SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

For sentences beginning with the structure "It is time + to-infinitive + object", the passive voice is formed using the standard rule: "It is time + for + object + to be + past participle (V₃)".

In the active sentence "It is time to take tea", "tea" is the object of the infinitive verb "to take". Applying the transformation rule, the introductory clause "It is time" remains unchanged, followed by the preposition "for" and the object "the tea". The active infinitive "to take" is then converted into its passive form "to be taken" (to be + past participle). This structure directly yields "It is time for the tea to be taken".

Explanation

The grammatical construction "know someone to be something" is a standard English pattern used to state a fact or express a firm belief about someone's characteristics. In this sentence, the verb "know" is followed by the object "these authors", which is linked to the noun phrase "outstanding individuals" using the to-infinitive form "to be".

Explanation

The sentence structure uses the present perfect tense, initiated by the auxiliary verb "have" in the phrase "and have even". In English grammar, the present perfect tense is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "have" or "has" with the past participle of the main verb. The past participle of the verb "see" is "seen", which correctly completes the verb phrase "have even seen them work".

Explanation

The sentence is framed in the past tense, as established by the phrase "but I didn't know". To express past capability or possibility regarding whether the authors were able to translate their expertise into a book, the past modal auxiliary verb "could" is required. This modal verb correctly pairs with the base form verbs "take" and "fit" that follow it in the clause.

Explanation

The verb encourage fits both grammatically and contextually in the sentence structure encourage someone to do something. In this context, the author is urging and motivating the reader to actively engage with, study, and contemplate the material presented in the book.

Explanation

The context of the passage describes reading a well-structured book where a complex topic has been organized into smaller components. The author encourages readers to reflect on each individual part and understand how these parts are systematically ordered or sequenced to build a coherent and logical flow throughout the book.

Explanation

A misconception refers to a mistaken belief, incorrect view, or an erroneous idea that is based on faulty understanding. The antonym of a misconception is something that is proven, true, or known with absolute confidence. Certainty represents the state of being completely confident, definite, and free from doubt, which stands in direct contrast to a false or mistaken belief.

Explanation

The word perilous is defined as full of danger or risk. In the context of the sentence, it indicates that the employees believe continuing to work at that place poses a threat, risk, or hazard to their career progression and security. Therefore, dangerous is the correct synonym as it also denotes being able or likely to cause harm, injury, or adverse effects.

Explanation

The phrase "the accident occurring blast" is grammatically incorrect and semantically incoherent. The participle "occurring" cannot be used in this manner to modify "blast" with "accident". The correct phrasing to convey the intended meaning would be "the occurrence of the accident" or "the blast that caused the accident", making this part of the sentence the one containing the error.

Explanation

The context of the sentence requires a noun representing a physical object on which a key can be hung. A nail defined as a small metal spike driven into wood to join things together or to serve as a hook perfectly fits this description, as it is commonly used to hang small household items like keys near doors.

Explanation

The word Surruqocy is incorrectly spelt. The correct spelling of this word is surrogacy, which refers to the practice or arrangement where a woman carries and delivers a child for another person or couple.

Explanation

The sentence is structured logically by starting with the subject and verb in R, "the memoir explores". This is followed by the first direct object in Q, "the authors' journey of self-discovery". The conjunction in P, "and the impact of their", connects the first object to the second object in S, "upbringing on their identity", completing the parallel structure of the sentence. Combining these parts in the order RQPS forms the grammatically correct and coherent sentence: "The memoir explores the authors' journey of self-discovery and the impact of their upbringing on their identity."

Explanation

The segment contains a grammatical error in the use of the indefinite article. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a specific, unique, and world-famous architectural monument. In English grammar, unique landmarks and geographical monuments must be preceded by the definite article "the" rather than the indefinite article "a". Therefore, the sentence should correctly use "the Leaning Tower of Pisa" to refer to this specific structure.

Explanation

The idiom Devil's advocate refers to a person who expresses a contentious or opposing opinion, or presents an argument against a popular belief, primarily to provoke debate, test the strength of the opposing argument, or explore all aspects of an issue. The origin of the phrase lies in the Roman Catholic Church, where an official, the Advocatus Diaboli, was appointed to argue against the canonization of a candidate to ensure that any potential flaws or objections were thoroughly examined before sainthood was granted.

Explanation

The given active voice sentence is in the simple past tense, following the structure: Subject + past tense verb (V2) + Object. To convert this sentence into the passive voice, the object "the new employee" becomes the new subject, followed by the appropriate auxiliary verb "was" (since the subject is singular) and the past participle form of the main verb "hired". The original subject "the director" is then introduced by the preposition "by", and the adverbial phrase "after the interview" remains at the end. This results in the structure: Subject + was + past participle + by + Agent.

Explanation

The sentence begins with the introductory clause "It has frequently been claimed" (C). This main clause is followed by a subordinate noun clause starting with the conjunction "that", making "that the only true individual" (A) the next logical segment. The relative clause "which the traditional society of India tolerates" (D) immediately follows to modify the noun "individual". The sentence is then completed by the predicate "is the holy man" (B), which connects back to the subject of the subordinate clause.

