A sentence with a blank and four words that all look possible. The right one passes three tests: it has the meaning the sentence needs, it fits the grammar around the blank, and it is the word English puts with its neighbours. This lesson teaches the three tests, the clues a sentence gives, and the word pairs that come up again and again.
"Choosing the correct word" is one of the four item types NTA names. The paper gives a sentence with a blank and four words. Usually more than one of them is a real word you know, and more than one seems to fit. The right answer is the only one that passes three tests:
Most wrong options fail one test while passing the other two, and that is what makes them tempting.
Almost every sentence carries a clue. Read the whole sentence before you look at the options, and look for one of these:
Example 1 · A contrast decides it
Although he was ______, he refused to lend his brother a single rupee. Options: generous; wealthy; poor; honest.
"Although" signals a surprise: something about him makes refusing strange.
If he were poor, refusing would not be surprising. If he were generous, the sentence would contradict itself rather than surprise us.
Wealthy.
A rich man refusing to lend a rupee is the surprise "although" leads to. Generous is the trap: it points the same way, but it makes the sentence impossible, not surprising.
Look at the word right after the blank. Many words need a particular small word after them, and the wrong option often fails there.
| Word | Takes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| accuse | of | accused of theft |
| blame | for | blamed for the delay |
| charge | with | charged with fraud |
| refrain | from | refrain from talking |
| dependent | on | dependent on rain |
| consistent | with | consistent with the facts |
| opposed | to | opposed to the plan |
Check the part of speech too. After "a" or "the" you need a noun; after "very" an adjective; after "will" or "must" a verb. "Advice" is a noun and "advise" a verb, and only one of them can follow "some useful".
Example 2 · The word after the blank
The villagers were ______ to the new rule and signed a petition against it. Options: against; opposed; opposing; opposite.
The blank is followed by "to", so the word must take "to".
"Opposed to" is the phrase. "Against to" and "opposing to" are not English, and "opposite to" means facing, as in the house opposite to ours.
Opposed.
Against has the right meaning but cannot be followed by "to", which is exactly the kind of failure this test catches.
Because some words simply keep company with each other, and no rule explains it. These pairs are called collocations, and they are worth learning as pairs, not as single words. CUET likes them because a student can know every option and still miss the one English uses.
| With make | With do | With take | With have |
|---|---|---|---|
| a mistake | homework | a breath | fun |
| a promise | your duty | place | a bath |
| peace | a favour | steps | a look |
| progress | business | care | a narrow escape |
A few more pairs that come up often: pay attention, pay a visit; catch a cold, catch fire; commit a crime; heavy rain, heavy traffic; strong tea; lose your temper; break a record; keep a secret.
Exam shortcut
When two options both make sense, say the phrase aloud in your head. The collocation usually sounds natural and the other sounds "almost right". That instinct comes from reading, which is why a few pages of English every day improves these marks faster than any list.
Three tests
Clues
Traps
The words behind these questions are the same ones tested in synonyms, and the fixed phrases lead straight on to idioms and phrases.
Every word the questions below test, with the meaning they test it in. Tap a word for an example and to add it to My words, where it comes back for review over the next two weeks.
200 questions, grouped by type, easy to hard. Pick an answer and check it. The worked solution opens when you ask for it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
After walking for hours in the sun, the travellers were ______ and begged for water.
AnswerB · parched
Parched means very thirsty, which is why they begged for water.
Worth noting
Famished means very hungry, not thirsty. Drenched means soaking wet, the opposite of what the sun did.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
He tried to ______ his parents that he had studied all day.
AnswerC · convince
To convince someone that something is true is to make them believe it.
Worth noting
Confess would need "to": you confess to someone. It also means admitting a fault, not persuading.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Rahul's close ______ to detail makes him a good editor.
AnswerA · attention
Attention to detail means noticing small things carefully, which an editor needs.
Worth noting
Intention, a plan or aim, sounds alike but does not go with "to detail".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The children were ______ by the magician's tricks.
AnswerC · fascinated
Fascinated means extremely interested, the way children watch a magician.
Worth noting
Fastened means tied or fixed, which a person is not by a trick.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
After three days of rain, the river ______ its banks.
AnswerA · overflowed
A river overflows its banks when the water rises over their edges.
Worth noting
Overtook means passed, overlooked means failed to notice, overcame means defeated. None describes water.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The shop was closed, so we had to ______ without milk for the night.
AnswerB · manage
To manage without something is to cope when you do not have it.
Worth noting
Handle and control need an object, and neither is used with "without".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The villagers were ______ of the stranger and would not let him into their homes.
AnswerA · suspicious
Suspicious of someone means feeling they may be up to something wrong, which is why the villagers kept him out.
Worth noting
Superstitious and auspicious look alike, but they are about luck and good omens, not distrust.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The factory was fined for ______ the river with chemical waste.
AnswerD · polluting
To pollute a river is to make it dirty and harmful. Chemical waste does that.
Worth noting
Pollinating is what bees do to flowers; it only looks alike.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Her ______ answer showed that she had read the whole chapter carefully.
AnswerC · thorough
Thorough means careful and complete, which matches reading the whole chapter.
Worth noting
Through, thought and though look almost the same but are different words: a preposition, a noun and a joining word.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The general ordered his men to ______ the enemy camp at dawn.
AnswerD · attack
To attack is to use force against an enemy.
Worth noting
Attach, attract and attend share the first letters and mean fasten, draw towards, and be present at.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The judge will ______ the case tomorrow morning.
