SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 English Comprehension Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The plural subject planets requires the plural verb are to make the sentence grammatically complete. Additionally, the sentence structure uses an infinitive clause for them to twinkle, which pairs with the adverb too in the standard correlative construction too + adjective + for + object + to-infinitive to express a cause and its consequence. The phrase are too close and big correctly satisfies both the subject-verb agreement and this grammatical structure.

Explanation

The idiom bread and butter refers to a person's livelihood or their primary source of income that allows them to afford basic life necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. Just as bread and butter represent basic, everyday food staples, the phrase metaphorically denotes the fundamental employment or financial activity that sustains an individual.

Explanation

A skeptic is a person who habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with accepted beliefs or assertions, especially in matters of religion or dogma. Conversely, a believer is someone who accepts these doctrines or assertions as true, rendering the two terms direct opposites.

Explanation

The adjective large is used to denote something of considerable size, extent, or capacity. In this sentence, it appropriately describes the grand scale and physical dimensions of the villa owned by the bride, highlighting the significant contrast in size when compared directly to the bridegroom's house.

Explanation

The word nosy is defined as showing too much curiosity about other people's affairs, or being extremely inquisitive and prying. In the given sentence, the behavior of prying into other people's business directly defines a nosy person.

Explanation

In indirect speech, when a question is reported, the word order changes from interrogative to assertive. An indirect question acts as a noun clause and follows the standard subject + verb word order instead of the auxiliary verb + subject order used in direct questions.

In the sentence, the wh-word "when" introduces the subordinate clause acting as the object of the reporting verb "asked". Therefore, the subject "the next letter" must precede the verb phrase "would come", making "when the next letter would come" the grammatically correct structure.

Explanation

The phrase "without any looming deadlines" is the most appropriate and idiomatic substitute for "not having any imminent due dates". In standard English, the adjective "looming" is a precise synonym for "imminent" when describing approaching events that cause anxiety or pressure. Similarly, "deadlines" serves as a direct, professional equivalent for "due dates". The prepositional phrase "without any" also offers a much more natural and concise flow than the gerund construction "not having any" in this context.

Explanation

The word objective means representing facts without being influenced by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations. An unbiased evaluation is one that is completely impartial, neutral, and fair, making unbiased the most appropriate synonym and substitute for objective in this context.

Explanation

The word ignore means to disregard intentionally or refuse to take notice of. The antonym of ignore is recognise, which means to identify, acknowledge, or notice someone or something from previous encounter or knowledge. In the sentence "Ritika recognised Kavita in the gathering", the word recognised is used as the antonym of ignore.

Explanation

The idiom "a nine days' wonder" refers to a person, event, or thing that attracts great interest, excitement, or pleasure for a very brief period but is quickly forgotten thereafter. In the sentence, Animesh was highly praised by art critics initially, but his success and the excitement surrounding his talent proved to be short-lived, making this idiom the perfect substitute for "a pleasure for a short time".

Explanation

The word "Mantain" is spelt incorrectly. The correct spelling is "Maintain", which means to keep something in its existing state, support, or preserve.

Explanation

The word previage in the sentence is misspelled. Its correct spelling is privilege, which refers to a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

Explanation

The word shrill refers to a voice or sound that is high-pitched, sharp, and piercing. Its antonym mellow describes a sound that is pleasantly smooth, soft, warm, and free from harshness, which perfectly complements the description of a voice flowing effortlessly through the room.

Explanation

The word betrayal refers to the act of being disloyal, treacherous, or violating a trust, especially towards one's country or associates. The correct antonym is loyalty, which means the quality of being faithful, devoted, and showing constant support or allegiance to a person, country, or cause.

Explanation

The indefinite article a is used incorrectly in the segment Ms. Rose is a. In English grammar, superlative adjectives like sweetest must be preceded by the definite article the when referring to a specific person or thing that stands out as the most extreme in a group. Therefore, the indefinite article a should be replaced with the definite article the to make the sentence grammatically correct as Ms. Rose is the sweetest of all the girls in the class.

Explanation

The adverb "usually" is typically used to express a present habit or regular routine, which requires the simple present tense. Therefore, "usually opened" should be changed to "usually opens" to make the sentence grammatically appropriate for a present habit.

Explanation

The grammatical error lies in the segment "with a leather seats" because the indefinite article "a" cannot be used to modify the plural noun "seats". The article "a" is strictly used before singular countable nouns. To make the sentence grammatically correct, the indefinite article should be omitted, making it "with leather seats".

Explanation

The sentence requires a finite verb in the past tense to agree with the third-person singular pronoun "He" and form a grammatically complete independent clause. The word "spoke" is the simple past tense form of the verb "speak", which correctly completes the sentence to indicate that the action of telling the truth happened in the past.

Explanation

The sentence asks a rhetorical question inviting the reader to picture or conceptualize a world that does not contain human beings. The verb imagine means to form a mental image or concept of something, which fits this context of contemplating an abstract scenario of a world devoid of humanity.

Explanation

The passage focuses on the constructive and active role of human beings in shaping the world, developing the economy, and managing resources. In this context, human beings are the agents who take natural elements and find practical uses for them. The word utilised means to make practical and effective use of something, which perfectly describes how humans interact with resources to build a social and cultural environment.

Explanation

The passage highlights the essential and significant role that human beings play in shaping the world, developing resources, and establishing social and cultural environments. In this context, the word crucial is the most appropriate fit for blank 3 because it means extremely important or necessary, perfectly describing how indispensable people are to the development of the economy and society.

Explanation

In the study of population and resources, human beings are recognized as resources of varying quality. This term refers to the differences in health, education, skills, and capabilities among individuals and different populations. These diverse qualities determine how effectively people can convert natural elements into usable resources and contribute to economic development.

Explanation

The verb invent is the most appropriate fit for blank 5 because technology is created, designed, or originated through human intelligence and effort. In this context, raw materials like coal only became valuable resources once humans were able to invent the necessary technological methods and tools to extract and utilize them.

Explanation

The main clause "There was a noise" is in the simple past tense, indicating that the event occurred in the past. To maintain tense consistency throughout the sentence, the relative clause describing the action of the noise must also be in the simple past tense. The simple past form of the irregular verb "wake" is "woke," which correctly shows that the action of waking up was completed in the past.

Explanation

The idiom "queer someone's pitch" means to spoil or ruin someone's plans, arrangements, or chances of success. It originates from 19th-century street slang, where a pitch referred to the specific spot where a street vendor or performer set up their business, and queer meant to spoil or damage. Therefore, in the context of starting a new business, Ravikanth ruined the speaker's plans.

Explanation

The word change means to make or become different in some way. Alter is its direct synonym, meaning to make different in some particular way, modify, or transform the character or appearance of something.

Explanation

The word lazy describes someone who is unwilling to work or use energy, characterized by inactivity or indolence. Diligent refers to someone who shows care, persistent effort, and conscientiousness in their work or duties. Because diligent represents active, hard-working, and industrious behavior, it serves as the direct antonym of lazy.

Explanation

The idiom "spill the beans" is a widely used English expression that means to disclose confidential information or reveal a secret, often prematurely or unintentionally. It is commonly used in situations where someone lets slip a surprise or gives away a hidden plan.

Explanation

The word "dew" refers to the tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces overnight when atmospheric vapor condenses. In this context, the grass on the lawn is glistening with these naturally occurring water droplets in the morning, making it the grammatically and semantically correct choice for the blank.

Explanation

The word plausible means having an appearance of truth or reason, which translates to being credible, believable, or likely. The antonym of plausible is something that is improbable or not credible. In the given sentence, the word unlikely directly conveys this opposite meaning, representing something that is improbable or not expected to happen.

Explanation

The idiom "all thumbs" is used to describe someone who is physically awkward, clumsy, or uncoordinated in their movements. Substituting "clumsy" with "all thumbs" maintains the intended meaning of the sentence, indicating that Vihaan lacks grace or coordination when dancing.

Explanation

The correct spelling of the word is warrant, which refers to an official document signed by a judge or other legal authority that gives the police the power to do something, such as arresting someone or searching a house. The word is spelled with a w at the beginning and a double r in the middle.

Explanation

The word crux refers to the most important, essential, or decisive point of an issue, argument, or study. In the context of the sentence, substituting crux with central point accurately maintains the original meaning, indicating that the researcher has outlined the core or most vital part of the study.

Explanation

The word jovial describes someone who is cheerful, friendly, and full of high spirits and happiness. The word miserable means extremely unhappy, wretched, or dejected, making it the direct antonym of jovial in terms of mood and disposition.

