English Comprehension PYQs

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

Key Points

• The word "taciturnity" means the quality or state of being reserved or reticent in speech; being inclined to silence. (मौनता)
• Example: His taciturnity made him appear mysterious to many people in the office.
• "Silence" refers to the absence of sound or speech, aligning closely with the concept of taciturnity. (मौन)
• Example: The room was filled with an eerie silence after the announcement.
• Hence, we can infer that the synonym of 'taciturnity' is 'silence'.

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

Additional Information

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

• Eloquence (वाकपटुता): Fluent or persuasive speaking or writing.
• Example: The politician's eloquence won the hearts of many voters.
• Talkative (बातूनी): Fond of or given to talking a lot.
• Example: She is very talkative and loves to share her stories with everyone.
• Tactic (युक्ति): An action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific end.
• Example: The manager's tactic to boost sales was highly effective.

The correct answer is: Option 4 i.e. Nadir.

Key Points

• The word "Zenith" means the highest point or peak of something, often used to describe the pinnacle of success or achievement. (चरम)
• Example: Her career reached its zenith when she won the Nobel Prize.
• "Nadir" refers to the lowest point, often used to describe a situation that is at its worst or most unsuccessful. (निम्नतम बिंदु)
• Example: The company hit its nadir when it declared bankruptcy.
• Hence, we can infer that the opposite of 'Zenith' is 'Nadir'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Nadir.

Additional Information

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

• Peak (शिखर): The pointed top of a mountain or the highest level of something.
• Example: He was at the peak of his career when he retired.
• Height (ऊंचाई): The measurement from base to top or the highest level of something.
• Example: She is afraid of heights and avoids tall buildings.
• Sneak (चोरी-चुपके): To move quietly and secretly to avoid being noticed.
• Example: He tried to sneak out of the house without waking anyone.

The correct answer is 'defence'.

 

Key Points

• The Great Wall of China was constructed to link existing fortifications into a unified defence system.
• The primary purpose was to protect against invasions, particularly from Mongol tribes.
• The other options: "ecological," "corporate," and "irrigation" do not fit the context as appropriately.

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

Complete Sentence: The Great Wall of China was built to link existing fortifications into a united defence system and to keep the invading Mongol tribes out of China.

Additional Information

• Ecological (पारिस्थितिक): relating to the relationships between living organisms and their environment.
• Corporate (कॉर्पोरेट): relating to a large company or group.
• Irrigation (सिंचाई): the supply of water to land or crops to help growth.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: He told me that he would have finished the project by the following day.
• Key Conversions:
• "He would have finished the project by the following day" becomes "I will have finished the project by tomorrow"
• Future perfect tense "would have finished" is converted to "will have finished."
• Time expression "the following day" is changed to "tomorrow" to match direct speech.
• Pronoun "he" is changed to "I" to match direct speech.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Starts with a capital letter "I" and ends with a comma before the reporting clause.
• Reporting clause follows the quoted speech, starting with a lowercase letter after the comma.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "I will have finished the project by tomorrow," he said to me.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "I would finish the project," he said to me tomorrow.
• Incorrect tense: "would finish" instead of "will have finished".
• Incorrect time expression: "tomorrow" should follow the reporting clause.
• Option 2: "I will finish the project by the next day," he said to me.
• Incorrect time expression: "by the next day" should be "by tomorrow".
• Option 3: "I have finished the project by tomorrow," he said to me.
• Incorrect tense: "have finished" instead of "will have finished".
• Incorrect time expression: "by tomorrow" should follow the future perfect tense.

The correct answer is: Option 1 (broad).

Key Points

• The word "narrow" means limited in width, especially in comparison to length. (संकीर्ण)
• Example: The narrow path was difficult to navigate.
• "Broad" refers to having a wide distance from side to side. (चौड़ा)
• Example: We walked along the broad avenue filled with shops and cafes.
• Hence, we can infer that the opposite of 'narrow' is 'broad'.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1 (broad).

Additional Information

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

• Mild (हल्का): Not severe, serious, or harsh.
• Example: The weather was mild and pleasant.
• Straight (सीधा): Extending or moving uniformly in one direction only; without a curve or bend.
• Example: The road runs straight for miles.
• Slender (पतला): Gracefully thin.
• Example: She has a slender figure.

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: Jatin said that he had been at home the day before.
• Key Conversions:
• "I was at home yesterday" becomes "that he had been at home the day before"
• The pronoun "I" is changed to "he" to match the reporting subject.
• The verb "was" is changed to "had been" to reflect the past perfect tense.
• The time expression "yesterday" is converted to "the day before".
• Reporting verb:
• Direct: "said"
• Indirect: "said that"

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "Jatin said that he had been at home the day before."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Jatin said he was at home the day before."
• Tense is not correctly converted to past perfect.
• Option 2: "Jatin said he was at home."
• Does not specify the time reference "yesterday".
• Option 4: "Jatin said that he was at home yesterday."
• Does not convert the time expression "yesterday" to "the day before".

The correct answer is: Option 1 i.e. Understate.

