General English (Railway Apprentice Exam)

Elocution is the form or ability of delivering a speech. 

Rudimentary means basic or simple.

Something dependent upon someone’s will, without restriction, is arbitrary.

Haggard means having a gaunt, sickly, lean appearance.

Gumption means to have nerve and initiative to achieve something. 

Copious means abundant or large in number. 

Pertinent means something that relates directly or significantly to the matter.

(3) is incorrect as the conjunction ‘but’ is used in a sentence to introduce something that is true in spite of either being or seeming contrary to what has just been said. In this context, this is incorrect as the conjunction ‘and’ should have been used. The conjunction ‘and’ is used to indicate an additional thing, situation or fact. It links words and phrases.

 (b) is incorrect as there is incorrect article usage in this segment. The article ‘the’ is used to indicate a particular or specific noun. In this context, the ‘part’ in a movie has not been mentioned before. Thus, the correct article will be ‘a’.

(1) is incorrect. The conjunction ‘as’ is used to indicate something that happens in spite of a stated fact. This is incorrect in this context. ‘If’ is the correct word in this context, which indicates a condition or qualification. ‘If’ is the condition of failing to pay the installment.

(b) is incorrect because the conjunction ‘unless’ is used to indicate a condition. In this context, the correct subordinating conjunction should be a word that indicates the cause and effect relationship between the clauses. ‘Because’ or ‘since’ will be correct in this context.

(c) is incorrect as ‘stopping’ is in the present participle. The corresponding verb in a sentence cannot end in present participle and should end in past participle. Thus, in this context, the corresponding verb ‘docking’ is incorrect. It should be ‘docked’.

 (c) is incorrect as there is pronoun disagreement in this segment. The subject is ‘government’ which is a singular collective noun. The pronoun ‘their’ is used for plural possessive pronouns. The correct pronoun in this context is ‘its’.

(b) is incorrect. The preposition ‘to’ in this segment is incorrectly used. ‘To’ is a preposition of direction however, in this context, the Government is permitting transfer of land ‘for’ different purposes. The preposition ‘for’ is used to indicate an intention of benefitting someone or something aimed at somebody. Here, it refers to the transfer with the aim of use in industrial, tourism or hydel purposes.

 (c) is incorrect as there is subject verb disagreement in this segment. The subject ‘nothing’ is singular and the verb ‘last’ is incorrect. The third person present for singular is ‘lasts’. Thus, it is nothing
lasts forever.

 (c) is incorrect due to incorrect pronoun usage in this segment. The relative pronoun, ‘who’ is used for individuals. In this context, the noun ‘factors’ does not refer to humans, therefore, the correct
relative pronoun is represented by ‘that’.

The correct comparative degree in this context is ‘younger’, not 'youngest'.

 In this context clout refers to influence, pull or muscle power through political power. Authority implies control, prestige implies fame. A blow by the hand or cuff is also called clout but, in this context the meaning referring to influence.

 The correct synonym in this context is ‘to inflict penalty’. The penalty is the death sentence. An imposition in ‘taking advantage’ is to force (oneself, one's presence, etc) on another or others. Options c
and d are not synonyms of imposed.

 A pivot is a pin point or shaft on which something rests and turns. A cause is a reason or motive for something. An explanation is a clarification. The correct word in this context is basic. This refers to the elementary or fundamental objectives of foreign policy.

 Busy is to be attentively engaged in work. Weary is tired and someone bright and ingenuous isclever. In this context the correct word is constant as something done with constant attention is knownas being diligent. Here it refers to constantly monitoring the given situation.

 To be enchanted by someone is to be captivated by them. Someone that is exalted is held in highesteem or praised. The correct word in this context is to be happy. This refers to being happy about thesaid trip.

 To fade is to lose colour and to taper is to become smaller at one end. The correct word in thiscontext is the withdrawal of flood water.

 The correct word in this context is respected as it refers to commanding respect due to high officeor noble character. Grand refers to impressive in size. Sedate is calm and aged is someone of old age.

 Dejection is a feeling of despondency. An impeachment is the presentation of formal chargesagainst a public official. A trial is held after impeachment. Ejection refers to the act of expulsion. Thecorrect word in this context is the removal of the coach from his position.

