1. Select the synonym of "ABANDON":
Abandon means to leave completely or give up. "Forsake" is the closest synonym frequently used in CSS and PPSC exams.
2. He is blind _______ one eye.
When referring to physical blindness in one eye, the preposition "of" is traditionally used in competitive exams, though "in" is also common in modern English.
3. Choose the correct spelling:
Occurrence (double 'c', double 'r', and ending in 'ence') is a very common spelling correction question in NTS and FPSC papers.
4. What is the antonym of "ENORMOUS"?
Enormous means very large in size or quantity. Tiny is its direct opposite.
5. Neither the teacher nor the students _______ present.
In "neither-nor" or "either-or" constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. "Students" is plural, so "were" is correct.
6. Meaning of the idiom "A dark horse":
A "dark horse" is a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds.
7. He died _______ cancer.
Rule: One dies "of" a disease (cancer, malaria) but dies "from" a cause like hunger, overwork, or injury.
8. Select the synonym of "DILIGENT":
Diligent means showing care and effort in one's work or duties. "Hardworking" is the most appropriate synonym.
9. You must abstain _______ smoking.
The verb "abstain" is always followed by the fixed preposition "from".
10. Hardly had he reached the station _______ the train left.
The correlative conjunction for "Hardly" and "Scarcely" is "when". "No sooner" takes "than".
11. He is senior _______ me in service.
Adjectives ending in "-ior" (senior, junior, prior, superior, inferior) are followed by "to" instead of "than".
12. Meaning of "To bell the cat":
This idiom comes from a fable where mice decided to put a bell on a cat but no one volunteered to do it. It means to perform a dangerous task.
13. Select the synonym of "EPHEMERAL":
Ephemeral describes something that lasts for a very short time. It is a favorite word in FPSC/CSS vocabulary lists.
14. "A person who hates mankind" is called:
Misanthrope (Mis = hate, Anthropos = mankind). Philanthropist is the opposite (one who loves mankind).
15. Choose the correct spelling:
Accommodate contains double 'c' and double 'm'. It is one of the most frequently misspelled words in competitive exams.
16. The police are looking _______ the matter.
"Look into" is a phrasal verb meaning to investigate.
17. Antonym of "ARROGANT":
Arrogant means having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance. Humble is the opposite.
18. I prefer tea _______ coffee.
The verb "prefer" is followed by the preposition "to" when comparing two nouns.
19. Meaning of the idiom "At daggers drawn":
"At daggers drawn" means to have great enmity or to be on the verge of fighting.
20. A person who writes dictionaries is a:
Lexicographer: writes dictionaries. Cartographer: draws maps. Calligrapher: beautiful handwriting. Bibliophile: book lover.
21. This secret must remain between you and _______.
After a preposition (between), the objective case of the pronoun (me) must be used, not the subjective case (I).
22. Synonym of "Venerate":
Venerate means to regard with great respect; to revere.
23. Work hard lest you _______ fail.
"Lest" is always followed by the auxiliary verb "should". Note: "Lest" itself is negative, so do not use "not" with it.
24. He has been living here _______ 2010.
"Since" is used for a point in time (2010, Monday, morning), while "for" is used for a duration (two years, five hours).
25. Meaning of "Bona fide":
Bona fide is a Latin phrase meaning "genuine" or "in good faith".
26. No sooner did he see the tiger _______ he ran away.
"No sooner" is always followed by "than". This is a high-frequency PPSC grammar question.
27. He is fond _______ music.
The adjective "fond" always takes the preposition "of".
28. Antonym of "Amateur":
An amateur is someone who does something for pleasure rather than as a profession. A professional does it as a job.
29. The meeting was _______ due to heavy rain.
"Call off" is a phrasal verb meaning to cancel.
30. Which is the correct sentence?
The common error is using "cope up with". The correct idiom is simply "cope with".
31. Synonym of "PRAGMATIC":
Pragmatic means dealing with things sensibly and realistically based on practical considerations.
32. He is guilty _______ theft.
The adjective "guilty" is followed by the preposition "of".
33. Meaning of the idiom "To grease the palm":
"To grease the palm" means to give someone money (bribe) to get something done.
34. Choose the correct spelling:
Committee has double 'm', double 't', and double 'e'. It's a classic exam question.
35. Antonym of "OBSCURE":
Obscure means not discovered or unknown. "Clear" or "Famous" are its opposites.
36. This book comprises _______ five chapters.
In the active voice, "comprise" is not followed by "of". However, in passive voice, we say "is comprised of".
37. Meaning of "Status quo":
Status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the current or existing situation/state of affairs.
38. He is incapable _______ doing this work.
The adjective "incapable" is followed by "of" + gerund (verb+ing).
39. Synonym of "GARRULOUS":
Garrulous means excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
40. "A red letter day" means:
A red letter day is an idiom for a day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable.
41. One who knows many languages is called:
A polyglot is a person who knows and is able to use several languages.
42. Use the correct preposition: "I am angry _______ your behavior."
Rule: Angry "with" a person, but angry "at" someone's behavior or a thing.
43. Synonym of "PENSIVE":
Pensive means engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
44. "To turn over a new leaf" means:
This idiom means to start behaving in a better way or to make a fresh start.
45. I have been waiting for you _______ two hours.
"For" is used for a period of time (two hours), whereas "since" is used for a specific point in time.
46. Synonym of "CANDID":
Candid means truthful and straightforward; frank.
47. He is _______ M.A. in English.
The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the vowel sound. "M" is pronounced as "em" (starts with a vowel sound), so "an" is used.
48. Antonym of "VAGUE":
Vague means uncertain or indefinite. Definite or Clear is its opposite.