AnswerA · hear
A judge hears a case: listens to both sides in court.
Worth noting
Listen would need "to": listen to the case. Here sounds the same but means in this place.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Her ______ to the poor earned her the love of the whole town.
AnswerC · generosity
Generosity is giving freely, which is what would win a town's love.
Worth noting
Generation looks alike but means people born around the same time.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher asked us to ______ the poem by heart.
AnswerD · learn
To learn something by heart is to memorise it. The phrase is fixed.
Worth noting
Study is close in meaning, but English does not say "study by heart".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The baby was ______ asleep in her cradle.
AnswerA · fast
"Fast asleep" means deeply asleep. Here fast has nothing to do with speed.
Worth noting
Quick, rapid and swift all mean the speed sense of fast, which is why none of them works here.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The children ______ loudly when the clown slipped on the banana peel.
AnswerB · laughed
Laughing makes a sound, so it can be loud. A clown slipping makes children laugh.
Worth noting
Smiled and grinned are silent; nobody smiles loudly.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The neighbour's dog ______ at the postman every morning.
AnswerC · barks
A dog barks. The other sounds belong to other animals.
Worth noting
Roars is a lion's, neighs a horse's and brays a donkey's.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
We ______ the train by two minutes and had to wait an hour for the next one.
AnswerD · missed
You miss a train when you arrive too late to catch it.
Worth noting
Lost the train is a common mistake: you lose a thing you had, not a train you failed to board.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The boy was ______ by the principal for his honesty.
AnswerB · praised
To be praised is to be told you did well. Honesty earns praise.
Worth noting
Priced means given a price, which a boy is not.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The rescue team worked ______ to save the trapped miners.
AnswerA · tirelessly
Tirelessly means with great effort, without stopping. A rescue team works that way.
Worth noting
Tiredly is close to the opposite, and tiresome describes a boring thing, not a way of working.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The festival draws visitors from ______ parts of the country.
AnswerB · various
Various means several different, so visitors come from many parts.
Worth noting
Variable means likely to change, which does not describe parts of a country.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Having lived in London for years, she speaks ______ English.
AnswerD · fluent
Fluent English is spoken easily and well.
Worth noting
Affluent looks alike but means rich.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the accident was a burst tyre.
AnswerA · cause
The cause is what made the accident happen. A burst tyre can make a car crash.
Worth noting
Effect is the result, not the reason; a burst tyre came before the accident.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The two brothers are so different that they have nothing in ______.
AnswerA · common
"Nothing in common" means sharing nothing. The phrase is fixed.
Worth noting
Similar and same carry the idea, but English says only "in common".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The prisoner was ______ after twenty years in jail.
AnswerB · released
To be released is to be set free.
Worth noting
Relieved means freed from worry or pain, not from jail.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
You must ______ the form before the last date.
AnswerC · submit
To submit a form is to hand it in to the office that asked for it.
Worth noting
Submerge means to put under water; it only looks alike.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Fearing his father's anger, the boy was ______ to tell the truth.
AnswerD · afraid
Afraid to do something means too frightened to do it, which fits "fearing his father's anger".
Worth noting
Allowed fits the grammar, but fear would stop him, not permit him.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The farmer ______ his fields with water from the canal.
AnswerB · irrigates
To irrigate fields is to bring water to them through channels.
Worth noting
Irritates looks alike but means annoys.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The mother was ______ of her daughter's success.
AnswerC · proud
"Proud of" something means pleased about it. After "was ... of", the sentence needs the adjective proud.
Worth noting
Pride has the right meaning but is a noun: she took pride in the success, but she was proud of it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The children waited ______ for their exam results.
AnswerD · anxiously
The blank describes how they waited, so it needs an adverb. Anxiously is the adverb.
Worth noting
Anxious has the right meaning but is an adjective; it cannot describe the verb "waited".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the city has grown to two million people.
AnswerA · population
Population is the number of people living in a place, which "two million people" gives.
Worth noting
Pollution looks alike but means dirt in the air or water.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Please ______ me when the parcel arrives.
AnswerC · inform
To inform someone is to tell them about something.
Worth noting
Reform, perform and conform share the "-form" and mean change for the better, carry out, and follow the rules.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old woman ______ her savings to the village school.
AnswerB · donated
To donate is to give money or goods to help others.
Worth noting
Detonated means exploded, and dominated means controlled.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
He was too ______ to ask the new girl her name.
AnswerA · shy
A shy person is nervous about talking to people, which is why he could not ask.
Worth noting
Sly means clever in a secret, tricky way, not nervous.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The water in the lake was so ______ that we could see the fish at the bottom.
AnswerD · clear
Clear water can be seen through, which is how the fish at the bottom could be seen.
Worth noting
Deep and dark water would hide the bottom, the opposite of the sentence.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the story is that honesty is always rewarded.
AnswerD · moral
The moral of a story is the lesson it teaches.
Worth noting
Morale, with an e, means the confidence and spirit of a group, as in "the team's morale was high".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher ______ the pupils into four groups.
AnswerC · divided
To divide people into groups is to separate them into parts.
Worth noting
Decided looks alike but would need "to" or "on", not "into groups".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
After a long debate, the committee ______ the plan.
AnswerC · approved
To approve a plan is to agree to it officially, which is how a debate ends.
Worth noting
Improved is possible in real life, but it means made better, not agreed to.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The parcel was ______ to the wrong address.
AnswerB · delivered
A parcel is delivered: taken to an address.
