Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Ascetic = a person who practises severe self-discipline and avoids pleasures.

1. Fits 'strict self-discipline, avoiding all pleasures'.
2. Hedonist = pleasure-seeker (opposite); Mystic = seeks spiritual truth; Cynic = distrusts others' motives.

Yaad rakhein: Ascetic ↔ Hedonist is a favourite antonym pair in SSC.

Answer: (A) Ascetic

Concept: 'Either' is always paired with 'or'.

1. The sentence gives two choices: submit today / submit by week-end.
2. Choice is joined by the pair either … or; so, but, not cannot complete it.

Yaad rakhein: Pairs: either–or, neither–nor, both–and, not only–but also.

Answer: (C) or

Concept: Possession by a person is shown by 'whose'.

1. The lectures belong to the professor → 'whose lectures'.
2. 'Whom' is object form; 'that' is not used after a comma (non-defining clause); 'what' does not link to a noun.

Trick: If a noun follows the blank directly and shows ownership → whose.

Answer: (C) whose

Concept: After 'will' we need a verb (base form).

1. Dislodge = remove something firmly fixed – suits 'deep-seated inertia'.
2. Persuasion, distraction, confusion are nouns, so grammatically wrong after 'will'.

Trick: Spot the part of speech first – only one option is a verb.

Answer: (B) dislodge

Concept: The verb must agree with the real subject, ignoring phrases in between.

1. Subject = 'The myriad challenges' (plural).
2. The 'ranging from…' phrase does not change it.
3. 'often demands' → 'often demand'. Error in part (2).

Trick: Strip the sentence to 'challenges … demand' – the error shows at once.

Answer: (B) (2)

Concept: A modal (shall, will, can, must) is followed by the base form (V1).

1. 'they shall submits' is wrong.
2. Correct: 'they shall submit'. Error in part (3).

Trick: Modal + V1 – never add -s, -ed or -ing after a modal.

Answer: (C) (3)

Concept: Future simple passive = will be + V3.

1. Object 'the new zoning proposal' becomes the subject.
2. 'will consider' → 'will be considered' + by the council.
3. 'would', 'has been', 'is being' change the tense.

Trick: Keep the helping verb of the active (will) – just add 'be + V3'.

Answer: (B) The new zoning proposal will be considered by the council next month.

Concept: 'Gules' in heraldry means the colour red on a coat of arms.

1. Options A, C and D use gules as the heraldic red (with argent, as a band, as a term a guide explains).
2. Option B uses 'gules' as an ingredient in cooking – a sense different from the given sentence.

Trick: Heraldic colours: gules = red, azure = blue, vert = green, sable = black, argent = silver, or = gold.

Answer: (B) The cook made a sauce using rich gules mixed with cumin.

Concept: 'is/are being + V3' (passive) → 'is/are + V-ing' (active).

1. Agent 'the aerospace engineers' becomes the subject (plural → are).
2. 'is being developed' → 'are developing'.
3. A (past), C (perfect), D (simple present) change the tense.

Trick: 'being' in passive always signals a continuous tense in active.

Answer: (B) The aerospace engineers are developing a new satellite system.

Concept: The main idea covers the whole passage, not one detail.

1. The passage defines the digital divide, its forms, its harmful effects and remedies.
2. So its central idea is the challenges and consequences of the digital divide.
3. A, C, D cover only small or unrelated points.

Trick: Choose the option that contains the key repeated term – 'digital divide'.

Answer: (B) The challenges and consequences of the digital divide.

Concept: Answer from the passage's own words, not from outside knowledge.

1. The first line: a gap between those who have access to modern ICT and those who do not.
2. The passage adds skills/digital literacy to this gap.
3. So it is the difference in access to modern technology and related skills.

Trick: Definitions are usually in the opening sentence of the passage.

Answer: (B) The difference in access to modern technology and related skills.

Concept: Answer from the passage's own words, not from outside knowledge.

1. The text says the divide is 'not merely about hardware'.
2. It lists broadband connectivity, affordability, quality of service and skills.
3. Option B (broadband quality and digital skills) matches.

Trick: Look for 'not merely… it encompasses' – the answer follows these words.

Answer: (B) Broadband quality and digital skills.

Concept: Answer from the passage's own words, not from outside knowledge.

1. Listed effects: reduced educational opportunities, limited remote work, exclusion from e-governance, diminished global voice.
2. A, B, D state the reverse of these effects.

Trick: A 'wrong side' must bring a loss – reject options showing gains.

Answer: (C) Reduced educational opportunities.

Concept: Answer from the passage's own words, not from outside knowledge.

1. Suggested steps: governments expanding infrastructure, subsidies for affordable internet, digital literacy programmes.
2. B, C, D would widen the divide, not bridge it.

Trick: A bridging step must increase access – only option A does.

Answer: (A) Governments expanding infrastructure.

Concept: 'Scarcely/Hardly' is followed by 'when' (or 'before'); 'No sooner' takes 'than'.

1. 'Scarcely had she finished… then' is wrong.
2. Second clause stays in simple past: 'when the applause erupted'.

Trick: No sooner – than; Scarcely/Hardly – when.

Answer: (C) when the applause erupted

Concept: 'Decide' takes 'to + V1' for an action to be done.

1. 'decided on to postpone' mixes a preposition with an infinitive – wrong.
2. Correct: 'decided to postpone'.

Trick: decide to do ✓ / decide on something (noun) ✓ / decide on to do ✗.

Answer: (A) to postpone

Concept: In indirect speech a question becomes a statement and the tense shifts back.

1. 'are' → 'was'; 'you' → 'I' (speaker is the listener); 'today' → 'that day'.
2. Word order: why + subject + verb → 'why I was late that day'.
3. B and D keep question order; C keeps 'am'.

Trick: In reported questions, subject comes before verb – reject 'why was I'.

Answer: (A) The teacher asked why I was late that day.

Concept: 'urged/told/ordered + object + to V1' reports an imperative.

1. The direct form is a plain command: "Complete the assignment before the deadline."
2. A uses 'should' (advice), C is a question, D changes 'us' to 'we' and has mismatched quotes.

Trick: 'to + V1' in indirect → start the direct speech with V1 (imperative).

Answer: (B) "Complete the assignment before the deadline," he said.

Concept: Start with the general statement, then specific, effect, and solution.

1. 3 opens: communication faces obstacles at work.
2. 2 names one obstacle – semantic barriers.
3. 1 'This often leads…' gives its effect; 4 'Overcoming these…' gives the remedy → 3, 2, 1, 4.

Trick: Sentences beginning with 'This/These' can never open a paragraph – eliminate 1 and 2-first options quickly.

Answer: (A) 3, 2, 1, 4

Concept: Problem/need → examples → conclusion.

1. 2 opens with the need for alternatives to fossil fuels.
2. 1 gives solar; 3 says 'another' source (wind) – so 3 follows 1.
3. 4 'These inexhaustible resources' sums up → 2, 1, 3, 4.

Trick: 'Another' must come after the first example; 'These' points back – put it last.

Answer: (A) 2, 1, 3, 4