English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is: Skillful.

Key Points

• The word "Deft" means someone who is skillful, adept, or quick in their movements or actions. (निपुण, कुशल)
• Example: The painter's deft strokes brought the artwork to life.
• "Skillful" refers to having or showing skill, especially in doing something well. (कुशल)
• Example: The surgeon performed the operation in a skillful manner, ensuring the patient's safety.
• Hence, we can conclude that the synonym of "Deft" is "Skillful".

Therefore, the correct answer is: Skillful.

Additional Information

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

• Inept (अयोग्य): Lacking skill or ability to do something effectively.
• Example: His inept handling of the situation made things worse.
• Awkward (अटपटा): Lacking grace or ease in movement or handling.
• Example: The awkward silence during the meeting made everyone uncomfortable.
• Clumsy (अनाड़ी): Lacking dexterity or grace; prone to accidents or mishaps.
• Example: She dropped the vase due to her clumsy grip.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: They told us that we needn't bring anything.
• Key Conversions:
• "needn't bring anything" becomes "You needn't bring anything."
• The modal verb "needn't" remains the same as the context and tense are unchanged.
• Pronoun "we" is converted to "you" to match the direct speech perspective.
• Reporting verb:
• Indirect: "They told us."
• Converted to direct speech: "They said," maintaining a neutral tone.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Begins with a capital letter "You" and ends with a period "." inside the quotation marks.
• Reporting clause follows the quoted speech, separated by a comma.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "You needn't bring anything," they said.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "You don't need to bring anything," they said.
• Although grammatically correct, it changes "needn't" to "don't need to," which alters the conciseness and style of the original sentence.
• Option 2: "You didn’t need to bring anything," they said.
• Tense is incorrect, as "didn’t need" changes the present context to the past.
• Option 4: "You must not bring anything," they said.
• "Must not" indicates prohibition, which significantly changes the meaning of the original statement.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• In the given passive voice sentence: "He is known to me."
• To convert to active voice: Identify the subject "he" and the object "me."
• The correct active voice sentence is: "I know him."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "I know him."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "I knew him." – Incorrect because it uses past tense instead of present.
• Option 3: "I had known him." – Incorrect because it uses past perfect tense.
• Option 4: "I know about him." – Incorrect because it adds "about" which changes the meaning of the sentence.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The phrase "in the prize distribution function" is not commonly used and appears awkward in the given context.
• Instead of "in the prize distribution function," the correct phrase should be "at the prize distribution ceremony" to maintain proper usage and clarity.
• The word "function" is less appropriate compared to "ceremony" in this context as it refers to a formal event.
• Thus, the error is located in Option 2 of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "She delivered a speech at the prize distribution ceremony."

The correct answer is option 4.

Key Points

• The correctly spelt word is 'Questionnaire'.​
• The word 'Questionnaire' is a noun that refers to 'a set of printed or written questions used for gathering information'. (प्रश्नावली)
• A 'Questionnaire' is commonly used in research, surveys, or studies to collect data or opinions from individuals.
• For Example: The marketing team created a detailed questionnaire to understand customer preferences.
• Thus option 4 is correct answer.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• Active voice structure: The subject performs the action on the object.
• Original sentence in passive voice: "The final draft of the report has been reviewed by the supervisor thoroughly."
• Converted to active voice: The subject "the supervisor" is performing the action "has reviewed" on the object "the final draft of the report."
• The correct active voice sentence is: "The supervisor has reviewed the final draft of the report thoroughly."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "The supervisor has reviewed the final draft of the report thoroughly."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "The final draft was reviewed by the supervisor thoroughly." – This is in the past tense passive voice, not active.
• Option 3: "The supervisor was reviewing the final draft thoroughly." – This is in the past continuous tense, which does not match the original sentence.
• Option 4: "The supervisor had reviewed the final draft thoroughly." – This is in the past perfect tense, which does not match the original sentence.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The phrase "confident to win" is incorrect because the word "confident" is typically followed by the preposition "of" when expressing certainty about achieving something.
• The correct construction is "confident of winning," which aligns with proper grammatical usage.
• The other options ("in winning," "in win the match," and "to winning the match") are either grammatically incorrect or do not fit the context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "She is confident of winning the match."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "in winning" – While grammatically correct in other contexts, it is not appropriate here as it does not follow the verb "confident."
• Option 3: "in win the match" – This is incorrect because the phrase "win" should be in its gerund form ("winning") when preceded by a preposition.
• Option 4: "to winning the match" – This phrase is grammatically incorrect because "confident" does not pair with the preposition "to."

The correct answer is: Abandon.

Key Points

• The word "Relinquish" means to voluntarily give up something, especially a possession, claim, or right. (त्याग करना)
• Example: She decided to relinquish her control over the project to allow others to take charge.
• "Abandon" means to give up completely or leave something behind. (त्याग देना)
• Example: He had to abandon the car due to mechanical failure during the trip.
• Hence, the synonym of "Relinquish" is "Abandon".

Therefore, the correct answer is: Abandon.

Additional Information

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

• Maintain (बनाए रखना): To keep something in existence or continue at a certain level.
• Example: He tries to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Continue (जारी रखना): To persist in an activity or process.
• Example: The teacher asked the students to continue their work quietly.
• Retain (रखना): To keep possession of something or hold onto it.
• Example: She decided to retain her old books for future reference.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The sentence compares two actions: staying at home and going out. The correct structure for such comparisons is "Staying at home to going out."
• Option 3 is grammatically correct and ensures clarity in comparison.
• Options 1, 2, and 4 either use incorrect grammatical structures or fail to convey the intended meaning properly.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "She prefers staying at home to going out."

 

Additional Information

• "Staying at home" is the correct gerund form for the first action.
• "to going out" is the appropriate preposition and gerund combination for the comparison.
• Avoid using "rather" in this sentence as it disrupts the grammatical structure of the comparison.
• The sentence must maintain parallelism between the two actions being compared.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The sentence requires an inversion structure because it begins with the adverb "Hardly."
• When a sentence starts with a negative adverb like "Hardly," the subject and auxiliary verb are inverted to maintain grammatical correctness.
• The correct structure is "Hardly had he reached," where "had" is placed before the subject "he."
• Other options either do not follow the inversion rule or are grammatically incorrect.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "Hardly had he reached the station when the train left."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "He had hardly reached" – This option does not place the auxiliary verb "had" before the subject "he," which is required after "Hardly."
• Option 3: "No sooner he reached" – This option is incorrect because "No sooner" also requires inversion (e.g., "No sooner had he reached").
• Option 4: "He hardly had reached" – This option is incorrect as it does not follow the inversion rule required after "Hardly."

The correct answer is 'banned'.

 

Key Points

• The word "banned" means to prohibit or restrict something officially. (प्रतिबंधित)
• The sentence indicates that the new policy has officially prohibited the use of plastic bags in the store.
• The other options: "bond," "bend," and "band" do not fit the context as appropriately.

​Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 2'.

Complete Sentence: The new policy has banned the use of plastic bags in the store.

Additional Information

• Bond (बंधन): means a connection or tie between people or things.
• Bend (झुकना): means to curve or change the shape.
• Band (बैंड): means a group of musicians or a strip used for binding.

The correct answer is: Option 1.

Key Points

• The idiom "Turn a deaf ear" means to deliberately ignore advice, requests, or warnings. (सलाह, अनुरोध या चेतावनी को जानबूझकर अनदेखा करना)
• Example: Despite repeated warnings about the storm, the fishermen turned a deaf ear and ventured into the sea.
• "Ignore advice" refers to the act of consciously deciding not to pay attention to the guidance or suggestions provided by someone. (सलाह को नजरअंदाज करना)
• Example: She ignored her friend's advice to save money and spent it all on shopping.
• Hence, the idiom "Turn a deaf ear" perfectly aligns with the meaning of "Ignore advice."

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1.

Additional Information

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

• Option 2: Argue (बहस करना): To express opposite views in a discussion or debate.
• Example: They started to argue about which movie to watch.
• Option 3: Listen carefully (ध्यान से सुनना): To pay close attention to what someone is saying.
• Example: She listened carefully to the teacher's instructions before starting the exam.
• Option 4: Reply angrily (गुस्से में जवाब देना): To respond to someone in a hostile or irritated manner.
• Example: He replied angrily when his boss criticized his work.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: Ravi said that he would be joining the new office soon.
• Key Conversions:
• "will be joining" becomes "would be joining":
• The modal verb "will" in direct speech changes to "would" in indirect speech to reflect the backshift in tense.
• The subject "I" becomes "he":
• The first-person pronoun "I" is replaced with "he" to match the subject of the reporting verb (Ravi).
• The rest of the sentence remains unchanged:
• The phrase "the new office soon" remains the same in both direct and indirect speech.
• Reporting Verb:
• The reporting verb "said" is retained as it is appropriate for both direct and indirect speech.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Quotation marks are removed in indirect speech.
• The sentence is written in reported speech format without changing the original meaning.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: Ravi said that he would be joining the new office soon.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Ravi said that he joins the new office soon."
• Incorrect tense: "joins" is in the present tense, which does not match the past reporting verb "said."
• Option 2: "Ravi said that he would join the new office soon."
• Partially correct, but it does not retain the progressive aspect of "will be joining."
• Option 3: "Ravi said that he will be joining the new office soon."
• Incorrect modal: "will" should be changed to "would" to match the rules of tense backshifting in indirect speech.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• Passive voice structure: The object of the active voice sentence becomes the subject of the passive voice sentence.
• In the active voice, the sentence is: "They should have been following the instructions carefully."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "the instructions" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "should have been following" to "should have been being followed" (modal perfect continuous passive).
• Ensure that the adverb "carefully" remains at the end of the sentence for clarity.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "The instructions should have been being followed carefully."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The instructions should be followed carefully." – Incorrect as it changes the tense to present modal passive.
• Option 3: "The instructions should have been followed carefully." – Incorrect as it represents the passive of the 'Modal Perfect' tense.
• Option 4: "The instructions should followed carefully." – Incorrect as it omits the auxiliary verb "be" needed for passive voice.

