SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The word notation is spelled correctly. It is a noun that refers to a system of graphic symbols, characters, or abbreviated expressions used in specialized fields like mathematics, music, chemistry, or computing to represent numbers, values, notes, or instructions. Its correct spelling is N-O-T-A-T-I-O-N.

Explanation

The word abominable refers to something that is extremely unpleasant, disagreeable, loathsome, or repulsive. Its antonym must denote something that is pleasing, appealing, or inviting. The word attractive means possessing qualities that arouse interest, pleasure, or aesthetic appreciation, making it the direct opposite in meaning to abominable.

Explanation

To convert the sentence from direct speech to indirect speech, several grammatical changes are made. The reporting verb "said to" changes to "told" because it is followed by an object. The conjunction "that" is used to replace the comma and quotation marks to connect the reporting clause with the reported speech. The first-person pronoun "I" remains unchanged since the speaker is reporting their own words. The modal verb "will" is changed to its past equivalent "would" to match the past tense of the reporting verb. Finally, the adverb of time "now" changes to "then". Applying these rules results in "I told her that I would do it then or never."

Explanation

The idiom "smell a rat" means to begin to suspect trickery, deception, or dishonest behavior in a particular situation. It is commonly used when someone intuitively senses that something is wrong or that they are being misled, even before there is concrete proof of dishonesty. This figurative expression derives from the idea of a dog or cat sniffing out a hidden rat, sensing its presence before actually seeing it.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence, "An engineer building a bridge", must be followed by a main verb to complete the thought. Part Q begins with the verb "picks", making "picks the best plan" the natural continuation. Next, the conjunction "and not" in part R introduces a contrast to the "best plan", referring to "the one that motorists...". Finally, part P, "find easy to comprehend", provides the verb phrase that completes the relative clause starting with "that motorists". Combining these parts in the order QRP forms the logical and grammatically complete sentence: "An engineer building a bridge picks the best plan and not the one that motorists find easy to comprehend."

Explanation

The sentence employs the grammatical structure too + adjective + to-infinitive to indicate that a specific quality exists in someone to a degree that prevents a certain outcome. The adjective intelligent refers to having mental sharpness, cognitive capacity, and the ability to understand things logically. This trait directly explains why someone would possess the discernment and reasoning needed to avoid being deceived by a trick.

Explanation

Periodicity refers to the quality, state, or tendency of something to recur or repeat at regular intervals. Derived from the word period, which signifies a portion of time or a cycle, periodicity specifically denotes the predictable and rhythmic repetition of an event or phenomenon over time.

Explanation

The word marginal means slight, minor, or minimal. In a medical context, when a patient's health improvement is described as marginal, it indicates that the progress is too small or insignificant to ensure they are fully recovered, which justifies the doctor's decision not to discharge them.

Explanation

The term aground refers to a vessel or ship that is touching, stuck, or resting on the bottom of a shallow body of water, which prevents it from moving. Similarly, stranded means left aground on a shore, or being stuck in a helpless position from which escape or movement is not possible. Both terms denote being helpless, stuck, and unable to travel further due to being run ashore or grounded.

Explanation

The verb flog means to beat or whip someone as a punishment, or figuratively to castigate and severely criticize. Its direct opposite or antonym is compliment, which means to politely congratulate, praise, or express admiration and approval.

Explanation

Pantomime is a theatrical performance in which actors convey a story, character, or emotion solely through silent bodily movements, facial expressions, and stylized gestures, often set to music. This classic form of dramatic entertainment relies entirely on visual expression without the use of spoken words.

Explanation

The active sentence contains the subject My father, the active verb phrase is going to build, and the object a six bedroom bungalow. When converting a sentence with the future-oriented expression be going to + infinitive verb from active to passive voice, the structure changes to be going to + be + past participle of the main verb. Here, the object a six bedroom bungalow becomes the new subject, the verb phrase is going to build becomes is going to be built, and the original subject My father becomes the agent introduced by the preposition by. This maintains the present continuous form of the auxiliary phrase and preserves the exact tense and meaning of the original statement.

Explanation

The introductory phrase "To begin with," must be followed by a subject, which is provided in part Q: "the problem with Indian cities". Part P then supplies the main verb and the first half of a correlative conjunction structure, "is not that they are 'unsmart'". Part R completes this correlative construction with "but that they are dysfunctional", finishing the comparison of "not... but". Together, this sequence Q-P-R forms a grammatically coherent and logical sentence.

Explanation

The time phrase "since morning" indicates that the action of waiting began in the past and is still ongoing in the present. This specific temporal context requires the present perfect continuous tense, which is constructed using "has/have + been + verb-ing". Because the subject "My patients" is plural, the plural auxiliary verb "have" is used, making "have been waiting" the grammatically correct choice to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The idiom "sixth sense" refers to an intuitive power of perception that goes beyond the five physical senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It represents a keen ability to perceive or know something instinctively, without the use of conscious reasoning or logical analysis.

Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct. In standard English, the preposition "of" is followed by the objective pronoun "me". The present participle "failing" acts as a modifier for "me". While some prescriptive rules of formal traditional grammar favor the possessive pronoun "my" before a gerund ("my failing"), modern grammar and standard usage fully accept the objective pronoun ("me failing"). Hence, the sentence does not contain any grammatical error.

