13th BCS English Questions & Answers with Explanation / English for BCS Examination / BCS Examination Previous Questions and Answers

13th BCS English Questions & Answers

1. We (not have) a holiday since the beginning of the year. Which of the following verb forms best completes the sentence?

a) have not had

b) did not have

c) had not had

d) are not having

Answer: a) have not had

2. If I were you, I (handle) the situation more carefully. Which verb form best completes this sentence?

a) will handle

b) would have handled

c) handled

d) would handle

Answer: d) would handle

3. It's time (you, realize) your mistakes. Which verb form best completes this sentence?

a) you have realized

b) that you realize

c) you realized

d) you would realize

Answer: c) you realized

4. 'The Rainbow' is:

a) a short story by Somerset Maugham

b) a poem by Wordsworth

c) a verse by Coleridge

d) a novel by D.H. Lawrence

Answer: d) a novel by D.H. Lawrence

5. 'Tom Jones' by Henry Fielding was first published in:

a) the 2nd half of 19th century

b) the 2nd half of 18th century

c) the 1st half of 18th century

d) the 1st half of 19th century

Answer: b) the 2nd half of 18th century

6. The literary work 'Kubla Khan' is:

a) a verse by Coleridge

b) a history by Vincent Smith

c) a short story by Somerset Maugham

d) a drama by Oscar Wilde

Answer: a) a verse by Coleridge

7. T.S. Eliot was born in:

a) U.S.A

b) Wales

c) Ireland

d) England

Answer: a) U.S.A

8. What was the real name of the great American short story writer 'O. Henry'?

a) William Sydney Porter

b) William Huntington Wright

c) Fitz-James O'Brien

d) Samuel L. Clemens

Answer: a) William Sydney Porter

9. Select the meaning of the word 'stagflation':

a) economic slow down

b) a disintegrating government

c) cultural dullness

d) controlled prices

Answer: a) economic slow down

10. What is the meaning of the word 'scuttle'?

a) abandon

b) pile up

c) gossip

d) to tease

Answer: a) abandon

11. What is the meaning of the word 'stanch'?

a) smooth out

b) to reinforce

c) put an end to

d) be weak

Answer: c) put an end to

12. What is the meaning of the word 'belated'?

a) off hand

b) weak

c) Tardy

d) complaining

Answer: c) Tardy

13. What is the meaning of the word 'sequence'?

a) round up

b) to follow

c) question closely

d) withdraw

Answer: b) to follow

14. What is the meaning of the word 'euphemism'?

a) inoffensive expression

b) vague idea

c) wise saying

d) verbal play

Answer: a) inoffensive expression

15. "I have never seen such a slow coach like you, this small work has taken you three full months." What does the idiom 'a slow coach' mean?

a) a careless person

b) an irresponsible person

c) a very lazy person

d) an unthoughtful person

Answer: c) a very lazy person

16. Anything 'pernicious' tends to injure or destroy. Something which has no such harmful effect is:

a) innocent

b) innocuous

c) salutary

d) immaculate

Answer: b) innocuous

17. "Do not worry, English grammar is not ___ to understand." Which best fits the blank?

a) very difficult

b) too difficult

c) difficult enough

d) so difficult

Answer: b) too difficult

18. "We have recently entered ___ an agreement with Inland co-operative society." Which best fits the blank?

a) in

b) into

c) upon

d) no preposition

Answer: b) into

19. The boy from the village said, "I ___ starve than beg." Which best completes the sentence?

a) rather

b) better

c) would better

d) would rather

Answer: d) would rather

We (not have) a holiday since the beginning of the year. Which of the following verb forms best completes the sentence?

a) have not had

b) did not have

c) had not had

d) are not having

If I were you, I (handle) the situation more carefully. Which verb form best completes this sentence?

a) will handle

b) would have handled

c) handled

d) would handle

It's time (you, realize) your mistakes. Which verb form best completes this sentence?

a) you have realized

b) that you realize

c) you realized

d) you would realize

'The Rainbow' is:

a) a short story by Somerset Maugham

b) a poem by Wordsworth

c) a verse by Coleridge

d) a novel by D.H. Lawrence

'Tom Jones' by Henry Fielding was first published in:

a) the 2nd half of 19th century

b) the 2nd half of 18th century

c) the 1st half of 18th century

d) the 1st half of 19th century

The literary work 'Kubla Khan' is:

a) a verse by Coleridge

b) a history by Vincent Smith

c) a short story by Somerset Maugham

d) a drama by Oscar Wilde

T.S. Eliot was born in:

a) U.S.A

b) Wales

c) Ireland

d) England

What was the real name of the great American short story writer 'O. Henry'?

a) William Sydney Porter

b) William Huntington Wright

c) Fitz-James O'Brien

d) Samuel L. Clemens

Select the meaning of the word 'stagflation':

a) economic slow down

b) a disintegrating government

c) cultural dullness

d) controlled prices

What is the meaning of the word 'scuttle'?

a) abandon

b) pile up

c) gossip

d) to tease

What is the meaning of the word 'stanch'?

a) smooth out

b) to reinforce

c) put an end to

d) be weak

What is the meaning of the word 'belated'?

a) off hand

b) weak

c) Tardy

d) complaining

What is the meaning of the word 'sequence'?

a) round up

b) to follow

c) question closely

d) withdraw

What is the meaning of the word 'euphemism'?

a) inoffensive expression

b) vague idea

c) wise saying

d) verbal play

"I have never seen such a slow coach like you, this small work has taken you three full months." What does the idiom 'a slow coach' mean?

a) a careless person

b) an irresponsible person

c) a very lazy person

d) an unthoughtful person

Anything 'pernicious' tends to injure or destroy. Something which has no such harmful effect is:

a) innocent

b) innocuous

c) salutary

d) immaculate

"Do not worry, English grammar is not ___ to understand." Which best fits the blank?

a) very difficult

b) too difficult

c) difficult enough

d) so difficult

"We have recently entered ___ an agreement with Inland co-operative society." Which best fits the blank?

a) in

b) into

c) upon

d) no preposition

The boy from the village said, "I ___ starve than beg." Which best completes the sentence?

a) rather

b) better

c) would better

d) would rather

Answers with Explanations:

28. a) have not had(Present perfect tense for action starting in past and continuing to present)

29. d) would handle(Second conditional structure for hypothetical situations)

30. c) you realized("It's time" + past subjunctive for something that should be done now)

31. d) a novel by D.H. Lawrence(The Rainbow is Lawrence's controversial 1915 novel)

32. c) the 1st half of 18th century(Published in 1749 during the Augustan Age)

33. a) a verse by Coleridge(Famous poem written in 1797 after an opium-induced dream)

34. a) U.S.A(Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1888; became British citizen later)

35. a) William Sydney Porter(O. Henry was the pen name of this master of twist endings)

36. a) economic slow down(Stagflation = stagnation + inflation)

37. a) abandon(To scuttle means to deliberately sink or abandon)

38. c) put an end to(To stanch means to stop the flow, especially of blood)

39. c) Tardy(Belated means delayed or late)

40. b) to follow(Sequence refers to ordered succession)

41. a) inoffensive expression(Euphemism substitutes mild/indirect terms for harsh ones)

42. c) a very lazy person("Slow coach" is British idiom for extremely slow/lazy person)

43. b) innocuous(Opposite of pernicious; means harmless)

44. b) too difficult("Not too difficult" is the natural collocation here)

45. b) into("Enter into an agreement" is the correct phrasal verb)

46. d) would rather("Would rather...than" shows preference between options)