New Pattern English

Directions (1-7): In each of the following questions a related pair of words or phrases is followed by four pairs of words or phrases. Select the pair that best expresses a relationship that is least similar to the one expressed in the question pair.

Q1. DELUSION: HALLUCINATION

(a) cheat: counterfeit

(b) sophism: deception

(c) eidolon: ghost

(d) phantom: reality

(e) None of the above is correct

Q2. JUVENILE: MATURE

(a) calumny: slander

(b) fallacy: verity

(c) exhortation: discourage

(d) solvency: debts

(e) None of the above is correct

Q3. SPINACH: PINK

(a) apple: red

(b) pear: blue

(c) turquoise: orange

(d) rose: green

(e) None of the above is correct

Q4. CABLE: ELECTRICITY

(a) wire: sound

(b) artery: blood

(c) lamp: oil

(d) canal: water

(e) None of the above is correct

Q5. EXOTIC: INDIGENOUS

(a) routine: extraordinary

(b) culture: refinement

(c) callow: mature

(d) tame: wild

(e) None of the above is correct

Q6. CLOTHES: BODY

(a) antimacassar: chair

(b) carpet: floor

(c) frame: picture

(d) paint: signboard

(e) None of the above is correct

Q7. ASININE: VACUOUS

(a) nefarious: villainous

(b) heinous: flagitious

(c) deciduous: evergreen

(d) synonymous: equal

(e) None of the above is correct

Directions (8-15): In each question, there are four sentences. Each sentence has pairs of words/phrases that are italicized and highlighted. From the italicized and highlighted word(s)/phrase(s), select the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) to form correct sentences. Then choose the best option.

Q8. (i) The vacuum cleaner came with several complementary [A]/complimentary [B] attachments for cleaning different surfaces.

(ii) In an age infatuated of machines, life becomes amoral [A]/immoral [B], without moral bearings, devoid of moral categories.

(iii) The trainer mounted the horse and rode for some distance in order to dispel [A]/expel [B] the fears of the child.

(iv) It was as if she had seen a ghost that her face had a deadly [A]/deathly [B] pallor.

(a) ABAB

(b) AAAB

(c) BAAA

(d) BAAB

(e) BBBB

Q9. (i) When he was upset, one could see his juggler [A]/jugular [B] veins standing out in his neck.

(ii) At this junction [A]/juncture [B] students are required to make careful decisions about their future course.

(iii) He made a few unexceptionable [A]/unexceptional [B] propositions, all quite relevant to the discussion.

(iv) As an architect she was involved in the development of urbane [A]/urban [B] housing projects in the city.

(a) ABAB

(b) ABBA

(c) BAAA

(d) BBAB

(e) AAAA

Q10. (i) The speaker could not shout over the babble [A]/bauble [B] of the crowd and he was not heard.

(ii) She felt bad [A]/badly [B] about having to lie to her friend; but she had no choice.

(iii) The farmers were loading bails [A]/bales [B] of hay onto the truck.

(iv) The students waited for the answer to a question that has vexed them for many days with baited [A]/bated [B] breath.

(a) ABAB

(b) AABB

(c) BABB

(d) BAAB

(e) BBBB

Q11. (i) On television, we have been witnessing the baneful [A]/baleful [B] results of war as Israel attacks Hamas in Gaza.

(ii) The wrestler appeared to be tall and burly [A]/burley [B] as he stood by the TV announcer.

(iii) Clouds smoke billowed [A]/bellowed [B] into the air as the fire engulfed the building.

(iv) The old patriarch uttered a malediction [A]/benediction [B] against the rival clan.

(a) BAAA

(b) AAAA

(c) ABAB

(d) AAAB

(e) BBBB

Q12. (i) Sudha Murthy’s beneficent [A]/beneficial [B] activities have resulted in many organizations that help the poor.

(ii) She could not think of any earthly [A]/earthy [B] reason to go out with him in such heavy rain.

(iii) His egoism [A]/egotism [B] prevented him from making practical decisions.

(iv) To go out of the building, you are requested to use the egress [A]/ingress [B] behind the building.

(a) AABA

(b) BBBA

(c) BABB

(d) BBAA

(e) AAAA

Q13. (i) She demonstrated immanent [A]/imminent [B] good sense in her dress and behaviour.

(ii) The thunder was heard immediately [A]/imminently [B] after they saw lightning.

(iii) He went to the diary [A]/dairy [B] section to pick a few packets of milk.

(iv) Her nervousness was obvious with her forehead damp [A]/dank [B] with perspiration.

(a) ABBA

(b) BBBA

(c) AABA

(d) BBAB

(e) BBBB

Q14. (i) In the internet age there is no dearth [A]/death [B] of uncensored, firsthand information.

(ii) He would often digress [A]/regress [B] into his past and talk at length about his childhood.