Key Points

• The word "Exaggerate" means to describe something as larger or greater than it really is; to overstate. (अतिरंजित करना)
• Example: He tends to exaggerate the size of his accomplishments.
• "Understate" means to describe something as less important or smaller than it actually is; to downplay. (कम करके बताना)
• Example: She chose to understate the risks involved in the project.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Option 1 i.e. Understate.

Additional Information

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

• Emphasise (जोर देना): To give special importance or prominence to something.
• Example: The teacher emphasised the importance of completing homework on time.
• Embellish (सजाना): To make something more attractive by adding decorative details.
• Example: He embellished his story with interesting anecdotes.
• Neglect (अवहेलना करना): To fail to care for properly.
• Example: She felt neglected when her parents paid more attention to her younger brother.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The sentence is initially in passive voice: "This saree was bought by my son on the given occasion of my birthday." In passive voice, the object "this saree" comes before the verb, and the subject "my son" is introduced after the preposition "by."
• To convert the sentence to active voice, make "my son" the subject and place it at the beginning of the sentence.
• Additionally, change the verb from passive ("was bought") to the active voice verb ("bought").
• The correct active voice sentence is: "My son bought this saree on the occasion of my birthday."

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "My son bought this saree on the occasion of my birthday."

 

Additional Information

• Option 2: "My son had bought this saree on the occasion of my birthday." – Incorrect tense (past perfect, which is not needed here).
• Option 3: "My son has bought this saree on the occasion of my birthday." – Incorrect tense (present perfect, which is not needed here).
• Option 4: "My son has been bought the saree on the occasion of my birthday." – This is still in passive voice.

The correct answer is: Option 3 i.e. iron will.

Key Points

• The phrase "iron will" means a strong, determined, and unyielding willpower. (लोहे की तरह मजबूत इच्छाशक्ति)
• Example: Despite numerous setbacks, she pursued her goals with an iron will.
• "silver will" is not a commonly used idiom or phrase in English, and hence does not convey any specific meaning. 
• Example: His silver will was evident in his actions. (Incorrect usage)

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

Additional Information

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

• Diamond will (हीरे जैसी इच्छाशक्ति): Not a commonly used idiom in English.
• Example: His diamond will led him to succeed. (Incorrect usage)
• Stony will (पत्थर जैसी इच्छाशक्ति): Not a commonly used idiom in English.
• Example: She faced all challenges with a stony will. (Incorrect usage)
• Golden will (सोने जैसी इच्छाशक्ति): Not a commonly used idiom in English.
• Example: His golden will was appreciated by everyone. (Incorrect usage)

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The primary issue in the sentence is the use of "will" in a conditional sentence that requires the past tense.
• In conditional sentences, "if" clauses should be followed by "would" instead of "will" to maintain correct tense agreement.
• The correct phrase should be "we would," ensuring grammatical correctness and clarity.
• Thus, the error is located in part C of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is C.

 

Correct Sentence: "If we were meeting at 6 p.m., we would have plenty of time."

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: The doctor advised me to take bed rest and eat nutritious food.
• Key Conversions:
• "The doctor advised" becomes "The doctor said to me"
• Reporting verb "advised" is converted to "said to me" to match direct speech format.
• "to take bed rest and eat nutritious food" becomes "Take bed rest and eat nutritious food"
• Imperative sentences remain in the command form in direct speech.
• Punctuation and Format:
• Direct speech is enclosed in quotation marks.
• Starts with a capital letter "Take" and ends with a period ".".

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3.

 

Correct Sentence: "“Take bed rest and eat nutritious food,” said the doctor to me."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "The doctor told me, 'I should take bed rest and eat nutritious food.'"
• Incorrect pronoun "I" changes the meaning to the doctor's own actions.
• Option 2: “The doctor said to me, 'You take bed rest and eat nutritious food.'"
• Incorrect structure for imperative sentence, should be a command form without "You".
• Option 4: "The doctor said to me, 'I take bed rest and eat nutritious food.'"
• Incorrect pronoun "I" changes the meaning to the doctor's own actions.

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 passive voice, the sentence is: "Let the door be closed."
• To convert to active voice: Change the passive verb form "be closed" to the imperative form "close."
• Ensure the imperative sentence gives a direct command.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "Close the door."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Please let him close the door." – This is a polite request, not a direct command.
• Option 2: "The door is closed." – This is a statement in the present simple tense, not an imperative command.
• Option 3: "The door will be closed." – This is a statement in the future simple tense, not an imperative command.

The correct answer is Option (2) i.e. B, D, C, A

 

Key Points

• The paragraph begins with part (B), where the speaker expresses the emotional impact the word 'tsunami' has on them, which sets the tone for the rest of the story.
• Then, part (D) introduces the specific event that the speaker recalls, which is essential to understanding the context of the emotional reaction.
• Part (C) describes the moment the waves began to grow, leading up to the disastrous impact.
• Part (A) concludes the paragraph, where the speaker describes the devastating effects of the tsunami and the destruction it caused.

