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
521
My mother said to me, "Yusuf, the baby has been crying all day."
Answer:
My mother said Yusuf that the baby has been crying all the day.
** Present perfect continuous ("has been crying") becomes **past perfect continuous ("had been crying").** Option (a) awkwardly inserts name + wrong tense. (c) changes meaning into "why" form. (d) wrongly shifts speaker. ---
522
Mother said, "All the guests will arrive tonight."
Answer:
Mother said that all the guests will arrive tonight.
** "Will" shifts to **would**. "Tonight" becomes "that night." Option (b) wrongly keeps "will" and "tonight." (c) keeps "tonight," but tense change is incomplete. (d) mixes "will" with "that night." ---
523
The supervisor said to the staff, "Make sure that every room is disinfected properly."
Answer:
The supervisor instructed the staff to make sure that every room had been disinfected properly.
** Imperatives change to **instructed + object + infinitive.** Present tense "is disinfected" shifts to past "was disinfected." (a) changes to past perfect, implying work already completed. (b) uses past continuous, altering sense. (c) wrongly uses present "instructs." ---
524
The plumber told Rashid that he had fixed the leaking tap.
Answer:
The plumber told to Rashid, "He had fixed the leaking tap."
** Indirect "he had fixed" becomes direct "I have fixed." Past perfect changes back to **present perfect** in direct speech. (a) repeats "he had fixed," not correct in direct form. (b) changes it to a question. (c) has a grammatical error "had fix." ---
525
My niece said, "I have decided to take coaching in badminton."
Answer:
My niece told that I have decided to take coaching in badminton.
** Present perfect ("have decided") changes to **past perfect ("had decided")** in indirect speech. Option (b) wrongly keeps "I have decided." Option (c) changes the aspect to present continuous ("is deciding"), which alters meaning. Option (d) wrongly shifts to future ("will decide"). Hence, (a) is correct. ---
526
She told the car mechanic that her car was giving very low mileage.
Answer:
The car mechanic said to her, "Your car is giving very low mileage."
** **Indirect → Direct** — restore **first-person possession** (**her → my**) and present progressive (**was giving → is giving**) because reported speech had backshifted it. (a) flips speaker. (b) tense/aspect changed to **present perfect continuous**. (d) turns it into a question with **why**, changing the content. ---
527
"Madam, please watch this program on our folk songs," says Fatima.
Answer:
… says Madam is watching…
** **Present reporting + polite request** → **requests + object + to-infinitive**; **our → their**, **this/our → that/their** for distance. (a) incorrect meaning. (c) turns into a question. (d) wrong verb pattern ("said to … to"). ---
528
"I love Bollywood music," Bilal said to Reena.
Answer:
ilal will say to Reena that he loved Bollywood music.
** **Said to → told**, **present simple → past simple** (love→loved) with past reporting. (b) future. (c) present-time reporting, not given. (d) past perfect "had told" is unwarranted. ---
529
The watchman said, "I did not see anyone last night."
Answer:
… he did not see… last night.
** **Past simple → past perfect** in reported speech; **last night → the previous night**; **I → he**. (b) no backshift, keeps deictic time. (c) ungrammatical ("did not saw"). (d) wrong pronoun. ---
530
Neil Armstrong said, "It's a small step for man but a giant leap for mankind."
Answer:
… had said that a small step for man is…
** Classic **reported statement**: **It's → it was** (backshift with past reporting). (b) mixes **had said** with **is**; tense mismatch. (a) modal **can** changes meaning. (d) wrong tense combo **says… was**. ---