Question 1

Fill in the blank with the best business verb (market share target)  “Colgate has also set an ambitious aim of ______ an 8% value share of the toothpaste market by the end of the first year.”  Choose the verb that completes the goal statement correc…

Accepted Answer

Given data Company aim: reach an 8% value share in a market within a time frame. Concept/ApproachIn marketing, the standard collocation is “capture market share.” Hence, “capturing an 8% value share.” Option analysiscapturing — correct collocation with “market share.”printing/producing/extracting — do not collocate with “market share.” Final Answercapturing

Question 2

Choose the correct prepositional opener expressing cause  “______ a failure of some traffic lights, traffic is moving very slowly.”  Select the best phrase to express the reason.

Accepted Answer

Given data We need a cause phrase before a noun phrase (“a failure of some traffic lights”). Concept/ApproachOwing to (or Due to) + noun phrase expresses reason: “Owing to a failure…, traffic is moving slowly.” Option analysisOwing to — correct causal preposition before a noun phrase.Despite — concessive, not causal.Although — requires a clause, not a noun phrase.Because — takes a clause (“because some lights failed”), not a bare noun phrase. Final AnswerOwing to

Question 3

Fill in the blank with the battlefield result verb  “The battalion operating from the mountain was able to ______ three enemy divisions.”  Choose the verb that best conveys defeating an attacking force.

Accepted Answer

Given data A battalion succeeded against three enemy divisions. Concept/ApproachRepulse means to drive back or defeat an attack — the natural verb for turning away enemy forces. Option analysisrepulse — correct: “repulse enemy divisions.”overrun — means “to invade/control,” opposite direction.ambush — is a tactic (a surprise attack), not necessarily the outcome.stall — only delays; does not imply defeat. Final Answerrepulse

Question 4

Fill in the blank with the correct auxiliary (simple past)  “I purposely ______ meet you during my last visit to Kashmir.”  Choose the word that correctly forms the simple past with the bare infinitive “meet.”

Accepted Answer

Given data Time marker: “during my last visit” → simple past. Structure after auxiliary: bare infinitive “meet.” Concept/ApproachSimple past negative uses “did not / didn’t + verb (bare).” Hence “didn’t meet.” Option analysisdidn’t — correct auxiliary + bare verb.avoided — would require a gerund: “avoided meeting,” not “avoided meet.”refused to / declined to — would need the word “to” already in the sentence; here only one blank is provided. Final Answerdidn’t

Question 5

Choose the correct determiner (countable singular)  “I have read one novel by Premchand. I want to read ______ novel by him.”  Select the determiner that means “one more of the same kind.”

Accepted Answer

Given data Refers to one additional novel by the same author. Concept/ApproachAnother = one more (countable singular). “Other” needs a noun or plural context; “the other” contrasts with two items only. Option analysisanother — correct with singular count noun “novel.”other — would need “other novel(s),” not ideal here.the other — implies only two total.others — plural pronoun, incorrect with singular “novel.” Final Answeranother

Question 6

Fill in the blank with the verb that matches “learn from”  “A man remains narrow-minded, self-complacent, and ignorant unless he visits other people and ______ from them.”  Choose the verb that completes the idea correctly.

Accepted Answer

Given data Purpose of visiting other people: to improve one’s understanding. Concept/ApproachThe natural collocation is “learn from (someone).” Option analysislearns — correct collocation “learns from them.”borrows/copies/steals — wrong meaning for intellectual growth in this context. Final Answerlearns

Question 7

Choose the correct form of “lie/lay” (simple past)  “My father ______ down for a nap.”  Select the correct verb form for a completed action in the past.

Accepted Answer

Given data Completed action: father reclined for a nap. Concept/ApproachLie (recline): present = lie, past = lay, past participle = lain.Lay (put): present = lay, past = laid. Option analysislay — correct past of “lie” (recline): “he lay down.”laid — past of “lay” (put), wrong verb.lies/lying — present forms, wrong tense. Common pitfallsConfusing “lay” (past of lie) with “laid” (past of lay). Final Answerlay

Question 8

Fill in the blank with the correct abstract noun (collocation)  “I think they allow their children too much ______.”  Choose the noun that naturally collocates with “too much.”

Accepted Answer

Given data Parents allow children excessive leeway. Concept/ApproachThe common collocation is “too much freedom.” Other nouns may work in special contexts but are less idiomatic here. Option analysisfreedom — most natural and widely used.liberty — formal; less common with “children” in this sense.latitude — technical/limited register.indulgence — different meaning (parental leniency), but the phrase is less standard than “freedom.” Final Answerfreedom

Question 9

Complete the idiom (keep someone at a distance)  “Once you suspect a person of double-dealing, you ought to keep him at arm’s ______.”  Choose the correct word that completes the idiom.

