Spotting Errors
Directions:
In this Section, a number of sentences are given. The sentences are underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b), (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. No sentence has more than one error. When you find an error in any one of the underlined parts (a), (b) or (c) indicate your response on the Answer Sheet at the appropriate space. You may feel that there is no error in a sentence. In that case letter ‘(d)’ will. signify a ‘No error’ response.
1. Unless you stop to make noise at once, | I will have no option but to | bring the matter to the attention of the police.| No Error
2. He couldn’t but help | shed tears at the plight of the villagers | rendered homeless by a devastating cyclone | No Error
3. Since it was his first election campaign, the candidate was confused | none could clearly understand | either the principles he stood for the benefits he promised | No Error
4. It is an established fact that the transcendental American poets and philosophers | who lived in the latter half of the nineteenth century, | were more influenced by Indian philosophy, in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy | No Error
5. No sooner did I open the door | when the rain, heavy and stormy, rushed in | making us shiver from head to foot | No Error
6. After opening the door | we entered into the room | next to the kitchen | No Error
7. When the dentist came in | my tooth was stopped aching | out of fear that I might lose my tooth | No Error
8. Emphasis on equality of life ensures | for the health and happiness | of every individual | No Error
9. The students were | awaiting for | the arrival of the chief guest | No Error
10. You will come | to my party tomorrow, | isn’t it ? | No Error
11. Having read a number of stories | about space travel | his dream now is about to visit the moon | No Error
12. The meeting adjourned abruptly | by the Chairman after | about three hours of deliberation | No Error
13. Not one of the hundreds | of striking workers | were allowed to go near the factory | No Error
14. If I had known | this earlier | I will have helped him | No Error
15. Mr. Smith was accused for murder | but the court found him not guilty | and acquitted him | No Error
Sentence Improvement
Direction
Look at the
16. Although India is still by far a poor country, it can become rich if its natural and human resources are fully utilised
a. few and far between
b. by and large
c. by and by
d. No Improvement
17. The more they earn, more they spend.
a. More they earn, more they spend
b. More they earn, the more they spend
c. The more they earn, the more they spend
d. No Improvement
18. But in all these cases conversion from one scale to another is easy because scales have well-formulated
a. can be well-formulated
b. are well-formulated
c. well-formulated
d. No Improvement
19. Five years ago on this date, I am sitting in a small Japanese car, driving across Poland towards Berlin.
(a) was sitting
(b) sat
(c) have been sitting
(d) No improvement
20. The old man felled some trees in the garden with hardly no effort at all.
(a) hard effort
(b) hardly any effort
(c) a hardly any effort
(d) No improvement
21. She says she’s already paid me back, but I can’t remember, so I’ll have to take her word.
(a) to take her word true
(b) to take her at her word
(c) to take her word for it
(d) No improvement
22. The workers are hell bent at getting what is due to them.
(a) hell bent on getting
(b) hell hent for getting
(c) hell bent to getting
(d) No improvement
23. You are warned against committing the same mistake again.
(a) to commit
(b) for committing
(c) against to commit
(d) No improvement
24. While we would like that all Indian children to go to school, we need to ponder why they do not.
(a) that all the Indian children
(b) if all the children of India
(c) all Indian children
(d) No improvement
25. Due to these reasons we are all in favour of universal compulsory education.
(a) Out of these reasons.
(b) For these reasons
(c) By these reasons
(d) No improvement
26. When it was feared that the serfs might go too far and gain their freedom from serfdom, the Protestant leaders joined the princes at crushing them.
(a) into crushing
(b) in crushing
(c) without crushing
(d) No improvement
27. In India, today many of our intellectuals still talk in terms of the French revolution and the Rights of Man, not appreciating that much has happened since then.
(a) much has been happening
(b) much had happened
(c) much might happen
(d) No improvement
28. Taxpayers are to be conscious of their privileges.
(a) have to
(b) need
(c) ought to
(d) No improvement
29. I would have waited for you at the station if I knew that you would come
(a) had known
(b) was knowing
(c) have known
(d) No improvement
30. No one could explain how a calm and balanced person like him could penetrate such a mindless act on his friends.
(a) perpetuate
(b) perpetrate
(c) precipitate
(d) No improvement
Ordering of Sentences
31. Sl: At the roadside the driver will be asked to blow through a small glass tube into a plastic bag.
S6: The driver will be asked to go to the police station.
P: And if the colour change does not reach the line the driver cannot be punished under the new law.
Q: Inside the tube are chemically treated crystals which change colour if the driver has alcohol on his breath.
R: But if the colour change does reach the line then the test has proved positive.
S: If the colour change goes beyond a certain line marked on the tube this indicates that the driver is probably over the specified limit.
The proper sequence should be
(a) PS QR
(b) SQRP
(c) R P SQ
(d) Q S PR
32. SI Hope springs eternally in the heart of man.
S6: This is the central idea of the poem.
