English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is: Bibliophile.

Key Points

• The word "Bibliophile" refers to a person who loves and collects books, especially rare or fine editions. (पुस्तक प्रेमी)
• Example: As a bibliophile, she spent hours browsing through antique bookstores to find rare collections.
• "Bibliophile" is derived from the Greek words 'biblion' meaning book and 'philos' meaning loving.
• The term is specifically used for someone with a deep passion for books and literature.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Bibliophile.

Additional Information

Here are the other options explained along with their Hindi meanings and example sentences:

• Bookworm (पुस्तक प्रेमी / किताबों का कीड़ा): A person who enjoys reading books, often to the exclusion of other activities.
• Example: He’s such a bookworm that he prefers spending his weekends at the library.
• Librarian (पुस्तकालयाध्यक्ष): A person who works in or manages a library.
• Example: The librarian helped me find the book I was looking for.
• Reader (पाठक): A person who reads, especially someone who reads for pleasure or study.
• Example: She is an avid reader and finishes at least one book every week.

The correct answer is: Harmful.

Key Points

• The word "Innocuous" means something that is not harmful or offensive; it is safe and harmless in nature. (निरापद)
• Example: The comment she made was completely innocuous and didn’t offend anyone.
• "Harmful" refers to something that can cause damage, injury, or negative effects. (हानिकारक)
• Example: Smoking is harmful to your health and can lead to serious medical conditions.
• Hence, the opposite of "Innocuous" is "Harmful".

Therefore, the correct answer is: Harmful.

Additional Information

Here are the other options explained along with their Hindi meanings and example sentences:

• Harmless (नुकसान रहित): Something that does not cause any damage or injury.
• Example: The stray dog looked harmless and friendly.
• Benign (सौम्य): Gentle, kind, or not harmful in nature.
• Example: The tumor was found to be benign and posed no threat to her health.
• Safe (सुरक्षित): Free from harm or danger.
• Example: It’s safe to cross the street now as the traffic light is red.

The correct answer is: Common.

Key Points

• The word "Esoteric" means something that is intended for or understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge or interest. (गूढ़, केवल कुछ लोगों के लिए समझने योग्य)
• Example: Quantum physics can be considered esoteric because its concepts are not easily understood by the general public.
• "Common" refers to something that is widespread, ordinary, or familiar to most people; it contrasts with something specialized or rare like "esoteric." (सामान्य)
• Example: Mobile phones have become so common that almost everyone owns one.
• Hence, we can infer that the opposite of 'Esoteric' is 'Common'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Common.

Additional Information

Here are the other options explained along with their Hindi meanings and example sentences:

• Arcane (रहस्यमय): Something mysterious or understood by very few people.
• Example: The ancient script on the walls of the temple was arcane and undecipherable.
• Mystical (अलौकिक): Relating to spiritual or supernatural elements that are beyond ordinary understanding.
• Example: The mystical aura of the monastery left everyone mesmerized.
• Obscure (अस्पष्ट): Something unclear or hidden; not easily understood.
• Example: The poet used obscure references in his work that were difficult for the audience to grasp.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Identify the Subject and Agent: In the passive sentence "The report could not be accessed...", the agent (who is doing the accessing) is missing. In such cases, we use a general pronoun like "They," "You," or "One" as the active subject.
• Identify the Verb and Tense: The verb is "could not be accessed" (Modal + be + V3). In the active voice, this becomes "could not access" (Modal + V1).
• Rearrange the Sentence: The placeholder subject "They" takes the action, "the report" becomes the direct object, and the conditional phrase "without the proper security clearance" remains at the end.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "They could not access the report without the proper security clearance."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "cannot be accessed" – This changes the tense from the past possibility (could) to present (cannot) and remains in the passive voice.
• Option 3: "was not accessed" – This is still passive and changes the modal "could not" to a simple past statement of fact.
• Option 4: "The proper security clearance could not access..." – This is logically incorrect; a "clearance" is a status/document and cannot physically perform the action of accessing a report.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Direct Speech: The director said, "The new actor will be arriving shortly."
• Key Conversions:
• Modal Verb Change (Backshifting):
• When the reporting verb is in the past ("said"), modal verbs in the direct speech must shift to their past forms.
• The modal "will" changes to "would."
• Tense Maintenance (Continuous Aspect):
• The original sentence is in the Future Continuous ("will be arriving").
• In indirect speech, the continuous aspect "be arriving" is preserved after the shifted modal "would."
• Conjunction:
• The comma and quotation marks are removed and replaced by "that" to connect the reporting clause with the reported statement.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "The director said that the new actor would be arriving shortly."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: Fails to shift the modal "will" to "would," which is necessary when the reporting verb is in the past.
• Option 3: Changes the aspect from continuous ("be arriving") to simple ("arrive"), which alters the original meaning of the speaker.
• Option 4: Uses the past perfect continuous ("had been arriving"), which incorrectly implies a past habitual action rather than a future planned arrival.

The correct answer is 'Each of the girls narrated her story'.

 

Key Points

• The subject of the sentence is "Each of the girls," which is singular.
• The corresponding pronoun that aligns with the singular subject is "her" because the sentence refers to "girls" (females).
• Option 3 is the only grammatically correct choice that adheres to subject-pronoun agreement.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Complete Sentence: "Each of the girls narrated her story."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "there story" is incorrect because "there" is an adverb, not a possessive pronoun.
• Option 2: "his story" is incorrect because it does not align with the gender reference to "girls."
• Option 4: "their stories" is incorrect because it assumes plural narration, while the subject "Each" is singular.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Identify the Tense: The active sentence "built" is in the Simple Past Tense.
• Passive Structure for Simple Past: The formula is Object + was/were + Past Participle (V3) + by + Subject.
• Step 1: Identify the object "this house" and make it the new subject. Since "house" is singular, we use "was."
• Step 2: Use the third form (Past Participle) of the verb "build," which is "built."
• Step 3: Add the agent "by my brother" and the time reference "in 2005."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "This house was built by my brother in 2005."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "is built" – This is the Present Simple Passive. It is incorrect because the action happened in the past (2005).
• Option 3: "built" – This lacks the auxiliary verb "was," making it grammatically incomplete as a passive sentence.
• Option 4: "was being built" – This is the Past Continuous Passive. It suggests the building was an ongoing process at that specific time, rather than a completed action.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: The professor explained that although the theory had been considered correct for centuries, new findings now proved that it was flawed.
• Key Conversions:
• Tense Change (Forward-shifting):
• The past perfect passive "had been considered" shifts forward to the present perfect passive "has been considered" to show an action that started in the past and continues to the present moment of speaking.
• The simple past "proved" shifts forward to the simple present "prove."
• The simple past "was" shifts forward to the simple present "is."
• Time Expressions:
• The word "now" in the indirect speech suggests that at the time of the professor's original speech, the findings were current. Therefore, "now" is retained or restored in the direct speech.
• Punctuation:
• The conjunction "that" is removed and replaced with a comma and quotation marks to enclose the speaker's exact words.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "The professor explained, 'Although the theory has been considered correct for centuries, new findings now prove that it is flawed.'"

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: Retains the past perfect ("had been considered"), which would imply the theory stopped being considered correct before another past event, rather than up until the moment of speaking.
• Option 2: Uses the simple past ("was considered"), which loses the "duration" aspect emphasized by "for centuries" in the original context.
• Option 4: Uses "then" and "proved" (past tense), which keeps the sentence in a reported/past perspective rather than converting it to the speaker's direct present perspective.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The paragraph is a character-driven narrative that moves from a general introduction of the person to their history, then to a specific action, and finally to a thematic reflection.
• Sentence P is the first sentence because it introduces the subject (the old man) and establishes his physical presence and mood:
• "The old man, with his kind eyes and twisted hands, smiled softly."
• Sentence Q follows to provide context and background for the man, explaining his profession and the setting of the scene:
• "He had lived a whole life as a woodcarver, and his store was a museum of fragile works of art."
• Sentence R is the third sentence as it transitions from the general store to the specific piece he is working on at this moment:
• "He held a tiny bird he was carving, his thumb caressing the slippery wood."
• Sentence S is the fourth sentence because the pronoun "They" refers back to the "works of art" mentioned in Q (and includes the bird in R), providing a sentimental conclusion to the passage:
• "They all had a story, a memory, a piece of his soul."
• The correct sequence is PQRS.

 

Coherent paragraph after rearrangement:

"The old man, with his kind eyes and twisted hands, smiled softly. He had lived a whole life as a woodcarver, and his store was a museum of fragile works of art. He held a tiny bird he was carving, his thumb caressing the slippery wood. They all had a story, a memory, a piece of his soul."

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The paragraph follows a logical flow from the historical context of an object to the professional preparation and execution of its restoration.
• Sentence R is the first sentence as it introduces the subject (the book) and provides the necessary background information regarding its age and significance:
• "With a long history filled with tales, the book has been handed down through the centuries."
• Sentence S follows by shifting the focus to the restorer's preparation, setting the stage for the work to come:
• "Before starting the restoration procedure, she got the equipment and supplies she would need ready."
• Sentence P is the third sentence because it describes the first active step of the restoration process—the detailed visual inspection:
• "She examined the old manuscript closely, observing the fading ink."
• Sentence Q is the fourth as it uses the transition phrase "After that" to indicate the next physical action taken after the initial examination:
• "After that, she turned the fragile pages carefully so as not to break them any more."
• The correct sequence is RSPQ.