The correct answer is 'into'.

 

Key Points

• The preposition "into" is used to indicate movement towards the interior of a place or object.
• In this context, the thief "broke into" the house, which is the correct usage.
• Options 1, 3, and 4 are grammatically incorrect in this context.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Complete Sentence: "The thief broke into the house."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "by" is incorrect because "by" indicates proximity or method, not entry.
• Option 3: "in" is incorrect because "broke in" is incomplete without "into" for this context.
• Option 4: "at" is incorrect because "at" indicates location, not movement.

The correct answer is: Option 1, i.e., "Lake with them."

Key Points

• The idiom "Pull someone's leg" means to tease someone in a playful or lighthearted manner. (मज़ाक करना)
• Example: I thought he was being serious, but he was just pulling my leg about winning the lottery.
• "Joke with them" (Option 1) is the correct answer because it aligns with the playful teasing implied in the idiom. (उनके साथ मज़ाक करना)
• Example: Stop pulling my leg about my new haircut—it’s actually nice!

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1, i.e., "Lake with them."

Additional Information

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

• Option 2: Praise them (प्रशंसा करना): To express admiration or approval for someone.
• Example: The teacher praised the student for her excellent performance in class.
• Option 3: Annoy them (परेशान करना): To irritate or bother someone.
• Example: His constant interruptions were starting to annoy everyone at the meeting.
• Option 4: Criticize them (आलोचना करना): To express disapproval of someone or something.
• Example: The movie critics harshly criticized the new film for its weak storyline.

The correct answer is: Option 2 i.e. "Don't assume success before it happens."

Key Points

• The proverb "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" means that one should not make plans or assume outcomes based on events that haven't yet occurred. (अधूरे कार्यों पर पहले से ही परिणाम मान लेना गलत है।)
• Example: He was so confident about the deal that he bought a car before it was finalized, only to lose the deal later. Truly, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch."
• "Success before it happens" implies that we should not celebrate or depend on outcomes until they are certain and finalized. (सफलता को निश्चित होने से पहले मान लेना।)
• Example: She planned a party for winning the competition, but she didn't actually win. This taught her not to assume success before it happens.
• Hence, we can conclude that the meaning of the proverb is "Don't assume success before it happens."

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 2.

Additional Information

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

• Option 1: Hatching eggs is an unpredictable process (अंडों का फूटना एक अप्रत्याशित प्रक्रिया है।): While this is true in some cases, the proverb does not specifically refer to the unpredictability of hatching eggs.
• Example: Farmers often say that hatching eggs is an unpredictable process, but this is not what the proverb means.
• Option 3: Chickens should be counted immediately after hatching (मुर्गियों को अंडे से निकलने के तुरंत बाद गिनना चाहिए।): This is a literal interpretation and does not reflect the actual meaning of the proverb.
• Example: Counting chickens immediately after hatching might be practical, but it misses the point of the proverb.
• Option 4: Always count your livestock carefully (हमेशा अपने पशुधन को ध्यानपूर्वक गिनें।): While counting livestock is important, this option is unrelated to the metaphorical lesson of the proverb.
• Example: Farmers are advised to count their livestock carefully, but this does not capture the essence of the proverb.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• The verb "succeeded" is typically followed by the preposition "in" when referring to an achievement or accomplishment.
• The phrase "to win" is incorrect in this context. It should be replaced with "in winning."
• The correct sentence structure should be: "He succeeded in winning the prize."

Therefore, the error is located in Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "He succeeded in winning the prize."

The correct answer is: Promote.

Key Points

• The word "Foster" means to encourage the development or growth of something, often by providing care and support. (प्रोत्साहित करना, पालन-पोषण करना)
• Example: The teacher worked hard to foster creativity in her students.
• "Promote" refers to actively supporting or encouraging something to flourish or progress. (बढ़ावा देना)
• Example: She was promoted to a managerial position because of her exceptional performance.
• Hence, the synonym of "Foster" is "Promote".

Therefore, the correct answer is: Promote.

Additional Information

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

• Neglect (उपेक्षा करना): To fail to take care of or give proper attention to something or someone.
• Example: The gardener neglected the plants, and many of them withered away.
• Reject (अस्वीकार करना): To refuse to accept, consider, or use something.
• Example: The editor rejected the manuscript because it lacked originality.
• Oppose (विरोध करना): To actively resist or challenge something.
• Example: The citizens opposed the construction of the factory due to environmental concerns.

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 documents are being submitted by the secretary."
• To convert to active voice: Place the subject "the secretary" at the beginning.
• Change the passive verb form "are being submitted" to "is submitting" (present continuous active).

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "The secretary is submitting the documents."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The secretary submits the documents." – Incorrect tense (simple present active).
• Option 2: "The secretary has submitted the documents." – Incorrect tense (present perfect active).
• Option 4: "The secretary was submitting the documents." – Incorrect tense (past continuous active).