GAT Verbal Reasoning — Questions and Answers
Question 1: CANDID is to FRANK as OBSTINATE is to:
- Flexible
- Stubborn (Correct answer)
- Timid
- Generous
Correct answer: Stubborn
Candid and frank are synonyms; obstinate and stubborn are synonyms.
The first pair, candid and frank, share the same meaning of being open and honest. The analogy therefore calls for a synonym of obstinate. Stubborn matches this, while flexible is an antonym and timid and generous are unrelated.
Question 2: Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The committee's report was so ______ that even experts struggled to follow its argument.
- lucid
- convoluted (Correct answer)
- succinct
- transparent
Correct answer: convoluted
Convoluted means overly complex, which fits a report that is hard to follow.
The clause 'even experts struggled to follow' signals that the report was confusing. Convoluted describes writing that is intricate and tangled. The other three options describe clear or concise writing, which would contradict the second half of the sentence.
Question 3: Read the passage: 'Although the museum expanded its opening hours, attendance fell for the third consecutive quarter.' Which statement is best supported by the passage?
- Longer hours caused attendance to fall
- Attendance had been declining before the expansion of hours (Correct answer)
- The museum will soon shorten its hours
- Visitors prefer evening hours
Correct answer: Attendance had been declining before the expansion of hours
Three consecutive quarters of decline means the drop began before the recent change.
The passage states that attendance fell for the third consecutive quarter, meaning the decline spans a period longer than the recent change in hours. This supports the conclusion that attendance was already falling. The passage does not claim the hours caused the decline, nor does it predict future policy or visitor preferences.
Question 4: Which word is closest in meaning to EPHEMERAL?
- Eternal
- Fleeting (Correct answer)
- Sturdy
- Obscure
Correct answer: Fleeting
Ephemeral means lasting for a very short time, the same as fleeting.
Ephemeral derives from a Greek word meaning 'lasting only a day'. Fleeting captures this sense of brevity. Eternal is a direct antonym, while sturdy and obscure describe strength and clarity rather than duration.
Question 5: SYMPHONY is to COMPOSER as NOVEL is to:
- Reader
- Library
- Author (Correct answer)
- Chapter
Correct answer: Author
A composer creates a symphony; an author creates a novel.
The relationship in the first pair is product to creator: a composer writes a symphony. Applying the same relationship, the creator of a novel is an author. A reader consumes the work, a library stores it, and a chapter is part of it.
Question 6: Select the sentence that is grammatically correct.
- Neither the manager nor the employees was informed of the change.
- Neither the manager nor the employees were informed of the change. (Correct answer)
- Neither the manager or the employees were informed of the change.
- Neither the manager nor the employees has been informed of the change.
Correct answer: Neither the manager nor the employees were informed of the change.
With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject, 'employees', which is plural.
In a neither...nor construction, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. Here the nearer subject is the plural 'employees', so the plural verb 'were' is required. Option C incorrectly pairs 'neither' with 'or', and options A and D use singular verbs.
GAT Verbal Reasoning
CANDID is to FRANK as OBSTINATE is to: