English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The passage describes the initial experiences of the author (Mahatma Gandhi) upon his arrival in London.
• It covers various aspects of his early stay, including meeting acquaintances like Dr. P.J. Mehta, staying at the Victoria Hotel, and learning about European etiquette.
• The narrative also touches upon his financial concerns regarding the high cost of living and his struggle with food in a new country.
• Since the passage encompasses meetings, cultural adjustments, and logistical challenges faced immediately after arrival, the most comprehensive theme is the author's early days in London.

Therefore, the correct answer is 4.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: While the expensive hotel stay is mentioned (costing £3), it is only a specific detail used to illustrate his early struggles, not the entire theme.
• Option 2: European etiquette (such as not touching others' belongings or avoid saying 'sir') is an important lesson he learned, but it constitutes only one part of the narrative.
• Option 3: The craving for home food or the inability to relish London food is mentioned at the end, but it describes his personal discomfort rather than the central theme of the whole passage.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• According to the passage, the author casually picked up Dr. Mehta's top-hat while they were talking.
• The author passed his hand over the hat the wrong way to see how smooth it was, which disturbed the fur.
• The text explicitly states, 'Dr. Mehta looked somewhat angrily at what I was doing and stopped me,' indicating his irritation.
• This incident served as the author's first lesson in European etiquette, specifically regarding not touching other people's belongings.

Therefore, the correct answer is He touched his hat the wrong way.

 

Correct Sentence: 'As we were talking, I casually picked up his top-hat... passed my hand over it the wrong way and disturbed the fur. Dr. Mehta looked somewhat angrily at what I was doing...'

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: The passage mentions Dr. Mehta called at about eight o'clock the same evening after receiving a wire, but there is no mention of him being late or the author being irritated by timing.
• Option 2: While Dr. Mehta advised the author not to ask questions as people do in India, there is no evidence that the author had already asked irrelevant questions causing irritation at that moment.
• Option 3: Similarly, Dr. Mehta advised not to talk loudly as part of the etiquette lesson, but the specific cause for the 'angry look' mentioned in the narrative was the handling of the hat.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• According to the passage, the author mentions that Dr. PJ Mehta humorously initiated him into the details of European etiquette.
• The incident occurred when the author accidentally disturbed the fur on Dr. Mehta's top-hat, leading to a lesson on how to behave in London.
• Dr. Mehta provided specific instructions such as not touching other people's things, not asking personal questions upon first acquaintance, and not addressing people as 'sir'.
• Therefore, it was Dr. PJ Mehta who served as the mentor for the author's first lessons in Western manners.

Therefore, the correct answer is Dr. PJ Mehta.

 

Additional Information

• Sjt Mazmudar: He was a fellow traveler who stayed with the author at the Victoria Hotel, but he did not provide the etiquette lessons.
• Sjt. Dalpatram Shukla: Mentioned only as one of the individuals for whom the author had a note of introduction.
• Dadabhai Naoroji: A prominent leader for whom the author had a note of introduction, but he is not mentioned as the one teaching etiquette in this context.
• Prince Ranjit Singhji: Another person for whom the author carried an introductory note, but not involved in the etiquette incident.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The passage is written in the first-person narrative, using pronouns such as 'I', 'me', and 'my' (e.g., 'I had four notes of introduction', 'my first lesson in European etiquette').
• An autobiography is a self-written account of the life of a person. Since the author is describing their personal experiences, feelings (being 'shocked' by the bill), and specific personal interactions in London, it is an autobiographical extract.
• The text describes formative experiences and personal growth, which are hallmarks of memoirs or autobiographies (specifically, this is an excerpt from Mahatma Gandhi's 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth').
• The detailed description of internal thoughts and personal social blunders (the top-hat incident) confirms it is the author telling their own story.

Therefore, the correct answer is an autobiography.

 

Additional Information

• Biography: A detailed description of a person's life written by someone else. It would use third-person pronouns like 'he' or 'she'.
• Article: A non-fiction piece of writing that forms an independent part of a publication (like a newspaper or magazine), usually focusing on a specific topic rather than a life story.
• Travelogue: A piece of writing about travel and the places visited. While the passage mentions London, the core focus is on personal conduct, etiquette, and internal growth, making 'autobiography' a more comprehensive classification for this narrative style.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The passage describes the author's initial struggle with food and expenses upon arriving in London.
• The author mentions that despite paying a heavy hotel bill, he had practically starved because he could not relish the food provided at the hotel.
• The text explicitly states: 'The fact is that all this while I had depended on the provisions which I had brought with me from Bombay.'
• This confirms that his primary source of sustenance during those first few days was the food he carried from home.

Therefore, the correct answer is He used the food he had brought from Bombay.

 

Correct Sentence from Passage: 'The fact is that all this while I had depended on the provisions which I had brought with me from Bombay.'

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: While he ordered food at the hotel, he could not relish it and essentially did not eat it, making this option incorrect.
• Option 2: There is no mention of the author eating at Indian restaurants in the provided text.
• Option 3: Although friends helped him find rooms and provided etiquette advice, the text does not state that they provided him with food.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The passage primarily focuses on the unprecedented drought affecting the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, noting that river levels have reached their lowest in 121 years.
• It details specific data from the port of Manaus, where water levels dropped to 13.59 metres, surpassing the previous record low from 2010.
• The text describes the wide-ranging consequences of this drought, including stranded boats, food shortages in remote villages, and the death of endangered river dolphins due to high water temperatures.
• While it mentions the lives of people, the ecosystem, and El Niño, these are discussed as impacts or causes of the central theme: the record-breaking drought.

Therefore, the correct answer is the worst drought conditions in Amazon rainforest area.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: The lives of the people are mentioned as being affected by the drought, but the passage encompasses environmental and climate data beyond just human sociology.
• Option 2: Damage to the ecosystem (like the death of dolphins) is a specific consequence of the drought, not the sole focus of the entire report.
• Option 3: El Niño and global warming are identified as the underlying causes of the weather patterns, providing context for why the drought is occurring.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The passage states that the port of Manaus recorded 13.59 metres of water on Monday, which is the lowest level since records began in 1902.
• The figure 17.60 metres mentioned in the text refers to the water level a year ago, not the record low level.
• Therefore, the statement in Option 2 is factually incorrect according to the passage.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 is true: The text mentions that food, water, and medicines are usually transported by river, and the drought has cut off supplies to remote villages.
• Option 3 is true: The passage explicitly states that high water temperatures are suspected of killing more than 100 endangered river dolphins.
• Option 4 is true: The text describes the port of Manaus as the region's most populous city.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The phrasal verb 'fanned out' means to move apart from a central point or to spread out over a wide area in different directions.
• In the context of the passage, the workers from the NGO moved across the parched region in various directions to reach different vulnerable villages for aid delivery.
• This movement is often done to cover a larger search or distribution area efficiently, much like the ribs of a hand fan spreading from a single point.
• Therefore, the phrase refers to the spatial distribution of the workers, not to mechanical fans used for cooling.

Therefore, the correct answer is spread apart in the area.

 

Contextual Sentence: "Late last week, workers from Brazilian NGO Fundação Amazônia Sustentável fanned out across the parched region near Manaus to deliver food and supplies to vulnerable villages."

 

Additional Information

• Found fans in the area: This is an incorrect literal interpretation of the word 'fan' as a noun (a person or an object), which does not fit the grammatical structure or logic of the sentence.
• Distributed fans: While the workers were delivering supplies, the term 'fanned out' describes how they moved, not what they were giving away.
• Cooled the area with fans: Although the region is experiencing extreme heat and drought, 'fanned out' is an idiom for movement and does not refer to the physical act of cooling with ventilation devices.
• Parched: This adjective used in the same sentence means extremely dry or thirsty, emphasizing the severity of the drought in the Amazon.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The passage describes a cause-and-effect relationship triggered by environmental changes in the Amazon rainforest.
• Step 1 (D): The process begins with very less rain in the Amazon region. The text mentions that some areas have seen the least rain since 1980.
• Step 2 (B): The lack of rainfall leads to tributaries drying. The passage states, 'Rapidly drying tributaries to the mighty Amazon...'.
• Step 3 (A): As a direct result of the dried-up waterways, boats stranded. The text notes that drying tributaries 'have left boats stranded'.
• Step 4 (C): Because boats are the primary mode of transport, food and water supply to remote villages cut off. The passage confirms this by saying the stranding of boats is 'cutting off food and water supplies'.
• Therefore, the logical sequence is D → B → A → C.

Therefore, the correct answer is DBAC.

 

Additional Information

• El Niño: The Brazil Science Ministry identifies this climate phenomenon as the primary driver behind the extreme weather patterns and the current drought.
• Global Warming: The passage highlights that long-term global warming makes these extreme events, such as droughts and heatwaves, more frequent and intense.
• Impact: The drought has hit record lows not seen in 121 years (since 1902) and has affected approximately 481,000 people in the state of Amazonas.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The passage follows the structure of a news report, as it provides a timely account of a current event (the record drought in the Amazon rainforest) with specific details like dates (Monday, October 2023 context), locations (Manaus, Rio Negro), and statistics.
• It features typical journalistic elements such as direct citations from official bodies (Cemaden, Brazil's Science Ministry) and quotes or observations from NGOs (Fundação Amazônia Sustentável).
• The tone is objective and informative, focusing on the immediate impact on the population (481,000 people affected) and the environment (endangered river dolphins), which is characteristic of breaking news or a feature news story.
• Unlike a research or scientific report, it does not include a formal hypothesis, methodology section, or detailed data analysis; instead, it reports current happenings and their socio-economic consequences.

Therefore, the correct answer is a news report.

 

Additional Information

• Research Report: Usually focuses on a specific study conducted over time with a structured format including an abstract, literature review, and findings.
• Scientific Report: Primarily concerns technical experiments, mathematical proofs, or detailed biological/climatological data aimed at a specialist audience.
• Survey Report: Specifically analyzes the results of a survey or questionnaire conducted among a specific group of respondents.
• The mention of El Niño and global warming serves as context for the news event rather than being the primary technical focus of a specialized scientific paper.

The correct answer is 'should have'.

 

Key Points

• The sentence uses a conditional structure ("If the weather forecast proves accurate") to discuss a likely future outcome.
• The modal verb "should" is frequently used to express a high probability or an expectation of what is likely to happen based on current information.
• In this context, "should have" indicates that heavy snowfall is the expected result if the condition (the forecast being accurate) is met.
• Option 1 is the most natural fit for making a prediction based on a source of information like a forecast.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Complete Sentence: "If the weather forecast proves accurate, we should have heavy snowfall in the region tomorrow."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "need to have" implies a requirement or necessity, which does not fit a weather prediction.
• Option 3: "must have" is generally used for strong obligation or a logical certainty about the past, which is too forceful for a forecast.
• Option 4: "are having" is the present continuous tense, which is typically used for scheduled personal arrangements, not natural phenomena like snowfall.

The correct answer is A meeting was organised by the director to discuss the upcoming projects..

Key Points

• The original sentence is in the Active Voice and uses the Simple Past Tense, as indicated by the verb organised.
• To convert a sentence from Active Voice to Passive Voice in the Simple Past Tense, the structure follows: Subject (Object of active voice) + was/were + V3 (Past Participle) + by + Agent (Subject of active voice).
• In the active sentence, The director is the subject, organised is the verb, and a meeting is the direct object.
• The object (a meeting) becomes the new subject in the passive construction. Since a meeting is singular, the auxiliary verb was is used.
• The past participle of organised remains organised.
• The phrase to discuss the upcoming projects is an infinitive phrase expressing purpose and remains unchanged in its position to maintain the original meaning.

 Additional Information

• Tense Mismatch in Incorrect Options:
• The use of has been organised is characteristic of the Present Perfect Tense, which does not match the Simple Past nature of the original verb.
• The use of is organised represents the Simple Present Tense, indicating a habitual action or general fact, which is contextually incorrect here.
• The fourth option inverts the logic of the sentence by making upcoming projects the subject and meeting the purpose, which alters the original meaning significantly.
• Voice Transformation Rules:
• Subject-Object Swap: The positions of the subject and object are interchanged.
• Preposition 'by': It is generally added before the agent (the original subject) in the passive voice.
• Verb Form: The third form of the verb (V3) is mandatory in all Passive Voice constructions.

The correct answer is 'otherwise'.

 

Key Points

• The sentence uses a semicolon to connect two independent clauses, where the second clause describes the hypothetical negative consequence of not doing the action in the first clause.
• The word "otherwise" is an adverb used as a conjunctive adverb to mean 'if not' or 'in other circumstances.'
• In this context, it indicates that if she had not followed the instructions meticulously, the experiment would have been ruined.
• Option 2 is the only choice that logically connects the precautionary action with its potential failure.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Complete Sentence: "She meticulously followed the intricate instructions; otherwise, the delicate balance of the experiment would have been irreversibly disrupted."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "in case" is a conjunction used to talk about precautions taken for a possible future situation, but it does not fit the grammatical structure here.
• Option 3: "so that" is used to show purpose or result, but the second clause is a conditional result of the opposite action.
• Option 4: "moreover" is used to add information that supports the first point, not to show a negative consequence.

The correct answer is 'had subsided'.

 

Key Points

• The sentence describes two actions that occurred in the past.
• When two actions happen in the past, the action that took place first is expressed in the Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle), and the subsequent action is expressed in the Simple Past Tense.
• In this context, the storm subsiding happened first, and then the explorers realised (simple past) the damage. Therefore, "had subsided" is the correct form.
• Options 2, 3, and 4 do not follow this grammatical rule for sequential past events.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Complete Sentence: "After the storm had subsided, the explorers realised that their campsite had been completely flooded."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "was subsiding" represents the Past Continuous Tense, which implies the storm was still in the process of decreasing when they realised the flooding, which contradicts the logic of the word 'after'.
• Option 3: "subsides" is the Simple Present Tense, which cannot be used with the past tense 'realised'.
• Option 4: "is subsiding" is the Present Continuous Tense, which is grammatically inconsistent with the rest of the sentence.

The correct answer is Let the company issue a statement addressing the recent controversy.

Key Points

• The given sentence is in the Passive Voice and follows the structure of an imperative sentence starting with Let.
• The Passive Voice structure for imperative sentences starting with Let is: Let + Object + be + V3 (Past Participle) + by + Agent.
• In the provided sentence, a statement addressing the recent controversy is the object, be issued is the passive verb form, and the company is the agent (subject of the active action).
• To convert this into Active Voice, the structure must be: Let + Agent/Subject + Base Verb (V1) + Object.
• Applying this rule, the company (agent) moves after Let, followed by the base verb issue, and then the object a statement addressing the recent controversy.
• The phrase addressing the recent controversy acts as a participle phrase modifying the statement and remains unchanged in its relative position.
• Therefore, the correct active form is Let the company issue a statement addressing the recent controversy.

 Additional Information

• Imperative Sentences:
• When an imperative sentence expresses a suggestion or permission using Let, the active voice retains Let at the beginning.
• If the sentence was a direct command like Issue the statement, the passive would be Let the statement be issued.
• The use of modal verbs like can or should changes the mood and intent of the sentence, which does not happen during standard voice conversion unless specified by the original auxiliary.
• Continuous forms like is issuing represent a Present Continuous tense, which is not present in the original Let-based imperative structure.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The original sentence uses the phrase In case, which is used to talk about precautions or possibilities. However, the context of the sentence indicates a contrast between two facts.
• The sentence states that even though the office is empty, Ashutosh is still working. This requires a concessive conjunction.
• Even though is used to introduce a fact that makes the rest of the sentence surprising or contrasting. It perfectly fits the context that he is working despite others having left.
• Therefore, In case should be replaced by Even though to make the sentence grammatically and logically sound.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: 'Even though everybody has left the office, Ashutosh is still busy at his laptop.'

 

Additional Information

• In spite of: This is a prepositional phrase and must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund (e.g., In spite of everyone leaving). It cannot directly introduce a clause with a subject and verb like 'everybody has left'.
• But for: This means 'if it were not for' or 'except for'. It is used to suggest that something would have happened if something else hadn't prevented it, which does not fit here.
• In case: This is used to mention a potential future situation we are preparing for (e.g., Take an umbrella in case it rains). It does not show contrast.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: They exclaimed sadly that India had lost the match in the World Cup finals.
• Key Conversions:
• "exclaimed sadly" becomes an exclamatory phrase:
• The reporting verb exclaimed sadly indicates a sense of grief or disappointment. In direct speech, this is often represented by an interjection like 'What a loss!' or 'Alas!'.
• Tense Change:
• The past perfect tense 'had lost' in indirect speech changes back to the present perfect 'has lost' in direct speech.
• Conjunction:
• The conjunction 'that' is removed and replaced by a comma and quotation marks.
• Punctuation and Format:
• The direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• An exclamation mark (!) is used after the exclamatory phrase to convey the emotion of the speaker.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: They said, ‘What a loss! India has lost the match in the World Cup finals.’

