Directions (1-5): In each of the questions given below a sentence is given in which an idiom (or some part) is given in bold. This sentence is then followed by five idioms. Choose the idiom which can fit here and make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. If the given idiom is correct as it is and requires no correction then choose option (e) as your correct choice.
Q1. Dark clouds are in the sky and it is usually at eleventh hour for rain to follow, so I need to hurry up and get my car inside the garage since it has a broken windshield.
(a) Draconian law
(b) par for the course
(c) Sword of Damocles
(d) once in a blue moon
(e) No improvement required
Q2. One of my roommates had an essay due in a couple days, and you could tell because his fingers were moving across the keyboard as fast as head over heels!
(a) hands down
(b) goody-two-shoes
(c) a man’s straw
(d) greased lightning
(e) No improvement required.
Q3. They acknowledged that their campaign was on the ropes, and they could not possibly win the election.
(a) on the same page
(b) out of left field
(c) in the red
(d) in a pickle
(e) no improvement required
Q4. We got home safely, sat chatting for a while over steaming mugs of tea and then hit the hay for a couple of hours.
(a) Stabbed in the back
(b) It takes two to tango
(c) Kill two birds with one stone
(d) Break a leg
(e) no improvement required
Q5. The story of the uncompromising short-tempered legendary director is one of to pony up.
(a) Costs an arm and a leg
(b) Rags to riches
(c) Up in the air
(d) Lose His Touch
(e) no improvement required
Directions (6-10): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is ‘No error’, the answer is (e). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)
Q6. Deposing in front of a local court (A) / in the Junaid murder case, the vendor claimed he had not sold (B) / the knife that was allegedly used in the (C) / commission of the crime to accused Naresh Kumar. (D) / No error (E)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q7. Parliament made it clear that (A) / Delhi was an UT and there was no doubt about it (B) / and the city government was empowered to (C) / take care of daily utilities of the capital. (D) / No error (E)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q8. Delhi government cannot have (A) / “exclusive” executive powers as it would be (B) / against national interests, (C) / the Centre told the Supreme Court. (D) / No error (E)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q9. A gang of burglars allegedly (A) / made away with a luxury vehicle, (B) / a licensed revolver and Rs. 10 lakh from a car showroom (C) / in west Delhi’s Kirti Nagar. (D) / No error (E)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q10. From a careful examination of the witness (A) / and documentary evidence, it is evident that (B) / the accident had been occurred (C) / due to rash and negligent driving of the offending vehicle. (D) / No error (E)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Solutions
S1. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is the correct choice. ‘at eleventh hour’ means the last moment or almost too late. Thus, the idiom given fails to make the sentence meaningful and logical. It should be replaced with the idiom ‘par for the course’ which means what is normal or expected in any given circumstances.
Draconian law means measures which are extremely harsh or severe.
Sword of Damocles means situation threatening imminent harm or disaster.
Once in a blue moon means very rarely.
S2. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the correct choice. The idiom “head over heels” means falling deeply in love with another person. Thus, it doesn’t make the sentence comprehensible. However, “greased lightening” is an expression that’s used to describe someone or something that is very fast. Therefore, the idiom “greased lightening” provides the correct context to the sentence.
Hands down means anything that’s easy or has no difficulty; something that is a certainty.
Goody-two-shoes means a virtuous person.
A man’s straw means an intentionally misrepresented proposition that is set up because it is easier to defeat than an opponent’s real argument.
S3. Ans. (e)
Sol. Option (e) is the correct choice, as the given idiom is contextually and grammatically correct. “on the ropes” means being in a rough situation that looks difficult to recover from.
On the same page means thinking alike or understanding something in a similar way with others.
Out of left field means something that’s surprising or unexpected
In the red means losing money or being in debt.
In a pickle means being in a difficult predicament; a mess; an undesirable situation.
S4. Ans. (e)
Sol. Option (e) is the correct choice, as the given idiom is contextually and grammatically correct. “hit the hay” means go to bed.
S5. Ans. (b)
Sol. option (b) is the correct choice. “Rags to riches” means “used to describe a person’s rise from a state of extreme poverty to one of great wealth.”
S6. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace ‘in front of’ with ‘before’
S7. Ans.(b)
Sol. Replace ‘an’ with ‘a’
S8. Ans.(a)
Sol. Insert ‘The’ before ‘Delhi’
S9. Ans.(e)
Sol. No error
S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. Delete ‘been’
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