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TU CMAT Masters study materials
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TU CMAT Masters practice questions

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Question 1Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The committee's report was so ______ that even its critics conceded the argument had been made fairly.

  1. cursory
  2. cryptic
  3. cogent Correct answer.
  4. contentious

Explanation

'Cogent' means clear, logical and convincing, which fits a report that even critics accept as fairly argued. The sentence stresses persuasiveness, not brevity or secrecy.

Question 2Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Identify the sentence that contains a grammatical error in its use of the verb form.

  1. The panel has decided to postpone the hearing until the data is verified.
  2. Had the manager known about the delay, she would have rescheduled the briefing.
  3. Neither the analysts nor the director was willing to endorse the forecast.
  4. Each of the candidates have submitted a written statement to the board. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Each' is a singular indefinite pronoun, so it requires the singular verb 'has submitted'. The other sentences observe subject-verb agreement and conditional form correctly.

Question 3Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the sentence 'The auditor's findings were hardly reassuring', the word 'hardly' functions to

  1. intensify the adjective's positive meaning
  2. limit the scope of the noun phrase
  3. reverse the adjective's positive meaning Correct answer.
  4. signal a comparative degree

Explanation

'Hardly' is a negative adverb meaning 'scarcely' or 'not at all', so 'hardly reassuring' means the findings were not reassuring. It negates rather than strengthens the adjective.

Question 4Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Select the option that best replaces the underlined portion: The two proposals differ in that one is feasible whereas the other is little more than aspirational.

  1. whereas the other one being little more than aspirational
  2. whereas the other is little more than aspirational Correct answer.
  3. while the other, being little more than aspirational
  4. and the other is aspirational, little more

Explanation

The sentence needs two parallel finite clauses joined by a contrastive conjunction, and option 0 supplies 'is... is' in balanced form. The alternatives break parallelism or produce fragments.

Question 5Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which word is closest in meaning to 'ephemeral' as used in a discussion of market trends?

  1. lucrative
  2. erratic
  3. ubiquitous
  4. transient Correct answer.

Explanation

'Ephemeral' means lasting a very short time, so 'transient' is the closest synonym. The other options describe profitability, irregularity or widespread presence, none of which concerns duration.

Question 6Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the correctly formed comparative sentence for formal written English.

  1. The new model is more efficient than the previous one. Correct answer.
  2. The new model is more efficient then the previous one.
  3. The new model is efficienter than the previous one.
  4. The new model is most efficient than the previous one.

Explanation

Multi-syllable adjectives form the comparative with 'more', and the comparison is completed by 'than'. 'Efficienter' is not a word, 'then' is a time adverb, and 'most' is superlative.

Question 7Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate preposition: The consultant was commended ______ identifying the flaw before the launch.

  1. on
  2. with
  3. at
  4. for Correct answer.

Explanation

The verb 'commend' takes 'for' when naming the reason or action praised: 'commended for identifying'. 'Commend on' is used for congratulating a person, not for crediting an action in this construction.

Question 8Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which sentence uses the semicolon correctly in a business-writing context, with 'however' introducing the second independent clause?

  1. The merger was approved; because the integration plan remains incomplete.
  2. The merger was approved; the integration plan, however, remains incomplete.
  3. The merger was approved; and the integration plan remains incomplete.
  4. The merger was approved; however, the integration plan remains incomplete. Correct answer.

Explanation

A semicolon may join two independent clauses when a conjunctive adverb such as 'however' follows it and is set off by a comma. Here, 'however' introduces the second clause, which is complete on its own.

Question 9Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Read the sentence: 'Far from endorsing the proposal, the board treated it with open disdain.' The phrase 'far from endorsing' signals that the board's attitude was

  1. mildly supportive
  2. cautiously optimistic
  3. strongly opposed Correct answer.
  4. entirely indifferent

Explanation

'Far from X' negates X emphatically, so the board did the opposite of endorsing. 'Open disdain' confirms strong opposition rather than neutrality or mild support.

Question 10Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Identify the sentence in which the modifier is placed so that it clearly describes the intended noun.

  1. Having reviewed the accounts, the auditor raised three concerns. Correct answer.
  2. Having reviewed the accounts, three concerns occurred to the auditor.
  3. Having reviewed the accounts, three concerns were raised by the auditor.
  4. Having reviewed the accounts, concerns were raised in the auditor's mind.

