FPSC CSS Screening Test (MPT) English (Vocabulary, Grammar & Comprehension) Syllabus

Commonly confused words: distinguish 'its' vs "it's".

'Its' is the possessive form; "it's" is the contraction of 'it is' or 'it has'.

Commonly confused words: distinguish 'lose' vs 'loose'.

'Lose' (verb) means to misplace or be defeated; 'loose' (adjective) means not tight.

What does the foreign phrase 'bona fide' mean?

Genuine; in good faith (Latin).

What does the foreign phrase 'status quo' mean?

The existing state of affairs (Latin).

What does the foreign phrase 'de facto' mean, and how does it contrast with 'de jure'?

'De facto' means in fact/in practice; 'de jure' means by law/by right (Latin).

What does the foreign phrase 'carte blanche' mean?

Complete freedom or unrestricted authority to act (French).

What does the foreign phrase 'faux pas' mean?

A social blunder or embarrassing mistake (French).

What does the foreign phrase 'modus operandi' mean?

A particular way or method of doing something (Latin).

What does the foreign phrase 'vice versa' mean?

The other way around; conversely (Latin).

In a word-relationship/analogy, what does the format 'A : B :: C : D' mean?

It means 'A is to B as C is to D' — the relationship between A and B equals that between C and D.

Name three common types of analogies used in verbal reasoning.

Synonym, antonym, and part-to-whole analogies (others include cause-and-effect, worker-to-tool, and category-to-member).

What is a 'part-to-whole' analogy? Give an example.

A relationship where one item is a component of the other. Example: 'page : book' (a page is part of a book).

What is a 'cause-and-effect' analogy? Give an example.

One term produces the other. Example: 'fire : smoke' (fire causes smoke).

What is a 'worker-to-tool' analogy? Give an example.

A relationship between a person and the instrument they use. Example: 'carpenter : hammer'.

What is a noun? Name its main types.

A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. Types: common, proper, collective, abstract, concrete, and countable/uncountable.

What is a pronoun? Name three kinds.

A word that replaces a noun. Kinds include personal (he, she), possessive (his, hers), relative (who, which), reflexive (himself), and demonstrative (this, that).

What is the difference between an abstract noun and a concrete noun?

An abstract noun names something intangible (love, freedom); a concrete noun names something perceivable by the senses (table, dog).

What is a collective noun? Give an example.

A noun naming a group as a single unit. Example: 'team', 'flock', 'jury'.

What is a verb? Name its two broad functional types.

A word expressing an action or state of being. Two broad types: action verbs and linking (state-of-being) verbs.

What is the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

A transitive verb takes a direct object (She reads a book); an intransitive verb does not (He sleeps).

What is an adverb, and what does it modify?

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, often telling how, when, where, or to what extent (e.g., 'quickly', 'very').

What is an auxiliary (helping) verb? Give examples.

A verb used with a main verb to form tenses, moods, or voices. Examples: be, have, do, will, shall, can, must.

What is an adjective? What does it modify?

A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun (e.g., 'tall', 'blue', 'three').

What are the three degrees of comparison for adjectives? Give an example.

Positive, comparative, and superlative. Example: tall, taller, tallest.

What is the difference between an adjective and an adverb?

An adjective modifies nouns/pronouns; an adverb modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., 'quick' vs 'quickly').

What is a preposition? Give examples.

A word that shows the relationship of a noun/pronoun to another word, often indicating place, time, or direction. Examples: in, on, at, by, under, between.

What is the difference between 'between' and 'among'?

'Between' is used for two items (or distinct individual items); 'among' is used for three or more grouped items.

What is a conjunction? Name its main types.

A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses. Types: coordinating (and, but, or), subordinating (because, although, if), and correlative (either…or, neither…nor).

What are the coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)?

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

What is an interjection? Give an example.

A word or phrase expressing sudden emotion, usually standing alone with an exclamation mark. Example: 'Wow!', 'Oh!', 'Alas!'.