The correct answer in this context is a feeling of strong dislike or hatred towards something. Something that is unpleasant to look at is ugly. Innocuous means something that does not cause offence to anyone and attractive means something that has  a pleasant appearance. In the given context, the reference is to an action that does not appeal. Thus, the correct answer is loathsome.

 The correct word in this context is perseverance. The quality of persevering and continuing with thetask of unpacking all these boxes in this case indicates diligence towards the task. Inflexibility is therigidness or being unable to change. Courage is bravery and timidity is its antonym.

Being adept is being competent and proficient at something. 

Infallible means exempt from failure or error. Imperfect may be fallible.

 Being incognito is being hidden. The words anonymously and disguised are synonyms of incognito.The correct answer is openly as this is antonym of incognito. Privately is antonym of publicly or openly.

The idiom ‘to stand up’ means to assert for something. This is the correct answer. The idiom ‘tostand by’ means to wait, ‘stand over’ means to be deferred or postponed. The idiom ‘to stand in’ forsomeone, means to substitute for someone.

 The auxiliary verb ‘shall’ is the correct answer. In the first person shall is used to indicate simplefuturity. It is used before a verb in the infinitive to shoe something that will take place in the future,something that is an order, promise, requirement or an obligation. The auxiliaries ‘could’, ‘might’, and‘ought’ indicate something that can either happen or cannot happen.

 The correct auxiliary verb in this context is ‘do’. Do is used for question or negative in simplepresent tense. Does is used in the third person singular and is thus, incorrect. Did is used in past tense.Have is used with a past participle to form the perfect aspect.

The auxiliary verb 'may' is used to express contingency, purpose or result in clauses.

 Exp: The phrase ‘called back’ means to recall a defective product for repair. This is correct in thiscontext. To call up is to raise a topic for discussion. To call off is to cancel something and to call down isto reprimand someone for a mistake.

 The correct idiom in this context is ‘dragging his heels’ as it means acting slowly or reluctantly.Down at heels is looking poor; cooling his heels is to be forced to wait by someone in authority. Diggingin one’s heels is refusing to change one’s mind or course of action.

 Exp: Should is used to express obligation or condition. Would is used to express an imaginary situation.Might is used in auxiliary function to express permission, liberty, probability, possibility in the past. Thecorrect answer is the auxiliary verb ‘could’ as it indicates ability or permission in the past. ‘Those days’ inthe sentence refer to the past times.

The preposition ‘for’ indicates something that is intended to benefit somebody or something. In this context the tress were cut down so that the road could be widened. Thus, this is the correct answer. ‘To’ indicates the direction of something. ‘In’ indicates the state or condition that someone isexperiencing. ‘About’ indicates a connection with something.

The idiom ‘stand tall’ means to feel pride and confidence in one’s abilities. 

 The phrase ‘carried on’ means managed. This is correct in this context as his wifemanaged his after his death. To carry out is to execute something; to get carried away is tolose control. To carry off is to succeed in something.

Exp: ‘By’ is a preposition of agency or instrumentality. Thus, it is used to indicate a method or amedium. In this context the medium of the broken lock are the robbers. The preposition ‘for’indicates something that is intended to benefit somebody or something. ‘In’ indicates the stateor condition that someone is experiencing. ‘From’ indicates the usage, cause or distance ofsomething.

 The preposition ‘from’ indicates the source or beginning of something in terms of location etc. Inthis context Shiva has returned home from Goa. ‘At’ indicates a general position or location that isoccupied. ‘For’ indicates something that is intended to benefit somebody or something. ‘Towards’, isused to indicate that somebody or something is moving or facing in the direction of somebody orsomething else.

 To dip one’s toe is to slowly start to do something new to see if you like it. Thus, this is the correctoption in this context. To go toe to toe with someone is to be in direct and close confrontation withsomeone. To get a toehold is to find a starting point somewhere. To tread on toes is to offend someone.