Explanation

A participial phrase at the start of a sentence must modify the subject that follows it. Only option 0 makes 'the auditor' the one who reviewed the accounts.

Question 11Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that correctly reports the direct speech: The director said, 'I will finalise the budget tomorrow.'

  1. The director says that she would finalise the budget the following day.
  2. The director said that she will finalise the budget tomorrow.
  3. The director said that she would finalise the budget the following day. Correct answer.
  4. The director said that she would finalise the budget tomorrow.

Explanation

In reported speech after a past reporting verb, 'will' shifts to 'would' and 'tomorrow' shifts to 'the following day'. Both tense and time reference must be backshifted together.

Question 12Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the sentence 'The proposal, which the committee rejected, was never resubmitted', the clause 'which the committee rejected' is

  1. a non-defining relative clause adding extra information Correct answer.
  2. an adverbial clause of reason
  3. a defining relative clause identifying which proposal
  4. a noun clause functioning as subject

Explanation

The commas mark a non-defining relative clause, which adds supplementary information about an already identified noun. A defining clause would appear without commas and would restrict the noun's identity.

Question 13Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which word best completes the sentence? The negotiator's remarks were deliberately ______, allowing both sides to read into them whatever they wished.

  1. ambiguous Correct answer.
  2. explicit
  3. redundant
  4. vehement

Explanation

'Ambiguous' means open to more than one interpretation, which explains why each side could read in what it wished. 'Explicit' would leave no room for interpretation.

Question 14Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the version that best maintains formal register and precision in a report.

  1. The data suggests that sales have kind of plateaued lately.
  2. The data are suggesting sales plateaued, sort of, recently.
  3. The data suggest that sales have plateaued over the past two quarters. Correct answer.
  4. The data suggest sales have plateaued and stuff over two quarters.

Explanation

In formal usage 'data' is a plural noun taking 'suggest', and the time reference should be precise rather than vague. The other options introduce informal fillers or imprecise phrasing.

Question 15Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Identify the sentence that uses the apostrophe correctly.

  1. The firms' profits rose, but the director's bonuses stayed flat.
  2. The firms' profits rose, but the directors' bonuses stayed flat. Correct answer.
  3. The firms profits rose, but the directors bonuses stayed flat.
  4. The firm's profits rose, but the directors bonuses stayed flat.

Explanation

Plural possessives of regular nouns are formed by adding an apostrophe after the final 's'. Both 'firms' and 'directors' are plural possessives here, so both need the trailing apostrophe.

Question 16Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

The word 'notorious' differs from 'famous' mainly in that 'notorious' carries

  1. a negative connotation Correct answer.
  2. a formal register only
  3. a legal meaning only
  4. a stronger intensity only

Explanation

'Notorious' denotes fame for a bad quality, so it carries negative connotation that 'famous' lacks. The difference is evaluative rather than merely one of register or degree.

Question 17Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Select the option that correctly completes the sentence: If the team ______ the deadline, the client would have renewed the contract.

  1. had met Correct answer.
  2. has met
  3. would meet
  4. met

Explanation

The main clause uses 'would have renewed', a third-conditional result, so the if-clause requires the past perfect 'had met'. This expresses an unreal condition in the past.

Question 18Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the passage sentence 'The scheme was imaginative but underfunded; consequently, it stalled', the word 'consequently' expresses

  1. a contrast between clauses
  2. a concession by the writer
  3. a restatement of the first clause
  4. a cause-effect relation Correct answer.

Explanation

'Consequently' is a result connective, signalling that the stalling followed from the underfunding. Contrast would be marked by 'however' or 'nevertheless'.

Question 19Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which sentence avoids a misplaced modifier?

  1. She almost lost the entire manuscript in the fire.
  2. She lost the entire manuscript almost in the fire.
  3. She lost almost the entire manuscript in the fire. Correct answer.
  4. Almost she lost the entire manuscript in the fire.

Explanation

'Almost' should sit immediately before the phrase it limits, here 'the entire manuscript', meaning nearly all of it. Placing it before 'lost' changes the meaning to 'narrowly avoided losing'.

Question 20Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the pair of words that are antonyms.

  1. frugal - extravagant Correct answer.
  2. meticulous - scrupulous
  3. tenacious - persistent
  4. candid - forthright

Explanation

'Frugal' means sparing with resources while 'extravagant' means excessive in spending, so they are opposites. The other pairs are near-synonyms rather than antonyms.

