Mettl Verbal Ability Comprehension 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Choose the correctly punctuated sentence:
- Its a good idea to proofread your work.
- It's a good idea to proofread your work. (Correct answer)
- Its' a good idea to proofread your work.
- It's a good idea to proofread you're work.
Correct answer: It's a good idea to proofread your work.
'It's' is the contraction of 'it is,' which is what the sentence requires; 'its' is the possessive form.
Question 2: Passage: 'Despite her ostensibly calm exterior, her fidgeting hands betrayed her anxiety.' What does 'ostensibly' mean here?
- Genuinely
- Outwardly or apparently (Correct answer)
- Completely
- Nervously
Correct answer: Outwardly or apparently
'Ostensibly' means outwardly appearing to be a certain way, though the reality may differ.
Question 3: Which word correctly fills the blank? 'The attorney argued that the evidence was ______ to the charges and should be excluded.'
- Relevant
- Irrelevant (Correct answer)
- Substantial
- Conclusive
Correct answer: Irrelevant
If the attorney wants evidence excluded, it must be 'irrelevant' — not related to the charges.
Question 4: Select the sentence that is free of redundancy:
- Please revert back to the original version.
- The new innovation changed the industry.
- She gave a brief summary of the report. (Correct answer)
- They collaborated together on the project.
Correct answer: She gave a brief summary of the report.
'Brief summary' is not redundant; 'revert back,' 'new innovation,' and 'collaborated together' all repeat meaning unnecessarily.
Question 5: Passage: 'The author's prose was sparse yet evocative, painting vivid images with minimal words.' What does 'sparse' suggest about the writing style?
- It used complex, elaborate sentences.
- It relied on very few but carefully chosen words. (Correct answer)
- It was difficult to understand.
- It contained many grammatical errors.
Correct answer: It relied on very few but carefully chosen words.
'Sparse' means minimal or limited, indicating the author used very few words intentionally.
Question 6: Identify the correct use of 'fewer' vs. 'less':
- There is less employees in the office today.
- I have fewer money than I expected.
- We need fewer resources than originally planned. (Correct answer)
- She has less meetings on Fridays.
Correct answer: We need fewer resources than originally planned.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns like 'resources,' while 'less' is used with uncountable quantities.
Question 7: Passage: 'The company's meteoric rise was matched only by its spectacular collapse.' What literary device is used in this sentence?
- Simile
- Hyperbole
- Antithesis (Correct answer)
- Personification
Correct answer: Antithesis
Antithesis places contrasting ideas ('rise' vs. 'collapse') side by side for rhetorical effect.
Mettl Verbal Ability Comprehension 4
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence: