SSC CGL Tier 1 2022 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word Soon is a temporal adverb that indicates an event occurring a short time after a previous action. In the context of this narrative, it serves as a logical transition between the lion's struggle to free himself and the arrival of the mouse. By using Soon, the passage establishes a clear chronological sequence, showing that the mouse appeared shortly after the lion began whimpering, thereby advancing the plot to the next stage of the story.

Explanation

The passage is written in the simple past tense, as established by verbs such as came, took, tied, started, walked, and ran. To maintain grammatical consistency and parallel structure within the sentence He quickly ran and (4) on the ropes, the missing verb must also be in the simple past tense. Gnawed is the past tense of gnaw, which describes the characteristic action of a rodent biting or chewing persistently on something. In the context of the fable, the mouse uses its teeth to wear through the ropes to free the lion.

Explanation

The passage is narrated in the simple past tense, as established by the verbs came, took, tied, was, walked, and ran. To maintain consistency within the narrative, the verb used in blank 5 must also be in the past tense. The phrasal verb sped off is the past tense of speed off, which means to leave a place quickly. This accurately describes the lion and the mouse departing into the jungle immediately after the lion was set free from the ropes.

Explanation

The word mundane refers to something that is very ordinary and therefore not interesting or exciting. It is commonly used to describe tasks, activities, or situations that are routine, dull, or monotonous, lacking any spark of originality or stimulation. In linguistic usage, it characterizes things that are repetitive and commonplace, implying a deficiency in novelty or thrill.

Explanation

The sentence is intended to be a polite offer or invitation. In English grammar, the modal verb Would is used to express polite requests or offers, particularly in the idiomatic construction Would you care for... followed by a noun or an infinitive. Using Will you in this context is grammatically inappropriate because Will usually denotes future intent or a simple request for information, whereas Would conveys the necessary politeness and formal tone required for making an offer. To correct the error, the segment Will you should be replaced with Would you.

Explanation

The sentence follows the grammatical rule of correlative conjunctions where the adverb hardly must be paired with when or before to connect two related actions. Using than is incorrect in this context because than is specifically paired with the comparative expression no sooner. To correct the error, the word than should be replaced with when to properly indicate that the second action occurred immediately after the first action was nearly finished.

Explanation

The sentence is in the simple present tense of the passive voice, identified by the auxiliary verb is followed by the past participle given. To convert it into active voice, the agent introduced by the preposition by (his boss) becomes the grammatical subject. In the simple present active voice, the verb gives is used to agree with the singular subject his boss. The original subject of the passive sentence (he) shifts to the object position and takes its objective form (him), followed by the direct object (proper guidance).

Explanation

When nouns denoting specific units of measurement or quantity such as dozen, hundred, thousand, or million are preceded by a definite numeral like one, two, or three, they must remain in their singular form. The numeral acts as a determiner that already establishes the plural count, making the addition of an s to the unit itself grammatically incorrect. Therefore, the phrase must be written as two dozen mangoes. The plural form dozens is only appropriate when expressing an indefinite or large quantity and is followed by the preposition of, such as in the phrase dozens of mangoes.

Explanation

In English grammar, maintaining pronoun consistency is essential for clarity and formal style. When the impersonal pronoun one is used as the object in the first part of the sentence, it must be used as the subject in the subsequent relative clause to refer to the same indefinite person. Additionally, because one is a singular third-person pronoun, it requires the singular verb form sees to ensure proper subject-verb agreement. Changing the pronoun to you creates an inconsistent shift in perspective, and using the base form see would result in a grammatical error. Therefore, using one sees maintains both the correct point of view and numerical agreement throughout the sentence.

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error involving the use of a homophone. The word who's is a contraction of the phrases who is or who has. In the context of this sentence, a possessive relative pronoun is required to show that the leg belongs to the friend. The correct possessive form of the pronoun who is whose. Substituting whose for who's ensures the sentence correctly describes the friend whose leg was fractured.

Explanation

The word ravenous originates from the Old French word raviner, which means to seize or pillage, and in modern English usage, it describes a state of being extremely hungry or famished. It characterizes someone who has a voracious appetite or an intense, urgent craving for food. Similarly, the term starved refers to the condition of suffering from severe hunger or being deprived of nourishment. Because both words denote a state of extreme physical depletion and an acute need for food, they are synonyms.

Explanation

The phrasal verb back out means to withdraw from a commitment, promise, or agreement that was previously made. It is used when someone decides not to follow through with a planned action or obligation, often at a late stage or after initial consent. For example, if a person agrees to participate in a project but later decides not to do so, they are said to have backed out of the arrangement.

Explanation

The word lull denotes a temporary interval of quiet, stillness, or reduced activity, often occurring during a period of intense action or a storm. It can also refer to the act of soothing or quietening someone into a state of repose or sleep. Calm similarly refers to a state of tranquility, peace, and freedom from agitation or disturbance. Both terms share the core meaning of being still and peaceful.

Explanation

The paragraph follows a logical progression from a general statement to specific benefits and a conclusion. Sentence B serves as the introductory statement, establishing the broad concept that emotional sharing builds strong bonds. Sentence D transitions the focus specifically to laughter, contrasting its unique contribution of joy and freshness to the general idea of sharing. Sentence C continues this specific focus by using the pronoun It to refer back to shared laughter, adding that it also aids in healing resentments. Sentence A provides the concluding summary, signaled by the word Thus, which synthesizes the points made about laughter to state its effectiveness in maintaining healthy relationships.

Explanation

The correlative conjunction no sooner is always paired with than to indicate that one event happens immediately after another. In this sentence structure, the presence of the word than later in the sentence requires the use of no sooner to complete the grammatical pair. Additionally, when no sooner begins a sentence, it follows the rule of inversion where the auxiliary verb did comes before the subject she, making it the grammatically correct choice for the given construction.

Explanation

The word Temprate is an incorrect spelling of the word Temperate. The correct spelling includes an e after the r, following the root temper, which comes from the Latin temperare, meaning to restrain or mix in due proportion. Temperate is used to describe a climate that is mild or a person who shows moderation and self-restraint.

Explanation

Obdurate means stubborn and refusing to change one's mind, while amenable means open and responsive to suggestion or easily persuaded. Therefore, amenable is the most appropriate antonym among the given options.

Explanation

A museum is an institution or building dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, study, and display of artifacts and objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural significance. It functions as a permanent venue where these items of importance are curated and exhibited for public viewing and educational purposes.

Explanation

The idiom have a change of heart signifies a shift in a person's feelings, attitude, or intentions toward a specific subject or person. It indicates that someone who previously held a certain viewpoint or had planned a specific course of action has now decided to adopt a different stance or change their mind entirely. This expression often implies a transition from a negative or indifferent position to a more positive, lenient, or understanding one.

Explanation

The given sentence is an imperative sentence expressing a command or instruction. To convert an imperative sentence into passive voice, the standard grammatical formula used is Let + Object + be + Past Participle (V3).

In this sentence, the rope is the object and hold is the base verb. The past participle form of the verb hold is held. By applying the formula, the sentence begins with let, followed by the object the rope, the auxiliary be, and the past participle held. The adverb firmly remains at the end to complete the sense. This transformation maintains the original imperative tone while shifting the focus to the object.

Explanation

The reporting verb exclaimed with sorrow in indirect speech indicates that the direct speech must contain an interjection expressing grief or sadness, such as Alas. When converting from indirect to direct speech, the past perfect tense had become reverts to the present perfect tense has become. The exclamatory structure How miserable life has become correctly captures the sentiment and grammatical requirements of the original reported statement, where the word how is used to emphasize the degree of misery, leading to the transformation into the indirect clause that life had become miserable.

Explanation

The phrasal verb make out means to discern, decipher, or understand something that is difficult to perceive, see, or read. In the context of the sentence, it refers to the difficulty of reading or interpreting a doctor's handwriting, which is a standard idiomatic use of the term. The original phrase make on is not an established phrasal verb for interpreting written text.

Explanation

The term wage is the standard idiomatic verb used in English to describe the act of carrying on, engaging in, or maintaining a conflict, such as a battle or a war. In the context of the passage, the author uses a metaphor comparing the difficult experience of driving in major Indian cities to a daily struggle or combat. By using the phrase waging a daily war, the sentence correctly utilizes this common collocation to emphasize the intensity and persistent effort required to navigate urban traffic.

Explanation

The word dodging is the most appropriate fit for the context of navigating through the chaotic environment of Indian city traffic. In the passage, driving is metaphorically described as a daily war, which implies a constant need for quick maneuvers and defensive actions to avoid obstacles. Dodging specifically means to avoid something by moving quickly or shifting positions, which accurately describes the physical and mental effort of weaving through congested roads, bypassing heavy vehicles, and avoiding reckless drivers. This active verb effectively conveys the struggle and constant alertness required for urban commuting as described in the text.

