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Past Questions
Choose the correct option that conveys the meaning of the idiom: A green horn
A)
Professional
B)
Inexperienced
C)
Experienced
D)
Veteran
A "green horn" means a person who is new to a field or lacks experience, so the correct option is **b. Inexperienced**. The other options are incorrect because **professional**, **experienced**, and **veteran** all imply skill or long experience, which is the opposite of the idiom’s meaning.
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: She is a sensible person.
A)
Noun
B)
Verb
C)
Adverb
D)
Adjective
The word "sensible" describes the noun "person," so it functions as an adjective. Adjectives modify nouns by giving information about their quality or state. The other options are incorrect because "sensible" is not naming a person or thing (noun), not showing an action or state of being (verb), and not modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb (adverb).
Combine the sentences 'He does not smoke.' and 'He does not drink.' into a Compound sentence:
A)
He neither smoke nor drink.
B)
He neither smokes nor drinks.
C)
He neither smoke nor drinks.
D)
He neither smoke or drink.
Option **b** is correct: **"He neither smokes nor drinks."** This is the proper compound structure using **neither...nor** to combine two negative actions, and the verb agrees with the singular subject **he**: **smokes**, **drinks**.
Why the others are wrong:
- **a. He neither smoke nor drink.** Incorrect because the verbs do not agree with **he**; it should be **smokes** and **drinks**.
- **c. He neither smoke nor drinks.** Incorrect because the first verb is wrong; it should be **smokes**.
- **d. He neither smoke or drink.** Incorrect because **neither** must be paired with **nor**, not **or**, and the verbs are also not in the correct form.
Choose the correct option that conveys the meaning of the idiom: A dime a dozen
A)
Extraordinary
B)
Occasional
C)
Common
D)
Intermittent
"A dime a dozen" means something is very common, ordinary, or easily found. So option c (Common) is correct. Option a (Extraordinary) is the opposite in meaning, while options b (Occasional) and d (Intermittent) suggest something that happens infrequently or at intervals, which does not match the idiom.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: Six months __________ a long time.
A)
are
B)
were
C)
be
D)
is
"Six months" is treated as a singular period of time, so it takes the singular verb "is": "Six months is a long time." Option d is correct. Option a (are) is plural and does not agree with the singular time expression. Option b (were) is past tense and does not fit the sentence. Option c (be) is the base form and is grammatically incorrect here.
Identify the underlined clause: Now that we have met, we must never part.
A)
Noun Clause
B)
Adjective Clause
C)
Adverb Clause
D)
Main Clause
The underlined part is "Now that we have met". It modifies the verb phrase "we must never part" by telling the reason/time condition under which the action happens, so it is an adverb clause. It answers the question "why/under what circumstance must we never part?".
Why the others are wrong:
- Noun clause: it does not function as a subject, object, or complement.
- Adjective clause: it does not describe a noun or pronoun.
- Main clause: the main clause is "we must never part," not the underlined part.
Combine the sentences 'Come in.' and 'Go out.' into a Compound sentence:
A)
Come in to go out.
B)
Come in and go out.
C)
Come in or go out.
D)
Come in but go out.
Option **b. Come in and go out.** is the correct compound sentence because it joins two independent commands with the coordinating conjunction **and**. A compound sentence combines two related clauses of equal rank.
Why the others are incorrect:
- **a. Come in to go out.** is not a proper compound sentence; it changes the meaning and uses an infinitive phrase instead of joining two clauses.
- **c. Come in or go out.** uses **or**, which gives an alternative choice, but it does not best combine the two commands into one compound sentence in the intended sense.
- **d. Come in but go out.** is grammatically awkward and the conjunction **but** shows contrast, which is not the intended relation here.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: It’s raining. __________
A)
Is it?
B)
Was it?
C)
It is?
D)
Isn’t it?
The correct option is **d: “Isn’t it?”** because the sentence “It’s raining.” is a statement, and the natural way to complete it is with a **question tag**. Since the main clause is affirmative (“It is raining”), the tag should be negative: **“isn’t it?”**
Why the others are wrong:
- **a. “Is it?”** — This is a direct question, not a question tag, and it does not fit after the statement.
- **b. “Was it?”** — Wrong tense; the sentence is in the present continuous idea (“It’s raining”), so past tense is incorrect.
- **c. “It is?”** — Grammatically incomplete and not the correct tag form.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: She has __________ the brunt of his anger.
