English Comprehension PYQs

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: She said that she could bake cookies.
• Key Conversions:
• "she could bake" becomes "I can bake"
• Pronoun "she" is changed to "I" to match direct speech.
• Verb "could" is changed to "can" to match the present tense in direct speech.
• Reporting verb:
• Indirect: "she said"
• Converted to: "she said", maintaining the statement format.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Starts with a capital letter "I" and ends with a period ".".
• Reporting clause follows the quoted speech.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "She said, “I can bake cookies.”"

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: She had said, “I can bake cookies.”
• Changes the reporting verb to past perfect tense, which does not match the original sentence.
• Option 2: "She says, ‘I can bake cookies.’"
• Changes the reporting verb to present tense, which does not match the original sentence
• Option 4: "She said, ‘I may bake cookies.’"
• Changes the verb from "can" to "may", altering the meaning of the sentence.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

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: "Sastri sings devotional songs superbly."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "devotional songs" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "sings" to "are sung" (present simple passive).
• Add the preposition "by" followed by the original subject "Sastri."
• Ensure the adverb "superbly" remains at the end of the sentence for clarity.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "Sastri sings devotional songs superbly."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Sastri has been singing devotional songs superbly." – This indicates a continuous action in the present perfect continuous tense, which is not necessary here.
• Option 2: "Sastri has superbly sung devotional songs." – This is in the present perfect tense, which is not the correct tense for the given sentence.
• Option 3: "Sastri is singing devotional songs superbly." – This indicates an ongoing action in the present continuous tense, which does not match the original passive sentence.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: She said she was seeing her brother the following day.
• Key Conversions:
• "She was seeing" becomes "I am seeing"
• Pronoun "she" is converted to "I" to match direct speech.
• Verb "was seeing" is changed to "am seeing" as the reporting verb "said" indicates present intent.
• "the following day" becomes "tomorrow"
• The time phrase "the following day" in indirect speech is converted to "tomorrow" in direct speech.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Starts with a capital letter "I" and ends with a period inside the quotation marks.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "She said, ‘I am seeing my brother tomorrow.’"

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "She said, 'I should see my brother tomorrow.'" – Incorrect modal verb ("should" instead of "am").
• Option 2: "She said, 'I was seeing my brother tomorrow.'" – Incorrect verb tense ("was seeing" instead of "am seeing").
• Option 3: "She says, 'I will see my brother tomorrow.'" – Incorrect reporting verb ("says" instead of "said"), changing the tense.

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: She asked me why I was not eating.
• Key Conversions:
• "why I was not eating" becomes "Why are you not eating?"
• Pronoun "I" is changed to "you" to match direct speech.
• Verb "was" is changed to "are" to match present tense in direct questions.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Starts with a capital letter "Why" and ends with a question mark "?".
• Reporting clause follows the quoted speech, starting with a lowercase letter after the comma.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "“Why are you not eating?” she said."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "She said, “Why is he not eating?”"
• Pronoun "he" is incorrect; it should be "you" to match the direct speech conversion.
• Option 3: “She said, “Why am I not eating?”"
• Pronoun "I" is incorrect; it should be "you" to match the direct speech conversion.
• Option 4: "She said, “Why don’t you eat?”"
• Sentence structure changes the context and meaning.

The correct answer is 'above'.

 

Key Points

• The phrase "over and above" is an idiom that means in addition to something.
• In the given sentence, it indicates that besides being hardworking, the person is also thoroughly honest.
• Options 1, 2, and 4 do not fit the context and are grammatically incorrect here.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Complete Sentence: "Over and above being hardworking, he is thoroughly honest."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "ever" is incorrect because it does not fit the context of the sentence.
• Option 2: "over" is incorrect on its own in this context.
• Option 4: "again" is incorrect because it does not fit the context of the sentence.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: He said that he had finished his homework.
• Key Conversions:
• Pronoun:
• In direct speech, the pronoun "I" is changed to "he" to match the subject of the reporting verb.
• Tense:
• The present perfect tense "have finished" is changed to the past perfect tense "had finished" in indirect speech.
• Reporting verb:
• The reporting verb "said" remains unchanged as no additional action (e.g., asking, telling) is indicated.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is converted into a subordinate clause introduced by "that."
• Quotation marks are removed in indirect speech.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "He said that he had finished his homework."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "He said that he would finish his homework." – Incorrect tense (future simple instead of past perfect).
• Option 3: "He said that he had to finish his homework." – Changes the meaning (obligation instead of completion).
• Option 4: "He said that he has finished his homework." – Incorrect tense (present perfect instead of past perfect).

