35th BCS English Questions & Answers with Explanation / English for BCS Examination / BCS Examination Previous Questions and Answers

35TH BCS ENGLISH QUESTION

01. Cricket enjoys a huge ----- in Bangladesh.

a. Follow on

b. Follow

c. Fall out

d. Following

02. Who wrote the following lines: "all at once I saw/a crowd, a host of golden daffodils"?

a. Wordsworth

b. Shelley

c. Herrick

d. Keats

03. What would be the right synonym for "initiative"?

a. Apathy

b. Indolence

c. Enterprise

d. Activity

04. Which of the following words can be used as a verb?

a. Mister

b. Master

c. Mistress

d. Mastery

05. Who among the following writers is not a Nobel Laureate?

a. T.S. Eliot

b. Toni Morrison

c. Grahame Greene

d. William Faulkner

06. The correct passive form of "You must shut these doors" is:

a. These must be shut doors

b. Shut the doors you must

c. Shut must be the doors

d. These doors must be shut

07. The film was directed in the director's usual ---- style.

a. Confusion

b. Idiosyncratic

c. Personifying

d. Purifying

08. Which word is the determiner in the sentence "Will it take much time?"

a. will

b. take

c. much

d. time

09. The play 'Arms and the Man' is by:

a. James Joyce

b. Arthur Miller

c. Samuel Beckett

d. George Bernard Shaw

10. "He was a rather disagreeable man." Here the word disagreeable is a/an:

a. Noun

b. Adjective

c. Adverb

d. Preposition

11. This could have worked if I ---- been more far-sighted.

a. had

b. might

c. have

d. would

12. The "climax" of a plot is what happens:

a. in the beginning

b. at the end

c. at the height

d. in the confrontation

13. Choose the pair of words that expresses a relationship similar to that of "Harm:Damage":

a. Sweet : Sour

b. Injure : Incapacitate

c. Stout : Weak

d. Hook : Crook

14. 'Othello' is a Shakespeare's play about:

a. A jew

b. A Roman

c. A Turk

d. A Moor

15. In the 18th Century the Mughal Empire begun to:

a. discriminate

b. disintegrate

c. differentiate

d. dislocate

16. Being fat does not necessarily kill you, but it -- the risk that you will suffer from nasty diseases.

a. increases

b. emphasize

c. encourage

d. involves

17. The poem "Isle of Innisfree" is written by:

a. Dylan Thomas

b. Ezra Pound

c. W.H. Auden

d. W.B. Yeats

18. 'Riders to the Sea' is:

a. an epic poem

b. a novella

c. a one-act play

d. a theatrical adaptation of a poem

19. "It is time to review the protocol on testing nuclear weapons." Here the underlined word means:

a. Record of rules

b. Procedures

c. Summary of rules

d. Problems

20. ---- amazing song haunted me for a long time.

a. These

b. Those

c. Thus

d. That

21. Let us begin by looking at the minutes of the meeting. Here the underlined word means:

a. time record

b. time frame

c. written record

d. written analysis

22. The noise level in Dhaka city has increased exponentially. Here the underlined word means:

a. amazingly

b. shockingly

c. steadily

d. rapidly

23. Which of the following writers belong to the Elizabethan period?

a. Christopher Marlowe

b. Alexander Pope

c. John Dryden

d. Samuel Beckett

24. Women are too often --- by family commitments.

a. confused

b. controlled

c. contaminated

d. constrained

25. "To be, or not to be, that is the question" - is a famous dialogue from:

a. Othello

b. Romeo and Juliet

c. Hamlet

d. Macbeth

26. Class relations and societal conflict is the key understanding of:

a. Feminism

b. Formalism

c. Structuralism

d. Marxism

27. Societies living in the periphery are always ignored. Here the underlined word means:

a. offshore areas

b. marginal areas

c. remote place

d. backward places

28. The idiom "A stitch in time saves nine" refers to the importance of:

a. saving lives

b. timely action

c. saving time

d. time tailoring

29. Which is the correct sentence?

a. He insisted on seeing her

b. He insisted for seeing her

c. He insisted in seeing her

d. He insisted to be seeing

30. The phrase "nouveau riche" means:

a. Rich rich

b. Well off

c. New high class

d. New rich

31. What would be the best antonym of "hibernate"?

a. dormancy

b. liveliness

c. sluggishness

d. democracy

32. I am in the process of collecting material for my story. The underlined word is a/an:

a. Verb

b. Adverb

c. Adjective

d. Noun

33. Depression is often hereditary. The underlined word is a/an:

a. Verb

b. Adverb

c. Adjective

d. Noun

34. Find the odd-man-out:

a. George Eliot

b. Thomas Hardy

c. Joseph Conrad

d. James Joyce

35. Find the odd-man out:

a. The Bluest Eye

b. Sula

c. As I Lay Dying

d. A Mercy

01.     Cricket enjoys a huge ----- in Bangladesh.

          a. Follow on         b. Follow

          c. Fall out   d. Following

          Ans. d. Following

            02.     Who wrote the following lines: “all at once I saw/a crowd, a host of golden daffodils”?

          a. Wrodsworth     b. Shelley

          c. Herrick    d. Keats

          Ans. a. Wrodsworth

03.     What would be the right synonym for “initiative”?

          a. Apathy   b. Indolence

          c. Enterprise         d. Activity

          Ans. c. Enterprise

04.     Which of the following words cab en used as a verb?

          a. Mister     b. Master

          c. Mistress  d. Mastery

          Ans. b. Master

05.     Who among the following writers is not a Nobel Laureate?

          a. T.S. Eliot          b. Toni Morrison

          c. Grahame Greene        d. William Faulkner

          Ans. c. Grahame Greene

06.     The correct passive form of “You must shut these doors” is—

          a. These must be shut doors    b. Shut the doors you must

          c. Shut must be the doors                 d. These doors must be shut

          Ans. d. These doors must be shut

07.     The film was directed in the director’s usual---- style

          a. Confusion                  b. Idiosyncratic

          c. Personifying     d. Purifying

          Ans. b. Idiosyncratic

08.     Which word is the determiner in the sentence “Will it take much time?”

          a. will          b. take

          c. much       d. time

          Ans. c. much

09.     The play ‘Arms and the Man’ is by—

          a. James Joyce               b. Arthur Miller

          c. Samuel Beckett          d. George Bernard Shaw

          Ans. d. George Bernard Shaw

10.     “He was a rather disagreeable man.” Here the word disagreeable is a/an-

          a. Noun       b. Adjective c. Adverb    d. Preposition

          Ans. b. Adjective

 11.     This could have worked if I ---- been more far-sighted.

          a. had               b. might          c. have        d. would

          Ans. a. had

12.     The “climax” of a plot is what happens—

          a. in the beginning          b. at the end

          c. at the height      d. in the confrontation

          Ans. c. at the height

13.     Choose the pair of words that expresses a relationship similar to that of “Harm: Damage”—

          a. Sweet : Sour     b. Injure : Incapacitate  

c. Stout: Weak      d. Hook : Crook

Ans. b. Injure : Incapacitate

14.     ‘Othello’ is a Shakespeare’s play about—

          a. A jew      b. A Roman          c. A Turk    d. A Moor

          Ans. d. A Moor

15.     In the 18th Century the Mughal Empire begun to---

          a. discriminate      b. disintegrate       c. differentiate      d. dislocate

          Ans. b. disintegrate

16.     Being fat does not necessarily kill you, but it – the risk that yu will suffer from nasty diseases.

          a. increases b. emphasize        c. encourage         d. involves

          Ans. a. increases

17.     The poem “Isle of Innis free” is written by—

          a. Dylan Thomas  b. Ezra Pound      c. W.H. Auden     d. W.B. Yeats

          Ans. d. W.B. Yeats

18.     ‘Riders to the Sea’ is—

          a. an epic poem    b. a novella

          c. a one-act play   d. a theatrical adaptation of a poem

          Ans. c. a one-act play

19.     “It is time to review the protocol on testing nuclear weapons”. Here the underlined word means—

          a. Record of rules b. Procedures  c. Summary of rules  d. Problems

          Ans. a. Record of rules

20.     ----amazing song hunted me for a long time.

          a. These      b. Those      c. Thus        d. That

          Ans. d. That

21.     Let us begin by looking at the minutes of the meeting. Here the underlined word means—

          a. time record       b. time frame c. written record d. written analysis

          Ans. c. written record

22.     The noise level in Dhaka city has increased exponentially. Here the underlined word means—

          a. amazingly               b. shockingly  c. steadily   d. rapidly

          Ans. d. rapidly

23.     Which of the following writers belong to the Elizabethan period?

          a. Cristopher Marlowe   b. Alexander Pope

          c. John Dryden              d. Samuel Beckett

          Ans. a. Cristopher Marlowe

24.     Women are too often --- by family commitments.

          a. confused b. controlled             c. contaminated          d. constrained

          Ans. d. constrained

25.     “To be, or not to be, that is the question”—is a famous dialogue from—

          a. Othello    b. Romeo and Juliet       c. Hamlet    d. Macbeath

          Ans. c. Hamlet

26.     Class relations and societal conflict is the key understanding of—

          a. Feminism          b. Formalism        c. Structuralism    d. Marxism

          Ans. d. Marxism

27.     Societies living in the periphery are always ignored. Here the underlined word means--         

          a. offshore areas  b. marginal areas c. remote place d. backward places

          Ans. b. marginal areas

28.     The idiom “A stitch in time saves nine”- refers the importance of—

          a. saving lives b. timely action c. saving time d. time tailoring

          Ans. b. timely action

29.     Which is the correct sentence?

          a. He insisted on seeing her     b. He insisted for seeing her

          c. He insisted in seeing her      d. He insisted to be seeing

          Ans. a. He insisted on seeing her

30.     The phrase “nouveau riche” means—

          a. Riche rich           b. Well off       c. New high class d. New rich

          Ans. d. New rich

31.     What would be the best antonym of “hibernate”?

          a. dormancy         b. liveliness c. sluggishness      d. democracy

          Ans. b. liveliness

32.     I am in the process of collecting material for my story. The underlined word is a/an—

          a. Verb        b. Adverb   c. Adjective d. Noun

          Ans. d. Noun

33.     Depression is often hereditary. The underlined word is a/an—

          a. Verb        b. Adverb   c. Adjective d. Noun

          Ans. c. Adjective

34.     Find the odd-man-out—

          a. George Eliot     b. Thomas Hardy c. Joseph Conrad d. James Joyce

          Ans. a. George Eliot

35.     Find the odd-man out—

          a. The redst Eye   b. Sula        c. As I Lay Dying d. A Mercy

35th BCS English Questions with Answers

Literature

1. Who wrote the following lines – “All at once I saw / a crowd, a host of golden daffodils”?

A. Wordsworth✓

B. Shelly

C. Herrick

D. Keats

2. Who among the following writers is not a Nobel Laureate?

A. T.S. Elliot

B. Grahame Greene✓

C. Toni Morrison

D. William Faulkner

3. The play “Arms and the Man” is written by –

A. James Joyce

B. Arthur Miller

C. Samuel Beckett

D. George Bernard Shaw✓

4. The “climax” of a plot is what happens –

A. in the beginning

B. at the height✓

C. at the end

D. in the confrontation

5. Othello is a Shakespeare’s play about –

A. A Jew

B. A Turk

C. A Roman

D. A Moor✓

6. “Riders to the sea” is –

