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Playing with words

Fill the blanks with the appropriate words


    1. Mollycoddled- pampered
    2. Cheechako- newcomer
    3. Supercilious- arrogant, scornful
    4. Tarried- remained or stayed, as in a place
    5. Smorgasbord- a variety of sorts of things
    6. Absquatulated- fled, absconded
    7. Busticated- broke it to pieces
    8. Blithe- joyous, merry
    9. Propitious- favorable
    10. Pusillanimous- cowardly
    11. Gamut- the entire scale or range
    12. Implacable- inflexible
    13. Impecunious- habitually without money
    14. Prognosticate- predict
    15. Edacious- greedy, voracious

    1. It’s hard to ___________ how Delhi will be in the coming years
    2. Sharon _____________ at the mall and was late for her shoot
    3. Anita is not liked by anyone because of her __________ attitude
    4. As a ___________ to Delhi Shaun did not such a quick and warm welcome from the City
    5. There was a _________ of cheese and desserts at the party
    6. The thief __________ with our silver
    7. Everyone loved Tina’s ________ spirit
    8. Emanuel _________ the bottle that was lying on the table because he could not make it the party
    9. The timing of the show did not seem ___________
    10. Alex could not take part in the car race because of his ___________ nature
    11. The kid said the whole _____ of the alphabets from A-Z
    12. The daughter of an __________ farmer married a wealthy businessman
    13. Ronan’s __________ attitude will get him nowhere in life
    14. Shaun has an ___________ appetite
    15. Jerry was ________ as he was the youngest of the family members

     


Answer

1. Prognosticate 2. Tarried 3. Supercilious 4. Cheechako 5. Smorgasbord
6. Absquatulated 7. Blithe 8. Busticated 9. Propitious 10. Pusillanimous
11. Gamut 12. Impecunious 13. Implacable 14. Edacious 15. Mollycoddled

Fill the blanks with the appropriate words


    Plucky/ Placid/ Vivacious/ Decorous/ Indolent/ Drives me up the wall/ Pusillanimous/ Vociferous/ Irascible/ Cantankerous/ Garrulous/ Industrious/ Abrasive/ Gormandize/ Zany
       
    1. The clown at the circus was in a particularly _________mood today!
    2. A cop fell into a ditch & was rescued by a __________lass
    3. The casting director is looking for a _____________personality for the role of Mahatma Gandhi for his new film
    4. Deliza has the most ________ personality
    5. It is impossible to find a politician who is _________
    6. I have an _______ tumour
    7. My wife __________ with her incessant nagging
    8. I believed he was ______________ but his valour certainly came as a surprise
    9. The students were extremely _______ in declaring the winner of the match.
    10. Her________ temperament often got her into trouble.
    11. The ________ landlord always grumbled when asked to fix something
    12. Crammed with gossip, anecdotes and confessions, his ___________ untidy narratives read like a good novel
    13. Sharon was very _________ in her effort to learn unicycle riding
    14. Despite her proper upbringing, people found her manners terribly ________
    15. They are piggish at the table, they __________

 


Answer

1. Zany 2. Plucky 3. Placid 4. Vivacious 5. Decorous
6. Indolent 7. Drives me up the wall 8. Pusillanimous 9. Vociferous 10. Irascible
11. Cantankerous 12. Garrulous 13. Industrious 14. Abrasive 15. Gormandise

Match the following word to their meanings


    1. Mendacity a. very satisfactory, fine
    2. Endemic b. belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place
    3. Druthers c. to take dishonestly; steal
    4. Milquetoast d. a very timid, unassertive, spineless person especially one who is easily dominated or intimidated
    5. Woolgathering e. to confer secretly
    6. Copacetic f. a tendency to lie
    7. Purloin g. one’s own way, choice, or preference
    8. Feign h. to represent fictitiously; put on an appearance of.
    9. Gumption i. an intimate friend
    10. Bedlam j. to approve; confirm or ratify
    11. Intestable k. not legally qualified to make a will, as an infant or a lunatic
    12. Cater-cousin l. courage; spunk; guts
    13. Footle m. to act or talk in a foolish or silly way.
    14. Homologate n. a scene or state of wild uproar and confusion
    15. Collogue o. indulgence in idle daydreaming

 


Answer

1. f 2. b 3. g 4. d 5. o
6. a 7. c 8. h 9. l 10. n
11. k 12. i 13. m 14. j 15. e

Fill in the article a, an or the where necessary.


    1. Shaun prefers ________maroon top than _________red one  
    2. Shayne’s bike does 120 miles __________ hour  
    3. Where is_________ book I lent you 10 weeks ago  
    4. How big is _______ house?  
    5. Does Frieda work in _______ new office building?  
    6. Freddie works as _________ painter  
    7. The onions are 60 bucks _________ kilo  
    8. What do British usually have for _________ breakfast?  
    9. Can I have___ cup of tea please?  
    10. You should carry ___ umbrella because it looks like it is going to rain  
    11. There were many big wigs at _______ party  
    12. If you want to know what ____ weather will be like  
    13. Why don't we go for ________ picnic lunch somewhere?  
    14. How long has Peter been in ____ hospital?  
    15. How long has Peter been in ____ hospital?  

 


Answer

1.

the, the

2.

an
3. the 4. the
5. an 6. a
7. a 8. a
9. a 10. an
11. the 12. the
13. a 14. the, a
15. the    

Can you rearrange the following groups of letters to find a word that matches the clue given?


    1. Mousinmagna: generous in forgiving an insult or injury
    2. Evelleddish: to cause untidiness and disarray
    3. Rospectret: contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc
    4. Mousanony: of unknown name
    5. Maticphleg: not easily excited to action or display of emotion
    6. Mousposthu: arising, occurring, or continuing after one's death
    7. Distchiropo: a person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders
    8. Uosovirt: a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field
    9. Ttantedile: a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement
    10. Boratecorro: to make more certain; confirm
    11. Dentdeca: characterized by decadence, esp. culturally or morally
    12. Perousobstre: noisy, clamorous, or boisterous
    13. Cuousinno: not harmful or injurious; harmless
    14. Ousdolor: full of, expressing, or causing pain or sorrow; grievous; mournful
    15. Lousbibu: fond of or addicted to drink, addicted to alcohol

 


Answer

1.

Magnanimous

2.

Dishevelled
3. Retrospect 4. Anonymous
5. Phlegmatic 6. Posthumous
7. Chiropodist 8. Virtuoso
9. Dilettante 10. Corroborate
11. Decadent 12. Obstreperous
13. Innocuous 14. Dolorous
15. Bibulous    

Match the following words to their meanings


    1. Aplomb a. one who returns after death or a long absence
    2. Inculcate b. precise; exact in the smallest particulars.
    3. Chichi c. impossible to refute.
    4. Bellwether d. the highest point of something.
    5. Elegiac e. affectedly trendy.
    6. Dilatory f. the use of more words than are necessary to express an
    idea
    7. Panache g. a revel
    8. Fey h. happening or done after a meal
    9. Bacchanalia i. dash or flamboyance in manner or style.
    10. Punctilious j. given to, or marked by, procrastination or delay.
    11. Postprandial k. possessing or displaying a strange and other worldly
    aspect or quality
    12. Pleonasm l. a leader or leading indicator.
    13. Revenant m. relating to the mourning or remembering of the dead.
    14. Acme n. confidence; coolness.
    15. Irrefragable o. to teach and impress by frequent repetition or instruction.

 


Answer

1.

n

2.

o
3. e 4. l
5. m 6. j
7. i 8. k
9. g 10. b
11. h 12. f
13. a 14. d
15. c    

Match the following words to their meanings


    1. Gammon to approve
    2. Footle to confer secretly
    3. Collogue avoiding light
    4. Homologate to deceive
    5. Billet to laugh loudly or immoderately
    6. Lucifugous to act in a silly or foolish way
    7. Agog a gawky young fellow
    8. Rigmarole an elaborate or complicated procedure
    9. Efface to wipe out; to eliminate completely
    10. Frabjous to bargain, to haggle
    11. Hobbledehoy in eager desire
    12. Cachinnate piaosucca (spacious and roomy)
    13. Caliginous Misty; dim; dark.
    14. Divagate to wander, stray
    15. Chaffer wonderful, elegant, superb, or delicious.

 


Answer

1.

to deceive

2.

to act in a silly or foolish way
3. to confer secretly 4. to approve
5. to provide or obtain lodging 6. avoiding light
7. in eager desire 8. an elaborate or complicated procedure
9. to wipe out; to eliminate completely 10. wonderful, elegant, superb, or delicious.
11. a gawky young fellow 12. to laugh loudly or immoderately
13. Misty; dim; dark. 14. to wander, stray
15. to bargain, to haggle    

All the words in the list have a similar meaning of which one is different from the rest. Strike/Spot the odd one out from the list given below…


  1. Aplomb
    a. rule
    b. uncertainty
    c. power
    d. audacity

  2. Fain
    a. eager
    b. inclined
    c. prepared
    d. unwilling

  3. Pusillaminous
    a. fearful
    b. cowardly
    c. dauntless
    d. timorous

  4. Kvetch
    a. complain
    b. grumble
    c. praise
    d. whine

  5. Lackadaisical
    a. careless
    b. indifferent
    c. listless
    d. careful

  6. Nefarious
    a. wicked
    b. good
    c. sinful
    d. bad

  7. Imbroglio
    a. calm
    b. misunderstanding
    c. confusion
    d. crisis

  8. Mellifluous
    a. soothing
    b. sweet sounding
    c. dulcet
    d. cacophonous

  9. Jocund
    a. unhappy
    b. jocular
    c. blithe
    d. cheerful

  10. Ululate
    a. howl
    b. enjoy
    c. holler
    d. wail

  11. Halcyon
    a. peaceful
    b. calm
    c. wild
    d. gentle

  12. Antediluvian
    a. ancient
    b. old
    c. antique
    d. modern

  13. Incommodious
    a. inconvenient
    b. uncomfortable
    c. restricted
    d. unlimited

  14. Flout
    a. revere
    b. gibe
    c. disregard
    d. affront

  15. Brobdingnagian
    a. gigantic
    b. colossal
    c. miniscule
    d. prodigious


Answer

1.

b

2.

d
3. c 4. c
5. d 6. b
7. a 8. d
9. a 10. b
11. c 12. d
13. d 14. a
15. c    

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate tense. Look at the time expressions for clues.


    1. My business _______ a profit last year. (makes)
    2. Rita _______ a prize in a painting competition. (win)
    3. She walked into the room and _________the lamp in front of the god. (lights)
    4. Mayank.____________ sick yesterday so he didn't go to school. (feeling)
    5. Jordan ________ down the stairs. (falling)
    6. Shakira ___________the Waka Waka song beautifully. (sing)
    7. A stray dog ____________ my cat yesterday. (biten)
    8. Tony Blair __________ the Prime Minister of England in 1997. (was becoming)
    9. My lovebirds __________ away yesterday. (were flying)
    10. When John started to talk everyone in the room quietly.________ (leaving)
    11. Claudia went fishing and __________ a fish.(catch)
    12. Robert ___________the third prize in a photography competition. (winner)
    13. I ______ the answer but the teacher didn't ask me. (was knowing)
    14. Mrs Pinto _________ me to play the piano at her home. (teach)
    15. My uncle ___________ a bird by accident. (shoot)

 


Answer

1.

made

2.

won
3. lit 4. felt
5. fell 6. sang
7. bit 8. became
9. flew 10. left
11. caught 12. won
13. knew 14. taught
15. shot    

Guess the word from the meanings given below. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.


    1. Property given to a woman upon marriage, to be owned by her after her husband’s death (8) ___________
    2. Having more than one meaning (10) _______________
    3. At once, altogether (10) ______________
    4. To cleanse (7) ________________
    5. To force upon or impose fraudulently or unjustifiably (5) ______________
    6. To exist abundantly (9) _________________
    7. A prayer (6) ______________
    8. Any extended period of leave from one's customary work (10) ____________________
    9. A blockhead, dunce (8) ________________
    10. Smart, jaunty, dashing (6) ____________
    11. Mildness; gentleness (10) ___________
    12. To relieve of blame (9) _____________
    13. Full of sadness (8) _____________
    14. To produce a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold, fear, etc.; goose flesh (11) ___________
    15. Shameless and impudent (6) ______________

 


Answer

1.

Jointure

2.

Polysemous
3. Holus bolus 4. Mundify
5. Foist 6. Pullulate
7. Orison 8. Sabbatical
9. Imbecile 10. Rakish
11. Mansuetude 12. Exculpate
13. Tristful 14. Horripilate
15. Brazen    

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words


    1. Recondite
    2. Gazump
    3. Moxie
    4. Amaranthine
    5. Aesopian
    6. Nefarious
    7. Abominate s
    8. cormorant
    9. Slavering
    10.Nonplussed
    11.Connubial
    12. Irenic
    13.Autodidact
    14.Premonition
    15. Iota
       
    1. Sheena does not have an __ _________ of sense
    2. The dog was __ ________ when he saw the piece of chicken
    3. Stephanie who is an FBI agent has got more ___ _______ than most of the men around her
    4. Sharon decided to use __ ______ language because she did not want her mother to know what was going on
    5. Tisca was __ _______ when she found that her best friend was dating her boyfriend
    6. I had a ___ __________ about what was to come
    7. Julia Roberts is a woman of _____ ________ loveliness
    8. Jennifer was __ ________ by her real estate agent
    9. John and Riya live in___ ________ bliss
    10. Shane is a complete __ ________________
    11. Always one to avoid conflict, Sarita had been one of the most __________ students.
    12. Sanskrit is a ___________ language
    13. The robber’s ___________ activities landed him in jail
    14. I _____________ Math
    15. Ankita is a __________ person

 


Answer

1.

iota

2.

slavering
3. moxie 4. Aesopian
5. nonplussed 6. premonition
7. amaranthine 8. gazumped
9. connubial 10. autodidact
11. irenic 12. recondite
13. nefarious 14. abominate
15. cormorant    

Guess the word from the meaning given below


    1. Initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness G ___________
    2. The right to use the property of another as long as it isn't damaged U_____________
    3. A scene or state of wild uproar and confusion B_____________
    4. Authorized; recognized; accepted C_________________
    5. To utter a sound representing a hesitation or pause in speech H__________________
    6. To be completely different from either parent, or from the source of an object's creation X_____________
    7. To treat with special fondness C__________________
    8. High seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject) G__________
    9. Congenial or like-minded; likable S__________
    10. To speak or cry out loudly or noisily; shout; bawl V___________
    11. Wholeheartedly enthusiastic and loyal; eager; zealous G__________
    12. An irresistible urge; mania C___________
    13. Gladly, willingly F___________
    14. A casual gathering of people, esp. for refreshments and informal conversation K___________
    15. To combine local and foreign elements into a new, distinct whole C____________

 


Answer

1.

Gumption

2.

Usufruct
3. Bedlam 4. Canonical
5. Haw 6. Xenogenic
7. Cosher 8. Gravitas
9. Simpatico 10. Vociferate
11. Gung-ho 12. Cacoethes
13. Fain 14. Klatch
15. Creolize    

Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:


    1. Ficniom (creating all things, having unlimited powers of creation)
    2. Moosevam (to leave hurriedly or quickly, decamp)
    3. Brityeilmu (womanly nature or qualities, femininity, the state of being a woman)
    4. Dalianesquipe (given to using long words)
    5. Forpeecr (necessarily, by force of circumstance)
    6. Smofytranirg (to transform)
    7. Llepudci (transparent, clear)
    8. Terswal (a person who wastes, especially one who squanders money, a spendthrift)
    9. Pjyapoin (A vain and talkative person)
    10. Gixuoseu (extremely scanty; meager)
    11. Scoyptnah (someone who flatters others in order to get something from them)
    12. Fiarmoustuil (diverse, various, varied)
    13. Citlretarnac (hard to deal with, manage, operate, not resistant or compliant)
    14. Simparyon (Stinginess)
    15. Etlrtuay (being or serving as a guardian or a protector)

 


Answer

1.

Omnific

2.

Vamoose
3. Muliebrity 4. Sesquipedalian
5. Perforce 6. Transmogrify
7. Pellucid 8. Wastrel
9. Popinjay 10. Exiguous
11. Sycophant 12. Multifarious
13. Recalcitrant 14. Parsimony
15. Tutelary    

Given below is the list of idioms with their meanings. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate idioms


    1. Tied the knot- got married
    2. For good- permanently
    3. Talks a great deal- someone who talks a lot
    4. Overcome- get over
    5. Drew a blank- to find nothing
    6. Run down- to speak ill
    7. Fell out – to quarrel
    8. Run of the mill- common
    9. Make a clean breast of- to confess
    10. Cheek of jowl- close together
    11. Have both the options-have the cake and eat it too
    12. To keep body and soul together- stay alive
    13. Null and void- invalid
    14. All ears- very attentive
    15. Let the cat out of the bag-revealed a secret
       
    1. Whatever meager salary he earns, is barely enough for him to _______
    2. You don’t want to work that extra bit, yet you want overtime. You cannot _________
    3. Manav is a loquacious person. He talks _________
    4. Sheena could not ________ the death of her husband
    5. The police looked for the thief all over the city, but ___________
    6. The director an the actor ________over money
    7. The opposition ________ the ruling party
    8. Many buildings sit ________in this area
    9. After months of lying about the money, I decided to __________ it and tell the truth.
    10. The new Bollywood flick is not a ___________ movie
    11. Shaun has left the country __________
    12. Rony and Meher finally _________
    13. Gary _________ at the party
    14. The students in the class were ___________
    15. This transaction is ___________

 


Answer

1.

To keep body and soul together- stay alive

2.

Have both the options-have the cake and eat it too
3. Talks a great deal- someone who talks a lot 4. Overcome- get over
5. Drew a blank- to find nothing 6. Fell out – to quarrel
7. Run down- to speak ill 8. Cheek of jowl- close together
9. Make a clean breast of- to confess 10. Run of the mill- common
11. For good- permanently 12. Tied the knot- got married
13. Let the cat out of the bag-revealed a secret 14. All ears- very attentive
15. Null and void- invalid    

Choose the right meaning


  1. Culpable
    a. adj. deserving blame or censure
    b. adj. inclined to believe anything; easily imposed upon
    c. v. to quicken, speed tip
    d. n. eagerness; cheerful promptness

  2. Anthology
    a. n. an indirect reference or suggestion (frequently derogatory)
    b. n. payment for services
    c. n. a collection of choice literary works
    d. n. one who dabbles in the fine arts for amusement only and without concentrated study

  3. Promulgate
    a. adj. Fearful
    b. adj. of, or pertaining to, the world, as contrasted with the spirit
    c. v. to publish or proclaim; to spread abroad
    d. adj. of low morals; corrupt

  4. Crass
    a. adj. rigorously self-denying
    b. adv. with distrust
    c. adj. traveling about
    d. adj. coarse and stupid; wandering

  5. Proletariat
    a. n. the wage-earning class
    b. v. to express sympathy with another in sorrow, pain, or misfortune
    c. adj. devoted to religious observances
    d. adj. Objectionable

  6. Sleazy
    a. n. a cliff
    b. n. a distortion of the face to express an attitude or feeling
    c. n. one who is at home in all countries
    d. adj. flimsy and cheap

  7. Grimace
    a. adj. smooth-spoken, fluent
    b. v. to twist about (usually with pain)
    c. n. a distortion of the face to express an attitude or feeling
    d. v. to express sympathy with another in sorrow, pain, or misfortune

  8. Exultation
    a. n. faithfulness
    b. adj. positive in expressing an opinion
    c. n. coward
    d. n. great rejoicing

  9. Bizarre
    a. adj. pertaining to money
    b. n. an extreme patriot
    c. adj. queer; unusual in appearance
    d. v. display or wave boastfully

  10. Ubiquitous
    a. v. to postpone or put off to another time
    b. adj. all-powerful
    c. v. to smile in a silly or affected way
    d. adj. existing everywhere

  11. Exotic
    a. adj. strange and foreign
    b. v. to walk about (or talk) aimlessly; to wind about (as a stream)
    c. adj. pretending to be religious
    d. adj. demonstrating originality, skill, or resourcefulness

  12. Promontory
    a. adj. Trembling
    b. adj. apparent; pretended
    c. n. a cliff
    d. n. to interpret, explain the sense of, or analyze

  13. Hyperbole
    a. adj. supreme power and authority; independent of the control of any other government
    b. adj. ridiculous; producing laughter
    c. n. extravagant exaggeration for effect
    d. n. boredom; weariness of mind

  14. Jettison
    a. n. one who proudly shows off his learning or who overrates his knowledge
    b. adj. lacking in self-confidence
    c. v. to throw overboard (as cargo); to throw off (as a burden or something in the way)
    d. adj. simple and straightforward; concealing nothing

  15. Blithe
    a. adj. gay and light-hearted in spirit or mood
    b. adj. sorrowful; mournful
    c. adj. of little worth or importance
    d. adj. well-deserved (applied chiefly to punishment)


Answer

1.

a

2.

c
3. c 4. d
5. a 6. d
7. c 8. d
9. c 10. d
11. a 12. c
13. c 14. c
15. a    

Choose the correct conjunctions from the list given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate form


    by the time, lest, whenever, however, incase, wherein, while, wherever, provided, although, as if, so that, whereas, whether, though
       
    1. _______ Mary prefers History to Geography; she does well in Geography
    2. You look _______ you haven’t eaten anything for a week
    3. _______ you are done reading this novel, I will have already left
    4. Be careful with the knife______ you should hurt yourself
    5. I think you cant take that route, I am not sure _________
    6. We can go for a movie _________ you are free
    7. _________ did you find that
    8. Take a windcheater _____ it rains
    9. I went to the bookstore last evening, ___________ I did not find what I was looking for
    10. You will be allowed entry to the club __________ you are 18 years old
    11. Shaun arrived early to work ______________ she could speak to Sharon in private
    12. I saw the film __________ you were asleep
    13. I want to know ________ this sentence is grammatically correct
    14. She is short ________ you are tall
    15. India is the country _________ those people live

 


Answer

1.

Although

2.

as if
3. by the time 4. lest
5. though 6. whenever
7. wherever 8. incase
9. however 10. provided
11. so that 12. capacious
13. whether 14. whereas
15. wherein    

Unscramble the letters given after each sentence to find a word that will complete the sentence. The meanings of the words are also given in brackets.


    1. The steep _______ of the path made it difficult for the old man to climb up to the temple. lcacvtiyi (upward slope)
    2. The professor’s _______ stance on his theories stood in the way of his progress at a time when the world was opening itself to diverse influences. ctmodaig (rigid; unduly assertive)
    3. We must learn to tolerate each other’s ________ in order to live harmoniously. slofbei (minor weakness or failing in character)
    4. It was shocking to find that despite his impressive academic credentials, most of what he said was _______. ilderv (meaningless or silly talk)
    5. There was no ________ in sound levels in the discotheques inspite of the recent laws enforced by the state. nbaetaemt (reduction or mitigation)
    6. The teacher taught the spellings of many words using _______ as a device. mmnsioecn (the processes or techniques of developing and improving memory)
    7. Tourists in the city are cautioned against buying ________ items from the local hawkers who are known for cheating. uiisoceertmr (seemingly attractive but having no real value)
    8. The _______ rise in inflation over the past decade has affected the common man adversely. eenaiobrxl (unalterable or unstoppable)
    9. Westerners have always perceived unmeployment and poverty to be ________ in India. cndeeim (natural to or characteristic of a place)
    10. His _______ nature made people avoid conversing with him and left him isolated. liloesceb (having or showing an inclination or eagerness to fight)
    11. Reporters ________ the cricketer with unending questions after he announced his decision to quit the game at the peak of his career. rdhaier (harassed or annoyed)
    12. Her large ________ pockets accommodated an assortment of small knick-knacks. piaosucca (spacious and roomy)
    13. Everyone knew he was happy as he moved about with a ______ step, humming a cheerful tune. unytaj (lively; sprightly)
    14. Ever since the earlier CEO of the company retired, the company’s performance in the stick markets have been found to _______. tmulpem (fall sharply from a high position)
    15. No one trusted the young man who was notorious for his _______ ways. hivkasn (dishonest, untrustworthy)

 


Answer

1.

acclivity

2.

dogmatic
3. foibles 4. drivel
5. abatement 6. mnemonics
7. meretricious 8. inexorable
9. endemic 10. bellicose
11. harried 12. capacious
13. jaunty 14. plummet
15. knavish    

Match the following words to their meanings


    1. Intestable a. a sentence, verse, etc., that includes all the letters of all the alphabet.
    2. Pangram b. not legally qualified to make a will, as an infant or a lunatic.
    3. Pullulate c. To increase rapidly; multiply
    4. cater-cousin d. with quickness or agility
    5. Orison e. an intimate friend
    6. Yarely f. prayer
    7. Cosher g. to treat with special fondness
    8. Gravitas h. small pieces; bits
    9. Peregrinate i. to talk with extravagant enthusiasm
    10. Afflatus j. seriousness or sobriety, as of conduct or speech
    11. Halcyon k. to travel or journey, especially to walk on foot.
    12. Revert l. divine communication of knowledge
    13. Mentabate: m. magic spell, charisma
    14. Mojo n. to return to a former habit, practice, belief, condition
    15. Rhapsodize o. happy; joyful; carefree

 


Answer

1.

b

2.

a
3. c 4. e
5. f 6. d
7. g 8. j
9. k 10. l
11. o 12. n
13. h 14. m
15. i    

Fill in the article a, an or the where necessary.


    1. Sheena prefers ________maroon top than _________red one
    2. Shaun’s bike does 120 miles __________ hour
    3. Where is_________ book I lent you 2 weeks ago
    4. How big is _______ house?
    5. Does Carlton work in _______ old office building?
    6. Chris works as _________ painter
    7. The onions are 20 bucks _________ kilo
    8. What do Americans usually have for _________ breakfast?
    9. Can I have___ cup of coffee please?
    10. You should carry ___ umbrella because it looks like it is going to rain
    11. There were many big wigs at _______ party
    12. If you want to know what ____ weather will be like
    13. Why don't we go for ________ picnic lunch somewhere?
    14. I love listening to _____ music but I can’t play _____ musical instrument
    15. How long has Peter been in ____ hospital?

 


Answer

1.

the, the

2.

an
3. the 4. the
5. an 6. a
7. a 8. a
9. a 10. an
11. the 12. the
13. a 14. the, a
15. the    

Guess the word from the meanings given below


    1. A gratuity or a tip L _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    2. Misty, dim, dark C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    3. To search out, discover, or bring to light F _ _ _ _ _
    4. To recover goods or chattels wrongfully taken or detained R _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    5. Have one's hair stand on end and get goose bumps H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    6. A remote rural area B_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    7. A description of a person's appearance, career, personality, etc. P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    8. A magic potion for any purpose P _ _ _ _ _ _
    9. To subject to thorough appraisal; to evaluate W _ _ _
    10. To convert (someone) to another religion, belief, etc P_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    11. To ask for or request earnestly E _ _ _ _ _ _
    12. The height of the fashion; fashionable society B _ _ _ _ _
    13. A downpour, a flood C _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    14. Happening or done after a meal P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    15. An office or position that involves little work or responsibility S _ _ _ _ _ _ _

 


Answer

1.

Lagniappe

2.

Caliginous
3. Ferret 4. Replevy
5. Horripilate 6. Boondocks
7. Prosopography 8. Philter
9. Whet 10. Proselytize
11. Entreat 12. Bon ton
13. Cataract 14. Postprandial
15. Sinecure    

In linguistics, a homonym is one of a group of words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings, and are usually spelled differently. Fill in the blanks with suitable homonyms


    1. You are not _______ to speak ___________ in a hospital
    2. The wind __________ my __________ skirt into the pool
    3. They _____________ the___________ from playing at the concert
    4. Alina ___________ her dinner at __________ in the night
    5. I wonder___________ the ______________ is going to be fine today
    6. We have __________ publish articles on this site. We already have __________ articles published on this site and have articles on other sites __________
    7. Sheena wanted to __________ a swimsuit from the Market which was ________ the sea.
    8. Jane received a __________ from her friend and I think she and her husband __________ each other well
    9. I __________ some oil to __________ the dough
    10. _________ of the girls wanted to become a __________ when they grew up
    11. I need my __________ to __________ completely before I hit the gym.
    12. Sharon’s ________ _________ very good food.
    13. Diet pills are a_________ of time and will not give you a slim_________
    14. Ashley’s _________ was ___________ from playing at the party.
    15. A famous __________ was caught with _____________ at the airport

 


Answer

1.

allowed, aloud

2.

blew, blue
3. banned, band 4. ate, eight
5. whether, weather 6. to, two, too
7. buy, by 8. compliment, complement
9. need, knead 10. none, nun
11. heel, heal 12. maid, made
13. waste, waist 14. band, banned
15. heroine, heroin    

Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions


    1. I will meet you _____ Bandra _________ café coffee day
    2. Melanie is going ________ a sabbatical
    3. Shaun and Ruth have been married __________ 20 years now
    4. I shopped a lot ________ I was in London
    5. The family was waiting_________ us at the restaurant
    6. Rosita was angry ______ her mom for not letting her go for the party
    7. Anaya bumped _____ a friend last evening
    8. The cops chased the robbers _______the streets
    9. It’s _________ time you went home
    10. Elaine was thrown out of the organization because she had done something that was _________the rules
    11. Marrianne stayed _________ home all weekend
    12. Jordan was interested ________ watching TV. He looked _____the clock beside his bed.
    13. We are having a party _______ the 10th of November
    14. I am interested _________ buying a new computer
    15. ________ my opinion, Richard Gere is a good actor

 


Answer

1.

in, at

2.

on
3. for 4. while
5. for 6. with
7. into 8. through
9. about 10. against
11. at 12. in, at
13. on 14. in
15. in    

Find the meaning of the underlined word in each sentence.


