General English MCQs
Topic Notes: General English
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
1161
You will have to finish the work soon.
Answer:
The work will have to be finished soon.
**Rule**: When the active sentence uses 'will have to', the passive form is **Object + will have to + be + V3**. The agent 'by you' is omitted.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The object 'the work' becomes the subject. The structure 'will have to be finished' is the correct passive form. The agent 'by you' is correctly omitted.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: 'would' is an incorrect modal change.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This omits 'have to', changing the meaning.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This is the passive of the Future Perfect Tense.
1162
You must not use your phone in the library.
Answer:
Your phone must not be used in the library.
**Rule**: For sentences with modal verbs (like must), the passive structure is **Object + modal verb + not + be + V3**. The agent 'by you' is omitted.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The object 'Your phone' becomes the subject. The modal 'must not' is followed by 'be' and the past participle 'used'. The agent 'by you' is correctly omitted as it is a general rule.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: 'should' is a different modal, implying advice rather than the strong prohibition of 'must'.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This is a grammatically awkward and unnatural construction.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: 'must not have been' is the passive form for a past modal, which changes the tense.
1163
I remember the doctor advising me to rest.
Answer:
I remember being advised to rest by the doctor.
**Rule**: When the active sentence has a verb (like 'remember') followed by a gerund phrase as its object, the passive form uses a passive gerund: **being + V3**.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The active gerund phrase 'the doctor advising me' is changed to the passive gerund phrase 'being advised'. The rest of the sentence is structured correctly.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: 'to be advised' is an infinitive, not a gerund, and is incorrect after 'remember' in this context.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This changes the structure to a subordinate clause, which is a different construction.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This changes the meaning and structure illogically.
1164
She will have to manage the team.
Answer:
The team will have to be managed by her.
**Rule**: When the active sentence uses 'will have to', the passive form is **Object + will have to + be + V3**.
- **Correct Answer (d)**: The object 'the team' becomes the subject. The structure 'will have to be managed' is the correct passive form for the future necessity.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: 'will have been managed' is the passive of the Future Perfect Tense.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: 'would' is an incorrect modal change.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This omits 'have to', changing the meaning to a simple future action.
1165
We saw the airplane flying over the hill.
Answer:
The airplane was seen flying over the hill.
**Rule**: When verbs of perception (like see, hear, watch) are followed by a present participle (-ing form) in the active voice, the passive form retains the present participle. The structure is **Object + was/were + V3 + present participle**.
- **Correct Answer (b)**: The object 'the airplane' becomes the subject. The verb 'were seen' is the correct passive form for the Simple Past. The present participle 'flying' remains unchanged.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: Using a 'to'-infinitive ('to fly') would be correct if the active sentence used a bare infinitive ('saw the airplane fly').
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: A bare infinitive ('fly') is incorrect in the passive construction.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Past Perfect.
1166
The teacher is explaining the lesson to the students.
Answer:
The lesson is being explained to the students by the teacher.
**Rule**: For a Present Continuous Tense sentence, the passive structure is **Object + is/am/are + being + V3 + by + Subject**.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The direct object 'the lesson' becomes the subject. The passive verb 'is being explained' is correct, and the indirect object is expressed through the prepositional phrase 'to the students'.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This structure, where the indirect object becomes the subject, is grammatically incorrect with the verb 'explain'. You cannot 'explain a person'.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Present.
1167
Why is she ignoring you?
Answer:
Why are you being ignored by her?
**Rule**: For an interrogative sentence in the Present Continuous Tense starting with a 'Wh-' word, the passive structure is **Wh- word + is/am/are + object + being + V3 + by + subject?**
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The 'Wh-' word 'Why' remains at the beginning. The new subject 'you' takes the verb 'are', followed by 'being' and the past participle 'ignored'.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Past Continuous.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This has incorrect word order for a question; the auxiliary verb 'are' should come before the subject 'you'.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
1168
What have they decided?
Answer:
What has been decided by them?
**Rule**: For an interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect Tense starting with 'What', the passive structure is **What + has/have + been + V3 + by + subject?**
- **Correct Answer (c)**: 'What' remains at the beginning and acts as the subject. The passive verb form 'has been decided' is correct for the Present Perfect Tense.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Past.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Continuous.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Past Perfect.
1169
What are you cooking?
Answer:
What is being cooked by you?
**Rule**: For an interrogative sentence in the Present Continuous Tense starting with 'What', the passive structure is **What + is/am/are + being + V3 + by + subject?**
- **Correct Answer (c)**: The 'Wh-' word 'What' remains at the beginning and acts as the subject. The passive verb form 'is being cooked' is correct for the Present Continuous Tense.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Past Continuous.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Present.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
1170
The boy said, “I am feeling very hungry now.”
Answer:
The boy said that he was feeling very hungry then.
** Present continuous → past continuous. “Now” → “then.”