SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The phrase eat into is a phrasal verb that means to consume or reduce a resource, such as savings or time. In the context of consuming food, the preposition into is incorrect and grammatically redundant. The sentence should use the simple verb eat to correctly express the habit of consuming meals, making the correct phrasing I used to eat.

Explanation

The phrasal verb ran over is incorrect in this context. To run over means to knock down and pass over with a vehicle, which does not fit the context of shopping at a mall. The correct phrasal verb to express meeting someone unexpectedly is ran into. Therefore, segment 3 contains the grammatical and contextual error.

Explanation

This sentence represents a first conditional structure, which is used to express a highly probable future result based on a present action or condition. The grammatically correct formula for a first conditional sentence requires the present simple tense in the conditional clause (if-clause) and the simple future tense (will + verb) in the main clause. Here, the verb "work" is in the simple present tense, and "will soon achieve" correctly uses the future tense to indicate the outcome, making the sentence grammatically accurate.

Explanation

The segment "Shall have" contains a grammatical error because the auxiliary verb "have" is incorrect in this position. In a direct future-tense question addressed to the second person "you", the correct modal verb to use is "Will" or "Shall" directly preceding the subject, as in "Will you bring" or "Should you bring". The inclusion of "have" before the subject "you" makes the sentence structure ungrammatical.

Explanation

The word pursuing is the most appropriate and idiomatic verb to use in collocation with hobbies. In English, one pursues a hobby, which means to engage in or follow an activity or interest over a period of time for pleasure or relaxation.

Explanation

The context of the passage emphasizes the importance of disconnecting from technology to take care of ourselves. The sentence explains that unplugging and engaging in relaxing activities allows us to recharge, find balance, and give primary importance to our well-being. The verb "prioritise" perfectly fits this blank both grammatically and contextually, as it means to designate something as most important, taking "our mental and physical health" as its direct object.

Explanation

The word except is a preposition meaning not including, excluding, or apart from. In the sentence, it correctly functions to exclude a few of my friends from the group of no one, indicating that only those few friends were present.

Explanation

The subject following the verb in this sentence is drawing-pins, which is a plural noun. In sentences starting with the introductory there, the verb must agree in number with the subsequent noun subject. Since drawing-pins is plural, it requires a plural verb. The phrase there are some correctly uses the plural verb are to maintain proper subject-verb agreement.

Explanation

The idiom a red herring refers to a clue or piece of information that is misleading or distracting from the actual, important issue. It is used as a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from the main matter, making clever bluff the most appropriate substitution as it also represents an attempt to deceive or mislead others to divert attention.

Explanation

The word occult refers to things that are supernatural, mystical, hidden, or beyond ordinary human understanding. Its direct antonym is intelligible, which describes something that is clear, comprehensible, and easily understood by the intellect. While occult implies obscurity and mystery, intelligible denotes clarity and ease of comprehension.

Explanation

The word stoic refers to a person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining, characterized by apathy, detachment, and an absence of passion or emotional intensity. The word fervent means having or displaying a passionate intensity, warmth of feeling, or great enthusiasm. Since fervor represents strong emotional expression and passion, it is the direct antonym of the calm, passionless, and indifferent nature of being stoic.

Explanation

The word vulgar means lacking sophistication, good taste, or decency, typically referring to language that is offensive, crude, or socially unacceptable. Conversely, decorous means polite, proper, and in keeping with good taste and propriety. Since decorous is the direct antonym of vulgar, replacing vulgar with decorous changes the meaning of the sentence to express a warning against using polite or proper language.

Explanation

The grammatical error lies in the segment "come to football," due to a subject-verb agreement issue. The pronoun "it" in the preceding segment is a third-person singular subject, which requires the singular verb form "comes" rather than the plural verb form "come". The correct expression is "When it comes to".

Explanation

The conjunction when is used to introduce a clause describing a specific event or action that occurs at a particular point in time. In this sentence, the act of accepting the invitation is a single, completed action that took place at a specific moment, triggering Shelley's happiness. Replacing the bracketed word with when establishes this precise temporal relationship, making the sentence grammatically correct and coherent.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Blurred vision is a standard English collocation and medical term used to describe a loss of sharpness of eyesight, making objects appear hazy and out of focus. It is a common symptom directly associated with various illnesses, infections, or physiological conditions affecting the eyes or the nervous system.