A. an epic poem.

B. a novella

C. a one-act play✓

D. a theatrical adaptation of a poem

7. Which of the following writers belong to the Elizabethan period?

A. Christopher Marlowe✓

B. John Dryden

C. Alexander Pope

D. Samuel Beckett

8. “To be, or not to be that is the question” – is a famous dialogue from –

A. Othello

B. Hamlet

C. Romeo and Juliet✓

D. Macbeth

9. Find the odd-man-out —

A. The Bluest Eye

B. As I Lay Dying✓

C. Sula

D. A Mercy

10. Find the odd-man-out —

A. George Eliot✓

B. Joseph Conrad

C. Thomas Hardy

D. James Joyce

Grammar

11. Which of the following words can be used as a verb?

A. Mister

B. Mistress

C. Master✓

D. Mastery

12. Which word is the determiner in the sentence “Will it take much time?” ?

A. will

B. much✓

C. take

D. time

13. He was a rather “disagreeable” man. Here the quoted word is a/an-

A. Noun

B. Adverb

C. Adjective✓

D. Preposition

14. I am in the process of collecting “material” for my story. The quoted word is —

A. Verb

B. Adverb

C. Noun✓

D. Adjective 

15. Depression if often “hereditary” . here the quoted word is —

A. Adverb

B. Noun

C. Adjective✓

D. Verb

16. The idiom “A stitch in time saves nine” — refers to the importance of –

A. saving lives

B. saving time

C. timely action✓

D. time tailoring

17. The phrase “nouveau riche” means —

A. Riche rich

B. New high class

C. Well off

D. New rich✓

18. What would be the right synonym for ‘initiative’?

A. apathy

B. enterprise✓

C. indolence

D. activity

19. It is time to review the “protocol” on testing nuclear weapons. Here the quoted word means-

A. Record of rules

B. Procedures✓

C. Summary of rules

D. Problems

20. The noise level in Dhaka city has increased “exponentially”. Here the quoted word means-

A. amazingly

B. steadily

C. shockingly

D. rapidly✓

21. Societies living in the “periphery” are always ignored. Here the quoted word means-

A. offshore areas

B. remote places

C. marginal areas✓

D. backward regions

22. What would be the best antonym of “hibernate”?

A. dormancy

B. sluggishness

C. liveliness✓

D. democracy

23. Let us begin by looking at ‘the minutes of the meeting’. Here the quoted word means—

A. time record

B. written record✓

C. time frame

D. written analysis

24. relationship similar to “Harm:Damage”?

A. Sweet:Sour

B. Stout:Week

C. Injure:Incapacitate✓

D. Hook:Crook

25. Cricket enjoys a huge ….. in Bangladesh.

A. follow on

B. follow

C. fall out

D. following✓

26. The film was directed in the director’s usual …. style.

A. confusion

B. personifying

C. idosyncratic✓

D. purifying

27. This could have worked if I ….. been more far-sighted.

A. have

B. had✓

C. might

D. would

28. In the 18th Century, the Mughal Empire begun to ……

A. discriminate

B. differentiate

C. disintegrate✓

D. dislocate

29. Being fat does not necessarily kill you, but it —- the risk that you will suffer from nasty diseases.

A. increases✓

B. encourages

C. emphasizes

D. involves

30. — song haunted me for a long time.

A. These

B. Thus

C. That✓

D. Those

31. Women are too often — by family commitments.

A. confused

B. contaminated

C. controlled

D. constrained✓

32. Class relations and societal conflict is the key understanding of –

A. Feminism

B. Structuralism

C. Formalism

D. Marxism✓

33. Which is the correct sentence?

A. He insisted on seeing her.✓

B. He insisted for seeing her.

C. He insisted in seeing her.

D. He insisted to be seeing her.

📘 Literature Section (Q1–Q10)

