Chicago River Bridge Stays Raised for More Than Four Hours, Disrupting Downtown Traffic

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the correct completion: The bridge became stuck after it ___ to let a boat pass.

   1. has lifted
   2. had lifted
   3. would lift
   4. is lifting
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   had lifted

   The past perfect shows the lifting happened before the bridge became stuck.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the correct relative clause: The bridge, ___ position interrupted traffic, remained unavailable.

   1. which
   2. who
   3. whose
   4. where
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   whose

   “Whose” correctly shows possession between the bridge and its position.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the best connector: The bridge rose; ___, it did not return to its normal position.

   1. therefore
   2. however
   3. similarly
   4. otherwise
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   however

   “However” signals a contrast between the expected and actual outcomes.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the correct passive form: The bridge ___ to allow a boat to pass.

   1. lifted
   2. was lifted
   3. has lifting
   4. is lift
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   was lifted

   The passive voice emphasizes the bridge receiving the action.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the best completion: The delay was long enough ___ a major traffic problem.

   1. creating
   2. created
   3. to create
   4. create
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   to create

   After “long enough,” an infinitive expresses the resulting possibility.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the correct form: If the bridge had closed promptly, downtown traffic ___ less severely.

   1. would be affected
   2. will affect
   3. would have affected
   4. is affecting
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   would be affected

   This mixed conditional expresses an unreal past condition and present result.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Choose the best completion: The incident shows how a small failure can ___ wider consequences.

   1. producing
   2. produced
   3. produce
   4. to producing
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   produce

   The modal “can” takes the base verb “produce.”

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.