English Quizzes for SBI PO Prelims 2021

Directions (1-5): In the questions given below, find out which of the phrases (I), (II), (III) given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence to make the sentence grammatically correct. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required mark (e) as the answer.

Q1. That cannot be true. You must be putting me in for.
(I) put on
(II) put off
(III) Put through
(a) Only I
(b) Only I and II
(c) Only II
(d) Only III
(e) No change required

Q2. If you focus your education solely on one area, you’ll have nothing to fall back on if you change your mind.
(I) fall over
(II) fall in
(III)fall out
(a) Only I
(b) Only I and II
(c) Only II
(d) Only III
(e) No change required

Q3. You can expect political analysts to pick clean the governor’s speech.
(I)pick apart
(II)pick at
(III)pick through
(a) Only I
(b) Only I and II
(c) Only II
(d) Only III
(e) No change required

Q4. He was trying to psych me of by reminding me of the last time he beat me.
(I)psych off
(II)psych up
(III)psych out
(a) Only I
(b) Only I and II
(c) Only II
(d) Only III
(e) No change required

Q5. He walked at from a chance to play professional baseball to join the Peace Corps.
(I)walked it
(II)walked off with
(III)walked away
(a) Only I
(b) Only I and II
(c) Only II
(d) Only III
(e) No change required

Directions (6-15): In the following questions, a word is given in bold followed by four sentences. Choose the appropriate option mentioning the sentence that uses the highlighted word in a grammatically and contextually INCORRECT manner.

Q6. Tell
(I) The explorer’s journals tell of a vast unexplored wilderness.
(II) They look so much alike that I can barely tell them apart.
(III) His unkempt appearance is bound to tell against him in court.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q7. Play
(I) You’re only playing out their hands by making such ridiculous accusations.
(II) During the interview, try to play down your weaknesses and play up your strengths.
(III) The consequences of the error will play out for several years to come.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q8. Pitch
(I) Several hundred fans pitched up at the hotel to welcome the team.
(II) People in the town have been pitching in to pay the family’s medical bills.
(III) My three-year-old pitched one of her temper tantrums when we tried to leave the party early.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q9. Let
(I) The bus stopped to let a few more passengers.
(II) He said he’d let me in on a secret if I promised not to tell anyone else.
(III) There’s a lot of work still to be done. We can’t let up now.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (III)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q10. Go
I. They love to go out every Saturday night.
II. Do you usually go out your notes before class?
III.I need to have my lawyer go through this contract before I sign it.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q11. Eat
I. The heavy rains ate in at the sandstone cliffs.
II. We usually eat in instead of going out for dinner.
III.They eat out once a week.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q12. Drop
I. Yuri isn’t on the team any more. He dropped over.
II. Let’s drop in on Julie since we’re driving by her house.
III.It’s difficult to get a good job if you drop out of high school.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q13. Come
I. Don’t worry! She faints all the time. She always comes to after a few minutes.
II. The job offer didn’t come up to her expectations.
III.Why don’t you come over after work for dinner.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q14. Call
I. I called Sam up to see if he wanted to go to the movies.
II. Professor Tanzer called on Tim to answer the question.
III.This recipe calls up milk, not water.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Q15. Back
I. Jane never backs after. She always wins arguments.
II. Sam backed out of the agreement at the last second.
III.Could you back up a little so I can open this drawer.
(a) Only I
(b) Only (II) and (I)
(c) Only III
(d) Only II
(e) All are correct

Solutions

S1. Ans.(a)
Sol. Correct Choice is option A. “Put on” means tease or playfully deceive someone.
put off-postpone, disturb
put in for- make a request
Put through- Connect someone by phone

S2. Ans.(e)
Sol. Fall back on (something) means to use (something) for help or protection when you are in a bad situation
fall (all) over yourself- to be very eager or too eager
fall in – to break apart and fall down in an inward direction
fall out – of a tooth or hair : to stop being attached to the body, to have an argument, to leave your place in a military formation

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. Pick (someone or something) apart means to say all of the things that are bad or wrong about (someone or something), to criticize (a person or thing) in a very detailed and usually unkind way
pick at (something)-to eat small amounts of (food) very slowly usually because you do not want to eat, to pull on (something) with your fingertips or your fingernails often because you are nervous
pick (something) clean- to remove all the material that covers something

S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Correct choice is option D. Replace “Psych of” by with “psych out”.
Psych up- Prepare someone mentally
psych (someone) – to make (someone) feel nervous or unable to perform well, to say or do something to make (someone) feel uncomfortable or less confident

S5. Ans.(d)
Sol. walk away- to decide not to do or be involved in something
walk it- to go to a place by walking
walk off with (something)-to steal (something)

S6. Ans.(e)
Sol. Tell (someone or something) apart- to see what the differences are between (people or things), to identify (people or things that look similar to each other)
Tell of- to describe (something) : to make the details of (something) known
Tell against (someone) – to be a disadvantage to (someone)

S7. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace “out” with “into”.
Play into someone’s hands or play into the hands of someone- to do something that you do not realize will hurt you and help someone else
play up (something) or play (something) up, to talk about or treat (something) in a way that gives it special importance, to emphasize or stress (something)
play out- to happen or occur in usually a gradual way
play off (someone or something) – to react to (someone or something) in a pleasing way,to combine with (someone or something) in a way that makes each part better

S8. Ans.(e)
Sol. pitch up -to appear or arrive at a place

pitch in-to do something or give something (such as money) to help a person, group, or cause

pitch a fit/tantrum- to become very upset and angry in a loud and uncontrolled way

S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. Add “on” after “let” in I.
Let (someone) on or let on (someone) means to allow (someone) to get on a bus, an airplane, etc.
Let (someone) in on (something)-to allow (someone) to know (a secret)
Let up -to stop or become slower

S10. Ans.(d)
Sol. Use “over” in place of “out”. Do you usually go ‘over’ your notes before class?
go out -take part in social activities(usually at night)
go over – review
go over – be well received, succeed
go through – examine in detail, study carefully

S11. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace “ate in” with “ate away”. The heavy rains ate ‘away’ at the sandstone cliffs.
eat in – eat inside the home
eat out- eat outside the home
eat away- gradually destroy, erode
eat up – devour

S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. Yuri isn’t on the team any more. He dropped ‘out’.
drop out of – quit an organized activity (school)
drop over -visit someone casually
drop out- quit an organized activity
drop in on – visit someone unexpectedly

S13. Ans.(e)
Sol. come over- visit someone at their house
come to -regain consciousness
come through – do what is needed or expected
come over- visit someone at their house
come off- fall off, break off
come by – visit a person at their house

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. In III use “calls for” in place of “calls of”.
call for means require (as in a recipe) whereas call up means to telephone.
call on means invite someone to speak in a meeting or a classroom

S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. Replace “Backs after” with “backs down”.
back down means stop defending your opinion in a debate
back up -move backwards, reverse
back out- not keep (a promise, agreement, deal)
back up- give support
back up -move backwards, reverse