Q#	Question Summary	Correct Answer	Explanation (English)	ব্যাখ্যা (বাংলা)
1	Who wrote “A host of golden daffodils”?	A. Wordsworth ✓	William Wordsworth wrote this line in his famous poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.	উইলিয়াম ওয়ার্ডসওয়ার্থ এই লাইনটি তাঁর বিখ্যাত কবিতা I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud-এ লিখেছেন।
2	Who is not a Nobel Laureate?	B. Grahame Greene ✓	Greene was a prominent writer but never awarded the Nobel Prize.	গ্রাহাম গ্রিন একজন খ্যাতিমান লেখক হলেও তিনি নোবেল পুরস্কার পাননি।
3	Who wrote Arms and the Man?	D. George Bernard Shaw ✓	Shaw was an Irish playwright, and Arms and the Man is one of his satirical plays.	জর্জ বার্নার্ড শ' একজন আইরিশ নাট্যকার এবং Arms and the Man তাঁর একটি ব্যঙ্গাত্মক নাটক।
4	What is the “climax” of a plot?	B. at the height ✓	Climax is the turning point or most intense part of the story.	"Climax" বা চূড়ান্ত মুহূর্ত হলো গল্পের সবচেয়ে নাটকীয় বা উত্তেজনাপূর্ণ অংশ।
5	Othello is a play about —	D. A Moor ✓	Othello is a Moor, a black general in the Venetian army in Shakespeare’s tragedy.	Othello নাটকে ওথেলো একজন "Moor", মানে আফ্রিকান বংশোদ্ভূত ভেনিসের সেনাপতি।
6	Riders to the Sea is —	C. a one-act play ✓	This is a one-act tragedy by J.M. Synge set in an Irish fishing village.	এটি জেএম সিনজের লেখা একটি একাঙ্কিকা ট্র্যাজেডি, যা আয়ারল্যান্ডের একটি জেলে গ্রামে ঘটে।
7	Elizabethan writer?	A. Christopher Marlowe ✓	Marlowe was active during the Elizabethan era and a contemporary of Shakespeare.	ক্রিস্টোফার মার্লো এলিজাবেথীয় যুগের একজন লেখক ছিলেন এবং শেক্সপিয়ারের সমসাময়িক।
8	“To be, or not to be” is from —	B. Hamlet ✓	This iconic line is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, reflecting the prince’s inner struggle.	এই বিখ্যাত উক্তিটি শেক্সপিয়ারের Hamlet নাটকের, যেখানে রাজপুত্র জীবনের বিষয়ে দ্বিধায় ভোগে।
9	Odd one out (books)	B. As I Lay Dying ✓	Written by Faulkner; others are by Toni Morrison.	এটি উইলিয়াম ফকনারের লেখা; অন্য তিনটি টনি মরিসনের লেখা।
10	Odd one out (authors)	A. George Eliot ✓	Eliot was a woman (real name Mary Ann Evans) and earlier Victorian, unlike others.	জর্জ এলিয়ট ছিলেন একজন নারী লেখক (আসল নাম মেরি অ্যান ইভানস) এবং আগের যুগের লেখিকা।

📝 Grammar Section (Q11–Q20)

Q#	Question Summary	Correct Answer	Explanation (English)	ব্যাখ্যা (বাংলা)
11	Which word can be a verb?	C. Master ✓	“Master” means to gain control or skill in something.	“Master” মানে হলো কোনো কিছু আয়ত্ত করা বা দক্ষতা অর্জন করা।
12	Determiner in the sentence?	B. much ✓	“Much” shows quantity of “time”; it’s a determiner.	“Much” সময়ের পরিমাণ বোঝায়, তাই এটি determiner (নির্ধারক)।
13	“Disagreeable” is a/an —	C. Adjective ✓	Describes “man”; it’s an adjective.	এটি “man” কে বর্ণনা করছে, তাই এটি একটি adjective (বিশেষণ)।
14	“Material” refers to —	C. Noun ✓	“Material” means content/resources for writing.	এখানে “material” মানে গল্প লেখার উপকরণ বা বিষয়বস্তু।
15	“Hereditary” is a/an —	C. Adjective ✓	Describes how depression is passed; it's an adjective.	“Hereditary” মানে বংশগত; এটি “depression” কে বর্ণনা করছে।
16	Meaning of “A stitch in time…”	C. timely action ✓	Taking quick action avoids bigger problems.	সময়মতো কাজ করলে বড় সমস্যা এড়ানো যায় — এটাই মূল বার্তা।
17	Meaning of “nouveau riche”	D. New rich ✓	French phrase meaning newly wealthy people.	ফরাসি শব্দগুচ্ছ, যার মানে নতুন ধনী হওয়া লোকজন।
18	Synonym of “initiative”	B. enterprise ✓	“Enterprise” also means taking action/start of something.	“Enterprise” মানে উদ্যোগ বা কিছু শুরু করার ক্ষমতা।
19	Meaning of “protocol” here	B. Procedures ✓	“Protocol” means formal steps or rules followed.	এখানে “protocol” মানে নির্দিষ্ট প্রক্রিয়া বা নিয়মাবলি।
20	“Exponentially” means —	D. rapidly ✓	It means increasing very fast.	“Exponentially” মানে অত্যন্ত দ্রুতগতিতে বৃদ্ধি পাওয়া।

