VERBAL ABILITY

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SESSION – 1
SYNONYM BINGO - ACTIVITY

SESSION – 2

SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS

Directions for Q1 to Q5: Match the following with correct meaning.

1. Ameliorate (a) motorcycle race track

2. Velodrome (b) denial of connection or knowledge with something

3. Disavowal (c) an excessive desire for food

4. Hoggishness (d) cheapest accommodation on a ship

5. Steerage (e) to get something better

Directions for Q6 to Q20: Find the synonym for the given word from the given option.
6. Antecedent
(a) fighting against (b) looking after (c) coming before (d) recent

7. Dubious
(a) one who doubts (b) to question (c) doubtful, questionable (d) to be uncertain

8. Reconcile
(a) re-establish a relationship (b) move away from
(c) out do (d) prioritize

9. Docile
(a) one who rears animals (b) one who manages domestic affairs
(c) willing to obey, easily managed (d) to obey authority

10. Subjugate
(a) to be the subject of a sentence (b) to conquer, bring under control
(c) to be surrounded on all sides (d) to drive away from the source

11. Probity
(a) expanse (b) determination (c) virtue (d) proclivity

12. Ephemeral
(a) permanent (b) fecund (c) congealed (d) transitory

13. Ambulatory
(a) sedentary (b) quiescent (c) stationary (d) peripatetic

14. Antipathy
(a) pathology (b) dislike (c) rejoice (d) enjoyment

15. Derision
(a) adulation (b) commendation (c) flattery (d) ridicule

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16. Efface
(a) construct (b) improve (c) obliterate (d) create
17. Divulge
(a) reveal (b) suppress (c) secrete (d) protect
18. Furtive
(a) stealthy (b) open (c) honest (d) forthright
19. Tranquil
(a) worried (b) nervous (c) wild (d) calm
20. Misery
(a) ease (b) relief (c) distress (d) health

Directions for Q21 to Q40: Choose the correct antonym of the words.
21. Frugality
(a) harmony (b) imprudent (c) allergic (d) visage

22. Impeccable
(a) faulty (b) mobile (c) endanger (d) candid

23. Propitious
(a) unfavorable (b) elusive (c) unorganized (d) improvised

24. Flamboyant
(a) sweeping (b) showing (c) compel (d) plain

25. Rudimentary
(a) impoverished (b) ponderous (c) polite (d) develop

26. Abstain
(a) indulge (b) disgrace (c) dismiss (d) repel
27. Stupefy
(a) limit (b) decrease (c) mollify (d) spare
28. Malign
(a) align (b) slander (c) organize (d) praise

29. Corroborate
(a) gainsay (b) accept (c) announce (d) claim

30. Sycophant
(a) flatterer (b) asylum (c) competitor (d) pedant

31. Cynical
(a) mature (b) eccentric (c) naïve (d) optimistic

32. Eulogistic
(a) pretty (b) critical (c) stern (d) sensuous
33. Amicable
(a) disparage (b) slander (c) unfriendly (d) repress
34. Vivacious
(a) exuberant (b) exaggeration (c) guacherie (d) dispirited

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35. Scurrilous
(a) decent (b) descent (c) savage (d) volatile
36. Mitigate
(a) aggravate (b) relieve (c) eliminate (d) exhume
37. Transient
(a) permanent (b) deciduous (c) temporal (d) unstable
38. Fickle
(a) fitful (b) volatile (c) faithless (d) constant
39. Repel
(a) resist (b) duel (c) refuse (d) accept
40. Augment
(a) shrink (b) grow (c) swell (d) extend

SESSION – 3
GUESS THE IDIOM ACTIVITY

Match the idioms with their correct meaning.

If you … … then you …
1. are snowed under at work a. die, fail or lose.
2. are somebody’s other half b. change your mind about something.
3. tie yourself up in knots c. are somebody who offers unwanted advice to the
person in charge.
4. think big d. have big plans and ideas.
5. see the big picture e. have so much work to do that you have problems
dealing with it.
6. drive somebody up the wall f. are very popular.
7. bite somebody’s head off g. spend a lot of money without thinking.
8. are somebody’s back-seat driver h. are able to view a situation completely and
understand the effects of that situation on other things.
9. are a hot ticket i. speak to someone angrily.
10. bite the dust j. become very confused or worried.
11. spend money like water k. make someone very angry.
12. have a change of heart l. are someone’s girlfriend / boyfriend or wife /
husband.
[

