English Quiz

Directions for questions (Q. 1 to 5): Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error 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 (4). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any).

Question.1. Sundry psychologists, shrinks, mental health professionals, and 1)/ social scientists are describing Trump as a megalomaniac down with 2)/ a Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), who has brought out, and is tapping into, 3)/ the worst in America: racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and general insecurity. 4)/ No error 5)

Question.2. Recently archaeological and hydrological studies 1)/ by Julia Shaw and John Sutcliffe have 2)/ brought to light ancient irrigation works 3)/ belonging to second or first century BCE. 4)/ No error 5)

Question.3. The post-Gupta period was one of gradual decline of Buddhism. 1)/ Several monasteries and temples, however, erected 2)/ at Sanchi during the seventh century, 3)/ when Harsha was ruling over northern India. 4)/ No error 5)

Question.4. Though the Tribunal accepted 1)/ that China had historically used the islands 2)/ in the South China Sea, it ruled that China had never 3)/ exercised exclusive authority over the waters. 4)/ No error 5)

Question.5. The newly elected Philippine President, 1)/ Rodrigo Duterte, is against the confrontational 2)/ style of politics that is practised by his predecessor 3)/ against China at the behest of the Obama administration. 4)/ No error 5)

Directions for questions 6 to 15: In the following passage there are blanks, each of which has been numbered. These numbers are given below the passage and against each, five words/phrases are suggested, one of which fits the blank appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in each case.

Today, it is (6) recognized that the 21st century will be driven by knowledge. To (7) the challenges of this century, India needs to usher in a knowledge revolution that (8) to bring about systemic changes in education. While our economy has made significant strides, the education system has not kept (9) with the aspirations of the youth. The vast disparity in the country today is a result of skewed (10) to knowledge. To address this, we need a substantial expansion in educational opportunities, with a special (11) on the inclusion of the underprivileged. At the bottom of the pyramid, steps must be taken to (12) access to quality education. While the government has taken steps to ensure education to all, where it lacks in its efforts is the quality perspective. Being a spirally upward drive, education cannot be (13) to improve at the higher level lest it improves at the very grass root level. The top of the pyramid, i.e. higher education is also uneven. Students struggle to compete in the exams which (14) a sound knowledge of English. While candidates are expected to travel several kilometres to reach to the school for obtaining any kind of education, the higher education organizations often (15) candidates from vernacular media through State sponsored exams, yet these organisations proudly affirm themselves as ‘unbiased’.

Question.6. 
1) thickly
2) widely
3) ample
4) neatly
5) heavily

Question.7. 
1) adhere
2) gather
3) cover
4) contact
5) meet

Question.8. 
1) sought
2) wanted
3) seeks
4) attempt
5) determined

Question.9. 
1 )adequate
2) sufficient
3) influence
4) pace
5) ahead

Question.10. 
1) access
2) approaching
3) rights
4) infiltration
5) excess

Question.11. 
1) aspiration
2) intensity
3) important
4) place
5) emphasis

Question.12. 
1) enjoy
2) help
3) provide
4) diminish
5) deepen

Question.13. 
1) awaited
2) judged
3) leveled
4) expected
5) polled

Question.14. 
1) demand
2) has
3) consume
4) expects
5) wants

Question.15. 
1) discourages
2) disobey
3) contest
4) assume
5) reject

Answers ▼

Answer.1. 2; Replace ‘down with” “suffering from” usage of “down with” in this sentence is inappropriate.

You “suffer” an event or object, and “suffer from” a disease, condition, or symptom.

So, after you “suffer a stroke”, you might “suffer from amnesia”.

You can also “suffer a blow” or “suffer a loss”. You can even “suffer fools”, meaning “to put up with them”. When it’s used with a disease or medical state, it’s “suffer from”.

Answer.2. 5; The sentence is correct in its given form.

Answer.3. 2; Put the helpin verb “were” before “erected”, here Passive Voice of Past Indefinite Tense is used.

Answer.4. 5; The sentence is correct in its given form.

Answer.5. 1; It should be “new” at the place of “newly”.

Answer.6. 2; ‘Widely’ is logically apt in the given context. ‘Ample’ is an adjective while we require an adverb here, to modify the verb ‘recognised’ and hence is incorrect in the given context. Options (1), (4) and (5) are logically inappropriate in the given context.

Answer.7. 5; ‘Meet’ is the correct answer because one of the meanings of ‘meet’ is ‘to satisfy or fulfill’. All the other options are incorrect because ‘adhere’ means ‘to stick firmly to something’. ‘Gather’, ‘cover’ and ‘contact’ are logically inept in the given statement.

Answer.8. 3; ‘Seeks’ is the correct answer because it means ‘to try to obtain or achieve something’. Options (1) and (2) are incorrect because the blank needs to be filled with the present form of the verb while ‘sought’ and ‘wanted’ are past form of the verb ‘seek’ and ‘want’ respectively. Option (4) is incorrect because it renders the statement erroneous. The correct verb would have been ‘attempts’. Option (5) is incorrect because ‘determined’ should have been preceded by ‘is’ to make a grammatically correct statement.

Answer.9. 4; ‘Pace’ is the correct answer. The idiom ‘to keep pace’ means ‘to proceed at the same speed as someone or to stay at the same level as someone’. Options (1), (2) and (3) are logically inept in the given context. ‘Adequate’ is logically inept and it also does not go with the preposition ‘with’ right after the blank.

Answer.10. 1; ‘Access’ which means ‘the opportunity or right to use something’ is logically apt in the given context. Option (2) renders the statement grammatically erroneous. ‘Infiltration’ which means ‘to enter or make somebody enter a place or an organization secretly in order to get information that can be used against it’, ‘excess’ which means ‘more than is necessary’ and ‘rights’ are logically incorrect in the given context.

Answer.11. 5; ‘Emphasis’ which means ‘stress’ or ‘importance or attention given to something’ is logically apt in this context. ‘Intensity’ which means ‘the state or quality of being very strong’ and ‘place’ are logically inept the given context. ‘Aspiration’ which means ‘a strong desire to do something’ and ‘important’ render the statement logically and grammatically erroneous.

Answer.12. 3; ‘Provide’ is logically apt in this context.

Answer.13. 4; ‘Expected’ which means ‘to think or believe that something will happen’ is logically apt in this context. ‘Await’, ‘polled’ which means ‘to receive a particular number of votes in an election’, ‘leveled’ and ‘judged’ are logically inept in the given context.

Answer.14. 1; ‘Demand’ is logically apt in this context. Options (2), (3) and (5) are logically inept in the given context. Option (4) is incorrect because the transitive verb ‘expects’ needs to be followed by an object but the statement does not have one.

Answer.15. 5; From the latter part of the sentence which talks about the organization claiming to be unbiased, it can be clearly understood that ‘reject’ is the correct answer. Options (2), (3) and (4) are logically inept in the given context. Option (1) renders the statement logically and grammatically erroneous.