English Language

Writing and Communication Skills

1,426 Questions

This hub tests writing techniques, essay structuring, and effective communication skills. It includes practical exercises on vocabulary replacement, drafting passages, and formatting reports. These English language questions appear in most competitive exams.

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Writing and Communication Skills Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, four statements are provided between an opening statement 1 and a closing statement 6. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

(1) A great deal about your personality can be read from your handwriting. (A) Each person’s handwriting contains characteristic strokes. (B) Graphologists consider handwriting a kind of brain writing. (C) They reveal the personality traits of the writer. (D) That is, a direct expression of mental impulses transmitted through a writer's hand. (6) Graphology has yet to prove its scientific validity.

  1. BCAD

  2. BDAC

  3. CBAD

  4. CBDA
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

0 “That is, a direct expression” in D connects with "brain writing" in B. “They reveal” in C refers to “characteristic strokes’ in B. This gives us the BDAC link.

Multiple choice

Directions: Four statements are provided between an opening statement 1 and a closing statement 6. The four statements are jumbled up and form a coherent paragraph when properly arranged. Select the alternative representing the proper and logical sequencing of these six taken together.

  1. A great deal about your personality can be read from your handwriting. A. Each persons handwriting contains characteristic strokes. B. Graphologists consider hand writing a kind of brain writing. C. They reveal the personality traits of the writer. D. That is, a direct expression of mental impulses transmitted through a writer's hand.
  2. Graphology has yet to prove its scientific validity.

  1. BCAD

  2. BDAC

  3. CBAD

  4. CBDA
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The best link here is BD as D explains us what is given in statement B i.e. how handwriting is a brain writing. Taking this into consideration, we have only two choices (2) and (4). But when see the statement 1, we find out that B is better connected with it as statement C refers to something as they which has to be introduced before referring to it. So, C can't be the statement after 1. Hence, answer is (2).

Multiple choice

Which of these is not a property of an effective question?

  1. It should be brief but clear.

  2. It should be relevant to the content.

  3. It should be ambiguous.

  4. It should encourage thinking.

  5. It should develop reasoning power.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A good question should be unambiguous and should not be needlessly lengthy.

Multiple choice

Which of the following, as per the author, is the so called compensation for all the disadvantages one faces in written communication?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the given question.

Learning to speak one's language comes naturally to human beings; we learn it without formal instructions. But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately. Indeed, many of the problems that arise in learning to write are simply problems of finding the proper written equivalent for the various features of speech.
The spelling of our words is a clumsy attempt to repro­duce the sound of our voices. The punctuation of our sen­tences and the setting of paragraphs are designed to give some approximation of the pauses and intonation we use automati­cally to give shape and point to our speaking.
The writer of English (or any other language) loses a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice the minute he decides to write something rather than say it aloud. He loses the immediacy of direct contact with his audi­ence. If there were no compensation at all for all these disad­vantages, then communicating with other people through the medium of squiggles on paper would be as unsatisfactory as trying to wash your feet with your socks on,
Writing takes more effort than speech, but the effort we make simply to transfer our words to paper can also lead us to compose things that are worth the effort. The unusual energy that goes into achievement in any art or sport can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities. Three hundred and fifty years ago, a clever man pointed out that practice in speaking makes a man ‘ready' or quick in his response. While practice in writing makes a man ‘exact’ and helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts.

  1. The extra efforts required in writing

  2. The unusual amount of energy that goes into writing

  3. The possibility of becoming perfect

  4. The ability to generate quick response
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states that the effort required for writing 'can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities.' This ability to achieve perfection through deliberate effort is presented as the compensation for losing gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and immediacy when communicating through writing instead of speech. Option A describes the effort itself, not the compensation. Option B describes the energy required, but not its benefit. Option D refers to speaking, not writing.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not a disadvantage that we face in written communication?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the given question.

