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Question 2 MCQ · 2.0 marks
**Read the passage, observe how numbers and figures are presented in it, and answer the**
**given subquestions.**
India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years
The India Vix, a gauge for market volatility, posted its [1] _____ on Tuesday and finished close to
record low levels. Analysts said markets may have factored in continuation of the current regime
in the general elections. Easing of geopolitical tensions after Israel’s relatively muted response to
Iran’s drone and missile strikes may have also contributed to the index [2] _____ to end the session
at 10.2.
This was the steepest correction since May 23, 2019, when the results of the 17th Lok Sabha
elections were declared, and was [3] _____ since 2008. Unlike now, almost all the bigger declines
have occurred on elevated Vix levels.
“Such sharp falls in India Vix were last seen once the general election results were announced. In
2014 and 2019, it dropped [4] _____ and 30 percent respectively on the day of results,” said Apurva
Sheth, head, market perspectives and research, SAMCO Securities. Also known as the fear gauge,
the NSE calculates the index to measure market anticipation of volatility and fluctuations in the
near term. The index is calculated based on option prices. A low reading on the index indicates
that traders are not expecting wild swings in the market. Similarly, a higher reading– usually seen
ahead of big events such as election results, or the Union Budget– is indicative of uncertainty
among market players. “Vix depicts volatility expectations for the next 30 days. The [5] _____, the
more confident traders are about the upswing,” said Anand James, chief market strategist, Geojit
Financial Services.
Excerpted from: Sethuraman, Sundar. “India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years.”
Business Standard, Mumbai, 24 Apr 2024.
Fill in the blanks by matching the sentences in Column A to the options appropriate to them in
Column B. Each blank will have ONLY ONE answer.
[1] The India Vix, a gauge for market volatility, posted its _____ on Tuesday and finished close to
record low levels.
6406536625437.
declining 19.7 percent
6406536625438.
by almost 34 percent
6406536625439.
steepest fall in five years
6406536625440.
lower the Vix
6406536625441.
the 12th biggest single-day fall for the index
Published solution
**1. Read the whole construction:** After 'posted its', the sentence needs a noun phrase naming the event. 'Its steepest fall in five years' supplies that event and matches the headline; steepest is the superlative describing the greatest decline in the period.
**2. Check the fit:** Insert the phrase into the complete sentence, retaining the surrounding words and the comparison or numerical unit.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** This is a participial phrase describing a decline, not the noun phrase required here.
B: **Incorrect:** This prepositional phrase supplies the magnitude of a drop, not a standalone noun phrase.
C: **Correct:** This is the phrase whose grammar and meaning fit the blank, as explained above.
D: **Incorrect:** This phrase belongs in a paired comparative: the lower..., the more....
E: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase supplies the ranked position of a single-day decline.
**Read the passage, observe how numbers and figures are presented in it, and answer the**
**given subquestions.**
India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years
The India Vix, a gauge for market volatility, posted its [1] _____ on Tuesday and finished close to
record low levels. Analysts said markets may have factored in continuation of the current regime
in the general elections. Easing of geopolitical tensions after Israel’s relatively muted response to
Iran’s drone and missile strikes may have also contributed to the index [2] _____ to end the session
at 10.2.
This was the steepest correction since May 23, 2019, when the results of the 17th Lok Sabha
elections were declared, and was [3] _____ since 2008. Unlike now, almost all the bigger declines
have occurred on elevated Vix levels.
“Such sharp falls in India Vix were last seen once the general election results were announced. In
2014 and 2019, it dropped [4] _____ and 30 percent respectively on the day of results,” said Apurva
Sheth, head, market perspectives and research, SAMCO Securities. Also known as the fear gauge,
the NSE calculates the index to measure market anticipation of volatility and fluctuations in the
near term. The index is calculated based on option prices. A low reading on the index indicates
that traders are not expecting wild swings in the market. Similarly, a higher reading– usually seen
ahead of big events such as election results, or the Union Budget– is indicative of uncertainty
among market players. “Vix depicts volatility expectations for the next 30 days. The [5] _____, the
more confident traders are about the upswing,” said Anand James, chief market strategist, Geojit
Financial Services.
Excerpted from: Sethuraman, Sundar. “India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years.”
Business Standard, Mumbai, 24 Apr 2024.
Fill in the blanks by matching the sentences in Column A to the options appropriate to them in
Column B. Each blank will have ONLY ONE answer.
[2] Easing of geopolitical tensions after Israel’s relatively muted response to Iran’s drone and
missile strikes may have also contributed to the index _____ to end the session at 10.2.
6406536625442.
declining 19.7 percent
6406536625443.
by almost 34 percent
6406536625444.
steepest fall in five years
6406536625445.
lower the Vix
6406536625446.
the 12th biggest single-day fall for the index
Published solution
**1. Read the whole construction:** The construction 'contributed to the index declining...' uses to as a preposition followed by an -ing clause. 'Declining 19.7 percent' supplies the action and amount; the other phrases cannot complete this clause grammatically.
**2. Check the fit:** Insert the phrase into the complete sentence, retaining the surrounding words and the comparison or numerical unit.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** This is the phrase whose grammar and meaning fit the blank, as explained above.
B: **Incorrect:** This prepositional phrase supplies the magnitude of a drop, not a standalone noun phrase.
C: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase describes a maximum decline over a five-year period.
D: **Incorrect:** This phrase belongs in a paired comparative: the lower..., the more....
E: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase supplies the ranked position of a single-day decline.
**Read the passage, observe how numbers and figures are presented in it, and answer the**
**given subquestions.**
India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years
The India Vix, a gauge for market volatility, posted its [1] _____ on Tuesday and finished close to
record low levels. Analysts said markets may have factored in continuation of the current regime
in the general elections. Easing of geopolitical tensions after Israel’s relatively muted response to
Iran’s drone and missile strikes may have also contributed to the index [2] _____ to end the session
at 10.2.