1. Nothing could ever abash Jordan
a. delight
b. embarrass
c. infuriate
d. please

2. The doctor gave the patient some medicine to abate his pain
a. reduce
b. increase
c. revive
d. augment

3. The king abdicated his throne in 1885
a. retained
b. usurped
c. grabbed
d. abandoned

4. A child was abducted on May 2, 2011
a. beaten
b. kidnapped
c. rescued
d. detained

5. Shaun abhors chocolates
a. relishes
b. hates
c. admires
d. prefers

6. Everyone must abide by the law
a. shifts
b. adhere to
c. removes
d. violates

7. Sheena has a mellifluous voice
a. loud
b. Hoarse
c. Harsh
d. sweet-sounding

8. It was a fugacious love affair
a. torrid
b. long-lasting
c. fleeting
d. brief

9. Noel is a dipsomaniac
a. workaholic
b. alcoholic
c. shopaholic
d. crazy

10. Melanie had an abominable taste in clothes
a. detestable
b. good
c. great
d. classy

11. My landlord is a cantankerous man
a. jovial
b. nice
c. quarrelsome
d. well-mannered

12. George Clooney has a rakish personality
a. sad
b. dashing
c. sloppy
d. dirty

13. The politician prevaricated about the basic points of his policy on health care for the elderly.
a. informed
b. misled
c. guided
c. helped

14. John is a magnanimous person and talks and treats everyone like family
a. generous
b. horrible
c. evil
d. ruthless

15. The government has decide to extirpate poverty
a. encourage
b. control
c. remove

d. presage


Answer

1.

b

2.

a
3. d 4. b
5. b 6. b
7. d 8. c
9. b 10. a
11. c 12. b
13. b 14. a
15. c    

Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:

     

    1. Pecuniousim: (Habitually without money)
    2. Lieuim: (environment, setting)
    3. Aritionppa: (unexpected appearance)
    4. Mingloa: (twilight; dusk).
    5. Cumdimo: (A small token or amount)
    6. Zenrab: (Shameless)
    7. Vantigall: (Wander about)
    8. Lineayh: (Glassy and transparent)
    9. Rouchefa: (Sullen or shy)
    10. Agatevid: (Digress in speech)
    11. Maticgod: (Rigid; unduly assertive)
    12. Ciouscapa: (Spacious and roomy)
    13. Mentabate: (Reduction or mitigation)
    14. Exorablein: (Unalterable or unstoppable)
    15. Tyjaun: (Lively, sprightly)


    Answer

    1.

    Impecunious

    2.

    Milieu
    3. Apparition 4. Gloaming
    5. Modicum 6. Brazen
    7. Gallivant 8. Hyaline
    9. Farouche 10. Divagate
    11. Dogmatic 12. Capacious
    13. Abatement 14. Purblind
    15. Jaunty    

Guess the word from the meanings given below. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.

     

    1. With hand on hip and elbow bent outward. (6) A_______
    2. Usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle (7) P________
    3. Existing or being everywhere at the same time (10) U__________
    4. A stupid or foolish person (4) P_____
    5. tired, exhausted (9) K__________
    6. Cheap or inferior wine (5) P___________
    7. To talk in a low inarticulate way: mutter (7) C_____________
    8. To complain fretfully, whine (6) W_________
    9. Lacking intelligence, stupid (8) G______________
    10. A scientific expert and especially one involved in technological research (6) B__________
    11. Genuine, authentic; first-class (6) P______
    12. Habitually without money (11) I____________
    13. Flowing sweetly or smoothly (11) M_____________
    14. Having greatly reduced vision (8) P________
    15. Bashful or unassertive. (9) D_____________


    Answer

    1.

    Akimbo

    2.

    Parable
    3. Ubiquitous 4. Prat
    5. Knackered 6. Plonk
    7. Chunter 8. Whinge
    9. Gormless 10. Boffin
    11. Pukka 12. Impecunious
    13. Mellifluous 14. Purblind
    15. Diffident    

Fill in the article a, an or the where necessary.

     

    1. I prefer ________maroon top than _________green one
    2. His bike does 120 miles __________ hour
    3. Where_________ book I lent you 2 weeks ago
    4. How big is _______ house?
    5. Do you work in _______ old office building?
    6. Shyam works as _________ painter
    7. The potatoes are 20 bucks _________ kilo
    8. What do Indians usually have for _________ breakfast?
    9. Can I have___ cup of coffee please?
    10. You should carry ___ umbrella
    11. There were many big wigs at _______ party
    12. If you want to know what ____ weather will be like ____ day
    13. Why don't we go for ________ picnic lunch somewhere?
    14. I love listening to _____ music but I can’t play _____ musical instrument
    15. How long has Amar been in ____ hospital?


    Answer

    1.

    the, the

    2.

    an
    3. the 4. the
    5. an 6. a
    7. a 8. a
    9. a 10. an
    11. the 12. the, the
    13. a 14. the, a
    15. the    

Choose the correct words from the list given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate form:

    of
    despite
    into
    onto
    off
    amid
    opposite
    toward
    through
    towards
    upon
    until
    unlike
    via
    following

    1. The cycle drove bang_________ a lamp-post
    2. Despite the total destruction of the earthquake, there was hope__________ the wreckage when a baby was found alive.
    3. Shaun won the game _________ overwhelming odds.
    4. Clive lives in a house in a small road just _________the main road
    5. The responsibility fell __________ Ryan’s shoulders when he was just 14
    6. The kids are going ________ that box of candies pretty quickly
    7. I am trying to think _____________ an answer to this question
    8. I thought cold milk might calm my stomach, but instead the ___________ happened and I was quite nauseous.
    9. I walked___________ the car
    10. Mariam and Nancy were working __________ a common goal
    11. It rained __________ midnight
    12. Phillip has taken the whole task __________ himself
    13. Sheena is quite_______ her brother
    14. However, for a quick install do the __________ click here
    15. Pierre paid for his house __________ direct deposit


    Answer

    1.

    into

    2.

    amid
    3. despite 4. off
    5. onto 6. through
    7. of 8. opposite
    9. towards 10. toward
    11. until 12. upon
    13. unlike 14. following
    15. via    

Guess the word from the meanings given below. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.

     

    1. Upward slope (9) A__________
    2. Rigid; unduly assertive (8) D___________
    3. Minor weakness or failing in character (7) F _____________
    4. Meaningless or silly talk (6) D _____________
    5. natural to or characteristic of a place E ___________
    6. Seemingly attractive but having no real value (11) M __________
    7. Unalterable or unstoppable (10) I ___________
    8. Spacious and roomy (9) C______________
    9. Dishonest, untrustworthy (7) K_____________
    10. Fall sharply from a high position (7) P______________
    11. Having or showing an inclination or eagerness to fight (9) B______________
    12. Harassed or annoyed (7) H___________
    13. Lively, sprightly (6) J_____________
    14. Reduction or mitigation (9) A____________________
    15. The processes or techniques of developing and improving memory (9) M________


    Answer

    1.

    Acclivity

    2.

    Dogmatic
    3. Foibles 4. Drivel
    5. Endemic 6. Meretricious
    7. Inexorable 8. Capacious
    9. Knavish 10. Plummet
    11. Bellicose 12. Harried
    13. Jaunty 14. Abatement
    15. Mnemonics    

Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions

     

    1. Mr. Roy lives _____ Chennai
    2. Reena is going ________ a sabbatical
    3. Sharon has just gotten a new job and has been working with Wipro ________two weeks now
    4. I shopped a lot ________ I was in Spain
    5. Let’s meet ________ Colaba _____ CCD
    6. Shaun was angry ______ her mom for not letting her go out
    7. Mary bumped _____ a friend last evening
    8. The cops chased the robbers _______the streets
    9. It’s _________ time you went home
    10. Jenifer was thrown out of the organization because she had done something that was _________the rules
    11. I stayed _________ home all weekend
    12. Will stayed ________ 2.00 in the morning
    13. We are having a party _______ the 31st of December
    14. Priya is interested _________ buying a new computer
    15. ________ my opinion, George Clooney is a good actor


    Answer

    1.

    in

    2.

    on
    3. for 4. while
    5. in 6. with
    7. into 8. through
    9. about 10. against
    11. at 12. until
    13. on 14. in
    15. in    

Words that are spelt wrongly
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word

     

    1. He is an ________. He does not believe in God. (atheist, athiest)
    2. The Hindu __________ is different from the English (calendar, calender)
    3. The worker was ___________ to his job. (committed, commited)
    4. It was an ______________ moment when Sheen won the award (exilharating, exhilarating)
    5. India became __________ on 15th August 1947. (independent, independant)
    6. The children were trying to __________ the teacher’s mood. (gauge, guage)
    7. The new __________ has thrown up great challenges (millennium, milennium)
    8. Sharon is a very __________ girl (mischievious, mischievous)
    9. She __________ to the music (undulated, unduelated)
    10. Sheen has a _______ sense of humour (weird, wierd)
    11. Your __________ needs improvement (pronunciation, pronounciation)
    12. Lightning struck the house during _________ rains (torrential, torential)
    13. That is a __________ wing (separate, seperate)
    14. The ____ death of his child left a vacuum in his life (untimely, untiemly)
    15. All the goods are in their __________ (possession, possesion)


    Answer

    1.

    Atheist

    2.

    Calendar
    3. Committed 4. Exhilarating
    5. Independent 6. Gauge
    7. millennium 8. Mischievous
    9. Undulated 10. Weird
    11. Pronunciation 12. torrential
    13. Separate 14. Untimely
    15. Possession    

Find the right meaning of the words given below:


    1. Adoptive
    a. One who is adopted
    b. One who adopts
    c. That which can be adopted
    ii Adopted
    a. One who is adopted
    b. One who adopts
    c. That which can be adopted
    2. Ambiguous
    a. Having mixed feelings
    b. Confused
    c. Open to different interpretations
    ii. Ambivalent
    a. Indecisive
    b. Having mixed feelings
    c. Confused
    3. Perquisite
    a. Privilege
    b. Condition
    c. Advance
    ii. Prerequisite
    a. Condition
    b. Approve
    c. Agree
    4. Complacent
    a. Self-satisfied
    b. Polite
    c. Praise
    ii. Complaisant
    a. Praise
    b. Willing to please
    c. One who complains
    5. Appraise
    a. Assess
    b. Raise
    c. Inform
    ii. Apprise
    a. Assess
    b. Inform
    c. Raise
    6. Credible
    a. Convincing
    b. Unconvincing
    c. Praiseworthy
    ii. Creditable
    a. Convincing
    b. Unconvincing
    c. Praiseworthy
    7. Envelop
    a. Wrap
    b. Incorporate
    c. Paper to enclose document
    ii. Envelope
    a. Wrap
    b. Incorporate
    c. Paper to enclose document
    8. Discrete
    a. Distinct
    b. Careful
    c. Offensive
    ii. Discreet
    a. Distinct
    b. Careful
    c. Offensive
    9. Compliment
    a. Praise
    b. Polite
    c. Enhancing by extra features
    ii Complement
    a. Praise
    b. Polite
    c. Enhancing by extra features
    10. Continuous
    a. Without interval
    b. Intermittent
    c. At intervals between
    ii. Continual
    a. Without interval
    b. Intermittent
    c. At intervals between
    11. Luxuriant
    a. Extravagant
    b. Marked by beauty
    c. Rich and profuse in growth
    ii. Luxurious
    a. Extravagant
    b. Marked by beauty
    c. Rich and profuse in growth
    12. Pedal
    a. To operate
    b. Foot operated lever
    c. To sell
    ii. Peddle
    a. To operate
    b. Foot operated lever
    c. To sell
    13. Egoism
    a. Self interest
    b. Excessive conceit
    c. Exceptional authority
    ii. Egotism
    a. Self interest
    b. Excessive conceit
    c. Exceptional authority
    14. Palate
    a. Painting
    b. Artist’s board to mix colours
    c. Roof of the mouth
    ii. Palette
    a. Painting
    b. Artist’s board to mix colours
    c. Roof of the mouth
    15. Bridal
    a. Wedding ceremony
    b. Divorce
    c. Sprinkling
    ii. Bridle
    a. Bristle with anger
    b. Spit it out
    c. Stammer


    Answer

    1.

    One who adopts ii. One who is adopted

    2.

    Open to different interpretations ii. Having mixed feelings

    3. Privilege ii. Condition 4. Self-satisfied ii. Willing to please
    5. Raise ii. Inform 6. Convincing ii. Praiseworthy
    7. Wrap ii. Paper to enclose document 8. Distinct ii. Careful
    9. Praise ii. Enhancing by extra features 10. Without interval ii. At intervals between
    11. Rich and profuse in growth ii. Extravagant 12. Foot operated lever ii. To sell
    13. Self interest ii. Excessive conceit 14. Roof of the mouth ii. Artist’s board to mix colours
    15. Wedding ceremony ii. Bristle with anger    

Guess the word


    1. A person employed to do all kinds of work or business is a ________
    2. People in her society refused to accept her because of her rude behaviour- they _________ her
    3. Marion is a churlish, rude and ill-mannered person. She is a _________
    4. They act sick in order to avoid work and other responsibilities- they __________
    5. They trouble people with their repeated demands. They ____________ people
    6. They issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation/ criticize harshly- they __________
    7. They speak in a in a loud, pompous, or prolonged manner/ A speech or piece of writing characterized by strong feeling or expression- they deliver a __________
    8. They praise or admire excessively/ they flatter in a servile way-_____________
    9. Some people are destructive and continually find nothing but fault- They _________
    10. A person who rejects, deserts a cause or group for another and his own country…. Such a person is known as a __________
    11. Someone who finds pleasure in being abused or dominated- _____________
    12. evil-smelling- _________
    13. Incapable of being corrected or reformed-_________
    14. He is a lover of learning, he is a __________
    15. An Altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes is a _______


    Answer

    1.

    factotum

    2.

    ostracized

    3.

    boor

    4.

    malinger

    5.

    importune

    6.

    fulminate

    7.

    harangue

    8.

    adulate

    9.

    Carp

    10.

    Renegade

    11. Masochist 12. Malodorous 13. incorrigible 14. Philomath 15. philanthropist                    

Fill the blanks with the appropriate words

Plucky/ Placid/ Vivacious/ Decorous/ Indolent/ Drives me up the wall/
Pusillanimous/ Vociferous/ Irascible/ Cantankerous/ Garrulous/
Industrious/ Abrasive/ Gormandize/ Zany

1)         The clown at the circus was in a particularly _________mood today!

2)         A policeman fell into a ditch & was rescued by __________lass

3)         The casting director is looking for with a _____________personality for the role   of Mahatma Gandhi

4)         She has the most ________ personality

5)         It is impossible to find a politician who is _________

6)         I have an _______ tumour

7)         My wife __________ with her incessant nagging

8)         I believed he was ______________ but his valour certainly came as a surprise

9)         The students were extremely _______ in declaring the winner of the match.

10)       Her________ temperament often got her into trouble.

