The CSS (Central Superior Services) Exam MCQs
Topic Notes: The CSS (Central Superior Services) Exam
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
41
Did the noise frighten you?
Answer:
Were you frightened by the noise?
**Rule**: For interrogative sentences in the Simple Past Tense starting with 'Did', the passive form is **Was/Were + object + V3 + by + subject?**
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The object 'you' becomes the subject. 'You' takes the plural verb 'were'. The past participle of 'frighten' is 'frightened'.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: 'Was' is incorrect with the pronoun 'you'.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Present.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
42
One cannot expect children to understand these problems.
Answer:
Children cannot be expected to understand these problems.
**Rule**: For a sentence with a modal verb, the passive structure is **Object + modal verb + be + V3**. The agent 'by one' is omitted as it is an indefinite pronoun.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The object 'children' becomes the subject. The modal 'cannot' is followed by 'be' and the past participle 'expected'. The infinitive phrase 'to understand these problems' remains unchanged.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This is an active voice sentence with a different meaning.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This makes 'these problems' the subject and creates a more complex and awkward double passive construction.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: Including 'by one' is unnecessary and stylistically poor.
43
Has anyone answered your question?
Answer:
Has your question been answered by anyone?
**Rule**: To convert an interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect Tense to passive voice, the structure is **Has/Have + object + been + V3 + by + subject?**
- **Correct Answer (b)**: The helping verb 'Has' remains at the beginning. The object 'your question' follows, then 'been' and the past participle 'answered'. The agent 'by anyone' is retained for clarity.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: This is also correct and is often preferred as 'by anyone' can be omitted. However, option (b) is the most direct and complete conversion of the original sentence.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This is a statement, not a question, as it lacks the correct inverted word order.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Present.
44
Who is creating this mess?
Answer:
By whom is this mess being created?
**Rule**: Interrogative sentences in the Present Continuous Tense starting with 'Who' are converted to passive voice using **By whom + is/am/are + object + being + V3?**
- **Correct Answer (c)**: 'Who' becomes 'By whom'. The object 'this mess' is singular, so 'is' is used. This is followed by the object, 'being', and the past participle 'created'.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This is not in the correct interrogative word order; the verb 'is' should come before the subject 'this mess'.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Past.
45
Someone is following us.
Answer:
We are being followed.
**Rule**: For a Present Continuous Tense sentence, the passive structure is **Object + is/am/are + being + V3**. When the subject is an indefinite pronoun like 'someone', it is usually omitted in the passive voice.
- **Correct Answer (b)**: The object 'us' becomes the subject 'We'. The verb form 'are being followed' is correct for the Present Continuous passive. The agent 'by someone' is correctly and naturally omitted.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: While grammatically correct, it is stylistically better to omit 'by someone'.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Past Continuous.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
46
I had to finish the work on time.
Answer:
The work had to be finished on time by me.
**Rule**: When the active sentence uses structures like 'has to', 'have to', or 'had to', the passive form is **Object + has/have/had to + be + V3**.
- **Correct Answer (b)**: The object 'the work' becomes the subject. The structure 'had to be finished' is the correct passive form for the obligation expressed by 'had to'.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: 'had been finished' is the passive of the Past Perfect Tense, not of 'had to'.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: 'was to be' implies a pre-arranged plan, which is a different meaning from the obligation of 'had to'.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: 'must have been' implies a past deduction or certainty, which is different from 'had to'.
47
The storm damaged the coastal area severely.
Answer:
The coastal area was severely damaged by the storm.
**Rule**: For a sentence in the Simple Past Tense, the passive voice structure is **Object + was/were + V3 + by + Subject**.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The object 'The coastal area' becomes the subject. Since it is singular, 'was' is used, followed by the adverb 'severely' and the past participle 'damaged'. The agent 'by the storm' is correctly placed.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This option incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect Tense.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: This option incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Present Tense.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This option incorrectly changes the tense to Past Perfect Tense.
48
The children have broken the window pane.
Answer:
The window pane has been broken by the children.
**Rule**: For a sentence in the Present Perfect Tense, the passive voice structure is **Object + has/have + been + V3 + by + Subject**.
- **Correct Answer (c)**: The object 'The window pane' becomes the subject. Since it is singular, 'has' is used, followed by 'been' and the past participle 'broken'.
- **Incorrect Answer (a)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Past.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Simple Present.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Past Perfect.
49
Who taught her such tricks?
Answer:
By whom was she taught such tricks?
**Rule**: Interrogative sentences in the Simple Past Tense starting with 'Who' are converted to passive voice using **By whom + was/were + object + V3?**
- **Correct Answer (a)**: 'Who' becomes 'By whom'. The object 'her' becomes the subject 'she', which is singular and takes 'was'. The past participle 'taught' is used correctly.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: 'were' is incorrect with the singular subject 'she'.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: The word order is incorrect, and 'who' should be 'whom' after the preposition 'by'.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: This incorrectly changes the tense to Present Perfect.
50
One should keep one's promises.
Answer:
Promises should be kept.
**Rule**: When the subject of an active sentence is an indefinite pronoun like 'one', 'someone', or 'people', it is generally omitted in the passive voice. The structure for modals like 'should' is **Object + modal + be + V3**.
- **Correct Answer (a)**: The object 'promises' becomes the subject. 'should be kept' is the correct passive construction. The agent 'by one' is omitted as it is understood from the context of a general truth.
- **Incorrect Answer (b)**: Including 'by one' is grammatically correct but stylistically redundant in this context.
- **Incorrect Answer (c)**: 'them' is an incorrect pronoun to refer back to the singular 'one'.
- **Incorrect Answer (d)**: 'were to be kept' incorrectly changes the modal verb and the tense.