 The correct answer in this context is ‘in’. ‘In’ indicates that something happens or issituated somewhere. In this context the cleanest place is inside the house. . ‘At’ indicates ageneral position or location that is occupied. ‘For’ indicates something that is intended tobenefit

The correct answer in this context id ‘on’. The preposition ‘on’ is used to indicate thatsomething is grounds for a statement, way of thinking, or action. Here it indicates that the datais based on empirical evidence. ‘At’ indicates a general position or location that is occupied. ‘In’indicates that something happens or is situated somewhere. ‘Of’ expresses the relationshipbetween a part and a whole.

 In this context the correct answer is ‘at’. The preposition ‘at’ is used to indicate the time or agewhen something happens. Here it indicates the age when my parents introduced me to people ofvarious cultures, i.e. at an early age. ‘In’ indicates that something happens or is situated somewhere.The preposition ‘on’ is used to indicate that something is grounds for a statement, way of thinking, oraction. ‘For’ indicates something that is intended to benefit somebody or something.

 Sol: The correct answer in this context is ‘into’. The preposition ‘into’ indicates entering a state, career,or period of time. In this case it refers to entering my life. Not physically but by becoming a part of it.The preposition ‘from’ is used for stating who gives or sends you something or provides you withsomething, i.e. the source of something. . ‘At’ indicates a general position or location that is occupied.‘In’ indicates that something happens or is situated somewhere. The preposition ‘out’ is incorrect as itrefers to the exit of something from somewhere.

 Exp: In this context the correct answer is ‘in’. The preposition ‘in’ is a preposition of place andindicates that something happens or is situated somewhere. Here the action takes place insidethe court room. The preposition ‘on’ is used to indicate that something is grounds for astatement, way of thinking, or action. Although both above and below are prepositions of placebut are incorrect in this context as the confession takes place inside the courtroom notphysically above or below it.

 The preposition ‘on’ is the correct answer in this context. ‘On’ indicates something that is located ina place or situated close to or alongside a place. Since, a port cannot be inside a river it is located near ariver. Thus, this is correct in this context. ‘In’ indicates inside something. ‘About’ indicates a connectionwith something or regarding something. ‘For’ indicates something that is intended to benefit somebodyor something.

 The correct answer in this context is ‘after’. The preposition ‘after’ indicates something that isin imitation or in the manner of something else. Here it refers to my mannerisms. ‘On’ and ‘into’indicate the location of something. ‘About’ indicates a connection with something or regardingsomething.

An anecdote is a short and amusing story. A memoir is a biography or an account ofhistorical events, especially one written from personal knowledge. A legend is a story aboutsupernatural, mythological, or legendary characters and events. A narrative is the part of aliterary work that is concerned with telling the story.

 A fatalist believes everything is predestined in life. Someone who is unemotional, with endurance and patience is a stoic. Someone who believes in a religion is religious. Someone peaceful and quiet is called calm.

 A person who has odd habits is an eccentric. Anarchist is somebody who believes that governmentsshould be abolished as unnecessary. Crazy is a term for somebody with a psychiatric disorder. A personor a situation that stimulates no interest or enthusiasm is called boring.

 An amateur plays a game for pleasure and not professionally. A recruit is someone who hasenlisted in the army. Somebody who is hoping to achieve distinction or advancement is an aspirant.Somebody being trained by a skilled professional in an art, craft, or trade is an apprentice.

 Exp: A tribute to somebody who has recently died is a eulogy. A debate is an argument or aformal exchange of opinion. A speech at the end of a play is an epilogue. A speech made withoutpreparation is an extempore.

 A bibliophile loves books. A lecturer lectures to teach. A wise person is a savant.Somebody who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about something is an aficionado.

The first sentence of the passage answers this question. Corruption often goes unchallenged whenpeople do not speak out about it.

 The last para of the passage gives this answer. Early disclosure of wrongdoing or the risk ofwrongdoing can protect human rights, help to save lives and preserve the rule of law.

 The first line of the third para gives the answer to this. Whistleblowers are less likely to reportworkplace misconduct when their employers do not provide clear internal reporting channels.

 The second paragraph of the passage answers this question. It says blowing the whistle can carryhigh personal risk and can all deter people from speaking out.