Learning to speak one's language comes naturally to human beings; we learn it without formal instructions. But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately. Indeed, many of the problems that arise in learning to write are simply problems of finding the proper written equivalent for the various features of speech.
The spelling of our words is a clumsy attempt to repro­duce the sound of our voices. The punctuation of our sen­tences and the setting of paragraphs are designed to give some approximation of the pauses and intonation we use automati­cally to give shape and point to our speaking.
The writer of English (or any other language) loses a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice the minute he decides to write something rather than say it aloud. He loses the immediacy of direct contact with his audi­ence. If there were no compensation at all for all these disad­vantages, then communicating with other people through the medium of squiggles on paper would be as unsatisfactory as trying to wash your feet with your socks on,
Writing takes more effort than speech, but the effort we make simply to transfer our words to paper can also lead us to compose things that are worth the effort. The unusual energy that goes into achievement in any art or sport can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities. Three hundred and fifty years ago, a clever man pointed out that practice in speaking makes a man ‘ready' or quick in his response. While practice in writing makes a man ‘exact’ and helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts.

  1. Inability to use gestures

  2. Inability to use the advantage of facial expressions

  3. Lack of direct contact with the audience

  4. Formal training and practice
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage lists the disadvantages of written communication: losing 'a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice' and 'the immediacy of direct contact with his audience.' Options A, B, and C all represent these disadvantages. Option D, 'Formal training and practice,' is not described as a disadvantage - rather, it's presented as a necessary requirement because writing is 'an unnatural activity' that 'must be taught formally and studied deliberately.'

Multiple choice

According to the author, writing is an unnatural activity because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the given question.

Learning to speak one's language comes naturally to human beings; we learn it without formal instructions. But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately. Indeed, many of the problems that arise in learning to write are simply problems of finding the proper written equivalent for the various features of speech.
The spelling of our words is a clumsy attempt to repro­duce the sound of our voices. The punctuation of our sen­tences and the setting of paragraphs are designed to give some approximation of the pauses and intonation we use automati­cally to give shape and point to our speaking.
The writer of English (or any other language) loses a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice the minute he decides to write something rather than say it aloud. He loses the immediacy of direct contact with his audi­ence. If there were no compensation at all for all these disad­vantages, then communicating with other people through the medium of squiggles on paper would be as unsatisfactory as trying to wash your feet with your socks on,
Writing takes more effort than speech, but the effort we make simply to transfer our words to paper can also lead us to compose things that are worth the effort. The unusual energy that goes into achievement in any art or sport can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities. Three hundred and fifty years ago, a clever man pointed out that practice in speaking makes a man ‘ready' or quick in his response. While practice in writing makes a man ‘exact’ and helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts.

  1. the spelling of different words is difficult to memorize

  2. it does not require any special effort to master it

  3. it does not come naturally to a person

  4. it is slightly different from speaking
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The passage explicitly states in the first paragraph: 'But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately.' This directly supports option C. Option A discusses spelling difficulty but doesn't address why writing is unnatural. Option B is incorrect - the passage says writing requires special effort. Option D understates the difference - the passage emphasizes a fundamental distinction between natural speech and unnatural writing.

Multiple choice

According to the author, practice in writing has an edge over practice in speaking because

Directions: Read the passage and answer the given question.

Learning to speak one's language comes naturally to human beings; we learn it without formal instructions. But writing is an unnatural activity; it must be taught formally and studied deliberately. Indeed, many of the problems that arise in learning to write are simply problems of finding the proper written equivalent for the various features of speech.
The spelling of our words is a clumsy attempt to repro­duce the sound of our voices. The punctuation of our sen­tences and the setting of paragraphs are designed to give some approximation of the pauses and intonation we use automati­cally to give shape and point to our speaking.
The writer of English (or any other language) loses a whole world of gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice the minute he decides to write something rather than say it aloud. He loses the immediacy of direct contact with his audi­ence. If there were no compensation at all for all these disad­vantages, then communicating with other people through the medium of squiggles on paper would be as unsatisfactory as trying to wash your feet with your socks on,
Writing takes more effort than speech, but the effort we make simply to transfer our words to paper can also lead us to compose things that are worth the effort. The unusual energy that goes into achievement in any art or sport can and should function finally to help the individual increase his own powers and perfect his abilities. Three hundred and fifty years ago, a clever man pointed out that practice in speaking makes a man ‘ready' or quick in his response. While practice in writing makes a man ‘exact’ and helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts.

