KVS Recruitment (PGT/TGT/PRT) General English Syllabus

What are the three main types of subordinate clauses by function?

Noun clause (acts as a noun: I know that he is honest), Adjective/Relative clause (modifies a noun: The book that you gave), and Adverb clause (modifies a verb/adjective: He left when it rained).

What is the difference between a defining (restrictive) and a non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause?

A defining clause is essential to identify the noun and takes no commas (Students who cheat are punished); a non-defining clause adds extra, non-essential information and is set off by commas (My brother, who lives in Pune, is a doctor).

In the second conditional, why is 'were' used for all persons (e.g., 'If I were you')?

This is the subjunctive mood used to express hypothetical or unreal situations, so 'were' replaces 'was' for all subjects: 'If I were you, I would apologize.'

What is the difference between the homophones 'stationary' and 'stationery'?

'Stationary' (with an 'a') is an adjective meaning not moving; 'stationery' (with an 'e') is a noun meaning writing materials such as paper and pens.

What is the difference between the commonly confused words 'principal' and 'principle'?

'Principal' means the head of an institution or the most important thing/main sum of money; 'principle' means a fundamental rule or belief.

Give a one-word substitute for 'a person who knows many languages.'

A polyglot (or linguist).

What is the one-word substitute for 'a place where birds are kept'?

An aviary.

Give a one-word substitute for 'fear of water.'

Hydrophobia.

What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?

A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another (big/large); an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (big/small).

What is the meaning of the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag'?

To reveal a secret, often unintentionally.

What does the idiom 'a blessing in disguise' mean?

Something that appears to be bad or unlucky at first but results in something good.

What does the idiom 'to bite the bullet' mean?

To force oneself to endure or face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.

What is a phrasal verb, and what does the phrasal verb 'put off' mean?

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition/adverb that creates a meaning different from the original verb; 'put off' means to postpone or delay.

What is the difference in meaning between the phrasal verbs 'call off' and 'call on'?

'Call off' means to cancel (They called off the match); 'call on' means to visit someone or to formally request/ask someone to do something.

What does the phrasal verb 'run out of' mean?

To have no more of something; to exhaust the supply (We have run out of milk).

What is word formation by affixation? Define prefix and suffix.

Affixation forms new words by adding affixes. A prefix is added before the root and usually changes meaning (un-, dis-, re- → unhappy); a suffix is added after the root and often changes the part of speech (-ness, -ly, -tion → happiness).

Which suffixes commonly convert a verb or adjective into a noun? Give examples.

-tion/-sion (act → action), -ment (govern → government), -ness (kind → kindness), -ity (able → ability), and -ance/-ence (resist → resistance).

Which suffixes are typically used to form adjectives, and which to form adverbs?

Adjective-forming suffixes include -ful, -less, -ous, -able/-ible, -al, -ive (careful, dangerous); the most common adverb-forming suffix is -ly (quick → quickly).

What is the meaning of the prefixes 'mis-', 'pre-', and 'over-'?

'mis-' means wrongly/badly (misunderstand), 'pre-' means before (prepay/preview), and 'over-' means too much/excessive (overcook).

What is a compound word? Name its three written forms.

A compound word is formed by joining two or more words into one unit of meaning. Its three forms are closed (notebook), hyphenated (mother-in-law), and open/spaced (post office).

In reading comprehension, what is the difference between skimming and scanning?

Skimming is reading quickly to get the general idea or gist of a passage; scanning is searching rapidly for specific information such as a name, date, or keyword.

In reading comprehension, what is the difference between the 'main idea' and a 'supporting detail'?

The main idea is the central point the passage conveys (often in the topic sentence); supporting details are the facts, examples, or reasons that explain or back up the main idea.

What is an inference question in reading comprehension?

A question whose answer is not stated directly in the passage but must be logically deduced from the information and clues the author provides.

How can you determine the 'tone' of a passage in reading comprehension?

By examining the author's choice of words (diction) and attitude toward the subject, identifying it as, for example, critical, humorous, optimistic, sarcastic, or objective.

What is a cloze test, and what is the key strategy for solving it?

A cloze test is a passage with blanks that must be filled with the most appropriate words. The key strategy is to read the whole passage first for overall context, then choose words that fit grammatically and contextually with surrounding sentences.

In a cloze test, which grammatical clues most often determine the correct word for a blank?

Subject-verb agreement, correct tense, appropriate prepositions and articles, collocations (words that naturally go together), and connectors/transition words that signal logic (however, therefore, because).

What is a para jumble question, and what is its objective?

A para jumble presents sentences of a paragraph in a scrambled order; the objective is to rearrange them into a coherent, logically sequenced paragraph.

What is the most reliable first step in solving para jumbles?

Identify the opening sentence, which usually introduces the main topic independently and contains no pronouns or connectors referring back to earlier ideas.

In para jumbles, what role do pronouns and reference words play in sequencing?

Pronouns (he, she, it, they, this) and reference words must follow the noun they refer to, so they link a sentence to the one before it and help establish the correct order; a sentence introducing a noun must precede the sentence that refers to it by a pronoun.

In para jumbles, how do transition/linking words help establish the correct order of sentences?

Connectors signal logical relationships: 'firstly/initially' indicate beginnings, 'however/but' show contrast with the previous idea, 'therefore/thus' show consequence, and 'finally/in conclusion' signal the closing sentence, so they reveal which sentence comes before or after another.