FAST Verbal Proficiency 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses the word 'AFFECT' correctly?
- The new policy will effect many employees.
- Cold weather can affect crop yields. (Correct answer)
- She tried to effect her sadness during the meeting.
- The affect of the medicine was immediate.
Correct answer: Cold weather can affect crop yields.
Affect is a verb meaning to influence or have an impact on something, correctly used in option B.
Question 2: What is the best meaning of the idiom 'burn the midnight oil'?
- Start a fire late at night
- Work or study late into the night (Correct answer)
- Waste valuable resources
- Move quickly to finish a task
Correct answer: Work or study late into the night
To burn the midnight oil means to work or study late into the night, historically referring to using oil lamps after dark.
Question 3: Choose the word that means 'excessively eager to please others':
- Insolent
- Obsequious (Correct answer)
- Tenacious
- Indifferent
Correct answer: Obsequious
Obsequious describes someone who is excessively eager to serve or please others, often in a fawning manner.
Question 4: Which option correctly identifies the grammatical error? 'Me and my colleague presented the report to the board.'
- 'colleague' should be 'coworker'
- 'Me' should be 'I' (Correct answer)
- 'board' should be 'bored'
- No error exists in the sentence
Correct answer: 'Me' should be 'I'
When used as a subject of a sentence, 'I' is correct; 'Me' is an object pronoun and should not start a subject phrase.
Question 5: Select the correct meaning of the prefix 'ANTE-' as in 'antechamber' or 'antedate'.
- Against or opposing
- After or following
- Before or preceding (Correct answer)
- Around or surrounding
Correct answer: Before or preceding
The prefix ante- means before or preceding in time or position, as in antechamber (a room before another) or antedate (to date before).
Question 6: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a semicolon?
- She studied hard; and passed the exam.
- He was tired; but he kept working.
- The rain stopped; the sun came out. (Correct answer)
- I bought apples; oranges, and bananas.
Correct answer: The rain stopped; the sun came out.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a conjunction, as in 'The rain stopped; the sun came out.'
Question 7: What does the word 'MITIGATE' mean?
- To intensify or worsen
- To lessen the severity or impact of something (Correct answer)
- To transfer responsibility to another
- To analyze something carefully
Correct answer: To lessen the severity or impact of something
Mitigate means to make something less severe, serious, or painful, often used in the context of risk or consequences.
FAST Verbal Proficiency 3
Which sentence uses the word 'AFFECT' correctly?