Explanation

In English grammar, superlative adjectives such as biggest, tallest, or fastest are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a quality. These adjectives are almost always preceded by the definite article the because there is usually only one thing that is the most or least of a specific quality in a given context. In this sentence, biggest identifies a unique, specific degree of cause for chronic stress, necessitating the use of the definite article.

Explanation

The sentence discusses the impact of traffic and rash driving on an individual's mental well-being, specifically mentioning chronic stress. Stress is a mental and emotional state, and the phrase and other problems implies a category of issues similar to the one already mentioned. Psychological problems refer to issues related to the mind, emotions, and mental health, making it the most logical fit to accompany chronic stress in describing the negative effects of a chaotic daily commute.

Explanation

The adverb anywhere is used in this context to indicate a range within two specified limits. When followed by the prepositional phrase between thirty minutes to two hours, it signifies that the amount of time spent driving can fall at any point within that duration. This is a standard idiomatic structure used to express an approximate interval or extent of time, distance, or quantity.

Explanation

The verb refer is an intransitive verb that is idiomatically followed by the preposition to when indicating the source of information or authority being consulted. In the context of looking up information in a reference book, the standard English construction is refer to something. Therefore, to the dictionary is the grammatically correct prepositional phrase to indicate that the dictionary is the source Solomon consults for word meanings.

Explanation

The word besieged is the correct spelling for the past tense of the verb besiege, which denotes the military action of surrounding a fortified place to compel surrender. The spelling correctly utilizes the i before e vowel combination and the consonant g to produce the soft j sound. In the context of Indian history, this refers to the 1756 conflict where Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah invested the British fortifications at Calcutta. The construction of the word involves the prefix be and the root word siege, resulting in the orthographically standard form b-e-s-i-e-g-e-d.

Explanation

The word adolescent is derived from the Latin present participle adolescent-, which comes from the verb adolescere, meaning to grow up. The correct spelling is a-d-o-l-e-s-c-e-n-t. It is characterized by the sc consonant cluster, which is common in English words of Latin origin that denote a state or process of becoming, such as obsolescent or convalescent. In the context of developmental psychology, adolescent functions as an adjective to describe the transitional stage of growth and development between childhood and adulthood.

Explanation

The sentence is a direct question, which requires subject-verb inversion in the main clause. In interrogative structures, the auxiliary verb must be placed before the subject, changing he is to is he. Additionally, the transitive verb giving requires a direct object to refer back to the book mentioned in the preceding clause. The pronoun it provides this reference, while the preposition to is necessary to indicate the recipient you. Therefore, the structure is he not giving it to you correctly follows the rules of English syntax for forming a question.

Explanation

The term Centenarian is derived from the Latin word centum, meaning hundred. It specifically identifies an individual who has reached the age of 100 years or more.

Explanation

The term features is the most appropriate word to describe the specific functional components, characteristics, or distinctive attributes of a product like a train. In the context of engineering and transportation, emergency windows for evacuation and disaster lights are technical specifications or safety enhancements added to improve the vehicle's utility and safety, which are standardly referred to as features.

Explanation

The active sentence Mandeep has repaired the truck is in the present perfect tense. To convert a present perfect sentence into the passive voice, the object (the truck) becomes the subject, and the verb structure changes to has/have + been + past participle (V3). Since the truck is a singular subject, it takes the auxiliary verb has. Following the formula Subject + has been + V3 + by + Agent, the sentence becomes The truck has been repaired by Mandeep.

Explanation

When converting direct speech to reported speech, the reporting verb said to changes to told followed by the object her. The comma and inverted commas are replaced by the conjunction that. In terms of tense, the Simple Past tense expected in the direct speech shifts back to the Past Perfect tense had expected because the reporting verb is in the past. Pronouns are also adjusted based on the speaker and the listener: the first-person pronoun I (referring to Mother) becomes she, and the second-person pronoun you (referring to the person being spoken to) becomes her.

Explanation

The idiom hit a brick wall figuratively describes a situation where an individual or a project encounters an insurmountable obstacle that prevents any further advancement. It draws a comparison to a person physically walking into a solid wall, which abruptly stops their forward motion. In professional or personal contexts, it signifies reaching a stage where no more progress can be made despite one's efforts, often leading to a complete standstill or the necessity of finding an entirely different strategy to proceed.

Explanation

The idiom to sit on the fence describes a state of hesitation or neutrality where a person refuses to commit to a specific side, opinion, or course of action in a dispute or decision. It metaphorically depicts someone perched on a physical fence that separates two distinct areas, effectively remaining between them rather than stepping down into one side or the other. This expression is commonly used to characterize individuals who are either undecided, unwilling to get involved in a conflict, or waiting to see which side will prevail before making a commitment.