A)
bear
B)
bore
C)
born
D)
borne
The correct sentence is: "She has borne the brunt of his anger." Here, "has" requires the past participle form of the verb "bear," and "borne" is the correct past participle meaning "endured" or "carried."
Why the others are wrong:
- "bore" is the simple past tense, not the past participle needed after "has."
- "born" is used only in the sense of being brought into life (e.g., "was born"), so it does not fit here.
- "bear" is the base form of the verb, which is incorrect after "has."
Choose the correct option to improve the sentence: She gave me an advice.
A)
She give me an advice.
B)
She gave me some advice.
C)
She gives me an advice.
D)
She give me advice.
Option **b** is correct: **"She gave me some advice."** The noun **advice** is uncountable, so we do not use **"an advice"**. Also, **gave** is the correct past tense to match the original sentence.
Why the others are wrong:
- **a. She give me an advice.** — Incorrect because **give** should be **gave** in the past tense, and **an advice** is ungrammatical.
- **c. She gives me an advice.** — Incorrect because **gives** is present tense, not past, and **an advice** is wrong.
- **d. She give me advice.** — Incorrect because **give** should be **gave** in the past tense, though **advice** alone is correct.
Choose the correct option that conveys the meaning of the idiom: The fourth estate
A)
The legislature
B)
The judiciary
C)
The executive
D)
The press
"The fourth estate" refers to the press or media, which acts as a watchdog over the government and informs the public. So option d is correct. The other options are incorrect because the executive, legislature, and judiciary are the three traditional branches of government, not the fourth estate.
Choose the correct option to improve the sentence: The quality of the fruits are not good.
A)
The quality of the fruits were not good.
B)
The fruits were not good quality.
C)
The quality of the fruits is not good.
D)
The fruits are not good quality.
The correct sentence is: "The quality of the fruits is not good." The subject is "quality," which is singular, so the verb must be "is," not "are." Also, "quality" is the noun being described, so the sentence is grammatically complete and natural.
Why the others are incorrect:
- a: "The quality of the fruits were not good." — Incorrect because "quality" is singular, so "were" should be "was/is" depending on tense; here present tense is needed.
- b: "The fruits were not good quality." — Awkward and ungrammatical in standard usage; it should be "The fruits were not of good quality."
- d: "The fruits are not good quality." — Also awkward; the correct form is "The fruits are not of good quality."
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: He is neither mad nor upset.
A)
Adverb
B)
Conjunction
C)
Preposition
D)
Adjective
The underlined word is **"neither"**, which functions as a **conjunction** in the sentence "He is neither mad nor upset." It links the two adjectives **mad** and **upset** in a correlative pair: **neither...nor**.
Why the others are wrong:
- **Adjective**: "neither" does not describe a noun here.
- **Preposition**: it does not show relation between a noun/pronoun and another word.
- **Adverb**: it does not modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb in this sentence.
So, the correct answer is **b) Conjunction**.
Rewrite the sentence 'This is no small matter.' as an Affirmative sentence:
A)
This is a big matter.
B)
This is a small matter.
C)
This is not a trivial matter.
D)
This is not a big matter.
The sentence "This is no small matter" is a negative expression meaning "This is an important/serious matter." To rewrite it as an affirmative sentence, we replace the negative phrase "no small" with its positive equivalent. Option (c) "This is not a trivial matter" correctly conveys the same meaning in affirmative form.
Why the others are incorrect:
- (a) "This is a big matter" is awkward and not the standard equivalent; it is less precise than "not a trivial matter."
- (b) "This is a small matter" changes the meaning completely and contradicts the original sentence.
- (d) "This is not a big matter" also changes the meaning; it suggests the matter is unimportant, which is not what the original sentence says.
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: Love begets love.
A)
Noun
B)
Adverb
C)
Adjective
D)
Preposition
The underlined word is "Love" in the sentence "Love begets love." Here, "love" names a thing/feeling, so it functions as a noun. Therefore, option (a) Noun is correct. The other options are incorrect because a preposition shows relation (e.g., in, on, under), an adjective describes a noun, and an adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb; "love" is doing none of these here.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: He has a car larger than __________.
A)
I
B)
me
C)
my
D)
mine
The correct sentence is: "He has a car larger than mine." Here, "mine" is the possessive pronoun that correctly stands for "my car" after the comparison.
Why others are wrong:
- "my" is a possessive adjective and must be followed by a noun (e.g., "my car"), so it cannot stand alone here.
- "me" is an object pronoun and does not fit this comparative structure.
- "I" is a subject pronoun and is grammatically incorrect after "than" in this context.