This was the steepest correction since May 23, 2019, when the results of the 17th Lok Sabha
elections were declared, and was [3] _____ since 2008. Unlike now, almost all the bigger declines
have occurred on elevated Vix levels.
“Such sharp falls in India Vix were last seen once the general election results were announced. In
2014 and 2019, it dropped [4] _____ and 30 percent respectively on the day of results,” said Apurva
Sheth, head, market perspectives and research, SAMCO Securities. Also known as the fear gauge,
the NSE calculates the index to measure market anticipation of volatility and fluctuations in the
near term. The index is calculated based on option prices. A low reading on the index indicates
that traders are not expecting wild swings in the market. Similarly, a higher reading– usually seen
ahead of big events such as election results, or the Union Budget– is indicative of uncertainty
among market players. “Vix depicts volatility expectations for the next 30 days. The [5] _____, the
more confident traders are about the upswing,” said Anand James, chief market strategist, Geojit
Financial Services.
Excerpted from: Sethuraman, Sundar. “India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years.”
Business Standard, Mumbai, 24 Apr 2024.
Fill in the blanks by matching the sentences in Column A to the options appropriate to them in
Column B. Each blank will have ONLY ONE answer.
[3] This was the steepest correction since May 23, 2019, when the results of the 17th Lok Sabha
elections were declared, and was _____ since 2008.
6406536625447.
declining 19.7 percent
6406536625448.
by almost 34 percent
6406536625449.
steepest fall in five years
6406536625450.
lower the Vix
6406536625451.
the 12th biggest single-day fall for the index
Published solution
**1. Read the whole construction:** After 'was', the sentence needs a complement describing this particular decline. 'The 12th biggest single-day fall for the index since 2008' gives its rank over the stated period. The five-year comparison is already expressed in the preceding clause.
**2. Check the fit:** Insert the phrase into the complete sentence, retaining the surrounding words and the comparison or numerical unit.
**Answer: E.**
A: **Incorrect:** This is a participial phrase describing a decline, not the noun phrase required here.
B: **Incorrect:** This prepositional phrase supplies the magnitude of a drop, not a standalone noun phrase.
C: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase describes a maximum decline over a five-year period.
D: **Incorrect:** This phrase belongs in a paired comparative: the lower..., the more....
E: **Correct:** This is the phrase whose grammar and meaning fit the blank, as explained above.
**Read the passage, observe how numbers and figures are presented in it, and answer the**
**given subquestions.**
India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years
The India Vix, a gauge for market volatility, posted its [1] _____ on Tuesday and finished close to
record low levels. Analysts said markets may have factored in continuation of the current regime
in the general elections. Easing of geopolitical tensions after Israel’s relatively muted response to
Iran’s drone and missile strikes may have also contributed to the index [2] _____ to end the session
at 10.2.
This was the steepest correction since May 23, 2019, when the results of the 17th Lok Sabha
elections were declared, and was [3] _____ since 2008. Unlike now, almost all the bigger declines
have occurred on elevated Vix levels.
“Such sharp falls in India Vix were last seen once the general election results were announced. In
2014 and 2019, it dropped [4] _____ and 30 percent respectively on the day of results,” said Apurva
Sheth, head, market perspectives and research, SAMCO Securities. Also known as the fear gauge,
the NSE calculates the index to measure market anticipation of volatility and fluctuations in the
near term. The index is calculated based on option prices. A low reading on the index indicates
that traders are not expecting wild swings in the market. Similarly, a higher reading– usually seen
ahead of big events such as election results, or the Union Budget– is indicative of uncertainty
among market players. “Vix depicts volatility expectations for the next 30 days. The [5] _____, the
more confident traders are about the upswing,” said Anand James, chief market strategist, Geojit
Financial Services.
Excerpted from: Sethuraman, Sundar. “India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years.”
Business Standard, Mumbai, 24 Apr 2024.
Fill in the blanks by matching the sentences in Column A to the options appropriate to them in
Column B. Each blank will have ONLY ONE answer.
[4] In 2014 and 2019, it dropped _____ and 30 percent respectively on the day of results.
6406536625452.
declining 19.7 percent
6406536625453.
by almost 34 percent
6406536625454.
steepest fall in five years
6406536625455.
lower the Vix
6406536625456.
the 12th biggest single-day fall for the index
Published solution
**1. Read the whole construction:** The verb dropped takes by plus an amount to express the size of the decrease. 'By almost 34 percent and 30 percent respectively' matches the two years in order: 2014 then 2019. Respectively preserves that pairing.
**2. Check the fit:** Insert the phrase into the complete sentence, retaining the surrounding words and the comparison or numerical unit.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** This is a participial phrase describing a decline, not the noun phrase required here.
B: **Correct:** This is the phrase whose grammar and meaning fit the blank, as explained above.
C: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase describes a maximum decline over a five-year period.
D: **Incorrect:** This phrase belongs in a paired comparative: the lower..., the more....
E: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase supplies the ranked position of a single-day decline.
**Read the passage, observe how numbers and figures are presented in it, and answer the**
**given subquestions.**
India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years
The India Vix, a gauge for market volatility, posted its [1] _____ on Tuesday and finished close to
record low levels. Analysts said markets may have factored in continuation of the current regime
in the general elections. Easing of geopolitical tensions after Israel’s relatively muted response to
Iran’s drone and missile strikes may have also contributed to the index [2] _____ to end the session
at 10.2.
This was the steepest correction since May 23, 2019, when the results of the 17th Lok Sabha
elections were declared, and was [3] _____ since 2008. Unlike now, almost all the bigger declines
have occurred on elevated Vix levels.
