38th BCS English Questions & Answers with Explanation / English for BCS Examination / BCS Examination Previous Questions and Answers

38th BCS English Question

01.     Who is the author of ‘Man and Superman?

          a. G.B. Shaw                          b. Thomas Hardy

          c. Ernest Hamingway             d. Charles Dcikens

02.     The most famous Satanist in English literature is—

          a. Jonathan Swift                   b. Alexander Pope

          c. Joseph Addison                  d. Richard Stell

03.     What is the plural form of the word ‘louse’?

          a. louses                                 b. lice 

          c. lices                                    d. licess

04.     Choose the correct sentence:

          a. He refrained to take any drastic action

          b. He refrained on taking any drastic action

          c. He refrained in taking any drastic action

          d. He refrained from taking any drastic action

          Ans. d. He refrained from taking any drastic action

05.     Which word is closest in meaning to ‘Franchise’?

          a. utility                                  b. frankness

          c. privilege                              d. superficial

06.     ‘Once in a blue moon’ means—

          a. always                                b. very rarely

          c. nearly                                 d. hourly

          Ans. b. very rarely               

07.     ‘Jacobean Period’ of English Literature refers to—

          a. 1558-1603                          b. 1625-1649

          c. 1603-1625                          d. 1649-1660

08.     A retired officer lives next door. Here, the underlined word in used as a/an:

          a. Gerund                               b. adverb

          c. preposition                         d. participle

09.     Choose the appropriate preposition in the blank of the following sentence:

          Eight men were concerned--- the plot.

a.     at                                       b. with

          c. in                                        d. for

 10.     Fill in the gap with the right tense:

          When water—it turns into ice.

a.     will freeze                          b. freezes

          c. would freeze                       d. froze

11.     Which one is the correct antonym of ‘frugal’?

          a. Extraordinary                     b. spendthrift

          c. economical                          d. authentic

12.     Choose the meaning of the idiom—

          ‘Take the bull by the horns’

          a. To challenge the enemy with courage

b. Force the enemy to submit

c. Out of one’s wit

d. Surrender before the enemy

13.     Fill in the blank with the correct quantifier.

          I still have—money.

a.     a few                                  b. quite a few

c. many                                  d. a little

14.     Select the right compound structure of the sentence:

          ‘Though he is poor, he is honest’.

          a. He is poor and honest        b. As he is poor, he is honest

          c. He is poor but honest         d. Sine he is poor, he is honest.

15.     Where do the following lines occur in?

          ‘Alone, alone, all, all alone,

          Alone on a wide, wide sea.---`

          a. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner b. Kubla Khan

          c. The Nightingale                             d. The dungeon

16.     ‘For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love.’

          This line is written by—

a.     Emily Dickinson                b. T.S. Eliot

c. Mathew Arnold                  d. John Donne

17.     Fill in the blanks:

Tourists – their reservations well in advance if they want to fly to Cox’s Bazar.

          a. better to had get                 b. had better to get

          c. had better got                     d. had better get

18.     The sun went down. The underlined word is used here as a/an:

          a. preposition                         b. adverb

          c. noun                                   d. conjunction

19.     Which one of the following words is in singular form?

          a. agenda                                b. oases

          c. radius                                 d. formulae

20.     Identify the right passive voice of ‘it is impossible to do this’.

          a. Doing this is impossible      b. This is impossible to be done

          c. This is must be done           d. This can’t be done

21.     Of the following authors, who wrote an epic?

          a. John Milton                        b. Jane Mansfield

          c. William Cowper                 d. William Shakespeare

22.     The literary term ‘euphemism’ means—

          a. vague idea                          b. inoffensive expression

          c. a sonnet                              d. wise saying

23.     ‘Mutton’ is a/an

          a. Common noun                   b. Abstract noun

          c. Material noun                     d. Proper noun

24.     Reading is an excellent habit. Here, the underlined word is a—

          a. Verbal noun                        b. Participle

          c. Verb                                   d. Gerund

25.     Which one of the following words is an example of a distributive pronoun?

          a. such                                    b. either

          c. that                                     d. any

26.     Who is not a Victorian poet?

          a. Mathew Arnold                   b. Alexander Pope

          c. Robert Browning                d. Alfred Tennyson

27.     A speech of too many word is called—

          a. A big speech                       b. Maiden speech

          c. An unimportant speech        d. A verbose speech

28.     ‘Strike while the iron is hot’ is an example of—

          a. Noun Clause                       b. Adjective clause

          c. Adverbial clause                  d. Subordinate clause

29.     The play ‘The Spanish Tragedy’ is written by—

          a. Thomas Kyd                      b. Christopher Marlowe

          c. Shakespeare                       d. Ben Jonson

30.     Who among the following Indian English writers is a famous novelist?

          a. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak        b. R.K. Narayan

          c. Nissim Ezekiel                           d. Kamala Das

31.     The word ‘Panegyric’ means

          a. Criticism                             b. elaborate praise

          c. curse                                   d. high sound

32.     Select the correctly spelt word:

          a. heterogeneous                     b. heterogeneous

          c. hetrogeneous                      d. hetroganeous

33.     ‘Among’ is a preposition that is used when--- people are involved.