Rewrite the sentence 'Will you stop talking?' as an Imperative sentence:
A)
Please stop talking.
B)
Stop talking.
C)
Do not keep talking.
D)
You can stop talking.
The sentence "Will you stop talking?" can be rewritten as an imperative by directly giving a command or request. The correct imperative form is "Stop talking." so option **b** is correct.
Why the others are incorrect:
- **a. Please stop talking.** — This is also a request, but the question asks for the imperative form of the given sentence; the most direct imperative is "Stop talking."
- **c. Do not keep talking.** — This changes the meaning slightly and is not the direct imperative rewrite of the original sentence.
- **d. You can stop talking.** — This is a statement of permission/ability, not an imperative.
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: The novel is interestingly written.
A)
Noun
B)
Verb
C)
Adverb
D)
Adjective
The underlined word "interestingly" is an adverb because it modifies the verb phrase "is written" and tells us how the novel is written. Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas; "interestingly" does not name anything, so it is not a noun. Verbs show action or state of being; "interestingly" is not an action or state, so it is not a verb. Adjectives describe nouns; here the word is not describing "novel" directly, but describing the manner of writing, so it is not an adjective.
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: He speaks like his father.
A)
Adverb
B)
Adjective
C)
Preposition
D)
Conjunction
The underlined word "like" is a preposition here because it shows the relationship between "speaks" and "his father" and means "similar to." In the sentence, it introduces a comparison: "He speaks like his father."
Why the others are incorrect:
- Adverb: "like" is not modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb here; it is connecting two noun phrases in a comparison.
- Adjective: it does not describe a noun.
- Conjunction: it is not joining two clauses; it is used as a preposition in this sentence.
Rewrite the sentence 'Speak loudly.' as an Interrogative sentence:
A)
Speak loudly. Will you?
B)
You will speak loudly?
C)
Will you speak loudly?
D)
Can you speak loudly?
The correct interrogative form of the imperative sentence "Speak loudly." is "Will you speak loudly?" This changes the command/request into a polite question while keeping the same meaning.
Why others are incorrect:
- a: "Speak loudly. Will you?" is incomplete and unnatural; it does not properly form the full interrogative sentence.
- b: "You will speak loudly?" is grammatically awkward and not the correct question form for this imperative.
- d: "Can you speak loudly?" changes the meaning from a request/command to asking about ability, so it is not the correct transformation.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: This is a matter __________ great importance.
A)
for
B)
by
C)
of
D)
to
The correct phrase is "a matter of great importance." The preposition "of" is used to show relation or possession here, forming the standard idiomatic expression.
Why the others are incorrect:
- "by" is not used in this fixed expression.
- "for" does not fit the idiomatic structure.
- "to" is also incorrect in this context; we say "matter of importance," not "matter to importance."
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: All failed except __________.
A)
him
B)
he
C)
hers
D)
they
The correct sentence is: "All failed except him." After the preposition "except," the object pronoun is required, so "him" is correct.
Why the others are wrong:
- "he" is a subject pronoun, not used after "except" here.
- "hers" is a possessive pronoun and does not fit the meaning or grammar.
- "they" is also a subject pronoun; the object form would be "them," but that is not among the options.
Choose the correct option that conveys the meaning of the idiom: Lion’s share
A)
Minor share
B)
Least share
C)
Minimum share
D)
Major share
"Lion’s share" means the largest or biggest portion of something. Therefore, "Major share" is correct. The other options—"Minimum share," "Least share," and "Minor share"—all indicate a small or smaller portion, which is the opposite of the idiom’s meaning.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: The weather __________ my mood.
A)
affect
B)
effect
C)
affects
D)
effects
The correct sentence is: "The weather affects my mood." Here, "affects" is the third-person singular present tense of the verb "affect," meaning "influences." The subject "weather" is singular, so the verb must agree with it.
Why the others are wrong:
- "effect" is usually a noun, not a verb in this sentence.
- "affect" is the base form of the verb, but after the singular subject "weather," we need "affects."
- "effects" is a noun in most uses, or a verb meaning "brings about," but it is not the correct form here.
Choose the correct option that conveys the meaning of the idiom: At odds
A)
Unanimous
B)
Concordant
C)
In dispute
D)
Compatible
"At odds" means being in disagreement, conflict, or dispute with someone or something. Therefore, option c, "In dispute," is correct. The other options are incorrect because "Compatible" means able to exist together harmoniously, "Concordant" means in agreement or harmony, and "Unanimous" means fully in agreement by all members, all of which are opposite in meaning to "at odds."