WBPSC Clerkship 2024 English Mixed Quiz: Grammar and Vocabulary
A little practice. A step forward.
20 mixed questions for the English section of Clerkship Part-I.
Choose the synonym of "abundant".
Abundant means present in large quantity, and so does plentiful. Scarce is the opposite, narrow describes width and faint describes weakness, so neither refers to quantity.
- Abundant = Plentiful = Ample = Copious
- Opposite: Scarce, Meagre, Sparse
- Scarce is the antonym, not a synonym
- Think of a flood (bun-dant): water in plenty.
| Word | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| Abundant | Plentiful, Ample | Scarce |
| Candid | Frank, Open | Secretive |
| Diligent | Hardworking, Industrious | Lazy |
Choose the antonym of "generous".
Generous means willing to give freely; its opposite is stingy. Kind is close in meaning, while wealthy and polite name different qualities. Being rich does not make one stingy, so wealthy is not the antonym.
- Generous is the opposite of Stingy, Miserly
- Miserly = Stingy = Niggardly
- Wealthy speaks of money, not of a giving heart
- Generous = Give; Stingy = Stick to what you have.
Choose one word for "a person who can speak two languages".
A person who speaks two languages is bilingual. A polyglot knows many languages, a linguist studies language scientifically, and an orator is a public speaker.
- Bilingual = two languages
- Polyglot = many languages
- Linguist = student of language
- A linguist studies language; speaking it is not required
- Bi = two, as in bicycle.
Fill in the blank: She has been absent ___ Monday.
Since is used with a fixed point in time (Monday) when the state continues up to now. For goes with a length of time, as in "for three days". From and by do not fit this present perfect sentence.
- Since + point in time (Monday, 2020)
- For + duration (two days, a year)
- "for Monday" is wrong; "for two days" is right
- Since = starting point; For = how long.
| Since | For |
|---|---|
| Monday | three days |
| 2020 | five years |
| morning | two hours |
Choose the correct verb: Neither of the boys ___ present.
Neither is treated as singular even when followed by "of the boys", so the verb is singular: was. Were and are are plural and do not fit.
- Neither / Either / Each / Every one + singular verb
- With neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject
- Seeing the plural "boys" and choosing "were" is the usual slip
- Neither means "not one", so it behaves like one.
Choose the correctly spelt word.
The correct spelling is occurrence: two c's, two r's and the ending -ence. The other options drop a letter or end in -ance.
- occurrence = occur + r + ence
- Two c's and two r's
- The ending is -ence, not -ance
- Two Cs, two Rs, then ence.
What does the idiom "to burn the midnight oil" mean?
Before electricity, people read and worked at night by oil lamps. So the idiom means to work or study late at night. The literal ideas of wasting power or starting a fire are not meant.
- Burn the midnight oil = work or study late into the night
- An idiom cannot be read word by word
- Do not read "burn" as anger or fire
- The midnight lamp means a late night.
Choose the passive form of: "The teacher punished the boy."
The active sentence is in the simple past, so the passive uses was/were plus the past participle: was punished. The object becomes the subject and the doer follows "by". The other options change the tense or swap the roles.
- Passive = be + V3
- The tense stays the same
- Object becomes subject; subject follows by
- Changing the tense, as in "is punished", is wrong
- Change the be-verb to the tense, add V3.
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | She writes a letter. | A letter is written by her. |
| Simple Past | She wrote a letter. | A letter was written by her. |
| Present Perfect | She has written a letter. | A letter has been written by her. |
| Future | She will write a letter. | A letter will be written by her. |
Change into indirect speech: He said, "I am happy."
The reporting verb said is in the past, so the present "am" moves back to "was". The pronoun I refers to the speaker, so it becomes he. Hence: "He said that he was happy."
- After a past reporting verb the tense steps back
- am/is → was; are → were
- Pronouns change to fit the speaker
- "that I was" is wrong: I stands for the speaker, so he
- Reporting the past makes the tense step back.
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| am / is | was |
| are | were |
| Simple Present (eats) | Simple Past (ate) |
| will | would |
| can | could |
What is the plural of "criterion"?
Criterion is a Greek-origin word and its plural is criteria. Criterions, criteriums and criterias are not the accepted forms. Criteria is already plural, so no extra s is added.