          a. two                                     b. more than two

          c. two or more than two         d. four only

34.     Which period is known as ‘The golden age of English literature’?

          a. The Victorian age               b. The Elizabeth I age

          c. The Restoration age            d. The eighteenth Century

35.     Which one in the correct indirect narration?

          ‘Why have you beaten my dog? he said to me.

a.     He demanded me why had I beaten his dog.

b.     He asked me why I have had beaten his dog.

c.      He enquired my why had I had beaten his dog.

d.     He demanded of me why I had beaten his dog.

38th BCS English Questions Answers with Explanation

Q#	Question Summary	Correct Answer	Explanation
01	Author of Man and Superman	a. G.B. Shaw	George Bernard Shaw wrote Man and Superman in 1903, a play exploring philosophical themes.
02	Most famous Satanist in English literature	(None correct)	The expected answer is John Milton, author of Paradise Lost, where Satan is a prominent figure. None of the options listed are correct.
03	Plural of ‘louse’	b. lice	"Lice" is the irregular plural of "louse," a parasitic insect.
04	Correct sentence with 'refrained'	d. He refrained from taking...	The verb “refrain” is followed by "from + -ing form."
05	Meaning of ‘Franchise’	c. privilege	"Franchise" can mean a special right or privilege granted to an individual or group.
06	Idiom: “Once in a blue moon”	b. very rarely	The idiom means something that happens very infrequently.
07	Jacobean Period	c. 1603–1625	Refers to the reign of King James I of England.
08	Word class of ‘retired’ in “A retired officer”	d. participle	"Retired" is a past participle used adjectivally to modify "officer."
09	Preposition: “concerned — the plot”	b. with	The correct collocation is "concerned with," meaning involved or related to.
10	Tense: “When water — it turns into ice”	b. freezes	This is a zero conditional sentence (general truth), so present simple is used.
11	Antonym of ‘frugal’	b. spendthrift	A “frugal” person saves money; a “spendthrift” spends excessively.
12	Idiom: “Take the bull by the horns”	a. To challenge with courage	This idiom means to deal with a difficult situation directly and boldly.
13	Quantifier: “I still have — money”	d. a little	"A little" is used with uncountable nouns like "money."
14	Compound form of “Though he is poor...”	c. He is poor but honest	"Though" (subordinating) is replaced by "but" (coordinating) to form a compound sentence.
15	“Alone, alone...” — Source	a. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner	These lines are from Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
16	“For God’s sake hold your tongue...” — Author	d. John Donne	The line is from Donne’s poem The Canonization.
17	“Tourists — their reservations...”	d. had better get	"Had better + base verb" is used to express advice.
18	Word class of “down” in “The sun went down”	b. adverb	“Down” here tells where the sun went, so it’s an adverb of direction.
19	Singular word	c. radius	“Radius” is singular; others are plurals.
20	Passive of “It is impossible to do this”	d. This can’t be done	Natural passive construction: “This can’t be done” is clearer and more idiomatic.
21	Epic author	a. John Milton	Milton wrote Paradise Lost, one of the greatest English epics.
22	Meaning of ‘euphemism’	b. inoffensive expression	A euphemism softens a harsh or unpleasant expression.
23	Noun class of ‘mutton’	c. Material noun	“Mutton” is a material noun—it refers to a type of meat.
24	Word class of ‘Reading’	d. Gerund	“Reading” functions as a noun, showing the activity—so it’s a gerund.
25	Distributive pronoun	b. either	“Either” is used to refer to one of two things individually.
26	Not a Victorian poet	b. Alexander Pope	Pope was a Neoclassical poet of the 18th century, not Victorian.
27	Speech with too many words	d. A verbose speech	“Verbose” means using more words than necessary.
28	Clause type: “Strike while the iron is hot”	c. Adverbial clause	“While the iron is hot” explains when to strike, acting as an adverbial clause.
29	Writer of The Spanish Tragedy	a. Thomas Kyd	Kyd is the playwright of The Spanish Tragedy, a key revenge tragedy.
30	Famous Indian English novelist	b. R.K. Narayan	R.K. Narayan is well known for novels like Malgudi Days.
31	Meaning of ‘Panegyric’	b. elaborate praise	A panegyric is a formal public speech or written verse in praise of someone or something.
32	Correct spelling	a. heterogeneous	Only this option is correctly spelled.
33	‘Among’ used when — involved	b. more than two	“Among” is used for more than two; “between” is used for two.
34	‘Golden age of English literature’	b. The Elizabeth I age	The Elizabethan era (1558–1603) is called the golden age due to flourishing drama and poetry.
35	Indirect of: “Why have you beaten my dog?”	d. He demanded of me why I had...	Correct indirect speech form with backshifting and formal reporting verb.