11)       The ________ landlord always grumbled when asked to fix something

12)       Crammed with gossip, anecdotes and confessions, his ___________ untidy narratives read like a good novel

13)       Sharon was very _________ in her effort to learn unicycle riding

14)       Despite her proper upbringing, people around her found her manners terribly ________

15) They are piggish at the table , they __________

Answer
1. zany 2.plucky 3.placid 4. vivacious 5. decorous
6. indolent 7. drives me up the wall  8. pusillanimous 9. vociferous 10. irascible
11. cantankerous 12. garrulous 13. industrious 14. abrasive 15. gormandize

Choose the right antonym from the words given below:

  1. Elide
    a. omit
    b. suppress
    c. ignore
    d. add

  2. Divagate
    a. standard
    b. wander
    c. deviate
    d. digress

  3. Hyaline
    a. glassy
    b. blocked
    c. transparency
    d. clear

  4. Gung-ho
    a. enthusiastic
    b. passionate
    c. zealous
    d. cool

  5. Eclat
    a. panache
    b. verve
    c. fame
    d. obscurity

  6. Descry
    a. ascertain
    b. find
    c. miss
    d. detect

  7. Ragtag
    a. ragged
    b. unkempt
    c. disarrange
    d. uniform

  8. Byzantine
    a. simple
    b. difficult
    c. complicate
    d. tough

  9. Fain
    a. ready
    b. loathe
    c. agreeable
    d. inclined

  10. Penchant
    a. affection
    b. affinity
    c. aptitude
    d. dislike

  11. Evince
    a. demonstrate
    b. declare
    c. mispresent
    d. display

  12. Affable
    a. carefree
    b. casual
    c. unfussy
    d. rigid

  13. Aplomb
    a. discomposure
    b. coolness
    c. composure
    d. calmness

  14. Imprimatur
    a. approval
    b. refusal
    c. sanction
    d. permission

  15. Sere
    a. arid
    b. awash
    c. thirsty
    d. parched
    Answer
1. d 2.a   3.b 4. d 5. d
6. 7. d  8. a   9. b   10. d
11. c   12. d 13. a   14. b  15. b

Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:

1. Pecuniousim: Habitually without money

2. Lieuim: environment, setting

3. Aritionppa: unexpected appearance

4 Mingloa: twilight; dusk.

5. Cumdimo: A small token or amount

6. Zenediw: shriveled; withered.

7 Ffishar: gaudily vulgar or cheap

8. Circumspect: cautious; prudent.

9. Ccintcus: brief; concise.

10. Apean: a song or other expression of praise or joy.

11. Verateassa: to affirm or declare positively or earnestly.

12. Flousillem: flowing sweetly or smoothly.

13 Lindburp: having greatly reduced vision.

14. Dentiffid: bashful or unassertive.

15. Riousuxo: excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.

Answer

1. Impecunious  2.Milieu   3.Apparition 4. Gloaming 5. Modicum of   
6. Wizened 7. Raffish  8. Circumspect   9. Succinct   10. Paean
11. Asseverate   12. Mellifluous 13. Purblind   14. Diffident  15. Uxorious

Know your prepositions

1. The HR department is responsible __________ recruitment

2. Our new boss reminds me _______ my school teacher

3. The restaurant is just around the corner. It will take you 10 minutes _______ foot to get there

4. Shaun and Amanda have been friends ________ first grade

5. Everyone ran outside the office __________ the false alarm

6. I'm going shopping __________ Bandra _______Tuesday__________.a friend. Would you like to come________us?

7. I have something _on____ my mind which I would like to discuss

8. The restaurant is adjacent __to_______ the railway station

9. I congratulate Vinod ________ his success

10. I wish to go __________ a world tour

11. I shall return ___________ an hour

12. Sheena does not get __________ Warren

13. I arrived at work early this morning

14. Lora will call you ___in_____ two weeks

15. When the children are ________bed, let's listen _______ music _____ the radio.

Answer

1. for  2.of  3.by 4. since 5. because of   
6. to, on with, with 7. on  8. to  9. on  10. on
11. within  12. along with 13. at  14. in  15. in, to ,on

The words given below have similar meanings except for one Strike the odd one out….


1. Chaffer
a. bargain b. haggling c. comply d. bicker

2. Craven
a. weak b. timid c. cowardly d. bold

3. Jaunty
a. playful b. prankish c. depressed d.gay

4. Refute
a. confirm b.contradict c. disaffirm d. negate

5. Resolute
a. decisive b. indecisive c. firm d. hell-bent

6. Serenity
a. calmness b. peacefulness c. placidity d. commotion

7. Vacillate
a. balance b. plunge c. waver d. wabble

8. Enjoin
a. command b. claim c. request d. give up

9. Prevaricate
a. belie b. con c. distort d. speak on

10. Mellifluous
a. melodious b. musical c. discordant d. melodic

11. Recondite
a. abstruse b. arcane c. deep d. shallow

12. Dereliction
a. abandonment b. retention c. carelessness d. heedlessness

13. Pacifist
a. warlike b. dovish c. peaceable d. calm

14. Brazen
a. brash b.insolent c. sassy d. humble

15. Indigent
a. beggared b.destitute c. affluent d. impecunious

Answer

1. c 2. d 3. c 4. a 5. b
6. d 7. b 8. d 9. d 10. c
11. d 12. b 13. a 14. d 15. c

Homophones

Homophones are words pronounced the same as another but differ in meaning. Given below is a list of common Homophones/Homonyms

Choose the appropriate homonyms to fill in the blanks
  1. His ________ to the pinnacle of stardom and swift and unexpected (Ascent, assent)
  2. The murderer was released on _________ (bail, bale)
  3. The wild _________ is found in the jungles of India
    (boar, bore)
  4. Please _____ the plan immediately (alter, altar)
  5. The artist and his _______ are inseparable (canvas, canvass)
  6. The farmer____ his vote today (cast, caste)
  7. __________ affairs is a component in this exam (current, currant)
  8. _________ the beat and carrots together (grate, great)
  9. Misers _______ compulsively (hoard, horde)
  10. Don’t _______ your temper (loose, lose)
  11. The girls are a bunch of __________ (queen, quean)
  12. Shaun enjoyed the __________ after his meal (dessert, desert)
  13. During Akbar’s ___________ people were happy (rein, reign)
  14. Sheena is _______ she will pass the test (confident, confidant)
  15. There is no ___________ connection between this phenomenon and that (casual, causal)

Answer

1. Ascent 2. Bail 3. Boar 4. Alter 5. Canvas
6. Cast 7. Current 8. Grate 9. Hoard 10. Lose
11. Quean 12. Dessert 13. Reign 14.Confident 15. Casual

Get idiomatic: Match the following idioms with their meanings


    1.

    Gift of the gab

    a. means of livelihood
    2. In the red b. unexpected
    3. Paper tiger c. repeatedly
    4. Wear and tear d. to make time pass more quickly
    5. Bread and butter e. permanently
    6. Tooth and nail f. the ability to talk persuasively and easily
    7. Kith and kin g. to let a secret out
    8. To spill the beans h. exaggerated talk
    9. To smell a rat i someone who appears to be powerful but is not
    10. A bolt from the blue j. to suspect that something is wrong
    11. Time and again or is good at k. something that one enjoys
    12. For good l. damage due to normal use
    13. To kill time m. with every available resource
    14. His cup of tea n. incurring losses
    15. Tall talk o. friends and relatives


    Answer

    1.

    f

    2.

    n

    3.

    i

    4.

    l

    5.

    a

    6.

    m

    7.

    o

    8.

    g

    9.

    j

    10.

    b

    11. c 12. e 13. d 14. k 15. h                    

Recall the words from the meaning given below


    1.

    A gratuity or a tip L _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

    (Lagniappe/ Linchpin)
    2. Misty, dim, dark C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Caliginous/ Cohesion)
    3. To search out, discover, or bring to light F _ _ _ _ _ (Ferret/ Flatteries)
    4. To recover goods or chattels wrongfully taken or detained R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Sullen or shy)
    5. Have one's hair stand on end and get goose bumps H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Horripilate/Hoi polloi)
    6. A remote rural area B_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Boondocks/ Bibulous)
    7. A description of a person's appearance, career, personality, etc. P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Prosopography/ Prospective)
    8. A magic potion for any purpose P _ _ _ _ _ _ (Philter/ Pelf)
    9. To subject to thorough appraisal; to evaluate W _ _ _ (Whet/ Wain)
    10. To convert (someone) to another religion, belief, etc P_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Proselytize/ Puissant)
    11. To ask for or request earnestly E _ _ _ _ _ _ (Entreat/ Ephemeral)
    12. The height of the fashion; fashionable society B _ _ _ _ _ (Bon ton/ Benign)
    13. A downpour, a flood C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Cataract/ Cacophony)
    14. Happening or done after a meal P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Postprandial/Pastiche)
    15. An office or position that involves little work or responsibility S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Sinecure/ Synchronize)


    Answer

    1.

    Lagniappe

    2.

    Caliginous

    3.

    Ferret

    4.

    Replevy

    5.

    Horripilate

    6.

    Boondocks

    7.

    Prosopography

    8.

    Philter

    9.

    Whet

    10.

    Proselytize

    11. Entreat 12. Bon ton 13. Cataract 14. Postprandial 15. Sinecure                    

Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:


    1.

    Zenrab

    (Shameless)
    2. Vantigall (Wander about)
    3. Lineayh (Glassy and transparent)
    4. Rouchefa (Sullen or shy)
    5. Agatevid (Digress in speech)
    6. Fultrist (Sad)
    7. Cherizeflet (to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly)
    8. Russusur (Whisper)
    9. Recateped (to express disapproval of)
    10. Durever (Greenness)
    11. Ssantiup (Powerful)
    12. Paster (Meal)
    13. Aryplen (Full, complete, entire, absolute)
    14. Conditeer (Difficult to understand)
    15. Naciousgup (Quarrelsome)


    Answer

    1.

    Brazen

    2.

    Gallivant

    3.

    Hyaline

    4.

    Farouche

    5.

    Divagate

    6.

    Tristful

    7.

    Fletcherize

    8.

    Susurrus

    9.

    Deprecate

    10.

    Verdure

    11. Puissant 12. Repast 13. Plenary 14. Recondite 15. Pugnacious                    

Guess the word from the meanings given below


    1.

    In a literary work, a person who struggles against or competes with another, an opponent or adversary

    A_ _agon_ _ _
    2. The act or process of sticking together tightly _ _he_ion
    3. Characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others or attract notice _ s _ en _ a t _ ous
    4. Economical in use or expenditure; not wasteful; entailing little expense or requiring few resources F _ u_ a _
    5. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit, sham, false, bogus. _p_r_ou_
    6. To try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass _ mu_ a_ _
    7. To deviate or wander away from the main topic or purpose in speaking or writing; depart from the principal line of argument, plot, study, etc. _ i _ r _ ss
    8. Disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant _ a u _ h _ _
    9. Common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative ¬ ¬_ u _ d _ ne
    10. To look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn d _ s _a i _
    11. Of the same blood; related by birth; descended from the same parent or ancestor _ onsang _ _ _ eous
    12. Deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful _ er _ _ d _ ous
    13. To criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner _ e n _ ure
    14. Full of complaints; complaining or peevish q _ e _ u _ ous
    15. To hold one back voluntarily; especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy _ b stain


    Answer

    1.

    Antagonist

    2.

    Cohesion

    3.

    Ostentatious

    4.

    Frugal

    5.

    Spurious

    6.

     

    7.

    Digress

    8.

    Haughty

    9.

    Mundane

    10.

    Disdain

    11. Consanguineous 12. Perfidious 13. Censure 14. Querulous 15. Abstain                    

The words given below have similar meanings except for one Strike the odd one out….


    1. a. lilliputian b.colossal c. tiny d. miniature
    2. a. cacophony b. discord c.harshness d. peacefulness
    3. a.cossit b.pamper c. ignore d. indulge
    4. a. agitate b. soothe c. pacify d.placate
    5. a. intrepid b. courageous c.audacious d. timid
    6. a. antipathy b. disgust c. attraction d. abhorrence
    7. a. euphonious b. sweet-sounding c. mellifluous d.harsh
    8. a. egocentric b. narcissist c. pompous d. submissive
    9. a. impervious b. vulnerable c. impenetrable d. impassive
    10. a. inveterate b.accustomed c. addicted d.short-lived
    11. a. chronic b. continual c.temporary d. constant
    12. a. glib b. slick c. inarticulate d. smooth
    13. a. incorrigible b. beastly c.good d. incurable
    14. a. sinister b. inauspicious c. unlucky d. benign
    15. a. synchronize b.harmonize c. differ d. agree


    Answer

    1.

    b

    2.

    d

    3.

    c

    4.

    a

    5.

    d

    6.

    c

    7.

    d

    8.

    d

    9.

    b

    10.

    d

    11. c 12. c 13. c 14. d 15. c                    

Choose the correct words from the list given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate form:


    1.

    Shaun was accused of _________when he made his nephew the CEO of the company

    2. Evelleddish: to cause untidiness and disarray
    3. The army tries to ________ the opposing side by invading them unknowingly
    4. The child would _________ all night and sometimes yowl to go outside
    5. The house was blown to ________ after the blast
    6. There is _________ between pages 20 and 25
    7. Mr Singh is a _______
    8. The house, the car, and the so called land was the evidence of significant______________
    9. The play was a __________ of a well-known fairy tale
    10. Perhaps, we should _________ the text
    11. He will my account of the accident
    12. The __________days of childhood
    13. Nothing, but water can _____________ my thirst
    14. The government should do something to __________ poverty in our country
    15. Mr. Williams found it difficult to take a class post lunch, as it was impossible to overcome his students' ____________and capture their attention
     
    Nepotism (patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics.)
    Lassitude: lack of vitality or energy.
    Bamboozle (to deceive or get the better of (someone) by trickery)
    Emend (to editor change)
    Thwart (to oppose successfully and try to prevent from accomplishing a purpose)
    Caterwaul (to howl, scream)
    Smithereens (shattered to small pieces)
    Corroborate (to make more certain; confirm)
    Slake (to quench, to lessen)
    Ephemeral (lasting for a short time; short-lived)
    Lacuna (missing part) (a gap or a missing part)
    Vegan (a person who refrains from using any animal product whatever for food, clothing, or any other purpose)
    Extirpate (to eradicate, to destroy)
    Pelf (money or wealth, esp. when regarded with contempt or acquired by reprehensible means)
    Pastiche (a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.)


    Answer

    1.

    Nepotism

    2.

    Bamboozle

    3.

    Thwart

    4.

    Anonymous

    5.

    Smithereens

    6.

    Lacuna

    7.

    Vegan

    8.

    Pelf

    9.

    Pastiche

    10.

    Emend

    11. Corroborate 12. Ephemeral 13. Slake 14. Extirpate 15. Lassitude                    

Can you rearrange the following groups of letters to find a word that matches the clue given?


    1.

    Mousinmagna: generous in forgiving an insult or injury

    2. Evelleddish: to cause untidiness and disarray
    3. Rospectret: contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc
    4. Mousanony: of unknown name
    5. Maticphleg: not easily excited to action or display of emotion
    6. Mousposthu: arising, occurring, or continuing after one's death
    7. Distchiropo: a person qualified to diagnose and treat foot disorders
    8. Uosovirt: a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field
    9. Ttantedile: a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement
    10. Boratecorro: to make more certain; confirm
    11. Dentdeca: characterized by decadence, esp. culturally or morally
    12. Perousobstre: noisy, clamorous, or boisterous
    13. Cuousinno: not harmful or injurious; harmless
    14. Ousdolor: full of, expressing, or causing pain or sorrow; grievous; mournful
    15. Lousbibu: fond of or addicted to drink, addicted to alcohol


    Answer

    1.

    Magnanimous

    2.

    Dishevelled

    3.

    Retrospect

    4.

    Anonymous

    5.

    Phlegmatic

    6.

    Posthumous

    7.

    Chiropodist

    8.

    Virtuoso

    9.

    Dilettante

    10.

    Corroborate

    11. Decadent 12. Obstreperous 13. Innocuous 14. Dolorous 15. Bibulous                    

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate preposition


    1.

    Sharon and Shaun met __ a party and stayed ________ it ended

    2. Aishwarya Rai is the most beautiful woman _____ the world
    3. How do you like to spend your time ____weekends
    4. Peter has been working ____ 2 weeks in a row without a break
    5. Your mom called _________ you were asleep
    6. Shauna is good __ numbers
    7. Christmas is just _____ the corner
    8. The bus is always __ time
    9. Open the text book __ page 6
    10. please concentrate __ your homework
    11. That’s very kind __ you
    12. Sheena is not good __ cooking
    13. I’ll meet you __ Bandra __ Café Coffee Day
    14. The boy swam ____ the river
    15. John lives __ 45 South Street


    Answer

    1.

    at, until

    2.

    in

    3.

    a

    4.

    for

    5.

    while

    6.

    with

    7.

    round

    8.

    on

    9.

    at

    10.

    on

    11. of 12. at 13. in, at 14. across 15. at                    

Match the following word with their meanings


    1.

