English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is: Idiosyncrasy.

Key Points

• The word "Idiosyncrasy" refers to a person's peculiar habit, behavior, or characteristic that is unique to them. (विशिष्ट आदत या लक्षण)
• Example: Her idiosyncrasy of tapping her fingers while thinking made her stand out among her peers.
• Hence, the term "idiosyncrasy" is the most appropriate substitution for the phrase "a person's peculiar habit or mannerism."

Therefore, the correct answer is: Idiosyncrasy.

Additional Information

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

• Illusion (माया): A false perception or deceptive appearance of reality.
• Example: The magician's tricks created an illusion of objects disappearing into thin air.
• Hypocrisy (पाखंड): The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs that one's actions do not conform to.
• Example: His hypocrisy was evident when he preached honesty but was caught lying.
• Eccentricity (विचित्रता): Unusual or odd behavior that deviates from the norm.
• Example: The artist's eccentricity was reflected in his unconventional paintings.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The paragraph begins by introducing the growing concern of cybersecurity in today's digital age.
• Sentence 1 is the first sentence as it introduces the topic of cybersecurity:
• "Cybersecurity is a growing concern in the digital age."
• Sentence 4 follows as it explains what cybersecurity means:
• "It means protecting computer systems from attacks by hackers."
• Sentence 3 is the third sentence as it highlights the threats posed by hackers:
• "Hackers use advanced techniques to steal personal and financial data."
• Sentence 2 is the fourth as it discusses preventive measures to combat these threats:
• "Strong passwords, encryption, and awareness can help prevent cybercrimes."
• The correct sequence is 1-4-3-2.

 

Coherent paragraph after rearrangement:

"Cybersecurity is a growing concern in the digital age. It means protecting computer systems from attacks by hackers. Hackers use advanced techniques to steal personal and financial data. Strong passwords, encryption, and awareness can help prevent cybercrimes."

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: The man ordered them to be quiet and listen carefully.
• Key Conversions:
• "Be quiet and listen carefully" becomes "to be quiet and listen carefully"
• The imperative mood in direct speech ("Be") is converted to an infinitive phrase ("to be") in indirect speech.
• The verb "listen" remains unchanged but is included in the infinitive phrase.
• Reporting verb:
• Direct: "said"
• Converted to: "ordered" to convey the tone of command.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is replaced with an indirect structure, removing quotation marks.
• The sentence is adjusted to reflect the tone of command.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: The man ordered them to be quiet and listen carefully.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The man said to be quiet and to listen carefully."
• Does not accurately reflect the tone of command.
• Option 3: "The man asked to be quiet and listen."
• The verb "asked" does not convey the commanding tone of the original sentence.
• Option 4: "The man advised them to be quiet."
• The verb "advised" changes the tone from a command to a suggestion.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The word "returned" already implies coming back to a place, so using "back" with it is redundant.
• The phrase "returned back" is incorrect and should be replaced with just "returned."
• Thus, the error is located in Option 4 of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "I returned from Mumbai last week."

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The subject of the passive sentence becomes the object of the active sentence.
• In the given passive voice sentence: "The keys were found by him under the old wooden table."
• To convert to active voice: Begin the sentence with the subject "He".
• Change the verb "were found" to its active form "found" and retain the object "the keys."
• Ensure the phrase "under the old wooden table" remains unchanged at the end of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "He found the keys under the old wooden table."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "He finds the keys under the old wooden table." – Incorrect tense (present simple).
• Option 2: "He was finding the keys under the old wooden table." – Incorrect tense (past continuous).
• Option 3: "He is finding the keys under the old wooden table." – Incorrect tense (present continuous)

The correct answer is 'for'.

 

Key Points

• The correct preposition used with the noun "affection" is "for."
• The expression "affection for someone" means having a feeling of love or fondness toward that person.
• Options to, of, and with are grammatically incorrect in this context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Complete Sentence: "She has great affection for her brother."

 

Additional Information

• Affection to – Incorrect, as it does not collocate naturally in English.
• Affection of – Incorrect; “of” shows possession, not relationship.
• Affection with – Incorrect, as these prepositions are not used after “affection.”

The correct answer is: Problem.

Key Points

• The word "Conundrum" means a confusing and difficult problem or question. (पेंचीदा समस्या)
• Example: Solving the conundrum of climate change requires global cooperation and innovative thinking.
• "Problem" refers to a situation, matter, or condition that is difficult to deal with or solve. (समस्या)
• Example: The engineers worked tirelessly to resolve the technical problem with the new software.
• Hence, we can infer that the synonym of 'Conundrum' is 'Problem'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Problem.