49. Every one of the boys _______ to ride.
"Every one" is a singular subject, so it takes a singular verb (loves).
50. Meaning of "In black and white":
"In black and white" means in written or printed form, often used in legal or formal contexts.
51. Choose the synonym of "ABANDON":
To abandon means to give up completely. "Forsake" is its closest synonym often used in FPSC papers.
52. Choose the antonym of "ARTIFICIAL":
Artificial means man-made or non-natural. Therefore, "Natural" is the direct opposite.
53. Fill in the blank: He is blind _______ one eye.
When referring to physical sight in a specific eye, the preposition "in" is used. "Blind to" is used for faults.
54. Select the pair that has the same relationship: LIGHT : BLIND :: _______
A blind person lacks light/sight; a dumb person lacks speech. This is a common analogy in NTS/PPSC exams.
55. Choose the correct spelling:
The correct spelling is 'Occasion' (double 'c', single 's'). It is a frequently misspelled word in competitive exams.
56. Meaning of the idiom "To smell a rat":
"To smell a rat" means to suspect that something is wrong or that someone is being dishonest.
57. Synonym of "CANDID":
Candid means truthful and straightforward; frank.
58. Antonym of "ENORMOUS":
Enormous means very large; its opposite is tiny or minute.
59. One who eats everything is called:
Omnivorous describes an animal or person that eats food of both plant and animal origin.
60. Fill in the blank: I am fond _______ music.
The adjective "fond" is always followed by the preposition "of".
61. Synonym of "ADVERSITY":
Adversity refers to a difficult or unpleasant situation; misfortune.
62. Choose the correct spelling:
Committee has double 'm', double 't', and double 'e'. This is a very common PPSC/FPSC question.
63. Antonym of "VAGUE":
Vague means uncertain or indefinite; its opposite is clear or precise.
64. Fill in the blank: He died _______ cancer.
Standard English usage is "died of" a disease. "Died from" is usually used for external causes like injuries.
65. Meaning of the idiom "A bolt from the blue":
An event that is completely unexpected and sudden is called "a bolt from the blue."
66. Synonym of "FRAGILE":
Fragile means easily broken or damaged; brittle.
67. Antonym of "BARREN":
Barren land cannot produce vegetation; fertile land can.
68. Fill in the blank: Hard work is the key _______ success.
"Key to" is a fixed prepositional phrase often tested in NTS and PPSC.
69. Select the pair: ODOMETER : DISTANCE :: _______
An odometer measures distance; a thermometer measures temperature. This is an instrument-measurement analogy.
70. Synonym of "AUGMENT":
To augment means to make something greater by adding to it; increase.
71. Antonym of "ARROGANT":
Arrogant means having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance; humble is the opposite.
72. Fill in the blank: He is senior _______ me.
Words ending in "ior" (senior, junior, prior, superior) take "to" instead of "than".
73. Meaning of "To break the ice":
To break the ice means to do or say something to relieve tension or get a conversation started in a social setting.
74. Synonym of "LETHAL":
Lethal means sufficient to cause death; deadly.
75. Choose the correct spelling:
The verb is "Maintain", but the noun is "Maintenance" (ten, not tain).
76. Antonym of "ZENITH":
Zenith is the highest point; Nadir is the lowest point.
77. Fill in the blank: Hardly had I reached the station _______ the train left.
The pair "Hardly... when" is a standard grammatical structure. "No sooner" takes "than".
78. Meaning of "In a nutshell":
"In a nutshell" means to state something very concisely or briefly.
79. Synonym of "BENEVOLENT":
Benevolent means well-meaning and kindly.
80. Antonym of "PRECISE":
Precise means exact and accurate; vague means indefinite or unclear.
81. One who cannot be corrected is:
Incorrigible refers to a person or their behavior that is not able to be corrected or improved.
82. Fill in the blank: She is good _______ Mathematics.
The correct preposition after "good" (when referring to a skill) is "at".
83. Synonym of "OBSOLETE":
Obsolete means no longer produced or used; out of date.
84. Antonym of "HOSTILE":
Hostile means unfriendly or antagonistic; friendly is its antonym.
85. Select the pair: PAWS : CAT :: _______
Cats have paws; horses have hooves. This relates an animal to its specific foot type.
86. Meaning of "To give someone the cold shoulder":
To give the cold shoulder means to intentionally ignore or treat someone in an unfriendly way.
87. Synonym of "RELINQUISH":
Relinquish means to voluntarily cease to keep or claim; give up or abandon.
88. Antonym of "OPTIMIST":
An optimist looks at the positive side; a pessimist looks at the negative side.
89. Choose the correct spelling:
The correct spelling is Questionnaire (double 'n').
90. Fill in the blank: He is afraid _______ dogs.
The adjective "afraid" is always followed by "of".
91. Synonym of "DILIGENT":
Diligent means having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work; hardworking.
92. Antonym of "SHALLOW":
Shallow refers to little depth; deep refers to great depth.
93. Fill in the blank: I congratulated him _______ his success.
The verb "congratulate" is followed by the preposition "on". This is a very common trap in exams.
94. Meaning of "A piece of cake":
If something is "a piece of cake," it is very easy to accomplish.
95. Synonym of "TRANSIENT":
Transient means lasting only for a short time; temporary.
96. Antonym of "RIGID":
Rigid means stiff or unbending; flexible is the opposite.
97. One who hates mankind is called:
A misanthrope is a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
98. Fill in the blank: If I _______ a bird, I would fly.
In hypothetical (subjunctive) sentences, "were" is used with all subjects (I, he, she, they).
99. Synonym of "ENIGMA":
An enigma is a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.
100. Antonym of "DESPAIR":
Despair means the complete loss or absence of hope; hence hope is the antonym.
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