Directions (1-15): A word has been used in the in four different ways in the sentences that follows. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word is incorrect or inappropriate.
Q1. Insert
A. The writer was asked to insert a change in the manuscript.
B. It is his habit to insert new topics in the discussion.
C. The country is planning to insert a new satellite into the orbit.
D. The ceremony was announced through an insert in the newspapers.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
A. The boy writes Sanskrit with ease.
B. The ailing old asked his attorneys to write his will.
C. He was asked to write in a cheque for the amount he owed.
D. He is type of man who writes his own ticket.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q3. Scale
A. Thick scales covered the animal.
B. The government brought in policies to scale imports.
C. He scaled the fish by scraping it with a knife.
D. Hard water scales the boiler.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q4. Make
A. The children intended to make a lot of fun during the picnic.
B. One should not make a disturbance near hospitals.
C. The housekeeping department makes beds twice a day.
D. It was difficult for the family to make ends meet.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q5. Gain
A. The clock gains a minute per day.
B. The day is gaining warmth.
C. The trekkers gained the peak in the evening.
D. The amplifier helped the signal gain intensity.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q6. Show
A. The excavation showed a staggering number of artefacts.
B. When they arrived a waiter showed them to the table.
C. She didn’t show up for her appointment.
D. The general meeting of the opposition party turned out to be a show of strength.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q7. Trade
A. The shop stocked novelties for the tourist trade.
B. The brothers found it beneficial to trade places in their business.
C. At this dealer, one can trade the old car on a new one.
D. This magazine has limited circulation as it is a trade publication.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q8. Pay
A. It is not possible to pay someone like him to do that.
B. It is futile to think that crime pays.
C. You could make the call from a pay telephone.
D. Such a reckless act will mean that you have to pay the devil.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q9. Act
A. Trees act against the wind.
B. Under cover of darkness the police waited to catch thief in the act.
C. His life is hard act to follow.
D. The legislature did not act on the bill.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q10. Affect
A. The sight affected her to tears.
B. Our beliefs are affected by our upbringing.
C. Drops of water affect roundness.
D. He issued a statement to the affect that he would resign.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q11. Bark
A. The street was noisy with the vendors barking their wares.
B. The rhinoceros is famous for its very thick bark.
C. You seem to be barking up the wrong tree in blaming your neighbour.
D. The bark of the cinnamon tree is used as a spice.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q12. Cover
A. It appears as if the ruling coalition is trying to cover the scandal.
B. The new book on the history of science covers a lot of ground.
C. I am unwilling to cover for her in the meeting.
D. The project was a cover for intelligence operations.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q13. Inform
A. The policy is based on the principles that inform bilateral relations.
B. As an expert musician, he is well informed with the keyboard.
C. Compassion for fellow beings informs all her novels.
D. The Prime Minster was informed about the crisis in the party.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q14. Give
A. She gave birth last Thursday.
B. The students gave the SBI PO Exam last Sunday.
C. The professor freely gave of his time to the students.
D. As the time passed, optimism gave place to worry.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Q15. Pass
A. The throne passed to the king’s son.
B. The court passed on the legality of the wiretapping.
C. My experience of the Himalayas passed all expectations.
D. He is not the one to pass an opportunity for promotion.
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
(e) None of the above is correct usage.
Solutions
S1. Ans.(b);
Sol. Sentence B is better phrased with ‘introduce’ rather than ‘insert’. A means: to put or thrust in. C means: to put or introduce into the body of something or interpolate. In C, insert is a noun which means: something that is inserted, written or printed material inserted (as between the leaves of a book).
S2. Ans.(c);
Sol. “write a cheque” or “write out a cheque” would correct the sentence. In A it is used with the simple meaning of inscribing the characters. In B, it used with the meaning daft or draw up. In D the idiom “to write one’s own ticket” means to select a course of action entirely according to one’s wishes.
S3. Ans.(b);
Sol. This can be corrected by adding up/down–scale up/down imports–which will mean adjust. As it stands the sentence is meaningless. In sentence A, scale is noun. In sentences C and D scale is used as verb.
S4. Ans.(a);
Sol. The sentence can be corrected by substituting ‘have’ for make. Sentence B has the meaning ‘create’. Sentence C has the meaning arrange. Sentence D uses the idiom ‘make ends meet’ which means “to make one’s needs adequate to meet one’s means”.
S5. Ans.(d);
Sol. “gain in intensity” would correct the sentence. Sentence A means the clocks goes ‘faster’ by a minute every day. Sentence B means ‘increase’. Sentence D means ‘to arrive at’, ‘reach’ or’ attain’.
S6. Ans.(a);
Sol. If ‘showed’ is replaced by ‘exposed’, the sentence would be correct. In sentence B, it is used to means to conduct; guide. In sentence C, the idiom ‘show up’ (informal) means: to make an appearance. Sentence d means: a display.
S7. Ans.(c);
Sol. The idiom ‘trade in’ means to ‘turn in as payment or part payment for a purchase or bill.’ Hence sentence C can be corrected as …. Trade the old car in on a new one. Or’ .. trade for a new one “in which case it will mean exchange. Option A uses the word to mean market. Option B uses it to mean exchange. Option D uses it as an adjective meaning ‘meant for industry’.
S8. Ans.(d);
Sol. The idiom “the devil to pay” means severe consequences; hence the sentence is to be corrected to” … will mean that you have the devil to pay.” Option A means to “hire”. Option B means “to be worth the expense or effort”. Option C, pay telephone; or pay station means a public telephone–one uses a coin to make a call.
S9. Ans.(a);
Sol. Sentence A is meaningless and as the intended meaning is not clear, we cannot correct it either. Sentence B means when ‘in the process if’. Sentence C means the sum of a person’s actions or effects that serve to create an impression or set an example. Sentence D means to give a decision.
S10. Ans.(d);
Sol. Affect needs to be replaced with effect. In sentence A affect is used to mean ‘provided the stimulus’. In B, it means influence. In C, affect means ‘tend toward.’
S11. Ans.(b);
Sol. Sentence B can be corrected by using ‘skin’ instead of bark. In sentence A, ‘barking their wares’ means advertising with persistent outcry. In sentence C, to bark up the wrong tree (idiom) to misdirect one’s efforts, or to proceed under a misapprehension. In sentence D, bark is used as noun to refer to the outer covering of the tree stem.
S12. Ans.(a);
Sol. The sentence can be corrected by writing ‘cover up the scandal’ rather than cover the scandal. Sentence B means ‘includes a lot of information’. Sentence C means to substitute. Sentence D means a pretext.
S13. Ans.(b);
Sol. Sentence B will be corrected if instead of informed, acquainted is used. In sentence A, ‘inform’ is used with the specific contextual meaning: to give character or essence to something. Sentence C also has a specific contextual meaning of ‘inform’ which is: to be the characteristic quality of. In D, it has the common meaning ‘communicated the knowledge of.’
S14. Ans.(b);
Sol. Students do not ‘give the SBI PO’; they take the SBI PO. (Take tests not give tests). In sentence A, gave birth is correctly used to mean ‘to have a baby.’ In C, the idiom ‘give of’ means to make available or provide generously. In D’ give place to’ means replace with or succeeded by.
S15. Ans.(d);
Sol. This can be corrected by making it” … not the one to pass up an opportunity…” the idiom ‘pass up’ means to let go without accepting or taking advantage of. Sentence A means to go from the control of one to another. Sentence C means exceed or surpass.