Explanation

A philatelist is a person who engages in the hobby or study of philately, which involves the collection, research, and valuation of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, postmarks, and other materials related to postal history. The term encompasses both the casual collection of stamps and the systematic study of their design, printing processes, and historical usage within various postal systems worldwide.

Explanation

The sentence Rishabh was declared fit to play the next match is in the passive voice using the simple past tense, indicated by the auxiliary verb was followed by the past participle declared. To convert this to the active voice, the simple past tense form of the verb declared must be used. Since the original sentence does not explicitly state who performed the action, a generic subject like they is introduced. The active construction follows the structure Subject + V2 + Object, resulting in They declared Rishabh fit to play the next match.

Explanation

The sentence requires the subjective case of the interrogative pronoun because it functions as the subject complement for the linking verb, identifying the subject the person. In English grammar, who is used for subjects and subject complements, while whom is used as the object of a verb or preposition. Therefore, the subjective form who is grammatically correct in this context to agree with the subject-verb structure of the sentence.

Explanation

The paragraph follows a logical chronological and thematic flow starting with sentence C, which introduces the overarching theme of Gandhiji's Satyagraha beginning with the Champaran movement. Sentence A follows by providing the specific cause for this movement, which was the exploitation of indigo farmers by the British in that region. Sentence D then uses the conjunction so to link this exploitation to Gandhiji's subsequent action of visiting Motihari in 1917 to lead the protest. Finally, sentence B concludes the narrative by describing his stay in the district until the exploitation was successfully ended, effectively closing the sequence of events described.

Explanation

The verb bite is an irregular verb whose principal parts are bite (present), bit (past), and bitten (past participle). In the passive voice construction Paul was..., the auxiliary verb must be followed by the past participle form of the main verb. The word bited is an incorrect formation; the correct term to be used in this context is bitten.

Explanation

When a compound subject contains pronouns of different persons, the possessive adjective must follow a specific order of priority: the first person takes precedence over the second and third persons, and the second person takes precedence over the third. Since the subject You and I includes the first-person pronoun I, the subject is treated as a collective first-person plural (we). Consequently, the possessive adjective must be our to maintain pronoun-antecedent agreement. Using your is grammatically incorrect in this context as it fails to account for the first-person speaker included in the subject.

Explanation

The error lies in the phrase on the earliest. In English grammar, the standard idiomatic expression used to indicate that an action should be performed as soon as possible is at the earliest. Prepositions have specific idiomatic pairings, and while on is generally used for specific days or dates, at is required for this particular superlative phrase denoting a point in time. Changing the preposition from on to at ensures the sentence follows conventional usage.

Explanation

An invigilator is a person formally appointed to maintain surveillance and supervision over candidates during an examination to ensure that the conduct of the exam is fair and follows all established regulations. The term is derived from the Latin verb invigilare, which means to keep watch over or stay awake for. In educational and professional testing environments, the specific role of the person present in the room to prevent malpractice and manage the exam process is termed an invigilator.

Explanation

The word in option c is incorrectly spelled as Contiunane. The correct spelling is Continuance, which is derived from the verb continue. It refers to the act of remaining in existence or the state of carrying on an action or process without interruption. The misspelling in the option involves both a transposition of the letters u and n as well as an incorrect suffix.

Explanation

The word honest means to be free of deceit and truthful, which is directly synonymous with sincere. The other options, such as daring or secretive, do not share the same meaning as honest.

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error because it creates a double negative. In standard English, two negative words should not be used in the same clause to express a single negative idea. The auxiliary verb did not already provides the negation for the sentence. Using neither after a negative verb is incorrect; it should be replaced with the word either to maintain grammatical correctness. The sentence should properly read as I did not buy either of the two dresses or I bought neither of the two dresses.

Explanation

Graceful describes someone or something characterized by elegance, poise, and smooth, fluid movement. The word awkward serves as its direct antonym because it denotes a lack of coordination, grace, or dexterity, specifically referring to movements or behaviors that are clumsy, ungainly, or unrefined.

Explanation

The word imbue means to inspire or permeate someone or something with a specific feeling, quality, or idea. It often refers to saturating or deeply infusing a person's character or a work of art with certain values or emotions. Similarly, instil means to gradually but firmly establish an idea or attitude in a person's mind. Both terms describe the process of introducing or infusing a quality or sentiment into an entity, making them synonymous in the context of imparting persistent influences or characteristics.