Free English Usage - 05 Practice Test - CAT 

Question 1

(A) The users must also accept the realities [A] / the reality [B] that enjoying world – class facilities comes with [A] / comes for [B] a price.
(B) Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani’s namesake corporation has entered in [A] / entered into [B] a joint venture with DLF to TAP India’s expanding luxury consumer market.
(C) It’s true that past promises are no guarantee against [A] / guarantee of [B] future performance.
(D) The affiliating system in India is a curse for [A] / curse on [B] higher education.

A. BAABB
B. ABABA
C. BBAAB
D. BABBB
E. BABAA

SOLUTION

Solution : D

In the first part of the sentence ‘the reality’ is suitable. In the next part of the sentence the verbal phrase ‘comes with a price’ means expensive. ‘Enter into’ is correct as it suggests joining or getting into a venture. Into indicates motion. If one thing generates another it is a guarantee of the other. ‘Curse on’ is acceptable. It is a curse on something.

Hence BABBB.

ANS:option D

Question 2

(A) If the Videocon group’s bid for Motorola Inc’s mobile-phone business, would go [A] / goes [B] through, it would [A] / it will [B] become the world’s third largest handset producer.
(B) If he had brought [A] / brought [B] the movie to Broadway, he would have put Lenny Kravitz in it
(C) If Mr. Putin’s Russia is accepted as an emerging democracy,it will be [A] / would be [B] difficult to justify the new containment policy.
(D) If he won a lottery, he would donate [A] / would have donated [B] the major part of it to a worthy cause.

A. AAABB
B. ABAAA
C. ABBAB
D. BBAAB
E. AABBA

SOLUTION

Solution : D

‘Would’ cannot be used in the conditional clause, hence goes is correct. If the ‘if clause’ has present tense (goes through) it should be followed by ‘will’. In sentence 2 the main clause has ‘would have’ therefore the ‘if clause’ must be in the past perfect tense (had brought).

In sentence 3 present tense (is) should be followed by ‘will be’. In 4 the conditional clause is in the simple past tense, hence it should be followed by ‘would have donated’. Hence BBAAB.

ANS: option D

Question 3

(A) When the waiver is announced each one of the fifteen thousand farmers, who has [A] /have[B] land holdings upto 15 acres would [A] / will [B] heave a sigh of relief.
(B) Every man and every woman of the entire village know [A] / knows [B] that it is a political move to divide farmers.
(C) Neither the Prime Minister nor the congress President have [A] / has [B] heard the farmer’s pleas.
(D) Almost every-one of the infrastructure companies has [A] / have [B] discounted ambient factors like construction risks.

A. BBBAA
B. ABBBA
C. ABABB
D. AAABB
E. BABAA

SOLUTION

Solution : B

‘Who has’ refers to the singular subject of each farmer and ‘will heave a sigh of relief' refers to each one of them. Hence AB is acceptable. Each,every, neither, either take singular verbs. Hence BBBA is correct. In the first sentence as ‘will’ is the present form it is suitable in the context. ABBBA.

ANS:option B

Question 4

(A) In the past few years the imaginative [A] / imaginary [B] distinctions between [A] / among [B] urban life and the natural world have crumbled.
(B) The decision of the election commission of India to hold Assembly elections in Karnataka before the expiry of the six-month [A] / six-months [B] term of the President’s rule ends  a period of political uncertainty.
(C) Now Hamlet is primarily [A] / primary [B] a drama of revenge, one of the most dislikeable of all human passions.
(D) The winds blow unceasingly sapping your energy, blighting your hopes and producing energy, blighting your hopes and producing [A] / produce [B] a conviction that nothing is worth an effort.

A. BBBAA
B. ABBBA
C. ABBAA
D. BAAAA
E. BABAA

SOLUTION

Solution : D

‘Imaginary’ describes something that is created by and exists only in the mind, that is not real whereas imaginative means new, original and clever. Hence, option ‘B’ imaginary’ is correct. In sentence 2 the compound word 'six-month' is used as an adjective and therefore it should be in the singular. In sentence 3 primarily means ‘mainly’ and primary means ‘most important’. Hence ‘A’ ‘primarily is correct. In sentence 4 to maintain parallelism in construction production [A] should be used. Hence BAAAA is the right choice.

