Home Subjects SSC CGL / CHSL / MTS English Comprehension

SSC CGL / CHSL / MTS
English Comprehension

Combined Graduate Level — all sections

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Difficulty: All Easy Medium Hard 41–50 of 100
Topics in SSC CGL / CHSL / MTS
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence:
A She asked, 'when will you arrive?'
B She asked, 'When will you arrive?'
C She asked 'when will you arrive?'
D She asked, when will you arrive?
Correct Answer:  B. She asked, 'When will you arrive?'
EXPLANATION

Direct questions within quotation marks should start with a capital letter and end with a question mark inside the quotation marks.

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Select the word that best completes: 'Despite his wealth, he lived a _____ lifestyle.'
A Sumptuous
B Spartan
C Lavish
D Opulent
Correct Answer:  B. Spartan
EXPLANATION

'Spartan' means simple and austere, which contrasts with wealth. The word 'Despite' signals a contrast, making 'spartan' the most appropriate choice.

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In the sentence 'The committee have decided to postpone the meeting', identify the error.
A No error - 'have' is correct for collective nouns in British English
B 'have' should be replaced with 'has' as committee is singular
C 'postpone' should be 'pone'
D 'the' should be removed before 'meeting'
Correct Answer:  A. No error - 'have' is correct for collective nouns in British English
EXPLANATION

In British English, collective nouns can take plural verbs. However, in American English and SSC standard, 'committee' typically takes a singular verb 'has'. But British usage accepts 'have', making this contextually correct.

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Read: 'Contemporary discourse often conflates correlation with causation, a conflation that misleads policymakers and the public alike.' Which logical fallacy is being described?
A Ad hominem
B Hasty generalization
C False cause and effect
D Straw man argument
Correct Answer:  C. False cause and effect
EXPLANATION

The passage describes assuming that correlation (two things occurring together) proves causation (one causes the other). This is the false cause and effect fallacy.

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Choose the option that best paraphrases: 'The government's ambivalent stance on climate policy has left stakeholders in a quandary.'
A The government clearly supports strong climate action, satisfying all stakeholders.
B The government's unclear, mixed position on climate policy has confused interested parties.
C The government opposes all climate initiatives, disappointing environmentalists.
D Stakeholders have independently questioned the government's climate policies.
Correct Answer:  B. The government's unclear, mixed position on climate policy has confused interested parties.
EXPLANATION

'Ambivalent' means having mixed or conflicting feelings. 'Quandary' means confusion. Option B captures both meanings accurately.

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Read: 'The researcher's findings, which contradicted prevailing orthodoxy, were initially met with skepticism by the establishment, though subsequent corroborating studies vindicated her conclusions.' What is the overall tone?
A Pessimistic
B Vindication after initial doubt
C Sarcastic
D Entirely negative
Correct Answer:  B. Vindication after initial doubt
EXPLANATION

The sentence describes initial skepticism ('met with skepticism') followed by validation ('vindicated her conclusions'). The tone traces a journey from doubt to vindication.

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Identify the rhetorical device used: 'The meeting lasted an eternity, though it was only two hours.'
A Metaphor
B Hyperbole
C Oxymoron
D Personification
Correct Answer:  B. Hyperbole
EXPLANATION

Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration. Comparing two hours to 'an eternity' is exaggerated for emphasis and effect.

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Read: 'The confluence of technological innovation, regulatory changes, and shifting consumer preferences has fundamentally altered the landscape of the financial sector.' What does 'confluence' mean here?
A Conflict or disagreement
B Coming together or meeting point
C Sequential occurrence
D Divergence or separation
Correct Answer:  B. Coming together or meeting point
EXPLANATION

'Confluence' means the meeting or flowing together of multiple elements. Here it refers to how multiple factors converge to create change.

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Choose the sentence that correctly uses 'may' vs 'might':
A It may rain tomorrow, so bring an umbrella.
B If you had studied, you might have passed the exam.
C You might to complete this task by noon.
D She may go to the party if invited.
Correct Answer:  B. If you had studied, you might have passed the exam.
EXPLANATION

'Might' is used for hypothetical past situations and is the past form of 'may'. Option B correctly uses 'might' in the third conditional.

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Read: 'The economist argued that rising interest rates would inevitably curtail consumer spending, thereby dampening economic growth.' What is the logical relationship between the clauses?
A Contrast
B Cause and effect
C Temporal sequence
D Conditional probability
Correct Answer:  B. Cause and effect
EXPLANATION

Rising interest rates (cause) leads to curtailed spending (effect), which then dampens growth. This is a clear causal relationship.

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