Directions (1-10): Look at the bracketed part of each sentence. Below each sentence are given three possible substitutions for the bracketed part. If one of them (a), (b) or (c) is better than the bracketed part, indicate your response on the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter (a), (b) or (c). If none of the substitutions improve the sentence, indicate (d) as your response on the Answer Sheet. Thus a ‘No improvement’ response will be signified by the letter (d).
Q1. Bad habits must be (nipped at the bud)
(a) nipped off the bud
(b) nipped in the bud
(c) nipped on the bud
(d) No Improvement
Q2. (Day before yesterday) I saw her in the market.
(a) Day before the yesterday
(b) The day before yesterday
(c) The day before the yesterday.
(d) No Improvement
Q3. You must (accustom yourself with) new ideas.
(a) accustomed with
(b) accustom to
(c) accustom yourself to
(d) No Improvement
Q4. The roads are wet, it (must had) rained last night.
(a) might had
(b) must have been
(c) must have
(d) No Improvement
Q5. There is a dearth of (woman doctor) in our state. We shall have to recruit some from the other states.
(a) women doctor
(b) woman doctors
(c) women doctors
(d) No Improvement
Q6. The project has been given funding for another year, but it is not (out of the woods) yet.
(a) out of woods
(b) outing of the woods
(c) out of the wood
(d) No Improvement
Q7. Uncle Henry didn’t have much money, but he always seemed to (drop by) without borrowing money from relative.
(a) give in
(b) get by
(c) brush up
(d) No Improvement
Q8. I don’t know when I am going to (get on) writing the thank you cards for my well-wishers.
(a) get around to
(b) go over
(c) come down with
(d) No Improvement
Q9. I (ran over) an old-school friend at the mall.
(a) ran out
(b) ran into
(c) gave out
(d) No Improvement
Q10. The teacher asked them (to stop write) as soon as the peon long the bell.
(a) to be stop writing
(b) to stop writing
(c) to stop written
(d) No improvement
Solutions:
S1. Ans.(b)
Sol. ‘Nip in the bud’ is an idiomatic expression which means halt something at an early stage or thoroughly check something.
Hence option B improves the sentence.
S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. ‘The day before yesterday’ is the correct noun phrase which means two days ago.
Hence option B improves the sentence.
S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘Accustom’ takes preposition ‘to’ with it.
Hence option ‘C’ improves the sentence.
S4. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘Modal + has/have + V₃ (III form) justifies the sentence as the occurred event ended just a while ago.
Hence option ‘C’ improves the sentence.
S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘Woman doctor’ is a compound noun and its plural form should be ‘Women Doctors’.
Hence option ‘C’ improves the sentence.
S6. Ans.(d)
Sol. Be out of the woods (idiom): to no longer be in danger or difficulty.
S7. Ans.(b)
Sol. Drop by: visit without appointment.
Get by: survive.
Give in: To surrender; especially in a fight or argument.
Brush up: To practice and review your knowledge or a skill that you haven’t used in a while.
Hence option B improves the sentence.
S8. Ans.(a)
Sol. Get on (phrasal verb): step onto a vehicle
Get around to (phrasal verb): finally find time to do
Go over (phrasal verb): review
Come down with (phrasal verb): fall sick
Hence option A improves the sentence.
S9. Ans.(b)
Sol. Run over (phrasal verb): drive a vehicle over a person/thing.
Run out (phrasal verb): have none left
Run into (phrasal verb): meet unexpectedly
Give out (phrasal verb): give to many people at no cost.
Hence option B improves the sentence.
S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. Use ‘to stop writing’ in place of to ‘stop write’. The verb ‘Stop’ takes gerund form of verb i.e. V1 + ing.