“Such sharp falls in India Vix were last seen once the general election results were announced. In
2014 and 2019, it dropped [4] _____ and 30 percent respectively on the day of results,” said Apurva
Sheth, head, market perspectives and research, SAMCO Securities. Also known as the fear gauge,
the NSE calculates the index to measure market anticipation of volatility and fluctuations in the
near term. The index is calculated based on option prices. A low reading on the index indicates
that traders are not expecting wild swings in the market. Similarly, a higher reading– usually seen
ahead of big events such as election results, or the Union Budget– is indicative of uncertainty
among market players. “Vix depicts volatility expectations for the next 30 days. The [5] _____, the
more confident traders are about the upswing,” said Anand James, chief market strategist, Geojit
Financial Services.
Excerpted from: Sethuraman, Sundar. “India Vix Records Steepest Slump in Nearly 5 Years.”
Business Standard, Mumbai, 24 Apr 2024.
Fill in the blanks by matching the sentences in Column A to the options appropriate to them in
Column B. Each blank will have ONLY ONE answer.
[5] The _____, the more confident traders are about the upswing.
6406536625457.
declining 19.7 percent
6406536625458.
by almost 34 percent
6406536625459.
steepest fall in five years
6406536625460.
lower the Vix
6406536625461.
the 12th biggest single-day fall for the index
Published solution
**1. Read the whole construction:** The sentence uses the proportional comparative pattern 'the + comparative..., the + comparative...'. Completing it as 'The lower the Vix, the more confident traders are' links a lower volatility expectation to greater confidence in the passage.
**2. Check the fit:** Insert the phrase into the complete sentence, retaining the surrounding words and the comparison or numerical unit.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** This is a participial phrase describing a decline, not the noun phrase required here.
B: **Incorrect:** This prepositional phrase supplies the magnitude of a drop, not a standalone noun phrase.
C: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase describes a maximum decline over a five-year period.
D: **Correct:** This is the phrase whose grammar and meaning fit the blank, as explained above.
E: **Incorrect:** This noun phrase supplies the ranked position of a single-day decline.
**Fill in the blanks with correct expressions of numbers/values/quantity.**
It is well known that smoking is harmful to health, serving as a [i] _____ preventable cause of
disease, disability and premature death. But what impact does smoking have on lifespan?
According to an editorial published in the journal Addiction, among long-term smokers, a single
cigarette reduces life expectancy [ii] _____ for men, and 22 minutes for women. Overall, men can
lose about 10 years [iii] _____ and women, about 11 years.
The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, but [iv] _____ they will live. For example, if a person
who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits on January 1, he could prevent losing an entire day by
January 8th, a week by February 20th, and a month by August 5th. They could avoid losing 50 days
of life [v] _____.
Excerpted from: “One Cigarette Could Slash 17 Minutes off Your Life.” Contributed by Shyla Jovitha
Abraham, The Week, 02 Feb. 2025.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Fill in blank [i] with the most appropriate option.
6406536625462.
leading
6406536625463.
lead
6406536625464.
leader
Published solution
**1. Find the noun:** Cause is the noun being described.
**2. Choose an adjective:** 'A leading preventable cause' means one of the principal causes that can be avoided. Leading works adjectivally before preventable cause; lead and leader do not fit that standard phrase.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** Leading means principal and modifies cause.
B: **Incorrect:** Lead is not the adjective needed in this phrase.
C: **Incorrect:** Leader is a noun referring to someone or something that leads.
**Fill in the blanks with correct expressions of numbers/values/quantity.**
It is well known that smoking is harmful to health, serving as a [i] _____ preventable cause of
disease, disability and premature death. But what impact does smoking have on lifespan?
According to an editorial published in the journal Addiction, among long-term smokers, a single
cigarette reduces life expectancy [ii] _____ for men, and 22 minutes for women. Overall, men can
lose about 10 years [iii] _____ and women, about 11 years.
The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, but [iv] _____ they will live. For example, if a person
who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits on January 1, he could prevent losing an entire day by
January 8th, a week by February 20th, and a month by August 5th. They could avoid losing 50 days
of life [v] _____.
Excerpted from: “One Cigarette Could Slash 17 Minutes off Your Life.” Contributed by Shyla Jovitha
Abraham, The Week, 02 Feb. 2025.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Fill in blank [ii] with the most appropriate option.
6406536625465.
for 17 minutes
6406536625466.
by 17 minutes
6406536625467.
in 17 minutes
Published solution
**1. Identify the measurement:** The statement describes how much life expectancy is reduced.
**2. Use the change preposition:** 'Reduces life expectancy by 17 minutes' gives the amount of the reduction. For would normally give a duration of an activity; in can describe time taken, neither of which is the relation here.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** For indicates duration rather than the amount of decrease.
B: **Correct:** By introduces the magnitude of a change.
C: **Incorrect:** In indicates a time interval rather than the amount subtracted.
**Fill in the blanks with correct expressions of numbers/values/quantity.**
It is well known that smoking is harmful to health, serving as a [i] _____ preventable cause of
disease, disability and premature death. But what impact does smoking have on lifespan?
According to an editorial published in the journal Addiction, among long-term smokers, a single
cigarette reduces life expectancy [ii] _____ for men, and 22 minutes for women. Overall, men can
lose about 10 years [iii] _____ and women, about 11 years.
The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, but [iv] _____ they will live. For example, if a person
who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits on January 1, he could prevent losing an entire day by
January 8th, a week by February 20th, and a month by August 5th. They could avoid losing 50 days
of life [v] _____.
Excerpted from: “One Cigarette Could Slash 17 Minutes off Your Life.” Contributed by Shyla Jovitha
Abraham, The Week, 02 Feb. 2025.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Fill in blank [iii] with the most appropriate option.
6406536625468.
of life expectancy
6406536625469.
around life expectancy
6406536625470.
for life expectancy
Published solution
**1. Interpret what is lost:** The ten years are part of a person's expected lifespan.
**2. Link the quantity and its whole:** 'Lose about 10 years of life expectancy' expresses the quantity of lifespan lost. Around or for does not express that part-to-whole relation in this position.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** Of identifies the quantity as years taken from life expectancy.
B: **Incorrect:** Around cannot connect the years to life expectancy in this phrase.
C: **Incorrect:** For does not express the quantity of lifespan lost.
**Fill in the blanks with correct expressions of numbers/values/quantity.**
It is well known that smoking is harmful to health, serving as a [i] _____ preventable cause of
disease, disability and premature death. But what impact does smoking have on lifespan?
According to an editorial published in the journal Addiction, among long-term smokers, a single
cigarette reduces life expectancy [ii] _____ for men, and 22 minutes for women. Overall, men can
lose about 10 years [iii] _____ and women, about 11 years.
The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, but [iv] _____ they will live. For example, if a person
who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits on January 1, he could prevent losing an entire day by
January 8th, a week by February 20th, and a month by August 5th. They could avoid losing 50 days
of life [v] _____.
Excerpted from: “One Cigarette Could Slash 17 Minutes off Your Life.” Contributed by Shyla Jovitha
Abraham, The Week, 02 Feb. 2025.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Fill in blank [iv] with the most appropriate option.
6406536625471.
the later a person quits, the longer
6406536625472.
the sooner a person quits, the shorter
6406536625473.
the sooner a person quits, the longer
Published solution
**1. Follow the argument:** Harm from smoking accumulates, so stopping earlier reduces further exposure.
**2. Form the paired comparative:** 'The sooner a person quits, the longer they will live' expresses the intended relationship. This question tests the passage's wording, not a prediction of the exact lifespan of an individual.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** This reverses the direction of the relationship stated in the passage.
B: **Incorrect:** This wrongly makes earlier quitting shorten lifespan.
C: **Correct:** Earlier quitting is linked to a longer expected lifespan.
**Fill in the blanks with correct expressions of numbers/values/quantity.**
It is well known that smoking is harmful to health, serving as a [i] _____ preventable cause of
disease, disability and premature death. But what impact does smoking have on lifespan?
According to an editorial published in the journal Addiction, among long-term smokers, a single
cigarette reduces life expectancy [ii] _____ for men, and 22 minutes for women. Overall, men can
lose about 10 years [iii] _____ and women, about 11 years.
The damage caused by smoking is cumulative, but [iv] _____ they will live. For example, if a person
who smokes 10 cigarettes a day quits on January 1, he could prevent losing an entire day by
January 8th, a week by February 20th, and a month by August 5th. They could avoid losing 50 days
of life [v] _____.
Excerpted from: “One Cigarette Could Slash 17 Minutes off Your Life.” Contributed by Shyla Jovitha
Abraham, The Week, 02 Feb. 2025.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Fill in blank [v] with the most appropriate option.
6406536625474.
about the end of the year
6406536625475.
by the end of the year
6406536625476.
from the end of the year
Published solution
**1. Identify the time boundary:** The sentence gives the amount of loss avoided up to a future endpoint.
**2. Use by:** 'By the end of the year' means no later than that endpoint, including the cumulative benefit before it. From would mark the start of a period rather than its end.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** About the end is an approximate time, not the cumulative deadline needed here.
B: **Correct:** By marks the endpoint by which the stated benefit is accumulated.
C: **Incorrect:** From marks a starting point rather than this endpoint.
**Identify the most appropriate sentence to use in the given social setting in the**
**subquestions.**
Context: A boss to his employee/s.
Informal chat in the break room.
6406536625477.
How’s the day coming along, Aysha?
6406536625478.
I have to order you to come to my office for a quick recap of the presentation
documents.
6406536625479.
Aysha, stop being lazy, and get out of this room.
6406536625480.
Why are you taking a break when you have not yet turned in your report?
Published solution
**1. Match the social setting:** A break-room conversation is informal and should not unnecessarily become a reprimand.
**2. Choose a respectful opener:** Asking how Aysha's day is coming along invites ordinary friendly conversation. Commands, accusations and complaints about unfinished work do not fit the stated casual setting.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** This is friendly, conversational and appropriate to an informal break.
B: **Incorrect:** This turns the interaction into a formal command.
C: **Incorrect:** Calling the employee lazy is insulting and inappropriate.
D: **Incorrect:** This is a reprimand rather than an informal conversational opener.
**Identify the most appropriate sentence to use in the given social setting in the**
**subquestions.**
Context: A boss to his employee/s.
Criticising a presentation.
6406536625481.
Team Omega, you have been exceptional in this presentation. However, I am
unimaginably sorry to inform you that there are a few issues I have, rather sadly, uncovered with
regards to this. Please, if you do not mind, will you listen to these comments of mine?
6406536625482.
Team Omega, good job with the presentation. Thanks for coming up with it at
such short notice. But I have a few issues with what you have just presented. Please listen to
them, and provide me with explanations on each of these counts.
6406536625483.
This was a very poor presentation. Team Omega, all of you are not worthy of
this job.
6406536625484.
Team Omega, your presentations are consistently dipping in terms of quality
and content. Stop doing these.
Published solution
**1. Aim for constructive criticism:** A manager can acknowledge effort while identifying concrete problems.
**2. Preserve professional clarity:** B thanks the team, states that there are issues, and requests explanations. It is direct without personal insults or excessive apology. Effective feedback should focus on work and improvement rather than attacking employees' worth.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** The excessive apology and elaborate wording obscure the feedback.
B: **Correct:** It balances appreciation, clear concerns and a request for explanations.
C: **Incorrect:** It attacks the employees personally rather than explaining presentation problems.
D: **Incorrect:** It is dismissive and gives no constructive route for improvement.
**Identify the most appropriate sentence to use in the given social setting in the**
**subquestions.**
Context: A boss to his employee/s.
Approving a leave request for holidays.
6406536625485.
While we are short of people right now, I am granting you this leave in my
infinite magnanimity. You should thank me.
6406536625486.
You don’t deserve any leave, but I am giving it anyway.
