(IGP) IAS Pre Paper - 2: GS - English Language & Comprehension Skills - Common Error (MCQ -2)

Directions: Select the correct word or phrase to complete a grammatical and idiomatic sentence.

1. Agriculture in America has—industrial progress.
(a) kept pace with
(b) kept paces along
(c) kept its pace for
(d) kept pace together with

2. He is — if he does not meet this situation boldly.
(a) unworthy of his salt
(b) not worth his salt
(c) not of worth to his salt
(d) not worth of the salt

3. I know I have a copy of the book you need, but at the moment, I can't — it.
(a) lay my hands on
(b) lie my hand
(c) lay my fingers on
(d) lay my hands to

4. Due to industrial recession, retrenchment of jobs is — in big and small units alike.
(a) order for the day
(b) the daily order
(c) the order of the day
(d) the order every day

5. It is due to lack of careful advance planning that your scheme has
(a) come upon grief
(b) come out with grief
(c) come to grief
(d) come in grief.

6. I wish my brother — here to listen to this entertaining lecture.
(a) would be
(b) has been
(c) is
(d) were

7. Did you think you — somewhere before?
(a) have seen me
(b) saw me
(c) had seen me
(d) would see me

8. John is a great hand — organising meetings
(a) for
(b) to
(c) at
(d) in

9. He has — , he deals both in books and curios.
(a) two bows to his string
(b) two string to his bow
(c) two arrows to his bow
(d) two bows and strings

10. The way he is currying favour — his rich neighbour is sickening.
(a) of
(b) with
(c) for
(d) to

11. The patient was cheered — by the news that she was likely to be discharged in a day or two.
(a) on
(b) up
(c) out
(d) down

12. The thieves had driven ten miles before the police caught — them.
(a) on with
(b) upon
(c) up to
(d) up with

13. As soon as the visitor's dishonest purpose was discovered, he was — the door.
(a) shown with
(b) shown to
(c) shown
(d) shown out of

14. As soon as my attention was—the dangerous state of the staircase, I got it repaired.
(a) drawn for
(b) drawn upon
(c) drawn near
(d) drawn to

15. _____ pompous, he was an entertaining companion.
(a) Before
(b) Never
(c) Though
(d) Despite

16. Because of his distrust—every one, he could never gain any good friend.
(a) by
(b) of
(c) with
(d) in

17. The new Twenty Point Programme is designed to be a renewed assault — poverty.
(a) for
(b) into
(c) on
(d) upon

18. If you have a good project but are lacking — finance, you should enter into partnership — an affluent person.
(a) of, with
(b) for, with
(c) in, with
(d) in, of

19. He was operated — an abscess in his leg.
(a) for
(b) against
(c) on for
(d) on against

20. Living a simple life — one's own resources is preferable—leading a luxurious life on borrowed funds.
(a) with, than
(b) within, to
(c) within, against
(d) on, from

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