Additional Information

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

• Triumph (विजय): A great victory or achievement.
• Example: Winning the championship was a remarkable triumph for the team.
• Celebration (उत्सव): The act of marking a special occasion with festivities or enjoyment.
• Example: The family gathered for a joyous celebration of their grandmother’s 80^th birthday.
• Harmony (सामंजस्य): A state of agreement, peace, or unity.
• Example: The choir sang in perfect harmony, captivating the audience.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The sentence contains a redundancy issue with the phrase "who he stole."
• The pronoun "he" is unnecessary because "who" already serves as the subject of the relative clause.
• The correct construction is "who stole," which eliminates the redundancy and maintains grammatical accuracy.
• Thus, Option 4 is the best choice to improve the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "This is the boy who stole the purse."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "who had stole" – This option is incorrect because "had stole" is grammatically incorrect. The correct past perfect form would be "had stolen."
• Option 2: "which stole" – This option is incorrect because "which" is used for things, not people. The correct pronoun for a person is "who."
• Option 3: "whom stole" – This option is incorrect because "whom" is used as an object, not as the subject of a clause. The correct choice here is "who."

The correct answer is 'to'.

 

Key Points

• The preposition "to" is used when something is directed towards someone or something.
• In the sentence, Mahesh directs the ball in the direction of his friend, so 'to' is the correct preposition.
• Options 1 (at), 2 (against), and 4 (for) do not fit in this context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Complete Sentence: "Mahesh threw the ball to his friend, but he could not catch it."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "at" suggests throwing in an aggressive way, as in "throw at someone." (गलत)
• Option 2: "against" is used when something hits a surface, e.g., "threw the ball against the wall." (गलत)
• Option 4: "for" is incorrect because "throw for" does not convey the intended direction of action. (गलत)

The correct answer is: Delay.

Key Points

• The word "Defer" means to postpone or delay something to a later time. (स्थगित करना)
• Example: The meeting was deferred until next week due to scheduling conflicts.
• "Delay" refers to causing something to be later or slower than expected; it is closely related to the meaning of "defer." (विलंब करना)
• Example: The heavy traffic caused a delay in their arrival.
• Hence, the synonym of "Defer" is "Delay."

Therefore, the correct answer is: Delay.

Additional Information

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

• Decline (अस्वीकार करना): To refuse or reject something.
• Example: She politely declined the invitation to the party.
• Reject (ठुकराना): To refuse to accept, consider, or agree to something.
• Example: The application was rejected due to incomplete information.
• Proceed (आगे बढ़ना): To continue or move forward in an action or process.
• Example: After the announcement, the meeting proceeded as planned.

The correct answer is 'to'.

 

Key Points

• The preposition "to" is used when something is directed towards someone or something.
• In the sentence, Mahesh directs the ball in the direction of his friend, so 'to' is the correct preposition.
• Options 1 (at), 2 (against), and 4 (for) do not fit in this context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Complete Sentence: "Mahesh threw the ball to his friend, but he could not catch it."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "at" suggests throwing in an aggressive way, as in "throw at someone." (गलत)
• Option 2: "against" is used when something hits a surface, e.g., "threw the ball against the wall." (गलत)
• Option 4: "for" is incorrect because "throw for" does not convey the intended direction of action. (गलत)

The correct answer is: Plentiful.

Key Points

• The word "Abundant" means existing or available in large quantities; plentiful. (प्रचुर)
• Example: The area has an abundant supply of fresh water.
• "Plentiful" refers to something that exists in great quantities. (भरपूर)
• Example: Strawberries are plentiful in the summer months.
• Hence, the word 'Abundant' is synonymous with 'Plentiful'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Plentiful.

Additional Information

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

• Meagre (अल्प): Lacking in quantity or quality.
• Example: They were forced to supplement their meagre earnings.
• Scarce (दुर्लभ): Insufficient for the demand.
• Example: Food was becoming scarce as the winter continued.
• Sparse (विरल): Thinly dispersed or scattered.
• Example: Information on the subject is sparse.
• Insufficient (अपर्याप्त): Not enough; inadequate.
• Example: There was insufficient evidence to convict him.

The correct answer is 'on'.