SESSION – 4
ONE WORD SUBSTITUTION CROSSWORD ACITIVITY

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SESSION – 5

SENTENCE COMPLETION
Introduction

Sentence Completion questions are nothing but the good old ‘Fill in the Blanks’ type of questions that you have been
tackling since primary school!
These questions essentially test your ability to use vocabulary and identify logical consistency among the elements in
a given sentence.
You need to know more than just the dictionary definition of the words given; you need to know how the words fit
together as a whole to make logical sense as well! And remember, your reading comprehension is also put to test to
some extent because knowing how parts of a sentence affect one another can help you determine the correct answer.

Exercise
Directions for Q1 to Q40: Fill in the blanks with the most suitable word from the list of options given.
1. Abreast all of this attention the author is still keeping busy wielding her pen to produce narratives that voice
the thoughts, hopes and perspectives of those often unheard of in popular ________ literary works.
(a) offbeat (b) prudent (c) panache (d) mainstream
2. During the Victorian Age, as seen in Oscar Wilde’s ‘The importance of being Earnest’, the English aristocracy
was dominant, ________ and rich - far removed from the British middle class and poor.
(a) servile (b) meek (c) snobbish (d) fastidious
3. The tone of the play is so light-hearted that the audience never doubt that things will end happily, and it is
therefore free to enjoy the comedy without being caught up in the tension of a/an ________ outcome.
(a) mundane (b) nascent (c) uncertain (d) ambient
4. Crocodiles compete ________ with each other for territory, with ________ males in particular occupying the most
eligible stretches of freshwater creeks and streams.
(a) grudgingly, mediocre (b) fiercely, dominant
(c) majorly, subservient (d) belligerently, docile
5. A key asset is the country’s first-rate virology laboratory affiliated with the University Teaching Hospital. The
laboratory was staffed and equipped to quickly and reliably diagnose a case of Ebola virus disease, which
ensured that ________ measures could begin with the shortest possible delay.
(a) catastrophic (b) callisthenic (c) containment (d) dissemination
6. When EVD is suspected in a person, his or her travel and work history, along with an exposure to wildlife, are
important factors to consider with respect to further ________ efforts.
(a) prosthetic (b) diagnostic (c) humane (d) histrionic
7. Tranquebar has the sea and nothing else. There is an old fort by the sea which offers a ________ view of the angry,
frothing waters.
(a) vilifying (b) belligerent (c) balsamic (d) breath-taking
8. In an age of change, Wilde's plays ________ people to think about the artificial barriers that defined society and
enabled a privileged life for the rich at the expense of the working class.
(a) entrusted (b) enthused (c) encouraged (d) entrenched
9. “According to WHO, the success of Nigeria – Africa’s most populous nation – was ________ to ample funding,
quick action and assistance from the WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the non-profit Doctors
Without Borders.”
(a) asynchronous (b) attributable (c) synchronous (d) detrimental

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10. Although it is not entirely clear how Ebola initially spreads from animals to humans, the spread is _____ to
involve direct contact with an infected wild animal or fruit bat.
(a) enamoured (b) paramount (c) believed (d) truant

11. Though most of the conflict in the play ________ from the troubles of romance, and though the play involves a
number of romantic ________, it is not truly a love story; it distances the audience from the emotions of the
characters in order to ________ fun at the torments and afflictions that those in love ________.
(a) stems, elements, poke, suffer (b) dissolves, chords, hit, enjoy
(c) facilitates, scenes, make, cherish (d) starts, gaffes, make, celebrate

12. Advances in aerospace, medical, and military technologies are destined to ________ wildlife research techniques
to ever-greater levels of ________.
(a) send, chicanery (b) delve, artistry
(c) plunge, empowerment (d) propel, sophistication

13. American wildlife biologists began to ________ Cold War-era surveillance technologies into their practices during
the second half of the twentieth century. VHF radio tracking began in the late 1950s, where an animal would be
captured, ________, and then fitted with a collar or tag that contained a radio transmitter.
(a) incorporate, sedated (b) utilize, released
(c) dismantle, tracked (d) assemble, catered

14. Thanks to a lifetime of ________ habits and asthma, my entry into running was ________ by suffering. My first run
lasted an amazing 100m at the end of which I found myself sitting on the pavement panicking and hurriedly
taking puffs from my inhaler.
(a) sedentary, dominated (b) acerbic, accelerated
(c) opulent, decelerated (d) querulous, endured

15. I am not going to remember my first run as the one that made me feel ________. I’m going to love every remaining
second of this trail. It doesn’t matter if I have to walk it or even if I have to call for help, but I was going to
________ every remaining moment.
(a) mighty, cherish (b) miserable, savour
(c) significant, endure (d) insignificant, suffer

16. Why is there an ________ desire to lose as much weight in as little time as possible? It is this ________ that makes
you vulnerable – vulnerable to food manufacturers who ________ you into believing their food will let you have
the cake and eat it too, vulnerable to pseudo-fitness gurus and gyms/fitness centers which promise you results
that are too good to be true and vulnerable to a side of yourself that is always ________ you with shortcuts.
(a) insatiable, desperation, scam, tempting (b) insane, jubilance, tweak, bludgeon
(c) urbane, stupidity, attract, market (d) enervated, guides, enthral, gawk

17. The emphasis here is on staying away from all foods that could ________ hurt you and eating only foods that are
________.
(a) impressively, effective (b) potentially, benign
(c) occasionally, addictive (d) sedentarily, cautious

18. Soy processing isn’t a very ________ picture with acid washing and neutralization solutions, large and leaching
aluminium tanks, and high temperature heating. And this doesn’t take into ________ the artificial flavours,
including MSG, that are ________ added to improve flavour.
(a) comforting, account, oftentimes (b) pretty, interaction, rarely
(c) disconcerting, attrition, incidentally (d) pleasing, consideration, never

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19. Chua, in her book, says Chinese parents push their children so much because they believe their children can
excel and all they are doing is to help them ________ their potential. Western parents, on the other hand, are
________ with letting the child choose how much potential it wanted to realize.
(a) reclaim, stupid (b) respond, selfish (c) realise, content (d) ruining, happy

20. Sibling rivalry is an issue Chua talks about in the book. For Western parents, comparing their children is
unthinkable. But Chinese parents do it to ________ the underachiever to be more like the successful kid.
(a) gauge (b) dissuade (c) imitate (d) encourage
21. Studies look at multiple (health) markers but researchers very often, in an effort to write attractive and ________
conclusions, decouple the results to a point of oversimplification that it becomes absolutely useless.
(a) tangible (b) feasible (c) deciduous (d) delectable
22. My husband has shoddy housekeeping skills, in contrast to my ________ habits.
(a) feisty (b) fastidious (c) feral (d) fiendish
23. ________ suicide, in the eyes of law and order, is as ________ as murder.
(a) Anointing, acrimonious (b) Abetting, culpable
(c) Alienating, incriminating (d) Arbitrating, sinful
24. The book was a/an ________ and I hated reading every page of it. Had it not been for the book club discussion
that I had to ________, I would have returned this book to the library after 2 pages.
(a) splendour, serve (b) pleasure, survive
(c) abomination, convene (d) ploy, endure
25. While the dictator was seen as an ________ outside his country, his compatriots saw him as a ________.
(a) outcast, despot (b) ogre, savior
(c) idiot, simpleton (d) ally, friend

26. I have found her to be nice but often, I do hear from others that she can be ________ with her snobbish remarks.
(a) floozy (b) treble (c) acerbic (d) matronly

27. The cyclone ________ most parts of the already poverty struck country and ________ the over populated slums in
the cities.
(a) captivated, truncated (b) ravaged, decimated
(c) defied, edified (d) enlightened, parted

28. The school has ________ rules and regulations. Failing to ________ to the rules can result in termination.
(a) mandatory, rescind (b) stringent, adhere
(c) lax, concur (d) sloppy, bend

29. Years of dance practice during his formative years has resulted in his ________ physique today.
(a) hefty (b) lithe (c) sloppy (d) systemic

30. The professor’s speech was well received by the scientific ________ but was not suitable for the pedestrian
because of its ________ content.
(a) populace, layman (b) fraternity, esoteric
(c) seniority, lame (d) drift, feline

31. I don’t care much for ________ and the movie was too full of it. I had to undo all the gloom it caused by watching
slapstick comedy for a whole week.
(a) noir (b) jocundity (c) melancholy (d) artistry

32. The author is a ________: she almost never leaves the house and when she travels, she travels ________.
(a) reticent, further (b) recluse, incognito
(c) yonder, alone (d) kleptomaniac, topographically