Worth noting
Deprived means kept from having something.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
He ______ the invitation because he was ill.
AnswerD · declined
To decline an invitation is to refuse it politely.
Worth noting
Declared means announced, and reclined means lay back.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the mountain was covered in snow.
AnswerB · summit
The summit is the top of a mountain.
Worth noting
Submit and summon look alike but are verbs.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The actor was ______ with flowers by his fans.
AnswerC · showered
To shower someone with something is to give them a great deal of it.
Worth noting
Showed means displayed, which cannot take "with flowers" this way.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The film was ______ because of its violent scenes.
AnswerA · banned
A film is banned when it is officially forbidden.
Worth noting
Banished is used of people sent away from a country.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the river lies high in the Himalayas.
AnswerD · source
The source of a river is where it begins.
Worth noting
Course is the path a river takes, not the place it starts.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Her ______ for music began when she was five.
AnswerB · passion
A passion for something is a very strong liking for it.
Worth noting
Pastime is a hobby; it does not take "for music" like this.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The two leaders issued a ______ statement after their meeting.
AnswerD · joint
A joint statement is one shared by both leaders.
Worth noting
Joined is close in form, but the adjective for a shared statement is joint.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
When the guests arrived, the cat ______ under the bed.
AnswerC · hid
"Arrived" is in the past, so the blank needs the past form of hide, which is hid.
Worth noting
Hidden is also a past form, but it needs "had" or "was" before it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The tailor ______ a new kurta for me in two days.
AnswerD · stitched
A tailor stitches clothes: sews them with needle and thread.
Worth noting
Stretched looks alike but means pulled longer.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The students stood up when the principal ______ the room.
AnswerA · entered
To enter a room is to come into it, which is when students stand.
Worth noting
Entertained means amused, and enquired would need "about".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
A narrow river ______ the two villages.
AnswerD · separates
"A river" is one thing, so the verb takes -s: a river separates.
Worth noting
Separate is the right word in the wrong form; "a river separate" breaks the agreement of subject and verb.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Mother ______ the milk before giving it to the baby.
AnswerC · boiled
Milk is boiled: heated until it bubbles, which makes it safe.
Worth noting
Broiled means cooked under direct heat, used of meat, and boiling would need "was" before it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
In spite of the fog, the plane ______ off on time.
AnswerB · took
The sentence is in the past, so the past form took is needed: the plane took off.
Worth noting
Taken is also a past form but needs "had" or "was" before it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ at the zoo feeds the animals every morning.
AnswerB · keeper
A keeper is the person who looks after the animals, and the blank needs a person.
Worth noting
Keeping, keep and kept are forms of the verb, not the name of a person.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Our ______ lives next door and waters our plants when we are away.
AnswerD · neighbour
The blank needs a person who lives next door: a neighbour.
Worth noting
Neighbourhood means the area around your home, which cannot water plants.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old man walked slowly with the help of a ______.
AnswerA · stick
A walking stick helps an old person walk.
Worth noting
Stock and stack differ by one letter and mean goods kept and a pile.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The sweet shop was ______ with customers before Holi.
AnswerC · crowded
Crowded means full of people, as a sweet shop is before a festival.
Worth noting
Crowned and crowed look alike but mean given a crown and made a cock's cry.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ between the two boys ended when one family moved away.
AnswerD · friendship
Friendship is the relationship between friends, which is what could end when one moved away.
Worth noting
Hardship shares the ending but means suffering.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the report was clear: the bridge was unsafe.
AnswerA · conclusion
The conclusion of a report is the judgement it reaches, here that the bridge was unsafe.
Worth noting
Confusion is close to the opposite of a clear conclusion.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The fruit seller ______ the mangoes by size before putting them out.
AnswerB · sorted
To sort things is to put them in groups, here by size.
Worth noting
Sought is the past of seek, to look for.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The new manager ______ the staff with his energy.
AnswerC · impressed
To impress people is to make them admire you, and energy can do that.
Worth noting
Oppressed means treated cruelly, which energy does not do.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
There was a long ______ before the minister answered the question.
AnswerD · pause
A pause is a short stop before continuing.
Worth noting
Paws sounds the same but means an animal's feet.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The runner was ______ after the race and lay down on the grass.
AnswerA · exhausted
Exhausted describes how a person feels: extremely tired.
Worth noting
Exhausting describes the race that makes you tired. Exhaustive means complete, as in an exhaustive list.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The villagers ______ the harvest with songs and dances.
AnswerD · celebrated
To celebrate is to mark a happy occasion, as with songs and dances.
Worth noting
Separated and calibrated share the ending "-ated" and nothing else.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ceasefire ______ an end to the fighting.
AnswerB · put
To put an end to something is to stop it completely.
Worth noting
Made and gave carry the idea, but the phrase is fixed with put.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
In the ______ of the flood, thousands of families had no homes.
AnswerA · aftermath
The aftermath is the time after a disaster and the effects it leaves. Homelessness after a flood is exactly that.
Worth noting
A forecast comes before an event, not after it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
She was so ______ in her novel that she did not hear the doorbell.
AnswerD · engrossed
Engrossed in something means so interested that you notice nothing else.
Worth noting
The other three look alike but mean carved, shut in, and given to someone to look after.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The farmers of the region are ______ on the monsoon for their crops.
AnswerD · dependent
Dependent on means needing something for support. The farmers need the rain.
Worth noting
Independent means the opposite, and defendant and descendant only sound alike.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Passengers are requested to ______ from smoking inside the station.
