Past Questions — 2015

The correct collective noun for a group of piglets is "litter." So the sentence becomes: "The mother-pig bore a litter of ten piglets." - "number" is too general and not a specific collective noun here. - "young ones" is not the standard term used for piglets. - "cub" is used for the young of certain animals like bears and lions, not pigs.

‘Massacre’ means the brutal killing or slaughter of a large number of people. Among the given options, only (a) matches this meaning. Options (b), (c), and (d) are unrelated to the word’s actual sense.

The sentence needs an adverb describing how the time passed. "Quickly" is the correct adverb form and fits naturally: "The time passed very quickly." "Fast" is usually an adjective or an informal adverb, but in standard grammar "quickly" is preferred here. "Easily" and "suddenly" do not fit the meaning.

The sentence means he saw me occasionally or from time to time. - "now and then" means occasionally, at intervals — fits perfectly. - "time and again" means repeatedly many times, stronger than the sentence suggests. - "off and on" also means intermittently, but it is more often used for actions or states that start and stop irregularly. - "by and large" means generally or on the whole, which does not fit here. So, the best answer is "now and then".

The sentence 'He was laughed at by them' is in the passive voice because the subject 'He' is receiving the action, not performing it. The active form would be 'They laughed at him.' Therefore, the correct option is Passive Voice.