PN Cadet English Flashcards

24 sample cards from the English deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. What does the phrasal verb 'put off' mean?

   To postpone or delay. Example: 'They put off the meeting until next week.'

2. What does the phrasal verb 'call off' mean?

   To cancel. Example: 'The match was called off due to rain.'

3. What does the phrasal verb 'look after' mean?

   To take care of. Example: 'She looks after her younger brother.'

4. What does the phrasal verb 'break down' mean?

   To stop functioning (machine) or to lose emotional control. Example: 'The car broke down on the highway.'

5. What does the phrasal verb 'carry out' mean?

   To perform or complete a task. Example: 'The soldiers carried out the orders.'

6. What is the difference between active and passive voice?

   In active voice, the subject performs the action ('The cat chased the mouse'). In passive voice, the subject receives the action ('The mouse was chased by the cat').

7. What is the general rule for converting active voice to passive voice?

   The object becomes the subject, the verb changes to the appropriate form of 'be' + past participle, and the original subject is introduced by 'by' (often omitted).

8. How is the passive voice of the Simple Present tense formed?

   is/am/are + past participle (V3). Active: 'She writes a letter.' Passive: 'A letter is written by her.'

9. How is the passive voice of the Past Continuous tense formed?

   was/were + being + past participle (V3). Active: 'He was driving the car.' Passive: 'The car was being driven by him.'

10. How is a passive sentence formed with a modal verb (e.g., 'can', 'must')?

    modal + be + past participle (V3). Active: 'You must finish it.' Passive: 'It must be finished by you.'

11. What is the difference between Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech?

    Direct speech quotes the exact words inside quotation marks ('He said, "I am tired"'). Indirect speech reports the meaning without quotation marks ('He said that he was tired').

12. In reported speech, how do present tenses generally change when the reporting verb is in the past?

    They shift one step back: Simple Present to Simple Past, Present Continuous to Past Continuous, and Present Perfect to Past Perfect.

13. In indirect speech, how do 'now', 'today', and 'tomorrow' change?

    'Now' becomes 'then', 'today' becomes 'that day', and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day / the following day'.

14. What reporting verb and connector are used to change an interrogative (question) sentence into indirect speech?

    'Said to' changes to 'asked/enquired'. Yes/no questions use 'if/whether'; wh-questions keep the wh-word. The sentence becomes a statement (no question mark).

15. How is an imperative (command/request) sentence reported in indirect speech?

    Use a verb like 'ordered', 'told', 'requested', 'advised' + object + to + base verb. Example: He said, 'Sit down' to 'He told me to sit down.'

16. What is a synonym? Give a synonym for 'brave'.

    A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. A synonym for 'brave' is 'courageous' (or valiant, bold, fearless).

17. Give a one-word synonym for each: 'happy', 'big', 'fast'.

    'Happy' = joyful; 'big' = enormous (large); 'fast' = rapid (swift).

18. What is a synonym for the word 'abundant'?

    Plentiful (also: ample, copious, profuse).

19. What is an antonym? Give the antonym of 'ancient'.

    An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. The antonym of 'ancient' is 'modern'.

20. Give the antonyms of these words: 'expand', 'transparent', 'humble'.

    'Expand' to 'contract'; 'transparent' to 'opaque'; 'humble' to 'arrogant (proud)'.

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

    Something that seems bad at first but results in something good. Example: 'Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.'

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

    To endure a painful or difficult situation with courage; to face something unavoidable bravely.

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

    Something that happens very rarely. Example: 'He visits us once in a blue moon.'

24. What is a 'one-word substitution' for 'a person who eats too much'?

    A glutton. (And the term for 'a place where weapons are stored' is an arsenal/armoury; 'one who studies the stars' is an astronomer.)

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