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The sentence "Vishnu and his friends were listening to the radio all morning." is grammatically correct.
• There is no error in any part of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1: No error.

 

Correct Sentence: "Vishnu and his friends were listening to the radio all morning."

 

Additional Information

• Vishnu and his friends: The subject of the sentence is correct and plural, matching the plural verb.
• were listening to: The verb phrase is in the correct past continuous tense.
• the radio all morning: The object and the time expression are correctly used in the sentence.

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.
• In the active voice, the sentence is: "Some youngsters were helping the wounded woman."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "the wounded woman" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "were helping" to "was being helped" (past continuous passive).
• Add the preposition "by" followed by the original subject "some youngsters."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "Some youngsters were helping the wounded woman."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "Some youngsters have helped the wounded woman." – Incorrect tense (present perfect).
• Option 3: "The woman found help by some youngsters." – Incorrect structure.
• Option 4: "Some youngsters helped the wounded woman." – Incorrect tense (simple past).

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: She explained that she was playing the keyboard.
• Key Conversions:
• Pronoun:
• In direct speech, the pronoun "I" is changed to "she" to match the subject of the reporting verb.
• Tense:
• The present continuous tense "am playing" is converted to the past continuous tense "was playing" in indirect speech.
• Reporting verb:
• The reporting verb "explained" indicates a statement providing clarification, which remains unchanged.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is converted into a subordinate clause introduced by "that."
• Quotation marks are removed in indirect speech.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "She explained that she was playing the keyboard."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "She said that she is playing the keyboard." – Incorrect tense (present continuous instead of past continuous).
• Option 3: "She said that she had been playing the keyboard." – Incorrect tense (past perfect continuous instead of past continuous).
• Option 4: "She explained that she is playing the keyboard." – Incorrect tense (present continuous instead of past continuous).

The correct answer is 'succumbed to death' 

Key Points

• In the given sentence, the phrase 'succumbed with death' is incorrect.
• The correct phrase is 'succumbed to death' because succumbed is generally followed by the preposition 'to'.
• The other options 'succumbed in death', 'succumbed by death', and 'succumbed into death' are grammatically incorrect.

Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

The correct answer is: Option 2 i.e. Professional.

Key Points

• The word "amateur" means a person who engages in a pursuit, especially a sport, on an unpaid basis. (शौकिया)
• Example: He is an amateur photographer who takes pictures as a hobby, not as a job.
• "Professional" refers to a person engaged or qualified in a profession. (पेशेवर)
• Example: She is a professional musician who performs in concerts and records music for a living.
• Hence, we can infer that the opposite of 'amateur' is 'professional'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 2 i.e. Professional.

Additional Information

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

• Prefect (प्रधान छात्र): A senior student authorized to enforce discipline.
• Example: He was chosen as the school prefect for his leadership qualities.
• Assistant (सहायक): A person who helps in particular work.
• Example: She works as an assistant to the manager, helping with daily tasks.
• Chef (रसोइया): A professional cook, typically the chief cook in a restaurant or hotel.
• Example: The chef prepared a gourmet meal for the guests.

The correct answer is Option (3) i.e. RSPQ.

 

Key Points

• The sentence begins with the subject "museums," which is correctly indicated by part (R).
• Following the subject, "are always" (R) continues the logical sequence, making it clear what museums are.
• The next part, "treasure troves of information showcasing objects of historic, scientific and cultural interest," starts the explanation about the museums, indicated by (SP).
• Ending with "by taking us back in time" (Q) completes the sentence by stating the function of museums.

Therefore, the correct answer is RSPQ.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 (SPQR): This option starts with "treasure troves of information showcasing objects of historic, scientific and cultural interest," which is incomplete and does not make sense grammatically.
• Option 2 (PQSR): This option starts with "showcasing objects of historic, scientific and cultural interest by taking us back in time," which makes the sentence incorrect as the explanation starts too early, missing contextual flow.
• Option 4 (QSPR): This option starts with "by taking us back in time treasure troves of information," which creates a fragmented and confusing sentence structure.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The sentence talks about traits that are currently relevant and important, indicating the use of the present tense.
• The correct verb form to use in this context is "are" which matches the plural subject "Elegance and intelligence."
• Using the past tense verb "had" is incorrect, as it implies the traits were important only in the past.
• Other options like "has been" or "am being" do not align with the subject-verb agreement or sentence structure.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "Elegance and intelligence are the two most important traits of young ladies."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "has been the" – Incorrect because it implies singularity, while the subject is plural.
• Option 2: "been the" – Incorrect because it lacks an auxiliary verb, making it grammatically incomplete.
• Option 4: "am being the" – Incorrect because it is inappropriate for the context and subject-verb agreement.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

