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Past Questions
Pick out the correct part of speech of the italicized word: I really wanted to go, but it started raining.
A)
Interjection
B)
Conjunction
C)
Adjective
D)
Noun
The italicized word is likely 'but', which joins two clauses: 'I really wanted to go' and 'it started raining.' A word used to connect words, phrases, or clauses is a conjunction. It is not an interjection (expresses sudden feeling), adjective (describes a noun), or noun (names a person/place/thing).
Choose the correct preposition: I am not interested about anything that happened ___ the very remote past.
A)
with
B)
in
C)
on
D)
at
The correct phrase is "in the past." We use the preposition "in" with periods of time or eras: "in the past," "in the distant past," etc. So the sentence becomes: "I am not interested about anything that happened in the very remote past." The other options are not natural in this context.
Choose the correct vocabulary to complete the sentence: The manager was accused of being _________ favoring only a select group of employees.
A)
impartial
B)
biased
C)
neutral
D)
objective
The sentence says the manager was accused of favoring only a select group of employees, which means he showed unfair preference. "Biased" means showing prejudice or unfair favoritism, so it fits best. "Impartial," "neutral," and "objective" all mean fair and unbiased, so they are the opposite and do not fit the sentence.
Choose the correct conjunction: __________ you apologize, I will not forgive you.
A)
If
B)
Unless
C)
Because
D)
Although
The sentence expresses a condition: forgiveness will not happen except on the condition that you apologize. "Unless" means "if not," which fits the meaning: "Unless you apologize, I will not forgive you."
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) If: would require "If you apologize, I will forgive you," which is the opposite structure.
- (c) Because: shows reason, not condition.
- (d) Although: shows contrast, not condition.
Identify the correct sentence.
A)
Each of the students has completed his work.
B)
Each of the students has completed their work.
C)
Each of the students have completed their work.
D)
Each of the students has completed their works.
The subject is 'Each', which is singular, so the verb must be singular: 'has' (not 'have'). Also, in standard grammar, 'each' takes a singular pronoun, so 'his work' is correct in formal exam usage. Option (b) uses 'their' with a singular subject, option (c) uses 'have' with a singular subject, and option (d) is incorrect because 'works' is not needed here.
Choose the correct vocabulary to complete the sentence: The lawyer’s argument was so __________ that it weakened his entire case.
A)
flawed
B)
compelling
C)
persuasive
D)
logical
The sentence says the argument weakened his entire case, so the missing word should mean 'faulty' or 'defective.' 'Flawed' fits perfectly. 'Compelling,' 'persuasive,' and 'logical' are positive words and would suggest the argument was strong, not weak.
Choose the correct meaning of the idiom in bold: The need for diversity and inclusion has come to the fore in many workplaces.
A)
Become prominent
B)
Be invincible
C)
Inconspicuous
D)
Ahead of others
The idiom/phrase "come to the fore" means to become noticeable, important, or prominent. Here, it says diversity and inclusion have become a prominent issue in many workplaces. The other options do not fit: (b) means impossible to defeat, (c) means not easily seen, and (d) means in front or leading, but not the idiomatic meaning here.
Select the alternative that expresses the same meaning in Direct / Indirect Speech: He said, “ I am going to the market.”
A)
He said that he was going to the market.
B)
He said that he is going to the market.
C)
He said that I am going to the market.
D)
He said that I was going to the market.
In indirect speech, the present tense "am" changes to the past tense "was" when the reporting verb is in the past tense ("said"). The pronoun "I" also changes to "he" to match the speaker. So, "He said, 'I am going to the market.'" becomes "He said that he was going to the market." Option (b) keeps the present tense incorrectly, (c) wrongly keeps "I", and (d) changes the pronoun incorrectly.
Select the alternative that expresses the same meaning in Direct / Indirect Speech: She asked me why I was late.
A)
She asked me, “Why I am late?”
B)
She asked, “Why were you late?”
C)
She said to me, “Why was I late?”
D)
She said to me, “Why are you late?”
The given sentence in indirect speech is: "She asked me why I was late." To convert it into direct speech, we change the reporting verb back to a question form and adjust the pronouns and tense accordingly. Here, "I" becomes "you" because the speaker is addressing me, and "was" changes to the present tense "are" in direct speech. So the correct direct speech is: "She said to me, ‘Why are you late?’" Options (a), (b), and (c) have incorrect pronouns or tense changes.
