PPSC Assistant Director Test English Syllabus

When is 'a' used versus 'an'?

Use 'a' before a consonant sound (a book, a university, a one-rupee coin) and 'an' before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour, an MBA).

What are determiners, and give the main categories?

Determiners introduce nouns and clarify reference. Categories: articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your), quantifiers (some, many, few), and numbers.

Distinguish 'few', 'a few', and 'the few'.

'Few' = hardly any (negative); 'a few' = some (positive); 'the few' = the small number that exists.

What is the difference between 'less' and 'fewer'?

'Fewer' is used with countable nouns (fewer books); 'less' is used with uncountable nouns (less water).

What is a synonym? Give a synonym for 'abundant'.

A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another. A synonym for 'abundant' is 'plentiful' (or copious).

What is an antonym? Give the antonym of 'benevolent'.

An antonym is a word opposite in meaning to another. The antonym of 'benevolent' (kind) is 'malevolent' (cruel).

Give synonyms and an antonym for 'candid'.

Synonyms: frank, honest, straightforward. Antonym: deceitful (or evasive).

Give the antonyms of: 'transparent', 'frugal', and 'humble'.

Transparent — opaque; Frugal — extravagant/wasteful; Humble — arrogant/proud.

What is a 'one-word substitution'? Give the word for 'a person who knows many languages'.

A one-word substitution replaces a phrase with a single precise word. A person who knows many languages is a 'polyglot'.

One-word substitution: 'a government by the few' and 'a government by the wealthy'.

A government by the few is an 'Oligarchy'; a government by the wealthy is a 'Plutocracy'.

Give one-word substitutions: 'one who eats everything' and 'one who eats human flesh'.

One who eats everything is an 'Omnivore'; one who eats human flesh is a 'Cannibal'.

One-word substitution: 'a speech made without preparation' and 'a place where money is coined'.

A speech made without preparation is 'Extempore' (or impromptu); a place where money is coined is a 'Mint'.

One-word substitution: 'fear of confined spaces' and 'fear of water'.

Fear of confined spaces is 'Claustrophobia'; fear of water is 'Hydrophobia'.

What is an idiom? Give the meaning of 'to bite the bullet'.

An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning is not deducible from its individual words. 'To bite the bullet' means to face a difficult situation bravely.

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

Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good or beneficial.

What does 'to let the cat out of the bag' mean?

To reveal a secret, usually by accident.

What does the idiom 'once in a blue moon' mean?

Something that happens very rarely.

What does 'to add fuel to the fire' mean?

To make a bad or tense situation worse.

What is a phrasal verb? Define 'put off'.

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb that creates a new meaning. 'Put off' means to postpone or delay.

Give the meanings of the phrasal verbs 'call off' and 'break down'.

'Call off' means to cancel; 'break down' means to stop functioning (machine) or to lose emotional control.

Give the meanings of 'get over' and 'look into'.

'Get over' means to recover from something; 'look into' means to investigate or examine.

Choose the correct preposition: 'He is good ___ mathematics.' and 'She is married ___ a doctor.'

'good at mathematics' and 'married to a doctor'.

What preposition follows 'comply', 'capable', and 'afraid'?

Comply WITH, capable OF, afraid OF.

What is the main strategy for answering a reading comprehension passage?

Skim the passage for the main idea, read the questions, then scan for specific details; answer only from information stated or directly implied in the passage, not from outside knowledge.

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

The main idea is the central point the whole passage conveys; a supporting detail is a fact or example that explains or backs up the main idea.

What does it mean to 'infer' in a reading comprehension passage?

To draw a logical conclusion based on evidence in the passage that is implied but not explicitly stated.

In a 'spotting errors' question, what should you check first regarding the subject and verb?

Check subject-verb agreement in number and person — ensure a singular subject has a singular verb and a plural subject has a plural verb.

Spot the error: 'One should do his duty.' Why is it considered incorrect in formal usage?

The pronoun should agree with 'one'; correct form: 'One should do one's duty.'

What is the key technique for 'sentence completion' (fill-in-the-blank) questions?

Read the whole sentence for context and tone, identify clue words (signals like 'although', 'because', 'however') showing contrast or cause, and choose the option that fits both grammar and meaning.

In an analogy 'GLOVE : HAND :: SHOE : ?', what is the relationship and the answer?

The relationship is 'item worn on body part'; a glove covers the hand as a shoe covers the FOOT. Answer: FOOT.