English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is Option 3: Awareness of the limits of one's knowledge in communicative contexts.

 

Key Points

• The term "epistemic" relates to knowledge, understanding, and the nature of knowing.
• "Epistemic humility" implies recognizing the limitations of one’s own knowledge and remaining open to correction or alternative perspectives.
• The passage connects this concept to responsible communication in an era of misinformation and polarized discourse.
• Thus, it emphasizes intellectual modesty and critical self-awareness in communicative exchanges.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 – The phrase does not refer to fear or reluctance in public speaking.
• Option 2 – It suggests the opposite of superiority, emphasizing humility.
• Option 4 – The passage does not associate epistemic humility with traditional communication forms.

The correct answer is 'Option 1'

Key Points

• The given sentence in indirect speech uses past perfect (“had been”) and would have + past participle, which indicates a third conditional structure.
• In converting from indirect to direct speech, the original verb structure must be retained without unnecessary tense changes.
• Option 1 correctly preserves the inverted conditional form: “had the pedestal been proportionally austere.”
• Other options either change the tense, distort the conditional type, or introduce incorrect modal usage.

Correct sentence: He said, "The sculpture would have commanded greater gravitas had the pedestal been proportionally austere."

Additional Information

• Option 2: Changes the structure to a first conditional, which alters the original meaning and tense.
• Option 3: Incorrect tense combination (“will command” with “had been”) creates grammatical inconsistency.
• Option 4: Incorrect modal verb “must have” changes the intended hypothetical meaning.

The correct answer is 'Option 2' i.e. She asked why I had lied to her.

Key Points

• The given sentence is an interrogative sentence in direct speech beginning with “Why”.
• In indirect speech, interrogative sentences are introduced by ‘asked’ and follow the statement word order (subject + verb).
• The past tense “did lie” changes to past perfect (“had lied”) because the reporting verb “said” is in the past.
• Pronouns also change appropriately: “you” → “I” and “me” → “her”.

Correct sentence: She asked why I had lied to her.

Additional Information

• Option 1: “I lied” does not reflect proper backshift in tense.
• Option 3: Incorrect word order; interrogative inversion is not used in indirect speech.
• Option 4: Retains question structure (“did I lie”), which is grammatically incorrect in reported speech.

The correct answer is 'Option 3' i.e. 1-2-3-4.

Key Points

• Sentence 1 introduces the general concept: machine learning models require large datasets to train.
• Sentence 2 logically follows, explaining that data preprocessing ensures clean and properly formatted input before training.
• Sentence 3 comes next, describing the evaluation phase where the model is tested for accuracy.
• Sentence 4 concludes the process, stating that once trained and tested, the model is deployed for real-world applications.

Correct sequence: 1 → 2 → 3 → 4

Additional Information

• Option 1 (2-1-3-4): Begins with preprocessing before introducing the need for datasets, which disrupts logical flow.
• Option 2 (3-1-2-4): Starts with testing before training is mentioned, which is illogical.
• Option 4 (4-3-2-1): Presents the steps in reverse order, making the passage incoherent.

The correct answer is 'Option 1' i.e. 2-1-3-4.

Key Points

• Sentence 2 introduces the general idea: breaking bad habits requires discipline and self-awareness.
• Sentence 1 logically follows by explaining the first step in the process—recognizing unhealthy patterns.
• Sentence 3 adds a supportive strategy that can assist in the process of change.
• Sentence 4 concludes the passage by emphasizing consistency as the key to lasting change.

Correct sequence: 2 → 1 → 3 → 4

Additional Information

• Option 2 (2-4-1-3): Mentions consistency before identifying the first step, disrupting logical order.
• Option 3 (3-4-2-1): Begins with support before introducing the main idea.
• Option 4 (2-3-1-4): Places seeking support before recognizing unhealthy patterns, which weakens coherence.

The correct answer is '4' i.e. Appropriate.

Key Points

• The word felicitous means well-chosen or suited to the circumstances, or something that is appropriate or fitting.
• Out of the options provided, the word appropriate is the most suitable synonym for felicitous.
• Other options like odd, irrelevant, and unsuitable are antonyms or unrelated meanings, making them incorrect choices.

Correct sentence: The word felicitous is often used to describe something that is suitable, apt, or appropriate in a given context.

Additional Information

• Similar words: Suitable, apt, fitting, or relevant.
• Usage: "She made a felicitous remark that lightened the mood of the room."

The correct answer is '4' i.e. Tardy .

Key Points

• The word "Dilatory" means slow to act, causing a delay, or procrastinating.
• Among the given options, the synonym that best matches this meaning is "Tardy", which also means delayed or late.
• The other options do not fit:
• Quick: Opposite of slow.
• Efficient: Performing tasks effectively without delay.
• Prompt: Done without delay or very quick.

Correct sentence: The most appropriate synonym of "Dilatory" is "Tardy".

Additional Information

• Synonyms: Words with similar meanings. For example:
• Happy: Joyful, Cheerful.
• Sad: Downcast, Gloomy.
• Antonyms: Words with opposite meanings. For example:
• Quick: Slow.
• Efficient: Inefficient.

The correct answer is '1' i.e. Dull .

Key Points

• The word Refulgent means shining brightly or radiant.
• The most appropriate antonym of Refulgent is Dull, which means lacking brightness or vitality.
• Other options like Radiant, Gleaming, and Luminous are synonyms of Refulgent and do not serve as antonyms.

Correct sentence: The antonym of Refulgent is Dull.

Additional Information

• Synonyms of Refulgent: Radiant, Gleaming, Luminous.
• Antonym of Refulgent: Dull.

The correct answer is '4' i.e. He is destroyed by his own trap or scheme .

Key Points

• The idiom "Hoist with one's own petard" originates from Shakespeare's play Hamlet and means to be destroyed or hurt by one's own plan or device intended for others.
• A "petard" is a small explosive device used in the past for blasting through walls or gates, and being "hoisted" by it means being blown up by your own explosive.
• The phrase is often used figuratively to indicate a situation where someone is caught in their own trap or suffers because of their own actions.

Correct sentence usage: By spreading false rumors about others, he was ultimately hoist with his own petard when his lies were exposed.

Additional Information

• Similar idioms:
• "Caught in one's own trap": To fall victim to one's own deceit or scheme.
• "To reap what one sows": To experience the consequences of one's actions, usually negative.

The correct answer is '1' i.e. Sluggard .

Key Points

• The word "Sluggard" is correctly spelled and means "a person who avoids work or effort."
• The other options—Sluggerd, Sluggart, and Slugerd—are incorrect spellings of the word.
• The word "Sluggard" is often used to describe someone who is habitually lazy or idle.

Correct sentence: The sluggard avoided all the chores assigned to him by pretending to be unwell.

Additional Information

• Origin: The word "Sluggard" originates from Middle English and is derived from the word "slug," meaning slow-moving or lazy.
• Usage: It is often used in literature and formal contexts to describe someone who is habitually lazy.

The correct answer is '3' i.e. Utilitarianism .

Key Points

• Utilitarianism is the correct spelling of the theory centered on utility and outcomes.
• It is a philosophical concept that focuses on maximizing happiness and minimizing suffering for the greatest number of people.
• The other options, such as Utilitarienism, Utiliterianism, and Utillitarianism, are incorrect spellings of the term.

Correct sentence: The correct spelling of the theory centered on utility and outcomes is Utilitarianism.

Additional Information

• Definition: Utilitarianism is a moral theory that emphasizes the importance of the consequences of actions and aims to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number.
• Key Philosophers: Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are considered key contributors to the development of utilitarianism.
• Variants: There are different types of utilitarianism, including act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism, which focus on the actions themselves or the rules guiding those actions.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• An impostor is a person who deliberately pretends to be someone else or claims to be something that they are not.
• The phrase "a person who pretends to be what he is not" directly describes an impostor.
• Therefore, Option 3 is the most appropriate one-word substitution.

Therefore, the correct answer is Impostor.

 

Additional Information

• Mimic: A person who imitates the speech, actions, or mannerisms of another person.
• Actor: A person who performs a role in a play, film, or other production.
• Impostor: A person who pretends to be someone or something that they are not. ✓
• Hypocrite: A person who pretends to have beliefs or moral standards that they do not actually possess.

The correct answer is '4' i.e. Kleptocracy .

Key Points

• The word Kleptocracy is used to describe a government or state where officials or leaders exploit national resources and steal for personal gain.
• The term is derived from the Greek words kleptes (thief) and kratos (rule or power).
• It implies a corrupt and exploitative ruling system.

Correct sentence: A government or state in which those in power exploit national resources and steal is called a Kleptocracy.

Additional Information

• Plutocracy: A government ruled by the wealthy.
• Kleptomania: A mental disorder characterized by the inability to resist the urge to steal.
• Oligarchy: A government ruled by a small group of people.

The correct answer is '1' i.e. deterrent.

Key Points

• The sentence indicates that the intervention aimed to prevent or reduce escalating tensions. The word 'deterrent' fits best in this context as it refers to something that discourages or prevents a particular action.
• The other options do not fit semantically. For example:
• 'Detention' refers to confining someone or keeping someone in custody, which does not suit the context.
• 'Detraction' refers to diminishing someone's reputation, irrelevant to this sentence.
• 'Derision' means mockery or ridicule, which does not align with the meaning.

Correct sentence: The intervention was seen as a deterrent to escalating tensions.

Additional Information

• A 'deterrent' is often used in situations to describe actions, interventions, or measures intended to discourage undesirable behavior or outcomes.
• It is commonly used in contexts like policy-making, conflict resolution, and crime prevention.

The correct answer is '2', i.e., "concise during the press briefing" contains an error.

Key Points

• The word "concise" is an adjective, which is incorrectly used in the sentence. It should be replaced with the adverb "concisely" to modify the verb "spoke" correctly.
• Adverbs are used to describe or modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
• The error lies in the usage of an adjective where an adverb is required.

Correct sentence: She spoke concisely during the press briefing to ensure the journalists captured the key points accurately.

Additional Information

• Adjective vs Adverb:
• Adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun (e.g., concise speech).
• Adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., spoke concisely).
• Always ensure the correct form of the word is used based on its function in the sentence.

The correct answer is '1' i.e. The house could have been sold by the agent.

Key Points

• The given sentence is in the active voice: "The agent could have sold the house."
• To convert it into passive voice, we shift the focus from the "agent" (doer) to the "house" (receiver).
• The structure for passive voice in this case is: Object + could have been + past participle + by + subject.
• Thus, the correct passive form is: "The house could have been sold by the agent."

Additional Information

• Incorrect Options:
• Option 2: "The house could be sold by the agent" – This changes the tense to present conditional, which is incorrect.
• Option 3: "The house could have sold by the agent" – This is grammatically incorrect as "sold" is missing "been."
• Option 4: "The house could had been sold by the agent" – "could had" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "could have."

The correct answer is '3' i.e. "but also faced with widespread criticism" contains the error.

Key Points

• The error lies in part 3, specifically the phrase "but also faced with widespread criticism".
• The verb "faced" is incorrectly used in the passive voice. The phrase should be corrected to "but also faced widespread criticism" to make it grammatically correct.
• The word "with" is unnecessary and creates a grammatical inconsistency.

Correct sentence: So intense was the resistance that the proposal not only failed but also faced widespread criticism across institutional stakeholders.

Additional Information

• Usage of "but also":
• "Not only... but also" is a correlative conjunction used to emphasize two related elements in a sentence.
• Both elements should maintain parallel structure for clarity and grammatical accuracy.
• Active vs Passive Voice:
• The verb "faced" in active voice refers to the subject actively encountering criticism.
• Using "faced with" would incorrectly imply a passive construction that is inappropriate here.

The correct answer is '2' i.e. The king sat on his throne in the royal basil.

Key Points

• A homonym is a word that has the same spelling or pronunciation as another word but has a different meaning.
• The highlighted word in the question is basil, which refers to an aromatic herb.
• In Option 2, basil is used incorrectly as a homonym for a royal seat or location, illustrating the concept of a word with multiple meanings or a play on words.

Correct sentence: The king sat on his throne in the royal basil.

Additional Information

• Homonyms can either be homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings or spellings) or homographs (words that are spelled the same but have different meanings).
• In this case, basil is being used to demonstrate how words can have distinct meanings in different contexts.

The correct answer is '3' i.e. Authorities are expected to implement new protocols by fiscal year-end .

Key Points

• The given sentence is in the passive voice: "New protocols are expected to have been implemented by the end of the fiscal year."
• To convert this sentence into active voice, the subject performing the action must be explicitly stated.
• In the active voice, the subject "Authorities" is introduced, and the verb structure aligns with the expectation of the action being performed by the end of the fiscal year.

Correct sentence: Authorities are expected to implement new protocols by fiscal year-end.

Additional Information

• Passive Voice: Involves the object of an action becoming the subject of the sentence. Example: "The book was read by John."
• Active Voice: The subject of the sentence performs the action directly. Example: "John read the book."
• When converting from passive to active voice, ensure the subject is clear and the verb form remains consistent with the tense and context.

The correct answer is '2' i.e. for two hours .

Key Points

• The given sentence uses the incorrect preposition "since" in the highlighted part.
• Since is used to refer to a specific point in time (e.g., since 8 AM) rather than a duration.
• The correct preposition to indicate a period of time is "for."
• The corrected sentence is: "The baby was sleeping for two hours."

Additional Information

• Usage of "For" and "Since":
• For: Refers to a period of time (e.g., for two hours, for a week).
• Since: Refers to a specific point in time (e.g., since yesterday, since 2010).
• In the context of the sentence, "for" is appropriate as it denotes the duration of two hours.