Therefore, the correct answer is B, D, C, A.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1 (A, B, C, D): This option starts with the reaction to the tsunami in part (A) before the emotional response, which creates an incomplete flow.
• Option 3 (D, A, B, C): Starting with part (D) before the emotional response is out of order, leading to a confusing narrative.
• Option 4 (C, D, A, B): Starting with the observation of the waves in part (C) disrupts the logical flow, as it doesn't give proper context to the emotional reaction.

The correct answer is Option 4.

 

Key Points

• Indirect Speech: She told me that she had already finished the project.
• Key Conversions:
• "that she had already finished" becomes "I have already finished"
• Indirect statement "that she had already finished" is converted to direct statement "I have already finished."
• Pronoun "she" is changed to "I" to match direct speech.
• Verb tense "had finished" is changed to "have finished" to match the present perfect tense in direct statements.
• "the project" remains "the project"
• The noun phrase "the project" remains unchanged in direct speech.
• Reporting verb:
• Indirect: "She told me"
• Converted to: "She said to me," maintaining the reporting clause.
• 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, starting with a comma before the quotation mark.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "She said to me, “I have already finished the project.”"

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "She said to her, “I will have finished the project.”"
• The pronoun "her" is incorrect; it should be "me".
• The tense "will have finished" is incorrect; it should be "have finished".
• Option 2: "She said, “She had already finished the project.”"
• The pronoun "she" is incorrect; it should be "I".
• The tense "had finished" is incorrect; it should be "have finished".
• Option 3: “She told me, “He had already finished the project.”"
• The pronoun "he" is incorrect; it should be "I".
• The tense "had finished" is incorrect; it should be "have finished".

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: "Were you laughing at the poor masses?"
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "the poor masses" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "were laughing" to "were being laughed" (past continuous passive).
• Add the preposition "by" followed by the original subject "you."
• Ensure the question form is maintained.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: "Were the poor masses being laughed at by you?"

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "Are the poor masses being laughed at by you?" – Incorrect tense (present continuous passive).
• Option 3: "Have the poor masses been laughed at by you?" – Incorrect tense (present perfect passive).
• Option 4: "Had the masses been laughed at by you?" – Incorrect tense (past perfect passive).

The correct answer is 'recognisable'.

 

Key Points

• The word "recognisable" means able to be identified or acknowledged.
• In the given context, being recognisable implies that the things you’re willing to lose are what make you identifiable or known.
• The other options: "distract," "unfortunately," and "pessimist" do not fit the context as appropriately.

​Therefore, the correct answer is 'Option 1'.

Complete Sentence: You can tell yourself that you would be willing to lose everything you have in order to get something you want: all of those things you’re willing to lose are what make you recognisable.

Additional Information

• Distract: means to divert attention from something.
• Unfortunately: means happening by bad luck or regrettably.
• Pessimist: means a person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believes that the worst will happen.

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: "The secretary has planted a lot of saplings to save the environment."
• To convert to passive voice: Place the object "a lot of saplings" at the beginning.
• Change the active verb form "has planted" to "have been planted" (present perfect passive).
• Add the preposition "by" followed by the original subject "the secretary."
• Ensure the purpose phrase "to save the environment" remains at the end of the sentence for clarity.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 4.

 

Correct Sentence: "A lot of saplings have been planted by the secretary to save the environment."

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: "A lot of saplings are being planted by the secretary to save the environment." – Incorrect tense (present continuous passive).
• Option 2: "A lot of saplings are planted by the secretary to save the environment." – Incorrect tense (simple present passive).
• Option 3: "A lot of saplings were planted by the secretary to save the environment." – Incorrect tense (simple past passive).

The correct answer is Option 2.

 

Key Points

• When converting from direct to indirect speech, we follow these rules:
• The reporting verb "said" changes to "asked" since it is a question.
• The pronoun "you" changes to "she" as per the subject.
• The verb "have come" (present perfect) changes to "had come" (past perfect) in indirect speech.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 2.

 

Correct Sentence: Caressing her daughter's cheeks, she asked affectionately if she had come to comfort her in her time of need.

 

Additional Information

• Option 1: Incorrect because "did come" is grammatically incorrect in indirect speech.
• Option 3: Incorrect because "said affectionately if" is incorrect; "asked" should be used instead.
• Option 4: Incorrect because "had been coming" changes the tense unnecessarily and alters the meaning.

The correct answer is Option 1.

 

Key Points

• The primary issue in the sentence is the preposition "on" before "the pandemic".
• The correct preposition to use in this context is "during", indicating the time period when the action took place.
• The correct phrase should be "during the pandemic", ensuring grammatical correctness and clarity.
• Thus, the error is located in part A of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 1.

 

Correct Sentence: "I stayed in my hometown with my parents during the pandemic."

The correct answer is Option 3.

 

Key Points

• The primary issue in the sentence is the use of the word "on" instead of "upon."
• The phrase should be "Once upon a time" to be grammatically correct and idiomatically appropriate.
• Therefore, the correct phrase is "Once upon a time," ensuring the sentence makes sense.
• Thus, the error is located in part C of the sentence.

Therefore, the correct answer is C.

 

Correct Sentence: "Once upon a time, there was a brave king."