Question 21Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Read the sentence: 'Rarely has a policy attracted such unanimous criticism.' Which statement about its structure is accurate?

  1. Negative inversion places the auxiliary before the subject. Correct answer.
  2. 'Rarely' functions as an adjective modifying 'policy'.
  3. The sentence is ungrammatical because 'rarely' cannot begin a clause.
  4. The sentence is a question in disguise.

Explanation

When a negative adverb such as 'rarely' opens a clause for emphasis, the auxiliary 'has' moves before the subject 'a policy'. This is negative inversion, a standard emphatic construction.

Question 22Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

A report states: 'The pilot reduced processing errors by 40 per cent. However, it ran in a single department over six weeks.' The second sentence functions chiefly to

  1. introduce an unrelated recommendation
  2. contradict the first claim outright
  3. qualify the generalisability of the first claim Correct answer.
  4. restate the first claim in different words

Explanation

The second sentence limits how far the 40 per cent result can be extended, since a single short pilot is narrow evidence. It qualifies rather than contradicts the finding.

Question 23Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which sentence uses 'albeit' correctly?

  1. The results were promising, albeit they were preliminary.
  2. The results were promising, albeit preliminary. Correct answer.
  3. Albeit the results were promising, they were preliminary.
  4. The results were promising albeit of preliminary.

Explanation

'Albeit' is a concessive conjunction meaning 'although', and it introduces a reduced phrase such as an adjective or noun rather than a full clause. Option 0 attaches it to the adjective 'preliminary'.

Question 24Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the sentence 'The committee's decision, whatever its merits, will be challenged', the phrase 'whatever its merits' is best described as

  1. an adverbial clause of purpose
  2. a concessive parenthetical clause Correct answer.
  3. an appositive renaming the decision
  4. a restrictive relative clause

Explanation

'Whatever its merits' concedes a point while the main claim stands, and it is set off by commas as a parenthetical. It neither restricts the noun nor states a purpose.

Question 25Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that best expresses the intended meaning without ambiguity: 'Visiting clients can be demanding.'

  1. Clients who visit can be demanding to those they visit.
  2. Visiting clients is something that can be demanding.
  3. Clients who are visiting can be demanding.
  4. The act of visiting clients can be demanding for the staff who do it. Correct answer.

Explanation

The original is ambiguous because 'visiting' may modify 'clients' or name an activity. Option 2 resolves it by making the activity the subject and naming who performs it, removing the dual reading.

Question 26Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the word that best completes the sentence in a formal appraisal: 'Her handling of the merger was praised for its ______; she anticipated every objection before it arose.'

  1. oversight
  2. foresight Correct answer.
  3. hindsight
  4. insight

Explanation

'Foresight' means the ability to anticipate what will happen, which matches anticipating objections before they arise. 'Hindsight' refers to understanding after an event, and 'oversight' means a failure to notice or a supervisory duty, neither of which fits the praise for anticipating. 'Insight' is plausible in general but does not carry the forward-looking, anticipatory sense the sentence requires.

Question 27Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the sentence 'The auditors, having reviewed the accounts, submitted a cautious report', the underlined-type phrase 'having reviewed the accounts' functions as which grammatical element?

  1. A gerund phrase acting as the subject
  2. A reduced relative clause modifying 'report'
  3. A participial phrase modifying 'the auditors' Correct answer.
  4. An absolute phrase modifying the whole clause

Explanation

The phrase 'having reviewed the accounts' is a participial phrase whose implied subject is 'the auditors', the noun it modifies. It is not absolute because an absolute phrase has its own distinct subject (for example 'the accounts having been reviewed'). It is not a gerund phrase because it does not occupy a noun slot, and it cannot modify 'report' because the auditors, not the report, did the reviewing.

Question 28Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the sentence in which the verb agrees correctly with its subject in a complex construction.

  1. Neither the manager nor the analysts was aware of the discrepancy.
  2. Neither the manager nor the analysts has been aware of the discrepancy.
  3. Neither the manager nor the analysts were aware of the discrepancy. Correct answer.
  4. Neither the manager nor the analysts is aware of the discrepancy.

Explanation

With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which here is the plural 'analysts', so the plural past form 'were' is required. The singular forms 'was', 'is' and 'has been' would agree with 'manager', which is not the nearer subject. The plural past 'were' also suits the narrative past context of the sentence.

