SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The grammatical error lies in the word order of the adverb enough and the adjective big. In English grammar, when enough is used to modify an adjective or another adverb, it must always be placed after the word it modifies. Therefore, the correct phrasing is big enough rather than enough big. The word enough only precedes nouns, as in enough space or enough rooms.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

The word "underrated" is formed by combining the prefix "under-" with the base word "rated". Because the prefix ends with 'r' and the base word begins with 'r', the correct spelling retains both letters, resulting in a double 'r'. It means to underestimate the value, influence, or ability of someone or something.

Explanation

The word innocent describes someone who is free from guilt, sin, or moral wrong, particularly in relation to a specific crime or charge. The word guilty is its direct antonym, meaning responsible for a specified wrongdoing, crime, or offense.

Explanation

The word dependable is a direct synonym of reliable, meaning trustworthy, consistent, and able to be relied on. In the context of the sentence, a car that consistently starts on the first try even in harsh, cold weather conditions demonstrates trustworthy performance, making dependable the most appropriate substitute.

Explanation

Correct Answer: C

The idiom to be at daggers drawn historically refers to two individuals who have unsheathed their daggers and are prepared to attack one another. In modern usage, it describes a state of bitter hostility, intense enmity, or violent opposition between parties, indicating that they are ready to fight or engage in a major conflict.

Explanation

The idiom "to cost an arm and a leg" is a extremely common colloquial expression used to describe something that is exceptionally expensive or priced very highly. The phrase metaphorically suggests that the cost of an item or service is so immense that one would have to pay for it with their own body parts.

Explanation

The word appalled means to be filled with dismay, shock, or deep disapproval. Disgusted is the most appropriate synonym because it similarly describes a feeling of strong disapproval, revulsion, or aversion toward something offensive.

Explanation

The word ecstasy refers to a state of overwhelming emotion, especially extreme happiness, rapture, or great joy. Its direct antonym is depression, which represents a state of severe sadness, despondency, or low spirits, reflecting the opposite emotional extreme of intense unhappiness and gloom.

Explanation

The possessive pronoun "their" is used to show ownership or belonging, indicating that the coats belong to them. The adverb "there" is used to refer to a specific place or position. In this sentence, "their" correctly modifies the noun "coats" to show possession, and "there" correctly indicates the location where the coats are being left.

Explanation

The word contempt means a strong feeling of dislike, disrespect, or regarding someone or something as worthless or beneath consideration. The antonym of this term is admiration, which denotes a feeling of deep respect, approval, and high regard for someone. Therefore, admiration represents the opposite attitude of contempt in the given context.

Explanation

The misspelled word in the given sentence is "recieve". According to the standard English spelling rule of "i before e except after c", the vowel combination must be written as "ei" when it immediately follows the letter 'c'. Therefore, the correct spelling is "receive".

Explanation

The causative verb make is followed by an object and the bare infinitive, which is the base form of the verb without to. In this sentence, made is the causative verb and him is the object, which must be followed by the bare infinitive pay. Furthermore, to pay a bill is the standard English collocation used when settling a financial charge.

Explanation

The word cramped describes a space that is uncomfortably small, restricted, or confined. Its direct antonym is spacious, which refers to an area that is vast, roomy, and has ample space to move around freely.

Explanation

The phrasal verb "add up to" is the standard idiomatic expression used to indicate that a series of values or amounts equals a particular total. In this sentence, it correctly denotes that the combined cost of all the items purchased by Mrs. Lakshmi reaches the final sum of ₹2,650.

Explanation

The segment "on the section" contains a grammatical and contextual error. The prepositional phrase is incorrect because soldiers are selected "on the basis" of a quality, not "on the section". Replacing "section" with "basis" makes the sentence grammatically correct and semantically meaningful, yielding "were selected on the basis of 'gallantry of spirits'".

Explanation

The segment "We has travelled" contains a subject-verb agreement error. The pronoun "We" is first-person plural, which requires the plural auxiliary verb "have" instead of the singular "has". The correct grammatical construction is "We have travelled".

Explanation

The phrasal verb "sold out" is the correct idiomatic expression used to indicate that all the available items or tickets for an event have been purchased, leaving none remaining. Replacing "sold away" with "sold out" makes the sentence grammatically correct and semantically precise.

