← Controller of Mines
Past Questions
Identify the type of sentence: “The notification regarding the new mining policy has been published.”
A)
Assertive
B)
Imperative
C)
Exclamatory
D)
Complex
The sentence states a fact or makes a statement: "The notification regarding the new mining policy has been published." Such sentences are called assertive (declarative) sentences. It is not imperative because it gives no command, not exclamatory because it shows no emotion or surprise, and not complex because it contains only one main clause.
The new regulation acts as a _______ for innovation, forcing companies to develop cleaner extraction techniques to avoid heavy taxation.
A)
stimulant
B)
catalyst
C)
provocation
D)
incentivization
A "catalyst" is something that speeds up or triggers a process or change. Here, the new regulation triggers innovation by pushing companies to develop cleaner extraction techniques.
- (a) stimulant: generally means something that stimulates, but it is less precise in this context.
- (b) catalyst: best fits because the regulation initiates and accelerates innovation.
- (c) provocation: means an act that angers or incites, which does not suit the positive, developmental context.
- (d) incentivization: means the act of providing incentives, but the sentence says the regulation acts as a force causing innovation, not necessarily an incentive itself.
So, the correct answer is "catalyst".
The father warned his son not to waste his time.
A)
The father said to his son, “You should not waste your time.”
B)
The father said to his son, “Don’t waste your time.”
C)
The father said, “Not to waste your time.”
D)
The father told his son, “Don’t waste my time.”
The given direct speech is a warning. In indirect speech, a warning is often reported using "warned ... not to". Converting it back to direct speech gives: "Don't waste your time." Option (b) correctly preserves the meaning and the pronoun "your". Option (a) changes the meaning to advice/should not. Option (c) is grammatically incomplete. Option (d) wrongly changes "your time" to "my time".
Change the sentence by converting the underlined word as indicated: I want you to be firm in holding on to your beliefs. (adverb)
A)
I want you to hold on to your beliefs firmly
B)
I want you to have firmness in holding on to your beliefs
C)
I want you to have a firm manner in holding on to your beliefs
D)
I want you to be firmly in holding on to your beliefs,
The sentence must be changed by converting the adjective/adjective phrase idea into an adverbial form. The correct adverb of "firm" is "firmly", which modifies the verb phrase "hold on". Option (a) is grammatically correct and natural: "hold on to your beliefs firmly." The other options are awkward or ungrammatical: (b) uses a noun phrase unnecessarily, (c) is unnatural, and (d) incorrectly places "firmly" after "be".
I congratulated him _____ his success in the examination.
A)
over
B)
in
C)
for
D)
on
The correct preposition used with "congratulated" is "on": we say "congratulate someone on something". So, "I congratulated him on his success in the examination" is correct.
Why others are incorrect:
- over: not used with congratulate in this context
- in: incorrect structure
- for: we usually say "thank someone for something," not "congratulate ... for"
Change the sentence by converting the underlined word as indicated: I take great pride in your achievements. (to adjective)
A)
I feel prideness in your achievements
B)
I am proud in your achievements
C)
I feel proudly about your achievements
D)
I am very proud of your achievements
The underlined word "pride" is a noun. To convert it into an adjective, the correct adjective is "proud." The grammatically correct sentence is: "I am very proud of your achievements."
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) "prideness" is not the correct standard adjective form here.
- (b) "proud in" is incorrect; we say "proud of," not "proud in."
- (c) "feel proudly" uses an adverb, not an adjective, and the preposition is also awkward.
So, option (d) is correct.
In the sentence “The geologist visited the site because he wanted to collect samples,” the underlined clause is:
A)
Noun Clause
B)
Adverb Clause
C)
Adjective Clause
D)
Co-ordinate Clause
The clause "because he wanted to collect samples" tells us the reason for the geologist visiting the site. A clause that expresses reason, time, place, condition, etc. and modifies the main verb is an adverb clause. It is not a noun clause because it does not act as a subject or object, not an adjective clause because it does not describe a noun, and not a co-ordinate clause because it is dependent on the main clause.
