NDA / CDS / AFCAT - MCQ Practice Questions

Understanding:

We need to select the correct preposition to use with the verb 'commended'.

Step 1: Identify the correct preposition for 'commended'

The verb 'commend' follows the pattern 'commend someone/something FOR something'. This is a fixed prepositional usage in standard English.

Step 2: Test each option

Step 3: Confirm with similar verbs

Verbs like 'praised for', 'rewarded for', 'recognised for', and 'commended for' all take the preposition 'for' to introduce the reason or cause of the commendation.

Answer:

The correct preposition is 'for' — 'The regiment was commended for its exceptional performance during the exercise.'

Quick Tip:

Fixed preposition pairs tested frequently in NDA/CDS: commended for, guilty of, differ from, interfere with, conform to, abide by — build a list and revise regularly.

Understanding:

We need to identify the grammatically incorrect part of the sentence, which involves a conditional structure.

Step 1: Identify the type of conditional

The sentence is a Third Conditional (past unreal conditional), used to describe a hypothetical situation in the past and its imagined result.

Step 2: Apply the rule for Third Conditional

Structure: If + Past Perfect ... , would + have + past participle.

Step 3: Identify the error

Part A says 'If I would have known' — using 'would have' in the 'if clause' is a grammatical error. The correct form is 'If I had known'.

Answer:

The error is in Part A. 'If I would have known' should be 'If I had known', as the Third Conditional requires Past Perfect in the 'if clause'.

Quick Tip:

'Would' is NEVER used in the 'if clause' of a conditional sentence. This is one of the most frequently tested grammar errors in NDA/CDS English papers.

Understanding:

We need to choose the word that best describes behaviour that earns the highest commendation under enemy fire.

Step 1: Understand the context

Earning the highest commendation requires exceptional positive qualities — bravery, courage, and heroism under fire.

Step 2: Analyse each option

Answer:

The correct word is 'Valorous', as it describes great bravery in battle, which would rightly earn a soldier the highest commendation.

Quick Tip:

'Valorous', 'valiant', 'gallant', and 'intrepid' all describe battlefield bravery — useful vocabulary for defence exam English sections.

Understanding:

We need to find the correct meaning of the idiomatic phrase 'take someone under one's wing'.

Step 1: Trace the origin of the idiom

The phrase originates from the image of a mother bird sheltering her young under her wings for protection and care. Figuratively, it means to take someone under one's protection and provide guidance.

Step 2: Identify the meaning

'To take someone under one's wing' means to guide, support, and protect a less experienced person, helping them develop.

Step 3: Match with the context

A senior officer guiding a new cadet perfectly fits the meaning — mentorship, protection, and training.

Step 4: Eliminate wrong options

Answer:

The phrase 'take under his wing' means to protect and guide the cadet, offering mentorship and support.

Quick Tip:

Several idioms involve birds in English: 'take under one's wing' (protect/guide), 'a bird's eye view' (overview), 'kill two birds with one stone' (achieve two things at once) — all commonly tested in NDA/CDS.

Understanding:

We need to identify the sentence with correct punctuation for a direct speech construction.

Step 1: Rules for punctuating direct speech

Step 2: Evaluate each option

Answer:

The correctly punctuated sentence is Option C: 'The General said, "We will fight until the last man."'

Quick Tip:

In direct speech: reporting verb + comma + open quote + spoken words + full stop + close quote. The full stop always goes inside the closing quotation mark.