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33. She fared badly in her driving test because of her ________.
(a) myopia (b) avant-garde (c) a la carte (d) schadenfreude

34. I like this apartment because of its ________ to the city centre and its ________ water supply.
(a) near-sightedness, meagre (b) proximity, copious
(c) suburbs, paucity of (d) distance, paltry

35. While the teacher said the student was wrong, the student retaliated saying the question was ______.
(a) importune (b) imbecile (c) ambiguous (d) dexterous

36. The Chola dynasty ________ the Nayak dynasty by a few hundred years.
(a) accelerated (b) ameliorated (c) antedated (d) avenged

37. This chair is not designed _______ and is hence very inconvenient to use.
(a) ergonomically (b) intrinsically (c) extrinsically (d) idiosyncratically

38. Do not let her appearance fool you. She might look ________ but she will resort to ________ plans to achieve what
she wants.
(a) cunning, marauding (b) bemoaning, pleading
(c) naïve, machiavellian (d) bucolic, rustic

39. Despite being situated in a good locale, the house was ________ and hence I did not want to buy that house.
(a) dilapidated (b) serene (c) tranquil (d) brawny

40. Preparing this delicacy is a ________ task. It involves strenuous processes and a long cooking time.
(a) atlantic (b) chronic (c) herculean (d) titanic

SESSION – 6

ANALOGIES

What is an Analogy?
An analogy is a problem of the form A is to B as C is to D. For notational convenience, the problem is often written as
A : B :: C : D.

Ways of Presenting Analogies

Type 1: One of the terms – A, B, C or D – will be missing. In its place will be four options and you will have to choose
the option that best fits the analogy.

E.g.: BLACK : WHITE :: DARK : LIGHT

This may be presented as –

1. BLACK : WHITE :: DARK : ___________

(a) grey (b) shaded (c) light (d) heavy
2. BLACK : WHITE :: ___________ : LIGHT
(a) somber (b) blue (c) grey (d) dark
3. BLACK : ____________ :: DARK : LIGHT
(a) color (b) white (c) grey (d) coal
4. _____________ : WHITE :: DARK : LIGHT
(a) grey (b) black (c) heavy (d) somber

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Type 2: One pair of words – A : B or C : D – is presented and you will have to find another pair with a similar
relationship.
E.g.: BLACK : WHITE :: DARK : LIGHT
This may be presented as –
1. BLACK : WHITE :: ______ : ______
(a) grey : dull (b) dark : light (c) shaded : open (d) red : green
2. ______ : ______ :: DARK : LIGHT
(a) bulb : fuse (b) dull : cheerful (c) black : white (d) thunder : rain
Directions for Q1 to Q15: In each of the following questions, you will find three initial terms and four answer options
designated a, b, c and d. You are to select from the four answer options the one that best completes the analogy with
the three initial terms.
1. __________ : MISOLOGY :: NOVELTY : MISONEISM
(a) women (b) marriage (c) falsehood (d) enlightenment
2. LIE : ________ :: LAY : LAID
(a) lie (b) lay (c) laid (d) lain
3. SPOOL : LOOPS :: ________ : SLOOP
(a) water (b) pools (c) dinghy (d) tools
4. FROM : TO :: ________ : JUGULAR
(a) artery (b) ventricle (c) atrium (d) carotid
5. INVOCATION : __________ :: START : FINISH
(a) benediction (b) recessional (c) prayer (d) vesper
6. ________ : MANIFEST :: COVERT : OVERT
(a) obvious (b) latent (c) proximate (d) apposite
7. DIRGE : REQUIEM :: GRIEF : _________
(a) thanksgiving (b) mourning (c) penitence (d) joy
8. _________ : BISHOP :: PARISH : PRIEST
(a) metropolitan (b) synod (c) district (d) diocese
9. CONSONANT : VOWEL :: COMPOSITE : _________
(a) prime (b) irrational (c) integer (d) zero
10. IMPLODE : __________ :: IMPLY : HINT AT
(a) explode (b) beseech (c) implicate (d) burst inward
11. EARTH : SUN :: PLANET : _______
(a) heavenly body (b) sol (c) star (d) nova
12. OCTOPUS : _________ :: PERSON : TWO
(a) six (b) eight (c) ten (d) twelve
13. WORK : ___________ :: POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE : VOLT
(a) joule (b) ohm (c) ampere (d) coulomb
14. PHILOLOGY : LANGUAGES :: MYCOLOGY : __________
(a) flowering plants (b) ferns (c) weeds (d) fungi
15. DEPENDENT : INDEPENDENT :: __________ : SELF-RELIANT
(a) autochthonous (b) canonical (c) anaclitic (d) irrecusable

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Directions for Q16 to Q30: Each of the following analogy questions presents a related pair of words linked by a
colon. Five lettered pairs of words follow the linked pair. Choose the lettered pair of words whose relationship is most
like the relationship expressed in the original linked pair.