AnswerB · refrain
To refrain from something is to stop yourself doing it.
Worth noting
Restrain is close in meaning, but it needs an object: you restrain yourself or someone else. "Restrain from smoking" is not correct English.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The doctor told him to ______ from sugar for a month.
AnswerB · abstain
To abstain from something is to choose not to have it.
Worth noting
Obtain means to get, the opposite of what the doctor asks.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The long queue at the ticket counter made the passengers ______.
AnswerC · restless
Restless means unable to stay calm or still, which a long wait does to people.
Worth noting
Restful is the opposite, and reckless means taking foolish risks.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ of the new bridge will cut the journey to the city by an hour.
AnswerB · construction
The construction, or building, of a bridge is what would shorten a journey.
Worth noting
Destruction fits the grammar, but destroying a bridge would make the journey longer, not shorter.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
After their quarrel, the two friends were ______ by their teacher.
AnswerC · reconciled
To reconcile people is to make them friends again after a quarrel.
Worth noting
Recommended fits the grammar, but "after their quarrel" points to making up, not praising.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The new evidence ______ his claim that he was at home that night.
AnswerA · confirmed
To confirm a claim is to show it is true.
Worth noting
Conformed, confined and conferred look alike and mean followed the rules, shut in, and gave.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The judge was ______ for her honesty.
AnswerD · renowned
Renowned for something means famous and admired for it.
Worth noting
Renounced looks alike but means gave up.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The heavy rain finally ______ the forest fire.
AnswerA · extinguished
To extinguish a fire is to put it out.
Worth noting
Distinguished rhymes but means told apart. Exterminated means killed off, used of pests.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The villagers were ______ from their land to make way for the dam.
AnswerC · evicted
To be evicted is to be forced to leave the place where you live.
Worth noting
Evoked means brought to mind, and evaded means escaped.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The patient's condition was so ______ that the doctors were called in at night.
AnswerB · critical
A critical condition is very serious and dangerous.
Worth noting
Clinical fits a hospital but means to do with treating patients, not how ill someone is.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Rita ______ her brother for breaking her toy.
AnswerC · blamed
You blame someone for something. The sentence has "for", so blamed fits.
Worth noting
Accused is close in meaning but takes "of": she accused him of breaking it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
He was ______ of breaking the window, though he had not done it.
AnswerD · accused
You accuse someone of something. The sentence has "of", so accused fits.
Worth noting
Blamed takes "for", and charged takes "with", so neither fits "of".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The villagers ______ the dead teacher with two minutes of silence.
AnswerA · honoured
To honour someone is to show them great respect, which a silence does.
Worth noting
Attended fits a funeral but not a person: you attend an event, not the dead teacher.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The doctor ______ some medicine for his cough.
AnswerA · prescribed
A doctor prescribes medicine: says what the patient should take.
Worth noting
Described and subscribed look alike, and proscribed means banned, almost the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The new rules are ______ to everyone, rich or poor.
AnswerC · applicable
Applicable to everyone means the rules apply to everyone.
Worth noting
Appreciable means large enough to notice, which does not go with "to everyone".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
His anger ______ when he heard the full story.
AnswerC · subsided
Anger subsides when it becomes less strong.
Worth noting
Subsidised means paid part of the cost of, which has nothing to do with anger.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The judge ______ the case until next month.
AnswerB · adjourned
To adjourn a case is to stop it for a time and continue later.
Worth noting
Adjusted means changed slightly, and adorned means decorated.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The workers demanded ______ for the man injured in the factory.
AnswerA · compensation
Compensation is money paid for loss or injury.
Worth noting
Competition, composition and comprehension share only the first letters.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
India is a ______ country, with many languages and religions.
AnswerD · diverse
Diverse means made of many different kinds, which "many languages and religions" describes.
Worth noting
Adverse looks alike but means harmful.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
On Diwali night, lamps ______ every street of the town.
AnswerA · illuminated
To illuminate is to light up. Lamps light up the streets.
Worth noting
Eliminated means removed, and illustrated means explained with pictures.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The police found ______ evidence linking him to the crime.
AnswerA · conclusive
Conclusive evidence proves something beyond doubt.
Worth noting
Conclusion is a noun and cannot describe "evidence". Inclusive and exclusive rhyme but mean something else.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old painting is ______: experts say no sum could buy it.
AnswerC · priceless
Priceless means so valuable that no price can be put on it.
Worth noting
Worthless and valueless look like they follow the same pattern, but they mean of no value, the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The officer was ______ for taking bribes.
AnswerA · suspended
To be suspended is to be stopped from working for a time as a punishment.
Worth noting
Suspected would need "of": suspected of taking bribes.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The villages along the river were ______ by the sudden flood.
AnswerB · devastated
Devastated means completely destroyed, which a sudden flood can do.
Worth noting
Developed is close to the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The price of the ticket is ______ of all taxes, so you pay nothing more.
AnswerC · inclusive
Inclusive of taxes means the taxes are already part of the price, which is why nothing more is paid.
Worth noting
Exclusive of taxes means the opposite: taxes are added on top.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher gave us ______ advice before the exam.
AnswerB · some
Advice cannot be counted, so it takes "some", not "a" or "many".
Worth noting
"An advice" and "many advices" are common mistakes; say "a piece of advice" or "some advice".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old bridge is not strong enough to ______ the weight of heavy lorries.
AnswerA · bear
To bear a weight is to hold it up.
Worth noting
Bare sounds the same but means uncovered or empty.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The two witnesses gave ______ accounts, so the police could not tell who was right.