P: But hope is everlasting.
Q: Love, friendship and youth perish.
R: It is nursed by the glorious elements of nature.
S: Man derives hope from nature in his gallant struggle after some noble ideal.
The proper sequence should be
(a) QPRS
(b) SRQP
(c) RSQP
(d) QPSR
33. S1: Mr Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were spending a weekend in a University town. S6: It was clear that something very unusual happened.
P: One evening they received a visit from an acquaintance, Mr Hilton Soames.
Q: On that occasion he was in a state of great agitation.
R: They were staying in furnished rooms, close to the library.
S: Mr Soames was a tall, thin man of a nervous and excitable nature.
The proper sequence should be
(a) PRSQ
(b) RPSQ
(c) PQRS
(d) RPQS
34. S1: The machines that drive modern civilisation derive their power from coal and oil.
S6: Nuclear energy may also effectively used in this respect. be
P: But they are not inexhaustible.
Q: These sources may not be exhausted very soon.
R: A time may come when some other sources have to be tapped and utilised.
S: Power may, of course, be obtained in future from forests, water, wind and withered vegetables.
The proper sequence should be
(a) PQRS
(b) QPRS
(c) SRQP
(d) SPQR
35. S1: The body can never stop.
S6: It comes from food.
P: To support this endless activity, the body needs all the fuel for action.
Q: Sometimes it is more active than at other times, but it is always moving.
R: Even in the deepest sleep we must breathe.
S: The fuel must come from some where.
The proper sequence should be
(a) PQRS
(b) PRQS
(c) QRPS
(d) SRQP
36. Sl: American idealism is essentially a belief in the idea of progress.
S6: This sense they have inherited from the English.
P: Therefore, he believes that, because of human effort, the future will be better than the past.
Q: But if Americans are usually optimistic, they are not wholly unrealistic.
R: The American tends to view history as a record of human achievement.
S: They have some common sense practicality.
The proper sequence should be
(a) PQRS
(b) PQSR
(c) RPQS
(d) PRQS
Selecting Words
Directions:
In the following passage at certain points you are given a choice of three words marked (a), (b) and (c) one of which fits the meaning of the passage. Choose the best word out of the three. Mark the letter, viz., (a), (b) or (c) relating to this word on your Answer Sheet. Examples K and I have been solved for you.
1. The ……..was in the school in Simla.
(a) boy
(b) horse
(c) dog
2. ………..was home sick.
(a) She
(b) It
(c) He
Explanation: Out of the list given in item K, only ‘boy’ is the correct answer because usually, a boy, and not a horse or a dog, attends school. So ^ prime (a)^ prime is to be marked on the Answer Sheet for item K. A boy is usually referred to as “he^ prime , so for item L ,^ prime (c) is the correct answer. Notice that to solve the first item K you have to read the rest of the sentence and then see what fits best.
Passage
After having slept for an hour, Bond decided to go out into the city and try to find his contact. After changing his suit, he carefully locked his room and stepped out of the hotel. No one was around. But he had walked only for a few minutes when it suddenly….37……to him that he was being…..38.… by someone. There was really no….39….for it except a very slight..40..of footsteps. He was now walking..41…the main street, which was crowded…42… people. He became extremely aware of the danger of people threatening him.
37. (a) felt
(b) occurred
(c) happened.
38. (a) followed
(b) shot
(c) looked
39. (a) reason
(b) cause
(c) evidence
40. (a) weight
(b) sound
(c) hurting
41. (a) from
(b)down
(c) over
42. (a) with
(b) by
(c) in
Synonyms Synonyms
Directions:
Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word followed by four words or group of words. Select the word or group of words that is most similar in meaning to the underlined word.
43. He was fired for negligence on duty..
(a) relieved of his job
(b) scolded
(c) rebuked
(d) attacked
44. Democracy is not the standardising of everyone so as to obliterate all peculiarity.
(a) demolish
(b) extinguish
(c) erase
(d) change
45. Divine grace is truly ineffable.
(a) that which cannot be rubbed out
(b) incapable of being understood
(c) that which is too great to be expressed in words
(d) too powerful to be defeated
46. The convocation address was very edifying.
(a) tedious
(b) in need of editing
(c) instructive
(d) exciting
Antonyms Antonyms
Directions:
Each item in this section consists of a sentence with an underlined word, followed by four words. Select the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word.
47. John is always shabbily dressed.
(a) decently
(b) beautifully
(c) extravagantly
(d) scantily
48. The new manager of the Bank is urbane in his manners.
(a) civilised.
(b) slow
(c) rude
(d) foolish
49. It is necessary to develop thrifty habits to be able to lead a comfortable life.
(a) expensive
(b) extravagant
(c) economical
(d) good
50. Many people suffer because of pride.
(a) lowliness
(b) submission
(c) humility:
(d) obedience
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