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
371
Peter said, "He broke his glasses." **Options:**
Answer:
Peter said that he had broken his glasses.
Past reporting → backshift broke → had broken (past simple → past perfect). Insert that; keep pronoun he** (refers to the same person as in direct speech). (a) wrong tense form; (c)/(d) change aspect/meaning.
372
Roshan said to me, "Sandeep made a new year greeting card for his teacher". **Options:**
Answer:
Roshan told me that Sandeep had made a new year greeting card for his teacher.
said to → told (object “me” present). Insert that. made → had made** (past simple → past perfect under backshift). Option (a) misses the object and “new year”; (b) changes reporting verb/tense; (d) is ungrammatical order.
373
The minister said, "It is tragic that the Australian bush fires have claimed the lives of so many helpless animals." **Options:**
Answer:
The minister said that it was tragic that the Australian bush fires had claimed the lives of so many helpless animals.
Reporting verb said (past) → backshift. Main copula: is → was. Perfect: have claimed → had claimed (present perfect → past perfect). Insert that**; keep clause structure. Options (b–d) mishandle aspect/tense.
374
Rama said to me, "I need your help for my new assignment." **Options:**
Answer:
Rama told me that she needed my help for her new assignment. Correct
said to → told (object “me” is present). Insert that to replace comma/quotes. need → needed (present simple → past simple backshift). Pronouns: your → my, I → she**. Avoid incorrect forms (“helps”, “is needing”) and 2nd-person leakage (“your” in (c)).
375
Hamza asked her, "How do you know that Imran has told it to him?"
Answer:
Hamza asked her how she knew that Imran had told that to him.
do you know → she knew (present → past), has told → had told** (perfect backshift). Options (a)(d) misuse “that how”; (c) fails to backshift.
376
The traveller inquired, "Will there be a shelter for strangers?”
Answer:
… if there would be a shelter for strangers.
Will → would** in reported speech. (a) keeps “will,” (c)(d) bad word order.
377
The storekeeper asked the guard, "Did you see the torch I kept here?"
Answer:
The storekeeper asked the guard whether he had seen the torch he had kept there.
Did see → had seen; I kept → he had kept; here → there**. (a)(b) wrong tense, (c) bad inversion.
378
Amina asked me if I had watched the movie on television the previous night.
Answer:
Amina asked me, “Had you watched the movie on television last night?”
Past perfect in indirect → “Had …?”** in direct. (c) uses simple past, (a) wrong order, (d) ungrammatical “did … watched.”
379
Zoya asked me, "Why did you keep this smartphone in the bin?"
Answer:
Zoya asked me why I had kept that smartphone in the bin.
Past interrogative did keep → had kept; this → that**. (a)(c) wrong aspects, (b) no backshift.
380
Experts said that several steps were being taken to promote foreign trade as it constituted 45% of the country’s economy.
Answer:
Experts said, “Several steps are being taken … as it constitutes …”
were being taken → are being taken (reverse backshift), and general fact constitutes** stays present. Other options distort tense or meaning.