38th BCS English Question

38th BCS English questions solution

Literature

1. Who is not a Victorian poet?

A. Mathew Arnold

B. Alexander Pope✓

C. Robert Browning

D. Alfred Tennyson

2. The play “The Spanish Tragedy” is written by—

A. Thomas Kyd✓

B. Christopher Marlowe

C  Shakespeare

D. Ben Jonson

3. Who among the following Indian English writers is a famous novelist?

A. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

B. R.K. Narayan✓

C. Nissim Ezekiel

D. Kamala Das

4. Which period is known as “The golden age of English literature ?

A.The Victorian age

B. The Elizabethan age✓

C. The Restoration age

D. The Eighteenth Century

5. Who is the author of “Man and Superman”?

A. G.B. Shaw✓

B. Thomas Hardy

C. Ernest Hemingway

D  Charles Dickens

6. The most famous satirist in English literature is —

A. Jonathan Swift✓

B. Alexander Pope

C. Joseph Addison

D. Richard Steel

7. Of the following authors, who wrote an epic?

A. John Milton✓

B. Jane Mansfield

C. William Cowper

D. William Shakespeare

8. “For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love.” This line is written by —

A. Emily Dickinson

B. T.S Eliot

C. Mathew Arnold

D. John Donne✓

9. Where do the following lines occur in? “Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide, wide sea ……”

A. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

B. Kubla Khan✓

C. The Nightingale

D. The Dungeon

10. “Jacobean Period” of English Literature refers to —

A. 1558-1603

B. 1625-1649

C. 1603-1625✓

D. 1649-1660

Grammar

11. The is the plural form of the word “louse”?

A. louses

B. lice✓

C. lices

D. licess

12. Choose the correct sentence?

A. He refrained to take any drastic action

B. He refrained to taking any drastic action

C. He refrained in taking any drastic actions

D. He refrained from taking any drastic action✓

13. Which word is closest in meaning to “Franchise”?

A. utility

B. frankness

C. privilege✓

D. superficial

14. “Once in a blue moon” means —

A. always

B. very rarely✓

C. nearly

D. hourly

15. A retired officer lives next door. Here “retired” word is used as a/an :

A. Gerund

B. adverb

C. preposition

D. participle✓

16. Choose the appropriate preposition in the blank of the following sentence : Eight men were concerned — the plot.

A. at

B. with

C. in

D. for✓

17. Fill in the gap with the right tense : When water — it turns into ice.

A. will freeze

B. freezes✓

C. would freeze

D. froze

18. Which one is the correct antonym of “frugal”?

A. Extraordinary

B. spendthrift

C. economical✓

D. authentic

19. Choose the meaning of the idiom — “Take the bull by the horns.”

A. To challenge the enemy with courage✓

B. Force the enemy to submit

C. Out of one’s wit

D. Surrender before the enemy

20. Fill in the blank with the correct quantifier. I still have — money.

A. a few

B. quite a few

C. many

D. a little✓

21. Select the right compound structure of the sentence: “Though he is poor, he is honest”

A. He is poor and honest.

B. As he is poor, he is honest.

C. He is poor but honest.✓

D. Since he is poor, he is honest.

22. Fill in the blank : Tourists —- their reservations well in advance if they want to fly to Cox’s Bazar.

A. better to had get

B. had better to get

C. had better got

D. had better get✓

23. The sun went down. The “down” word is used here as a/an :

A. preposition

B. adverb✓

C. noun

D. conjunction

24. Identify the right passive voice of “It is impossible to do this”.

A. Doing this is impossible

B. This is impossible to be done✓

C. This is must be done

D. This can’t be done

25. The literary term “euphemism” means—

A. vague idea

B. in offensive expression✓

C. a sonnet

D. wise saying

26. “Mutton” is a/an

A. Common noun

B. Abstract noun

C. Materiel noun✓

D. Proper noun

27. Reading is an excellent habit, Here, the “Reading” word is a —–

A. Verbal noun

B. Participle

C. Verb

D. Gerund✓

28. Which one of the following words is an example of a distributive pronoun?

A. such

B. either✓

C. that

D. any

29. “Among” is a preposition that is used when —– people are involved.

