Mixed English Questions for upcoming Exam — Set 408

Directions(1-6): Given below are three statements, of which some may be incorrect. Identify the correct statement(s).

1. I. The majority of foreign nationals working here have work permits.
   II. The majority of foreign nationals working here has work permits.
   III. A majority of foreign nationals working here has work permits.
   Both I and III
   Only II
   Only I
   Both I and II
   All of these
   Option C
   The sentence II is incorrect.
   After expressions such as ‘one half of’, ‘the majority of’, ‘a part of’, we use a plural verb when the plural noun follows ‘of’. In the given sentence, ‘nationals’ which is plural follows ‘of’. Therefore, ‘has’ must be replaced with ‘have’ to form a grammatically correct sentence.
   This sentence I is grammatically correct.
   In statement III is also incorrect as the verb should agree with the subject which is simply 'foreign nationals'. So, instead of 'has' it should be 'have'.
   Note that 'the majority of 'is a premodifying phrase like some and most. It is neither singular nor plural as It has no number.
   
    



2. I. Mr Prasad along with his assistants are going to attend the seminar.
   II. Mr Prasad along with his assistants is going to attend the seminar.
   III. Mr Prasad and his assistants are going to attend the seminar.
   Only I
   Only II
   Both I and III
   Both II and III
   All of these
   Option D
   I. The sentence is incorrect.
   Words like ‘with’, ‘together with’, ‘along with’, ‘besides’, ‘as well as’, ‘including’, ‘in addition to’, etc. do not affect the number of the verb.
   If the main subject is singular, the verb must be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
   In the given sentence, the main subject is Mr Prasad, which is singular, therefore, the verb must also be singular. Hence, ‘are’ should be replaced with ‘is’ to form a grammatically correct sentence.
   The sentence II is grammatically correct.
   This sentence III is grammatically correct. As the subjects joined by ‘AND’ are usually plural and take plural verbs.
   
    



3. I. Almond milk is low in calories and therefore, it is great for those who want to cut down on their calorie intake and reduce weight.
   II. Owing to its low-calorie content, almond milk is a must in a diet aimed at loosing weight.
   III. Almond milk is great for those who want to cut down on calorie intake and reduce weight, hence it is low in calories.
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and II
   All of these
   Option D
   Sentence III states that almond milk has low calories because it is a part of weight loss diet. Which means the cause and effect have been exchanged making the sentence incorrect. The relation is correctly stated in sentences I & II, almond milk, due to its low-calorie content is a great choice for those who want to lose weight. Hence, the correct answer is D.
   
    



4. I. The origins of Nataraja, and of the Hindu god Shiva himself, lies thousands of years ago.
   II. The origins of Nataraja, and of the Hindu god Shiva himself, lie thousands of years ago.
   III. The origin of Nataraja, and of the Hindu god Shiva himself, lie thousands of years ago.
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and II
   All of these
   Option B
   The subject of the sentence is "origin(s)' of Nataraja" and the corresponding verb is "lie(s)". Both of them should be either in singular or plural. Only sentence II has both of them in plural (origins, lie). Sentence I has the subject in plural (origins) and the verb in singular (lies). Sentence III has the subject in singular (origin) and the verb in plural (lie). This is grammatically incorrect. Hence, the correct answer is B.
   
    



5. I. Most of coral reef animals spend the early part of their lives as tiny larvae floating in the water.
   II. Most coral reef animals spend the earliest part of their lives as tiny larvae floating in the water.
   III. Most coral reef animals spend the early part of their lives as tiny larvae floating in the water.
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and II
   All of these
   Option C
   Whenever we use 'most of', the article 'the' should be paced before the noun that denotes the group (coral reef animals). So, sentence I is wrong.
   Superlative degree is used when we are comparing one to many. In sentence II, there is no comparison being done among the various parts of the lives. We are pointing out one single part of their lives. So, it should be 'early' instead of 'earliest'. Part II is also wrong.
   Part III is correct and requires no changes. Hence, the correct answer is C.
   
    



6. I. The primary catalyst driving nonhuman primate population decline is large-scale habitat loss.
   II. The primary catalyst driving nonhuman primate population declining is large-scale habitat loss.
   III. The primary catalyst that drives nonhuman primate population decline is large-scale habitat loss.
   Only I
   Only II
   Only III
   Both I and III
   All of these
   Option D
   The given sentence in all the three cases are stating the same fact. Simple present tense is usually used for this purpose. So, sentence III is correct.
   If we use continuous tense (driving), then also it would be correct because the process of declining is still continuing. So, sentence I is also correct.
   Sentence II is wrong because "decline" is the name of the process and thus, cannot be a verb in its continuous form. So, sentence II is wrong.
   Hence, the correct answer is D.
   
    


Directions(7-10): In the given question, five words are printed in bold and are numbered A, B, C, D, and E. The positions of some highlighted words may be incorrect and need to be exchanged with another highlighted to make the sentence correct. Find the words that need to be exchanged.


7. The machine(A) was caused by a worker(B) who toxic(C) contaminated the coffee problem(D) by cleaning it with a inadvertently(E) substance.
   B-C
   A-D and C-E
   A-B
   No exchange required
   D-E
   Option B
   
   
    



8. The apparent(A) of the radioactive(B) leakage may not become(C) consequences(D) for a generation(E) or more.
   B-C
   C-D
   A-D
   A-B
   A-B and C-D
   Option C
   
   
    



9. Such premises(A) supervision and reporting(B) can actually reduce(C) client costs and relieve clients of the problems inherent(D) in cleaning any comprehensive.(E)
   A-D and B-C
   C-D
   B-C
   No exchange required
   A-E
   Option E
   
   
    



10. The highly globe(A) phrase quickly infected(B) the international(C) media and spread(D) across the contagious(E) in a matter of days.
    B-C
    C-D
    A-E
    A-D
    A-B and C-D
    Option C
    
    
     

 

Click here for topic wise English Language Questions