SSC CHSL Tier 1 2017 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The error lies in the second part of the sentence, where the preposition used after the verb discriminate is incorrect. In English grammar, when the verb discriminate is used in the context of treating something unfavourably or showing bias, it is followed by the preposition against. Therefore, the phrase discriminate for must be replaced with discriminate against to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The verb await means to wait for or look forward to an expected event. In this sentence, the action of waiting is directed towards the upcoming announcement of the examination outcomes. Grammatically, await functions as a transitive verb that directly takes the noun phrase the exam's results as its object, making it the most suitable word to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The noun acknowledgement refers to the acceptance or recognition of the truth, existence, or validity of something. In this context, being connected with nature brings peace and joy because it represents a harmonious recognition and acceptance of the fundamental principles governing the natural world. Aligning oneself with these natural systems allows an individual to experience serenity and fulfillment, making acknowledgement the most grammatically and contextually appropriate word to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The word felicity refers to intense happiness, bliss, or a state of being happy and contented. The word bliss similarly means supreme happiness, great joy, or complete contentment, making it the correct synonym that best expresses the meaning of the given word.

Explanation

The word chafe means to make sore by rubbing against something, or figuratively, to become annoyed, impatient, or irritated by a restriction or inconvenience. Therefore, irritate is the closest synonym that best captures the meaning of the given word.

Explanation

The word forgo means to voluntarily abstain from, give up, relinquish, or surrender something valuable or desirable. In contrast, conquer means to overcome, take control of, acquire, or win by effort or force. Thus, conquer acts as the opposite in meaning, representing the act of gaining or asserting control over something rather than yielding or letting it go.

Explanation

The term banter refers to the playful, friendly, and lighthearted exchange of teasing remarks or good-natured mockery. Thus, teasing and fun are closely related synonyms, and gossip is also informal chatter. Conversely, praise refers to expressing serious approval, admiration, or commendation of someone, making it the opposite in meaning to playful teasing or mocking.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the subject and verb phrase "Gender inequality has", which requires a direct object. Part R provides this object with the phrase "adverse impact on". The preposition "on" in part R must be followed by the noun phrase that is being impacted, which is completed by "development goals" in part Q. Part Q ends with the conjunction "as", which is used here to introduce a reason. Part P, "it reduces economic growth", acts as the clause that explains this reason. Combining these parts in the order R-Q-P creates a grammatically correct and logically coherent sentence: "Gender inequality has adverse impact on development goals as it reduces economic growth."

Explanation

An active voice interrogative sentence starting with "Who" is converted into the passive voice using the structure: By whom + auxiliary verb + subject + past participle of the main verb?

In the sentence "Who did this?", the tense is simple past. Therefore, the auxiliary verb used in the passive voice is "was" because the subject "this" is singular, and the past participle of "did" is "done". Applying this structure yields "By whom was this done?".

Explanation

When converting direct speech into indirect speech, if the reporting verb is in the past tense (said), the tense of the verb in the reported speech changes accordingly. Specifically, the present perfect tense (have cleared) changes into the past perfect tense (had cleared). Additionally, the first-person pronoun (I) changes to the third-person pronoun (he) to agree with the subject of the reporting verb (Ram), and the conjunction "that" is introduced to connect the clauses. This results in the sentence: Ram said that he had cleared the clutter.

Explanation

The correct spelling is bizarre, which is an adjective used to describe something that is extremely strange, unusual, or eccentric in appearance or character. This word originates from the French language, where it historically referred to something odd or whimsical. Standard English orthography dictates that it is spelled with a single z and a double r.

Explanation

The conjunction phrase and not is used to connect and contrast two parallel elements, indicating that the first description applies while the second does not. Here, it establishes that psychology is essentially a laboratory science, in contrast to being a text-book subject.

Explanation

The sentence structure is to be + past participle is a passive infinitive construction. In English grammar, the auxiliary verb be is followed by the past participle form of the main verb to indicate a passive action. The past participle form of the verb find is found. Therefore, found correctly completes the phrase to indicate that the laboratory material is located or discovered within ourselves.

Explanation

The preposition "by" is used to indicate the means, method, or agency through which an action is accomplished. In this sentence, "reference to one's own experience" serves as the method used to perform the action of verifying. Therefore, the phrase "verified by reference to" is grammatically correct to establish this relationship of method and means.

Explanation

The verb correlate standardly takes the preposition with when establishing a mutual relationship, connection, or link between two entities. In this context, prospective teachers are advised to connect or associate the theoretical lessons learned from the book with their practical observations of children at school. Therefore, with is the grammatically correct preposition to complete the sentence.

Explanation

The preposition "for" in the phrase "suggested for [blank] and introspection" must be followed by a noun or a gerund. In this sentence, the coordinating conjunction "and" connects the blank with the noun "introspection." To maintain parallel grammatical structure, the word filling the blank must also be a noun. The noun form of the verb "observe" is "observation," which correctly fits the context of evaluating experiences through external monitoring ("observation") alongside internal self-examination ("introspection").

