Directions (1-10): 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.)
Q1. They talked for a while (a)/ and then they will (b)/ continue to play the game (c)/ till tomorrow morning. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q2. Some skills are (a)/ more difficult than others (b)/ so it takes a longer time (c)/ to master them. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q3. The guide told us (a)/ that where the island was (b)/ and went on (c)/ narrating its history. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q4. Even after hearing him (a)/ for a fairly long time (b)/ we failed to understand (c)/ that he was harping on. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q5. Prabhakar arrives in the office (a)/ as fresh as he starts (b)/ from home even though (c)/ he commutes a long distance. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q6. Hardly has she finish (a)/ the typing when the (b)/ Manager entered the room (c)/ with some more work. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q7. Truly speaking (a)/ there was little merit (b)/ in the complaint sent in (c)/ by the employee. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q8. For reasons (a)/ of his own (b)/ King Heathman always (c)/ prefers to use the dialect of his country. (d)/ No error (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q9. Cricket has become so (a)/ popular that even elderly (b)/ people discussing (c)/ the game when they meet. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Q10. Nitin gets so engrossed (a)/ in his work that (b)/ he does not often hear (c)/ the phone ring. (d)/ No error. (e)
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) E
Directions (11-15): In each of the following questions, a sentence is written in four different ways conveying the same meaning and following the correct grammar structure. Choose the sentence among the four options which is grammatically incorrect or carrying a grammatical/idiomatic error in it as the answer. If there is no error in any of the sentences, choose (e), i.e. “All are correct” as the answer.
Q11. (a)When a person fails in his pursuits, there is no built-in support system to cushion the fall.
(b)There is no built-in support system to cushion the fall once a person fails in his pursuits.
(c)A person failing in his pursuits finds no built-in support system to cushion the fall.
(d)There is no built-in support system for cushion the fall for a person failing in his pursuits.
(e)All are correct.
Q12. (a)Since the mid-1960s in several developed countries, there has been a rising tide of clinical depression and a decline in mutual trust and social bonds.
(b)A rising tide of clinical depression and a decline in mutual trust and social bonds have been witnessed since the mid-1960s in several developed countries.
(c)There has been a rising tide of clinical depression and a decline in mutual trust and social bonds in several developed countries in the mid-1960s.
(d)Several developed countries have been witnessing a rising tide of clinical depression and a plunge in mutual trust and social bonds since the mid-1960s.
(e)All are correct.
Q13. (a)There is value in living a simple life, but a simple life is often misunderstood as renunciation.
(b)Though there is value in living a simple life, it is often confounded as renunciation.
(c)While there is value in living a simple life, it is often misapprehended as repudiation.
(d)A simple life is often confused as renunciation, even though there is value in living a simple life.
(e)All are correct.
Q14. (a)There is freedom when we lose our need for abundance and live in sufficiency.
(b)To get freedom, we need to deprived of our need for abundance and live in sufficiency.
(c)When we get rid of our need for abundance and live in sufficiency, we get freedom.
(d)We attain freedom once we give in our need for abundance and live in sufficiency.
(e)All are correct.
Q15. (a)One of the critical consequence of material excess and consumerism is the effect on moral and ethical values.
(b)One critical consequence of material excess and consumerism has been the effect on moral and ethical values.
(c)The effect on moral and ethical values has been one critical consequence of material excess and consumerism.
(d)There has been one critical consequence of material excess and consumerism i.e., the effect on moral and ethical values.
(e)All are correct.
Solutions
S1. Ans. (a)
Sol. ‘will talk’ will be used in place of ‘talked’ as the sentence contains two actions of future.
Ex. He will go to his sister and then he will go to his friend.
S2. Ans. (e)
Sol. The sentence is grammatically correct.
S3. Ans. (b)
Sol. The use of ‘that’ before ‘where’ is superfluous.
S4. Ans. (d)
Sol. Use ‘what’ in place of ‘that’. ‘Harping on’ means talk or write persistently and tediously on.
S5. Ans. (e)
Sol. The sentence is grammatically correct.
S6. Ans. (a)
Sol. ‘had she finished’ will be used in place of ‘has she finished’ as when ‘hardly… when’ is used in a sentence, then in ‘hardly’ clause past perfect tense is used and in clause having ‘when’, simple past tense is used.
Ex. Hardly had she reached the station when the train started.
S7. Ans. (e)
Sol. The sentence is grammatically correct.
S8. Ans. (e)
Sol. No error
S9. Ans. (c)
Sol. Use ‘discuss’ in place of ‘discussing’ as to tell the habit of present, simple present tense is used.
Ex. When the boss comes, everybody stands up.
S10. Ans. (e)
Sol. The sentence is grammatically correct.
S11. Ans. (d)
Sol. All the sentences, except (d), are the grammatically correct sentences and they follow the similar meaning. However, in the sentence (d), there is a grammatical error. The phrase in the sentence (d), “for cushion the fall” should be replaced either by “to cushion the fall” or “for cushioning the fall” to make the sentence grammatically correct. The phrase “cushion the fall” means to soften or lessen the force or shock of. Hence (d) is the correct choice.
S12. Ans. (c)
Sol. There is a grammatical error in the sentence (c); the phrase “in the mid-1960s” should be replaced by “since the mid-1960s” as the sentence is in Present Perfect Continuous Tense. All the other sentences are grammatically correct and offer the common meaning. Hence (c) is the correct choice.
S13. Ans. (e)
Sol. All the given sentences are grammatically correct and at the same time they convey the same meaning. Thus (e) is the correct option.
S14. Ans. (b)
Sol. All the sentences, except (b), are grammatically correct and convey the same meaning. However, there is a grammatical error in the sentence (b); the phrase “we need to deprived of” should be replaced by “we need to be deprived of” to make the sentence grammatically correct. Hence (b) is the correct choice.
S15. Ans. (a)
Sol. The sentence (a) has a grammatical error; the phrase “One of the critical consequence” should be replaced by “One of the critical consequences” to make the sentence grammatically correct. It is to be noted that the noun following the phrase “one of the” is always a plural noun. All the other sentences are grammatically correct. Hence (a) is the correct choice.