16. CAPTAIN : SHOAL ::

(a) lawyer : litigation (b) pilot : radar (c) soldier : ambush
(d) doctor : hospital (e) corporal : sergeant
17. GULLIBLE : DUPED ::
(a) credible : cheated (b) careful : cautioned (c) malleable : molded
(d) myopic : misled (e) articulate : silenced
18. DUNGEON : CONFINEMENT ::
(a) church : chapel (b) school : truancy (c) asylum : refuge
(d) hospital : mercy (e) courthouse : remorse
19. MENDACITY : HONESTY ::
(a) courage : cravenness (b) truth : beauty (c) courage : fortitude
(d) turpitude : depravity (e) unsophistication : ingenuousness
20. NAÏVE : INGENUE ::
(a) ordinary : genius (b) venerable : celebrity (c) urbane : sophisticate
(d) crafty : artisan (e) modest : braggart
21. SHALE : GEOLOGIST ::
(a) catacombs : entomologist (b) aster : botanist (c) obelisk : fireman
(d) love : philologist (e) reef : astrologer
22. HACKNEYED : ORIGINAL ::
(a) mature : juvenile (b) trite : morbid (c) withdrawn : reserved
(d) evasive : elusive (e) derivative : traditional
23. DWELL : DENIZEN ::
(a) shun : outcast (b) inherit : heir (c) squander : miser
(d) obey : autocrat (e) patronize : protégé
24. MEANDERING : DIRECTINESS ::
(a) menacing : ambition (b) affable : permissiveness (c) digressive : conciseness
(d) circuitous : rotation (e) aboveboard : openness
25. PIGHEADED : YIELD ::
(a) lionhearted : retreat (b) lily-livered : flee (c) dogged : pursue
(d) featherbrained : giggle (e) eagle-eyed : discern
26. SIGNATURE : ILLUSTRATION ::
(a) byline : column (b) alias : charge (c) credit : purchase
(d) note : scale (e) reference : recommendation
27. SURPRISE : EXCLAMATION ::
(a) insolence : bow (b) dismay : groan (c) happiness : grimace
(d) deference : nod (e) contentment : matter
28. EULOGY : BLAME ::
(a) elegy : loss (b) satire : mockery (c) tirade : abuse
(d) simile : likeness (e) benediction : curse

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29. MENDICANT : IMPECUNIOUS ::

(a) critic : quizzical (b) complainer : petulant (c) physician : noble
(d) liar : compulsive (e) philanthropist : prodigal
30. SNICKER : DISRESPECT ::
(a) whimper : impatience (b) chortle : glee (c) frown : indifference
(d) sneer : detachment (e) glower – cheerfulness

SESSION – 7

WORD PAIRS
Directions for Q1 to Q10: Complete the word pair in each of the following sentences.

1. There must first be law and ______ in the country before elections can be held.

2. The aim of the campaign was, first and ______ to make the public aware of the dangers of obesity.

3. The result of the election was declared ______ and void because of massive vote-buying.

4. Why bring up old quarrels that have lain ______ and buried all these years ?

5. It is grossly unfair that only the senior staff and not the ______ and file, are entitled to paid leave.

6. "I'm telling you all ______ and now that you are all fired," bellowed the boss.

7. You can trust Sandra to do a good job as she is a professional ______ and through.

8. Although he has owed me a few thousand dollars, he is paying me back in dribs and ______ as he has just started
working.

9. The children were having a rough-and-______ when one of them hurt his hand.

10. It is simply unthinkable that he could have committed such a hideous crime against his own ______ and blood.

Directions for Q11 to Q20: Complete the following sentences with words pairs being used as nouns.