AnswerB · conflicting
Conflicting accounts disagree, which is why the police could not tell who was right.
Worth noting
Confiding means telling secrets, and it only shares the first letters.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The city's water supply is ______ to meet the needs of its people.
AnswerD · inadequate
Inadequate means not enough, and "to meet the needs" is what it is not enough for.
Worth noting
Incompetent means lacking skill, used of people, not water supplies.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Months of ______ training won her the gold medal.
AnswerA · rigorous
Rigorous training is strict and demanding, the kind that wins medals.
Worth noting
Rigid means stiff and unbending; it describes rules or objects, not training.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The two paintings are so alike that it is hard to ______ between them.
AnswerC · distinguish
To distinguish between things is to tell the difference between them.
Worth noting
Extinguish rhymes but means to put out a fire.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old king ______ the throne in favour of his son.
AnswerB · abdicated
To abdicate is to give up the throne.
Worth noting
Abducted means kidnapped, and dedicated means offered or devoted.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The company's success is ______ to the hard work of its staff.
AnswerD · attributed
When success is attributed to something, that thing is said to be its cause.
Worth noting
Contributed is the trap: the staff contributed to the success, but the success is not "contributed to" them.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ______ between the incomes of the rich and the poor has grown wider.
AnswerB · disparity
A disparity is a large difference, and a difference can grow wider.
Worth noting
Parity means equality, the opposite. Disparagement means speaking badly of someone.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The detective's ______ questions finally made the suspect confess.
AnswerD · probing
Probing questions search deeply for the truth, the kind that get a confession.
Worth noting
Proving looks alike but means showing to be true, which questions do not do.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The witness gave a ______ account of the robbery, leaving out nothing.
AnswerA · comprehensive
Comprehensive means including everything, which "leaving out nothing" says.
Worth noting
Comprehensible is the close trap: it means easy to understand, not complete.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The leader's remarks were ______ and could anger both communities.
AnswerA · inflammatory
Inflammatory remarks are likely to make people angry.
Worth noting
Inflammable looks alike but means easily set on fire, used of materials, not remarks.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The monsoon here is ______: some years it floods the plain, some years it fails.
AnswerD · erratic
Erratic means not regular and changing without warning, as the second half of the sentence describes.
Worth noting
Eccentric means strange in behaviour, used of people, not weather.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The three new wells have ______ the village's water shortage.
AnswerC · alleviated
New wells make a water shortage less severe. That is what alleviate means.
Worth noting
Aggravated means made worse, the opposite of what wells would do.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
His ______ expression made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
AnswerC · inscrutable
An inscrutable expression cannot be read, which is why his thoughts could not be told.
Worth noting
Indisputable means impossible to argue with, used of facts, not faces.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The two companies agreed to settle their dispute through ______.
AnswerD · arbitration
Arbitration is settling a dispute by a person both sides accept.
Worth noting
Arbitrariness shares the root but means acting on a whim, the opposite of fair settlement.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The villagers ______ the new dam, fearing it would flood their fields.
AnswerA · resented
To resent something is to feel angry because it seems unfair, which fits people fearing for their fields.
Worth noting
Represented and resembled look alike but mean spoke for and looked like.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The treaty was ______ by both parliaments within a week.
AnswerB · ratified
A treaty is ratified when it is officially approved by vote or signature.
Worth noting
Rectified means corrected, which would suggest the treaty was wrong.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The minister's ______ decision, taken without asking anyone, angered the students.
AnswerD · unilateral
A unilateral decision is taken by one side alone, which "without asking anyone" describes.
Worth noting
Unanimous means agreed by all, the opposite; it also cannot describe one person's decision.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Every new law must be ______ with the Constitution.
AnswerC · consistent
Consistent with means in agreement with and not contradicting it.
Worth noting
Constant, persistent and insistent share the ending but none takes "with the Constitution".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The speaker ______ his talk with a story from his childhood.
AnswerB · prefaced
To preface a talk with something is to begin it with that.
Worth noting
Preferred looks alike but means liked better.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Cutting down the forests has ______ the problem of floods.
AnswerA · aggravated
To aggravate a problem is to make it worse, which losing forests does to floods.
Worth noting
Aggregated means collected together, and aggrieved means feeling wronged.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The scientist's ______ work changed the way we treat malaria.
AnswerD · pioneering
Pioneering work is the first of its kind, the kind that changes treatment.
Worth noting
Piercing means sharp enough to go through something, used of sounds and eyes.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The novel gives an ______ view of life in a small town, cutting straight to what matters.
AnswerA · incisive
Incisive means sharp and direct, which "cutting straight to what matters" says.
Worth noting
Indecisive differs by two letters and means unable to decide, close to the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The minister resigned amid ______ of corruption.
AnswerD · allegations
Allegations are claims, not yet proved, that someone did wrong.
Worth noting
Allegiance looks alike but means loyalty.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The rescue work was slowed by ______ weather.
AnswerA · inclement
Inclement weather is cold, wet and unpleasant, the kind that slows a rescue.
Worth noting
Inclined means sloping or likely to do something, and incremental means increasing in steps.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
His ______ attitude to his studies worried his parents.
AnswerC · lackadaisical
A lackadaisical attitude is lazy and uninterested, which would worry parents.
Worth noting
Laborious means needing hard work, which is close to the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The singer's new album was a ______ success.
AnswerA · resounding
A resounding success is a very great and clear one.
