SSC CGL (Prelims) English: English Language questions with solutions

Q1. Select the incorrectly spelt word.

1. Possession
2. Unfourseen
3. Referred
4. Weather

Answer: Unfourseen

The word 'Unfourseen' is misspelt. The correct spelling is 'unforeseen'. The other options are correctly spelt.

Q2. Select the correctly spelt word to fill in the blank. All the chefs in the world are famous because of their ________ skills.

1. kulinary
2. kolinary
3. culinary
4. colinary

Answer: culinary

The word related to cooking and the kitchen is spelled 'culinary'. The other options are misspellings.

Q3. Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence. When I saw him, I will ask him to return the book he borrowed.

1. shall see him
2. have seen him
3. had seen him
4. see him

Answer: have seen him

The sentence needs a tense that fits the time reference after 'When I saw him'. The intended correction is to use a perfect form to show the earlier action, and among the options 'have seen him' is the closest match provided.

Q4. Select the most appropriate synonym of the given word: Paramount.

1. inferior
2. collateral
3. supreme
4. trivial

Answer: supreme

'Paramount' means of the greatest importance or highest rank. 'Supreme' is the closest synonym among the options.

Q5. Select the option that can be used as a one-word substitute for the given group of words: Failing to give proper care and attention.

1. Lax
2. Cautious
3. Wild
4. Provident

Answer: Lax

'Lax' means not sufficiently strict, careful, or thorough, which fits the idea of failing to give proper care and attention. The other options do not match this meaning.

Q6. Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom: on the ball.

1. Unaware of any changes or developments and lazy to react to them
2. Aware of any changes or developments but slow to react to them
3. Aware of any changes or developments and quick to react to them
4. Aware of any changes or developments but doing nothing

Answer: Aware of any changes or developments and quick to react to them

The idiom "on the ball" means being alert, attentive, and quick to respond. It is used for someone who understands what is happening and reacts promptly. Therefore, the correct meaning is the option about being aware and quick to react.

Q7. Select the option that can be used as a one-word substitute for the given group of words: a person who sells and arranges cut flowers.

1. Horticulturist
2. Botanist
3. Gardener
4. Florist

Answer: Florist

A florist is a person who sells and arranges flowers, including cut flowers. The other options refer to plant science or gardening, not flower selling. Hence, the correct one-word substitute is florist.

Q8. Select the most appropriate synonym of the underlined word. He was trembling with fear.

1. Shivering
2. Weeping
3. Running
4. Intrepid

Answer: Shivering

"Trembling" means shaking or quivering. Among the options, "shivering" is the closest synonym because it also means shaking slightly. The other options do not match the meaning.

Q9. Which figure of speech involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect?

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Hyperbole
4. Irony

Answer: Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Simile and metaphor compare things, while irony expresses a contrast between expectation and reality. Therefore, hyperbole is correct.

Q10. Choose the correct indirect speech: She said, "I am writing a letter."

1. She said that she has been writing a letter.
2. She said that she had been writing a letter.
3. She said that she is writing a letter.
4. She said that she was writing a letter.

Answer: She said that she was writing a letter.

In indirect speech, the present continuous tense generally changes to the past continuous when the reporting verb is in the past tense. So "I am writing" becomes "she was writing." Therefore, the correct option is the past continuous form.

Q11. What is the synonym of the word 'candid'?

1. Secretive
2. Frank
3. Doubtful
4. Discreet

Answer: Frank

'Candid' means open, honest, and straightforward. Among the options, 'Frank' is the closest synonym.

Q12. Choose the most appropriate option to complete the sentence: Despite being tired, she ______.

1. completed her work
2. sleep early
3. not working
4. was busy to go

Answer: completed her work

The sentence needs a grammatically correct completion that fits the contrast introduced by 'Despite being tired'. 'Completed her work' is the only option that is both grammatical and meaningful.

Q13. Choose the correct spelling:

1. Recieve
2. Receive
3. Receeve
4. Receiv

Answer: Receive

The correct spelling is 'receive'. The other options are misspellings of the same word.

Q14. What is the correct reported speech of: She said, “I visited the museum.”

1. She said that she visits the museum.
2. She said that she has visited the museum.
3. She said that she had visited the museum.
4. She said that she will visit the museum.

Answer: She said that she had visited the museum.

In indirect speech, the reporting verb 'said' is in the past, so the past simple 'visited' changes to past perfect 'had visited'. The pronoun 'I' also changes to 'she'.

Q15. Choose the appropriate conjunction: I will call you ______ I reach the station.

