Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: One clause should carry only one negative word.

1. 'couldn't' = could + not, already negative.
2. 'nowhere' adds a second negative → double negative.
3. Fix: change 'nowhere' to anywhere – one negative (n't) is enough.

Trick: not / never / n't + any-word (anywhere, anything, anyone). Never 'not + no-word'.

Answer: (C) nowhere

Concept: Pick the phrase that fits 'meet ____' and the idea of compromise.

1. Senators disagreed, yet passed a modified bill → both sides gave up something.
2. 'Meet halfway' = to compromise.
3. 'Off my chest', 'cold feet', 'under the weather' do not go with 'meet' and do not fit the sense.

Trick: 'couldn't agree … modified' signals compromise → halfway.

Answer: (D) halfway

Concept: Sincere = honest, without pretending.

1. Genuine = real, true, honest → same sense.
2. Verbose = wordy; Glib = smooth but shallow/insincere; Articulate = expresses ideas clearly.

Trick: 'Glib' is a trap – it is closer to an antonym of sincere.

Answer: (B) Genuine

Concept: Choose the idiom that describes the effort that earns a promotion.

1. 'Keep one's nose to the grindstone' = work hard continuously.
2. 'Through the grapevine' = hearing via rumour; 'by the skin of my teeth' = narrowly; 'through thick and thin' = in all situations.
3. Only option D fits 'After a year of ____'.

Trick: Promotion 'deserved' → hard work → grindstone.

Answer: (D) keeping her nose to the grindstone

Concept: Same spelling can be a noun or a verb; match the part of speech and meaning.

1. Given sentence: 'checked the tire' → noun = rubber wheel cover.
2. B: 'change a flat tire' → same noun.
3. A, C, D: 'tire' = to become/make tired (verb).

Trick: Put 'the/a' before the word – if it fits, it's the noun (wheel).

Answer: (B) After hitting a large pothole, I had to pull over to change a flat tire.

Concept: Find the line that states literature's effect on civilization.

1. Opening line: literature shapes 'ethical standards, collective wisdom, and personal beliefs'.
2. A and C downgrade literature; D limits it to fiction – none is said.

Trick: 'Primary impact' questions are usually answered in the first sentence.

Answer: (B) It shapes ethical standards, collective wisdom, and personal beliefs

Concept: Locate 'dogmas' in the passage and read its neighbours.

1. Sentence 3 joins: unveil fresh perspectives, question dogmas, spark conversations.
2. So dogmas are challenged through new viewpoints and debate.
3. A is a negative effect; B and D contradict the text.

Trick: Keyword-scan 'dogmas' – the answer sits in the same sentence.

Answer: (C) By unveiling fresh perspectives and sparking conversations

Concept: Find what the passage links to 'a unique form of connection'.

1. Text: the descriptive and intellectual depth of reading gives this connection.
2. It immerses readers in other minds and cultures.
3. Simple words, plot twists, pictures are never mentioned.

Yaad rakhein: Options introducing ideas absent from the passage (illustrations, twists) are almost always wrong.

Answer: (B) Its descriptive and intellectual depth

Concept: The word 'essential' in the last line marks the necessity.

1. Books may spread bias or distort reality.
2. So the writer calls for careful, critical reading of every text.
3. A, B, C describe exactly what the writer warns against.

Trick: 'Necessity' ↔ look for 'essential / must / need' in the passage.

Answer: (D) To engage deeply and analytically with the texts

Concept: 'However, this influence carries a burden' introduces the harmful side.

1. Listed harms: cement biases, propagate propaganda, distort reality.
2. Option B states two of these.
3. A and D deny influence; C ('always objective') is the opposite of 'distorted views'.

Trick: 'However' in a passage flags the contrast/negative point.

Answer: (B) They can cement biases and propagate dangerous propaganda

Concept: Spot the misspelt word.

1. Correct form: Evanescence (from 'evanescent' = fading quickly).
2. It needs '-sc-' and ends in '-ence'; 'Evanesense' is wrong.
3. Impermanence, Transitory, Ephemeral are correct (all mean short-lived).

Trick: evane-SC-ence – same 'sc' as in 'adolescence'.

Answer: (D) Evanesense

Concept: Spot the misspelt word.

1. Correct form: Voluptuous – ending '-uous'.
2. The given 'Voluptous' drops the 'u' before -ous.
3. malicious, Ferocious, suspicious are correct '-cious' words.

Trick: Group with sumptuous, tumultuous, virtuous – all keep '-uous'.

Answer: (D) Voluptous

Concept: Meaning of the idiom from the contrast in the sentence.

1. Sister loves big parties; speaker likes quiet nights → opposite natures.
2. 'Like chalk and cheese' = totally different from each other.

Yaad rakhein: Similar idiom: 'poles apart' – also means completely different.

Answer: (B) Completely different from each other

Concept: One who owes money = debtor.

1. Debt (कर्ज़) + -or (doer) → debtor.
2. Lender/creditor gives money; collector collects dues; insolvent = unable to pay (adjective).

Trick: Pair: debtor ↔ creditor (owes ↔ is owed).

Answer: (C) debtor

Concept: Wisdom = sound judgement from knowledge; opposite = lack of knowledge.

1. Ignorance = not knowing → antonym.
2. Knowledge is a near-synonym; pride and superiority are unrelated.

Trick: First strike out the synonym (Knowledge) – the antonym is usually its direct opposite.

Answer: (C) Ignorance

Concept: Heretic = one who goes against accepted beliefs.

1. Opposite: one who follows accepted norms = Conformist.
2. Iconoclast and 'rebellious' are similar to heretic, not opposite; 'unconcerned' is unrelated.

Yaad rakhein: Heresy = belief against official religious doctrine; heretic is the person holding it.

Answer: (D) Conformist

Concept: Practical, sensible handling of problems = pragmatic.

1. Pragmatic → focuses on what works in reality.
2. Optimist = hopeful; Fatalist = believes all is fixed by fate; Pacifist = opposes war/violence.

Trick: Pragmatic ≈ practical – both start with 'pra-'.

Answer: (B) Pragmatic

Concept: 'were + V3' = simple past passive; active question uses 'did + V1'.

1. Agent 'you' becomes the subject; 'the tickets' becomes the object.
2. Structure: Wh-word + did + subject + V1 + object?
3. → When did you book the tickets?

Trick: was/were + V3 ⇒ did + V1 in the active question.

Answer: (A) When did you book the tickets?

Concept: Past reporting verb → back-shift tenses, change pronouns and 'now'.

1. said to → told; you → he, me/I → her/she; now → then.
2. help → helped; will → would.
3. was keeping (past continuous) → had been keeping (past perfect continuous).
4. Only A applies all changes; C misses 'had been keeping'.

Trick: Check the last verb first – only A has 'had been keeping'.

Answer: (A) She told him that if he helped her then, she would share the secret that she had been keeping from everyone.

Concept: 'Fewer' with countable plurals, 'less' with uncountable nouns.

1. 'Students' can be counted.
2. So 'No fewer than fifty students' is correct.
3. 'No few/little/lesser than' are not standard.

Trick: Can you put a number before the noun? Yes → fewer.

Answer: (C) No fewer than