ANS:option D

Question 5


(B) On entering certain kinds of wild country, I have an instinctive feeling about[A] /of [B] home-coming
(C) What most clearly marks [A] / marks off [B] cognitivism from behaviorvism is the belief that there are hidden causes of behavior.
(D) The state government has expressed considerable concern for [A] / about [B] the rapid rise in the latest crime figures in the capital city.

A. ABBBB
B. BAAAB
C. BAABB
D. AABBA
E. ABABA

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Since ‘pleasure’ is derived from something,option A is correct and ‘in the house keeper’s’

room is correct. In sentence 2 feeling ‘of’ home coming is correct. In sentence 3 marks

means ‘distinguishes’ hence option B is suitable. In sentence 4 ‘concern for’ is incorrect

for it is used for a person. For a situation ‘concern about’ is used. Hence ABBBB.

ANS:option A

Question 6

Famed for his masterful use of irony, many of Guy de Maupassant's short stories have become classics due to the author slowly revealing at the end of each piece a tragic twist of fate.

A. Famed for his masterful use of irony, many of Guy de Maupassant's short stories have become classics due to the author slowly revealing at the end of each piece a tragic twist of fate.
B. Many of Guy de Maupassant's short stories have become classics because of how he famously and masterfully uses irony, evident in the slow revelation of a tragic twist of fate at the end of each piece
C. Famed for using irony in a masterful way, many of Guy de Maupassant's short stories have become classics because of the author slowly revealing a tragic twist of fate at the end of each piece.
D. Many of Guy de Maupassant's short stories have become classics because of the author's famed and masterful use of irony, evidenced in the slow revelation of a tragic twist of fate at the end of each piece.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

The original sentence begins with the modifier "Famed for his masterful use of irony," which requires a person as its subject. However, in the original sentence, "many of Guy de Maupassant's short stories" is the subject. Moreover, the phrase "due to the author slowly revealing" is awkward.
(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.

(B) The pronoun "he" must have a person as its antecedent, yet there is no person in the sentence. Remember that "he" cannot refer to "Guy de Maupassant" here, since the name is part of a possessive phrase: "Guy de Maupassant's short stories". The author himself is not grammatically present in the sentence.

(C) The opening modifier "famed for using irony in a masterful way" incorrectly modifies "short stories" instead of Guy de Maupassant himself. It also contains the awkward phrase "because of the author slowly revealing."

(D) CORRECT. This choice remedies the flawed modifier by rewriting the sentence to avoid it. This choice also replaces the awkward phrase "due to the author's revealing" with "evidenced in the slow revelation."

Question 7

Teachers in this country have generally been trained either to approach mathematics like a creative activity or that they should force students to memorize rules and principles without truly understanding how to apply them.

A.  to approach mathematics like a creative activity or that they should force students to memorize rules and principles 
B.  to approach mathematics like a creative activity or to force students to memorize rules and principles
C. to approach mathematics as a creative activity or to force students to memorize rules and principles
D. that they should approach mathematics like a creative activity or that they should force students to memorize rules and principles

SOLUTION

Solution : C

The original sentence incorrectly pairs an infinitive ("to approach") with a clause ("that they should...") in the construction "either X or Y." Moreover, the use of "like" in the phrase "to approach mathematics like a creative activity" is incorrect. “Like” is used to compare the similarities between things, while “as” is used in comparisons that show equality. In this case, mathematics is a creative activity; thus, “as” is necessary.

(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.

(B) While this choice does contain proper parallel structure, it incorrectly uses "like" instead of "as" in the phrase "to approach mathematics like a creative activity".

(C) CORRECT. The construction "either X or Y" requires parallelism between X and Y. In choice C, X and Y are parallel infinitive phrases ("to approach . . ." and "to force . . .").

(D) While this choice does create a parallel construction, it awkwardly begins the parallel elements with the words "that they" instead of the infinitive "to." Moreover, this choice incorrectly uses "like" instead of "as" in the phrase "to approach mathematics like a creative activity".

Question 8

The audience for the new opera, an inventive rendition of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde, was clearly enthralled by the show for the attendees paused for some moments before applauding vigorously at its conclusion.

A. was clearly enthralled by the show for the attendees
B. were clearly enthralled by the show as they
C. was clearly enthralled by the show for they
D. was clearly enthralled by the show as is clear since its attendees

SOLUTION

Solution : A

Option (A)

Audience is what’s called a collective noun because, like jury or family it describes a group of people that functions as a singular subject; one says the family is rather than the family are.

Therefore, the singular was is the correct verb for audience and you can eliminate (B) and (C).