1. until
2. before
3. after
4. when

Answer: after

The sentence needs a conjunction showing time sequence. 'After' correctly indicates that the call will happen later than reaching the station.

Q16. Which of the following is NOT a type of conjunction?

1. Coordinating
2. Subordinating
3. Correlative
4. Transformative

Answer: Transformative

Coordinating, subordinating, and correlative are all types of conjunctions. 'Transformative' is not a type of conjunction.

Q17. Which part of speech is the word 'beautifully' in the sentence: She sang beautifully?

1. Verb
2. Adjective
3. Adverb
4. Preposition

Answer: Adverb

The word 'beautifully' tells us how the action of singing was performed. Words that modify verbs are adverbs.

Q18. Find the synonym of the word 'benevolent'.

1. Kind
2. Cruel
3. Hostile
4. Lazy

Answer: Kind

'Benevolent' means kind, charitable, or well-meaning. Among the options, 'Kind' is the closest synonym.

Q19. The idiom 'Hit the nail on the head' means:

1. To hurt someone
2. To be exactly right about something
3. To do something dangerous
4. To fix something

Answer: To be exactly right about something

The idiom 'hit the nail on the head' means to say or do something exactly right. It is used when someone identifies the correct point or solution.

Q20. Choose the correct spelling:

1. Occurence
2. Occurrance
3. Occurrence
4. Occurrense

Answer: Occurrence

The correct spelling is 'occurrence'. The other options contain incorrect vowel or consonant combinations.

Q21. Find the synonym of the word 'precise'.

1. Exact
2. Rough
3. Blurred
4. Uncertain

Answer: Exact

'Precise' means exact, accurate, or clearly defined. Among the options, 'Exact' is the closest synonym.

Q22. What is the superlative degree of the adjective 'fast'?

1. Faster
2. Fastest
3. Most Fast
4. Very Fast

Answer: Fastest

The superlative degree of the adjective 'fast' is 'fastest'. 'Faster' is comparative, while the other options are not standard superlatives.

Q23. Choose the most appropriate antonym of the word 'frequent'.

1. Rare
2. Common
3. Regular
4. Always

Answer: Rare

'Frequent' means occurring often or repeatedly. Its antonym is 'rare', which means occurring infrequently.

Q24. What is the past tense of the verb 'swim'?

1. Swimmed
2. Swam
3. Swim
4. Swom

Answer: Swam

'Swim' is an irregular verb. Its past tense form is 'swam', not 'swimmed'.

Q25. Select the correctly punctuated sentence:

1. Where is your book.
2. Where is your book?
3. Where is, your book?
4. Where, is your book?

Answer: Where is your book?

A direct interrogative sentence must end with a question mark. The other options either use a full stop or incorrect comma placement.

Q26. Choose the correct comparative adjective: This road is ______ than the other one.

1. narrow
2. narrower
3. narrowest
4. more narrow

Answer: narrower

The sentence compares two roads, so the comparative degree is needed. The correct form of "narrow" is "narrower."

Q27. Which of the following is an example of a possessive pronoun?

1. He
2. You
3. Mine
4. They

Answer: Mine

A possessive pronoun indicates ownership and replaces a noun. "Mine" is a possessive pronoun, while the other options are personal pronouns. Hence, the correct answer is Mine.

Q28. What is the past participle form of the verb 'eat'?

1. eated
2. ate
3. eaten
4. eats

Answer: eaten

The verb 'eat' has the forms: eat (base), ate (past), and eaten (past participle). Therefore, the correct answer is eaten.

Q29. Choose the correct spelling:

1. Febuary
2. February
3. Febraury
4. Febuaryy

Answer: February

The correct spelling of the month is 'February'. The other options contain letter-order errors or missing letters.

Q30. Choose the correct homophone pair:

1. Bear – Bare
2. Beet – Beat
3. Read – Red
4. Sun – Son

Answer: Sun – Son

Homophones are words that sound alike but differ in meaning and spelling. Among the options, “sun” and “son” are pronounced the same, making them a correct homophone pair.

Q31. What is the plural form of “thesis”?

1. Thesises
2. Thesae
3. Theses
4. Thesi

Answer: Theses

The plural of “thesis” is “theses.” This follows the standard pattern for many nouns ending in -is, where the plural changes to -es.

Q32. Choose the correct preposition: He jumped ______ the wall.

1. in
2. on
3. over
4. at

Answer: over

‘Over’ is the correct preposition because jumping across a wall means moving from one side to the other. The other options do not fit the meaning.