Explanation

The past continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing background action that was in progress in the past when another sudden action interrupted it. In this sentence, the continuous action of celebrating was happening when the sudden event of dropping the trophy occurred. The conjunction "while" typically introduces this longer, background action in the past continuous tense, making "was celebrating" the grammatically correct fit.

Explanation

The adverb widely is the most appropriate word to collocate with accepted in this context. The phrase widely accepted is a standard English colocation used to describe a theory, belief, or practice that is approved of or believed by a vast majority of people or experts in a field. In the context of the passage, it denotes that the Big Bang theory enjoys the most extensive and broad consensus among scientists regarding the origin and evolution of the universe.

Explanation

The verb form is the most appropriate fit for blank 2 because it means to bring together parts or combine to create something, or to take shape. In the context of cosmology, the matter and energy originating from the singularity underwent physical processes over billions of years to create, shape, and constitute the stars, galaxies, and other structures that compose the universe today.

Explanation

The idiom a wealth of is a standard English expression used to describe a very large, rich, and valuable amount of something, such as information, knowledge, or evidence. In the context of the passage, a wealth of observational evidence correctly signifies that there is an abundance of scientific data supporting the Big Bang theory.

Explanation

The term abundance is the standard scientific expression used in cosmology to describe the relative proportion or quantity of chemical elements present in the universe. Specifically, the primordial abundance of light elements, such as hydrogen, helium, and deuterium, was established during the first few minutes of the universe in a process known as Big Bang nucleosynthesis. The observed ratios of these light elements in the cosmos closely match the theoretical predictions of the Big Bang model, making the abundance of light elements one of the crucial pillars of observational evidence supporting the theory.

Explanation

The word nature in this context refers to the inherent character, basic constitution, or essential properties of something. In astrophysics and cosmology, understanding the nature of dark matter and dark energy—which together make up about 95% of the universe but remain largely mysterious—is one of the most significant ongoing areas of scientific inquiry. Therefore, nature is the most grammatically and contextually appropriate fit for the blank.

Explanation

The word superior means higher in quality, value, rank, or grade. The most appropriate antonym for superior is inferior, which means lower in station, quality, value, or grade. When applied to the quality of a product like apples, superior quality indicates a high or excellent standard, whereas inferior quality denotes a lower or substandard quality.

Explanation

The present participle affecting is grammatically correct because it introduces a participle clause that functions as an adverbial modifier, expressing the direct consequence or result of the bottleneck. This active participle clause describes the ongoing effect of the main situation on the employers capacity to innovate.

Explanation

The word dedicated means devoted to a task or purpose, characterized by loyalty and sharp focus. In the context of the sentence, where the teacher works hard to help her students succeed, the word committed is the most appropriate synonym as it also means feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job.

Explanation

The word "route" refers to a path, course, or way taken to travel from a starting point to a destination. In the context of commuting, it correctly denotes the specific road or direction one takes to reach their office.

Explanation

The word clamour refers to a loud, continuous, and confused noise, typically produced by a large group of people shouting. In the context of the sentence, this disruptive and noisy disturbance is what interrupts the concentration of the priest and provokes his anger.

Explanation

The idiom "bag and baggage" refers to all of a person's personal belongings, possessions, or portable property. It originates from a military phrase describing an army departing from a camp with all of its equipment and stores, signifying a complete departure with all of one's goods and belongings.

Explanation

The word tedious is defined as something that is tiresome, monotonous, or lacking in interest, especially due to its length or slowness. The word boring directly shares this meaning, as it refers to something that is dull, wearisome, and fails to engage or interest a person.

Explanation

The correct spelling of the word is inoculate, which is spelled with a single letter n. It means to introduce an immunogenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity against a specific disease. The spelling with a double n is incorrect.

Explanation

The word permit means to officially allow or give consent for something to happen. Approve is its closest synonym, as it means to formally agree to, sanction, or allow something, sharing the core meaning of giving authorization or permission.

Explanation

The word explicit means stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt. The opposite of this is ambiguous, which means open to more than one interpretation, unclear, or vague, thereby making it the correct antonym in this context.

Explanation

In the context of food and cooking, the word sauce refers to a liquid or semi-solid condiment or accompaniment used to add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. This culinary term fits the sentence logically as Arun is mixing food items.

Explanation

The segment contains a spelling error in the word "incadescent". The correct spelling is "incandescent", which includes an "n" before the "d". This word refers to emitting light as a result of being heated, or being passionate or brilliant.

