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EngQuizzitive-1.6 (grammar)

For CAT - 11

Topic : the number aspect of a noun

Quiz : http://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dHlKYzJSd2VYal9RRnUyVGpZS0RQeUE6MQ

Theory : http://engquizzitive.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/engquizzitive-1-6-grammar-countable-nounsanswers/

EngQuizzitive-48 (grammar) : Sub-Verb agreement:Quiz

EngQuizzitive-48 (grammar) : Sub-Verb agreement

Topic : Sub-verb agreement

Answers:

1. Some of the marbles are on the floor.[Indefinite pronouns when followed by 'of ' generally take a plural verb.Also in this sentence since marble is a countable noun the verb number is plural]
2. Some of the sugar is on the floor.[In this sentence though the indefinite pronoun is followed by 'of' the verb number is singular as the noun in consideration here that is sugar is uncountable]
3. A can of limba beans sits on the shelf. [since the subject in this sentence is can which is singular hence the number of the verb is singular]
4. Neither the actors nor the director is/was following the lines closely.[when double conjunctions or corelatives are used the verb number depends on the number of the noun in its proximity.In this sentence since the verb is close to the noun ' director' which is singular the number of the verb here is singular] Answer : both 1 and 3
5. A pencil and an eraser make writing easier.[since the two nouns are joined by co-ordinating conjunction the number of the verb is plural]

EngQuizzitive-CET-19 (vocab) : Quiz

EngQuizzitive-CET-19 (vocab) : Fill in the blanks.

Answers

1. The little girl had a lovely/pretty/fair face.
2. It is pretty obvious that he was lying.  
3. He was sitting pretty on his illegal earnings,while his colleagues were struggling to make both ends meet.
4. He did not have a clear idea about the matter.

EngQuizzitive - 47 (vocab) : Fill in the blanks : Quiz

EngQuizzitive - 47 (vocab) : Fill in the blanks : Answers

Answers

1. The innocent face of the accused and a plea for clemency by his relatives made the judge reconsider his verdict.
2. The scientific technologies based on virtual reality adds verisimilitude to the films of today.
3. He often purloins office stationery for his personal use.
4. Caffeine lovers know that missing their morning coffee can trigger a raging headache.
5. At a very young age Gopi's vision was gradually plagued by an eye disease.

Who was VP Menon?

Who was VP Menon?

VP Menon was an Indian civil servant who played a vital role during the partition of India and the integration of independent India, from the period 1945-1950.

Role during the partition of India

Menon was the political advisor of the last Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten. When the interim Government had collapsed due to the rivalry between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, Menon had proposed to Mountbatten, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Indian leaders, the Muslim League's plan to partition India into two independent nations - India and Pakistan.


Role during the integration of India

Menon worked closely with Patel over the integration of over 500 princely states into the union of India, managing the diplomacy between the States Ministry and the various Indian princes, acting as Patel's envoy and striking deals with reluctant princes and rulers. Patel respected Menon's ingenuity in diplomacy, and often did not question if Menon exceeded any instructions.

Menon also worked with Patel over the military action against the hostile states of Junagadh and Hyderabad, as well as advising Nehru and Patel on relations with Pakistan and the Kashmir conflict. The Cabinet had dispatched Menon to obtain the accession of Kashmir into India in 1947

EngQuizzitive-CET-18 (grammar):Reflexive pronouns : Quiz

EngQuizzitive-CET-18 (grammar) : Reflexive pronouns : Answers

We use a reflexive pronoun when we want to refer back to the subject of the sentence or clause. Reflexive pronouns end in "-self" (singular) or "-selves" (plural).

There are eight reflexive pronouns:
singular  : myself
                yourself
                himself,
                herself
                itself
plural :  ourselves
            yourselves
            themselves

Answers

1. They recommend this book even though they themselves have never read it.
2. Can you help yourself/yourselves ? [both 1 and 2]
3. Rahul and Priya , if you want more milk , help yourselves.
4. The lion can defend itself.
5. I wrote this poem myself.

CET : Subject pattern

Common Entrance Test conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education is said to be a fairly predictable paper.