Choose the correct vocabulary to complete the sentence: The scientist’s theory was initially met with __________ , but later gained acceptance.
A)
scepticism
B)
acclaim
C)
enthusiasm
D)
compliance
The sentence implies the theory was first doubted or questioned, and only later accepted. "Scepticism" means doubt or disbelief, which fits perfectly. "Acclaim" means praise, "enthusiasm" means eagerness or strong interest, and "compliance" means obedience or conformity, so they do not match the contrast in the sentence.
Select the alternative that expresses the same meaning in Direct / Indirect Speech: She said, “Will you have time to do it?” And I said, “Yes”.
A)
She asked if I will have time to do it and I replied that I will.
B)
She asked me if I will have time to do it and I said that I would.
C)
She asked me if I would have time to do it and I said that I would.
D)
She asked if I have the time to do it and I said that I will have the time.
In indirect speech, the reporting verb 'said' changes to 'asked' because the sentence is a question. The question 'Will you have time...?' changes from future tense to 'would have' in reported speech. Also, 'Yes' is reported as 'I would.' Option (c) correctly changes the tense and preserves the meaning. Options (a) and (b) incorrectly keep 'will' instead of changing it to 'would.' Option (d) uses incorrect tense and word form ('have the time') and does not properly report the original sentence.
Select the alternative that expresses the same meaning in Direct / Indirect Speech: She said to me, “I have often told you not to mess with me.”
A)
She reminded me that she had often told me not to mess with her.
B)
She told me that she has often told me not to mess with her.
C)
She said that she often reminded me not to mess with her.
D)
She told me not to mess with her.
In indirect speech, the reporting verb 'said to' can change to 'reminded' because the speaker is recalling a previous warning. The tense 'have often told' changes to 'had often told' due to backshift. The pronoun 'I' becomes 'she' and 'you' becomes 'me', while 'me' in the original becomes 'her' in reported speech. Option (b) is wrong because 'has told' is not the correct backshift. Option (c) changes the meaning and tense incorrectly. Option (d) is incomplete and does not convey the original statement properly.
Identify the correct form of sentence: Do you not remember her who was formerly your foe?
A)
Complex Sentence
B)
Compound Sentence
C)
Simple Sentence
D)
None of these
The given sentence is not correctly formed as a standard sentence structure. It contains an incorrect relative clause arrangement: 'her who was formerly your foe' should be 'the woman who was formerly your foe' or similar. Since the sentence is grammatically faulty, it cannot be classified as a correct complex, compound, or simple sentence in its present form. Therefore, the correct option is 'None of these'.
Choose the correct vocabulary to complete the sentence: His speech was so _________ that even critics praised his clarity and depth.
A)
verbose
B)
eloquent
C)
taciturn
D)
ambiguous
The sentence says his speech impressed critics with its "clarity and depth," so the best word is **eloquent**, meaning fluent, expressive, and persuasive in speaking.
- **verbose** means using too many words, which does not necessarily imply clarity.
- **taciturn** means silent or reserved, the opposite of speaking well.
- **ambiguous** means unclear or having more than one meaning, which conflicts with "clarity."
Therefore, **eloquent** fits best.
Choose the correct conjunction: You will not succeed ___________ you work hard.
A)
unless
B)
if
C)
because
D)
although
The sentence means success will not happen except on the condition of hard work. 'Unless' correctly expresses this negative condition: 'You will not succeed unless you work hard.'
Why others are wrong:
- 'if' would change the meaning to a simple condition, not the intended negative condition.
- 'because' gives a reason, which does not fit here.
- 'although' shows contrast, which is also incorrect.
Choose the correct conjunction: I don’t know ___________ he will come or not.
A)
whether
B)
although
C)
because
D)
unless
The correct sentence is: 'I don’t know whether he will come or not.'
'Whether' is used to introduce indirect questions or to express uncertainty between two alternatives. Here, the speaker is unsure about his coming.
Why others are incorrect:
- although: used to show contrast, not uncertainty.
- because: gives a reason.
- unless: means 'if not', which does not fit here.
Pick out the correct part of speech of the italicized word: I did not expect to pass, and see, I was among the top five.
