Sentence Completion

 

The ‘fill in the blanks’ or ‘sentence completion’ questions are meant to test your ability in several ways. First, the question tests your ability to grasp the context of a sentence even with some of the words missing. Second, the question tests your vocabulary as demonstrated by your ability to select the correct words to complete the given sentence; so that it becomes a sound, logical, meaningful, verbal statement of the sort that a person with communication skill would be expected to make. Third, the question seeks to check your ability to recognize the finer relationships between various parts of a sentence. There may be various formats of these questions as illustrated below.

 

 

 

set-I

In the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word.

Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four choices to complete the sentence:

1. Gandhiji was a humble man known for his ________.

(a) sweetness (b) pleasantness (c) modesty (d) kindness

2. The accused ________ having made any statement.

(a) rejected (b) denied (c) refused (d) declined

3. If I ________ you, I would have told him the truth.

(a) am (b) were (c) was (d) and

4. The father divided his property among his sons lest they ________ quarrel afterwards.

(a) should (b) may (c) would (d) might

5. Indians need sincere leaders, not people of ________ integrity.

(a) doubting (b) doubtful (c) doubtless (d) double

 

 

 

 

Answers
1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (b) 

Workout

1. In India, particularly considering the prevalent differences between _____________and tariffs, alternate schemes for rural electrification are unlikely to succeed unless the resultant tariffs are perceived to be_________.

(a) people…….better (b) industry……….cheaper
(c) subsidiaries………manageable (d) costs……..reasonable

2. ______________in India has been the ________ of Small and Marginal Farmers.

(a) Systems…….outcome (b) Water………tenure
(c) Agriculture…….preserve (d) Fertilizers……possessed
(e) Farmers……….future

3. _____________keep the environment clean, by ________ on animal carcasses.

(a) Birds………eating (b) Animals…….feeding
(c) Fish……….gulping (d) Vultures…….scavenging
(e) Machines……..encroach

4. The researcher had been ________ for some information when suddenly he ________ that he had noted down some of the facts in his diary.

(a) aspiring…..responded (b) hunting ….realized
(c) looking……enquired (d) levelled……suggested
(e) generating…….remembered

5. Power to________ the constitution ________ in Parliament.

(a) change…….rests (b) amend……..vests
(c) read…….directs (d) revise……rests
(e) recommend…….vest

1. (d)

 2. (c)

 3. (d) 

4. (b)

 5. (b)

Read More →

Rearrangement of Jumbled Words in a Sentence : Sample questions - 1

1. There was
(P) needed for its everyday life 

(Q) a time when each family
(R) for itself most of the things it  

(S) actually produced

(a) QRSP (b) RQPS (c) RSPQ (d) QSRP

 

2. We have to
(P) as we see it 

(Q) speak the truth

(R) there is falsehood and darkness 

(S) even if all around us

(a) RQSP (b) QRPS (c) RSQP (d) QPSR

 

3. The majestic mahogany table
(P) belongs to an old prince 

(Q) which had one leg missing
(R) who is now impoverished 

(S) but not without some pride

(a) PQSR (b) QRSP (c) PRSQ (d) QPRS

 

4. By this time
(P) at the railway station 

(Q) reported mass looting
(R) reports of violence were flooding in 

(S) while police dispatches

(a) RSPQ (b) SPRQ (c) SQRP (d) RSQP

 

5. It would
(P) appear from the statement 

(Q) about the policy of the management
(R) in dealing with the strike 

(S) that he was quite in the dark

(a) RPSQ (b) PSQR (c) RQPS (d) PRSQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers
1. (d) 

2. (d) 

3. (d) 

4. (d) 

5. (b)

Read More →

Rearrangement of Jumbled Words in a Sentence

In addition to what you have learnt so far, ‘Rearrangement of jumbled words in a sentence’ is one more variety of questions asked in several competitive examinations. The format of such questions may vary from exam to exam. The knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, spelling would help students to answer such questions. The following questions are given to explain the type and format of such questions.

 

 

Format of the Questions:

 

Set-1

A sentence split into six parts will be given in these questions. The first and the last part of the sentence are numbered 1 and 6. The rest are marked (named) alphabetically, P, Q, R and S and not given in their proper order. You have to rearrange these parts in order to make a meaningful sentence along
with the first (1) and the last part (6).