The company tried to _______ the villagers by promising jobs that were never actually created.
A)
tell
B)
force
C)
mislead
D)
show
The sentence says the company promised jobs that were never actually created, which means it tried to deceive the villagers. "Mislead" means to cause someone to have a wrong idea or impression, so it fits best. "Tell" is too general, "force" means to compel physically or by pressure, and "show" does not fit the meaning of deception.
The discovery of the new lithium reserve was a _______ event for the country’s energy sector.
A)
momentary
B)
momentous
C)
memorable
D)
mandatory
The sentence needs a word meaning 'very important' or 'significant.' A new lithium reserve would be a major development for the country’s energy sector, so 'momentous' fits best. 'Momentary' means brief, 'memorable' means worth remembering, and 'mandatory' means required by law or rule.
Many things have happened ______ we last met.
A)
since
B)
while
C)
as
D)
until
The sentence refers to a period of time starting from the last meeting up to now. "Since" is used with a point of time in the past: "Many things have happened since we last met."
Why others are wrong:
- "while" means during the time that something was happening, not from a past point until now.
- "as" means at the same time or because, which does not fit here.
- "until" means up to a point in time, but the sentence needs a starting point, so it is not correct.
Identify the underlined clause: “The workers who completed the training received a certificate.”
A)
Noun Clause
B)
Adverb Clause
C)
Adjective Clause
D)
Conditional Clause
The underlined clause is "who completed the training." It modifies the noun "workers" by giving more information about them, so it is an adjective clause (also called a relative clause). It answers the question: which workers? The other options are incorrect because a noun clause functions as a noun, an adverb clause modifies a verb/adjective/adverb, and a conditional clause expresses a condition.
The principal presided _____ the meeting.
A)
upon
B)
unto
C)
over
D)
at
The correct collocation is "presided over" a meeting, meaning to be in charge of or lead it. "Upon" and "unto" are not used with this verb in this context, and "at" is incorrect here.
Change the sentence by converting the underlined word as indicated: The late arrival of the Chief Guest completely disrupted the programme. (to Verb)
A)
The late arrive of the Chief Guest completely disrupted the programme.
B)
The Chief Guest arrived late and completely disrupted the programme.
C)
The late arrived of the Chief Guest completely disrupted the programme.
D)
The Chief Guest completely disrupted the programme by his late arrivance.
The underlined phrase "late arrival" is a noun phrase. To convert it into a verb form, we use the verb "arrived". The sentence is correctly rewritten as: "The Chief Guest arrived late and completely disrupted the programme." Options (a) and (c) use incorrect forms like "arrive" and "arrived" as nouns. Option (d) uses "arrivance," which is not a standard English word.
The food was divided equally ______ the five boys.
A)
between
B)
within
C)
amidst
D)
among
When something is distributed or shared by more than two people or things, we use "among". Here, the food was divided equally among the five boys. "Between" is generally used for two persons or things, "within" means inside, and "amidst" means surrounded by or in the middle of.
Change the sentence by converting the underlined word as indicated: The sweetness of her voice was captivating. (to adjective)
A)
Her sweet voice was captivating
B)
Her voice captivated one sweetly
C)
She speaks sweetly and it was captivating
D)
Her voice is sweet and is captivating.
The underlined noun "sweetness" has to be changed into its adjective form, which is "sweet." So, "The sweetness of her voice" becomes "Her sweet voice." The meaning remains the same. Option (b) changes the meaning and structure incorrectly, (c) is grammatically awkward and changes tense, and (d) is not a proper transformation of the given sentence.
Which of the following is the most appropriate usage? “The new policies will _______ the administrative burden on small-scale miners.”
A)
decrease
B)
alleviate
C)
subside
D)
lessen
The sentence means the new policies will reduce or ease the administrative burden on small-scale miners. 'Alleviate' is the most appropriate word because it specifically means to make something less severe or easier to bear, and it is commonly used with words like burden, pain, hardship, or problem. 'Decrease' and 'lessen' can also mean reduce, but they are less precise and less natural here. 'Subside' is incorrect because it is generally used for something that becomes less intense by itself, such as pain, anger, or a storm, not for something that policies actively reduce.
The officer said to the worker, “Show me your permit.”
A)
The officer ordered the worker to show him his permit.
B)
The officer said to the worker to show him his permit.
C)
The officer ordered the worker that he show him his permit.
D)
The officer told the worker show me your permit.
The sentence is an imperative in direct speech (“Show me your permit.”). In indirect speech, an imperative expressing an order is reported with the reporting verb in the past tense, usually using “ordered/told/asked” + object + to-infinitive. Here, “me” changes to “him” and “your” changes to “his” according to the new speaker’s perspective. So option (a) is correct. Options (b), (c), and (d) are grammatically incorrect or do not properly change the imperative into indirect speech.
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: The little boy dressed himself in his favourite pajamas.
A)
verb
B)
adverb
C)
conjunction
D)
pronoun
The underlined word is "himself". It refers back to the subject "the little boy" and is a reflexive pronoun. Therefore, its part of speech is a pronoun. The other options are incorrect because "himself" is not an action word (verb), not a modifying word (adverb), and not a joining word (conjunction).
He will come _____ I call him.
A)
however
B)
slthough
C)
if
D)
unless
The sentence needs a conditional conjunction: "He will come if I call him." This means his coming depends on my calling him.
- however: used to show contrast, not condition.
- although/slthough: introduces concession, not the correct meaning here.
- unless: means "if not," which would change the meaning.
So, the correct answer is "if".
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: I shall return within a week.
A)
conjunction
B)
preposition
C)
adjective
D)
adverb
In the sentence, the underlined word is **within**, which shows the relation between the action **return** and the noun phrase **a week**. Words that show relationship of time, place, direction, etc. are **prepositions**.
- **Conjunction** joins words or clauses.
- **Adjective** describes a noun.
- **Adverb** modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
So, **within** is a **preposition**.
The report was rejected because the data was _______; the numbers for January and February did not match up.
A)
inconsistent
B)
different
C)
wrong
D)
slow
The sentence says the report was rejected because the data did not match up, which means it was not consistent. "Inconsistent" correctly describes data that contains contradictions or does not agree with itself. "Different" is too general, "wrong" means incorrect but does not specifically convey mismatch between figures, and "slow" is unrelated.
Which of the following is a ‘Complex’ sentence?
A)
The geologist found the sample and he labelled it immediately.
B)
Although the weather was harsh, the team continued the survey.
C)
The drilling process is slow but very precise.
D)
Monitoring the water level is essential for safety.
A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. Option (b) contains the dependent clause "Although the weather was harsh" and the independent clause "the team continued the survey," so it is complex. Option (a) is a compound sentence because it joins two independent clauses with "and." Option (c) is a compound sentence as "but" joins two coordinated ideas. Option (d) is a simple sentence with a participial phrase, not a dependent clause.
Identify the type of sentence: “Please submit your verification documents by the end of the day.”
A)
Assertive
B)
Imperative
C)
Exclamatory
D)
Interrogative
The sentence is a request/order asking someone to do something: "Please submit your verification documents..." Such sentences are imperative. It is not assertive because it does not state a fact, not exclamatory because it shows no strong emotion, and not interrogative because it is not a question.
I am beautiful ______ I am humble.
A)
though
B)
hence
C)
yet
D)
only
The sentence expresses contrast: being beautiful is contrasted with being humble. The conjunction "though" is used to show contrast, so the sentence becomes: "I am beautiful though I am humble."
"hence" means therefore, which does not fit here. "yet" can also show contrast, but in this structure "though" is the most natural and grammatically correct choice. "only" does not connect the two clauses meaningfully.
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: We have enough food to last us a month.
A)
adjective
B)
preposition
C)
verb
D)
adverb
The word "enough" describes the noun "food" by telling us how much food there is. Words that describe nouns are adjectives. Here, "enough" modifies "food," so it functions as an adjective. It is not a preposition, verb, or adverb in this sentence.