- Criterion → Criteria
- Phenomenon → Phenomena
- Medium → Media
- Adding another s to criteria is wrong
- Drop -on, add -a.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Criterion | Criteria |
| Phenomenon | Phenomena |
| Datum | Data |
| Crisis | Crises |
| Analysis | Analyses |
Fill in the blank: He is senior ___ me.
After senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior and preferable, English uses to and not than. So we say "senior to me". Than follows ordinary comparatives such as taller.
- Senior / Junior / Superior / Inferior + to
- Prefer A to B
- Prior to = before
- "Senior than" is wrong; "taller than" is right
- These Latin-based words take to.
Choose the synonym of "candid".
Candid means honest and direct, and frank means the same. Secretive is the opposite, cruel means unkind and shy means timid. Speaking plainly does not make a person cruel.
- Candid = Frank = Open = Straightforward
- Opposite: Secretive, Evasive
- Being outspoken is not being cruel
- Candid: clear as candle light.
Choose the antonym of "victory".
Victory means winning; its opposite is defeat. Triumph, success and conquest are all close to winning, so they are synonyms, not antonyms.
- Victory ≠ Defeat
- Triumph = Victory
- Success ≠ Failure
- Three options are synonyms; only one is the opposite
- Victory vs Defeat, each with two V/D letters.
Choose the meaning of the phrasal verb "call off".
Call off means cancel, as in "The match was called off due to rain". Postpone is put off, to invite is invite or call on, and call out is shout.
- Call off = Cancel
- Put off = Postpone
- Call on = Visit
- Call out = Shout
- Call off and put off are not the same
- Off means stopped: the event is stopped.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Call off | Cancel |
| Put off | Postpone |
| Look after | Take care of |
| Give up | Stop, surrender |
| Turn down | Reject |
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
He is third person singular, so the negative takes doesn't. After doesn't the base verb (like) follows with no -s, because doesn't has already carried the -s.
- He/She/It + doesn't + base verb
- I/You/We/They + don't + base verb
- No -s on the verb after does/doesn't
- "doesn't likes" is the commonest slip
- After does, it is like, not likes.
Fill in the blank: The teacher gave good ___ to the students.
Advice is an uncountable noun, so "advices" is wrong. Advise is a verb and a noun is needed here, so "good advice". Advises is a verb form and does not fit.
- Advice = noun, uncountable
- Advise = verb
- Information, furniture and luggage are also uncountable
- "Advices" is wrong; "pieces of advice" is right
- Advice has "ice" (noun); advise has "s" (verb).
Fill in the blank: If I ___ you, I would apologise.
For an imagined, unreal situation (second conditional) the if-clause uses were for every person, including I. So "If I were you". The main clause with would is already given.
- Second conditional: If + past, would + base verb
- If I were you = in your place
- Were for all persons
- "If I was you" appears in talk, but not in exam answers
- Imaginary means "were".
| Type | If-clause | Main clause |
|---|---|---|
| Zero | Present | Present |
| First | Present | will + V1 |
| Second | Past (were) | would + V1 |
| Third | Past Perfect | would have + V3 |
What does "a blessing in disguise" mean?
Something that first looks like bad luck but turns out well is a blessing in disguise. A hidden enemy, a curse and a secret prayer are not what the idiom means.
- Blessing in disguise = a good thing in a bad coat
- Bolt from the blue = an unexpected event
- Do not take "disguise" to mean an enemy
- Disguise means a mask; the good is inside.
Complete: She can swim, ___?
The statement is positive and uses the auxiliary can, so the tag is negative and repeats it: can't she. A positive statement takes a negative tag and a negative statement takes a positive tag.
- Positive statement → negative tag
- Negative statement → positive tag
- The tag repeats the auxiliary
- "Doesn't she" belongs to the simple present, not to can
- Opposite mood, same auxiliary.
Choose the synonym of "diligent".
Diligent means careful and hardworking, and hardworking is the same in sense. Careless is the opposite, cunning means crafty and timid means fearful.
- Diligent = Hardworking = Industrious = Assiduous
- Opposite: Lazy, Idle
- Cunning may be clever but is not hardworking
- Diligent: sticks to the work day and night.
📊 Topic Analysis
20 mixed questions for the English section of Clerkship Part-I.
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