(iii) His small physique worked against him minimizing [A]/diminishing [B] his authority as a CEO.

(iv) She had a very official [A]/officious [B] manner, always offering her services even when she was not asked nor needed.

(a) ABAB

(b) ABBB

(c) BABA

(d) BAAB

(e) BBBB

Q15. (i) The newlywed couple was facilitated [A]/felicitated [B] by their friends before they left the town.

(ii) If my girlfriend invited me to dinner I would feign [A]/fain [B] do it for sure.

(iii) We hung [A]/hanged [B] the painting on the wall.

(iv) The law has a structure [A]/stricture [B] against sale and possession of guns.

(a) BBAB

(b) ABAB

(c) BBAB

(d) AAAB

(e) AAAA

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)

Sol. Answer option D, phantom and reality are antonyms; all the others including the key pair are synonyms.  

S2. Ans.(a)

Sol. Answer option A, the key pair is opposites. Option A is synonyms. calumny-the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.

S3. Ans.(a)

Sol. Spinach is not pink; hence the least similar is Apple and Red.

S4. Ans.(c)

Sol. Cable conducts electricity, lamp and oil do not have a similar relationship.

S5. Ans.(b)

Sol. The key pair is antonyms; option B is synonyms. Culture and refinement are synonyms in applied meaning.

S6. Ans.(d)

Sol. Clothes protect the body; similarly, the first three options are related to each other. Antimacassar is a piece of ornamented cloth that protects the back of chair from hair oils.  

S7. Ans.(c)

Sol. The key pair is synonymous. Option c is opposite.
asinine-extremely stupid or foolish. vacuous-having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless.
deciduous-(of a tree or shrub) shedding its leaves annually.

S8. Ans.(b)

Sol. AAAB. Complementary fits the sentence because attachments cannot be complimentary – given free. Without moral bearings etc. makes one amoral – being neither moral nor immoral, rather than immoral. Dispel means to remove; expel means to throw out. Deadly means dangerous; deathly means death-like.

S9. Ans.(d)

Sol. BBAB. Jugular is the main vein in the neck; juggler is a person who does tricks. Junction is where two paths meet; juncture means an important point in one’s development or history. Unexceptionable means unobjectionable; unexceptional means ordinary/commonplace. Urbane means suave or sophisticated; urban means related to the city.

S10. Ans.(b)

Sol. AABB. Babble means meaningless and loud talk; bauble means a trinket/trifle. She felt bad because feel is a stative verb in the context; stative verbs need to be followed by an adjective (bad) and not an adverb (badly). Bail as a noun is a container; bale (noun) means a large bundle. Bated breath is the correct idiom; baited (past tense of bait) means to entice or lure.

S11. Ans.(b)

Sol. AAAA. Baneful means poisonous, deadly or destructive; baleful means sinister. Burly means strong and heavy build. Burley is a type of tobacco. Billow means to rise in waves/spirals. Bellow is to make a loud and hollow sound. Malediction means a curse; benediction means a blessing.

S12. Ans.(a)

Sol. AABA. Beneficent means performing acts of Kindness and charity; beneficial is conducive to personal or social well-being. Earthly means possible; earthy means practical. Egoism emphasizes self-interest; egotism means conceited or proud. Egress is way out and ingress is a way in.

S13. Ans.(c)

Sol. AABA. Immanent means in-build; imminent is waiting to happen. Immediately means directly or straightaway which correct in the context. Diary is a record of events and dairy is where milk products are stored. Damp implies slightly wet. Dank is unpleasantly wet (stinking)

S14. Ans.(b)

Sol. ABBB. Dearth means scarcity, hence correct. Digress means to stray away from the topic; regress means to go back in time. Minimize means to keep to minimum; diminish means to cause to appear less. Officious means volunteering one’s services where they are neither asked nor needed or meddlesome.

S15. Ans.(c)

Sol. BBAB. Facilitate means to help bring about; felicitate means to offer congratulations. Feign means to pretend , fain means willing, obliged, constrained etc. The past tense of hang is hung and hanged; but hanged is used only in the context of hanged to death and in no other. Stricture means restriction.

Sentence Improvements

Directions (1-15): In each of the following questions, a part of the paragraph or sentence has been Bold. From the choices given to you, you are required to choose the one, which would best replace the Bold part in terms of grammatical usage.

Q1. The tendency to eat late, though it has never been tested properly, many nutritionists believe, as a factor in putting on weight.

(a) many nutritionists believe, to be a factor in putting on weight.

(b) many nutritionists believe factor in putting on weight.

(c) is believed by many nutritionists to be a factor in putting on weight.

(d) is believed by many nutritionists as a factor in putting on weight.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q2. On the billion or so Windows machines, some 63% still uses old XP version launched in 2001, in America, the proportion of XP users are over 80%.

