I. Grammar & Sentence Structure
1. Neither the boy nor his brothers ______ satisfied.
- (A) is
- (B) has
- (C) have
- (D) are
- (A) does he?
- (B) doesn't he?
- (C) did he?
- (D) didn't he?
- (A) could meet him
- (B) can meet him
- (C) could have met him
- (D) will meet him
- (A) than
- (B) from
- (C) to
- (D) for
- (A) We are followed by them
- (B) We have been followed by them
- (C) We are being followed by them
- (D) We were being followed by them
- (A) Bureautech
- (B) Entrepreneur
- (C) Philanthropist
- (D) Greenhorn
- (A) a secret enemy
- (B) a poor man
- (C) a close friend
- (D) a foolish person
- (A) with
- (B) of
- (C) from
- (D) by
- (A) Refridgerator
- (B) Refriderater
- (C) Refrigerator
- (D) Referigerator
- (A) Plenty
- (B) Scarcity
- (C) Vacancy
- (D) Poverty
- (A) verb
- (B) adverb
- (C) adjective
- (D) noun
- (A) Oven's piano plays well.
- (B) Oven has a piano and it plays well.
- (C) Oven has a piano which plays well.
- (D) Oven has a piano but doesn't play well.
- (A) is
- (B) has
- (C) have
- (D) are
- (A) does he?
- (B) doesn't he?
- (C) did he?
- (D) didn't he?
- (A) could meet him
- (B) can meet him
- (C) could have met him
- (D) will meet him
- (A) than
- (B) from
- (C) to
- (D) for
- (A) We are followed by them
- (B) We have been followed by them
- (C) We are being followed by them
- (D) We were being followed by them
- (A) Bureautech
- (B) Entrepreneur
- (C) Philanthropist
- (D) Greenhorn
- (A) a secret enemy
- (B) a poor man
- (C) a close friend
- (D) a foolish person
- (A) with
- (B) of
- (C) from
- (D) by
- (A) Refridgerator
- (B) Refriderater
- (C) Refrigerator
- (D) Referigerator
- (A) Plenty
- (B) Scarcity
- (C) Vacancy
- (D) Poverty
- (A) verb
- (B) adverb
- (C) adjective
- (D) noun
- (A) Oven's piano plays well.
- (B) Oven has a piano and it plays well.
- (C) Oven has a piano which plays well.
- (D) Oven has a piano but doesn't play well.
Answer: (D) are
Rule: When two subjects are joined by neither... nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject (his brothers, which is plural).
2. He seldom answers any questions, ______ ?
Answer: (A) does he?
Rule: Words like seldom, hardly, barely, and scarcely have a negative meaning, so they require a positive question tag.
3. If you went there, you ______ meet him.
Answer: (A) could meet him
Rule: This is a Type 2 (hypothetical) conditional sentence. The structure is: If + Simple Past, would/could + base verb.
4. I prefer coffee ______ tea.
Answer: (C) to
Rule: The verb prefer is naturally followed by the preposition to, not than.
5. Change into Passive Voice: "They are following us."
Answer: (C) We are being followed by them
Rule: For the Present Continuous tense, the passive form uses is/am/are + being + past participle .
6. A person who undertakes a commercial venture is a/an ______ .
Answer: (B) Entrepreneur
7. Choose the alternative that means the same as the idiom: "A snake in the grass"
Answer: (A) a secret enemy
8. He died ______ cholera.
Answer: (B) of
Rule: We use "die of" a specific disease, hunger, or thirst.
9. Find out the correctly spelt word.
Answer: (C) Refrigerator
10. What is the antonym of the word "Abundance"?
Answer: (B) Scarcity
III. Words & Usages (Gerunds & Clauses)
11. "Walking is a good exercise." In this sentence 'walking' is used as a/an ______ .
Answer: (D) noun
Explanation: Here, "walking" functions as a Gerund (a verb form ending in -ing that acts as a noun subject).
12. Identify the complex sentence from the options: (LDC)
Answer: (C) Oven has a piano which plays well.
Explanation: Option C contains one main independent clause ("Oven has a piano") and one dependent relative clause ("which plays well"), making it a complex Here is a selection of frequently asked English questions from actual previous Kerala PSC exams (including LDC, VEO, Secretariat Assistant, and University Assistant tests).
I. Grammar & Sentence Structure
1. Neither the boy nor his brothers ______ satisfied. (Police Constable)
Answer: (D) are
Rule: When two subjects are joined by neither... nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject (his brothers, which is plural).
2. He seldom answers any questions, ______ ? (LDC)
Answer: (A) does he?
Rule: Words like seldom, hardly, barely, and scarcely have a negative meaning, so they require a positive question tag.
3. If you went there, you ______ meet him. (Village Field Assistant)
Answer: (A) could meet him
Rule: This is a Type 2 (hypothetical) conditional sentence. The structure is: If + Simple Past, would/could + base verb.
4. I prefer coffee ______ tea. (Secretariat Assistant)
Answer: (C) to
Rule: The verb prefer is naturally followed by the preposition to, not than.
5. Change into Passive Voice: "They are following us." (LDC)
Answer: (C) We are being followed by them
Rule: For the Present Continuous tense, the passive form uses is/am/are + being + past participle (V3).
II. Vocabulary, Idioms & One-Word Substitutes
6. A person who undertakes a commercial venture is a/an ______ . (VEO)
Answer: (B) Entrepreneur
7. Choose the alternative that means the same as the idiom: "A snake in the grass" (Company/Corporation Asst.)
Answer: (A) a secret enemy
8. He died ______ cholera. (Lab Assistant)
Answer: (B) of
Rule: We use "die of" a specific disease, hunger, or thirst.
9. Find out the correctly spelt word. (Secretariat Assistant)
Answer: (C) Refrigerator
10. What is the antonym of the word "Abundance"? (Fireman Trainee)
Answer: (B) Scarcity
III. Words & Usages (Gerunds & Clauses)
11. "Walking is a good exercise." In this sentence 'walking' is used as a/an ______ . (LDC)
Answer: (D) noun
Explanation: Here, "walking" functions as a Gerund (a verb form ending in -ing that acts as a noun subject).
12. Identify the complex sentence from the options: (LDC)
Answer: (C) Oven has a piano which plays well.
Explanation: Option C contains one main independent clause ("Oven has a piano") and one dependent relative clause ("which plays well"), making it a complex sentence structure.
structure.
