CLAT English Language & Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Select the antonym of 'PELLUCID'.
- Clear
- Transparent
- Opaque (Correct answer)
- Luminous
Correct answer: Opaque
Pellucid means translucently clear; its antonym is opaque, meaning not clear or transparent.
Question 2: Which sentence uses the subjunctive mood correctly?
- If I was the judge, I would dismiss the case.
- If I were the judge, I would dismiss the case. (Correct answer)
- If I am the judge, I would dismiss the case.
- If I had been the judge, I will dismiss the case.
Correct answer: If I were the judge, I would dismiss the case.
The subjunctive mood uses 'were' (not 'was') for hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions introduced by 'if'.
Question 3: Read: 'The statute's language was so prolix that counsel struggled to extract a clear rule.' 'Prolix' means:
- Concise
- Technical
- Excessively long and wordy (Correct answer)
- Ambiguous
Correct answer: Excessively long and wordy
Prolix describes writing or speech that is tediously lengthy and uses far more words than necessary.
Question 4: Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.
- A number of witnesses has testified.
- The number of witnesses have increased.
- A number of witnesses have testified.
- The number of witnesses has increased. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The number of witnesses has increased.
'The number' takes a singular verb ('has'), while 'a number' takes a plural verb ('have').
Question 5: In a comprehension passage, the author uses the phrase 'a Pyrrhic victory'. This most likely means:
- A decisive and overwhelming win
- A victory that comes at too great a cost (Correct answer)
- A victory achieved through deception
- A victory that leads to peace
Correct answer: A victory that comes at too great a cost
A Pyrrhic victory is one that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it equates to defeat.
Question 6: Identify the rhetorical device in: 'Can we truly call ourselves civilized if we deny justice to the vulnerable?'
- Metaphor
- Rhetorical question (Correct answer)
- Alliteration
- Anaphora
Correct answer: Rhetorical question
A rhetorical question is asked to make a point rather than to elicit a literal answer.
Question 7: Choose the correct preposition: 'The defendant was charged ______ fraud.'
- for
- of
- with (Correct answer)
- by
Correct answer: with
In legal English, the correct collocation is 'charged with' an offence.
CLAT English Language & Comprehension 5
Select the antonym of 'PELLUCID'.