For the past 20 years the pattern has remained the same.The following has been the pattern of the paper:

Reasoning : 100 - 120 questions

Reasoning in CET an be divided as Logical Reasoning,Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal or Visual reasoning.

Logical Reasoning (50-60 questions) : Some of the topics included in LR are as follows :

• deductions and connectives
• blood relations and family tree
• input output

Verbal Reasoning (10-20 questions) :  Some of the topics included in VR are as follows :

• questions on conclusions
• questions on assumptions
• questions on inferences
• course of action
• cause and effect
• strong and weak argument

Visual Reasoning (30 questions) : Some of the topics included in ViR are as follows :

• series
• analogies
• odd man out

Number based questions (50 questions) : These questions can be further categorised under the following categories :

• Quantitative Ability
• Data Interpretation
• Data Sufficiency
• Data Redundancy

English language (50 questions) : These questions are divided into two broad categories :
Verbal Ability : 35 questions
Reading Comprehension : 15 questions

The verbal ability section includes the following questions :

• grammar based questions [sentence correction and error identification]
• word based questions [synonyms,antonyms,analogies,odd man out,fill in the blanks,idioms]

EngQuizzitive-1.5 (vocab) : Multiple Usage : Quiz

EngQuizzitive-1.5 (vocab) : Multiple Usage

Word based questions in CAT

There are two types of word based questions in CAT:
vocab based
usage based

• vocab based questions include ones on synonyms,antonyms,analogies and odd man out.
• usage based questions include fill in the blanks (double blanks),multiple usage and substitution based questions (which include the usage of homophones and a few misused words)

Vocab based questions can be tackled by learning the root-prefix-suffix method which is also known as etymology.

In English language one word has multiple meanings.This question category evaluates a student's ability to use the same word in different ways.

eg. appreciate

• praise someone
• acknowledge
• increase in value
• evaluated

This quiz is a prelude to the usage based question 'Multiple usage'.This quiz is a very basic quiz on multiple usage.

Answers

The different meanings of the word made/make are as follows :

• I could barely make out the traffic signals through the rain. [to discern with great difficulty]
• These made excuses of yours just wont wash.[fabricated]
• They made up for their differences. [reconciled]
• They are made for each other. [perfect match]
• I made up my mind to take CAT. [decided]

EngQuizzitive-46 (grammar) : Conjunctions : Quiz

EngQuizzitive-46 (grammar) : Conjunctions : Answers

Answers

1. I hear that your brother is in London.
2. He deserved to succeed for he worked hard.[indicates a reason]
3. Grievances cannot be redressed unless they are known.[unless indicates condition]
4. He held my hand lest I should fall.[lest indicates purpose]
5. A book's a book, although there's nothing in it.[although indicates concession]

EngQuizzitive-45 (grammar) : Conjunctions (concluding):Quiz

EngQuizzitive-45 (grammar) : Conjunctions (concluding):Answers

Co-ordinating Conjunctions
A cordinating conjunction joins two clauses of equal ranks.
The chief co-ordinating conjunctions are :
and,but,for,or,nor,also

Answers

1. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. [for is used to indicate reason ]
2. He fled lest he should be killed. [lest - should are always used together]
3. I cannot give you any money for I have none. [for is used to indicate reason ]
4. Rama and Govind were present there.[since the number of the verb is plural a cordinating conjunction would be required in this sentence]
5. Rama as well as  Govind was present there. [since the number of the verb is singular a subordinating conjunction is required in this sentence]

For those wanting more practice on cordinating and double conjunctions check EngQuizzitive - 46 on the following link : http://engquizzitive.blogspot.com/2010/11/engquizzitive-46-grammar-conjunctions_07.html

Jairam Ramesh a true enviromentalist .....

Who is Jairam Ramesh?

Indian Minister of state for Environment and Forest

Why is he in news?

Jairam Ramesh has given teeth to the environment ministry as T N Seshan  had done to the Election Commission. Nobody used to take the environment ministry seriously earlier. Projects used to go on without environmental clearances or conditional clearances which were never honoured.

What are his major achievements?

