Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: The verb 'divert' is followed by 'from' (move away from a course).

1. Pattern: divert + someone + from + something.
2. Correct: Don't try to divert me from my principles.
3. 'on', 'for', 'about' do not pair with divert in this sense.

Trick: Divert, deviate, distract, deter – all take 'from'.

Answer: (A) from

Concept: A definite past time word (yesterday, last week, ago) needs the simple past.

1. 'is attending' (present continuous) clashes with 'yesterday'.
2. 'has attended' – present perfect cannot take a fixed past time.
3. 'was attending' needs another past action to interrupt it.
4. Correct: She attended the conference yesterday.

Trick: See 'yesterday/ago/last' → straight away choose V2 (simple past).

Answer: (C) attended

Concept: An adverb must logically fit the action it describes.

1. 'Gently' = softly/mildly – used for touching, speaking, handling.
2. Volunteering for a task shows willingness, so 'readily' or 'eagerly' fits.
3. Other parts have no adverb – the error is in 'gently volunteered'.

Trick: Only one option contains an -ly word; when the question says 'adverb error', check that part first.

Answer: (D) gently volunteered

Concept: Pick the sense of a multi-meaning word that suits the sentence.

1. 'with precision and grace' describes how the conductor moved.
2. Here grace = elegance and smoothness of movement.
3. 'Prayer before a meal' is another sense of grace but does not fit conducting.

Trick: Words joined by 'and' usually share a category – precision (manner) + grace (manner).

Answer: (A) Elegance and smoothness of movement

Concept: Collocations are natural word pairs; 'conclusion' commonly pairs with 'clear'.

1. After discussion, the group arrived at a definite result → a clear conclusion.
2. 'big/heavy conclusion' are not natural English.
3. 'quick' conflicts with 'after discussing the matter'.

Yaad rakhein: Common pairs: reach a clear/firm conclusion, draw a conclusion, jump to conclusions.

Answer: (D) clear

Concept: Rigidity = stiffness, refusal to change.

1. Strictly following a schedule shows rigidity.
2. Opposite: willingness to adapt = flexibility.
3. Uniformity and consistency are close in meaning, not opposite; complexity is unrelated.

Trick: Rigid ↔ flexible (think of a steel rod vs a rubber band).

Answer: (C) Flexibility

Concept: Justify = give a reason to show something was acceptable.

1. Ashok gives the traffic jam as the reason for being late.
2. That is, he explains his late arrival.
3. 'Mention' gives no reason; 'intensify' and 'hesitate' are unrelated.

Trick: Replace the word in the sentence: 'tried to explain his late arrival' – reads perfectly.

Answer: (D) Explain

Concept: Idioms carry a figurative meaning, not the literal one.

1. 'Hit the nail on the head' = do or say something exactly right.
2. The speaker praises the wallpaper choice as perfect.
3. (A), (B) are literal readings; (C) is about analysing, not being precisely right.

Trick: Hammer striking the nail squarely → a 'perfect hit'.

Answer: (D) Identify something exactly right

Concept: Quick-witted = mentally sharp, responding cleverly and fast.

1. Opposite of sharp intelligence = lack of sense → foolish.
2. Patient, brave, kind describe other qualities (temper, courage, warmth).

Trick: Antonym must be from the same 'family' – here intelligence; only 'foolish' is about the mind.

Answer: (B) Foolish

Concept: Camouflage = hide by blending into the surroundings.

1. Tanks are painted to stay hidden from the enemy.
2. Opposite: show openly = exhibit.
3. Obscure, veiled, disguised all mean hiding – synonyms, not antonyms.

Trick: When three options share one meaning, the odd one out is usually the antonym.

Answer: (A) Exhibit

Concept: Adverb = adjective + -ly; the root spelling stays unchanged.

1. suspicious + ly = suspiciously (s-u-s-p-i-c-i-o-u-s-l-y).
2. The option has 'e' instead of 'i' → wrong.
3. Wearily, stealthily, recklessly are correct.

Trick: Root word 'suspicion' has i after p – suspIcion, suspIcious, suspIciously.

Answer: (A) Suspeciously

Concept: The result clause tells the tone of the blank.

1. 'made her a beloved team member' → a positive, warm attitude is needed.
2. Cordial = warm and friendly.
3. Apathetic, indifferent (uncaring) and belligerent (hostile) are negative.

Trick: Positive result → positive word; three options are negative, so pick the only positive one.

Answer: (D) cordial

Concept: The phrase after the comma explains the blank.

1. 'always helping others in need' describes a giving nature.
2. Generous = willing to give freely.
3. Selfish, mean, greedy show the opposite behaviour.

Trick: Selfish, mean, greedy are near-synonyms of each other – the odd positive word is the answer.

Answer: (B) generous

Concept: Sycophant (a flatterer) is spelt with 'c', not 'k'.

1. Correct: sycophants (s-y-c-o-p-h-a-n-t-s).
2. The sentence has 'sykophants' → misspelt.
3. Ridiculous, portrayed, occasionally are correct.

Trick: Greek-origin 'syco-' words use c: sycophant, sycamore.

Answer: (C) Sykophants

Concept: A linking adverb shows result; the correct word is 'consequently'.

1. 'consequency' is not an English word.
2. The cause–effect link needs consequently (= as a result).
3. Corrected part: consequently, we had …

Trick: After a semicolon, look for a transition word: however, therefore, consequently, moreover.

Answer: (C) consequency, we had

Concept: The verb must take 'winners and losers' as its object meaningfully.

1. Programmes bring winners and losers into existence → create.
2. Calibrate (fine-adjust) and calculate (compute) do not fit this object.
3. 'Celibate' is an adjective, not a verb.

Trick: Read the blank with its object: 'create winners and losers' is a common phrase.

Answer: (D) create

Concept: Fixed phrase: 'in relation to' = with reference to.

1. Frame: in ___ to different sectors.
2. Winners and losers are always judged with reference to sectors → in relation to.
3. 'in anticipation of' takes 'of'; objection/narration make no phrase here.

Trick: in relation to, in addition to, in response to – learn 'in ___ to' phrases.

Answer: (D) relation

Concept: The blank is followed by 'to + verb', so choose a verb that takes an infinitive.

1. 'programmes ___ to strengthen exports' → programmes attempt to strengthen exports.
2. Separate, negate, integrate do not take 'to strengthen'.
3. Negating exports would also oppose the meaning.

Trick: Verbs like try, attempt, aim, seek, hope are followed by 'to + V1'.

Answer: (D) attempt

Concept: Context: the passage sets one sector against another, then shows differences within a sector.

1. Farmers/business owners vs civil servants = comparison of sectors.
2. The flaw is in only comparing sectors, which hides views inside each sector.
3. Compering = hosting a show; compiling = collecting; compelling = forcing – none fit.

Trick: Look-alike options: decide by meaning – compAring (compare) vs compEring (host).

Answer: (B) comparing

Concept: A noun meaning 'a defined part' of the data is required.

1. 'One ___ of the survey data' → one part/section = segment.
2. Fragment = broken piece (not a planned part).
3. Ligament (body tissue) and payment are irrelevant.

Trick: Segment = planned division (market segment); fragment = accidental broken bit.

Answer: (A) segment