Explanation

A decree is an official rule, order, or decision issued by a legal authority, sovereign, or government that carries the full force of law. In legal and formal contexts, a decree acts as a binding command or regulation, making law its direct synonym.

Explanation

The pronoun "one" is used as the subject of the sentence, which requires the possessive form "one's" instead of "his" to maintain pronoun agreement. Additionally, the word "owns" is grammatically incorrect in this context and should be replaced with "own". The correct grammatical construction for the sentence is "as much as one's own".

Explanation

The conjunction yet is used to connect two clauses and introduce a contrasting idea or an unexpected fact. An atheist is defined as someone who does not believe in the existence of God, which directly contrasts with the action of attending church every Sunday. Using yet perfectly conveys this contrast, meaning nevertheless or but at the same time, making the original sentence grammatically correct and semantically logical.

Explanation

The sentence maintains grammatical consistency in the present perfect tense. In the later part of the passage, the auxiliary verb has is used in the phrase "and has ended up". To maintain parallel structure and tense agreement across the conjunction, the verb preceding "and debated" must also be in the present perfect tense. Therefore, "has discussed" is the grammatically correct choice to complete the parallel construction "has discussed and debated".

Explanation

The word posing is the correct choice because to pose a question is a standard English collocation meaning to raise, present, or put forward a question for consideration or discussion. In this context, after decades of debating the Uniform Civil Code, the movement has ultimately arrived at raising this fundamental question about the value of uniformity.

Explanation

The subject of the clause is "some judicial pronouncements", which is plural and therefore requires a plural verb. The present perfect tense "have suggested" is appropriate here because the passage is written in the present tense (using verbs like "has ended up" and "is"). The present perfect tense successfully links past judicial actions and declarations to the current, ongoing discussion surrounding the Uniform Civil Code.

Explanation

The preposition at is used here to complete the idiomatic expression at the top of your mind, which means being the primary or most prominent focus of one's attention or thoughts. In this context, it describes how abstract concepts like the integrity of the nation are not the most immediate or pressing concerns for someone facing a personal crisis.

Explanation

The phrase "It is time" followed by a subject and a verb is used to express that something should be done now or is already overdue. This grammatical construction requires the subjunctive mood, which is expressed using the simple past tense of the verb. In British English, which is the standard for competitive exams, "learnt" is the preferred simple past form of the verb "learn". Therefore, "learnt" is the grammatically correct replacement.

Explanation

The sentence requires an appropriate adverb to modify the state of being blinded (written as blended in the prompt) by a sudden, intense flash of light. The adverb totally, which means completely or entirely, is the most natural fit to describe a temporary loss of vision, conveying that the speaker's sight was completely obscured for that brief moment.

Explanation

The error lies in part C of the sentence. The superlative adjective best must be preceded by a determiner, such as the possessive pronoun his or the definite article the. Therefore, the phrase should be written as in his best suit to be grammatically correct.

Explanation

The word obstructing means to physically block, clog, or get in the way of a passage or road. When vehicles are involved in an accident, they physically stand in the pathway of the road, thereby directly hindering the physical movement and flow of traffic.

Explanation

The term extravagance refers to the quality of spending money or using resources in an excessive, wasteful, or unrestrained manner. Thrift represents the practice of using money and other resources carefully, prudently, and frugally. Since thrift directly denotes economy and avoiding wastefulness, it acts as a precise antonym to extravagance.

Explanation

The word virtuous refers to someone or something that possesses or exhibits high moral excellence, righteousness, or moral goodness. Conversely, the word vile is used to describe something or someone that is extremely unpleasant, morally reprehensible, wicked, or depraved. Because vile represents a complete lack of moral standards and goodness, it serves as a direct antonym to virtuous.

Explanation

The word Hispanic is correctly spelled. It is a proper adjective and noun used to describe people, cultures, or countries with origins in Spain or Spanish-speaking nations, particularly those in Latin America. The term originates from the Latin word Hispanicus, which is derived from Hispania, the ancient Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula.

Explanation

The opening phrase "There was a second part" requires a prepositional phrase to complete its meaning, which is provided by part R ("of her decision which"). Part R ends with the relative pronoun "which", which introduces a relative clause. This clause requires a subject and a verb, which are logically provided by part Q ("many people") acting as the subject, followed by part P ("are ambivalent about") acting as the predicate. Combining these parts in the sequence RQP forms the grammatically complete and coherent sentence: "There was a second part of her decision which many people are ambivalent about."

Explanation

The word stumpy describes something or someone that is short and thick, stout, or stubby. The word pudgy is a synonym because it refers to a person or body part that is slightly fat, short, and plump, sharing the exact same connotation of being short and thick-set.

Explanation

When converting a sentence from direct speech to indirect speech, several rules of grammar, pronoun, tense, and adverbial change are followed. First, the reporting verb said remains said and is followed by the conjunction that. Second, the first-person pronoun I changes to the third-person pronoun he to match the gender and person of the subject, the policeman. Third, the simple past tense verb saw in the reported speech is converted to the past perfect tense had seen because the reporting verb is in the past tense. Finally, the adverb of place here changes to there in indirect speech. Combining these rules yields the grammatically correct indirect assertion.

Explanation

The idiom Rome was not built in a day is a well-known proverb used to emphasize that great, complex, or important tasks require a significant amount of time, patience, and persistent effort to be completed successfully. Just as the historic and magnificent city of Rome took centuries to reach its peak of glory, any monumental achievement or worthwhile creation cannot be accomplished instantly or overnight.

Explanation

Toil means to engage in hard, tiring, and incessant labor or to work strenuously. It represents the concept of exhausting effort over a prolonged period of time, which perfectly matches the given phrase.

Explanation

The collective noun audience is treated as plural when the members of the group act individually rather than as a single cohesive unit. Since the audience members are taking their separate individual seats, the sentence correctly uses the plural verb are in part A and the plural possessive pronoun their in part C.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the Future Perfect tense, which follows the structure: Subject + shall/will + have + past participle (V3) + Object.

To convert a Future Perfect active sentence into passive voice, the structure is: Object + shall/will + have + been + past participle (V3) + by + Subject.

In this sentence, the subject is I, the verb is shall have written, and the object is the full thesis. Applying the conversion rule, the object the full thesis becomes the new subject (which takes the auxiliary will), followed by have been written, and then by me to represent the original subject. The time indicator by December remains intact, resulting in: The full thesis will have been written by me by December.

Explanation

The verb enunciate means to express or state a theory, proposition, or policy in clear and definite terms. It is derived from the Latin word enuntiare, meaning to announce clearly. While it is commonly used to describe the clear articulation of speech, in formal and academic contexts, it specifically refers to the precise formulation and systematic presentation of ideas.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the helper phrase "He would often", which must be followed by a base form verb. Part R starts with the verb "critique", making it the logical direct continuation: "He would often critique his own life of".

The preposition "of" at the end of part R requires a noun object, which is provided by "Brahmatharya" at the start of part P: "critique his own life of Brahmatharya if his protests were not functioning the way".

Finally, the phrase "the way" at the end of part P is naturally completed by the subject-verb clause "he expected" in part Q. Combining these parts in the order R-P-Q forms the grammatically correct and coherent sentence: "He would often critique his own life of Brahmatharya if his protests were not functioning the way he expected."

Explanation

The word grossest is the correct superlative form of the adjective gross, which means extremely unpleasant, flagrant, or coarse. It is formed by appending the suffix -est to the base word, following standard English spelling rules.

Explanation

The idiom rule of thumb refers to a broadly accurate guide or principle based on practical experience and common sense rather than on precise scientific calculation, theory, or strict rules. It serves as a handy, easily applied general method or heuristic for making decisions or estimates in everyday practice.

Explanation

The phrasal verb take off is the standard and grammatically correct term used for removing clothing, footwear, or accessories from one's body. In the given sentence, it perfectly conveys the action of removing shoes before entering a temple, meaning the original sentence is correct and requires no improvement.

Explanation

When referring to the findings, contents, or conclusions of a published report, study, or book, the simple present tense is used because the document is a permanent record that continues to convey its message in the present. Therefore, the simple present tense verb demonstrates is the grammatically appropriate choice to describe what the Global Nutrition Report 2016 shows regarding India's progress.

Explanation

The noun progress is standardly followed by the preposition in when referring to the specific activity, field, or area where advancement or development is taking place. In this context, the activity is addressing chronic malnutrition, making the preposition in the grammatically correct choice to establish the proper relationship between progress and the action of addressing the issue.

Explanation

In the field of public health and nutrition, the term micronutrient deficiencies is the standard scientific and clinical phrase used to describe a lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet. The passage discusses chronic malnutrition, which typically manifests as stunting, wasting, overweight, and micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore, deficiencies is the grammatically and contextually appropriate term to complete the phrase.

Explanation

The compound noun track record is a standard English collocation that refers to the past performance, achievements, or history of a person, organization, or country in a particular field. In the context of the passage, it describes India's performance over the past decade in reducing the proportion of undernourished children.

Explanation

The sentence compares India's modest progress in reducing undernutrition with the achievements of other countries having similar socio-economic indicators. The verb "lags" means to fall behind or progress at a slower pace than others, which perfectly conveys that India's performance is trailing behind that of comparable nations.

Explanation

The verb plan is grammatically followed by a to-infinitive to express an intention, arrangement, or decision to perform a future action. In this sentence, plan correctly collocates with the infinitive to return to convey the speaker's intention of coming back by the specified date.

Explanation

The grammatical structure "one of" must always be followed by a plural noun because it denotes selecting one individual or thing out of a larger group of many. In the given sentence, the plural noun "men" is correctly used after "one of the wisest". Since the original sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the intended meaning perfectly, no improvement is required.

Explanation

The word "thespian" is correctly spelled. It functions as both a noun meaning an actor or actress and an adjective relating to drama and the theater. The term is derived from Thespis, an ancient Greek poet who is traditionally regarded as the first person ever to appear on stage as an actor playing a character.