Explanation

The word yacht is the correct spelling of the term, which is frequently misspelled as yatch. In spelling evaluation questions, this word is targeted due to its silent letters and non-phonetic spelling.

Explanation

The idiom under the illusion is the correct phrase to express that someone holds a false belief or misconception about a situation. In this sentence, the subject mistakenly believes she will secure the job, making illusion the correct word to denote this false idea or belief.

Explanation

The idiom "feeling the pinch" means to experience hardship, particularly financial distress, due to a shortage of money, rising prices, or reduced income. In the context of rising market prices and stagnant salaries, a person would experience financial strain and difficulty in making ends meet, which directly aligns with the meaning of this idiom.

Explanation

The word calm refers to a state of being peaceful, tranquil, and free from agitation, excitement, or disturbance. The word upset means to be emotionally disturbed, agitated, worried, or deeply troubled. Since upset represents a state of emotional turmoil and lack of peace, it serves as the direct antonym of calm.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

The present perfect continuous tense is used to denote an action that started in the past and is still continuing in the present, which is indicated here by the duration of time specified as "for three hours". Since the subject "the common masses" is plural, it grammatically requires the plural auxiliary verb "have", making "have been waiting" the correct choice to express this ongoing action.

Explanation

The context of the sentence expresses a dislike for dirty cars, establishing a logical requirement for the car to be kept extremely clean. The word spotless means absolutely clean and free from any marks, stains, or dirt, which directly satisfies this requirement and completes the sentence logically.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

The word absurd refers to something that is wildly unreasonable, illogical, or completely inappropriate. Similarly, irrational describes something that is not logical, sensible, or grounded in reason. Both terms share the core meaning of lacking sound judgment or rationality, making them synonyms.

Explanation

The phrase in a fit of rage is a standard English idiom used to describe a sudden, temporary outburst of intense anger. In this expression, the word fit is a singular countable noun beginning with a consonant sound, which requires the indefinite article a to precede it.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

The segment "Throw of" contains a grammatical error because the preposition "of" is incorrectly used. To express the action of discarding or getting rid of unwanted items like old shoes, the correct phrasal verb is "throw away" or "throw out". The preposition "of" does not form a phrasal verb with "throw" that fits this context. Replacing "of" with "away" or "out" makes the sentence grammatically correct.

Explanation

The sentence uses the simple present tense correctly. The subject "She" is a third-person singular pronoun, which correctly agrees with the singular verb "spends". This tense is used here to describe a habitual action or regular characteristic of the subject.

Explanation

The subject "Mathematics" is a singular noun, despite ending in the letter s. Under the rules of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject requires a singular verb. Therefore, the plural verb "help" is grammatically incorrect and must be replaced with the singular verb "helps".

Explanation

The phrasal verb "gave out" is used incorrectly in this context. The correct phrasal verb to use when distributing awards, gifts, or trophies at a ceremony is "give away". Therefore, "gave out prizes" should be replaced with "gave away prizes" to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct.

Explanation

In the first sentence, the word romantic begins with a consonant sound, which correctly requires the indefinite article a before it. In the second sentence, the word unusual starts with a vowel sound, making the use of the indefinite article an correct. Both poet and manner are singular countable nouns that require indefinite articles in these contexts to refer to non-specific instances of a category or a way of doing things.

Explanation

The definite article "the" is required before ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", or "third" when they are used to identify a specific person or thing in a sequence. In this sentence, "first" indicates Pragya's unique position in order of arrival, so it must be preceded by "the". The grammatically correct phrasing is "was the first to reach".

Explanation

The adverb reportedly is used to indicate that information has been stated in official reports, studies, or news sources. In this passage, which presents a statistical estimation regarding the daily deaths of over 1,600 Indians due to water-related diseases, reportedly is the most appropriate fit. It signals that the figure is based on documented data and research findings published by health organizations or government agencies.

Explanation

The relative clause "that enable the hair to grow" correctly modifies the plural noun "ingredients" and functions as an adjective clause. The relative pronoun "that" refers back to the plural noun "ingredients", which agrees with the plural verb "enable". This verb is then followed by the standard grammatical structure of "enable + object + to-infinitive" (enable the hair to grow), making the sentence grammatically complete and precise.

Explanation

The word massive refers to something that is exceptionally large, bulky, heavy, or immense in size. The word tiny means extremely small, minute, or minuscule. Since these two words represent opposite extremes of physical size, tiny is the correct antonym of massive.