Question 29Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'The board approved the merger ______ the objections raised by two independent directors.'

  1. whereas
  2. nevertheless
  3. inasmuch as
  4. notwithstanding Correct answer.

Explanation

'Notwithstanding' is a preposition meaning 'in spite of' and takes a noun phrase as its object, so 'notwithstanding the objections' is grammatical. 'Nevertheless' is a conjunctive adverb and cannot take an object, 'whereas' is a conjunction introducing a contrasting clause, and 'inasmuch as' introduces a clause of reason. Only 'notwithstanding' fits before a bare noun phrase here.

Question 30Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the word that best replaces 'very bad' to convey the precise meaning in a formal review: 'The report's methodology was ______: samples were chosen by convenience and no control group existed.'

  1. questionable
  2. unfortunate
  3. abysmal
  4. deficient Correct answer.

Explanation

'Deficient' means lacking in some necessary quality or element, which precisely fits a methodology missing proper sampling and a control group. 'Abysmal' is an emotive intensifier of failure rather than a description of missing components, 'unfortunate' is too mild and vague, and 'questionable' merely suggests doubt rather than a demonstrable lack. Precision of denotation favours 'deficient'.

Question 31Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Identify the option in which the colon is used correctly in a formal report.

  1. The panel identified three risks: cost overruns, staff shortages and regulatory delay. Correct answer.
  2. The panel identified three risks: and these were cost overruns, staff shortages and regulatory delay.
  3. The panel identified: cost overruns, staff shortages and regulatory delay as key risks.
  4. The panel identified three risks, namely: cost overruns, staff shortages and regulatory delay.

Explanation

A colon may follow a complete main clause and introduce an explanatory list, which is exactly what happens in the first option. The second is faulty because 'namely' already performs the introducing function and should not be followed by a colon. The third breaks the clause before its verb-object link, and the fourth places a coordinating conjunction directly after the colon, which is not standard.

Question 32Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Read the sentence: 'The minister's assurance was greeted with scepticism, if not outright disbelief.' What does the construction 'if not outright disbelief' convey?

  1. That the reaction was neither scepticism nor disbelief
  2. That disbelief is a less strong reaction than scepticism
  3. That the reaction was definitely disbelief rather than scepticism
  4. That the reaction may have gone beyond scepticism to disbelief Correct answer.

Explanation

The idiom 'X, if not Y' presents Y as a possible stronger version of X, so the audience may have moved from scepticism to outright disbelief. It does not assert disbelief as certain, nor does it reverse the scale of intensity. It also presupposes that at least scepticism occurred, so the 'neither' reading is wrong.

Question 33Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: 'Had the data been verified, the error ______ before publication.'

  1. would be detected
  2. will have been detected
  3. had been detected
  4. would have been detected Correct answer.

Explanation

An inverted third conditional with 'Had the data been verified' requires 'would have' plus a past participle in the main clause. 'Would be detected' is a second-conditional form, 'will have been detected' is future perfect, and 'had been detected' repeats the past perfect without the modal. Only 'would have been detected' completes the unreal past condition correctly.

Question 34Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which sentence uses the word 'comprise' according to the traditional rule that the whole comprises the parts in an active construction?

  1. The committee comprises seven members drawn from three departments. Correct answer.
  2. The committee is comprised of seven members drawn from three departments.
  3. The committee comprises of seven members drawn from three departments.
  4. Seven members comprise the committee's membership list entirely.

Explanation

Under the stated traditional rule, 'comprise' means 'consist of' and takes a direct object without a preposition, so 'comprises seven members' is correct. The whole, 'committee', is the subject, and its parts, 'seven members', are the object.

Question 35Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the sentence 'Only after the audit did the directors acknowledge the shortfall', why is inversion used?

  1. Because the sentence is a direct question
  2. Because the verb is in the passive voice
  3. Because a negative or restrictive adverbial opens the sentence Correct answer.
  4. Because the subject is indefinite

Explanation

When a restrictive adverbial such as 'only after...' is placed first for emphasis, English requires subject-auxiliary inversion, producing 'did the directors acknowledge'. The sentence is declarative, not interrogative, and the verb is active rather than passive. The subject 'the directors' is definite, so indefiniteness plays no role.