Worth noting
Receding and retreating mean moving back, close to the opposite of success.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The minister's reply was ______: it avoided saying yes or no.
AnswerC · non-committal
A non-committal reply does not show what the speaker thinks, which is what avoiding yes or no means.
Worth noting
Non-existent would mean there was no reply at all, but the sentence says he replied.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
It rained ______ all night, and the streets were flooded by morning.
AnswerD · heavily
In English, rain is heavy, so it rains heavily.
Worth noting
Hardly is the trap: it looks like "hard" but means almost not at all, which clashes with the flood.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The detective took two weeks to ______ the crime.
AnswerC · solve
A crime, like a puzzle, is solved: its answer is found.
Worth noting
Dissolve means to mix into a liquid. Answer and reply go with questions and letters.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Please ______ attention to the next slide.
AnswerD · pay
In English, you pay attention. No other verb goes with it.
Worth noting
Take and make look possible, but "take attention" and "make attention" are not English.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
She made a ______ to her mother that she would call every Sunday.
AnswerC · promise
A promise is words saying you will certainly do something, and calling every Sunday is a kind thing she vows to do.
Worth noting
A threat is also about the future, but it warns of harm, which calling one's mother is not.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Wear a sweater, or you will ______ a cold.
AnswerA · catch
In English, you catch a cold.
Worth noting
Hold and keep suggest having something already, and bring means carrying it somewhere.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The tea is too ______; add some milk.
AnswerA · strong
Tea with a lot of flavour is called strong tea.
Worth noting
Powerful means the same as strong in many places, but English never says "powerful tea".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher asked us to ______ our homework before dinner.
AnswerD · do
In English, you do homework, do a task and do your duty.
Worth noting
Make is the common mistake, because other languages use one verb for both.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The two countries signed a treaty to ______ peace.
AnswerC · make
In English, you make peace, the way you make friends or make a promise.
Worth noting
Do and take are the usual confusions, but neither goes with peace.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Our school ______ the match by two goals.
AnswerB · won
You win a match, a race or a prize.
Worth noting
Beat and defeated are for the other team: you beat or defeat a team, not a match.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
She ______ a deep breath before jumping into the pool.
AnswerA · took
In English, you take a breath.
Worth noting
Made and did are common mistakes; neither goes with breath.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
We ______ a lot of fun at the fair.
AnswerD · had
In English, you have fun.
Worth noting
Made is the trap, because "made fun of" means laughed at someone unkindly.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher ______ the class a difficult question.
AnswerB · asked
You ask someone a question.
Worth noting
Told and said go with statements, not questions.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The price of gold has ______ an all-time high.
AnswerC · reached
Prices reach a level: they get to it.
Worth noting
Arrived and come would need "at" or "to", and got would need "to".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The chief guest ______ a speech at the opening of the library.
AnswerA · delivered
A speech is delivered, or given.
Worth noting
Spoke is close, but it takes "about" or "on", not a speech as its object.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The accident ______ place on the highway late at night.
AnswerB · took
To take place means to happen. The phrase is fixed.
Worth noting
Had place and made place are not English.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old man ______ a long life and died at ninety-five.
AnswerD · lived
In English, a person lives a long life.
Worth noting
Passed is tempting because of death in the sentence, but "passed a long life" is not how English says it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The government will take ______ to control the price of onions.
AnswerD · steps
To take steps is to act to deal with a problem.
Worth noting
Walks, paces and strides are all movements of the feet, and only steps carries this second meaning.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
She ______ the exam with high marks.
AnswerB · passed
You pass an exam when you succeed in it.
Worth noting
Won goes with a prize or a match, and crossed goes with a road or a river.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Every adult in the village went to the school to ______ a vote.
AnswerD · cast
In English, you cast a vote.
Worth noting
Throw is what cast means in other uses, but "throw a vote" is not English.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The bank ______ interest on every loan it gives.
AnswerC · charges
A bank charges interest: it asks a price for lending money.
Worth noting
Gives is the other way round; a bank gives interest on savings, not on loans.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
______ the water to the boil, then add the rice.
AnswerD · Bring
"Bring to the boil" means heat until it boils. The phrase is fixed.
Worth noting
Put is used with "on the stove", not "to the boil".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The workers went on ______ for higher wages.
AnswerC · strike
Workers go on strike when they stop work to protest.
Worth noting
Protest is the idea, but English says "go on strike", not "go on protest".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The new law will ______ into force next month.
AnswerB · come
A law comes into force when it starts to apply.
Worth noting
Go into force is a common slip; the phrase is "come into force".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
He ______ his temper and shouted at the waiter.
AnswerC · lost
To lose your temper is to become angry suddenly.
Worth noting
Broke is tempting from "broke down", but you lose your temper; you do not break it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The thatched hut ______ fire in the night.
AnswerB · caught
In English, a thing catches fire. Its past is caught.
Worth noting
Set is the trap: someone sets fire to a hut, but the hut itself catches fire.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The sweet shop is ______ by a family from Gujarat.
AnswerA · run
A shop is run by people who manage it. After "is", the form is run.
Worth noting
Ran is the simple past; "is ran" is a common mistake.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The dog ______ its tail when it saw its master.
AnswerC · wagged
A dog wags its tail. It is the verb English keeps for tails.
Worth noting
Waved is what people do with a hand; flapped is for wings and flags.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The glass fell to the floor and ______ into pieces.
AnswerB · shattered
Glass shatters: it breaks suddenly into many small pieces.
Worth noting
Scattered differs by one letter; the pieces may scatter afterwards, but the glass shatters.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher ______ the class for being noisy.