 

In the following questions, the first and the last parts of the sentence are numbered 1 and 6. The remaining parts, labelled P, Q, R and S, are not in their proper order. Select from the answer choices provided, under each question, the combinations to make a meaningful and correct sentence:

1. 1. Freedom, which

(P) in the sense

(Q) that a wide gulf separates
(R) a modern woman enjoys 

(S) is the restricted kind
6. the rich and the poor women.

(a) PQRS (b) RSPQ (c) QPRS (d) SRQP

 

2. 1. The advantage of travelling

(P) customs and manners is that
(Q) we learn to appreciate the good points of others
(R) to different places and having
(S) the opportunity of observing people’s
6. and our prejudices against them disappear.

(a) QRSP (b) PQRS (c) RSPQ (d) SPQR

 

3. 1. There is a continuous demand
(P) are formed to train humanity
(Q) for destructive purposes and world organizations

(R) in the art of settling their disputes
(S) to ban the application of science
6. by peaceful negotiations.

(a) SQPR (b) QSRP (c) PRSQ (d) RPQS

 

4. 1. The unfortunate person
(P) of social contempt 

(Q) he is also the victim
(R) who is unemployed, is

(S) not only the object of self-pity
6. and a danger to the society.

(a) PQSR (b) SRPQ (c) RSQP (d) SPRQ

 

5. 1. In every country, children
(P) regarding their proper development because 

(Q) great care is taken
(R) are given good education and 

(S) what they become depends

6. upon this impressionable period of their lives.

 

(a) QSRP (b) SPQR (c) PRSQ (d) RQPS 

Answers
1. (b) 

2. (c)

3. (a) 

4. (c) 

5. (d)

 

Read More →

Test of Spellings

 Spellings form the core of the English language and it is but natural to find questions to test your
knowledge of spellings of words.

 

Format of the Questions

Set-1

In the following questions four sets of words are given, marked a–d; one of which is wrongly spelt.
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:

1. (a) athlete (b) auxilliary (c) abscess (d) catalogue

2. (a) forfeit (b) fascinate (c) column (d) fullfilled

3. (a) occassion (b) commission (c) accommodate (d) occurred

4. (a) privilege (b) manoeuvre (c) managable (d) maintenance

5. (a) mathemetics (b) concealment (c) challenge (d) erroneously

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers

1. (b) The word ‘auxiliary’ has only one ‘l’.
2. (d) It should be spelt ‘fulfilled’
3. (a) It should be spelt with ‘s’; ‘occasion’
4. (c) The correct spelling is ‘manageable’
5. (a) The correct spelling is ‘mathematics’ 

Set-1I
In the following questions, a word has been spelt in four different ways, one of which is correct.
Choose the correctly spelt word:

1. (a) acquaintence (b) acquantance (c) acquaintance (d) acquentence

2. (a) accomodate (b) acommodate (c) accommodate (d) acomodate

3. (a) occurred (b) ocurred (c) occurrd (d) occurrd

4. (a) erroniously (b) erroneusly (c) erroneously (d) erroniosly

5. (a) demmurage (b) demurrage (c) demarrage (d) demurage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers

1. (c) acquaintance
2. (c) The word ‘accommodate’ contains double ‘c’ and double ‘m’.
3. (a) In ‘occurred’ there should be double ‘c’ and double ‘r’.
4. (c) erroneously
5. (b) demurrage

Read More →

List of Important Idioms and Phrases

 The Alpha and Omega        - Beginning and end

Barking up the wrong tree    - Accusing the wrong person

Bell the cat                            - Do the most dangerous job 

Make no bones                     - Make no objections

A bird’s eye view                   - A general view 

To enjoy the lion’s share       - To enjoy the major part

To see eye to eye                  - To agree

A snake in the grass              - Unrecognised danger

Cat and dog life                     - Life of constant discord

Crocodile tears                      - Hypocritical tears

Out of harness                       - Retired; at leisure

Led by the nose                    - Mislead, deceived

Part and parcel                      - Essential portion

Smell a rat                            - Detect something suspicious

Another pair of shoes           - Different matter

Throw cold water on            - Discourage

White elephant                   - Something useless and expensive

Show the white feather        - Behave like a coward

Read More →

Idiomatic Use of Verbs

 An idiom  is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning . This meaning is different from the literal meaning of the idiom's individual elements. In other words, idioms don't mean exactly what the words say. They have, however, a special meaning.

E.g.

It's a piece of cake              - It's easy

It's raining cats and dogs    - It's raining hard

Let the cat out of the bag    - Give away a secret

Hit the sack                         - Go to sleep

Break the ice                    - Make people feel more comfortable

Once in a blue moon            - Rarely

Fortune favours the bold      - Take risks

 

 

Format of the Questions

Set-1
In the following questions, four alternatives are given for the idiom/phrase italicized in the sentence. Choose the one that best expresses the meaning of the italicized idiom/phrase in the sentence:

1. The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

(a) a keen contest (b) a huge attraction
(c) a goal-less match (d) a game without any result

2. Pt Nehru was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. 

(a) born in a middle class family (b) born in a wealthy family
(c) born in a family of nationalists (d) born in a family of intellectuals

3. In the armed forces, it is considered a great privilege to die in harness.

(a) pain and suffering (b) die on the battle field
(c) die while still working (d) die with honour

4. The thief took to his heels when he saw a policeman.

(a) had some pain in his heels (b) ran away from the scene
(c) confronted the policeman (d) could not decide what to do

5. To catch a tartar

(a) to deal with a person who is more than one’s match (b) to catch a dangerous person (c) to trap a wanted criminal with great difficulty (d) to meet with disaster

6. A wet blanket

(a) a man who is always drunk (b) a wife who is cold to her husband (c) to wear black and white clothes (d) a person who ends enjoyable activity

7. To strain every nerve

(a) to spoil relationship (b) to get afraid (c) to try one’s utmost (d) to take ill 

8. To have an axe to grind 

(a) pinpoint faults of others (b) to take revenge
(c) to make unreasonable demands (d) to have a selfish interest to serve

9. To take heart

(a) to become hopeful (b) to love everyone
(c) to prepare for a battle (d) to withdraw from activity

10. To draw the line

(a) to decide one’s occupation (b) to set limits
(c) to prepare for a battle (d) to withdraw from activity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers

1. (b) 

2. (b) 

3. (c)

4. (b) 

5. (a) 

6. (d) 

7. (c) 

8. (d) 

9. (a) 

10. (b)

 

Read More →

Error Identification

 In several examination, this section usually has 10–12 sentences with grammatical/word-usage/spelling errors, which are expected to be detected and rectified. For attempting such questions familiarity with the basic grammar rules, including spellings and the correct usage of words, is essential. Some sentences may not have any error, in that case ‘No error’ is marked as answer. There are several kinds of errors found in written communication. These may occur due to grammatical mistakes or due to slips in idiomatic usage.

 

Question Format 

Questions for spotting errors may be in various formats, the most common one of which are illustrated below:

In the following sentences certain parts marked A, B, C and D are underlined. One of the underlined parts may contain an error or may not be acceptable in standard written communication. You have to identify the part containing an error. In some sentences there may not be any error, in such cases the answer will be ‘E’ (i.e. ‘No error’):

1. Harshad, along(A)  with his brother( B) Ashwani and six senior bank(C) officials, were(D) arrested. No error (E).

 

2. Planting trees(A) helps (B) prevents(C)  soil erosion(D). No error (E).

 

3. I shall(A) buy one of(B) the radios that is(C) on sale(D). No error(E)

 

4. She wore(A) a dress to the(B) party that was(C) far more attractive than the (D) other girls. No error (E)

 

5. Each of(A) the hotel’s 150 rooms were(B) equipped with(C) AC and colour(D) TV. No error (E)

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explanations:

1. In this sentence, the error is in part D, which should read was in place of were. This is because the grammatical subject is Harshad Mehta only, which is singular and as such takes the singular verb was.

2. If you carefully read this sentence, you will find that there are not many men making the survey. There is only one man, who is making the survey. Therefore, the antecedent of who must be one, which takes a singular verb who is.

3. In this sentence, that refers to radios (plural subject) and takes the plural verb are. The verb must agree in number with its subject.

4. In this sentence there is an error in part D. The dress that the girl wore was more attractive than the dresses of the other girls—not more attractive than the other girls. Therefore, the sentence should read ‘… than those of the other girls.’

5. In this sentence there is an error in part B because the subject and the verb do not agree in number. The sentence should read ‘Each of the hotel’s 150 rooms was equipped…’. The singular subject (each) requires a singular verb (was equipped; not were equipped).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers:

1. D 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. B
    

   
   
   

Read More →