Explanation

The idiom "at large" is used to describe a criminal, suspect, or dangerous animal that is free, has escaped from custody, or has not yet been captured by the authorities. It signifies that the individual remains at liberty and has not been caught.

Explanation

The idiom head over heels is a shortened version of the phrase head over heels in love, which describes a state of being completely, deeply, and madly infatuated with someone. It conveys the feeling of falling helplessly and overwhelmingly in love, as if one has tumbled or turned upside down in excitement.

Explanation

The term transcendent refers to something that goes beyond normal limits, surpassing the ordinary boundaries of human experience, understanding, or physical existence. It is often used to describe spiritual, philosophical, or extraordinary realities that exist above and independent of the material universe.

Explanation

The word conceivable is derived from the verb conceive, which means to form an idea, concept, or mental picture of something. Therefore, conceivable describes anything that is capable of being imagined, understood, or grasped mentally.

Explanation

The subject his senses is a plural noun, which requires a plural verb to maintain proper subject-verb agreement. Since the verbs tried and slowed indicate that the sentence is in the past tense, the plural past tense auxiliary verb were is required alongside the past participle activated to form the correct passive construction.

Explanation

The phrase comes running is grammatically correct in this context. The singular subject My daughter agrees with the singular verb comes in the simple present tense, which matches the tense of the other verbs in the sentence, can and sparkle. Additionally, the verb come is correctly followed by the present participle running to describe the manner of the movement. Therefore, the sentence is grammatically correct as written and requires no improvement.

Explanation

The sentence starts with the opening phrase "Leadership and". This is naturally followed by the noun phrase "team-building skills" in segment A to complete the compound subject "Leadership and team-building skills". The verb "deepened" at the end of segment A requires a direct object, which is provided by the noun phrase "a sense of value" in segment C. Finally, the prepositional phrase "for relationships" in segment B completes the meaning of the sentence. Combining these segments in the order ACB forms the coherent and grammatically correct sentence: "Leadership and team-building skills deepened a sense of value for relationships."

Explanation

The word percolation is correctly spelt. It refers to the process of a liquid filtering gradually through a porous substance or medium, such as water trickling through soil. The word is derived from the Latin verb percolare, which combines per meaning through and colare meaning to strain.

Explanation

Part 3 of the sentence contains a grammatical error because the preposition "to" is incorrectly placed before the adverb "considerably". An adverb of degree like "considerably" directly modifies the verb "reduced" and should not be preceded by a preposition. The sentence should correctly read "She has reduced her consumption considerably" to express that she has significantly decreased her intake.

Explanation

The error lies in the first part of the sentence. The prepositional phrase "as to" is incorrect in this context because it means "concerning" or "with regard to". To correctly express the reason or cause for why liquid water cannot exist on Mars, "as to" must be replaced with "due to" or "because of". This change restores the correct grammatical structure and meaning of the sentence.

Explanation

The singular subject pronoun That and the singular verb is must agree with a singular noun phrase in the complement. In the phrase one of the worst cars, the head of the noun phrase is the singular pronoun one, which matches the singular verb is. The plural noun cars functions as the object of the preposition of, indicating the group from which that specific car is selected.

Explanation

The noun imposition refers to the act of enforcing, establishing, or laying down a system, rule, or practice that is unwelcome, burdensome, or objectionable. In the context of the sentence, forcing outdated (archaic) and delaying (dilatory) procedures onto the administrative system acts as a heavy burden that impairs efficiency. Therefore, the word imposition perfectly fits the sentence, describing how forcing these inefficient procedures has caused severe harm to governance and society.

Explanation

The word curtail means to reduce, restrict, or cut short in extent, quantity, or duration. Similarly, downsize means to reduce in size, scope, or volume, which directly matches the meaning of cutting back or reducing something. Both terms are used in contexts where there is a reduction or restriction in the scale of an activity, operation, or quantity.

Explanation

An inference is a logical conclusion or deduction reached on the basis of evidence, facts, and reasoning. When one makes an inference, they read between the lines to draw a rational conclusion from the given information.

Explanation

The word consensus means a general agreement, harmony, or unanimity of opinion among a group. Discord means disagreement, strife, or a lack of harmony between people or things, which is the direct opposite in meaning to consensus.

Explanation

The word mould refers to something that is artificial, shaped, cast, or manufactured into a specific form or replica. In contrast, genuine describes something that is authentic, real, natural, or truly what it is said to be, representing its original and unmanipulated state. Therefore, genuine is the opposite in meaning to mould.

Explanation

The introductory phrase "In developing countries today" is followed by the subject of the sentence, "urban health conditions" (P). The verb phrase "seem to be better" (R) connects the subject to the comparative adjective "better". The comparison is then completed by the phrase "than rural health conditions" (Q), which must immediately follow "better". Arranging the parts in the sequence PRQ results in a grammatically sound and meaningful sentence.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the present continuous tense, which follows the structure: Subject + is/am/are + present participle (verb-ing) + Object.

To convert a present continuous active sentence into its passive form, the formula used is: Object + is/am/are + being + past participle (V3) + by + Subject.