  1. it requires less time

  2. it makes an individual polished and perfect

  3. clever men always believe so

  4. it requires more energy to perfect this art
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states that practice in writing 'makes a man exact and helps him to polish and perfect his thoughts,' which directly supports option B. This 'exactness' and the ability to polish thoughts is the edge over speaking, which only makes a man 'ready or quick in his response.' Option A is not supported. Option C is not the author's reasoning. Option D describes a requirement, not an advantage.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the given text carefully and fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option that would complete the text:

That traditional forms of media, despite considerable difference in the quality of writing, tend to report on a range of issues ________________ by the demands of the readership should ________________ those who believe that the demise of each media outlet signals a lamentable reduction in the scope of news reported.

  1. sensationalised, rile up

  2. sensationalised, reassure

  3. circumscribed, discourage

  4. circumscribed, reassure

  5. unbounded, rile up
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct. The variety of items reported is circumscribed on account of the general demands of the readership. Also, the clues lead us to the conclusion that the readership needs reassurance.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could be deleted without damaging the flow of the paragraph?

Directions for questions:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) A lion becomes a man eater by force of circumstances, by chance. (2) He does not naturally eat human beings any more than he does dogs and hyenas. (3) It is, so to say, an acquired taste. (4) He has a natural fear of and he dislikes human odor, which no doubt fills him with disgust. (5) But once he has overcome it and finds how easy it is to kill this feared object, he takes to man eating like a duck to water. (6) An old lion having once made the discovery is able to sustain existence and flourish in a way he could by no other means accomplish. (7) Lions of all ages which have got into trouble with porcupines are exceptionally dangerous. (8) The broken ends of the needle like quills work into the pads and other parts of the body, causing festering sores, pulling the animal over in condition and rendering him helpless for catching his natural and wary prey. (9) The same conditions result from a reverse fight with one of his or her own kind or from a hunting accident, when some horned victim has managed to inflict a crippling stab. (10) The lion or lioness so injured, wanders about, picking up the remains of what others leave. (11) One day, hanging about a village the starving beast encounters a child or woman, who perhaps runs away. (12) Thus encouraged, it makes a rush, which though it would be hopeless against an able bodied animal is sufficient to secure this kind of victim. (13) That is the beginning.

  1. Sentence 3

  2. Sentence 4

  3. Sentence 5

  4. Sentence 6

  5. Sentence 8
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

If we remove sentence 3, flow of the paragraph will not be affected (2 and 4 link up easily). But if we remove any of the other sentences, the flow is distributed.

Multiple choice

Which of the following sentences would be the most appropriate to succeed sentence 10 and conclude the essay?

Directions for questions:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) A lion becomes a man eater by force of circumstances, by chance. (2) He does not naturally eat human beings any more than he does dogs and hyenas. (3) It is, so to say, an acquired taste. (4) He has a natural fear of and he dislikes human odor, which no doubt fills him with disgust. (5) But once he has overcome it and finds how easy it is to kill this feared object, he takes to man eating like a duck to water. (6) An old lion having once made the discovery is able to sustain existence and flourish in a way he could by no other means accomplish. (7) Lions of all ages which have got into trouble with porcupines are exceptionally dangerous. (8) The broken ends of the needle like quills work into the pads and other parts of the body, causing festering sores, pulling the animal over in condition and rendering him helpless for catching his natural and wary prey. (9) The same conditions result from a reverse fight with one of his or her own kind or from a hunting accident, when some horned victim has managed to inflict a crippling stab. (10) The lion or lioness so injured, wanders about, picking up the remains of what others leave. (11) One day, hanging about a village the starving beast encounters a child or woman, who perhaps runs away. (12) Thus encouraged, it makes a rush, which though it would be hopeless against an able bodied animal is sufficient to secure this kind of victim. (13) That is the beginning.

  1. Literally now the lion has blood on its paws.

  2. Next time if hunger overcomes the animal again, it will repeat the same and specializes in human quarry until it is killed.

  3. And it won't have any end.

  4. And thus the lion becomes the man eater, actively sought out to be eliminated by the very victims it sought to target.

  5. The same thing now becomes repetitive and happens again and again.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(2) provides a logical ending to the essay. (4) becomes less suitable because the very victims (easy prey in the form of women and children) will not target it.

Multiple choice

Which of the following best improves sentence 5?

Direction:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) The great advantage of early rising is the head start it gives us in our day’s work. (2) The early riser has done a large amount of hard work before other men even get out of bed.  (3) In the early morning, the mind is fresh, and there are few sounds or other distractions, so work done at that time is generally well done. (4) In many cases the early riser also finds time to take some exercise in the fresh morning air, and this exercise supplies him with a fund of energy that will last until the evening. (5) By beginning so early, he knows that he has plenty of time to thoroughly do all the work he can be expected to do and is not tempted to hurry over any part of it. (6) All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. (7) After a sound night’s rest he rises early next morning in good health and spirits for the labors of a new day. (8) He gets to sleep several hours before midnight at the time when sleep is most refreshing.

(9) It is very plain that such a life as his is far more conducive to health than that of the man who shortens his waking hours by rising late. (10) Who lies in bed late, if he wishes to do a full day’s work, goes on working to a corresponding late hour and denies himself the hour or two of evening exercise that he ought to take for the benefit of his health.

  1. Change 'plenty' to 'lot'.

  2. Insert 'in the morning' after 'early'.

  3. Change the place of 'thoroughly'.

  4. Insert 'he' after 'and'.

  5. Make no change.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The adverb 'thoroughly' should be placed after the verb clause 'do all the work'.

Multiple choice

Which of the following best improves sentence 10?

Direction:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) The great advantage of early rising is the head start it gives us in our day’s work. (2) The early riser has done a large amount of hard work before other men even get out of bed.  (3) In the early morning, the mind is fresh, and there are few sounds or other distractions, so work done at that time is generally well done. (4) In many cases the early riser also finds time to take some exercise in the fresh morning air, and this exercise supplies him with a fund of energy that will last until the evening. (5) By beginning so early, he knows that he has plenty of time to thoroughly do all the work he can be expected to do and is not tempted to hurry over any part of it. (6) All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. (7) After a sound night’s rest he rises early next morning in good health and spirits for the labors of a new day. (8) He gets to sleep several hours before midnight at the time when sleep is most refreshing.

(9) It is very plain that such a life as his is far more conducive to health than that of the man who shortens his waking hours by rising late. (10) Who lies in bed late, if he wishes to do a full day’s work, goes on working to a corresponding late hour and denies himself the hour or two of evening exercise that he ought to take for the benefit of his health.

  1. Insert pronoun 'he' before goes.

  2. Change 'bed' to 'bad'.

  3. No change required.

  4. Add 'one' at the beginning of the sentence.

  5. Insert 'the person' before the relative pronoun 'who'.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

'Who lies in bed late' does not make the principal clause.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the best revision of the underlined part of sentence 6 reproduced below? All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed.

Direction:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) The great advantage of early rising is the head start it gives us in our day’s work. (2) The early riser has done a large amount of hard work before other men even get out of bed.  (3) In the early morning, the mind is fresh, and there are few sounds or other distractions, so work done at that time is generally well done. (4) In many cases the early riser also finds time to take some exercise in the fresh morning air, and this exercise supplies him with a fund of energy that will last until the evening. (5) By beginning so early, he knows that he has plenty of time to thoroughly do all the work he can be expected to do and is not tempted to hurry over any part of it. (6) All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. (7) After a sound night’s rest he rises early next morning in good health and spirits for the labors of a new day. (8) He gets to sleep several hours before midnight at the time when sleep is most refreshing.