A. two

B. more than two✓

C. two or more than two

D. four only

30. The novelist has a hold of —- in writing.

A. Style✓

B. manner

C. history

D. tradition

31. The word “Panegyric” means.

A. Criticism

B. elaborate praise✓

C. curse

D. high sound

32. Select the correctly spelt word:

A. heterogeneous✓

B. hetarogeneous

C. hetrogeneous

D. hetroganeous

33. Which one in the correct indirect narration? “Why have you beaten my dog”? he said to me.

A. He demanded me why had I beaten his dog.

B. He asked me why I have had beaten his dog.

C. He enquired me why had I had beaten his dog.

D. He demanded of me why I had beaten his dog.✓

34. A speech of too many words is called—

A. A big speech

B. Maiden speech

C. An unimportant speech

D. A verbose speech✓

35. “Strike while the iron is hot” is an example of —-

A. Noun clause

B. Adjective clause

C. Adverbial clause✓

D. Subordinate clause

36. Which one of the following words is in singular form?

A. agenda

B. oases

C. radius✓

D. formulae

✅ 38th BCS English Question Solutions with Explanation

Q. No.	Answer	Explanation
1	B. Alexander Pope	Pope was a neoclassical poet, not a Victorian. Victorian poets include Arnold, Browning, and Tennyson.
2	A. Thomas Kyd	The Spanish Tragedy is a Revenge Tragedy written by Thomas Kyd, a key figure in Elizabethan drama.
3	B. R.K. Narayan	R.K. Narayan is a renowned Indian novelist, famous for his Malgudi Days series. The others are known for literary theory or poetry.
4	B. The Elizabethan age	The Elizabethan Age is known as the "Golden Age" for its flourishing of drama and literature, especially Shakespeare.
5	A. G.B. Shaw	Man and Superman is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, a prominent Irish playwright.
6	A. Jonathan Swift	Swift is considered the greatest satirist in English, famous for Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal.
7	A. John Milton	Milton wrote the epic poem Paradise Lost, a classical English literary epic.
8	D. John Donne	This famous metaphysical line comes from John Donne's poem “The Canonization”.
9	A. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner	The line “Alone, alone...” comes from Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
10	C. 1603–1625	The Jacobean period refers to the reign of King James I of England, who ruled from 1603 to 1625.
11	B. lice	"Lice" is the correct plural form of “louse,” an irregular noun.
12	D. He refrained from taking any drastic action	“Refrain” is a verb that is followed by “from + gerund”, not an infinitive.
13	C. privilege	In a political or commercial context, “franchise” means a right or privilege granted by a government or company.
14	B. very rarely	“Once in a blue moon” is an idiom meaning something that happens very rarely.
15	D. participle	“Retired” is a past participle adjective describing the noun "officer."
16	D. for	“Concerned for” means having sympathy or worry about someone or something.
17	B. freezes	This is a zero conditional sentence; the correct tense is simple present in both clauses.
18	❌ Correct Answer: B. spendthrift	“Frugal” means careful with money. Its antonym is spendthrift, not "economical" which is a synonym.
19	A. To challenge the enemy with courage	“Take the bull by the horns” means to face a difficult situation bravely and directly.
20	D. a little	“A little” is used with uncountable nouns like “money.”
21	C. He is poor but honest.	“Though he is poor...” is best rewritten in a compound sentence as “He is poor but honest.”
22	D. had better get	“Had better” is followed by the base form of the verb: “get.”
23	B. adverb	“Down” shows the direction of the verb “went” — so it functions as an adverb here.
24	B. This is impossible to be done	This is the grammatically correct passive construction of “It is impossible to do this.”
25	B. inoffensive expression	“Euphemism” is a polite or mild expression used to replace a harsh or offensive one.
26	C. Material noun	“Mutton” refers to meat, a tangible substance; hence, it's a material noun.
27	D. Gerund	“Reading” here is used as the subject of the sentence, functioning as a gerund.
28	B. either	“Either” refers to one of two, and it’s a distributive pronoun.
29	B. more than two	“Among” is used when more than two people or items are involved.
30	A. Style	“Hold of style” refers to the novelist’s command or control over literary expression.
31	B. elaborate praise	“Panegyric” means a formal or elaborate praise of someone or something.
32	A. heterogeneous	“Heterogeneous” means diverse in content and is the correct spelling.
33	D. He demanded of me why I had beaten his dog.	The indirect form needs past perfect and proper word order.
34	D. A verbose speech	“Verbose” means using too many words, often unnecessarily.
35	C. Adverbial clause	“Strike while the iron is hot” is an adverbial clause of time.
36	C. radius	“Radius” is singular; its plural form is radii. Others like “agenda”, “oases”, and “formulae” are plural.