A)
noun
B)
interjection
C)
adjective
D)
adverb
The italicized word is **"see"** in the sentence: *"I did not expect to pass, and see, I was among the top five."* Here, **see** is used to express surprise or to draw attention, not as a verb. Such a word is classified as an **interjection**.
- **Noun**: names a person, place, thing, or idea — not correct here.
- **Adjective**: describes a noun — not correct.
- **Adverb**: modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb — not correct.
- **Interjection**: expresses sudden emotion, surprise, or emphasis — correct.
Choose the correct preposition: As she was getting _____ the car one of her buttons fell off.
A)
on
B)
in
C)
into
D)
by
The correct phrase is "getting into the car." We use "into" for movement from outside to inside. "On" is used with buses, trains, bikes, etc., not cars. "In" is usually used for a state or location, but after "getting" we need the movement word "into." "By" is incorrect here.
Pick out the correct part of speech of the italicized word: He who is merciful shall meet mercy.
A)
pronoun
B)
verb
C)
adverb
D)
noun
The italicized word is "He". It stands in place of a person and functions as a subject pronoun. Therefore, its part of speech is pronoun. The other options are incorrect because it is not an action word (verb), a word modifying a verb/adjective/adverb (adverb), or a naming word (noun).
Choose the correct vocabulary to complete the sentence: The child showed _______ curiosity, asking endless questions.
A)
limited
B)
indifferent
C)
reluctant
D)
insatiable
“Insatiable curiosity” means a very strong curiosity that cannot be satisfied, which fits the phrase “asking endless questions.” The other options do not match the meaning: “limited” means small in amount, “indifferent” means unconcerned, and “reluctant” means unwilling.
Choose the correct complex sentence.
A)
He is too tired that he cannot walk.
B)
He is very tired that he cannot walk.
C)
He is such tired that he cannot walk.
D)
He is so tired that he cannot walk.
A complex sentence has one independent clause and one dependent clause. Here, "He is so tired" is the main clause and "that he cannot walk" is the subordinate clause, making the sentence complex. The structure "so + adjective + that" is also grammatically correct.
Options (a) and (b) are incorrect because the correct form is "too...to" or "so...that," not "too/very...that." Option (c) is incorrect because "such" is not used directly with the adjective "tired" in this way; it should be "so tired" or "such tiredness."
Identify the underlined phrase: “You could have been told the truth earlier.”
A)
Adverb phrase
B)
Noun phrase
C)
Verb phrase
D)
Adjective phrase
The underlined part "could have been told" is part of the predicate and contains the main verb form with auxiliaries. It functions as a verb phrase. It is not a noun phrase (does not name a person/place/thing), not an adjective phrase (does not modify a noun), and not an adverb phrase (does not modify a verb/adjective/adverb in the usual way).
Pick the correctly structured sentence.
A)
Scarcely had I reached the station when the train had left.
B)
Scarcely I had reached the station when the train left.
C)
Scarcely had I reached the station when the train left.
D)
Scarcely had I reached the station than the train left.
The correct correlative pattern is "Scarcely had... when...". After negative adverbs like "scarcely", inversion is used: "Scarcely had I reached... when...". Option (c) follows this structure correctly.
(a) is wrong because "had left" is incorrect here; after "when" we use the simple past "left".
(b) is wrong because it lacks proper inversion: it should be "Scarcely had I...".
(d) is wrong because "than" is not used with "scarcely"; "than" is used with "no sooner... than...".
Complete the blank using the most appropriate determiner: He is afraid _____ the dark.
A)
of
B)
at
C)
with
D)
to
The correct phrase is **'afraid of'**. So we say: **He is afraid of the dark.**
- **of** is the standard preposition used after *afraid*.
- **at**, **with**, and **to** are not used in this expression.
So, the correct answer is **(a) of**.
Choose the correct vocabulary to complete the sentence: His remarks were ________ and offended many people.
A)
considerate
B)
insensitive
C)
polite
D)
thoughtful
The sentence says his remarks offended many people, so the word should mean rude, tactless, or lacking sensitivity. "Insensitive" fits this meaning exactly. "Considerate," "polite," and "thoughtful" all have positive meanings and would not explain why the remarks offended people.