6406536625487.
I have approved your leave request. You should, however, catch up on your
work as soon as you are back. Enjoy your holidays.
6406536625488.
In this firm, a leave is a privilege and not a right
Published solution
**1. Communicate the decision clearly:** The employee needs to know whether leave has been approved.
**2. Add proportionate work guidance:** C explicitly approves the leave, reminds the employee to catch up afterward, and wishes them an enjoyable holiday. The other choices add humiliation or self-praise rather than useful information.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** This is self-congratulatory and makes approval sound like a demand for gratitude.
B: **Incorrect:** This unnecessarily insults the employee.
C: **Correct:** It gives clear approval, a work expectation and a courteous closing.
D: **Incorrect:** It neither clearly approves the request nor gives a supportive response.
**Identify the most appropriate sentence to use in the given social setting in the**
**subquestions.**
Context: A boss to his employee/s.
Calling for a conference hall meeting.
6406536625489.
All of you, come here and sit here. Attend this meeting and get out.
6406536625490.
There is a big meeting in the conference hall right now, and you wouldn’t want
to miss it.
6406536625491.
Come on all of you, come to the conference hall.
6406536625492.
I would like to request all of you to please come into the conference hall for an
urgent meeting.
Published solution
**1. Give the necessary information:** A meeting request should identify the place and need to attend.
**2. Use courteous authority:** D politely requests attendance in the conference hall and states that the meeting is urgent. The other options are either abrupt, vague or less clearly framed as a professional request.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** This sounds rude and treats attendees dismissively.
B: **Incorrect:** This is vague and indirect rather than a clear attendance request.
C: **Incorrect:** This is a casual command lacking the professional framing and urgency of D.
D: **Correct:** It clearly and politely requests attendance at the urgent meeting.
**Identify the most appropriate sentence to use in the given social setting in the**
**subquestions.**
Context: A boss to his employee/s.
When an employee asks for a raise.
6406536625493.
No, this firm does not offer opportunities for advancement. Prospects for
career progression were not listed in your job description, were they?
6406536625494.
Sure, but I don’t see what results you have produced since the last appraisal.
We cannot give a raise without any reason.
6406536625495.
We shall certainly take that into consideration during your next performance
review, which will be in another four months. In the meantime, let’s discuss your accomplishments
since the last review and identify some short-term goals to work towards.
6406536625496.
Yes, absolutely! You can have a raise immediately. I know you have been
working at a starting salary for the past two years. It’s not like anyone wants a stagnant career!
Published solution
**1. Respond without an unsupported promise:** A raise normally requires discussion of performance and the review process.
**2. Give a constructive next step:** C acknowledges the request, gives a review timeline and invites discussion of accomplishments and goals. It neither dismisses the employee nor promises immediate approval without assessment.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** This is discouraging and dismisses career progression.
B: **Incorrect:** This assumes poor performance and responds defensively rather than inviting a fair review.
C: **Correct:** It combines acknowledgement, a clear process and constructive performance discussion.
D: **Incorrect:** It promises an immediate raise without evaluation or a stated basis for approval.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate options.
The (1)_____ yellow saree she wore for the wedding looked spectacular. The vivid colours were
overpowering even the (2)_____ of the sun. As she smiled for the cameras, she (3)_____ up the
whole arena. The other women in the group hesitated to stand next to her on stage for fear of
appearing (4)________. She certainly was the (5)______ woman at that wedding.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Choose the correct answer for (1).
6406536625572.
bright
6406536625573.
brightness
6406536625574.
brightest
6406536625575.
brighter
Published solution
**1. Identify the modifier:** The blank describes the yellow saree, so it needs the adjective bright.
**2. Avoid an unsupported comparison:** Brightness is a noun. Brighter requires comparison, and brightest a superlative frame; neither is needed in 'The bright yellow saree she wore'.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** Bright is the ordinary adjective modifying yellow saree.
B: **Incorrect:** Brightness is a noun, not the required adjective.
C: **Incorrect:** The sentence does not introduce the superlative comparison here.
D: **Incorrect:** No comparative relation is expressed at this blank.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate options.
The (1)_____ yellow saree she wore for the wedding looked spectacular. The vivid colours were
overpowering even the (2)_____ of the sun. As she smiled for the cameras, she (3)_____ up the
whole arena. The other women in the group hesitated to stand next to her on stage for fear of
appearing (4)________. She certainly was the (5)______ woman at that wedding.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Choose the correct answer for (2).
6406536625576.
brighter
6406536625577.
bright
6406536625578.
brightness
6406536625579.
brightest
Published solution
**1. Read the determiner:** 'Even the ___ of the sun' requires a noun after the.
**2. Name the quality:** Brightness is the noun meaning the amount or quality of light. Bright, brighter and brightest are adjective forms, not the intended noun in this construction.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** Brighter is a comparative adjective.
B: **Incorrect:** Bright is the base adjective, not the noun naming the quality.
C: **Correct:** Brightness is the noun required by the phrase the ... of the sun.
D: **Incorrect:** Brightest is a superlative adjective rather than the requested noun.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate options.
The (1)_____ yellow saree she wore for the wedding looked spectacular. The vivid colours were
overpowering even the (2)_____ of the sun. As she smiled for the cameras, she (3)_____ up the
whole arena. The other women in the group hesitated to stand next to her on stage for fear of
appearing (4)________. She certainly was the (5)______ woman at that wedding.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Choose the correct answer for (3).
6406536625580.
brighter
6406536625581.
brightened
6406536625582.
brighted
6406536625583.
bright
Published solution
**1. Locate the action:** The blank is followed by up and describes what her smile did to the arena.
**2. Use the past-tense verb:** The standard verb is brighten; its simple past is brightened. 'She brightened up the whole arena' also has a figurative sense of making the place seem more cheerful or lively.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Brighter is an adjective, not a past-tense verb.
B: **Correct:** Brightened is the correct past form of brighten.
C: **Incorrect:** Brighted is not the ordinary past form for this meaning.
D: **Incorrect:** Bright does not provide the required past-tense action.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate options.
The (1)_____ yellow saree she wore for the wedding looked spectacular. The vivid colours were
overpowering even the (2)_____ of the sun. As she smiled for the cameras, she (3)_____ up the
whole arena. The other women in the group hesitated to stand next to her on stage for fear of
appearing (4)________. She certainly was the (5)______ woman at that wedding.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Choose the correct answer for (4).
6406536625584.
dull
6406536625585.
duller
6406536625586.
dullest
6406536625587.
both dull and duller
Published solution
**1. Determine the complement:** After appearing, an adjective can describe how the other women fear they will look.
**2. Compare two valid meanings:** 'Appearing dull' describes a lack of brightness. 'Appearing duller' makes the implicit comparison with the brightly dressed woman. Both fit the context; dullest would assert an extreme comparison not supported here.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** Dull is grammatical, but it is not the only valid choice.
B: **Incorrect:** Duller is also grammatical with the implied comparison.
C: **Incorrect:** Dullest requires an unsupported superlative interpretation.
D: **Correct:** Both the base adjective and the comparative fit the described fear.
Fill in the blanks with appropriate options.
The (1)_____ yellow saree she wore for the wedding looked spectacular. The vivid colours were
overpowering even the (2)_____ of the sun. As she smiled for the cameras, she (3)_____ up the
whole arena. The other women in the group hesitated to stand next to her on stage for fear of
appearing (4)________. She certainly was the (5)______ woman at that wedding.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Choose the correct answer for (5).
6406536625588.
pretty
6406536625589.
prettier
6406536625590.
beautiful
6406536625591.
prettiest
Published solution
**1. Identify the comparison group:** The sentence singles her out among the women at that wedding.
**2. Use the superlative:** 'The prettiest woman at that wedding' expresses the highest degree within the group. Pretty and beautiful alone would require 'a' or a different meaning; prettier normally compares two or more explicitly.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** The pretty woman is possible as identification, but does not complete the intended highest-degree comparison.
B: **Incorrect:** Prettier is comparative, not the intended superlative among the wedding group.
C: **Incorrect:** Beautiful does not express the intended superlative degree.
D: **Correct:** Prettiest is the superlative matching the passage's comparison.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
Edison films initially featured material such as circus or vaudeville acts that _____ be taken into a
small studio to perform before an inert camera, while early Lumière films were mainly
documentary views, or “actualities,” shot outdoors on location.
Context: To denote a real and unimagined ability in past time
6406536625497.
Should
6406536625498.
Could
6406536625499.
Must
6406536625500.
Shall
Published solution
**1. Use the time reference:** The sentence describes early films and material that was actually able to be brought into a small studio.
**2. Select past ability:** Could expresses ability in the past. Should conveys advice or expectation; must an obligation; shall a different future or prescriptive meaning.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Should expresses advice or expectation, not the specified past ability.
B: **Correct:** Could supplies the intended real ability in past time.
C: **Incorrect:** Must expresses necessity rather than ability.
D: **Incorrect:** Shall does not express the required past ability.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
I knew her family was wealthy, and I wanted to dress as I imagined they _____ be dressed: in a
manner elegant, but also casual.
Context: To indicate an imagined possibility
6406536625501.
Will
6406536625502.
Would
6406536625503.
Can
6406536625504.
Shall
Published solution
**1. Notice the past imagination:** The narrator wanted to dress as they imagined a wealthy family would dress.
**2. Match the imagined situation:** Would suits an imagined or expected state viewed from the past: 'as I imagined they would be dressed'. It is not an assertion of a definite present or future fact.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Will does not match the past perspective and imagined state as well as would.
B: **Correct:** Would expresses the imagined expectation viewed from the narrator's past situation.
C: **Incorrect:** Can emphasizes ability or possibility in a different sense.
D: **Incorrect:** Shall is not the appropriate modal for this imagined past viewpoint.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
You _____ now see the Director.
Hint: To give formal permission to see someone in a position of authority
6406536625505.
Should
6406536625506.
May
6406536625507.
Could
6406536625508.
None of these
Published solution
**1. Identify the speech act:** The speaker is granting formal permission to meet an authority figure.
**2. Choose may:** 'You may now see the Director' is a standard formal grant of permission. Should gives advice; could is more natural for a tentative possibility or polite request than this direct formal permission.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Should advises or recommends rather than directly granting permission.
B: **Correct:** May is the conventional modal for formal permission.
C: **Incorrect:** Could is less appropriate for this direct formal authorization.
D: **Incorrect:** May already provides a suitable answer.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
Coleridge could see the red door of the then new church from his last residence across the green,
where he lived with a doctor he had hoped _____ cure him.
Hint: To convey a weak possibility that leans more towards uncertainty than towards the likelihood
of an event’s happening.
6406536625509.
May
6406536625510.
Might
6406536625511.
Will
6406536625512.
Should
Published solution
**1. Use the stated hint:** The hoped-for cure is uncertain, not a definite expectation.
**2. Match the modal and past context:** 'He had hoped [the doctor] might cure him' expresses a tentative possibility from a past viewpoint. Will is too definite; should suggests expectation rather than the hinted uncertainty.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** May can express possibility, but might better fits the tentative past-context reading requested.
B: **Correct:** Might expresses the uncertain possibility in the stated past context.
C: **Incorrect:** Will presents a stronger prospective claim than the hint supports.
D: **Incorrect:** Should suggests expectation rather than this tentative possibility.
Identify the modal auxiliary in the following sentence:
This might be your can of water.
6406536625513.
Can
6406536625514.
Be
6406536625515.
Might
6406536625516.
Your
Published solution
**1. Look for the auxiliary before be:** The phrase is 'might be'. Might adds the meaning of possibility and is the modal auxiliary.