Explanation

The word Drunkeness is misspelled in the given sentence. The correct spelling is Drunkenness, which contains a double n. It is formed by combining the adjective drunken with the noun-forming suffix -ness, preserving the n from both parts.

Explanation

The quantifier "all the" is used with plural countable nouns, which requires the plural noun "guests". Since the subject "guests" is plural, it must be accompanied by the plural verb "are" to maintain subject-verb agreement. The phrase "guests are gathered in" correctly satisfies these grammatical requirements, ensuring both correct noun number and proper subject-verb agreement.

Explanation

The idiom "spill the beans" means to reveal confidential information or a secret, often prematurely or unintentionally. It is commonly used in English to describe a situation where someone lets slip a surprise or private plan before the intended time, thereby making the secret known to others.

Explanation

The term regalia refers specifically to the distinctive clothing, emblems, or insignia of royalty, such as the crown, sceptre, and other traditional ornaments used during official ceremonies like a coronation.

Explanation

Sentence A introduces the opening theme of the paragraph, which is the occurrence of asymptomatic diseases in the post-COVID period. Sentence C logically follows A because the pronoun "These" refers back to the people affected by these asymptomatic conditions, defining them as individuals who suffered the infection once or never at all. Sentence D introduces a hypothesis that survival post-infection has changed people's mindset. Sentence B directly qualifies this hypothesis with the contrasting transition "Though it cannot be believed for sure", suggesting instead that changes in social life might be the actual major cause of this shift. This sequence establishes a clear, logical flow of ideas.

Explanation

The active voice sentence is in the simple present tense, which follows the structure: Subject + Verb (present form) + Object. Here, the subject is "The speech of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam", the verb is "influences", and the object is "young minds".

To convert this sentence into the passive voice, the object "young minds" becomes the new subject. Since "young minds" is plural, it is paired with the auxiliary verb "are" in the present tense, followed by the past participle of the verb "influenced", and the prepositional phrase "by the speech of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam". This gives the grammatically correct passive structure: "Young minds are influenced by the speech of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam."

Explanation

A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability, supreme skill, or masterly proficiency in a particular field, especially in the fine arts, music, or a specialized performance domain. The term originates from the Italian word meaning skilled or learned, and it is specifically used to denote someone who has achieved the highest level of execution and talent in their craft.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the subsequent sentence states that the Italian parliament has approved a 3% digital tax. This directly indicates that Italy has officially authorized or passed the legislative measure. Therefore, approved is the most appropriate word to complete the sentence, establishing a consistent narrative about the implementation of the new tax policy.

Explanation

The term levied is the grammatically and contextually appropriate word to fill the blank, as the verb levy is the standard legal and financial term used to describe the official imposition or collection of a tax, fee, or fine. Thus, a tax is levied on an entity, such as large tech companies.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is "The tax", which is a singular noun. In English grammar, a singular subject requires a singular verb to maintain subject-verb agreement. Since the passage describes current, ongoing events in the present tense, the singular present-tense verb "is" correctly completes the clause "The tax is similar to the one France implemented".

Explanation

In the context of international trade relations and policy disputes, the word severe is the most appropriate adjective to describe intense, harsh, or strong disapproval. Collocating naturally with criticism, severe highlights the high degree of opposition and tension between the nations, reflecting the serious diplomatic and economic friction caused by the unilateral implementation of digital services taxes.

Explanation

The term capture is the most appropriate word in this context because it is a standard economic and financial term used to describe the process of securing, collecting, or bringing previously untaxed or under-taxed revenue into the national tax system. In the context of international digital taxation, countries are reforming their tax laws specifically to capture tax revenues from multinational tech conglomerates that generate massive profits from local users without having a physical presence in those countries.

Explanation

The word dulcet refers to something that is sweet, pleasant, and soothing, particularly to the ear. The direct antonym of dulcet is harsh, which describes something grating, severe, or unpleasant. Using this antonym fits the context of expressing negative or critical sentiments toward opponents.

Explanation

This sentence is grammatically correct and contains no spelling errors. The word travelled is the standard British English spelling, and all other words, including confident, navigating, unfamiliar, customs, and language, are spelled correctly. The punctuation and sentence structure are also flawless, properly connecting the introductory concessive clause to the main clause with a comma.

Explanation

The word pernicious means having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way, or being highly destructive and deadly. An antonym for this word must represent qualities that are helpful, kind, healing, or beneficial. Compassionate, which means feeling or showing sympathy, care, and concern for others, represents a benevolent and gentle nature, making it the most appropriate antonym.

Explanation

The idiom "on the straight and narrow" refers to behaving in an honest, moral, and law-abiding manner. It denotes a way of living that is ethically acceptable, upright, and straightforward, avoiding any dishonest, illegal, or morally improper activities.

Explanation

To form a grammatically correct and meaningful sentence, the subject and verb phrase we need to establish (B) acts as the starting clause. This is followed by the direct object a match (A). The preposition between (E) is then used to connect the two elements being compared, which are teaching methods (D) and student' needs (C), linked by the conjunction and. Combining these parts in the order B-A-E-D-C results in the coherent sentence: "we need to establish a match between teaching methods and student' needs".