Next, you have to decide among for the attendees, for they, and as is clear since its attendees.

(D) has a pronoun error since they has no clear referent. The singular audience wouldn’t work as the referent, and the sentence doesn’t provide us with any other options.

Question 9

The basic needs of the average cat are simple and largely inexpensive: food, water, affection, and shelter, and occasional visits to the veterinarian.

A. and occasional visits to the veterinarian
B. with occasional veterinarian visits
C. with occasional visits to the the veterinarian
D. yet occasionally visiting the veterinarian

SOLUTION

Solution : C

Option (C)

To deal with the sentence successfully you first need to consider its meaning. The sentence lists  five items, four of which support the claim that cats’ needs are “simple and largely inexpensive.”

You know that the fifth item, the trips to the vet, aren’t part of this list and shouldn’t be parallel with it because, first, the and before shelter suggests that the initial list ends with shelter and, second, trips to the vet are not inexpensive. Therefore, the final item needs to be expressed as an exception. Eliminate (A). At this point, the primary problem is one of expression. veterinarian visits, while shorter, is less clear and idiomatic than visits to the veterinarian. Out with (B). As for (D), we have a dangling modifier: who is occasionally visiting the vet? Eliminate. Hence (C) it is.

Question 10

One benefit of learning to speak a language while learning to read it rather then separately is that the student can more effectively apply his or her knowledge in social settings.

A. rather than independently
B. instead of separately
C. instead of as separate processes
D. rather than in a separate process

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Option (D)

The problem with the original sentence is separately. Separately is an adverb but in this context it’s not clear exactly which verb it’s modifying. (A) and (B) share the same problem.

(C) and (D) both bring out the parallelism in the sentence, which you can see if you rewrite the sentence: “One benefit of learning to speak a language while learning to read it rather than as/in a separate process is . . . .”. You’ll notice that (D) changes process to the plural processes and undermines the parallelism; the underlined portion should refer to only one process, that of learning to speak a language, in order to create a parallel alternative to while learning to read it.

Hence, (D) is more appropriate.

Question 11

LITTLE

A. If you insist on my accompanying you, give me a little coffee.
B. Maggie gave a little smile, when John proposed to her
C. You have little or no choice, as far as appearing for the exam is concerned.
D. Do not disturb the General Manager, he is in a little mood to talk

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Little means ‘not much’ (negative) whereas ‘a little’ means to a small degree (positive). The Manager is in little mood (meaning no mood) to talk-

ANS:option D

Question 12

LIFT

A. I am sure the presence of our captain will lift our hearts.
B. What will really give me a lift is your success in the exam.
C. If you lift ideas from my book, you will end up a plagiarist.
D. We could not lift mangoes of good quality, this year as there were no rains.

SOLUTION

Solution : D

The phrase ‘to lift something’ means to steal (as in shoplift). Hence ‘lift mangoes’ is wrong, it should be get or obtain. However we can ‘lift potatoes’ meaning to dig up from the ground.

ANS:option D

Question 13

GIVE

A. These doors are made of high quality teakwood and are unlikely to give
B. As our food is devoid of any nutrition, we are likely to give out in early thirties.
C. I shall be grateful to you if you can give away some loan.
D. When we give in to terrorist’s demands we indirectly encourage them to hold society to ransom.

SOLUTION

Solution : C

To ‘give away' means something given free. Hence loans cannot be given away.

ANS:option C

Question 14

PEN

A. It will probably rain, drive the sheep into the pen.
B. Today, we shall discuss the love story of a pen and its mate.
C. When the judge began to pen the judgment the convict prayed for mercy.
D. I humbly admit that I am an odd man out among these great people of pen

SOLUTION

Solution : D

Pen in the first sentence refers to an enclosure for sheep. In the second sentence it refers to a female swan. In the third sentence it is a verb meaning ‘to write’. The fourth sentence is wrong becausegreat people of pen’s is incorrect usage.

ANS:option D

Question 15

EVEN

A. Our cricket team has become even stronger than it used to be a few years ago.
B. The contest is now even.
C. He will surely even with you for this insult
D. Inspite of the slight, he spoke in an even voice

SOLUTION

Solution : C

In sentence 1 ‘even’ is an adverb (qualifying stronger) used to emphasize something unexpected. In the second sentence ‘even’ means equal. The third sentence is wrong as the intended meaning is to ‘get even’.

ANS: