Question 1

(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question)

Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following:
a) While on a tour you witnessed an incident of great heroism by a young boy and his dog.
Give a vivid account of it.
b) ‘The internet has created more problems than it has solved.’ Express your views either for
or against this statement.
c) Write an original story beginning with ‘My sister and I continued walking slowly, the night
wore on and became difficult ........................’
d) The greatest joys of life come unexpectedly. Describe an occasion when you experienced
such bliss.
e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or description or an account of what the
picture suggests to you. Your composition may be of the picture or you may take suggestions
from it.
SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of verb given in the brackets.
1. One of my friends ________ gone to France. (has/have)
2. Each of the boys _________ given a present. (was/were)
3. Neither of the contestants ______ able to win a decisive victory. (was /were)
4. Oil and water ________ not mix. (do/does)
5. He and I ___________ at Oxford together. (was/were)
6. Slow and steady _________ the race. (win/ wins)
7. Neither Peter nor James _________ any right to the property. (has/have)
8. No prize or medal _______ given to the boy, though he stood first in the class.
(was/were)
9. Either Mary or Alice _______ responsible for this. (is/ are)
10. Neither the minister nor his colleagues _______ given any explanation for this.
(has/have)
11. Pete’s stomach ______ when it is empty. (growl/growls)
12. Brown bears ________ thick fur only in the cold winter months. (has/have)
13. Not many vegetables _____ high in calories. (is/ are)
14. Either two nickels or one dime ______ in the parking meter. (work/works)
15. Carol and her cousins ________ every afternoon. (exercise/exercises)
16. The owner of those CDs _______ them back. (want/wants)
17. The inventor of the gadgets _______ a patent. (demand/demands)
18. Where _______ your new dartboard? (are/is)
19. In the back of the room _____ three stacks of book. (was/were)
20. Some of our luggage _______ lost. (was/were)
21. None of his advice _________ sense. (make/makes)
22. Everybody who signed up for the snowboarding trip _____ taking lessons. (was/were)
23. Everyone on the team _______ the coach. (support/supports)
24. There _________ a social worker and a crew of twenty volunteers at the scene of the
accident. (was/were)
25. The committee members _______ debating amongst themselves. (is/are)
Q2. Choose the correct option to fill in the blanks
i) He excelled ............................ the reading tests.
ii) I ran ....................... her at the mall.
iii) She reached .................. the table to borrow a pen.
iv) My mother decided to dispose .................... the old oven.
v) We are not happy with the treatment meted ___ to our guests.
vi). It will be ___ your advantage, if you agree to this clause.
vii) After the others refused, Rajesh took the responsibility of making the arrangements
___ himself.
viii) The umpire has taken exception ___ the player's remark upon his dismissal.
Q 3. Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words provided after the passage
Shirly (O).................. (munch) on the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy
thief diminished her stock. She got more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If
wasn’t so nice, I (i) .......................(black) his eye. “With each cookie she took, he took
one too. When only one was left, she (ii) .................... (wonder) what he would do. with a
smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookies and broke it in half. He
offered her half, as he ate the other. She had never (iii) ..........................(know) she could
be so angry and turned to gather her belongings. As she reached for her baggage, she
gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes. If mine are here,
she moaned in despair, the other were his and he (iv) .................. (try) to share. Example:
(O) munched
Q4. Choose the correct option to join following sentences without using ‘and’, ‘but’
or ‘so’
i) The mother embraced her child. It was a loving moment
a) Such a loving moment it was the mother embracing her own child
b) When the mother embraced her child, it was a loving moment
c) The mother embraced her child and it was loving moment
d) The mother embraced her child as well as loved her.
ii) She is very innocent. She is not a fool.
a) Although she is very innocent, she is not a fool
b) Neither is she innocent nor a fool.
c) Not only is she innocent but also a fool
d) She is a very innocent fool.

iii) Give food to the poor. It is a noble deed

a) Give food to the poor so you do a noble deed.
b) When you give food to the poor it is indeed a noble deed.
c) It is a noble deed that you have given food to the poor
d) Giving food to the poor is a noble deed.

iv) Harry is not confident. He will not succeed.

a) As Harry is confident, he will succeed.
b) Since Harry is not confident, he will not succeed.
c) Harry will not succeed because he is not confident enough
d) Though Harry is confident, he will not succeed.

