English Language Quiz For SBI PO, Clerk Prelims 2021- 27th May

Direction (1-5): There are two different sentences with a blank space in each question. Choose the word from the given options which fits into both the blanks appropriately adding a proper and logical meaning to the sentences.

Q1. (I) On behalf of the company, I would like to _________ our hearty thanks to you all.
(II) I’ll send you your clothes and some other things next month by __________________ delivery.
(a) vague
(b) articulate
(c) express
(d) augur
(e) portend

Q2. (I) Hertford struck at Edinburgh in May, and in the leader’s own words ” made a ______ fire “and did much mischief.
(II) He’s one of those sad guys who gets his ________ from lurking in chat rooms.
(a) jolly
(b) gloomy
(c) tempt
(d) blazing
(e) contrite

Q3. (I) I can’t really remember what won, though at the time, I thought it all very _______ looking and exciting.
(II) Leaning ___________, she relinquished the blanket and urged him to lie down on the couch.
(a) quickens
(b) accelerates
(c) advance
(d) further
(e) forward

Q4. (I) If someone ____________ you, they draw attention away from you by being more attractive or interesting.
(II) When an actor is __________, he or she is or moves towards the back part of the stage.
(a) execute
(b) arrange
(c) originate
(d) upstage
(e) control

Q5. (I) The hotel is set __________ in the middle of the high streets.
(II) When people __________ a building, they put in all the pipes for carrying water.
(a) cognize
(b) plumb
(c) vanish
(d) prone
(e) vault

Directions (6-10): Given below are sentences with an idiom given in bold. Replace the idiom from the four options provided to make the sentence contextually meaningful and grammatically correct. If no such replacement is required mark (e) i.e., “No replacement required” as your answer choice.

Q6. After the long road trip, we were all dead tired and ready to hang in there as soon as we reached home.
(a) cut some slack
(b) break a leg
(c) cut corners
(d) hit the sack
(e) no replacement required

Q7. In this competitive scenario, if you don’t keep yourself abreast of latest developments, you are going to get your act together.
(a) to pull someone’s leg
(b) to miss the boat
(c) under the weather
(d) on the ball
(e) no replacement required

Q8. A scandal that’s wrapped around the term “telephony metadata” is not going to get people bent out of shape.
(a) so far so good
(b) cut the mustard
(c) to get your act together
(d) to make matters worse
(e) no replacement required

Q9. In most countries, people want the leaders in their government to cost an arm and a leg and always tell the truth.
(a) to bite the bullet
(b) to get out of hand
(c) to call it a day
(d) to break the ice
(e) no replacement required

Q10. We’d planned a surprise party for Donna, but some guy she works with burn bridges, so now she knows.
(a) barking up the wrong tree
(b) live and learn
(c) let the cat out of the bag
(d) the whole nine yards
(e) no replacement required

Directions (11-15): In the following questions, a sentence is divided into five parts with one of the parts of each sentence is highlighted in bold suggesting the grammatically correct part of the sentence. Out of the four other parts, choose the part of the sentence which contains grammatical or contextual error in it. If the given sentence is both grammatically correct and contextually meaningful, choose option (e) i.e., “No error” as your answer.
Q11. No sooner had I (A)/ gotten my bags (B)/ unpacked when I (C)/ realized that my (D)/ camera was missing. (E)
(a) No sooner had I
(b) gotten my bags
(c) unpacked when I
(d) realized that my
(e) No error

Q12. It was hard to say if (A)/ Alex was withholding facts (B)/ so she couldn’t contest his (C)/ decisions or simply because (D)/ he thought she did not need to know. (E)
(a) It was hard to say if
(b) so she couldn’t contest his
(c) decisions or simply because
(d) he thought she did not need to know
(e) No error

Q13. She cannot sing and she cannot (A)/ play the piano, yet, as some (B)/ early experiments show, (C)/ she could learn mechanically to (D)/ beat out a tune on the keys. (E)
(a) She cannot sing and she cannot
(b) play the piano, yet, as some
(c) she could learn mechanically to
(d) beat out a tune on the keys
(e) No error

Q14. He inquired me (A)/ that why I was (B)/ not going (C)/ to see myself (D)/ to the doctor. (E)
(a) He inquired me
(b) that why I was
(c) not going
(d) to see myself
(e) No error

Q15. I guarded both doll as well as cradle (A)/ with the most jealous care; (B)/ but once I discovered (C)/ my little sister sleeping (D)/ peacefully in the cradle. (E)
(a) I guarded both doll as well as cradle
(b) with the most jealous care
(c) but once I discovered
(d) my little sister sleeping
(e) No error

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Solutions

S1. Ans. (c)
Sol. The blank can be filled with the word ‘express’ making the sentence meaningful. In the first sentence, express is used as verb which means convey (a thought or feeling) in words or by gestures and conduct while in the second sentence it is used as an adjective which means express is something that has a specific purpose or something that operates at a faster-than-normal speed. Here, it is describing the quality of the delivery services. Other words are irrelevant here. Hence option (c) is the correct choice.
Portend means be a sign or warning that (something, especially something momentous or calamitous) is likely to happen.
Articulate means having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.
Vague means of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning.
Augur means to foresee or predict.

S2. Ans. (a)
Sol. The word ‘jolly’ is correct here. In the first sentence, Jolly is an adjective that means happy and cheerful whereas in second sentence, jolly is a noun that means a party or celebration. Hence, ‘jolly’ is the only word that can give meaning to the sentence. Hence option (a) proves to be correct.
Gloomy means dark or poorly lit, especially so as to appear depressing or frightening.
Tempt means entice or try to entice (someone) to do something that they find attractive but know to be wrong or unwise.
Contrite means feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong.
Blazing means very hot.