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: "Parents should be respected by their children."
• To convert to active voice: Place the subject "Children" at the beginning.
• Change the passive verb form "should be respected" to "should respect" (modal verb + base verb).
• Ensure the object "their parents" follows the verb for clarity.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "Children should respect their parents."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Children are to respect their parents." – Incorrect structure, not the direct conversion.
• Option 2: "Children should be respecting their parents." – Incorrect continuous form.
• Option 3: "Children shall be respecting their parents." – Incorrect use of "shall" and continuous form.

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: "Malathi loves Reena."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "Reena" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "loves" to "is loved" (present simple passive).
• Add the preposition "by" followed by the original subject "Malathi."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "Reena is loved by Malathi."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Reena is being loved by Malathi." – Incorrect tense (present continuous passive).
• Option 3: "Reena was being loved by Malathi." – Incorrect tense (past continuous passive).
• Option 4: "Reena was loved by Malathi." – Incorrect tense (simple past passive).

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• The primary issue in the sentence is the use of the word "most" instead of "mostly."
• The word "most" is incorrect in this context, as it should be an adverb modifying the verb "played".
• The correct word should be "mostly" to indicate that techno music was played most of the time at every party.
• Thus, the error is located in part 4 of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "It became a known fact that they mostly played techno music at every party."

The correct answer is: Option 3 i.e. Stupid.

Key Points

• The word "Ignoramus" means a person who is ignorant or lacks knowledge. (मूर्ख व्यक्ति)
• Example: Despite his arrogance, he was an ignoramus when it came to basic scientific facts.
• "Stupid" refers to a person who shows a lack of intelligence or common sense. (मूर्ख)
• Example: It was stupid of him to ignore the warning signs and go hiking in bad weather.
• Hence, we can infer that the synonym of 'Ignoramus' is 'Stupid'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 3 i.e. Stupid.

Additional Information

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

• Deceitful (धोखेबाज़): Misleading or dishonest.
• Example: His deceitful behavior caused a lot of mistrust among his colleagues.
• Playful (चंचल): Full of fun and high spirits.
• Example: The kittens were playful and chased each other around the room.
• Cautious (सावधान): Careful to avoid potential problems or dangers.
• Example: She was cautious when crossing the busy street.

The correct answer is: Option 1 i.e. up against the wall.

Key Points

• The word "up against the wall" means being in a difficult or desperate situation where options are limited. (मुश्किल में होना)
• Example: With the deadline approaching and no work done, the team was up against the wall.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1 i.e. up against the wall.

Additional Information

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

• Hitting the sack (सोने जाना): Going to bed to sleep.
• Example: After a long day at work, she was looking forward to hitting the sack early.
• A mare's nest (भ्रमपूर्ण स्थिति ): A complex and confused situation; a false discovery.
• Example: His claim of finding the treasure was nothing but a mare's nest.
• A damp squib (निराशाजनक परिणाम): Something that fails to meet expectations; an anticlimax.
• Example: The much-hyped event turned out to be a damp squib.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The primary issue in the sentence is the redundancy of the future tense "will" in "he will be."
• In a subordinate clause of time introduced by "when," the future tense is not used in English.
• The correct phrase should be "when he is ready," ensuring grammatical correctness and clarity.
• Thus, the error is located in part 3 of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "He will come when he is ready."

The correct answer is: Option 1.

Key Points

• The word "Hind" means situated at the back or rear; it often refers to the posterior part of something. (पीछे का भाग)
• Example: The hind legs of a horse are usually very strong.
• "Rear" refers to the back part of something, especially a building or vehicle; it is synonymous with hind. (पिछला भाग)
• Example: The rear door of the car was left open.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1.

Additional Information

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

• Fore (आगे का): Situated at the front.
• Example: The fore part of the ship hit the iceberg.
• Anterior (पूर्व का): Nearer to the front, especially situated in the front of the body or nearer to the head.
• Example: The anterior part of the brain is responsible for many higher functions.
• Ventral (पेट की ओर का): Pertaining to the abdomen or the front side of the body.
• Example: The ventral fins of the fish help in stability while swimming.