In this sentence, the subject is "The workers", the verb is "are building", and the object is "the house". Applying the passive voice formula, "the house" becomes the new subject, the singular auxiliary "is" is used followed by "being", the past participle "built" is used, and "by the workers" completes the agent. This results in the correct passive structure: "The house is being built by the workers."

Explanation

When converting an imperative sentence from direct to indirect speech, the reporting verb "said to" is replaced with an appropriate verb such as "ordered", "requested", "advised", or "commanded", depending on the tone of the spoken words. The imperative verb in the reported speech is changed into its infinitive form by adding "to" before the verb. Since "Go away" represents a direct command, the reporting verb is changed to "ordered" and the verb "Go" is converted to the infinitive "to go".

Explanation

The word aggression is derived from the Latin word aggressio, which means an attack. The correct spelling of the word is aggression, which contains a double g and a double s. It is a noun that refers to feelings of anger or antipathy resulting in hostile or violent behaviour, or a readiness to attack or confront.

Explanation

The preposition under is standardly used with the noun pressure to form the common phrase under pressure. In this context, it indicates that the fuel inside the tank is subjected to physical force or stress exerted by the compressed air, which is essential for forcing the kerosene vapour up into the burner of the pump stove.

Explanation

An adverb is required in this position to modify the verb "appear". The word "slowly" is an adverb of manner that correctly describes how the small circular flame would make its appearance in the burner.

Explanation

In this sentence, the preposition "with" is used to denote accompaniment or simultaneous occurrence. When expressing that an action is accompanied by a specific sound, the standard English idiom is to use "with", as in "spread with a loud noise" or "closed with a bang". This indicates that the loud noise was produced at the exact same time the burner flame spread due to the increased pressure.

Explanation

In the given context, the adverb partly correctly modifies the verb opened to indicate that the valve is not opened fully, but only to a certain extent. This allows a controlled amount of pressure to escape to lower the flame before the valve is tightened again to maintain the desired flame size.

Explanation

The blank requires a conjunction that establishes a conditional relationship between wanting a bigger flame and the action of hitting the piston. The word "If" is used as a subordinating conjunction to introduce the conditional clause, indicating that the action of hitting the piston was dependent on the desire for a larger flame. This perfectly completes the past-tense conditional structure of the sentence.

Explanation

The idiom "a bone of contention" refers to a subject, issue, or dispute about which there is ongoing and unresolved disagreement between parties. The phrase originates from the visualization of two dogs fighting over a single bone, where the bone represents the source of the conflict. Therefore, it represents a core issue that causes continuous discord.

Explanation

The idiom "zip your lip" is an informal expression used to tell someone to stop talking or to keep a secret. The metaphorical imagery of using a zipper to close one's lips represents sealing the mouth so that no words can escape, which directly translates to keeping quiet about something.

Explanation

A junta refers to a military or political group that takes control of a country by force, typically following a coup d'état. The term historically originates from the Spanish word for a council or committee, and in modern usage, it specifically describes an authoritarian government led by a committee of military leaders who rule a nation in the absence of a constitutional government.

Explanation

An expatriate is defined as a person who lives outside their native country. The term originates from the Latin prefix ex-, meaning out of, and patria, meaning native country or fatherland, directly translating to being outside of one's homeland. This term is widely used to describe professionals, skilled workers, or retirees who have taken up residence abroad for work or lifestyle reasons.

Explanation

The present continuous tense is required here to describe an ongoing action or transition taking place in the present. The structure of the present continuous tense is subject + is/am/are + present participle (verb-ing). Using the auxiliary verb "is" with the present participle "heading" satisfies this grammatical rule, making the sentence coherent and correct.

Explanation

The sentence describes a hypothetical situation in the past, which requires the third conditional structure. In a third conditional sentence, the condition clause introduced by "if" uses the past perfect tense, while the main clause uses "would have" followed by the past participle.

In this sentence, the main clause "what one would have thought" correctly employs the "would have + past participle" construction. To match this structure, the conditional clause must use the past perfect tense. The past perfect tense is formed using "had" followed by the past participle of the verb. Since "said" is the past participle of "say", the phrase "had said" is grammatically correct and requires no change.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the phrase Cars were owned by, which requires an agent to follow the preposition by. Part A, only a privileged few and, logically completes this passive construction by naming the exclusive owners of cars. The conjunction and at the end of Part A then connects this first clause to a new coordinate clause. Part B, my class of society was, introduces the subject and auxiliary verb of this second clause. Finally, Part C, as yet untouched by it, provides the predicate adjective phrase that completes the sentence, where the pronoun it refers back to the concept of car ownership. Combining the parts in the order ABC forms a grammatically correct and logically coherent sentence.

Explanation

The word "arrogance" is the correct spelling of the noun that describes an offensive display of superiority or overbearing pride. It is derived from the Latin "arrogantia," retaining the double "r" and the suffix "-ance."

Explanation

The error lies in part 2 of the sentence, where the past participle verb decided is incorrectly placed after the adjective difficult. In this sentence structure, the adjective difficult must be followed by an infinitive verb (to + base form of the verb) to complete the meaning. Replacing decided with to decide makes the sentence grammatically correct, reading as: It was difficult to decide about the break up.