AnswerD · scolded
To scold is to speak angrily to someone who has done wrong.
Worth noting
Scalded looks alike but means burned with hot liquid. Scowled would need "at".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The storm ______ many old trees in the park.
AnswerA · uprooted
To uproot a tree is to pull it out of the ground with its roots, which storms do.
Worth noting
Upset means knocked over or made unhappy; it is not used of trees.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The first shower ______ the dust from the leaves.
AnswerB · washed
Rain washes dust away: it cleans with water.
Worth noting
Wished and watched differ by a letter or two and mean something else entirely.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
My father ______ smoking ten years ago.
AnswerC · quit
To quit smoking is to stop it.
Worth noting
Quite, quiet and quilt look alike: fairly, silent, and a thick blanket.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The lecture was so dull that I ______ off.
AnswerD · dozed
To doze off is to fall into a light sleep.
Worth noting
Dosed means given medicine, and dazed means confused.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The new timetable will ______ effect from Monday.
AnswerD · take
A rule takes effect when it starts to apply.
Worth noting
Come would need "into": come into effect. On its own, "come effect" is not English.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The rumour ______ like wildfire through the village.
AnswerB · spread
A rumour spreads: it moves to more and more people.
Worth noting
Sprayed is used of liquid, and sprouted of seeds.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The passengers ______ a narrow escape when the bus skidded off the road.
AnswerC · had
In English, you have a narrow escape.
Worth noting
Took and got are the common guesses, but the usual phrase is "have a narrow escape".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The festival ______ to an end with a display of fireworks.
AnswerD · came
Something comes to an end when it finishes.
Worth noting
Reached is close, but "reached an end" takes no "to".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The driver was ______ five hundred rupees for speeding.
AnswerB · fined
To be fined is to be made to pay money as a punishment.
Worth noting
Fired means dismissed from a job, a different punishment.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The cook ______ the vegetables into small pieces.
AnswerA · chopped
To chop is to cut into pieces with a knife.
Worth noting
Chipped means broke a small piece off, as in a chipped cup.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
He ______ a lot of weight during his long illness.
AnswerD · lost
In English, a person loses weight. The past is lost.
Worth noting
Loosed means set free or untied, and it only looks like lost.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The children ______ their teeth before going to bed.
AnswerA · brush
In English, you brush your teeth.
Worth noting
Comb goes with hair and polish with shoes.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Last year the villagers ______ a new well near the temple.
AnswerD · dug
"Last year" puts the sentence in the past, and the past of dig is dug.
Worth noting
Dig and digs are present forms, which clash with "last year".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Please ______ the table for dinner; the guests are here.
AnswerB · set
To set the table is to put out the plates and cutlery.
Worth noting
Make is the usual guess, but in English you make the bed and set the table.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The actor ______ into tears when he won the award.
AnswerC · burst
To burst into tears is to start crying suddenly.
Worth noting
Blew, blasted and popped all suggest something sudden, but only burst makes the idiom.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The man who ______ the robbery was caught at the station.
AnswerB · committed
A crime is committed. It is the verb English uses with crime, robbery and murder.
Worth noting
Made is the trap: "made a robbery" sounds possible but is not how English puts it.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The afternoon sun ______ down on the workers in the field.
AnswerB · beat
The sun "beats down" when it shines with great heat. It is a fixed phrase.
Worth noting
Knocked down means pushed to the ground, which the sun does not do.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
A fire ______ out in the kitchen at midnight.
AnswerD · broke
A fire, a war or a disease "breaks out" when it starts suddenly.
Worth noting
Came out means appeared or was published, which a fire does not do.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
In court, the accused ______ guilty to all the charges.
AnswerB · pleaded
In court, a person pleads guilty or not guilty.
Worth noting
Begged and prayed are close to one meaning of plead, but only plead goes with "guilty".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
It is an ______ secret that the manager plans to leave.
AnswerD · open
An open secret is something meant to be secret that everyone already knows. The phrase is fixed.
Worth noting
Public and known carry the idea, but English says only "an open secret".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The meeting was ______ off because of the strike.
AnswerC · called
To call off an event is to cancel it.
Worth noting
Set off means to start a journey, and taken off means removed or left the ground.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The government has ______ a ban on plastic bags.
AnswerA · imposed
A government imposes a ban, a tax or a fine: it forces it on people officially.
Worth noting
Forced carries the idea, but English says "impose a ban", not "force a ban".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The heavy rain ______ havoc with the harvest.
AnswerC · played
"Play havoc with" means to cause great damage or disorder. The phrase is fixed.
Worth noting
Did and took are the usual guesses, but the phrase is fixed with play.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The sales of the new phone have ______ all our expectations.
AnswerC · exceeded
To exceed expectations is to be better than people expected.
Worth noting
Succeeded looks close, but it means followed after or did well, and it cannot take "expectations" as its object.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The idea ______ to me in the middle of the night.
AnswerB · occurred
An idea occurs to someone when it comes into their mind.
Worth noting
Struck is close, but it takes no "to": the idea struck me.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The meeting was ______ over by the principal.
AnswerB · presided
A meeting is presided over by the person in charge. "Presided over" is the phrase.
Worth noting
Chaired is close in meaning, but it takes no "over": the principal chaired the meeting.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The soldiers ______ down their lives for their country.
AnswerD · laid
"Lay down your life" means to die for something. In the past it is "laid down".
Worth noting
Lay is the trap: it is the past of lie, as in "he lay on the bed", not of lay.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The thief was ______ to five years in prison.
AnswerA · sentenced
A court sentences someone to a punishment, so "sentenced to five years" is the phrase.
Worth noting
Punished and jailed carry the idea, but neither is followed by "to five years".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The police ______ a search of the house.
AnswerA · conducted
A search is conducted: organised and carried out.
Worth noting
Did is how many learners say it, but "did a search" is too loose for formal English.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Caught cheating, the boy ______ his head in shame.
AnswerA · hung
For things, including a head, the past of hang is hung.
Worth noting
Hanged is used only for putting a person to death. It is correct English, but not here.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The minister ______ the foundation stone of the new hospital.
AnswerB · laid
To lay is to put something down, and its past is laid.
Worth noting
Lay is the past of lie, to be flat; lain goes with have; lied means told a lie.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
When I came in, she was ______ on the bed, reading.
AnswerC · lying
To lie is to be flat on something; its -ing form is lying.
Worth noting
Laying is the -ing form of lay, which needs an object: laying the table, laying eggs.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
When the power failed, the town was ______ in darkness.
AnswerA · plunged
"Plunged in darkness" means suddenly made dark.
Worth noting
Plundered means robbed, and plugged means blocked.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The general ______ the rebellion within a week.
AnswerA · crushed
To crush a rebellion is to defeat it completely.
Worth noting
Crashed is what a vehicle does when it hits something.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The teacher ______ a blind eye to the boy's small mistake.
AnswerB · turned
To turn a blind eye is to pretend not to notice.
Worth noting
Closed and shut make sense with eyes, but the idiom is fixed with turned.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
When the exam results came, she ______ a sigh of relief.
AnswerC · heaved
To heave a sigh is to breathe out loudly, here from relief.
Worth noting
Heeded looks alike but means paid attention to.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
After a long trial, the judge ______ the accused not guilty.
AnswerC · found
A court finds someone guilty or not guilty. The past is found.
Worth noting
Founded is the past of a different verb, found, which means to start an organisation.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
Don't ______ your breath waiting for an apology; he never gives one.
AnswerB · hold
"Don't hold your breath" means don't expect something soon. The idiom is fixed with hold.
Worth noting
Keep and stop carry the idea but not the idiom.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The prices of vegetables ______ sharply after the floods.
AnswerC · rose
Prices rose: rise needs no object, and its past is rose.
Worth noting
Raised needs an object, as in "the shops raised prices". Risen needs "have" or "had".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The minister ______ the rumours as baseless.
AnswerA · dismissed
To dismiss rumours as baseless is to treat them as not worth believing.
Worth noting
Discharged and dispatched share the first letters but mean released and sent off.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The new policy has ______ criticism from farmers across the state.
AnswerD · drawn
A plan draws criticism when it causes people to criticise it.
Worth noting
Pulled and dragged share the idea of drawing towards, but English does not say "pulled criticism".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The students ______ a protest against the fee rise.
AnswerD · staged
To stage a protest is to organise one.
Worth noting
Stood and stayed share the first letters; neither takes "a protest".
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The government has ______ a lot of money on new roads.
AnswerB · spent
You spend money on something.
Worth noting
Paid would need "for", and lent would need someone to lend to.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old factory ______ thick smoke day and night.
AnswerA · emits
To emit smoke is to send it out.
Worth noting
Omits, admits and commits all rhyme. Omits means leaves out, which is almost the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
In 1931 Bhagat Singh was ______ in Lahore jail.
AnswerB · hanged
When a person is put to death by the rope, the past form is hanged.
Worth noting
Hung is the past of hang for pictures, clothes and heads, not for executions.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
After the dispute, the two countries ______ diplomatic ties.
AnswerC · severed
To sever ties is to cut them off completely.
Worth noting
Several and severe look alike but mean a few and very bad.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The accused ______ his innocence throughout the trial.
AnswerB · maintained
To maintain your innocence is to keep saying that you are innocent.
Worth noting
Retained means kept, and sounds close, but it is not used with innocence.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
For the first time in five years, the company ______ a profit.
AnswerC · turned
To turn a profit is to make money. The phrase is fixed with turn.
Worth noting
Twisted, rotated and spun all mean turning in the physical sense, which is why they tempt.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The old diary ______ light on the poet's last years.
AnswerB · shed
To shed light on something is to help explain it.
Worth noting
Shade looks alike and means darkness, close to the opposite.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The ruined palace ______ testimony to the glory of the old kings.
AnswerC · bears
To bear testimony to something is to show that it was true.
Worth noting
Bares sounds the same but means uncovers.
Choose the word that best fills the blank.
The thief ______ the guard's attention by throwing a stone at the gate.
AnswerA · diverted
To divert someone's attention is to turn it elsewhere.
Worth noting
The other three share the "-verted" ending, meaning turned, but not turned aside.
NTA's English syllabus is one page. It names two skill areas: Reading Comprehension, with three kinds of passage of at most 300 words each (factual, narrative and literary), and Verbal Ability, with four item types (rearranging the parts, match the following, choosing the correct word, synonyms and antonyms). It says the questions are not limited to these, and prints no chapters and no split of the 50 questions. So the chapters here are ours. Reading is split by the kind of passage, because a poem is not read the way a report is. Verbal Ability is split into three areas of our own: Vocabulary, Sentence & paragraph order, and Grammar & usage. Where a chapter covers something past NTA's short list, it says so, and it is there because the papers since 2022 have asked it.