Competitive English General Competitive English 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Select the correctly written sentence.
- Between you and I, this is wrong.
- Between you and me, this is wrong. (Correct answer)
- Between you and myself, this is wrong.
- Between I and you, this is wrong.
Correct answer: Between you and me, this is wrong.
After a preposition like 'between,' use objective pronouns; 'me' is correct, not 'I' or 'myself.'
Question 2: The word 'PERSPICACIOUS' most nearly means:
- Stubborn
- Shrewd and perceptive (Correct answer)
- Confused
- Overly cautious
Correct answer: Shrewd and perceptive
Perspicacious means having a ready insight into things; having a shrewd, perceptive nature.
Question 3: Identify the rhetorical device used: 'To err is human, to forgive, divine.'
- Anaphora
- Antithesis (Correct answer)
- Oxymoron
- Litotes
Correct answer: Antithesis
Antithesis places contrasting ideas in parallel structures; 'human' and 'divine' are opposites placed in parallel here.
Question 4: Choose the sentence with no grammatical error.
- The data is inconclusive.
- The data are inconclusive. (Correct answer)
- The datas are inconclusive.
- The datas is inconclusive.
Correct answer: The data are inconclusive.
In formal/academic writing, 'data' is the plural of 'datum' and takes a plural verb: 'data are.'
Question 5: Which word best fills the blank? 'The scientist's claim was _____, as it lacked supporting evidence.'
- Tenable
- Credible
- Dubious (Correct answer)
- Conclusive
Correct answer: Dubious
Dubious means not to be relied upon; suspicious, making it the best fit for a claim lacking evidence.
Question 6: Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
- She quickly ran to answer the phone.
- He almost drove his children to school every day. (Correct answer)
- The tired dog slept on the mat.
- They happily accepted the offer.
Correct answer: He almost drove his children to school every day.
'Almost' should modify 'every day,' but its placement next to 'drove' implies he almost drove but didn't; correct version: 'He drove his children to school almost every day.'
Question 7: The Latin phrase 'per se' most nearly means:
- By all means
- In itself / as such (Correct answer)
- For the time being
- In good faith
Correct answer: In itself / as such
'Per se' is a Latin phrase meaning 'by itself' or 'intrinsically,' used to indicate something in its own right.
Competitive English General Competitive English 5
Select the correctly written sentence.