Explanation

A vicious cycle refers to a chain of events in which one problem or negative situation causes another problem, which in turn worsens the first problem, creating a continuous loop that is difficult to break. In the context of poverty, low income leads to poor education and healthcare, which subsequently prevents a person from securing high-paying work, thus perpetuating the poverty.

Explanation

The idiomatic expression to make full use of something is a standard English collocation meaning to utilize an opportunity, resource, or capacity to the maximum possible extent. In this sentence, full is the correct adjective that naturally pairs with the noun use to convey that the individual took complete advantage of the travel opportunity.

Explanation

The relative pronoun who is used to refer to people, whereas which is used to refer to animals, things, or ideas. Because the antecedent in this sentence is the girl, which refers to a person, the pronoun who must be used. Furthermore, since the subject the girl is singular, the verb following the relative pronoun must also be singular to maintain proper subject-verb agreement, making who is wearing a blue shirt the grammatically correct substitution.

Explanation

The word concise means expressing much in few words, or being brief and to the point. The opposite of being brief and compact is being detailed, wordy, or extending to a great length. Lengthy means very long or verbose, making it the direct antonym of concise.

Explanation

The sentence structure follows the first conditional, which is used to express real or possible situations in the present or future. The standard grammatical rule for the first conditional requires the simple present tense in the conditional clause (if-clause) and the simple future tense (will + base verb) in the main clause. Since the conditional clause contains the simple present verb "exercises", the main clause must use "will" instead of "would". The correct formulation is "she will", making "she would" the segment containing the error.

Explanation

In a first conditional sentence, which expresses a real or possible future situation, the conditional clause introduced by "if" must be in the simple present tense, while the main clause uses the simple future tense.

Using the future auxiliary verb "will" in the conditional clause "if you will" is grammatically incorrect. It must be replaced with the simple present tense form "if you" to properly connect with the verb "come" in the subsequent segment, establishing the correct structure: "if you come on time".

Explanation

The grammatical error lies in the incorrect usage of the indefinite article. The article "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound, whereas "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. The acronym "IPS" is pronounced starting with the vowel sound "eye" (/aɪ/). Therefore, the correct article to use before "IPS officer" is "an", making the correct phrase "an IPS officer".

Explanation

The indefinite article a is used before words that begin with a consonant sound, whereas an is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. Since the word owl begins with a vowel sound, it must be preceded by the article an instead of a. The correct grammatical phrasing is An owl is a bird.

Explanation

The sentence requires the passive voice construction "is characterised by" to describe the defining features of Romantic poetry. The past participle form "characterised" correctly completes this verb phrase to indicate that the movement is marked or distinguished by its emphasis on emotion, imagination, and individualism.

Explanation

The sentence discusses the subject matters that Romantic poets explored in their writing, specifically listing "love, beauty and mortality." In literary analysis, these central ideas or underlying messages are referred to as themes, making this the most fitting word to complete the blank in the context of poetry.

Explanation

The passage describes Romantic poetry, which is a historical literary movement that emerged in the late 18th century and continued through the mid-19th century. Since the passage is written in the past tense to describe the actions and beliefs of historical figures like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the past tense verb believed is the grammatically correct fit for the blank.

Explanation

The word another is a determiner used with singular countable nouns to refer to an additional person or thing of the same type. In the given context, aspect is a singular countable noun. The author is introducing a new, distinct feature of Romantic poetry after having discussed its language, imagery, and view of nature. Grammatically and contextually, another fits perfectly before important aspect to transition smoothly to this next point.

Explanation

The conjunction as well as is used to connect two words or phrases of the same grammatical class, meaning in addition to or and. In this sentence, it parallelly connects two direct consequences of the Romantic belief in individual experience: a greater emphasis on personal expression and introspection in poetry and a rejection of the traditional poetic forms and structures of the past. Using this phrase maintains the parallel structure of the noun phrases and logically links these two simultaneous shifts in poetic style.

Explanation

The word comical refers to something that is amusing, funny, or lighthearted, often provoking laughter or smiles. Its direct antonym is tragic, which describes something that is characterized by extreme distress, sorrow, or ruin, typically associated with serious and solemn events. While comical relates to comedy, tragic relates to tragedy, making them exact opposites in tone and meaning.

Explanation

The phrase desired results refers to the specific outcomes that one wishes to achieve or aims for through effort. In the context of doing hard work, the intended or hoped-for outcome of that effort is best described as the desired results, making it the most natural and semantically appropriate substitution.