(9) It is very plain that such a life as his is far more conducive to health than that of the man who shortens his waking hours by rising late. (10) Who lies in bed late, if he wishes to do a full day’s work, goes on working to a corresponding late hour and denies himself the hour or two of evening exercise that he ought to take for the benefit of his health.

  1. After finishing all his work done in good time

  2. All his work having been finished in good time

  3. All his works are being finished in good time

  4. All his work finishing in good time

  5. All his work being finished in time

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The phrase indicates that the work has been completed.

Multiple choice

Which of the following, if placed after sentence 10, would be the most effective concluding sentence for the essay?

Direction:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) The great advantage of early rising is the head start it gives us in our day’s work. (2) The early riser has done a large amount of hard work before other men even get out of bed.  (3) In the early morning, the mind is fresh, and there are few sounds or other distractions, so work done at that time is generally well done. (4) In many cases the early riser also finds time to take some exercise in the fresh morning air, and this exercise supplies him with a fund of energy that will last until the evening. (5) By beginning so early, he knows that he has plenty of time to thoroughly do all the work he can be expected to do and is not tempted to hurry over any part of it. (6) All his work being finished in good time, he has a long interval of rest in the evening before the timely hour when he goes to bed. (7) After a sound night’s rest he rises early next morning in good health and spirits for the labors of a new day. (8) He gets to sleep several hours before midnight at the time when sleep is most refreshing.

(9) It is very plain that such a life as his is far more conducive to health than that of the man who shortens his waking hours by rising late. (10) Who lies in bed late, if he wishes to do a full day’s work, goes on working to a corresponding late hour and denies himself the hour or two of evening exercise that he ought to take for the benefit of his health.

  1. Thus he misses out on the exercise both in the morning and the evening.

  2. After finishing the work nicely he goes to sleep in the night when sleep is needed most.

  3. But in spite of all his efforts, he will probably not produce as good results as the early riser.

  4. He always has to rush the work.

  5. Very late in the night is he ready for sleep.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence has to be about a person who wakes up late in the morning. Such a person has to keep awake late into the night to finish his work, but the quality of work may still suffer.

Multiple choice

Which of the following best improves sentence 1?

Directions for questions:
The following passage is an early draft of an essay. Some parts of the passage need to be rewritten.
Read the passage and select the best answers for the questions that follow. Some questions are about particular sentences or parts of sentences and ask you to improve sentence structure or word choice. Other questions ask to consider organization and development. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(1) A lion becomes a man eater by force of circumstances, by chance. (2) He does not naturally eat human beings any more than he does dogs and hyenas. (3) It is, so to say, an acquired taste. (4) He has a natural fear of and he dislikes human odor, which no doubt fills him with disgust. (5) But once he has overcome it and finds how easy it is to kill this feared object, he takes to man eating like a duck to water. (6) An old lion having once made the discovery is able to sustain existence and flourish in a way he could by no other means accomplish. (7) Lions of all ages which have got into trouble with porcupines are exceptionally dangerous. (8) The broken ends of the needle like quills work into the pads and other parts of the body, causing festering sores, pulling the animal over in condition and rendering him helpless for catching his natural and wary prey. (9) The same conditions result from a reverse fight with one of his or her own kind or from a hunting accident, when some horned victim has managed to inflict a crippling stab. (10) The lion or lioness so injured, wanders about, picking up the remains of what others leave. (11) One day, hanging about a village the starving beast encounters a child or woman, who perhaps runs away. (12) Thus encouraged, it makes a rush, which though it would be hopeless against an able bodied animal is sufficient to secure this kind of victim. (13) That is the beginning.

  1. Insert 'not' before 'by chance'.

  2. Join 'man' and 'eater' to make one word.

  3. Delete the part after 'circumstances'.

  4. Change 'A lion' to 'The lion'.

  5. No change needed.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'By chance' does not add anything to 'by force of circumstances'.