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: 'They are so sorry!' changes the structure and adds extra words not implied by the reporting verb 'exclaimed'.
• Option 2: 'Hurrah!' is an interjection used for joy, which contradicts the word sadly in the indirect speech.
• Option 3: While 'sadly' is included, it is used as an adverb within the sentence rather than an exclamatory expression that matches the reporting verb exclaimed.

The correct answer is Our team is designing a state-of-the-art software program to enhance the efficiency of our business operations.

Key Points

• The original sentence is in the Passive Voice and follows the structure of the Present Continuous Tense, identified by the auxiliary verb is being followed by the past participle (V3) form designed.
• To convert a Present Continuous sentence from passive to active voice, the Object of the passive sentence (our team) must become the Subject of the active sentence.
• The structure for Active Voice in the Present Continuous Tense is: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing (Present Participle) + Object.
• In this transformation, is being designed changes to is designing because the new subject our team is a collective noun acting as a singular unit in this context.
• The phrase a state-of-the-art software program, which was the subject in the passive voice, correctly shifts to the Object position in the active voice.
• The infinitive phrase to enhance the efficiency of our business operations remains unchanged as it functions as an adverbial modifier indicating purpose.

 Additional Information

• Voice Transformation Rules:
• Present Perfect Tense: Option 2 uses has designed, which corresponds to the passive form has been designed. This represents a completed action rather than an ongoing one.
• Future Continuous Tense: Option 3 uses will be designing, which refers to an action that will occur in the future, changing the temporal context of the original statement.
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense: Option 4 uses has been designing, which emphasizes the duration of an action starting in the past and continuing to the present, which does not match the is being construction.
• Agent Identification: In passive voice, the performer of the action is often preceded by the preposition by. In active voice, this agent must lead the sentence to show direct agency.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The sentence describes a completed experience or a state that has been true up to the point of the narrative. The phrase "most forlorn and desolate place" is a superlative comparison.
• When using a superlative adjective (like most forlorn), it is grammatically correct to follow it with the Present Perfect Tense to indicate an experience "up to that point in time."
• The structure for the Present Perfect Tense is: Subject + have/has + past participle (V3).
• Therefore, the underlined part "I am ever seeing" (Present Continuous) should be replaced with "I have ever seen" (Present Perfect).
• The adverb "ever" is commonly used with the Present Perfect to emphasize that something is the best, worst, or "most" of something in one's entire experience.

Therefore, the correct answer is I have ever seen.

 

Correct Sentence: "The schoolroom into which he took me was the most forlorn and desolate place I have ever seen."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: No improvement required – Incorrect because the Present Continuous ("am seeing") implies an action currently in progress, which does not fit the context of a completed observation or a superlative comparison.
• Option 2: I have ever seeing – Grammatically incorrect because the auxiliary verb "have" must be followed by the past participle (V3), not the present participle (-ing form).
• Option 4: I am ever seen – Incorrect because it changes the voice to passive ("I am seen"), which implies that someone else is looking at the speaker, which is not the intended meaning.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The error lies in part 4 of the sentence due to the incorrect use of the present participle ('sorting out') instead of an infinitive phrase.
• In English grammar, when expressing the purpose or reason for an action (why the meeting was held), the to-infinitive ('to sort out') is generally used.
• The phrase 'sorting out' suggests a continuous action happening simultaneously, whereas the intent of the Board was to hold a meeting for the purpose of resolving the issue.
• Therefore, the phrase 'sorting out' should be replaced with 'to sort out' to make the sentence grammatically sound.

Therefore, the correct answer is 4.

 

Correct Sentence: 'The Board of Directors held a meeting to sort out the issue of the NPAs of the bank.'

 

Additional Information

• NPAs: Stands for Non-Performing Assets, referring to loans or advances that are in default or in arrears.
• Option 1 & 2: These segments correctly identify the subject of the meeting ('the issue of the NPAs') and are prepositionally accurate.
• Option 3: 'The Board of Directors held' is the correct subject-verb structure in the past tense.
• **Usage

Note:

** While 'for sorting out' could also be used to indicate purpose in some contexts, 'to sort out' is the most standard and idiomatic choice following the noun 'meeting'.