Question 36Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that best replaces the vague phrase to make the sentence precise: 'The new process was much better than the old one.'

  1. The new process represented a considerable improvement on previous practice.
  2. The new process performed far more effectively overall.
  3. The new process was significantly superior to the old one in many respects.
  4. The new process cut average turnaround time from nine days to four. Correct answer.

Explanation

Precision in report writing requires measurable specifics, and stating that turnaround fell from nine days to four supplies verifiable data. The other options merely restate 'better' with intensifiers such as 'significantly', 'far' and 'considerable', which remain unquantified. Only the first option replaces evaluation with evidence.

Question 37Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which sentence correctly uses 'respectively' in a formal context?

  1. The sales and marketing teams reported respectively growth of 8 per cent and 3 per cent.
  2. Respectively, the sales and marketing teams reported growth of 8 per cent and 3 per cent.
  3. The sales and marketing teams reported growth of 8 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. Correct answer.
  4. The sales and marketing teams respectively reported growth of 8 per cent and 3 per cent.

Explanation

'Respectively' signals a one-to-one correspondence between two ordered lists, so it should follow the second list it pairs, as in 'growth of 8 per cent and 3 per cent respectively'. Placing it before the verb or at the start of the sentence breaks the pairing and creates ambiguity. The final option separates the adverb from the figures it relates.

Question 38Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the pair of words whose relationship is most nearly synonymous in formal writing.

  1. mitigate / alleviate Correct answer.
  2. mitigate / aggravate
  3. aggravate / assuage
  4. alleviate / exacerbate

Explanation

'Mitigate' and 'alleviate' both mean to make something less severe, so they are near-synonyms. The other pairs are antonymous: 'mitigate' opposes 'aggravate', 'alleviate' opposes 'exacerbate', and 'aggravate' opposes 'assuage'. Recognising these polarity pairs is essential for precise formal usage.

Question 39Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Identify the sentence in which the pronoun reference is unambiguous.

  1. When the manager met the auditor, she raised the funding gap. Correct answer.
  2. The manager met the auditor and raised the funding gap with her.
  3. The manager told the auditor that she had raised the funding gap.
  4. The manager met the auditor because she had raised the funding gap.

Explanation

In the first option the pronoun 'she' is still potentially ambiguous between two women, but the sentence is conventionally read with the subject of the main clause as antecedent; however, a cleaner test is that only this option keeps the pronoun in a clause whose subject is clearly the manager. The other options embed 'she' or 'her' in contexts where either participant could be meant, and the causal 'because she had' is especially unclear. Rewriting with a name would remove residual doubt, but among the options the first is the least ambiguous.

Question 40Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which option best completes the sentence: 'The consultant spoke ______ about the delays that even the sceptics were persuaded.'

  1. very convincingly
  2. too convincingly
  3. convincingly enough
  4. so convincingly Correct answer.

Explanation

The 'so ... that' correlative requires 'so' before the adverb to introduce the result clause 'that even the sceptics were persuaded'. 'Very convincingly' and 'too convincingly' cannot take a 'that' result clause in this way, and 'convincingly enough' would need 'to persuade' rather than 'that'. Only 'so convincingly' completes the correlative construction.

Question 41Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Read the sentence: 'The proposal was, to put it mildly, ambitious.' What is the effect of the parenthetical 'to put it mildly'?

  1. It marks the word 'ambitious' as a quotation from another source.
  2. It states plainly that the proposal was ambitious.
  3. It signals deliberate understatement, implying the proposal was in fact overambitious. Correct answer.
  4. It indicates that the speaker doubts the proposal's ambition.

Explanation

'To put it mildly' is a hedging parenthesis that signals understatement, so the speaker implies something stronger than 'ambitious', namely overambitious or unrealistic. It does not merely affirm the adjective, express doubt about ambition, or mark a quotation. The device relies on the reader inferring the stronger judgement.

Question 42Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: 'The findings, ______ were published last week, contradict earlier assumptions.'

  1. that
  2. whose
  3. which Correct answer.
  4. what

Explanation

A non-defining relative clause set off by commas requires 'which', not 'that'. 'What' cannot serve as a relative pronoun here, and 'whose' would need to express possession over a following noun. Only 'which' fits the non-restrictive clause referring to 'the findings'.

Question 43Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which sentence correctly uses 'although' in a subordinate clause?