Explanation

The word outflow refers to the act of flowing out or the outward movement of something. Its direct antonym is influx, which means an arrival, entry, or inward flow of a large amount of something. Filling the blank with influx correctly opposes the meaning of outflow in the context of the flow of current.

Explanation

The word impulsive describes a person who acts suddenly, on a whim, or without thinking about the consequences of their actions. The opposite of this behavior is being cautious, which means showing careful forethought, planning, and avoiding potential risks or mistakes before acting.

Explanation

The word "split" in the context of a committee refers to a separation, disagreement, or partition into different factions. The word "division" directly substitutes this meaning, as it denotes the state of being divided or partitioned into parts, representing a split within the group.

Explanation

This sentence is a third conditional sentence, which is used to describe a hypothetical situation in the past and its imaginary result. The standard grammatical structure for a third conditional sentence with inversion is: Had + subject + past participle, subject + would have + past participle.

The conditional clause begins with the inverted past perfect form "Had you been", which requires the main clause to use the structure "would have" followed by the past participle of the verb "go", which is "gone". This completes the grammatically correct third conditional structure.

Explanation

The word evasive means tending to avoid commitment, directness, or self-revelation, often by being deliberately vague or indirect in communication. The word ambiguous means open to more than one interpretation, unclear, or double-sided. In the context of language and behavior, both terms describe a manner of speaking or acting that lacks clarity and avoids a direct or definitive statement, making them close synonyms.

Explanation

The word commence means to begin, start, or initiate an action or process. Its antonym must denote the completion, termination, or stoppage of an action. In the given sentence, the word end refers to bringing something to a finish or conclusion, which is the direct opposite of commencing.

Explanation

The word collectable is the correct spelling of the term used to describe items that are sought after by collectors. It is formed by joining the root verb collect with the suffix -able, which denotes being capable of or suitable for a particular action.

Explanation

The phrase "get a job" is a standard English collocation used to mean finding or securing employment. It is the most natural and grammatically appropriate expression to complete the sentence, indicating Tom's objective of obtaining employment quickly.

Explanation

The subject Telangana artists is plural, which requires the plural verb are. The passive construction is known for requires the past participle form of the verb, which is known. Additionally, the possessive pronoun their is used to show that the amazing bronze castings belong to or are created by the artists of Telangana. This makes the phrase are known for their amazing bronze castings grammatically correct and contextually appropriate.

Explanation

The word feeble means lacking physical strength, weak, or frail. Its direct antonym is strong, which means possessing great physical power, force, or ability.

Explanation

The word Neice is spelled incorrectly. The correct spelling is Niece, which follows the common English spelling rule of i before e except after c.

Explanation

The idiom "costing an arm and a leg" is a widely used English figurative expression that means something is extremely expensive, pricey, or costly. It implies that the price of an item or service is so high that one would metaphorically have to give up valuable parts of their body, like an arm and a leg, to afford it. Therefore, it directly corresponds to being very costly and luxurious.

Explanation

The original sentence is grammatically correct. The subject "the trees" is plural, which correctly agrees with the plural auxiliary verb "are". The phrase "are being destroyed" uses the present continuous passive voice, which is the appropriate grammatical construction for describing an ongoing action currently happening to the subject by an agent introduced by "by". Since the subject-verb agreement, tense, and voice are all correct, no substitution is required.

Explanation

The word negligent is correctly spelled with an i in the middle syllable, as n-e-g-l-i-g-e-n-t. It is an adjective that means failing to take proper care or being remiss in one's duties, originating from the Latin word negligentia.

Explanation

The word furtive means characterized by stealth, secrecy, or being sneaky, often to avoid notice or attention due to guilt or dishonest intentions. The opposite of behaving in a secretive or deceitful manner is being open, honest, and straightforward. Therefore, truthful is the most appropriate antonym because it represents honesty, transparency, and adherence to the truth.

Explanation

The phrasal verb knock over means to strike or collide with an upright object in a way that causes it to fall to the ground. In this sentence, the cat chasing the mouse collides with the stacked pots and pans, causing them to tumble, which makes knock over the contextually and grammatically correct choice.

Explanation

The word vain describes someone who has an excessively high opinion of their own appearance, abilities, or worth, characterized by conceit and pride. The antonym of vain is humble, which refers to having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance or achievements.

Explanation

The word precious is misspelled in the context of the sentence. The correct spelling is p-r-e-c-i-o-u-s, which refers to something of great value, worth, or love.