Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The correct spelling is Interminable (in + termin + able), meaning endless or seemingly never-ending.

1. Root: terminus = end; 'interminable' = without end.
2. 'Intermenable' wrongly uses 'e' instead of 'i' → incorrect.
3. Intubate, Incredible and Incredulous are correct.

Trick: Think 'terminate': in-TERMIN-able.

Answer: (A) Intermenable

Concept: Subtle means so delicate or precise that it is difficult to analyse or describe (e.g. a subtle difference, a subtle flavour).

1. Suitable = appropriate.
2. Complex = complicated, with many parts – not 'delicate'.
3. Anagram = a word formed by rearranging letters.

Yaad rakhein: Subtle (silent 'b') = fine, delicate, hard to notice.

Answer: (B) Subtle

Concept: The correct spelling is Discipline (dis + sc + ipline).

1. 'Disipline' misses the 'c' after 's' → incorrect.
2. Assembly, Group and Leader are correct.

Yaad rakhein: Disci-pline has 'sc' like 'science'.

Answer: (B) Disipline

Concept: Revoke means to officially cancel or withdraw a law, order or licence. Repeal (to cancel a law officially) is its synonym.

1. Example: The government revoked/repealed the old law.
2. Sustain = keep up (opposite sense); Repeat = do again; Regret = feel sorry.

Yaad rakhein: Revoke = Repeal = Rescind = Cancel.

Answer: (D) Repeal

Concept: To smell a rat means to suspect that something is wrong or dishonest.

1. The detective 'suspected' Shyam because of odd behaviour → he smelt a rat.
2. Hang fire = delay; Bite the dust = fail or die; A dog in the manger = a person who stops others from enjoying what he himself cannot use.

Yaad rakhein: Suspicion = smell a rat.

Answer: (D) To smell a rat

Concept: A general truth or habitual action is expressed in the simple present tense. 'When they win' (simple present) also needs a simple-present main clause.

1. Fans feel proud whenever their team wins – a habitual fact.
2. So: Football fans feel proud of their teams when they win.
3. (A) 'felt' is past and 'proud to' is wrong (we say proud of); (C) 'are feel to' is ungrammatical; (D) 'feeling' has no helping verb.

Trick: Habit or general truth → simple present (V1); 'proud' takes 'of'.

Answer: (B) feel proud of their teams

Concept: The italicised word is meagre, meaning 'lacking in quantity; very small; insufficient'. Its synonym is scanty.

1. Sneha had only a small supply of canned goods → meagre = scanty.
2. Surplus, plenteous and bountiful all mean 'plentiful' – antonyms.

Yaad rakhein: Meagre = scanty = sparse; the other three mean 'plenty'.

Answer: (D) scanty

Concept: The correct spelling is Fluorescence (fluor + esc + ence), the glow given off by certain substances.

1. 'Fluorecence' misses the 's' before 'c' → incorrect.
2. Forebear (ancestor), Forgo (give up) and Flounder (struggle) are correct.

Yaad rakhein: Fluor-esc-ence, like 'adolescence'.

Answer: (A) Fluorecence

Concept: Cosmopolitan (Greek kosmos = world + polites = citizen) is a person who regards the whole world as his country – a citizen of the world.

1. Convalescent = a person recovering from illness.
2. Countryman = a person from the same country or a rural person.
3. Metropolitan = belonging to a big city.

Trick: Cosmos (world) + politan (citizen) = world citizen.

Answer: (D) Cosmopolitan

Concept: Underestimated means 'judged something to be smaller or less serious than it is'. The opposite is exaggerated – made something seem larger than it really is (overestimated).

1. Owner thought the damage was less than it really was → underestimated.
2. Opposite: showing it as more → exaggerated.
3. Calculated, charged and misled are not opposites.

Trick: Under (less) ↔ Over/Exaggerate (more).

Answer: (D) Exaggerated

Concept: Preposterous means 'utterly absurd, ridiculous or shocking'. Its synonym is outrageous.

1. Example: It is a preposterous (outrageous) claim.
2. Flashy = showy; Dreamy = vague or pleasant; Imaginative = creative – none means absurd.

Trick: Pre (before) + post (after) – putting the end first: totally absurd.

Answer: (B) Outrageous

Concept: A verb is modified by an adverb, not an adjective. 'Hovered' is a verb, so it needs 'exactly'.

1. 'Exact' is an adjective; it cannot describe the verb 'hovered'.
2. Correct: The helicopter of the enemies hovered exactly over their bunker.
3. Other parts are correct.

Trick: Verb + adverb (-ly): hovered exactly, ran quickly.

Answer: (B) hovered exact

Concept: So far so good means that things have gone well up to now (though the task is not finished).

1. Example: How is the new job? – So far so good.
2. (A) and (C) give a negative meaning; (D) is a literal, meaningless reading.

Trick: Till now (so far), everything is fine (good).

Answer: (B) Things are going well so far

Concept: Promote means to support, encourage or help something grow. Boost (to increase or encourage) is its synonym.

1. Example: Advertisements promote/boost sales.
2. Discourage, delay and block all hinder progress – antonyms.

Yaad rakhein: Promote = boost = encourage = foster.

Answer: (C) Boost

Concept: Tempting means attractive, inviting – making one want to have it. Its opposite is repelling (driving away, causing dislike).

1. Seductive, enticing and tantalising are all synonyms of tempting.
2. Only 'repelling' has the opposite sense.

Trick: Three options mean the same → the odd one (repelling) is the antonym.

Answer: (A) Repelling

Concept: Hang in there is an informal encouragement meaning 'don't give up; persist in a difficult situation'.

1. Example: Hang in there – the exams will be over soon.
2. (B) 'give up' is the exact opposite.
3. (A) 'remain unresolved' = hang fire; (C) = hang out.

Trick: Hang in = hold on, keep going.

Answer: (D) To persist in a difficult situation

Concept: Left, right and centre means everywhere; happening in a lot of places or to a lot of people.

1. Example: He is borrowing money left, right and centre.
2. It covers all directions, so it shows something widespread.
3. (A), (C) and (D) do not express 'everywhere'.

Trick: Left + right + centre = every side = everywhere.

Answer: (B) Happening in a lot of places or to a lot of people

Concept: Spill the beans means to reveal a secret, often by mistake.

1. Example: Don't spill the beans about the surprise party.
2. Plan, crime and mystery are narrower; the idiom refers to any secret information.

Trick: Beans spilled = secret out.

Answer: (C) Reveal a secret

Concept: Endeavour means to try hard to do or achieve something (as a verb), or a serious attempt (as a noun).

1. Example: We endeavour to give the best service.
2. Endanger = put in danger; Hardworking = an adjective describing a person, not the act of trying; Indent = an official order or a space at the start of a line.

Yaad rakhein: Endeavour = strive = try hard.

Answer: (C) Endeavour

Concept: Wait for = to stay until someone comes. Wait upon / wait on = to serve someone (as a waiter or servant).

1. The meaning is that he is staying in the compound until you come → waiting for you.
2. 'Waiting on/upon' means serving you – wrong sense.
3. 'Waiting at you' and 'waiting up you' are incorrect usages.

Trick: Wait for a person; wait on (serve) a guest.

Answer: (C) waiting for