11. There was a great ______ among the residents when the authorities decided to close down the public swimming
pool.

12. The ______ of the island were almost wiped out by the catastrophic volcanic eruptions.

13. Life is rarely easy. Most of us at some time or other have to go through ______.

14. He could not sleep a wink as he ______ the whole night, thinking about the impending trial.

15. The speaker stood on the platform ______ away about the high cost of living and the scarcity of jobs.

16. When all is ______, you will have legal possession of the house.

17. Some candidates have resorted to ______ tactics to get the people to vote for them in the elections.

18. I really admire Nancy for devoting herself ______ to the mission of saving lives.

19. The shuttle bus runs ______, ferrying passengers between the airport and the downtown area.

20. The frightened little girl was seen running ______, screaming for her mother.

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Spellings

Spellings in English can be quite confusing. This is probably why verbal ability tests include them. Spellings can be tested
in several ways.

Type 1

Choose the correctly spelt word.

E.g.: (a) accomadate (b) accommodate (c) acommodate (d) acomodate
Ans.: Option (b)

Type 2

Fill in the blanks using the correctly spelt options.

E.g.: Confidence is ______ to build a great _______.
(a) necessary, carrier (b) neccessary, carrier
(c) necessary, career (d) nessaccery, carreer
[Ans.: Option (c)

Type 3

Choose the sentence having no spell errors.

E.g.: (a) Effective communication is the keystone to better productivity.
(b) Looks like their differences are irrevocible.
(c) I have been forced to learn English grammer.
(d) Chocolates are irresistable.

Ans.: Option (a). The correct spellings are 'irrevocable', 'grammar' and 'irresistible'.

Approach Methodology

In the case of spelling exercises where you have to identify the correctly spelt word, here's a simple method to follow.

Step 1: Glance at the question just long enough to catch the word tested. Beware: Do not analyse the word options.

Step 2: Turn away from the question and write the word on a paper without much thought. You are likely to be
correct especially if you have sufficient English exposure.

Some Basic Spelling Trivia

1. Which comes first? 'I' or 'E'? Normally 'I' comes before 'E' except after 'C", words that rhyme with hay' and certain
other exclusions.
E.g.: 'I' before 'E'  achieve, believe, handkerchief, hygiene, patient, pierce
'E' before 'I'  ceiling, conceit, deceive, perceive, receive, receipt
'E' before 'I'  beige, freight, neighbour, sleigh, vein, weight
'E' before 'I'  either, foreign, forfeit, leisure, neither, seize, weird

2. A final 'Y' changes to 'I' when an ending is added.

E.g.: Supply – Supplies
Merry – Merrier
Exceptions: (i) When the ending is 'ing',
E.g.: Study – studying, cry – crying

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(or)
(ii) When the 'Y' is preceded by a vowel.
E.g.: Obey – Obeyed, Sway – Swaying

3. A silent 'E' is dropped when adding an ending that begins with a vowel.
E.g.: Advance + ing = Advancing
Pursue + ance = Pursuance
However, the 'E' remains when the ending begins with a consonant, unless the 'E' is preceded by a vowel.
E.g.: Like + ness = Likeness
Improve + ment = Improvement
Argue + ment = Argument
True + ly = Truly

4. Adding a prefix rarely changes the spelling of a word.

E.g.: Unnecessary, Disregard, Antibiotic, Mismanagement

5. Plurals are formed in English by adding 'S' or 'ES' .

i. For words that end in 'SS', 'SH', 'CH' or 'X', add 'ES'.
E.g.: Switch – Switches

ii. In case of plurals for words ending in a consonant plus 'Y', change the 'Y' to 'I' and add 'ES'. For proper
nouns, keep the 'Y'.
E.g.: Company – Companies

iii. For most nouns ending in 'F' or 'FE' add 'S'. However, for some you have to change the 'F' to 'V' and add 'S'
or 'ES'. There is no rule to follow here.
E.g.: Belief – Beliefs, Giraffe – Giraffes
Half – Halves

iv. For most nouns ending in 'O', add 'S'. However, for some you have to add 'ES'. Again, there is no rule here.
E.g.: Curio – Curios, Silo – Silos, Studio – Studios
Domino – Dominoes, Embargo – Embargoes,
Potato – Potatoes

v. Irregular plurals just have to be memorised.