 

Coherent paragraph after rearrangement:

"With a long history filled with tales, the book has been handed down through the centuries. Before starting the restoration procedure, she got the equipment and supplies she would need ready. She examined the old manuscript closely, observing the fading ink. After that, she turned the fragile pages carefully so as not to break them any more."

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The primary error in the sentence is the use of the contraction "it's" instead of the possessive pronoun "its."
• "It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," whereas "its" is used to show possession belonging to an inanimate object or a collective noun (like "the team").
• Additionally, there is a typographical error in the word "de dedication," which should simply be "dedication."
• Thus, the error is located in part B (Option 2) of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "The team's success was largely a result of its coach's dedication, a fact which they would all attest to."

 

Additional Information

• A: "The team's success was largely" – This part correctly uses the possessive "team's" and the adverb "largely."
• C: "a fact which they would all" – This uses an appositive phrase and the relative pronoun "which" correctly to refer back to the preceding idea.
• D: "attest to." – The phrasal verb "attest to" means to provide evidence or serve as proof of something, which fits the context perfectly.
• Common Confusion: Many writers confuse its and it's. A quick tip is to replace the word with "it is"; if the sentence no longer makes sense, use "its."

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The primary issue in the sentence is the use of the past tense verb "went" following the auxiliary verb "didn't" (did not).
• In English grammar, when using the auxiliary verb "do," "does," or "did" for negation or questions, the main verb must always be in its base form (infinitive without "to").
• The auxiliary "did" already indicates the past tense, so using "went" creates an incorrect double-past construction.
• Thus, the error is located in part D (Option 4) of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "He has been to Italy, but he didn't go to Rome."

 

Additional Information

• A: "He has been" – This uses the present perfect tense correctly to describe a life experience (visiting Italy).
• B: "to Italy," – The preposition "to" is correctly used after "been" to indicate direction or destination.
• C: "but he" – This uses the coordinating conjunction "but" correctly to introduce a contrasting idea.
• Verb Base Form: Common examples of this rule include: "He didn't know" (not knew), "She didn't see" (not saw), and "They didn't come" (not came).

The correct answer is 'before'.

 

Key Points

• The preposition "before" is used to indicate that the report was submitted at an earlier time than the deadline.
• Using "before" ensures that the action is in compliance with the given time constraints.
• Options 1, 2, 4, and 5 are incorrect as they do not fit the context of submitting something earlier than the deadline.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Complete Sentence: "The report was submitted before the deadline, ensuring full compliance."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "beyond" is incorrect because it implies the report was submitted after the deadline.
• Option 2: "under" is incorrect as it does not make sense in this context.
• Option 4: "between" is incorrect because it requires two points of reference, which are not present in the sentence.

The correct answer is 'nevertheless'.

 

Key Points

• The conjunction "nevertheless" is used to introduce a contrasting idea or statement.
• In this sentence, the software update enhanced performance, but it also introduced compatibility issues, which is a contrasting point.
• Options 2, 3, and 4 do not appropriately convey this contrast.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Complete Sentence: "The software update enhanced performance; nevertheless, it introduced several compatibility issues."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "consequently" is incorrect because it suggests a cause-and-effect relationship, not contrast.
• Option 3: "likewise" is incorrect because it suggests similarity, not contrast.
• Option 4: "whereas" is incorrect because it is used to compare two opposing ideas within the same clause, not across separate clauses.

The correct answer is option 3.

Key Points

The correctly spelt word is 'Arraign'.

• **The word 'arraign' is a verb, meaning to call or bring someone before a court to answer a criminal charge. **(अदालत में अभियोग लगाना)
• For Example -
• The suspect was arraigned on charges of theft.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 3.

Additional Information

Explanation for the incorrect options:

• Arrain: This is a misspelled word and does not exist in English.
• Arragin: This is also misspelled and incorrect.
• Arrign: Another incorrect spelling.

The correct answer is: Option 4.

Key Points

• The word "bow" is a homonym, meaning it has multiple meanings depending on context. In this sentence, it refers to bending the upper part of the body forward as a gesture of respect, acknowledgment, or greeting. (झुकना)
• Example: The performer took a deep bow to thank the audience for their applause.
• The correct sentence from the options that uses the word "bow" with the same meaning is: Option 4 - "The children were taught to bow to the queen as a sign of respect." Here, "bow" means to bend forward as an act of respect. (झुकना)
• Example: The children bowed gracefully to greet the queen.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 4.

