Popular Posts

Saturday, July 18, 2026

PSC English Grammar

  •  ​1. The feminine gender of 'Monk' is:
  • ​(A) Nun
  • ​(B) Maid
  • ​(C) Spinster
  • ​(D) Countess
  • Answer: (A) Nun


    2. A group of wolves is called a ______ .

    • ​(A) Herd
    • ​(B) Pack
    • ​(C) Flock
    • ​(D) Swarm
    • Answer: (B) Pack


      3. The young one of a 'Kangaroo' is called a:

      • ​(A) Joey
      • ​(B) Cub
      • ​(C) Calf
      • ​(D) Fawn
      • Answer: (A) Joey


        4. Choose the correctly spelt word:

        • ​(A) Bureaucracy
        • ​(B) Burocracy
        • ​(C) Bureaucracy
        • ​(D) Beurocracy
        • Answer: (A) Bureaucracy

          Memory Trick: Remember the spelling of Bureau (B-U-R-E-A-U) then add cracy.


          5. Substitute with a single word: "One who collects stamps"

          • ​(A) Lapidist
          • ​(B) Philatelist
          • ​(C) Numismatist
          • ​(D) Optimist
          • Answer: (B) Philatelist

            Note: Numismatist is a person who collects coins.


            6. Meaning of the idiom "To clear the air":

            • ​(A) To remove tension or doubts
            • ​(B) To clean a dirty room
            • ​(C) To start a heavy argument
            • ​(D) To travel by flight
            • Answer: (A) To remove tension or doubts


              7. The antonym of 'Arrogant' is:

              • ​(A) Haughty
              • ​(B) Proud
              • ​(C) Humble
              • ​(D) Rigid
              • Answer: (C) Humble


                8. Identify the synonym of 'Reluctant':

                • ​(A) Ready
                • ​(B) Unwilling
                • ​(C) Eager
                • ​(D) Willing
                • Answer: (B) Unwilling


                  9. What is the meaning of the phrasal verb "Bring out"?

                  • ​(A) Publish
                  • ​(B) Extinguish
                  • ​(C) Raise/Rear
                  • ​(D) Cancel
                  • Answer: (A) Publish

                    Note: Bring up means to raise/rear children; Bring out means to publish a book or release a product.


                    10. Either the teacher or the students ______ collected the books.

                    • ​(A) has
                    • ​(B) have
                    • ​(C) is
                    • ​(D) was
                    • Answer: (B) have

                      Rule: When subjects are joined by either... or, the verb agrees with the closer subject (the students is plural).


                      11. He has been working here ______ five hours.

                      • ​(A) since
                      • ​(B) for
                      • ​(C) from
                      • ​(D) during
                      • Answer: (B) for

                        Rule: Use for for a total duration/period of time (five hours); use since for a specific starting point (5 o'clock).


                        12. If I had seen him, I ______ told him the news.

                        • ​(A) will have
                        • ​(B) would have
                        • ​(C) would
                        • ​(D) should
                        • Answer: (B) would have

                          Rule: Type 3 Conditional: If + Past Perfect (had seen) -> would have + V3 (told).


                          13. He is the boy ______ bag was lost.

                          • ​(A) who
                          • ​(B) whom
                          • ​(C) whose
                          • ​(D) which
                          • Answer: (C) whose

                            Rule: Use the relative pronoun whose to show possession for living beings.


                            14. You had better ______ home now.

                            • ​(A) go
                            • ​(B) to go
                            • ​(C) going
                            • ​(D) gone
                            • Answer: (A) go

                              Rule: The idiom had better is always followed by a bare infinitive (the base form of the verb without to).


                              15. Change into Passive Voice: "The teacher teaches us English."

                              • ​(A) English is taught us by the teacher.
                              • ​(B) We are being taught English by the teacher.
                              • ​(C) We are taught English by the teacher.
                              • ​(D) English was taught to us by the teacher.
                              • Answer: (C) We are taught English by the teacher.

                                Rule: Simple Present tense changes to is/am/are + V3 in the passive voice. (Option A is missing the word to before us).


                                16. Report the sentence: Sita said, "I have completed my work."

                                • ​(A) Sita said that she has completed her work.
                                • ​(B) Sita said that she had completed her work.
                                • ​(C) Sita told that she completed her work.
                                • ​(D) Sita said that she was completing her work.
                                • Answer: (B) Sita said that she had completed her work.

                                  Rule: Present Perfect (have completed) shifts to Past Perfect (had completed) in indirect speech.


                                  17. Give the question tag: "They seldom watch television, ______ ?"

                                  • ​(A) don't they?
                                  • ​(B) do they?
                                  • ​(C) didn't they?
                                  • ​(D) did they?
                                  • Answer: (B) do they?

                                    Rule: Seldom gives the sentence a negative meaning, so it requires a positive tag.


                                    18. Sri Lanka is ______ island.

                                    • ​(A) a
                                    • ​(B) an
                                    • ​(C) the
                                    • ​(D) no article
                                    • Answer: (B) an


                                      19. The patient died ______ cancer.

                                      • ​(A) from
                                      • ​(B) by
                                      • ​(C) of
                                      • ​(D) with
                                      • Answer: (C) of

                                        Rule: "Die of" is used for direct internal causes like diseases, hunger, or old age. "Die from" is used for external causes like overwork or wounds.


                                        20. No sooner did the bell ring ______ the children ran out.

                                        • ​(A) when
                                        • ​(B) then
                                        • ​(C) than
                                        • ​(D) before
                                        • Answer: (C) than

                                          Rule: The correlative structure is always No sooner ... than.


No comments:

Post a Comment