The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) will conduct the CDS (II) Examination on 19 November 2017. For the benefit of aspirants, we are providing practice questions on sentence improvement. The answers along with explanations will help candidates in achieving good marks in the English Paper.
Directions for the following 10 Questions: Look at the underlined part of each sentence. Below each sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part.
If one of them (a), (b) or (c) is better than the underlined part, indicate that option as your response. If none of the substitutions improve your sentence, indicate (d) as your response. Thus a ‘No Improvement’ response will be signified by the letter (d).
1. There was no rain in our city for the past ten months.
a) has been
b) was
c) had been
d) No Improvement
2. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated into the matter.
a) with the matter
b) at the matter
c) the matter
d) No Improvement
3. Vamshi Krishna and his family have been in New Delhi from 2013.
a) since
b) about
c) on
d) No Improvement
4. I am living in this house since 2016.
a) was living
b) shall live
c) have been living
d) No Improvement
5. If I was you I should offer him a ride.
a) am you
b) were you
c) have been you
d) No Improvement
6. Raju prefers coffee than tea.
a) to
b) as
c) on
d) No Improvement
7. Raju’s family received no messege from him since he have gone to New Delhi.
a) had been gone to New Delhi
b) has gone to New Delhi
c) went to New Delhi
d) No improvement
8. Bananas are usually sold in the dozen.
a) by dozen
b) by the dozen
c) in dozen
d) No Improvement
9. Swathi’s mother died because of heart stroke.
a) due to
b) of
c) by
d) No Improvement
10. I am sure you may be a good singer if you had not wasted your time on trifles.
(a) must be
(b) will be
(c) would have been
(d) No improvement
CDS (II) 2016 Exam: General Knowledge Question Paper
Answers with Explanation
1. (a) has been
Since the given sentence is in the present perfect tense, the option (a) is the right option. The helping verb ‘was’ is used for past tense.
2. (c) the matter
It should be Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated the matter.
3. (a) since
As the year 2013 was mentioned in the sentence, it should be since. Since is used in the sentence when a particular time is mentioned and the mentioned activity is still continuing.
4. (c) have been living
As the sentence is in the present perfect tense, ‘have been living’ is the right option.
5. (b) were you
As per the English Grammer, it should always be ‘If I were you’ is used to indicate hypothetical situation.
6. (a) to
The appropriate preposition in this sentence is ‘to’.
7. (b) has gone to New Delhi
Since, Raju is singular, it should be ‘has gone to New Delhi’.
8. (b) by the dozen
For measuring use “by the”.
9. (b) of
The preposition ‘of’ is sufficient to denote the reason for the death of Swathi’s mother.
10. (c) would have been
It is a conditional sentence. In the ‘if clause’, ‘if had’ is used so in the other it should be ‘would’ have been.
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