    Vacillate

    a. doting upon, foolishly fond of, or
    affectionately submissive toward one’s wife
    2. Perspicacity b. a hater of humankind
    3. Uxorious c. make evident
    4. Misanthrope d. a conceited, boastful person
    5. Misogynist e. ineffectual, luckless and timid person
    6. Ephemeral f. keenness of mental perception
    7. Invidious g. short-lived
    8. Egotist h. grudging, envious
    9. Nebbish i to be indecisive
    10. Perambulate j. to walk or travel about; stroll.
    11. Verboten k. hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women
    12. Evince l. to trick, to deceive
    13. Chicanery m prohibited, forbidden
    14. Inchoate n apt or likely to change
    15. Labile o. undeveloped, immature


    Answer

    1.

    i

    2.

    f

    3.

    a

    4.

    b

    5.

    k

    6.

    g

    7.

    h

    8.

    d

    9.

    e

    10.

     

    11. m 12. c 13. l 14. o 15. n                    

Fill in the letters that are missing to form words that match the meanings given. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.


    1.

    D _ s _ e v _ l l e d (untidy, unkempt) (11)

    2.

    _ u _ a _ i o u s (bold) (9)

    3.

    R _ p _ l s _ _ _ _ (loathsome, disgusting) (9)

    4.

    _ e _ ro _a _ t _ (scoundrel, wicked) (9)

    5.

    _ l u _ _ er (to cry noisily) (7)

    6.

    L _ p _ i d _ d (uneven, unequal) (8)

    7.

    _ er ¬_ e _ ra _ tor (criminal) (11)

    8.

    _ so _ t _ r _ c (abstruse, arcane) (8)

    9.

    _ xas _e¬ _ a _ _ ( irritate, anger, vex) (10)

    10.

    C _ a _ des _ i _ ne (hidden, confidential) (11)

    11.

    E _ r _ g _ ous (gross, outrageous) (9)

    12.

    _ a_ a_ l_ _ r (condescending, indifferent, arrogant ) (8)

    13.

    _ n _ i p _ t _ y (disgust, abhorrence, detestation, hatred) (9)

    14.

    P _ a c _ t e (pacify, appease) (7)

    15.

    _ lt _ _ c ate (argue, quarrel) (9)



    Answer

    1.

    Dishevelled

    2.

    Audacious

    3.

    Repulsive

    4.

    Reprobate

    5.

    Blubber

    6.

    Lopsided

    7.

    Perpetrator

    8.

    Esoteric

    9.

    Exasperate

    10.

    Clandestine

    11. Egrigious 12. Cavalier 13. Antipathy 14. placate 15. Altercate                    

Test you Vocabulary Skills

    All the words in the list have a similar meaning of which one is different from the rest... Spot the odd one out from the list given below…

    1.

    a. antediluvian
    b. ancient
    c. archaic
    d. modern

    2.

    a. cadge
    b. give
    c. beg
    d. sponge

    3.

    a. laconic
    b. concise
    c.compact
    d. verbose

    4.

    a. effete
    b.degenerate
    c. tireless
    d. exhausted

    5.

    a. Lucre
    b. money
    c. capital
    d. debt

    6.

    a. Lazy
    b. diligent
    c. determined
    d. industrious

    7.

    a. querulous
    b. cantankerous
    c. cheerful
    d. complaining

    8.

    a. gainsay
    b. agree
    c. contradict
    d. contravene

    9.

    a. acrid
    b. harsh
    c. biting
    d. basic

    10.

    a. insouciant
    b. nervous
    c. carefree
    d. casual

    11.

    a. meticulous
    b. accurate
    c. messy
    d. cautious

    12.

    a. parlous
    b. safe
    c. dangerous
    d. alarming

    13.

    a. officious
    b. meddlesome
    c. retiring
    d. interfering

    14.

    a. propinquity
    b. avoidance
    c. closeness
    d. nearness

    15.

    a. reasonable
    b. bombastic
    c. fulsome
    d. cloying



    Answer

    1.

    d

    2.

    b

    3.

    d

    4.

    c

    5.

    d

    6.

    a

    7.

    c

    8.

    b

    9.

    d

    10.

    b

    11. c 12. b 13. c 14. b 15. a                    

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words


    1.

    Shaun is just 2 years old , but he is very _______ child for his age ( tall, big)

    2.

    Could you ________me some dough (lend, borrow)

    3.

    Could you ________ me some tea, please ? (bring, take )

    4.

    You should ________ jogging everyday (go, play)

    5.

    I love _________ to music (listening, hearing)

    6.

    ________been raining all day long( Its It’s)

    7.

    To ________ a commitment (do, make)

    8.

    _____ the truth ( tell, say)

    9.

    __________ house is very big ( their, there)

    10.

    Mr and Mrs. Smith have been married _______ ten years now (since, for)

    11.

    Are these ___________ books? ( you’re, your)

    12.

    We had so ______ fun at the party (many, much)

    13.

    Maria has been _________ TV all day long (watching, seeing)

    14.

    This is ___________ show (live, life)

    15.

    India is an independent ___________ (country, land)



    Answer

    1.

    tall

    2.

    lend

    3.

    bring

    4.

    go

    5.

    listening

    6.

    It’s

    7.

    make

    8.

    tell

    9.

    their

    10.

    for

    11. your 12. much 13. Clamber 14. live 15. country                    

Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:


    1.

    Orisat (sudden enlightenment)

    2.

    Tateussim (to silently move the lips in simulation of audible speech)

    3.

    Sickfos (to search for any object by which to make gain)

    4.

    Pholepsynym (a frenzy of emotion, as for something unattainable).

    5.

    Meet (to abound or swarm).

    6.

    Otericne (recent in origin; new)

    7.

    Rulys (ill-humored; sullen and gruff)

    8.

    Fyviviv (to endue with life; to enliven)

    9.

    Phatncosy (one who attempts to win favour by flattering influential people)

    10.

    Barogate (to annul; to do away with)

    11.

    Nuryep (extreme poverty; also, insufficiency)

    12.

    Agtedvarie (having marks or patches of different colors; also, varied)

    13.

    Berclam (to climb with difficulty, or on all fours)

    14.

    Persitya (roughness of surface, sound, or manner)

    15.

    FFetee (infertile; also, worn out; also, decadent, effeminate)



    Answer

    1.

    Satori

    2.

    Mussitate

    3.

    Fossick

    4.

    Nympholepsy

    5.

    Teem

    6.

    Neoteric

    7.

    Surly

    8.

    Vivify

    9.

    Sycophant

    10.

    Abrogate

    11. Penury 12. Variegated 13. Clamber 14. Asperity 15. Effete                    

Match the following word with their meanings


    Dissimulate, Lucifugous, Bowdlerize, Subaudition, Burlesque, Hobbledehoy, Hinterland, Conflate, Rigmarole, Wend, Overweening, Confiscable, Pettifogge, Diaphanous, Sunder
       
    1.

    Avoiding light

    2. Liable to be taken by an authorised party
    3.

    An elaborate or complicated procedure

    4.

    Allowing light to pass through

    5.

    To pursue or direct (one's way).

    6.

    Involving ludicrous or mocking treatment of a solemn subject

    7.

    An act or instance of understanding or mentally supplying something not expressed.

    8.

    An awkward, gawky young fellow

    9.

    Backcountry

    10.

    A petty, unscrupulous lawyer; also, who quibbles over trivia

    11.

    To hide under a false appearance; also, to feign or pretend

    12.

    To bring together; to meld.

    13.

    To break apart.

    14.

    To remove or modify the parts, considered offensive

    15.

    Overbearing; also, excessive



    Answer

    1.

    Lucifugous

    2.

    Confiscable

    3.

    Rigmarole

    4.

    Diaphanous

    5.

    Wend

    6.

    Burlesque

    7.

    Subaudition

    8.

    Hobbledehoy

    9.

    Hinterland

    10.

    Pettifogge

    11. Dissimulate 12. Conflate 13. Sunder 14. Bowdlerize 15. Overweening                    

Find the antonyms for the words given below


    1.

    Brobdingnagian
    a. Gigantic
    b. gargantuan
    c. prodigious
    d. miniature

    2. Risible
    a. serious
    b. amusing
    c. comical
    d. laughable
    3. Glower
    a. glare
    b. cast
    c. clock
    d. grin
    4. Pule
    a. compliment
    b. whimper
    c. complain
    d. cry
    5. Meticulous
    a. cautious
    b. accurate
    c. careless
    d. fastidious
    6. Badinage
    a. repartee
    b. depression
    c. joking
    d. teasing
    7. Levity
    a. frivolity
    b. silliness
    c. seriousness
    d. triviality
    8. Callow
    a. experienced
    b. immature
    c. inexperienced
    d. naive
    9. Officious
    a. authoritative
    b. modest
    c. assertive
    d. meddlesome
    10. Propinquity
    a. avoidance
    b. closeness
    c. kinship
    d. connection
    11. Robustious
    a. healthy
    b. strong
    c. infirm
    d. hail
    12. Daedal
    a. complicated
    b. difficult
    c. simple
    d. complex
    13. Eschew
    a. shun
    b. avoid
    c. elude
    d. indulge
    14. Choler
    a. anger
    b. ire
    c. animosity
    d. calmness
    15. Jocund
    a. cheerful
    b. gay
    b. mirthful
    d. heavyhearted


    Answer

    1.

    d

    2.

    a

    3.

    d

    4.

    a

    5.

    c

    6.

    b

    7.

    c

    8.

    a

    9.

    b

    10.

    a

    11. c 12. c 13. d 14. d 15. d                    

Can you rearrange the following groups of letters to find a word that matches the clue given?


    1.

    Cationlibo: the state of being or the ability to be in two places at the same time.

    2. Chinnateca: to laugh loudly or immoderately.
    3.

    Egaged: unconstrained; easy, as in manner or style

    4.

    Ticzete: proceeding by inquiry; investigating.

    5.

    Speckleken: conspicuous; easily seen or recognized.

    6.

    BileeJu: any season or occasion of rejoicing or festivity.

    7.

    Reu: to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.

    8.

    Ambsialro : exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious or fragrant.

    9.

    Shenaganin: mischief; prankishness.

    10.

    lepsch: to move slowly, awkwardly, or tediously.

    11.

    loreag: in abundance; in plentiful amounts.

    12.

    Thoepyro: the study of correct pronunciation

    13.

    Todfan: a state of extreme nervousness or restlessness.

    14.

    Rytar: to remain or stay, as in a place; sojourn.

    15.

    Renteg: a ruler or manager.



    Answer

    1.

    Bilocation

    2.

    Cachinnate

    3.

    Degage

    4.

    Zetetic

    5.

    Kenspeckle

    6.

    Jubilee

    7.

    Rue

    8.

    Ambrosial

    9.

    Shenanigan

    10.

    Schlep

    11. Galore 12. Orthoepy 13. Fantod 14. Tarry 15. Gerent                    

Match the following phobias to their meanings Being phobic:


    1. Fear of darkness a. Pyrophobia
    2. Fear of the sea b. Xenophobia
    3. Fear of snakes c. Ranidaphobia
    4. Fear of thinking d. Galeophobia
    5. Fear of fire. e. Agoraphobia
    6. Fear of open high places f. Aeroacrophobia
    7. Fear of sun light g. Achluophobia
    8. Fear of speed h. triskaidekaphobia
    9. Fear of God or gods i. Ophidiophobia
    10. Fear of heights j. Zeusophobia
    11. Fear of cats’ k. Thalassophobia
    12. Fear of the number 13 l. Tachophobia
    13. Fear of frogs. m. Phronemophobia
    14. Fear of strangers or foreigners n. Acrophobia
    15. Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places o. Heliophobia


    Answer

    1.

    g

    2.

    k

    3.

    i

    4.

    m

    5.

    a

    6.

    f

    7.

    o

    8.

    l

    9.

    j

    10.

    n

    11. d 12. h 13. c 14. b 15. e                    

Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions


    1. Mr. Singh lives _____ Delhi
    2. Sheena is going ________ a sabbatical
    3. Shaun has just gotten a new job and has been working with JPMC________two weeks now
    4. I shopped a lot ________ I was in Paris
    5. Let’s meet ________Bandra _____ CCD
    6. Lara was angry ______ her mom for not letting her go out
    7. Sheena bumped _____ a friend last evening
    8. The cops chased the robbers _______the streets
    9. It’s _________ time you went home
    10. Elaine was thrown out of the organization because she had done something that was _________the rules
    11. I stayed _________ home all weekend
    12. He stayed ________ 2.00 in the morning
    13. We are having a party _______ the 10th of November
    14. I am interested _________ buying a new computer
    15. ________ my opinion, Richard Gere is a good actor


    Answer

    1.

    in

    2.

    on

    3.

    for

    4.

    while

    5.

    in

    6.

    with

    7.

    into

    8.

    through

    9.

    about

    10.

    against

    11. at 12. until 13. on 14. in 15. in                    

Choose the right meaning


    1.

    Culpable
    a. adj. deserving blame or censure
    b. adj. inclined to believe anything; easily imposed upon
    c. v. to quicken, speed tip
    d. n. eagerness; cheerful promptness

    2. Anthology
    a. n. an indirect reference or suggestion (frequently derogatory)
    b. n. payment for services
    c. n. a collection of choice literary works
    d. n. one who dabbles in the fine arts for amusement only and without concentrated study
    3. Promulgate
    a. adj. Fearful
    b. adj. of, or pertaining to, the world, as contrasted with the spirit
    c. v. to publish or proclaim; to spread abroad
    d. adj. of low morals; corrupt
    4. Crass
    a. adj. rigorously self-denying
    b. adv. with distrust
    c. adj. traveling about
    d. adj. coarse and stupid; wandering
    5. Proletariat
    a. n. the wage-earning class
    b. v. to express sympathy with another in sorrow, pain, or misfortune
    c. adj. devoted to religious observances
    d. adj. Objectionable
    6. Sleazy
    a. n. a cliff
    b. n. a distortion of the face to express an attitude or feeling
    c. n. one who is at home in all countries
    d. adj. flimsy and cheap
    7. Grimace
    a. adj. smooth-spoken, fluent
    b. v. to twist about (usually with pain)
    c. n. a distortion of the face to express an attitude or feeling
    d. v. to express sympathy with another in sorrow, pain, or misfortune
    8. Exultation
    a. n. faithfulness
    b. adj. positive in expressing an opinion
    c. n. coward
    d. n. great rejoicing
    9. Bizarre
    a. adj. pertaining to money
    b. n. an extreme patriot
    c. adj. queer; unusual in appearance
    d. v. display or wave boastfully
    10. Ubiquitous
    a. v. to postpone or put off to another time
    b. adj. all-powerful
    c. v. to smile in a silly or affected way
    d. adj. existing everywhere
    11. Exotic
    a. adj. strange and foreign
    b. v. to walk about (or talk) aimlessly; to wind about (as a stream)
    c. adj. pretending to be religious
    d. adj. demonstrating originality, skill, or resourcefulness
    12. Promontory
    a. adj. Trembling
    b. adj. apparent; pretended
    c. n. a cliff
    d. n. to interpret, explain the sense of, or analyze
    13. Hyperbole
    a. adj. supreme power and authority; independent of the control of any other government
    b. adj. ridiculous; producing laughter
    c. n. extravagant exaggeration for effect
    d. n. boredom; weariness of mind
    14. Jettison
    a. n. one who proudly shows off his learning or who overrates his knowledge
    b. adj. lacking in self-confidence
    c. v. to throw overboard (as cargo); to throw off (as a burden or something in the way )
    d. adj. simple and straightforward; concealing nothing
    15. Blithe
    a. adj. gay and light-hearted in spirit or mood
    b. adj. sorrowful; mournful
    b. adj. of little worth or importance
    d. adj. well-deserved (applied chiefly to punishment)


    Answers
    1.a 2.c 3.c 4.d 5.a 6.d 7.c 8. d 9.c 10.d 11.a 12.c 13.c 14.c 15.a

Rephrase the sentence


    1. My business ..... a profit last year. (make)
    2. Riya ..... a prize in a painting competition. (win)
    3. She walked into the room and ..... the lamp in front of the god. (light)
    4. Mayank..... sick yesterday so he didn't go to school. (feel)
    5. Christian ..... down the stairs. (fall)
    6. Shakira ..... the Waka Waka song beautifully. (sing)
    7. A stray dog ..... my dog yesterday. (bite)
    8. Tony Blair ..... the Prime Minister of England in 1997. (become)
    9. My lovebirds ..... away yesterday. (fly)
    10. When John started to talk everyone in the room quietly..... (leave)
    11. Claudia went fishing and ..... a fish. (catch)
    12. Robert ..... the third prize in a photography competition. (win)
    13. I ..... the answer but the teacher didn't ask me. (know)
    14. Mrs Pinto ..... me to play the piano at her home. (teach)
    15. My brother ..... a bird by accident. (shoot)
    16. My friend ..... for mine and her new slippers with her credit card. (pay)
    17. The sun ..... brightly yesterday. (shine)
    18. My friend ..... a car crash yesterday. (see)
    19. Someone ..... my bike a few years ago. (steal)
    20. The audience went quiet when the movie Peepli Live ..... (begin)


    Answers
    1.made 2.won 3.lit 4.felt 5.fell 6.sang 7.bit 8. became 9.flew 10.left 11.caught 12.won 13.knew 14.taught 15.shot 16.paid 17.shone 18.saw 14.stole 15.began

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words


    1. Mollycoddled- pampered
    2. Cheechako- newcomer
    3. Supercilious- arrogant, scornful
    4. Tarried- remained or stayed, as in a place
    5. Smorgasbord- a variety of sorts of things
    6. Absquatulated- fled, absconded
    7. Busticated- broke it to pieces
    8. Blithe- joyous, merry
    9. Propitious- favorable
    10. Pusillanimous- cowardly
    11. Gamut- the entire scale or range
    12. Implacable- inflexible
    13. Impecunious- habitually without money
    14. Prognosticate- predict
    15. Edacious- greedy, voracious

    1. It’s hard to ___________ how Mumbai will be in the coming years
    2. Sharon _____________ at the mall and was late for her shoot
    3. Meena is not liked by anyone because of her __________ attitude
    4. As a ___________ to Delhi Shaun did not such a quick and warm welcome from the City
    5. There was a _________ of cheese and desserts at the party
    6. The thief __________ with our silver
    7. Everyone loved Tina’s ________ spirit
    8. Simon _________ the bottle that was lying on the table because he could not make it the party
    9. The timing of the show did not seem ___________
    10. Glen could not take part in the car race because of his ___________ nature
    11. The kid said the whole _____ of the alphabets from A-Z
    12. The daughter of an __________ farmer married a wealthy businessman
    13. Robin’s __________ attitude will get him nowhere in life
    14. Sheena has an ___________ appetite
    15. Jerry was ________ as he was the youngest of the family members


    Answers
    1.Prognosticate 2.Tarried 3.Supercilious 4.Cheechako 5.Smorgasbord 6.Absquatulated 7.Blithe 8. Busticated 9.Propitious 10.Pusillanimous 11.Gamut 12.Impecunious 13.Implacable 14.Edacious 15.Mollycoddled

Only one of the sentences in each cluster below can possess correct grammar and usage. Identify the one.


    1.

    The college requires that these forms should be submitted before the end of month
    a. that these forms be submitted
    b. that these forms shall be submitted
    c. these forms should be submitted
    d. these form be submitted

    2. Your taking loans to buy a house annoyed mother
    a. yours taking a loan to buy a house annoyed mother
    b. you taking a loan to buy a house annoyed mother
    c. you take a loan to buy a house annoyed mother
    d. your taking a loan to buy a house annoyed mother
    3. Sharon and me are best friends
    a. Me and Sharon are best frienfs
    b. Sharon and I are best friends
    c. I and Sharon are best friends
    d. Sharon and I is best friend
    4. Shiva lives opposite to the bank
    a. Shiva lives opposite the bank
    b. Shiva stays opposite the bank
    c. Shiva stays opposite to the bank
    d. Shiva lives opposite bank
    5. Employees are not allowed to chat online during the office hours
    a. Employees are not allowed to chat online in office hours
    b. Employees are not allowed to chat in the hours of office
    c. Employees are not allowed to chat online during office hours
    d. Employees are not allowed to chat during the office hours online
    6. Mrs. Gartner’s children’s are very well behaved
    a. Mrs. Gartner’s childrens are very well behaved
    b. Mrs. Gartner’s childs are very well behaved
    c. Mrs. Gartner’s children are very well behaved
    d. Mrs. Gartner childrens are very well behaved
    7. Where’s Sheena? I hadn’t seen her today
    a. Where’s Sheena? I haven’t seen her today
    b. Where’s Sheena? I am not seeing her today
    c. Where’s Sheena? I have never seen her today
    d. Where’s Sheena? I never seen her today
    8. I am wanting to meet you
    a. I am want to meet you
    b. I was wanting to meeting you
    c. I want to meeting you
    d. I want to meet you
    9. it’s been raining cats and dogs
    a. its has been raining cats and dogs
    b. its had been raining like cats and dogs
    c. it’s raining cats and dogs
    d. its rains cats and dogs
    10. Sam mistook Stella as a old friend
    a. Sam was mistaken Stella for an old friend
    b. Sam and Stella were mistaken as old friends
    c. Sam mistakes Stella for an old friend
    d. Sam mistook Stella for an old friend
    11. Students are prohibited from the usage of a calculator on test day
    a. Students are prohibited for the usage of a calculator on the test day
    b. Students are prohibited by using a calculator on test day
    c. Students are prohibited for using a calculator on test day
    d. Students are prohibited from using a calculator on test day
    12. Sheena did not go to college yesterday
    a. Sheena dint go to college yesterday
    b. Sheena did not go to college yesterday
    c. Sheena was not going to college yesterday
    d. Sheena did not went to college yesterday
    13. I heared inception is a great movie
    a. I heard inception being a great movie
    b. I hears inception is a great movie
    c. I heard inception is a great movie
    d. I am hearing about inception being a great movie
    14. Stella is very brilliant she had began reading when she was 3 years old
    a. Stella is very brilliant; she began reading when she was 3 years old
    b. Stella is very brilliant: she began reading when she was 3 years old
    c. Stella is very brilliant she begin reading when she was 3 years old
    d. Stella is very brilliant she begins reading when she was 3 years old
    15. Freida is an animal lover because loves dogs
    a. Freida is an animal lover and love dogs
    b. Freida is an animal lover and loves dogs
    b. Freida is an animal lover and loving dogs
    d. Freida is an animal lover because she is loving dogs


    Answers
    1.a 2.d 3.b 4.a 5.c 6.c 7.a 8. d 9.c 10.d 11.d 12.b 13.c 14.a 15.b

Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:


    1. Beginning to exist or develop _ a _ c_ n_
    2. Unreal, imagery chi _ _ r_ c_l
    3. To become separated, part s _ n _ e _
    4. Excessively attached to or dependent on one's wife u _ o _i ous
    5. Showy, a conceited, foolish dandy; pretentious fop c_ x_ c_ o_b
    6. Lying on the back, face or front upward. s _ p_ n_
    7. To talk in a rambling, foolish meaningless way m_ _ _ d _ _
    8. Strong or vehement expression of disapproval ce _ su _ _
    9. A group or band of people c_ h o _ t
    10. To conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically. d _ ss _ m _ l a _ e
    11. Critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text e_ e _ e _ i _
    12. Bright lustrous _ i_ i _
    13. A woman who dominates an organization, community m_ t _ i _ r _ h _ l
    14. Obsessive theft k _ e _ t_ m_ n_ a
    15. Sophisticated, polished _ r_ a _ e


    Answers
    1.Nascent 2.Chimerical 3.Sunder 4.Uxorious 5.Coxcomb 6.Supine 7.Maunder 8. Censure 9.Cohort 10.Dissimulate 11.Exegesis 12.Nitid 13.Matriarchal 14.Kleptomania 15.Urbane

Fill in the letters that are missing to form words that match the meanings given


    1. (Diacea) Laziness or indifference in religious matters
    2. (Tivytan) A fast full gallop; top speed
    3. (Mancyroae) The prediction of future events from observation of weather conditions.
    4. (Gynyophilo) Love or liking for women
    5. (Ginousolea) Having the nature or qualities of oil
    6. (Ratefeproli) To increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively
    7. (Way) The action of yawing; especially a side to side movement
    8. (Midonmyr) A loyal follower; especially a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously
    9. (Oxysmpar) A sudden outburst of emotion or action
    10. (Tiatepaex) To speak or write at length
    11. (Fugesubter) An artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.
    12. (Coddelemolly) To Pamper
    13. (Quyolsoli) The act of talking while or as if alone.
    14. (Tichepas) A dramatic, literary, or musical piece openly imitating the previous works of other artists, often with satirical intent.
    15. (Tudepulchri) Physical beauty


    Answers
    1.Acedia 2.Tantivy 3.Aeromancy 4.Philogyny 5.Oleaginous 6.Proliferate 7.Yaw 8. Myrmidon 9.Paroxysm 10.Expatiate 11.Subterfuge 12.Mollycoddle 13.Soliloquy 14.Pastiche 15.Pulchritude

Recall the words from the meaning given below


    1. Obsession for alcohol D______________
    2. Inheritance from father P___________
    3. Friendly C _______________
    4. One who eats greedily G_____________
    5. Beyond reform I_____________
    6. Out of time A__________
    7. Outstandingly bad E ____________
    8. Pompousness in speech M___________
    9. Sleepwalker S______________
    10. A strict disciplinarian M_________
    11. A scoffer at tradition I________
    12. Easily tricked G__________
    13. Fear and trembling T_____________
    14. A mail admirer or lover S_______________
    15. Security against damage or loss I___________


    Answers
    1.Dipsomania 2.Patrimony 3.Convivial 4.Glutton 5.Incorrigible 6.Anachronous 7.Egregious 8. Magniloquence 9.Somnambulist 10.Martinet 11.Iconoclast 12.Gullible 13.Trepidation 14.Swain 15.Indemnity

Match the following words to their meanings:


    1. Vespertine a. partiality, preference
    2. Compadre b. to disappear gradually, vanish, fade
    3. Grotesque c. jumbled or confused state
    4. Predilection d. completely transparent & translucent
    5. Preposterous e. a gentle mild breeze
    6. Evanescence f. a sound of or as beating of a drum
    7. Amok g. completely contrary to nature, absurd
    8. Heliolatry h. a friend, companion
    9. Zephyr i. ugly or absurd, bizarre
    10. Rataplan j. worship of the sun
    11. Threnody k. perplexed, confused
    12. Diaphanous l. occurring in the evening
    13. Nonplus m. funeral song
    14. Fatuous n. unreal, illusory
    15. Numinous o. spiritually elevated


    Answers
    1.l 2.h 3.i 4.a 5.g 6.b 7.c 8. j 9.e 10.f 11.f 12.d 13.k 14.n 15.o

Fill in the letters that are missing to form words that match the meanings given. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.

 

  1. Gruesome and horrifying (7) m_ c_ a_ r_ e

  2. To hold spellbound, charm (8) _ _ t _ r _ ll

  3. a devotee of ballet (11) B _ ll _ t _ m _ a ne

  4. desire, wish (3) _ e _

  5. Relating to or based on the sense of touch _ a _ t_c

  6. Unemotional (10) _ h _ _ _ m _ tic

  7. A social blunder (7) _ _ ux _ a _ s

  8. To instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge enlighten, inform (5) _ d _ f _

  9. Bravado or exaggerated boasting (9) g _ s co _ a_ d _

  10. Villainous, corrupt (10) _ l _ g i _ i _ us

  11. Harshness of manner or of temper (8) _ s _ e _ i- ty

  12. To displace, remove, or evict from a position (6) _ i _ k _ e

  13. Favorable, fortunate, prosperous (10) a _ s _ i c _ o _ s

  14. To assign responsibility or authority (8) d _ l _ g _ t _

  15. Having or known by many names (11) _ o _ y _ n _ m _ u _

    Answers
    1.Macabre 2.Enthrall 3.Balletomane 4.Yen 5.Haptic 6.Phlegmatic 7.faux pas 8. Edify 9.Gasconade 10.Flagitious 11.Asperity 12.Winkle 13.Auspicious 14.Delegate 15.Polyonymous

Choose the appropriate words to fill in the blanks from the list given below:

  1. Perusal- a careful examination, review
  2. Enmity- ill will, hatred, hostility
  3. Embezzle- to steal money by falsifying records Enmity- ill will, hatred, hostility
  4. Extol- to praise highly, revere
  5. Fractious- troublesome or irritable
  6. Feral- wild, savage
  7. Furtive- secretive, sly
  8. Gratuitous- uncalled for, unwarranted
  9. Lithe- graceful, flexible, supple
  10. Inept- not suitable or capable, unqualified k. Maverick- an independent, nonconformist person
  11. Myriad- consisting of a very great number
  12. Modicum- a small amount of something Myriad- consisting of a very great number
  13. Novice- a beginner, someone without training or experience
  14. Deride- to mock, to jeer at, to laugh at, to make fun of in a wicked
  15. Maverick- independent, non-conformist

 

  1. The boys in Rohan’s class _________him for his accent

  2. The manager of the company fired the accountant for __________the company’s fund

  3. Because the ________that exists between Sharon and Shaun, they refused to sit on the same bench in class

  4. Sheena’s parents ________the virtues of a vegetarian diet to their meat-loving daughter

  5. A pack of _________dogs were roaming around this morning

  6. The________ child had no manners and did not know how to behave well in public

  7. This girl who was attracted to this guy was watching him with _________glances, waiting for him to approach her.

  8. The ________discount offered by the salesman was a surprise for all of us when we went shopping

  9. Nicholas is ________at dealing with people

  10. The body of a ballerina was very _________that was how she was able to do a split.

  11. Nancy is a real________ and will always do things her own way

  12. Now a days youngsters don’t have a _______of respect for their elders

  13. There were a __________stars in the sky the other night

  14. Shiraz was a __________ in French and needed classes

  15. Shane’s _____of class notes just 2 days before her exams resulted in her scoring a first class

    Answers
    1.n 2.c 3.b 4.d 5.f 6.e 7.g 8 h.9.j10.i 11.o 12.l 13.k14.m15.a



Vocabulary

All the words in the list have a similar meaning of which one is different from the rest... Spot the odd one out from the list given below…

  1. a. abate b.slacken c.rise d. fall e.dwindle

  2. a. abdicate b. quit  c. surrender  d. relinquish e. maintain

  3. a. abduct b.release c.kidnap d.seize e.grab

  4. a. impervious b. unaffected c. impassive d. responsive e. resistant

  5. a. abominable b. abhorrent c. alluring d. hateful e.sleazy

  6. a. ephemeral b.fugacious c.momentary d. fleet e.permanent

  7. a. festoon b. strip c. deck d. adorn e. drape

  8. a. obviate b. restrain c. permit d. prevent e. hinder

  9. a. Diatribe b. tirade c. honor d.recommendation e. denunciation

  10. a.Laconic b. brief c.verbose d. terse e.crisp

  11. a. Corroborate b.back c.contradict d.validate e.authenticate

  12. a. obdurate b.inflexible c.adamant d.stubborn e.easygoing

  13. a. digress b. meander c. focus d. swerve e. deviate

  14. a. florid b.pale c.flash d.flamboyant e.gaudy

  15. a. insipid b.flat c.intersting d. dull e.unintersting

    Answer
    1. c 2. e 3. b 4. d 5. c 6. e 7. b 8. d 9. d 10. c 11. c 12. e 13. c 14. b 15. c 


Vocabulary

Choose the correct conjunctions from the list given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate form

by the time, lest, whenever, however, incase, wherein, while, wherever, provided, although, as if, so that, whereas, whether, though                       

  1. _______ Peter prefers Math to English; he does well in English

  2. You look _______ you haven’t eaten anything for a month

  3. _______ you are done reading this book, I will already have left

  4. Be careful with the knife______ you should hurt yourself

  5. I think you can’t take that route, I am not sure _________

  6. We can go shopping _________ you are free

  7. _________ did you find that

  8. Take an umbrella _____ it rains

  9. I went to the bookstore this morning, ___________ I did not find what I was looking for

  10. You will be allowed entry to the club __________ you are 18 years old

  11. Sheena arrived early to work ______________ she could speak to Sharon in private

  12. I saw the film __________ you were asleep

  13. I want to know ________ this sentence is grammatically correct

  14. He is short ________ you are tall

  15. France is the country _________ those people live


    Answers
    1. Although  2. as if 3. by the time 4. lest 5. though  6. whenever 7. wherever  8. incase  9.however  10. provided 11. so that  12. while 13. whether 14. whereas 15. wherein   


Synonyms are different words with identical or very similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous. Choose the right synonyms from the words given below:

  1. Pacify
    a. intensify
    b. incite
    c. assuage
    d. increase

  2. Tenebrous
    a. dim
    b. bright
    c. brilliant
    d. stubborn

  3. Cogent
    a. inconclusive
    b. indefinite
    c. ineffective
    d. valid

  4. Malcontent
    a. pleased
    b. dissatisfied
    c. content
    d. delight

  5. Insouciant
    a. careless
    b. nervous
    c. anxiety
    d. high-strung

  6. Affable
    a. grumbling
    b. grouchy
    c. gregarious
    d. reserved

  7. Stoic
    a. unconcerned
    b. upset
    c. dull
    d. bright

  8. Pugnacious
    a. laid-back
    b. argumentative
    c. nice
    d. calm

  9. Humungous
    a. fearful
    b. little
    c. bubbly
    d. colossal

  10. Innocuous
    a. destructive
    b. harmful
    c. harmless
    d. shy

  11. Inclement
    a. harsh
    b. clear
    c. mild
    d. sunny

  12. Glower
    a. glare
    b. grin
    c. dullness
    d. rigid

  13. Commodious
    a. insufficient
    b. spacious
    c. meager
    d. exiguous

  14. Powerful
    a. puissant
    b. weak
    c. adaptable
    d. detest

  15. Ululate
    a. cry
    b.whimper
    c.howl
    d. hide


    Answers
    1. c 2. a 3. d 4. b 5. a 6. c 7. a 8. b 9. d 10. c 11. a 12. a 13. b 14. a 15. c

Fill in the letters that are missing to form words that match the meanings given. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.

  1. R_ G _ _ N _ (Prevalent, widespread) (7)

  2. K _ _ I _ _ . (To chat, to converse) (6)

  3. _ _ _ S _ I _ (Argument for the sole purpose of winning,

  4. P _ U _ _ Y (Having or showing courage) (6)

  5. S_ _ _E (To satisfy or quench; also, to cause to lessen) (5)

  6. E_ _ G _ _ _ _ (Extremely scanty) (8)

  7. _ U_ R_ (Money, profit) (5)

  8. G _ A_ _ T _ _ (High seriousness) (8)

  9. M _ _ U_ I _ AL (Relating to or occurring in the morning) (9)

  10. I _ _ O_ A_ _ _ (An ignorant person) (9)

  11. T_ RR _ D_ _ _ LE (Pretentious nonsense, a fib, petty falsehood) (11)

  12. A _ _ O _ _ (Agreement) (6)

  13. _ _ _ C H _ _ _ (A strong liking) (8)

  14. L _ _ U _ _ (A missing part) (6)

  15. H _ _ I _ _ E (One who frequents a particular place) (7)

Answers
1. Regnant  2. Kibitz 3. Eristic 4. Plucky  5. Slake 6. Exiguous 7. Lucre 8.  Gravitas 9. Matutinal 10. Ignoramus 11. Tarradiddle  12. Accord 13. Penchant 14. Lacuna 15. Habitué



Choose the correct words from the list given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate form:

of despite into
onto off amid
opposite toward through
towards upon until
unlike via following
  1. The bike drove bang_________ a lamp-post

  2. Despite the total destruction of the hurricane, there was hope__________ the wreckage when a baby was found alive.

  3. Shaun won the game _________ overwhelming odds.

  4. Sharon lives in a house in a small road just _________the main road

  5. The responsibility fell __________ John’s shoulders when he was just 15

  6. The kids are going ________ that box of chocolate pretty quickly

  7. I am trying to think _____________ an answer to your question

  8. I thought the buttermilk might calm my stomach, but instead the ___________ happened and I was quite nauseous.

  9. I walked___________ the car

  10. Sheen and Patsy were working __________ a common goal

  11. It rained __________ midnight

  12. He has taken the whole task __________ himself

  13. Maria is quite_______ her brother

  14. However, for a quick install do the __________ click here

  15. Peter paid for his house __________ direct deposit

Answers
1. into  2. amid 3. despite 4. off  5. onto 6. through 7. of 8.  opposite 9. towards 10. toward 11. until  12. upon 13. unlike 14. following 15. via



Unscramble the following to arrive at words, meanings of which have been indicated in parentheses:

  1. Ficniom (creating all things, having unlimited powers of creation)

  2. Moosevam (to leave hurriedly or quickly, decamp)

  3. Brityeilmu (womanly nature or qualities, femininity, the state of being a woman)

  4. Dalianesquipe (given to using long words)

  5. Forpeecr (necessarily, by force of circumstance)

  6. Smofytranirg (to transform)

  7. Llepudci (transparent, clear)

  8. Terswal (a person who wastes, especially one who squanders money, a spendthrift)

  9. Pjyapoin (A vain and talkative person)

  10. Gixuoseu (extremely scanty; meager)

  11. Scoyptnah (someone who flatters others in order to get something from them)

  12. Fiarmoustuil (diverse, various, varied)

  13. Citlretarnac (hard to deal with, manage, operate, not resistant or compliant)

  14. Simparyon (Stinginess)

  15. Etlrtuay (being or serving as a guardian or a protector)


Answers

  1. Omnific

  2. vamoose

  3. Muliebrity

  4. Sesquipedalian

  5. Perforce

  6. Transmogrify

  7. Pellucid

  8. Wastrel

  9. Popinjay

  10. Exiguous

  11. Sycophant 

  12. Multifarious

  13. Recalcitrant

  14. Parsimony

  15. Tutelary


Choose the correct idiom from the list given below and fill in the blanks with the appropriate form:

a. Bide your time
b. All the rage
c. Nose out of joint
d. Go hell for leather
e. Fender bender
f. Dressed up to the nines

g. In dire straits
h. Knuckle down

i. By a hair’s breadth
j. Open the floodgates
k. Hackles raised
l. Call a spade a spade
m. A cat on hot bricks
n. Quake in one's boots
o. Throwing pearls to pigs



  1. Twittering text messages is ______________ these days
    (Something that is very popular or fashionable at the moment)

  2. Sharon was _____________ until her children grew up before she took up a job
    (To wait patiently for a good opportunity to do something)

  3. One can always trust Sheena to _________________
    (To speak frankly about something, even if it is unpleasant)

  4. Denzil was ______________ for his sister’s wedding
    (Wearing very smart clothes for a special occasion)

  5. It’s hard to believe that a ______________ can cause such a major traffic jam
    (A minor car accident in which there is little damage and no injuries)

  6. Gabriel was _____________ to get to the market before it shut down
    (To go somewhere or do something very fast)

  7. The man missed the car _____________ while crossing the road
    (very narrowly)

  8. The company is in _________ because it has been hit by the recession
    (A very difficult situation)

  9. The professor told his student to __________ to study to improve his grades
    (To start working on something seriously, to get busy doing something)

  10. Dora was like a _____________ a week before her exams
    (Very nervous or restless)

  11. Shabana’s constant cribbing gets Frieda’s __________
    (To make someone angry)

  12. The employee’s _____________ when his boss told him to put in his papers.
    (to be upset about something)

  13. If the Mehtas win their court case, it will ___________ for others as well.
    (To make it possible for something to happen)

  14. Giving John a piece of advice is like ___________
    (Giving someone something he doesn't deserve or appreciate)

  15. Our History professor had a loud voice that had us _________________
    (extremely scared, shaking with fear)

 

Answers

  1. Twittering text messages is all the rage these days.

  2. Sharon was biding her time until her children grew up before she took up a job.

  3. One can always trust Sheena to call a spade a spade.

  4. Denzil was dressed up to the nines for his sister’s wedding.

  5. It’s hard to believe that a fender bender can cause such a major traffic jam.

  6. Gabriel was going hell for leather to get to the market before it shut down.

  7. The man missed the car by a hair’s breadth while crossing the road.

  8. The company is in dire straits because it has been hit by the recession.

  9. The professor told his student to knuckle down to study to improve his grades.

  10. Dora was like a cat on hot bricks a week before her exams.

  11. Shabana’s constant cribbing gets Frieda’s hackles raised.

  12. The employee’s nose was out of joint when his boss told him to put in his papers.

  13. If the Mehtas win their court case, it will open the floodgates for others as well.

  14. Giving John a piece of advice is like throwing pearls to pigs.

  15. Our History professor had a loud voice that had us quaking in our boots.



Only one of the sentences in each cluster below can boast of correct grammar and usage. Identify the one.


  1. a. He has been working at the hotel for 10 years now
    b. He is working at the hotel 10 years since
    c. He works at the hotel for 10 years now


  2. a. George likes hearing music
    b. George likes listening to music
    c. George likes hearing to music


  3. a. I am having 20 rupees with me
    b. I have 20 rupees on me
    c. I have 20 rupees along with me


  4. a. I am hearing the chirping of birds here
    b. I listen to chirping of birds here
    c. I hear the chirping of birds here


  5. a. The article was very interesting
    b. The article was too interesting
    c. The article was very much interesting


  6. a. I was wondering if I will borrow your book
    b. I was wondering if I could borrow your book
    c. I was wondering borrowing your book


  7. a. She asked me will I be present on the next day
    b. She asked me will I be present the next day
    c. She asked me if I would be present the next day


  8. a. I am so hungry that I could even do with the most poorly cooked meal
    b. I am hungry so that I could even do with the most poorly cooked meal
    c. I am too hungry to even do with the most poorly cooked meal



  9. a. This room got no proper ventilation
    b. This room has not proper ventilation
    c. This room has not got proper ventilation



  10. a. You can easily open this carton
    b. You can open this carton easy
    c. You easily can open this carton


  11. a. He sings the song good
    b. He sings the song well
    c. He sings the song nice


  12. a. Pink is a colour that fits her well
    b. Pink is a colour that suits her well
    c. Pink is a colour that is well for her


  13. a. You have surely made many interesting experiences in Alaska
    b. You have surely had many interesting experiences in Alaska
    c. You surely got many interesting experiences in Alaska


  14. a. Thank you, I really like the soup
    b. Thank you, I am really liking the soup
    c. Thank you, I am liking the soup very much


  15. a. I look forward to meet her soon
    b. I look forward that I will meet her soon
    c. I look forward to meeting her soon

    ANSWERS
    1. a
    2. b
    3. b
    4. c
    5. a
    6. b
    7. c
    8. a
    9. c
    10. a
    11. b.
    12. b
    13 . b
    14. a 15. c

Choose the correct sentence from the following:

  1. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. Coming from a joint family and being the youngest of the children, Shaun has always been pampered
    b. Shaun comes from a joint family and he is the youngest of the children and he has been pampered
    c. Shaun is pampered because he is the youngest of the children as he comes from a joint family

  2. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. Carl picked up his boots, he picked up his belt and jacket too before he left
    b. Carl picked up his boots, belt and jacket before he left
    c. Carl picked up his boots, and belt and jacket before he left

  3. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. People are usually affected by one of the following- greed, joy, pain or they are poor
    b. People are usually affected by one of the following- greed, joy, pain or poor
    c. People are usually affected by one of the following- greed, joy, pain or poverty

  4. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. The bike is not fast but safe also to ride
    b. The bike is not only fast but also safe
    c. The bike is not only fast but safer to ride

  5. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. John does not like to study with Frieda as much as he likes to with Reeta
    b. John does not like to study with Frieda as much as he likes Reeta
    c. John does not like to study with Frieda as much as Reeta

  6. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. Arun’s car is more spacious than Zeeshan’s
    b. Arun’s car is more spacious relative to Zeeshan
    c. Arun car is most spacious if you compare with Zeeshan

  7. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. The criminal not only stole all the money and stabbed the housekeeper
    b. The criminal not only stole all the money but also stabbed the housekeeper
    c. The criminal stole all the money but also stabbed the housekeeper

  8. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. The French and the Italians and the Germans and the Portuguese love to eat meat
    b. The French, the Italians, the Germans and Portuguese love to eat the meat
    c. The French, the Italians, the Germans and the Portuguese love to eat meat

  9. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. Savio prefers fighting criminal cases to preparing legal documents
    b. Savio prefers to fight criminal cases than prepare legal documents
    c. Savio prefers to fight criminal cases rather than to prepare legal documents

  10. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    a. Greg went to work to bistro and in a mall, all in one day
    b. Greg went to work in a bistro and to a mall, all in one day
    c. Greg went on work in a bistro and at a mall, all in one day

    Answers
    1. a 2. b 3. c 4. b 5. a 6. a 7. b. 8.c 9. a 10. b

Find the antonyms of the words from the alternatives listed:

  1. Indefatigable
    a. clear
    b. distressed
    c. stubborn
    d. weary

  2. Garrulous
    a. timid
    b. quiet
    c. bubbly
    d. shy

  3. Brobdingnagian
    a. little
    b. huge
    c. talkative
    d. fearful

  4. Quiescent
    a. animated
    b. alert
    c. inactive
    d. sluggish

  5. Malleable
    a. adaptable
    b. flexible
    c. stringy
    d. rigid

  6. Nimiety
    a. fragility
    b. over supply
    c. deficiency
    d. falsehood

  7. Abominate
    a. detest
    b. accept
    c. like
    d. surrender

  8. Somnolent
    a.quiet
    b. sleepy
    c. chirpy
    d. attentive

  9. Aberrant
    a. happy
    b. normal
    c. resentful
    d. pleased

  10. Tenebrous
    a. dark
    b. truthful
    c. bright
    d. quarrelsome

  11. Nescience
    a. knowledge
    b. philosophy
    c. abstraction
    d. ignorance

  12. Inclement
    a. credible
    b. favourable
    c. harsh
    d. angry

  13. Ameliorate
    a. agree
    b. enrage
    c. calm
    d. worsen

  14. Chary
    a. cautious
    b. reckless
    c. mischievous
    d. naïve

  15. Facile
    a. comfortable
    b. sober
    c. laborious
    d. arrogant

    Answers

    1. d. 2. b 3. a 4. a 5. d 6. c 7. c 8. d 9. b 10. c 11. a 12. b 13. d 14. b 15. c

Close, but not quite…

Fill in the blank in each of the sentences given below with the right word from the alternatives given in parenthesis:

  1. The child's _______________ screaming drove his mother crazy. (continuous/continual)

  2. The latest claim by the defendant is the only one to involve a   __________   witness. (credible/credulous)

  3. Jesus Christ related the _________ of the Good Samaritan. (parody/parable)

  4. It has been nearly a year since Mumbai was held under ________ for three days. (seize/siege)

  5. Always critical of others, Sheena ___________ her friend’s contribution to the welfare of society. (depreciated/deprecated)

  6. The council can _____________ where an offence has been committed. (prosecute/persecute)

  7. Mac decided to _____________ all his ties with his employees after he quit the    organization. (sever/severe)

  8. The greatest spiritualists have always advised against taking our ___________ joys too seriously, as they cease to matter in the eternity after life. (temporal/temporary)

  9. My friend’s _________ was that he was impatient and easily annoyed. (fallible/foible)

  10. There was a huge gathering on the occasion when the priest decided to formally __________ the temple that the locals had frequented since the earliest days of history. (halo/hallow)

  11. Cyrucitis is the funniest material I have seen in a ___________show for ages. (review/revue)

  12. The masses voted to _________ the sale of alcohol. (prescribe/proscribe)

  13. Since Dora is a consistent player, she is ___________a superior player. (presumably/supposedly)

  14. Sharon has an ___________fear of snakes. (intuitive/instinctive)

  15. The kids felt ___________ to believe in God after witnessing the miracle for themselves. (impelled/compelled)

Answers

  1. The correct answer is continuous which means uninterrupted in time, sequence, substance, or extent. Continual on the other hand means recurring regularly or frequently.

  2. The correct answer is credible which means capable of being believed where as credulous means one who believes things too readily or is gullible.

  3. The correct answer is parable. A parable is a simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson. Parody on the other hand is a literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule.

  4. The correct answer is siege, which refers to a capture or blockade of a city or fortified place or area, isolating it from help and supplies. “Siege” can also be used as a verb, meaning to assail or besiege. Seize on the other hand is a verb that means to take hold of anything, suddenly or forcibly.

  5. The correct answer is deprecate, which means to express disapproval of or belittle, where as depreciate means to decline in value, most often physical or material.

  6. The correct answer is prosecute, which means to institute legal proceedings against someone. Persecute on the other hand means to harass, annoy or trouble someone persistently.

  7. The correct answer is sever which means to break up (a relationship, for example), dissolve. Severe on the other hand means serious or stern in manner or appearance.

  8. The correct answer is temporal which means pertaining to or concerned with time, or present life on this world (worldly) without any connotations as to limit. It is generally used in a spiritual or philosophical way. Temporary on the other hand means something which is short-lived and limited, and is typically used to allude to events or happenings.

  9. The correct answer is foible. A foible is a minor weakness or failing of character. Fallible on the other hand is someone who is capable of making an error

  10. The correct answer is hallow, which means to honor as holy; consider sacred. Halo on the other hand means a geometric shape, usually in the form of a disk, circle, ring, or rayed structure, traditionally representing a radiant light around or above the head of a divine or sacred personage, an ancient or medieval monarch, etc.

  11. The correct is revue. A `revue' is a form of theatrical entertainment. It is not a full-length play; it is a multi-act form of entertainment, which usually includes songs, dances, and short sketches. Review on the other hand is an assessment or evaluation. When someone writes a review of a book or a film, for example, he gives his opinion of it. He tells us what he liked and didn't like about the film/book.

  12. The correct answer is proscribe which means to denounce or condemn (a thing) as dangerous or harmful (prohibit); prescribe means to lay down, in writing or otherwise, as a rule or a course of action to be followed.

  13. The correct answer is presumably. It means something that can be presumed or taken for granted on the basis of facts or circumstance; something which is reasonable as a supposition. Supposedly, on the other hand, means accepted or believed as true without any positive knowledge or concrete facts.

  14. The correct choice is instinctive, which means inborn or innate. When you do something instinctively you would do these things without even thinking. Intuitive is used to describe an act or reaction born out of your perception or hunch.

  15. The correct choice is impelled. When you are "impelled" to do something, you feel that you have to do it. In this case, the desire to take action comes from within. No one is forcing you to do it. Compel, on the other hand, is to force to do something.
 

Choose the appropriate words to fill in the blanks.

  1. The accused had to--------------with the media constantly, as he was not------------with the-----------of the published accounts of his trial, and a -------------arose many a time over this.
    A. content, contend, contention, content
    B. content, contention, content, contend
    C. contend, content, content, contention
    D. contend, content, contention, content

  2. The------------was a sign of respect and not an------------to -------------their native hosts.
    A. oblate, obligation, humour
    B. oblation, obliterate, amuse
    C. oblate, obliterate, amuse
    D. oblation, obligation, humour

  3. His mother was------------------that his-------------was troubled, but she-------------avoided asking him about it.
    A. conscious, conscience, consciously
    B. conscious, conscience, conscientiously
    C. conscientious, conscience, consciously
    D. concious, conscience, conscientiously

  4. The injury did not-------------her performance, and the treatment------------a complete recovery but the-------------------------it had on her emotional growth was discernible.
    A. affect, effected, effect
    B. effect, affected, affect
    C. affect, affected, affect
    D. effect, effected, effect

  5. If a person says, “Everytime I speak, I only lie.” The person can be said to be------------
    A. making a logically contradictory statement
    B. lying
    C. making a controversial statement
    D. speaking the truth


    Answers
    1) C, 2) D, 3) B, 4) A, 5) A

Find the right meaning of the words given below

  1. A slice of bread is inadequate for satisfying one’s hunger
    a. abundance
    b. extra
    c. excess
    d. insufficient

  2. It was not good enough to castigate him for his sins
    a. a state or society without government or law
    b. violation of faith
    c. to punish severely, to criticize severely 
    d. a lie

  3. The sea air has a salubrious effect on her vocal chords
    a. favorable to health; promoting health; healthful
    b. incapable of emotion
    c. aggressive
    d. Showy

  4. She has a rapacious appetite for bird’s nest soup
    a. sensitive
    b. very humble
    c. a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism
    d. greedy

  5. Most of the news were presented suggesting the imminence of a war
    a. rank, repute
    b. remaining within
    c. something about to occur
    d. control, rule

  6. Sally enjoys sweet smelling redolent wine
    a. inactive
    b. having an unpleasant odor
    c.having a pleasant odor, fragrant
    d. having or showing disposition to avoid exertion

  7. Sharon made a herbarium, especially on the lower plants
    a. study of plants
    b. collection of dried plants systematically arranged for study
    c. study of stems
    d. study of flowers

  8. If you solve your papers with equanimity you are sure to do well
    a. adequate
    b. calmness
    c. closeness
    d. greatness

  9. You must try to efface the event from your memory
    a. to cause to disappear by rubbing out
    b. to be enough
    c. the outer face
    d. the outward appearance

  10. I don’t appreciate you poking your officious nose into my family matters
    a. meddlesome
    b. the lowest point
    c. the highest point of something
    d. downward slope

  11. The play was an intolerable farrago of rubbish
    a. to certify as accurate
    b. a confused mixture, an assortment, a medley
    c. to quarrel
    d. a flood, downpour

  12. Peter has a stentorian voice
    a. soft
    b. extremely loud
    c. indifferent
    d. silly

  13. The cult members spent an entire week proselytizing anyone who would listen in an attempt to join their group
    a. defame
    b.to convert someone to another religion, belief
    c. attack
    d. approach

  14. Their style of living is very ostentatious
    a. the essential point or feature
    b. boastful showiness
    c. small
    d. unimportant

  15. The kid was punished almost every other day for his nefarious activities
    a. extrovert
    b. introvert
    c. shy
    d.wicked in the extreme

    Answers
    1. d 2. c 3. a 4. d 5. c 6. c 7. b 8. b 9. a 10. a 11. b12. b 13. b 14. b15. d

Test your Reading Skills and Vocabulary

Read the following paragraph and find words or phrases in the text which match the given definitions:

Working for a Cause

A Gandhigiri of sorts:  1,000 staff of BOI have volunteered to work as teachers and have threatened to halt work if the sixth pay commission is not implemented quickly. BOI on the other hand have said they will hire temporary staff to run the organisation in the event. No reference has been made to any punitive action that may be taken against employees who sit in.

During an internal briefing for staff, the GM of BOI has warned against such drastic acts.
The changes in the pay scale were imposed last November, but the employees have yet to see the increase in pay, which triggered the protest. The GM said in his address that the two sides had only two hours of talks in the past two weeks, which the union dismissed as "utter nonsense".

BOI has run an advertisement in major papers calling for volunteers to fill in for the truant employees and has even been praised in some quarters for its expeditious reaction to the crisis.

This latest development is an interesting example of the innovative ways businesses can keep functioning in the face of staff strikes. BOI is losing money and have implemented cost cuts to make a profit and the need of the hour was a rapid action plan. It introduced a number of measures last November, including reducing the number of employees and bringing in a pay freeze from 2008. It is these measures that have incensed the BOI staff even further.

Now find the words in the text which match these definitions:

  1. Offered to work for free:
  2. Stop work, strike (phrase):
  3. Absent without permission; shirking work:
  4. Prompt, effective:
  5. A meeting where information is given/shared:
  6. Angered:
  7. Caused to start:
  8. Serving or inflicting punishment:

Answers

  1. Volunteered
  2. Sit in
  3. Truant
  4. Expeditious
  5. Briefing
  6. Incensed
  7. Triggered
  8. Punitive

Vocabulary

Can you rearrange the following groups of letters to find a word that matches the clue given?

1.RANGOUL:lack of energy or vitality; lack of spirit or interest

2.TASMAGORIAPHA: A shifting series of things seen or imagined, as in a dream

3.LEAFTY:  fidelity; faithfulness

4. PORIZETEM:To be indecisive or evasive in order to gain time, also to comply with the time or occasion

5. TABLEVERI: real, true, genuine

6.BOTENVER: Forbidden, prohibited Verboten

7. LATIONAPPLE:  A name, title, designation

8. PACERCAA A shell, protective covering

9. FLEANUR: One who strolls about aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer

10. VEBY: A group, an assembly

11.MELYCO: Pleasing to the sight

12. GERSES: The act of going out or leaving; exit

13.FRESCOAL: Outdoors

14. BOLGAM: To dance and skip about in play

15. VETEINRATE: Firmly established by long persistence; deep-rooted; of long standing

.

Answers

1.Languor
2.Phantasmagoria
3. Fealty
4.Temporize
5.Veritable
6.Verboten
7. Appellation
8. Carapace
9. Flaneur
10. Bevy
11. Comely
12. Egress
13. Alfresco
14. Gambol
15. Inveterate

Figure it out!

Unscramble the letters given after each sentence to find a word that will complete the sentence. The meanings of the words are also given in brackets.

  1. 1. The steep _______ of the path made it difficult for the old man to climb up to the temple.
    lcacvtiyi (upward slope)
  2. The professor’s _______ stance on his theories stood in the way of his progress at a time when the world was opening itself to diverse influences.
    ctmodaig (rigid; unduly assertive)
  3. We must learn to tolerate each other’s ________ in order to live harmoniously.
    slofbei ( minor weakness or failing in character)
  4. It was shocking to find that despite his impressive academic credentials, most of what he said was _______.
    ilderv (meaningless or silly talk)
  5. There was no ________ in sound levels in the discotheques inspite of the recent laws enforced by the state.
    nbaetaemt (reduction or mitigation)
  6. The teacher taught the spellings of many words using _______ as a device.
    mmnsioecn (the processes or techniques of developing and improving memory)
  7. Tourists in the city are cautioned against buying ________ items from the local hawkers who are known for cheating.
    uiisoceertmr (seemingly attractive but having no real value)
  8. The _______ rise in inflation over the past decade has affected the common man adversely.
    eenaiobrxl (unalterable or unstoppable)
  9. Westerners have always perceived unmeployment and poverty to be ________ in India.
    cndeeim (natural to or characteristic of a place)
  10. His _______ nature made people avoid conversing with him and left him isolated.
    liloesceb (having or showing an inclination or eagerness to fight)
  11. Reporters ________ the cricketer with unending questions after he announced his decision to quit the game at the peak of his career.
    rdhaier (harassed or annoyed)
  12. Her large ________ pockets accommodated an assortment of small knick-knacks.
    piaosucca (spacious and roomy)
  13. Everyone knew he was happy as he moved about with a ______ step, humming a cheerful tune.
    unytaj (lively; sprightly)
  14. Ever since the earlier CEO of the company retired, the company’s performance in the stick markets have been found to _______.
    tmulpem (fall sharply from a high position)
  15. No one trusted the young man who was notorious for his _______ ways.
    hivkasn (dishonest, untrustworthy)

    Answers
    1.acclivity  2.dogmatic  3.foibles  4.drivel  5.abatement 6.mnemonics  7.meretricious  8.inexorable  9.endemic 10.bellicose 11.harried  12.capacious  13.jaunty  14.plummet  15.knavish

What’s Missing?

Fill in the letters that are missing to form words that match the meanings given. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of letters in the word.

1. showy, but worthless (6)                                   t _ _ d _ _

2. implied  (5)                                                        t _ _ _ t

3. offence (7)                                                         _ _ _ r a _ e

4. unmistakable; unambiguous (11)                      u n _ _ _ _ _ o _ _ l

5. using few words (7)                                           l _ _ o _ i _

6. formal praise (8)                                                _ _ c _ _ _ u _

7. destroy; rule out  (9)                                          e x _ _ _ p _ _ _ 

8. obstructed or cut short (7)                                  _ t y _ _ _ d

9. engaged in or capable
    of flying, rapid movements (8)                          v _ _ _ t _ _ t

10. confused mixture; hotpotch (7)                         f _ _ _ a _ _

11. (get/become) used to (6)                                    _ _ u _ _ d

12.  divided into two extremes (9)                           _ _ l _ _ _ z _ _

13. pertaining to drinking (8)                                  p _ _ _ t _ _ _

14. without emotion; passive (6)                            s _ _ _ i _

15. symbolic; representative (7)                                  t _ _ _ _ _ c 



Answers

    1. tawdry
    2. tacit
    3. umbrage
    4. unequivocal
    5. laconic
    6. encomium
    7. extirpate
    8. stymied
    9. volitant
    10. farrago