Explanation

Alimony is the legally mandated financial support or allowance paid by one spouse to the other after legal separation or divorce. This payment is designed to help the dependent spouse maintain their standard of living and meet their essential needs post-separation.

Explanation

The idiom "straight from the horse's mouth" means to receive information directly from the original source or an authoritative source, ensuring its reliability and accuracy rather than relying on secondhand hearsay or rumors. This perfectly fits the context of the sentence, which advises against believing what is heard from others and instead recommends getting information directly from the primary source.

Explanation

The word suspicious means feeling or showing distrust, doubt, or a lack of conviction. The word certain means having no doubt, being completely sure, or possessing absolute conviction about something. Therefore, certain is the exact antonym of suspicious in this context.

Explanation

The sequence C, A, D, B, E forms a coherent and grammatically correct sentence. Starting with C, "he slept with the", naturally connects to A, "fan on because of", to describe the state and reason of his sleep. This is followed by D, "the heat, and that", which completes the cause and introduces a clause about the consequence. The consequence is described by B, "covered the noise", and completed by E, "of the baby crying", which identifies what noise was covered. Putting these parts together yields the meaningful sentence: He slept with the fan on because of the heat, and that covered the noise of the baby crying.

Explanation

An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, rearranging the letters of the word "secure" can produce the word "rescue". This wordplay is commonly used in puzzles, literary works, and recreational linguistics.

Explanation

A shoal refers to a large group of fish that swim together in a coordinated manner. This collective behavior helps fish in foraging, mating, and defending themselves against predators by making it more difficult for a predator to target an individual fish.

Explanation

The segment contains an grammatical error because the singular countable noun deer, which is later referred to by the singular pronoun it, requires the indefinite article a before the modifying adjective golden. Therefore, the phrase should be written as Sita spotted a golden to maintain proper grammatical structure.

Explanation

The pronoun neither when used with a singular noun like side acts as a singular subject. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject must be paired with a singular verb. Therefore, the plural verb were must be replaced with the singular verb was to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The given sentence is in the passive voice of the present perfect tense, which follows the structure: Subject + has/have + been + past participle + by + Object.

To convert this into the active voice, the object of the preposition "them" becomes the subjective pronoun "They" at the beginning of the sentence. Since "They" is a plural pronoun, it is paired with the plural auxiliary verb "have". The past participle verb "done" is retained, and the passive subject "It" becomes the active object at the end of the sentence. This follows the active voice structure for the present perfect tense: Subject + has/have + past participle + Object.

Explanation

The word stimulating means exciting, invigorating, or active, which keeps a person alert and awake. Its antonym must describe something that quiets, calms, or reduces activity, especially in the context of lulling someone to sleep. The word subduing means softening, quieting, or bringing down to a lower intensity, making it the correct antonym that perfectly fits the context of a soothing melody.

Explanation

The jumbled parts when arranged in the sequence ABDC form a grammatically coherent and meaningful sentence: "One method of education would only produce one kind of man, but the great excellence of human nature consists in the variety of which it is capable."

In this arrangement, the first clause is formed by combining part A and part B, where the subject "one method of education" is followed by its conditional predicate "would only produce one kind of man". This is joined by the coordinating conjunction "but" in part D to introduce a contrasting idea with the subject "the great excellence of human nature". Finally, part C completes the clause with the verb phrase "consists in" and its prepositional object "the variety of which it is capable", creating a logically sound and grammatically complete sentence.

Explanation

The word mitigate means to make something less severe, serious, or painful, or to reduce its force, intensity, or rate of development. In the context of the sentence, it refers to reducing or curbing the growth of the organization, making lessen the most appropriate synonym.

Explanation

The given active voice sentence is in the simple present tense. To convert a simple present tense sentence into the passive voice, the structure used is: Subject + is/am/are + past participle (V3) of the verb + preposition + Object.

In this sentence, the active object Nelson Mandela becomes the passive subject, the verb knows changes to is known, and the active subject everybody becomes the passive object. The verb know is conventionally followed by the preposition to rather than by when expressing a state of knowledge. This structure directly yields the passive sentence Nelson Mandela is known to everybody.

Explanation

The word inept means incompetent, clumsy, or lacking skill, which perfectly describes the poor quality of leadership that received criticism. The word inapt means unsuitable, inappropriate, or not fitting for a particular situation, which accurately describes why casual body language is not appropriate for someone in a leadership position.

Explanation

The word hazardous is the correct spelling of the term meaning risky or dangerous. It is derived from the noun hazard and takes the suffix -ous, resulting in the spelling H-A-Z-A-R-D-O-U-S.

Explanation

A pathogen is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. The standard biological classification of common pathogens includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Inserting bacterium completes this list of infectious agents that can invade the body and cause disease.

Explanation

The first sentence of the passage establishes that a pathogen is an agent that causes disease within the body. Therefore, the second sentence logically completes this relationship by stating that the subparts of a pathogen are unique to that specific pathogen and the disease it causes.