S3. Ans. (e)
Sol. Option (e) ‘forward’ is the right choice here which is making the sentence meaningful and correct.
Forward as used in the first sentence means directed or facing towards the front or the direction that one is facing or travelling whereas in the second sentence, it is an adjective that means in the direction that one is facing or travelling; towards the front. Hence option (e) is the most suitable choice.

S4. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the correct choice. ‘Upstage’ best suits the purpose here as in first sentence it is a verb that means divert attention from (someone) towards oneself whereas in second sentence it is an adverb conveying the meaning as at or towards the back of a theatre stage. All the other options do not fit in the blank hence, option (d) becomes the most suitable answer choice.

S5. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is correct.
In first sentence, plumb behaves as an adverb delivering the meaning as exactly whereas in second sentence, plumb is a verb that means to adjust or test by a plumb line. All the other options are irrelevant.
Hence option (b) is the correct choice.
Cognize means know or become aware of.
Vault means provide (a building or room) with an arched roof or roofs.

S6. Ans. (d)
Sol. The idiom given in bold is incorrect and thus requires a replacement. “hang in there” means to remain persistent and determined in difficult circumstances. Therefore, it should be replaced with option (d) “hit the sack”. “Hit the sack” means to go to bed in order to sleep. All the other idioms fail to make the sentence contextually meaningful.
Cut somebody some slack means to not judge someone as severely as you usually would because they are having problems at the present time
Break a leg is a phrase of encouragement typically said to one who is about to perform before an audience
Cut corners means to do something perfunctorily so as to save time or money.

S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. The idiom given in bold is incorrect and thus requires a replacement. “to get your act together” means to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way. Therefore, it should be replaced with option (b) “to miss the boat”. “To miss the boat” means to lose an opportunity to do something by being slow to act. All the other idioms fail to make the sentence contextually meaningful.
To pull someone’s leg means to tell someone something that is not true as a way of joking with the person.
Under the weather means slightly unwell or in low spirits
On the ball is used to refer the qualities, such as competence, skill, or knowledge, that are necessary for success

S8. Ans. (e)
Sol. The idiom given in bold “to get people bent out of shape” means to take offense; to become angry, agitated, or upset. Thus, it completely provides a coherent meaning to the sentence. Hence, it doesn’t require any replacement making option (e) is the most suitable answer choice.
So far so good means progress has been satisfactory up to now.
Cut the mustard means come up to expectations; reach the required standard.
To get your act together means to start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way.
To make matters worse means with the result that a bad situation is made worse.

S9. Ans. (a)
Sol. The idiom given in bold is incorrect and thus requires a replacement. “to cost an arm and a leg” means to be extremely expensive. Therefore, it should be replaced with option (a) “to bite the bullet”. “To bite the bullet” means to decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or hesitating over. All the other idioms fail to make the sentence contextually meaningful.
To get out of hand means to become difficult to control.
To call it a day means to stop what you are doing because you do not want to do any more or think you have done enough.
To break the ice means to do or say something to relieve tension or get conversation going in a strained situation or when strangers meet.

S10. Ans. (c)
Sol. The idiom given in bold is incorrect and thus requires a replacement. “burn bridges” means to destroy one’s path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc., particularly intentionally. Therefore, it should be replaced with option (c) “let the cat out of the bag”. “To let the cat out of the bag” means to allow a secret to be known, usually without intending to. All the other idioms fail to make the sentence contextually meaningful.
Barking up the wrong tree means to suggest a mistaken emphasis in a specific context.
Live and learn means learn from experience and from your mistakes.
The whole nine yards means everything possible or available.

S11. Ans. (c)
Sol. Clause (C) is incorrect in the sentence.
‘when’ should be replaced by ‘than’ as syntax of the sentence starting with ‘No sooner’ is ‘No sooner …. than’ whereas in sentence starting with ‘hardly/ scarcely’ is ‘hardly/ scarcely… when/ before’.
Ex. (i) No sooner had I eaten the fish than I started feeling sick.
(ii) Hardly/ Scarcely had he left for Chennai when his father died.
Hence option (c) is the correct choice.

S12. Ans. (a)
Sol. Clause (A) has error in it. The usage of ‘if’ is incorrect. ‘if’ should be replaced by ‘whether’ as ‘or’ is used in the part (D) of the sentence.
‘whether… or’ is used in the sentence to introduce alternative possibilities.
Hence option (a) is the correct choice.

S13. Ans. (b)
Sol. Clause (B) has error in it. The use of ‘yet’ is incorrect here.
‘although’ will be used in place of ‘yet’.
‘Although or though’ is a conjunction that means ‘in spite of the fact that’ and is used to tell the condition whereas we use ‘yet’ in a negative or interrogative clause, usually with perfective aspect, to show that something has not happened by a particular time.
Here, in the sentence, the condition is she could learn mechanically. Hence ‘although’ will be used.
Hence option (b) is the correct choice.

S14. Ans. (b)
Sol. Here the error is in part (b) of the sentence.
The use of ‘that’ is superfluous as in indirect narration, conjunction is not used before ‘Wh- question’.
Ex. He asked me why I was late.
Hence option (b) is the correct choice.

S15. Ans. (a)
Sol. Clause (A) of the sentence is incorrect.
‘and’ will be used in place of ‘as well as’ as conjunction ‘and’ is used after ‘both’.
Ex. Both Sarah and Tammy were watching her.
Hence option (a) is the correct option.