(a) some 63% still use the old XP version launched in 2001, in America the proportion of XP users are

(b) some 63% still uses the old XP version launched in 2001; in America, the proportion of XP users are

(c) some 63% still use the old XP version launched in 2001 in America, the proportion of XP users is

(d) some 63% still use the old XP version launched in 2001; in America, the proportion of XP users is

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q3. Though subjected to varying influences, the distinctive features of China's artistic activity possess a unity which is quite as complete as that of our Western art.

(a) possess a unity which is quite as complete as that of our Western art.

(b) possesses a unity which are quite as complete as our Western art.

(c) possesses a unity which is quite complete like our Western art.

(d) possess a unity which is quite complete like our Western art.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q4. To know by parts is science, knowing the whole as a whole is philosophy.

(a) Knowledge of parts is science,

(b) Knowing by parts is science,

(c) To know partially is science,

(d) To know by parts is science,

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q5. In the fission reactions that nuclear power generation rely on today, heavy elements such as uranium breaks into smaller ones.

(a) relies on today, heavy elements such as uranium break into smaller ones.

(b) rely on today, heavy elements such as uranium break into smaller ones.

(c) relies on today, heavy elements such as uranium breaks into smaller ones.

(d) rely on today, heavy elements such as uranium breaks into smaller ones.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q6. The nature of our party system has changed in the past few decades, and the lesson of the past decade had been that the party that did not hold the White House had every incentive to refuse to co-operate with the president's party.

(a) was that the party that does not hold the White House had every incentive

(b) is that the party that does not hold the White House has every incentive

(c) has been that the party that had not held the White House had every incentive

(d) had been that the party that did not hold the White House had every incentive

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q7. Looking at the path of German GDP and the fact that total private sector hours didn't fall by that much, it becomes clear that Germany's unique recession and recovery was about more than just its choice in labour market policies.

(a) Looking at the path of German GDP and that total private sector hours didn't fall much,

(b) Looking at the path of German GDP and the fact that total private sector hours didn't fall much,

(c) When one looks at the path of German GDP and the fact that total private sector hours didn't fall much,

(d) When one is looking at the path of German GDP and that total private sector hours didn't fall much,

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q8. The Beijing Language and Culture University Press, the largest publisher of Chinese-language textbooks, says South Korea and Japan are their biggest customers.

(a) say South Korea and Japan are their biggest customers.

(b) says South Korea and Japan are it's biggest customers.

(c) says South Korea and Japan are their biggest customers.

(d) says South Korea and Japan are its biggest customers.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q9. There are two pieces to Mr Keats' argument; that English is open-source as other languages are not; and that is why it has spread.

(a) Mr Keats' argument, that English is open-source as other languages are not and that

(b) Mr Keats' argument: that English is open-source as other languages are not, and that that

(c) Mr Keats' argument - that English is open-source as other languages are not-and that

(d) Mr Keats' argument; that English is open-source as other languages are not; and that that

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q10. The number of foreigners going to India for fertility treatments, specially surrogacy, has dramatically increased in recent years.

(a) especially surrogacy, have dramatically increased in past years.

(b) especially surrogacy, has dramatically increased in recent years.

(c) specially surrogacy, have dramatically increased in recent years.

(d) specially surrogacy, have shown dramatic improvement in recent years.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q11. The LHC is a magnificent engineering project, who's many "gee-whiz" features have been widely reported.

(a) whose many "gee-whiz" feature have been widely reported.

(b) who's "gee-whiz" features has been reported widely.

(c) whose many "gee-whiz" features has been widely reported.

(d) who's many "gee-whiz" features have been widely reported.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q12. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, outspoken as usual, compared the choice of Liu for the Nobel Prize with Obama.

(a) compared the choice of Liu for Nobel Prize with that of Obama.

(b) compared the choice of Liu with Obama for the Nobel Prize.

(c) compared the choice of Liu for the Nobel Prize to that of Obama.

(d) compared the choice of Liu and Obama to the Nobel Prize.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q13. The OECD expects average GDP growth among their mostly rich members to slow from 2.8% in 2010 and 2.3% in 2011, before bouncing back to 2.8% in 2012.

(a) their most rich members to slow from 2.8% in 2010 and 2.3% in 2011,

(b) their mostly rich members to slow from 2.8% in 2010 and 2.3% in 2011,

(c) its most rich members to slow between 2.8% in 2010 to 2.3% in 2011,

(d) its mostly rich members to slow from 2.8% in 2010 to 2.3% in 2011,

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q14. A sphere cannot be represented on a flat plane without distortion, which will mean that all map projections will distort in one way or another.

(a) which means all map projections distort in one way or another.

(b) that means all map projections will distort one way or another.

(c) which will mean that all map projections distorts one way or other.