Additional Information

Here are the other options explained along with their Hindi meanings and example sentences:

• Option 1: "She carefully tied the ribbon into a perfect bow."
• Meaning: Here, "bow" refers to a decorative knot, often made with loops. (फंदा या सजावटी गांठ)
• Example: The bow on the gift box made it look even more beautiful.
• Option 2: "He used the strong fishing line to make a tight bow."
• Meaning: In this context, "bow" refers to a curved shape or an arch, such as in a bow used for archery. (धनुष)
• Example: The archer pulled the string of the bow tightly before releasing the arrow.
• Option 3: "The small gift was decorated with a large red bow."
• Meaning: Similar to Option 1, "bow" here refers to a decorative knot. (फंदा या सजावटी गांठ)
• Example: She spent hours making the perfect bow for the present.

The correct answer is option 1.

Key Points

The correctly spelled word is 'Curable'.

• Curable is the correct spelling and is a valid word in English.
• The word 'Curable' is an adjective that means 'capable of being cured or healed'. (उपचार योग्य)
• For Example -
• Many illnesses are curable with modern medicine.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Curable'.

Additional Information

Explanation of the incorrect options -

• Curible - This is an incorrect spelling and does not exist in English.
• Qurable - This is also a misspelled word and does not exist in English.
• Cureable - Although it might seem correct, 'Curable' is the proper and accepted spelling.

The correct answer is 'Option 4'.

 

Key Points

• Analyzing the central contradiction:
• The very first sentence of the passage identifies the core issue as a "clear contradiction between the demands of modern security and the ideals of individual liberty."
• The second paragraph reinforces this theme by stating, "The underlying conflict, then, is how to balance personal privacy against national security."
• The passage focuses entirely on how the desire to keep nations safe (through surveillance) directly threatens the civil freedoms and privacy of individuals.

Therefore, the correct answer is The trade-off between national security and individual freedom.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 (The need for transparency vs. secrecy): Incorrect. While an "open legal regime" is proposed as part of a solution, the fundamental problem driving the passage is security versus liberty, not just transparency versus secrecy.
• Option 2 (The conflict between technological progress and personal privacy): Incorrect. The passage specifically pinpoints the "demands of modern security" as the opposing force to privacy, rather than just general technological progress.
• Option 3 (The desire for security vs. the rights of corporations): Incorrect. The passage is concerned with the liberties and privacy of citizens. Corporations are mentioned as entities that, alongside governments, are capable of exercising surveillance, not as the victims losing their rights.

The correct answer is 'Option 2'.

 

Key Points

• Analyzing the consequences of surveillance:
• The passage explicitly states: "All-encompassing surveillance has the potential to have a 'chilling effect' citizens, aware of being spied upon, might censor themselves, restrict their activism, and refrain from articulating dissen thus suppressing the very dissent and freedom of expression that are core to a healthy democracy."
• This clearly points to the negative impact that constant monitoring has on citizens, causing them to self-censor out of fear or suspicion.

Therefore, the correct answer is Suppression of dissent and freedom of expression.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 (Increased political freedom): Incorrect because the passage argues the exact opposite—that surveillance compromises civil freedoms and suppresses core democratic practices.
• Option 3 (Enhanced transparency in government operations): Incorrect because transparency is suggested in the second paragraph as a solution to balance security and privacy (via an "open legal regime"), rather than a result of the surveillance itself.
• Option 4 (A reduction in government oversight): Incorrect because surveillance inherently represents a massive increase in monitoring and control over citizens, leading to a "surveillance state," not a reduction in oversight.

The correct answer is 'Option 2'.

 

Key Points

• Analyzing the passage for solutions:
• The passage explicitly addresses how to manage the conflict between personal privacy and national security in the second paragraph.
• It states: "A good balance is a strong and open legal regime that subjects surveillance a rigorous judicial supervision and public accountability."
• This highlights that the author does not want to completely abolish surveillance, but rather wants to control it through strict laws, oversight by judges, and accountability to the public.

Therefore, the correct answer is A balanced legal regime with judicial supervision and public accountability.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 (Total cessation of surveillance): Incorrect. The passage acknowledges there is a "genuine need governments to employ sophisticated technologies to respond to terrorism, organised crime, and other grave dangers," so it does not argue for completely stopping surveillance.
• Option 3 (Limiting technology to only military applications): Incorrect. The passage does not suggest restricting technology to the military. In fact, it encourages technologies like "end-to-end encryption" for the public to protect private communication.
• Option 4 (Complete transparency in government surveillance activities): Incorrect. While the passage advocates for an "open legal regime" and public discussion on "what data can be gathered," demanding complete transparency of all surveillance activities ignores the acknowledged need for national security operations against terrorism and crime. Option 2 is the exact balance proposed in the text.