E.g.: Analysis, Analyses, Focus – Foci, Goose – Geese, Phenomenon – Phenomena

6. When adding an ending (like 'ed', 'ing', etc.) to a word that ends in a consonant, we double that consonant when
 the ending begins with a vowel,
 the last syllable of the word is accented and that syllable ends in a single vowel followed by a single
consonant.
E.g.: Admit + ed = Admitted, Begin + ing = Beginning, Control + able = Controllable
'Admit', 'Begin' and 'Control' are accented on the last syllable and the final consonant is preceded by a vowel, so
we double the 'T', 'N' and 'L' respectively.
Flap + ed = Flapped
'Flap' contains only one syllable which means it has to be accented.
Despair + ed = Despaired
In 'despair', the final consonant is preceded by two vowels, so we don't double it.

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7. Sometimes words have silent letters. These follow patterns that can be memorized.

E.g.:
gn, pn, kn = n
gnome pneumonia knife
rh, wr = r
rhyme wrestle
pt, ght = t
ptomaine height
ps, sc = s
psalm science
wh = h
whole

8. Determine whether the word is used as noun or a verb. For certain words, the noun form has 'C' while the verb
form has 'S' in the place of 'C'.
E.g.: My father gave me some valuable advice. (Here, 'advice' is a noun meaning 'guidance' or 'suggestion'.)
I have to advise my friend to stop smoking. (Here, 'advise' is a verb meaning to 'counsel' or 'give advice'
Similarly, we have device – devise, practice – practise, prophecy – prophesy, etc.

Exercise 1

1. Find the number of spelling mistakes in the given passage.

Weather you beleive it or not, Louis XVI poccessed an immence crowd of confidents, advisers, and guides; he
selected them even from among the factions which attacked him. Never, perhaps, did he make a full disclosure
to any one of them, and certainly he spoke with sincereity, to but very few. He invariably kept the rains of all
secret intregues in his own hand; and thence, doubtless, arose the want of cooperation and the weakness which
were so conspicuous in his measures.

(a) 11 (b) 6 (c) 8 (d) 9

Exercise 2

Word placement tests assess several skills, including grammar, spelling, punctuation and English usage. In each
question, put the correct word in the right place.
E.g.: place the words its and/or it's:
______ peculiar to see a cat lick _____ own tail.
Ans.: It's, its

1. Place the words whose and/or who's:

Can you tell ______ picture this is and ______ holding it?

2. Place the words discrete and/or discreet:

I will need to be ______ while compiling such ______ statistics.

3. Place the words career and/or carrier:

Being an excellent ______ counsellor, she helped me tremendously with my ______ choices.

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4. Place the word elicit or illicit:

The police tried to ______ information from the suspects about the recent illegal events.

5. Place the words stationery and/or stationary:

The boy was writing a letter on fine ______ to his aunt when the train was ______ at platform 4.

6. Place the word who or whom:

You forget to ______ you are speaking.

7. Place the words he or him:

The identity of the masked assailant is known only to you or _____.

8. Place the word a or an:

It is a dream come true to be placed in ______ university of international repute.

9. Place the word been or gone:

I have ______ to London twice.

10. Place the word for or since:

I have been working here ______ the year before last.

ONE WORD SUBSTITUTIONS

Directions for Q1 to Q10: From the four alternatives in each question, select the word which can be substituted for
the given phrase/sentence.

1. Force someone to go somewhere with you, often using threats or violence

(a) Abduction (b) Adjudicate (c) Recluse (d) Lynch

2. Husband’s (or wife’s) provision for a spouse after separation or divorce; maintenance
(a) Bounty (b) Charity (c) Alimony (d) Limbo

3. Member of a group of people who move from place to place instead of living in one place all the time
(a) Refugee (b) Nomad (c) Pedestrian (d) Reverend

4. Person who does not have expert knowledge of a particular subject

(a) Layoff (b) Buff (c) Quack (d) Layman

5. Having the letters q, w, e, r, t, and y arranged in a row in the top row of letter keys
(a) Chronology (b) Qwerty (c) Wrest (d) Quid pro quo

6. View or sight that looks like a picture

(a) Tabloid (b) Graffiti (c) Dekko (d) Tableau

7. Law or regulation made by a city or town government

(a) Ordnance (b) Ordinance (c) Legacy (d) Jurisdiction

8. Plan of a journey, including the route and the places that you visit
(a) Folio (b) Ploy (c) Itinerary (d) Topography

9. Corrupt behaviour in a position of trust, especially in public office

(a) Malpractice (b) Malinger (c) Malaise (d) Potpourri

10. Period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced
(a) Inception (b) Locus standi (c) Recession (d) Tete-a-tete

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