Explanation

The word absurd refers to something that is wildly unreasonable, illogical, ridiculous, or completely lacking in common sense. The antonym of a word is its opposite in meaning. Reasonable describes something that is based on good judgment, sensible, logical, and fair. Since reasonable represents logical and sensible behavior or thinking, it serves as the direct opposite and most appropriate antonym for absurd.

Explanation

The sentence requires a gerund phrase to act as the subject of the singular verb "is". A gerund, which is the -ing form of a verb functioning as a noun, is used to represent an activity. The verb "play" must be converted into the gerund "playing" to form the phrase "playing cards," which refers to the activity of playing card games. This gerund phrase functions as a singular noun phrase, which correctly agrees with the singular verb "is".

Explanation

make the bed is a standard English collocation used to describe the act of neatly arranging the sheets, blankets, and pillows on a bed after it has been slept in. In boarding schools, students are expected to take care of their own rooms and perform daily chores, which includes this routine task.

Explanation

The word accept means to consent to receive, undertake, or agree to something. It signifies a willingness to approve, admit, or believe in an idea, proposal, or statement, making agree its most appropriate synonym.

Explanation

The sentence Mrs. Arunima speaks Telugu well is grammatically correct. The verb speaks is a transitive verb, and Telugu is its direct object. The word well is an adverb of manner modifying the verb speaks. In English sentence structure, an adverb of manner is placed after the direct object of a transitive verb, rather than between the verb and the object. Since the adverb well correctly follows the direct object Telugu, there is no adverbial usage error in this sentence.

Explanation

The indefinite article a is incorrectly used before the noun oasis. Since oasis begins with a vowel sound, it must be preceded by the article an, making the correct phrasing an oasis is an area.

Explanation

The verb speaks requires an adverb to modify it. The word well is the adverbial form used to describe the quality of performing an action, indicating that Sarita has a good command of French. Substituting the underlined segment with the positive adverb well results in a grammatically precise and natural sentence.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is the third-person singular pronoun He. In English grammar, a singular subject must be paired with a singular verb to maintain subject-verb agreement. The verb have is plural, whereas the singular form has must be used with He. Therefore, the segment He have is grammatically incorrect and should be corrected to He has.

Explanation

The preposition within is used to indicate that something occurs inside the limits, boundaries, or structure of a specific entity. In this context, the family unit is viewed as a supportive, self-contained social structure inside of which individuals grow, learn values, and build lasting relationships. Thus, within is the most grammatically and contextually appropriate choice to describe actions taking place inside this unit.

Explanation

The context of the sentence refers to finding comfort, which is the alleviation of distress, sorrow, or hardship. Comfort is naturally sought and provided during difficult or trying periods of life. The word challenging means difficult or testing, making it the most appropriate and logical fit to describe the times during which the support and comfort of a family are essential.

Explanation

In the context of the passage, the verb "offer" collocated with the noun "guidance" is the most natural and grammatically correct choice. Families provide support and direction to their members, and the phrase "offer guidance" is a standard English collocation that means to provide help, advice, or direction.

Explanation

The passage highlights the positive characteristics of a family that lead to beneficial outcomes like happiness and harmony. The word cohesion refers to the state of uniting or sticking together, which perfectly complements strength to describe a unified, well-integrated, and supportive family unit that fosters individual well-being and community strength.

Explanation

The passage highlights the positive and constructive role of families in building society. The word foundation refers to the basis, groundwork, or underlying support upon which something is built or established. In this context, the strength and positive attributes of a family serve as the essential basis or foundation upon which a strong and stable community is established.

Explanation

Completing work tasks like assignments naturally leads to a period of rest and relaxation. Goa is a popular vacation destination known for its beaches and tourism. Therefore, planning to take a holiday in Goa is the most contextually appropriate and logical completion of the sentence.

Explanation

The idiom fish out of water refers to a person who is in an unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or awkward situation. Just as a fish is out of its natural habitat and cannot function properly when removed from water, a person described by this phrase feels completely out of place in a specific environment or social setting.

Explanation

The correct spelling of the word is commendation, which is spelled with a double m. It refers to an award, accolade, or an official expression of praise. The spelling in the option is incorrect because it contains only a single m.