Accepted Answer

Given data Idiom meaning: keep someone at a safe/hostile distance. Concept/ApproachThe fixed English idiom is “keep (someone) at arm’s length.” Option analysislength — correct set phrase.distance — similar meaning but not the idiom.reach/end — incorrect here. Final Answerlength

Question 10

English grammar (prepositions): choose the correct preposition for an instruction about signing a stamped document  Complete the sentence with the most natural and idiomatic preposition in standard English: "Affix a revenue stamp and put your signat…

Accepted Answer

Given data Sentence prompt: “Affix a revenue stamp and put your signature ______ it.” Task: Select the correct preposition to complete the instruction. Concept/ApproachIn English, the normal collocation is sign on something (e.g., “sign on the line,” “sign on the stamp”). Other prepositions either change the meaning or sound non-idiomatic in this fixed administrative phrase. Step-by-step reasoning• “on it” → means the signature is placed on the surface of the object (the stamp); this matches standard office/legal wording. ✅• “upon it” → archaic/overly formal; sometimes acceptable but not preferred in modern instructions.• “over it” / “across it” → can imply writing across the stamp (sometimes used as a security measure), but the routine, neutral instruction is “on it.” Common pitfalls Choosing “upon” for formality when a clear, modern imperative prefers “on.” Reading “over/across” as mandatory cancellation; the question seeks the default collocation. Final Answeron

Question 11

Prepositional idiom: select the correct preposition after “lesson” in a topic phrase  Complete the grammar-focused sentence with the right preposition: "My first lesson ______ forgiveness came from my mother."  Choose the best option.

Accepted Answer

Given data Phrase: “first lesson ______ forgiveness.” Goal: choose the idiomatic preposition. Concept/ApproachWith the noun lesson, the standard preposition for the subject area is in (e.g., “a lesson in patience,” “a lesson in physics”). Option analysisin — correct, idiomatic: “lesson in forgiveness.” ✅on / about / regarding — sometimes used with talks or articles (“a talk on…”), but lesson in is the fixed collocation. Common pitfalls Transferring the “talk on/about” pattern to “lesson,” which conventionally takes “in.” Final Answerin

Question 12

Vocabulary and collocation: pick the verb that best completes a sentence about agreement forming  Context: Negotiators thought consensus might form on a specific wage issue. Complete the sentence: "At one point, it looked as if an area of agreement …

Accepted Answer

Given data Sentence discusses a possible development of agreement. Blank requires a verb that collocates with “area of agreement.” Concept/ApproachThe standard expression is that consensus or an area of agreement emerges (comes into view). Merge means combine; submerge means go under; surge means rise suddenly—none fit the idiom. Option analysisemerge — correct collocation: “an agreement emerged.” ✅merge — requires two things to combine; not applicable.submerge — opposite direction (go underwater).surge — refers to quantities/energy, not consensus formation. Final Answeremerge

Question 13

Indirect questions (embedded wh-clauses): choose the grammatically correct form  Context: The question is embedded after “Do you know”. Complete the sentence: "Do you know ______?"  Choose the option that forms a correct embedded question.

Accepted Answer

Given data Matrix clause: “Do you know …?” Embedded wh-clause about origin. Concept/ApproachIn indirect (embedded) questions, English uses statement word order (subject + verb), not inversion. Also, preposition “from” naturally follows the verb “comes” in modern usage. Option analysiswhere she comes from — correct: embedded clause with statement order and natural stranded preposition. ✅where does she come from — inversion wrongly retained; this is a direct question form.where from she comes — awkward order; not idiomatic.from where does she come — very formal and uses inversion; acceptable only as a direct question, not as an embedded one. Common pitfalls Keeping auxiliary inversion in embedded questions. Over-formal “from where” when natural speech prefers “where … from.” Final Answerwhere she comes from

Question 14

Vocabulary precision (adjectives): choose the correct word meaning “full of grace”  Complete the sentence with the most appropriate adjective: "God is ______."  Choose the option that conveys “full of grace,” not mere elegance or gratitude.

Accepted Answer

Given data Sentence: “God is ______.” Sense intended: benevolent, merciful, full of grace. Concept/ApproachGracious means kind, merciful, full of grace—used theologically. Graceful describes elegance of movement; grateful means thankful; “greatful” is a misspelling. Option analysisgracious — correct semantic fit. ✅graceful — wrong nuance (physical elegance).grateful — wrong meaning (feeling thanks).greatful — incorrect spelling; not a word. Final Answergracious

Question 15

Word choice (credulity vs. credibility): choose the adjective describing someone who believes too easily  Correct and complete the sentence for natural English: "He is so ______ that he immediately believed my story of ghosts."  Choose the option th…

Accepted Answer

Given data The subject quickly believed a dubious ghost story. Concept/ApproachCredulous describes a person who believes things too readily. Credible describes something (a claim) as believable. Innocent is morally/legally naive; vociferous means loud/vehement. Option analysiscredulous — correct trait of over-readiness to believe. ✅credible — misapplied part of speech/role (quality of the story, not the person).innocent — too general; not specific to gullibility.vociferous — unrelated meaning. Common pitfalls Confusing credulous (person) with credible (claim). Final Answercredulous

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