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
391
Mother said to Avika, "Finish these sums before you go to the park."
Answer:
Mother told Avika to finish those sums before she went to the park.
Imperative → told + object + to + V1; these → those; subordinate time clause often backshifts in reported instructions: you go → she went**.
392
Mother said to Kavya, "Switch off the light before you go to sleep."
Answer:
Mother told Kavya to switch off the light before she goes to sleep.
Imperative → told + object + to + V1. In time clauses for general instructions, present simple (_goes_) is natural; pronouns shift (you → she**). (d) past is acceptable in some keys, but (c) best matches habitual/forward-looking instruction.
393
Ravina asked her little brother, “Where are you going to play?”
Answer:
Ravina asked her little brother where he was going to play.
WH-question reporting with are going → was going**; statement order (no inversion).
394
Rama said to me, "I need your help for my new assignment."
Answer:
Rama told me that she needed my help for her new assignment.
Said to → told, need → needed (backshift); your → my; my → her**.
395
Roopa said to me, "Please accompany me to the market."
Answer:
Roopa requested me to accompany her to the market.
“Please” imperative → requested + object + to-infinitive; me → her**.
396
The manager said, “I want you to attend the conference.”
Answer:
The manager said that she wanted me to attend the conference.
Statement → said that + clause; want → wanted (backshift); pronouns adjusted (you → me**).
397
Neeta said, "Let me see how Pragya performs in her preboard examinations."
Answer:
Neeta wanted to see how Pragya would perform in her preboard examinations.
Let me + V1 (speaker’s intention) → wanted to + V1. Future-in-reference performs (future relative to speaking) → would perform** (backshift of future-in-the-past).
398
Roshan said to me, "Sandeep made a new year greeting card for his teacher".
Answer:
Roshan told me that Sandeep had made …
Past simple made → past perfect had made** under backshift; maintain reported clause order.
399
The child asked his mother if he could swim in the pool there.
Answer:
“May I swim in the pool here?”
Indirect asked … if he could (permission) ↔ Direct polite request: “May I … here?” Deictic there ↔ here, modal could ↔ may/can** (permission to mother).
400
Balaji said that he had already paid the installment when the notice came to him.
Answer:
“I had already paid the installment when the notice came to me”.
Past perfect + past simple sequence is preserved in direct: had paid (before) came**.