Directions (1-15): In each question below, the word at the top of the question is used in four different ways. Choose the option in which the usage of the word is INCORRECT or INAPPROPRIATE.
Q1. ENTER
(a) He was assigned the task of entering the names of all eligible voters.
(b) She decided to enter her child into the best school in the neighborhood.
(c) His parents advised him to acquire an MBA before entering upon a career.
(d) When money is involved other considerations should not enter.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q2. WITHDRAW
(a) The steno was asked to withdraw the offending words from the letter she typed.
(b) The college withdrew his academic credit after it was established that he had copied in the test.
(c) The minister withdrew his name from the list of nominees.
(d) After the loss of her husband she had withdrawn farther and farther into herself.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q3. DRAW
(a) People are afraid that the festival will draw undesirable elements to the town.
(b) The deposits are expected to draw interest close to 10 percent.
(c) The teacher drew the children into the room to see the pictures.
(d) To avoid confusion later, a list was drawn of all those who would attend the function.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q4. STACK
(a) There were stacks of books on the bedside table and floor.
(b) The committee is stacked with members from energy-producing states.
(c) She is continually stacked by headaches.
(d) The convict tried to stack the jury.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q5. DEVOLVE
(a) His death devolved the end of an era in superlative cinematic techniques.
(b) The senator devolved the duties of office upon a group of aides.
(c) The estate devolved to an heir that everybody had assumed to be dead.
(d) After several hours the discussion had devolved into a shouting match.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q6. DESIST
(a) Kindly desist from making so much noise.
(b) He desisted further efforts to dissuade them.
(c) Before the medical exam you must desist from food.
(d) During Ramadan, Muslims desist from smoking during the day.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q7. DISSIPATE
(a) The wind finally dissipated the smoke.
(b) The industrious people from Gujarat are dissipated over the whole of India.
(c) The young sometimes seem to dissipate their energy in useless pursuits.
(d) The dark clouds which threatened rain finally dissipated.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q8. EVINCE
(a) She evinced her approval by smiling.
(b) The man who was caught stealing did not evince any remorse.
(c) The proposal evinced a storm of protest from the members.
(d) She did not evince the least surprise at seeing me there.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q9. DECOY
(a) He acted as a decoy to draw the dogs’ attention away from the children.
(b) The policewoman acted as a decoy when the police were trying to catch the murderer.
(c) The bird-trap was empty as he had caught a decoy, and he had to kill it.
(d) They used flares to decoy enemy missiles.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q10. FEIGN
(a) She feigned illness to avoid going to the party.
(b) The politician feigned the attention of his listeners to non-controversial issues.
(c) On the phone, he feigned his sister’s voice and said that he was not at home.
(d) She introduced me as her cousin, and everyone feigned to believe it.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q11. INDICT
(a) They were indicted for conspiracy and spent a year in jail.
(b) In Bosnia, US troops have usually declined to take part in the arrest of indicted war criminals.
(c) Last week, he was indicted by a grand jury.
(d) The critics have the right to praise or indict a literary work.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q12. RAMBLE
(a) Where would American cinema be without the car ramble or the road movie?
(b) Avoid long rambling sentences, jargon or unexplained acronyms.
(c) We have tours to suit all levels of ability from a gentle ramble to a Himalayan expedition.
(d) The internet forum gives you an opportunity to ramble on a bit.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q13. TRANSIT
(a) Electric cars are a nice idea, but they won’t work for mass transit or cargo.
(b) Passengers holding a direct airside transit visa will not be able to pass through immigration control.
(c) The transit of the property into the parties’ joint names was irrelevant.
(d) Mumbai and Delhi are building the infrastructure for rapid transit systems.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q14. PLACATE
(a) The regulations imposed in the West to placate environmental opposition to GM foods effectively prevent the Third World from developing GM foods.
(b) The facts are incorrect and they have placated members of all political parties across the country.
(c) However, his statement did little to placate the unions who say that even negotiations cannot help in this matter.
(d) The government has a greater imperative to placate the farming lobby than protecting wildlife because of its political leverage.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Q15. ABDICATE
(a) People have decided to ask the King to abdicate in favour of his son.
(b) We cannot abdicate the responsibility to deal with these acts in the correct manner.
(c) Our people have opted for democracy as a way of life from which we will not abdicate.
(d) People wonder whether computer programmes will abdicate the role of the human brain.
(e) All sentences are correct.
Solutions
S1. Ans.(b)
Sol. ‘to enter her child into the best school’ this phrase is incorrect in terms of usage. In all other sentences, the usage of the word ‘enter’ is correct.
S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘to withdraw the offending words from the letter she typed’ the use of the word ‘withdraw’ is incorrect in this sentence.
S3. Ans.(d)
Sol. In sentence D, the word ‘draw’ is incorrectly used.
S4. Ans.(c)
Sol. In sentence C, the use of the word STACK is inappropriate.
S5. Ans.(a)
Sol. DEVOLVE-transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central government to local or regional administration.
pass into (a different state, especially a worse one); degenerate.
In sentence A, The word ‘DEVOLVE’ is incorrectly used. In other sentence, DEVOLVE is correctly used.
S6. Ans.(b)
Sol. DESIST-stop doing something; cease or abstain. In sentence B, the word DESIST is incorrectly used.
S7. Ans.(b)
Sol. DISSIPATE-(with reference to a feeling or emotion) disappear or cause to disappear. The word DISSIPATE is incorrectly used in sentence B.
S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. EVINCE-reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling); indicate. The word ‘’evince’ is incorrectly used in option C.
S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. DECOY- lure or entice (a person or animal) away from their intended course, typically into a trap. According to the meaning of the word ‘decoy’, the usage in sentence C is incorrect.
S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. FEIGN-pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury). The word feign is incorrectly used in the sentence B.
S11. Ans.(d)
Sol. INDICT-formally accuse of or charge with a crime. The word ‘indict’ is incorrectly used in option D.
S12. Ans.(a)
Sol. RAMBLE-talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.
a walk taken for pleasure in the countryside. The word ‘ramble’ is incorrect in option A.
S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. TRANSIT-the action of passing through or across a place.
the carrying of people or things from one place to another. The word ‘transit’ is incorrect in sentence C.
S14. Ans.(b)
Sol. PLACATE-make (someone) less angry or hostile. The word ‘placate’ is incorrect in sentence B.
S15. Ans.(d)
Sol. ABDICATE-(of a monarch) renounce one's throne.
fail to fulfil or undertake (a responsibility or duty). ‘abdicate’ is incorrectly used in option D.
