun used in naming or labelling.)

---

10. "That is the one mistake he should never have made." — What part of speech is "one"?

• A) Pronoun
• B) Adverb
• C) Noun
• D) Adjective

Answer: D) Adjective ("One" comes before the noun "mistake" and singles it out as the specific or only one — it functions as an adjective emphasising uniqueness.)