📝 Grammar Section (Q21–Q33)

Q#	Question Summary	Correct Answer	Explanation (English)	ব্যাখ্যা (বাংলা)
21	Meaning of “periphery”?	C. marginal areas ✓	“Periphery” refers to the outer or less important part.	“Periphery” মানে হলো প্রান্তিক বা গুরুত্বহীন এলাকা।
22	Antonym of “hibernate”?	C. liveliness ✓	Hibernate means to rest/sleep; opposite is being active or lively.	“Hibernate” মানে ঘুমিয়ে থাকা বা বিশ্রাম নেওয়া; তার বিপরীত হলো “liveliness” বা সচলতা।
23	Meaning of “minutes” in meeting?	B. written record ✓	“Minutes” means an official written record of what was discussed.	এখানে “minutes” মানে সভায় আলোচনা হওয়া বিষয়ের লিখিত রেকর্ড।
24	Analogy: Harm:Damage → ?	C. Injure:Incapacitate ✓	Just as harm leads to damage, injury can lead to incapacity.	“Harm” যেমন “damage” করে, তেমনি “injure” করলে “incapacitate” হয় (অক্ষমতা)।
25	Cricket enjoys a huge ____ in Bangladesh.	D. following ✓	“Following” means fan base or group of admirers.	“Following” মানে সমর্থক বা অনুগামীদের একটি বড় দল।
26	Directed in ____ style.	C. idiosyncratic ✓	“Idiosyncratic” means unique or distinctive to that person.	“Idiosyncratic” মানে কারো নিজস্ব ও স্বতন্ত্র ধরন।
27	This could have worked if I ___ been more far-sighted.	B. had ✓	Past unreal conditional: “could have” → “had” is correct.	অতীত অবাস্তব শর্তে “could have” এর সঙ্গে “had” ব্যবহৃত হয়।
28	Mughal Empire began to ____	C. disintegrate ✓	“Disintegrate” means to break up or collapse.	“Disintegrate” মানে ধীরে ধীরে ভেঙে পড়া বা বিলীন হয়ে যাওয়া।
29	Fat increases the risk —	A. increases ✓	“Increase” is the right verb for raising risk.	“Risk” বা ঝুঁকি বাড়ানোর জন্য সঠিক ক্রিয়া হলো “increases”।
30	___ song haunted me.	C. That ✓	“That” refers to a specific song, not near.	“That” দূরের বা আগের উল্লেখিত গানের কথা বোঝাতে ব্যবহৃত হয়।
31	Women are too often ___ by family commitments.	D. constrained ✓	“Constrained” means limited or restricted.	“Constrained” মানে সীমাবদ্ধ বা নিয়ন্ত্রিত করা।
32	Class conflict is key to —	D. Marxism ✓	Marxism focuses on class struggle and social inequality.	মার্কসবাদ শ্রেণীসংঘাত ও সামাজিক বৈষম্যকে প্রধান ব্যাখ্যা হিসেবে দেখে।
33	Correct sentence	A. He insisted on seeing her. ✓	“Insist on” is the correct prepositional phrase.	“Insist” এর সঠিক প্রয়োগ হলো “insist on” (জোর দেয়া)। বাক্যটি সঠিক।