**2. Distinguish word roles:** Be is the main copular verb here. Can is a noun meaning a container, and your is a possessive determiner. A word's spelling alone does not fix its grammatical function.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** Can is a container noun in this sentence, not an auxiliary.
B: **Incorrect:** Be is the copular verb following the modal.
C: **Correct:** Might is the auxiliary expressing possibility.
D: **Incorrect:** Your is a possessive determiner.
What does the modal auxiliary in the following sentence denote?
Can you do everything on your own?
6406536625517.
Possibility
6406536625518.
Ability
6406536625519.
Suggestion
6406536625520.
Request
Published solution
**1. Ask what is being tested:** 'Can you do everything on your own?' asks whether the person has the capacity to do the tasks independently.
**2. Identify the meaning in context:** Can therefore expresses ability here. Can-questions can make requests in other contexts, but this wording asks about personal capability rather than requesting a particular action.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** The intended meaning is capability rather than mere situational possibility.
B: **Correct:** The question asks about the person's ability to act independently.
C: **Incorrect:** No course of action is being suggested.
D: **Incorrect:** This is framed as a question about capability, not a request to perform a specific task.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
We are not all born gifted, but we ___ develop our abilities through constant practice.
Hint: To indicate a general possibility
6406536625521.
May
6406536625522.
Will
6406536625523.
Must
6406536625524.
Can
Published solution
**1. Read the general claim:** The sentence says ability can be developed through practice, even when people are not born gifted.
**2. Select general possibility/capacity:** Can expresses what is generally possible. Will is more predictive, must expresses necessity, and may is more tentative about a specific possibility.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** May is not the intended general-capacity modal here.
B: **Incorrect:** Will predicts a result more definitely than the general possibility requested.
C: **Incorrect:** Must imposes necessity rather than expressing possibility.
D: **Correct:** Can expresses the general possibility of developing abilities.
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate modal verb.
They have not opened the gates yet. The play _____ be starting late.
Hint: To express a specific possibility.
6406536625525.
Can
6406536625526.
Could
6406536625527.
Can and could
Published solution
**1. Use the evidence:** The gates have not opened, so a delayed start is a possible explanation in this particular situation.
**2. Use could for the tentative inference:** 'The play could be starting late' expresses a specific possibility. Can is more commonly used for general possibility, not this positive tentative inference.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Can is less appropriate for this specific positive inference.
B: **Correct:** Could expresses the particular tentative possibility indicated by the evidence.
C: **Incorrect:** Only could is the intended choice under the stated distinction.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
I _____ go to class.
Hint: An obligation that is self-imposed and weak in nature
6406536625528.
Must
6406536625529.
Shall
6406536625530.
Would
6406536625531.
Could
Published solution
**1. Identify the intended force:** The speaker is telling themselves that going to class is necessary.
**2. Select the available obligation modal:** Must is the only listed choice that directly expresses that self-imposed obligation. The hint calls it weak, but must itself is normally a strong necessity modal; should would more naturally express weak obligation, and is not offered.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** Must is the available modal for the self-imposed necessity, though the hint's weak description is imprecise.
B: **Incorrect:** Shall is not the ordinary obligation expression for this sentence.
C: **Incorrect:** Would expresses a different hypothetical or past-viewpoint meaning.
D: **Incorrect:** Could expresses possibility or ability, not obligation.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
No bags, umbrellas, personal books, CD-ROMs or floppy disks _____ be brought into the library.
They _____ be deposited at the property counter at one’s own risk.
Hint: To indicate a requirement for appropriate behavior in a library
6406536625532.
Should, should
6406536625533.
May, may
6406536625534.
Can, can
6406536625535.
Will, will
Published solution
**1. Interpret the rules:** The first clause prohibits bringing listed items into the library; the second states the expected alternative of leaving them at the property counter.
**2. Match the conduct requirement:** 'No ... should be brought' and 'They should be deposited' both express expected appropriate behavior. May/can would imply permission or ability, while will describes prediction rather than the requested rule.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** Should expresses the intended standard of conduct in both clauses.
B: **Incorrect:** May would express permission, weakening or changing the rule.
C: **Incorrect:** Can would express ability or permission rather than the required conduct.
D: **Incorrect:** Will predicts rather than expressing the stated behavioral recommendation.
Choose the correct modal verb to fill in the blank. See the hint or context provided and choose
only the most appropriate option to fill the blank.
Criticism of other political parties, when made, _____ be confined to their policies and programme,
past record and work.
Hint: To denote a strong, socially-oriented, and legally-binding obligation on those contesting in
elections
6406536625536.
Should
6406536625537.
Could
6406536625538.
Might
6406536625539.
Shall
Published solution
**1. Recognize a formal rule:** The context is a legally binding obligation governing election conduct.
**2. Use the legal prescriptive modal:** Shall is conventionally used in such formal rules: criticism shall be confined to policies and records. Should is generally advisory; could and might express possibility rather than binding obligation.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** Should is weaker advice than the stated legally binding requirement.
B: **Incorrect:** Could expresses possibility, not a binding duty.
C: **Incorrect:** Might also expresses possibility rather than obligation.
D: **Correct:** Shall matches the formal legally prescriptive context.
**1. Retain the auxiliary:** The main clause already contains modal can, so the tag uses the same modal rather than does.
**2. Reverse polarity:** The affirmative statement takes the usual negative confirmation tag. Replace he by he and use can't: 'He can speak many languages, can't he?'
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** A positive tag does not supply the ordinary opposite-polarity confirmation here.
B: **Correct:** Can't matches the modal and reverses the positive polarity.
C: **Incorrect:** Does does not retain the existing modal auxiliary.
D: **Incorrect:** Doesn't uses the wrong auxiliary despite being negative.
Siva was asking Abdul _______ the road was bumpy or not.
6406536625544.
Whether
6406536625545.
Either if or whether can be used
6406536625546.
If
Published solution
**1. Identify an indirect yes/no question:** Siva was asking whether/if the road was bumpy. No condition is being imposed on an action.
**2. Check placement of or not:** Both 'whether the road was bumpy or not' and 'if the road was bumpy or not' are acceptable when or not is at the end. Immediately before 'or not', however, whether is required.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Whether is valid, but it is not the only acceptable option in this word order.
B: **Correct:** Both if and whether can introduce this indirect yes/no question with or not at the end.
C: **Incorrect:** If is valid here, but whether is valid as well.
Find the sentence that fits the given question tag.
_____, did it?
6406536625547.
It didn’t rain last night
6406536625548.
It hasn’t moved to a different location
6406536625549.
It was dark when you walked home
6406536625550.
It doesn’t matter
Published solution
**1. Work backward from the tag:** 'Did it?' has positive polarity and simple-past auxiliary did.
**2. Match a negative past statement:** 'It didn't rain last night' uses the same auxiliary and subject with the opposite polarity. The other clauses require tags based on has, was or does rather than did.
**Answer: A.**
A: **Correct:** The negative simple-past statement matches the positive did it tag.
B: **Incorrect:** This present-perfect clause would normally take has it.
C: **Incorrect:** This positive past-be clause would take wasn't it.
D: **Incorrect:** This negative present clause would take does it.
Identify the object of the verb ‘say’ in the given sentence.
It was impossible to say yet whether the lion would attack or not.
6406536625551.
Only yet
6406536625552.
The clause whether the lion would attack or not
6406536625553.
Only whether
6406536625554.
Both yet and whether
Published solution
**1. Ask what could not yet be said:** The answer is the complete question-content clause 'whether the lion would attack or not'.
**2. Identify its function:** In the exercise's traditional terminology, the embedded clause is the object/complement of say. Yet is a time-related adverb, and whether merely introduces the clause; neither alone supplies the content being said.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Yet is an adverb, not the content clause.
B: **Correct:** The whole whether-clause supplies what cannot be determined or said.
C: **Incorrect:** Whether is only the clause introducer, not the entire object.
D: **Incorrect:** These isolated words do not form the complement.
In the given sentence, what function does the that-clause serve?
The experience taught him that he had to watch his words in public.
6406536625555.
It is the indirect object of the verb taught
6406536625556.
It qualifies the pronoun him
6406536625557.
It is the direct object of the verb taught
6406536625558.
None of these
Published solution
**1. Separate the recipients and the lesson:** In 'taught him that...', him is the person who learns, while the that-clause supplies the content learned.
**2. Label the objects:** Under the traditional analysis used here, him is the indirect object and 'that he had to watch his words in public' is the direct object/content clause of taught. It does not describe a property of him like a relative clause would.
**Answer: C.**
A: **Incorrect:** Him, not the lesson-content clause, is the indirect object.
B: **Incorrect:** The clause gives the lesson rather than modifying him adjectivally.
C: **Correct:** The that-clause supplies the content taught and functions as the direct object in this analysis.
D: **Incorrect:** The direct-object option correctly identifies the intended function.
Identify the embedded question for the following direct question.
Where is the house?
6406536625567.
I don’t remember where is the house.
6406536625568.
I don’t remember where the house is.
Published solution
**1. Embed the direct question:** The independent question 'Where is the house?' uses question inversion, placing is before the subject.
**2. Restore statement word order:** Inside 'I don't remember...', use where + subject + verb: 'where the house is'. An embedded question does not retain the direct-question inversion.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Where is the house incorrectly keeps inversion inside the embedded clause.
B: **Correct:** Where the house is has the required embedded subject-verb order.
Fill in the blank with if or whether:
We will go for a walk _____ it doesn’t rain.
6406536625569.
Whether
6406536625570.
If
6406536625571.
Both whether and if
Published solution
**1. Identify a condition:** Whether rain occurs determines whether the walk will happen. The sentence means the walk will occur on the condition that it does not rain.
**2. Use conditional if:** If introduces that condition. Whether normally introduces alternatives or an indirect yes/no question, not this ordinary condition on a planned action.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Whether does not introduce the intended simple condition in this sentence.
B: **Correct:** If correctly connects the action to the no-rain condition.
C: **Incorrect:** Only if gives the intended conditional construction.
Consider the sentence given below and answer the given subquestions:
John laughed loudly.
The verb laugh takes ____ objects as its complements.
6406536625559.
1
6406536625560.
0
6406536625561.
2
6406536625562.
3
Published solution
**1. Identify the verb's pattern:** Laugh is intransitive in 'John laughed loudly'. It has a subject but no direct or indirect object.
**2. Classify loudly:** Loudly is an adverb describing the manner of laughing. It is not an object, so the number of object complements is zero.
**Answer: B.**
A: **Incorrect:** Loudly is a manner adverb, not one object.
B: **Correct:** The intransitive use of laughed takes zero objects here.
C: **Incorrect:** No double-object structure appears.
D: **Incorrect:** The sentence has no objects at all.
Consider the sentence given below and answer the given subquestions:
John laughed loudly.
The interrogative form of the given sentence is ________.
6406536625563.
Does John laugh loudly?
6406536625564.
Do John laugh loudly?
6406536625565.
Did john laughed loudly?
6406536625566.
Did John laugh loudly?
Published solution
**1. Identify the tense:** Laughed is simple past. A yes/no question with an ordinary lexical verb needs did before the subject.
**2. Restore the base form:** Did already marks past tense, so laughed becomes laugh: 'Did John laugh loudly?' Do not mark the past twice as did laughed.
**Answer: D.**
A: **Incorrect:** Does changes the question to present time.
B: **Incorrect:** Do neither agrees with singular John in the present nor preserves the past tense.
C: **Incorrect:** Did must be followed by base-form laugh, not laughed.
D: **Correct:** Did preserves past time and laugh is correctly in the base form.
