Q1. What does the idiom 'to be at daggers drawn' mean?
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Answer: D. To be bitter enemies
'To be at daggers drawn' means to be in a state of bitter hostility with someone.
SSC CGL English Comprehension Intermediate Practice Set 6
25 intermediate questions. Tap an option to check it, or open “Show answer” for the explanation.
Topics: Idioms and Phrases, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, Synonyms, One-word Substitution, Error Spotting, Direct and Indirect Speech, Spelling, Active and Passive Voice, Antonyms
Score: 0 / 0
Q2. What does the idiom 'to get cold feet' mean?
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Answer: B. To become nervous and back out
'To get cold feet' means to lose courage and hesitate or withdraw at the last moment.
Q3. Improve the bracketed part: 'My brother [is working] in this company for ten years.'
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Answer: A. has been working
An action that started in the past and continues into the present, with 'for' + period, takes the present perfect continuous: 'My brother has been working in this company for ten years.'
Q4. Fill in the blank: He is too proud to ___ his mistakes.
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Answer: D. admit
'Admit' means to confess to be true. 'Too proud to admit his mistakes' is the natural meaning.
Q5. Choose the synonym of 'TRANQUIL'.
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Answer: A. Calm
'Tranquil' means free from disturbance; peaceful. 'Calm' is the synonym.
Q6. Improve the bracketed part: 'Meena [is the most cleverest] girl in the class.'
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Answer: B. is the cleverest
Using 'most' with '-est' is a double superlative. The correct superlative is 'the cleverest': 'Meena is the cleverest girl in the class.'
Q7. A person who draws or makes maps is called a:
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Answer: A. Cartographer
A 'cartographer' makes maps. A choreographer designs dances, and a calligrapher does decorative handwriting.
Q8. Improve the bracketed part: 'He [returned back] the book yesterday.'
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Answer: A. returned
'Return' already means 'give or come back', so 'back' is redundant: 'He returned the book yesterday.'
Q9. Identify the error: 'Hardly had she left the house than the phone rang.'
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Answer: A. 'than' should be 'when'
'Hardly' is followed by 'when', while 'No sooner' is followed by 'than': 'Hardly had she left the house when the phone rang.'
Q10. Choose the correct indirect speech: The captain said to the soldiers, "Do not move."
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Answer: B. The captain ordered the soldiers not to move.
A negative imperative is reported with a verb like 'ordered' + object + 'not to' + base verb: 'The captain ordered the soldiers not to move.'
Q11. Choose the correctly spelt word meaning 'the upkeep of something'.
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Answer: B. Maintenance
The correct spelling is 'Maintenance'; the 'ai' of 'maintain' changes to 'e' in the noun.
Q12. Choose the incorrectly spelt word.
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Answer: D. Liason
'Liason' is incorrect; the correct spelling is 'Liaison' (l-i-a-i-s-o-n). The other three words are spelt correctly.
Q13. Choose the synonym of 'ALACRITY'.
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Answer: C. Eagerness
'Alacrity' means brisk and cheerful readiness, i.e. 'Eagerness'.
Q14. Choose the correct passive form of: 'The workers will finish the project by Monday.'
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Answer: B. The project will be finished by the workers by Monday.
Simple future passive = will + be + past participle: 'The project will be finished by the workers by Monday.'
Q15. Identify the error: 'Scarcely had I reached the station when the train left.'
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Answer: D. No error
The sentence is correct. 'Scarcely' and 'Hardly' are followed by 'when' (not 'than'), and a sentence beginning with 'Scarcely' uses inversion: 'Scarcely had I reached...'
Q16. Choose the correct indirect speech: He said, "I have finished my work."
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Answer: A. He said that he had finished his work.
With a past reporting verb, the present perfect becomes past perfect, and 'I/my' become 'he/his': 'He said that he had finished his work.'
Q17. Choose the antonym of 'INFLUX'.
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Answer: A. Exodus
'Influx' is the arrival of large numbers of people or things; 'Exodus' is a mass departure, so it is the antonym.
Q18. Choose the correct passive form of: 'Please help the poor.'
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Answer: C. You are requested to help the poor.
An imperative with 'please' becomes passive with 'You are requested to...': 'You are requested to help the poor.'
Q19. Choose the antonym of 'PROFUSE'.
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Answer: C. Scanty
'Profuse' means plentiful or abundant; its opposite is 'scanty'. The other options are near-synonyms.
Q20. Choose the antonym of 'HOSTILE'.
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Answer: D. Friendly
'Hostile' means unfriendly or antagonistic, so its antonym is 'Friendly'.
Q21. Choose the synonym of 'ZENITH'.
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Answer: B. Peak
'Zenith' means the highest point or the time of greatest success, so 'Peak' is the synonym. Its opposite is 'nadir'.
Q22. Choose the synonym of 'ASTUTE'.
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Answer: A. Shrewd
'Astute' means able to assess situations accurately and turn them to one's advantage, i.e. 'Shrewd'.
Q23. Improve the bracketed part: 'If it [will rain] tomorrow, the match will be cancelled.'
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Answer: C. rains
In the first conditional, the 'if' clause takes the simple present and the main clause takes 'will': 'If it rains tomorrow, the match will be cancelled.'
Q24. Improve the bracketed part: 'She [insisted to go] to the market alone.'
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Answer: B. insisted on going
'Insist' takes the preposition 'on' followed by a gerund: 'She insisted on going to the market alone.'
Q25. Choose the antonym of 'OBSCURE'.
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Answer: D. Prominent
As an adjective, 'obscure' means not well known or not easily seen; 'Prominent' means important, famous or easily noticed, so it is the antonym.