General Knowledge MCQs
Topic Notes: General Knowledge
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
81
The 'Macquarie Dictionary' is the standard reference for which variety of English?
Answer:
Australian English
First published in 1981, it was the first major dictionary to fully document Australian English usage.
82
Which modern linguist revolutionized the field with 'Transformational-Generative Grammar'?
Answer:
Noam Chomsky
Chomsky shifted the focus from merely describing grammar to understanding the innate mental structures that generate language.
83
Before Johnson, whose 'Universal Etymological English Dictionary' (1721) was the most popular standard?
Answer:
Nathaniel Bailey
Bailey's dictionary was the most comprehensive before Johnson and served as a primary source for Johnson's work.
84
Which lexicographer created the 'Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary', pioneering the focus on non-native speakers?
Answer:
A.S. Hornby
A.S. Hornby developed the dictionary in Japan in the 1940s to help learners understand grammatical patterns and usage, not just definitions.
85
What is the main distinguishing feature of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) compared to others?
Answer:
It is based on historical principles, showing the evolution of a word's meaning over time with dated quotations.
The OED attempts to record every word's first known usage and how its meaning has changed through history.
86
Which German brother duo is famous for collecting fairy tales and beginning the massive 'Deutsches Wörterbuch' (German Dictionary)?
Answer:
The Grimm Brothers
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were pioneering philologists; Jacob also formulated 'Grimm's Law' regarding sound shifts.
87
Who co-authored 'The Elements of Style', a highly influential American writing guide known for the rule 'Omit needless words'?
Answer:
Strunk and White
William Strunk Jr. wrote the original; his student E.B. White (author of Charlotte's Web) revised it, creating the classic style manual.
88
The 'Hobson-Jobson' dictionary is a historical reference for words from which origin?
Answer:
Anglo-Indian (British India)
Published in 1886, it documents the influx of words from Indian languages (like 'bungalow', 'shampoo', 'jungle') into English.
89
Dr. Samuel Johnson famously defined a 'lexicographer' in his own dictionary as:
Answer:
A harmless drudge
This self-deprecating definition highlights the tedious, exhaustive nature of dictionary making.
90
Which satirical work defines a 'lexicographer' as 'A pestilent fellow who, under the pretense of recording some particular stage in the development of a language, does what he can to arrest its growth'?
Answer:
The Devil's Dictionary
Written by Ambrose Bierce, 'The Devil's Dictionary' provides cynical and humorous definitions of common words.