 

Key Points

• The phrase "keen on" is a commonly used expression that means being eager or enthusiastic about something.
• Here, the sentence implies that the students were eager to participate, so "on" is the appropriate preposition to use.
• Options 2, 3, and 4 are incorrect because they do not fit grammatically with "keen" in this context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Complete Sentence: "The students were keen on participating."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "with" is incorrect because "keen with" is not a standard expression in English.
• Option 3: "for" is incorrect because "keen for" does not convey the intended meaning in this context.
• Option 4: "in" is incorrect because "keen in" is not the correct collocation here.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• In the given passive voice sentence, the action is being performed on the subject by the members of the committee.
• To convert to active voice, make the members of the committee the subject performing the action.
• The phrase "should have been reviewed properly" changes to "should have reviewed the law properly" to align with active voice structure.
• The time reference "last year" remains unchanged, and the phrase "which was passed in the parliament" is retained to provide context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "The members of the committee should have reviewed the law properly, which the parliament passed last year."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The parliament should have reviewed the law properly, which the members of the committee passed last year." – Incorrect subject performing the action.
• Option 3: "The law should have reviewed the members of the committee properly which the parliament passed last year." – Incorrect structure; the law cannot perform the action.
• Option 4: "The members of the committee should have reviewed the law properly, which was passed in the parliament last year." – Incorrect use of passive phrase "was passed" without aligning it to active voice.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• In the passive voice, the sentence is: "The plants were watered by the gardener every morning."
• To convert to active voice: Place the subject "the gardener" at the beginning.
• Change the passive verb form "were watered" to "watered" (simple past active).
• Retain the time phrase "every morning" at the end of the sentence for clarity.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "The gardener watered the plants every morning."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The gardener has watered the plants every morning." – Incorrect tense (present perfect).
• Option 2: "The gardener waters the plants every morning." – Incorrect tense (present simple).
• Option 4: "The gardener is watering the plants every morning." – Incorrect tense (present continuous).

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• In the passive voice, the sentence is: "The walls are being painted by the workers."
• To convert to active voice: Place the subject "the workers" at the beginning.
• Change the passive verb form "are being painted" to "are painting" (present continuous active).
• Ensure the object "the walls" remains at the end of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "The workers are painting the walls."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The workers painted the walls." – Incorrect tense (past simple).
• Option 2: "The workers were painting the walls." – Incorrect tense (past continuous).
• Option 4: "The workers paint the walls." – Incorrect tense (present simple).

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The phrase "cousin sister" is incorrect because the term "cousin" itself is gender-neutral and does not require an additional gender-specific word.
• Adding "sister" or "brother" after "cousin" is unnecessary and redundant.
• The correct and concise way to refer to her would simply be "cousin."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "She is my cousin."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "cousin sibling" – This phrase is incorrect because "sibling" refers to brothers and sisters, and it is redundant when combined with "cousin."
• Option 2: "own cousin" – This phrase is unnecessary as the word "cousin" already implies a relationship without needing "own."
• Option 3: "cousin girl" – This phrase is incorrect and ungrammatical because "cousin" does not need a gender-specific qualifier like "girl."

The correct answer is 'of'.

 

Key Points

• The correct preposition to use with "apprised" is "of" because it indicates being informed about something.
• The verb "apprised" typically takes the preposition "of" to convey the meaning of being notified or informed.
• Option 2 (about) is incorrect because "apprised" does not collocate with "about" in formal usage.
• Option 1 (to), Option 2 (at), and Option 4 (at) are grammatically incorrect in this context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Complete Sentence: "The minister was apprised of the current situation."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "about" is incorrect because "apprised about" is less formal and not commonly used in standard English.
• Option 1: "to" is incorrect because "apprised to" does not make sense grammatically.
• Option 4: "at" is incorrect because "apprised at" is not a valid construction.

The correct answer is: Childish.

Key Points

• The word "Juvenile" refers to something related to young people, particularly children or adolescents. It can also describe immature or childish behavior. (किशोर / बचकाना)
• Example: The juvenile books section in the library has stories specifically meant for young readers.
• "Childish" means behavior or characteristics that resemble those of a child, often implying immaturity or silliness. (बचकाना)
• Example: His childish attitude made it difficult for the team to take him seriously.
• Hence, we can infer that the synonym of "Juvenile" is "Childish".

Therefore, the correct answer is: Childish.

Additional Information

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

• Ancient (प्राचीन): Refers to something very old or belonging to the distant past.
• Example: The ancient ruins of the temple attract thousands of tourists every year.
• Grown-up (वयस्क): Refers to an adult or someone who has matured.
• Example: She acts like a grown-up even though she's only fourteen.
• Elder (बुजुर्ग): Refers to someone older in age, often implying wisdom or respect due to age.
• Example: The elders of the community were consulted before making the decision.

The correct answer is 'of'.

 

Key Points

• The preposition "of" is used to indicate the parts or components of something.
• In this context, "of" is the correct choice to describe the composition of the book.
• Options 1, 2, and 3 are incorrect because they do not fit grammatically or logically in this sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Complete Sentence: "The book consists of ten chapters."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "in" is incorrect because it does not indicate the composition or parts of something.
• Option 2: "from" is incorrect because it refers to origin or source, which is not applicable here.
• Option 3: "by" is incorrect because it refers to the agent or doer of an action, which is not the intended meaning.