Q 5. Read each sentence with its instructions. Choose the correct answer from the
options provided beneath each
i) You should revise your lessons today, “he said. (Begin: He advised..................)
a) He advised them to revise their lessons today.
b) He told them to revise their lessons that day
c) He advised me to revise their lessons that day
d) He advised them to revise their lessons that day.

ii) You should stop sneaking around if you don’t want trouble. (Begin: Unless....)
a) Unless you want trouble, you will have to stop sneaking around.
b) Unless you do not want trouble, you should not stop sneaking around.
c) Unless you want trouble, you should stop sneaking around.
d) Until you want trouble, you should stop sneaking around.
iii) In spite of the low temperatures, we enjoyed swimming. (Begin: Despite....)
a) Despite of the low temperatures, we enjoyed swimming.
b) Despite the low temperatures, we did not enjoy swimming.
c) Despite the low temperatures we still enjoyed swimming.
d) Despite the low temperatures, we enjoyed swimming.

iv) They greet me cheerfully every morning. (Begin: Every morning....)

a) Every morning I am greeted cheerfully by them.
b) Every morning they greet me cheerfully
c) Every morning I am being greeted cheerfully by them
d) I am greeted cheerfully by them every morning.

v) I get up earlier than she does. (End... as I do)

a) She does not get up as early as I did.
b) She does not get up as early as I do.
c) She did not get up as early as I do.
d) She does get up as early as I do.

vi) As soon as she read the telegram, she fainted. (Begin: NO sooner....)
a) No sooner did she read the telegram than she had already fainted.
b) No sooner had she read the telegram, she had fainted.
c) No sooner did she read the telegram then she fainted.
d) No sooner did she read the telegram than she fainted.

vii) What a dangerous thing little knowledge is! (Begin: Little knowledge.....)
a) Little knowledge is a very dangerous thing.
b) Little knowledge is a thing of extreme danger.
c) Little knowledge is a very dangerous thing!
d) It is a very dangerous thing to have little knowledge.

viii) The weather is too bad to go out for a picnic (Remove ‘too’)
a) The weather is so bad that we can go out for a picnic
b) The weather is so bad, we cannot go out for a picnic
c) The weather is so bad that we cannot go out for a picnic
d) The weather is very bad so we cannot go out for a picnic.

ix). But for the bad weather, the programme would have been a success. [Begin: Had it...]
A. Had it been the bad weather, the programme would have been a success.
B. Had it not been for the bad weather, the programme would have been a success.
C. Had it been the good weather, the programme would have been a success.
D. Had it not the good weather, the programme would have been a success.

x) . She stayed away from work because she was ill. [begin: If she...]
A. If she had been ill, she wouldn't have stayed away from work.
B. If she had not been ill, she wouldn't have stayed away from work.
C. If she had not been ill, she would have stayed away from work.
D. If she was not ill, she wouldn't have stayed away from work.

xi). I advise you to buy the car. [begin: If...]

A. If I had advised you, you would buy the car.
B. If I were you, I would buy the car.
C. If you were at my place, you would buy the car.
D. If I were at your place, you would buy the car.

xii). Nobody knew much about his plans for the future. [begin: Little...]
A. Little did anyone know about his plans for the future.
B. Little do anyone know about his plans for the future.
C. Little did anyone knew about his plans for the future.
D. Little will anyone know about his plans for the future.

xiii). The heavy showers of rain revived the plants. [End: ... showers of rain.]
A. The plants are revived by the heavy showers.
B. The plants were revived by the heavy showers.
C. The plants had been revived by the heavy showers.
D. The plants will be revived by the heavy showers.

xiv). Man is exploring the sea in order to increase his resources. [begin: The sea...]
A. The sea is explored by man to increase his resources.
B. The sea is being explored by man to increase his resources.
C. The sea is getting explored by man to increase his resources.
D. The sea has to be explored by man to increase his resources.

xv). The strike has been called off. [end: ...strike.]

A. They will call off the strike.
B. They were to call off the strike.
C. They have called off the strike.
D. They called off the strike.

xvi). They had to shut down the computers before leaving the office. [The computers...]
A. The computers were shut down by them before leaving the office.
B. The computers had to be shut down by them before leaving the office.
C. The computers had shut down by them before leaving the office.
D. The computers would have shut down by them before leaving the office.