(d) which means all map projections will distort in one way or others.

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Q15. The blame for rising obesity rates have been pinned on many things, including having more calorific diet, the spread of processed food, a lack of exercise and modern man's generally more stressful lot.

(a) has been pinned on many things, including a more calorific diet.

(b) have been pinned to many things, including more calorific diets,

(c) have been pinned on many things, including a calorie rich diet,

(d) has been pinned on many things: having a more calorific diet,

(e) None of the above replace the bold part.

Solutions

S1. Ans.(c)

Sol. Answer Option C. There are two clauses in this sentence: The tendency to eat late is believed (by nutritionists) to be a factor in putting on weight and (though) it has never been tested properly. The first clause can also be correctly constructed as "The tendency to eat late, many nutritionists believe, is a factor in putting on weight." But, this is not among the options. "believed ... as a factor" is incorrect.

S2. Ans.(d)

Sol. Answer Option D. Portions (percent, fractions etc...) the verb will agree with the noun what follows the of. (50 of the people come from ...... 50% of the money comes from ... etc) In this sentence the noun is machines; hence, the verb 'use' is correct. When there is already a comma in any of the punctuation that replaces a conjunction has to be a semicolon. In the above sentence, there is no conjunction. Option C makes the sentence incorrect because the sentence is not saying "launched in 2001 in America." "The proportion... "is the subject in the next clause; hence, the verb has to be singular 'is'.

S3. Ans.(a)

Sol. Answer Option A. There is no error in the original sentence nor does it need any improvement. 'features' needs a plural verb 'possess'. To establish comparison 'that of' is necessary.

S4. Ans.(b)

Sol. Answer Option B. Faulty parallelism in all the other options.

S5. Ans.(a)

Sol. Answer Option A. Pure subject-verb agreement question. The subject 'nuclear power generation' required the singular verb 'relies' and 'heavy elements' requires the plural verb 'break'.

S6. Ans.(b)

Sol. Answer Option B. Tense inconsistency. The lesson of the past decade has to be either "is' or 'was', hence had been is eliminated. The option with was A continues the sentence into the present tense and is illogical. The consistent present tense in option B makes the whole idea a fact. (simple present tense is used to state facts)

S7. Ans.(c)

Sol. Answer Option C. Modifier error if 'it' is retained as the subject. 'it' cannot be 'looking.' Option A and B are, hence, eliminated. Option D unnecessarily uses the continuous tense, and has a parallelism error. When one looks at...... the path and the fact are parallel. Hence option C is the only correct choice.

S8. Ans.(d)

Sol. Answer Option D. The verb 'says' and the pronoun 'its' are consistent with the subject "The Beijing Language and Culture University Press".

S9. Ans.(b)

Sol. Answer Option B. A colon correctly introduces the list of ideas. Semicolon in its place is incorrect. Dashes (option C) are incorrect because the idea (between the dashes) is not parenthetical. The second 'that' is necessary to maintain parallelism. The possessive of Keats can be either Keats' or Keats's.

S10. Ans.(b)

Sol. Answer Option B. Specially vs especially (Specially means exclusively for, especially means - for a particular purpose); 'especially' suit the context better because 'infertility treatments' are mentioned as that class of treatments the tourists go for. Option C and D are eliminated. 'The number of foreigners...' is the subject. "the number" is always singular, hence 'has' is the correct verb.

S11. Ans.(a)

Sol. Answer Option A. Who's vs whose-whose is the possessive of who. 'many features' is plural, hence the verb has to be the plural 'have.'

S12. Ans.(c)

Sol. Answer Option C. Choice is compared, hence that of (choice of) is essential. Otherwise choice and Obama are directly compared making it an error. To identify either the similarities or the differences between two things, use "compare to." To identify both the similarities and the differences (at the same time), use "compare with." ('Compared with' places the things compared) on equal level.) India is often compared with China. India is often compared to the US. In comparing with something, one finds or discusses both things that are alike and things that are different.

S13. Ans.(d)

Sol. Answer Option D. The OECD is singular (that is why the verb is 'expects' rather than expect; the pronoun has to be consistent, hence its is necessary-their is incorrect. 'mostly rich members' is correct, 'their most rich members' is vague. 'from' needs to be followed by 'to', not 'and'. Option D corrects these errors.

S14. Ans.(a)

Sol. Answer Option A. The shift to future tense is unnecessary from the present 'cannot be represented' as it is a fact. It is an error to change ‘which’ to ‘that’, as ‘which’ introduces a descriptive clause. 'one way or another' is the correct idiom.

S15. Ans.(a)

Sol. Answer Option A. Since the subject is 'the blame'-the verb has to be singular 'has'. 'pinned on' is correct idiom. 'A more calorific diet' is parallel with 'the spread of...' and a lack of...' Hence option D is faulty parallelism.