  1. Although the budget was cut, the project was completed on time. Correct answer.
  2. Although the budget was cut, however the project was completed on time.
  3. Although the budget was cut, the project was nevertheless completed on time.
  4. Although the budget was cut, but the project was completed on time.

Explanation

'Although' is a subordinating conjunction, so the main clause should follow without an additional contrastive connector. The second and third options add 'but' and 'however', producing redundant contrast. The fourth is acceptable in informal style but pairs 'although' with 'nevertheless' in a way that careful formal editing avoids, making the first option the clean choice.

Question 44Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that best expresses the intended meaning without ambiguity: 'The manager praised the analyst because he had caught the error.'

  1. The manager praised the analyst since he had caught the error himself.
  2. The manager praised the analyst for catching the error. Correct answer.
  3. The manager, because he had caught the error, praised the analyst.
  4. The manager praised the analyst because he had caught the error, as he had.

Explanation

Replacing the pronoun clause with 'for catching the error' removes the ambiguity about who caught the error, since the gerund's implied subject is the analyst. The other options retain 'he' or add 'himself', which still leaves the referent uncertain or shifts the meaning to the manager. Clarity requires eliminating the ambiguous pronoun rather than reinforcing it.

Question 45Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which word best completes the sentence: 'The two accounts of the incident are ______; each omits what the other emphasises.'

  1. contemptuous
  2. competent
  3. complimentary
  4. complementary Correct answer.

Explanation

'Complementary' means completing each other, which fits accounts that together fill gaps. 'Complimentary' means expressing praise, 'contemptuous' means showing scorn, and 'competent' means capable. Only 'complementary' captures the mutual supplementation described in the second clause.

Question 46Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

In the passage sentence 'The pilot scheme cut costs; however, it also reduced customer satisfaction', what is the function of 'however'?

  1. It signals a cause for the preceding claim.
  2. It signals a restatement of the preceding claim.
  3. It signals a contrast that qualifies the preceding claim. Correct answer.
  4. It signals an example of the preceding claim.

Explanation

'However' is a conjunctive adverb marking contrast, so it introduces a qualification to the cost-cutting claim. It does not express cause, exemplification, or restatement; those roles belong to 'therefore', 'for example' and 'in other words'. Recognising the contrastive function is essential for tracking argument in a passage.

Question 47Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: 'Scarcely ______ the announcement when the questions began.'

  1. did the chair made
  2. has the chair make
  3. had the chair made Correct answer.
  4. the chair had made

Explanation

'Scarcely ... when' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion with the past perfect, giving 'Scarcely had the chair made the announcement when...'. The second option omits the required inversion, the third combines 'did' with a past participle, and the fourth uses an impossible tense-form combination. Only the first supplies the correct inverted past perfect.

Question 48Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Which option best replaces the underlined-type phrase to eliminate wordiness in a formal memo: 'Due to the fact that the deadline has been extended, we have additional time.'

  1. Because the deadline has been extended Correct answer.
  2. In view of the fact that the deadline has been extended
  3. On account of the deadline having been extended
  4. Owing to the fact of the deadline being extended

Explanation

'Because' is a single concise subordinating conjunction that conveys causation directly. The other options retain the wordy 'the fact that' or 'the fact of' constructions or use a heavier participial phrase. Concise subordination is preferred in formal memos where clarity and economy matter.

Question 49Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Read the sentence: 'Not until the final quarter did the figures improve.' Which statement about its meaning is accurate?

  1. The figures improved only in the final quarter. Correct answer.
  2. The figures improved before the final quarter began.
  3. The figures improved throughout every quarter.
  4. The figures did not improve at all during the final quarter.

Explanation

The 'not until' construction with inversion means that the improvement happened only at the point named, that is, in the final quarter. It does not deny improvement in that quarter, place improvement earlier, or claim improvement throughout. The negative attaches to the timing, not to the fact of improvement.

Question 50Verbal Ability (English language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and usage)

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence in reported speech: 'The chair asked whether the minutes ______ circulated before the meeting.'

  1. had been Correct answer.
  2. are being
  3. will be
  4. have been

Explanation

In reported speech after a past reporting verb ('asked'), a past event is backshifted to the past perfect, so 'had been circulated' is required. The present perfect, future and present continuous forms fail to backshift and clash with the past reporting frame. Only the past perfect preserves the correct sequence of tenses.