Q33. Identify the part of speech of the word ‘soft’ in the sentence: He wore a soft jacket.

1. Noun
2. Verb
3. Adjective
4. Adverb

Answer: Adjective

‘Soft’ describes the noun ‘jacket’, so it functions as an adjective. Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns.

Q34. Choose the correct antonym of ‘polite’.

1. Friendly
2. Harsh
3. Rude
4. Shy

Answer: Rude

The antonym of polite is rude, because rude means not showing good manners or respect. The other options do not express the opposite meaning as directly.

Q35. Pick the correct sentence:

1. She have a large family.
2. She has a large family.
3. She having a large family.
4. She hads a large family.

Answer: She has a large family.

The subject 'She' is singular, so the correct present tense verb is 'has'. The other options contain grammatical errors.

Q36. Choose the antonym of ‘accept’.

1. Admit
2. Agree
3. Reject
4. Receive

Answer: Reject

“Accept” means to agree to receive or take something. Its antonym is “reject,” which means to refuse or decline.

Q37. Identify the adjective in the sentence: ‘The tall boy won the race.’

1. boy
2. race
3. won
4. tall

Answer: tall

An adjective describes a noun. In the sentence, “tall” describes the noun “boy,” so it is the adjective.

Q38. Choose the correct spelling:

1. Accomodate
2. Acommodate
3. Accommodate
4. Acommadate

Answer: Accommodate

The correct spelling is “accommodate.” It contains double “c” and double “m,” which is a common spelling trap.

Q39. Choose the correct preposition: She is good ______ mathematics.

1. in
2. at
3. on
4. by

Answer: at

The correct collocation is "good at" when referring to a skill or subject. So the sentence becomes: "She is good at mathematics."

Q40. Which word is the opposite of ‘victory’?

1. Loss
2. Success
3. Win
4. Triumph

Answer: Loss

"Victory" means success or winning. Its opposite is "loss," which indicates defeat.

Q41. Choose the correct form: She ______ seen that movie before.

1. have
2. had
3. has
4. was

Answer: has

With the singular subject 'She' and the past participle 'seen', the correct auxiliary is 'has'. This forms the present perfect tense: 'She has seen that movie before.'

Q42. Pick the synonym of 'rapid'.

1. Fast
2. Late
3. Steady
4. Mild

Answer: Fast

'Rapid' means fast or quick. Among the options, 'Fast' is the closest synonym.

Q43. Which one is an interjection?

1. Quickly
2. Alas
3. Run
4. The

Answer: Alas

An interjection is a word used to express sudden emotion. 'Alas' is an interjection, while the other options are an adverb, a verb, and an article.

Q44. Select the correctly punctuated sentence:

1. My friend said lets go.
2. My friend said, “Let’s go.”
3. My friend said “lets go.”
4. My friend said, lets go.

Answer: My friend said, “Let’s go.”

The correct sentence uses a comma before the direct speech and quotation marks around the spoken words. It also correctly uses the contraction 'Let’s' with an apostrophe.

Q45. Identify the adverb in the sentence: She danced gracefully on stage.

1. She
2. danced
3. gracefully
4. stage

Answer: gracefully

An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In the sentence, 'gracefully' tells how she danced, so it is the adverb.

Q46. Choose the correct sentence:

1. He do not like coffee.
2. He does not likes coffee.
3. He does not like coffee.
4. He do not likes coffee.

Answer: He does not like coffee.

With the singular subject 'He', the correct auxiliary is 'does', and the main verb should remain in base form: 'like'. The other options have subject-verb agreement errors.

Q47. Pick the correct synonym of 'important'.

1. Minor
2. Significant
3. Little
4. Tiny

Answer: Significant

'Significant' means important or meaningful. The other options indicate smallness or lack of importance.

Q48. Choose the correct conjunction: He is both intelligent ______ hardworking.

1. as
2. but
3. and
4. or

Answer: and

The correct correlative conjunction is "both ... and ...". It connects two qualities of the same person: intelligent and hardworking.

Q49. Select the correctly punctuated sentence:

1. where is your book?
2. Where is your book
3. Where is your book?
4. Where is your book.

Answer: Where is your book?

The sentence is a direct question, so it should start with a capital letter and end with a question mark. Among the options, only "Where is your book?" is correctly punctuated.

Q50. Select the correctly spelled word:

1. Definately
2. Definatly
3. Definitely
4. Definitley

Answer: Definitely

"Definitely" is the correct spelling. The other options are common misspellings of the same word.