• junked the much trumpeted idea of the interlinking of rivers
• He stunned even his own Cabinet and party colleagues by deciding to go around the country to conduct public consultations on the issue of the introduction of bt-brinjal in India.
• He pulled up the Orissa government for violating the Bauxite mining guidelines (Vedanta ,Nyamgiri issue)
• he announced the setting up of the first National Green Tribunal in Bhopal in April 2010
• ordered the review of Sindhdurg mining lease
• suspended the work of the Maheshwar dam on the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh  as the conditions of statutory environmental clearance were not complied with and the resettlement and rehabilitation of the project-affected families was less than satisfactory.

Truly commendable in a country where ministers are titular heads.

Do you think if India has to change it needs more ministers like Jairam Ramesh? Post your thoughts in the comment section of this post.

The tiger of Mysore .....

Who is called the tiger of mysore?

Tipu Sultan (Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Shahab)

Why is he important?

• was a muslim but majority of his subjects were Hindus
• on the request of the French he built the first church in Mysore
• he defeated the British in the second war of Mysore along with his father Hyder Ali

Why are we talking about Tipu Sultan today?

More than two centuries after he died defending his capital, Seringapatam, from the British, the Sultan continues to entice the world and how. In Sotheby's biannual Arts of the Islamic World Sale on October 6, a set of 24 rare and rediscovered preparatory paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder for £769,250.

How is this auction relevant in today's world?

At a time when the relationship between the Islamic world and Europe is in close focus – with debates over immigration, cultural assimilation, global jihad and the rising tide of Western neo-conservatism – such moments take on dramatic contours. They allow us to reassess the flow of history through the modes of patronage and representation. To look at Tipu Sultan's Mysore now is also to look at a modern State before the rise of Western-style modernity, a State that was inclusive in its approach to the composite and multi-religious society it governed.

Please post your opinion in the comments section of this post.

EngQuizzitive-CET-17 (vocab) : phrasal verbs : Quiz

EngQuizzitive-CET-17 (vocab) : phrasal verbs : Answers

Answers

1. I think our Chairman will come round to our legitimate proposals.The phrase come round means agree.
2. Our teacher was laid up with fever for over a month.The phrase laid up with means suffering from.
3. He was a very hardworking person but he drew a blank in life.The phrase drew a blank means was unsucessful.
4. In spite of repeated failures,the candidate chooses to go over another attempt.The phrase go over means consider.
5. The Chief Engineer was a perfectionist and seldom let pass the negligence of his staff.The phrase let pass means overlooked.

For the theory on phrasal verbs please check the following link : http://engquizzitive.blogspot.com/2010/09/engquizzitive-31-grammaranswers.html

For additional quizzes on phrasal verbs check the following links : http://engquizzitive.blogspot.com/2010/09/engquizzitive-31-grammar-quiz.html
http://engquizzitive.blogspot.com/2010/10/engquizzitive-33-vocab-quiz.html
http://engquizzitive.blogspot.com/2010/10/engquizzitive-33-vocab-answers.html

Common Entrance Test - Paper Pattern

CET is an exam conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education. It is conducted every year in the month of February.The entrance exam is followed by a GD and PI.

Unlike CAT and the other national exams CET is not an elimination exam.It is a selection tool.GD and PI are compulsory processes for any candidate who wants admission to the 2 year MMS programme.

Marking pattern

Entrance exam : 200 marks
Group Discussion : 17 marks
Personal Interview :17 marks
Work experience (only in a company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and for a period of 12 months) : 2 marks
HSC : 2 marks
SSC : 2 marks

Total : 240 marks

Other important things about CET :

• there is no negative marking
• there are no sections in the paper
• it is a multiple choice paper

This year the exam is being conducted on 27th Feb 2011.The results for the entrance exam are generally declared in the month of March - April.This is followed by a one month long process of GD/PI.

The final results are declared in June (end) which is then followed by CAP rounds for admission to the various colleges for the MMS programme.

EngQuizzitive - 44 (vocab) : idioms : Quiz

EngQuizzitive - 44 (vocab) : idioms : Answers

Food ,glorious food!We eat three square meals a day and what a variety we eat.Vegetables ,meat,fruits,cereals...fried,stirred,roasted ,baked and when it's time for something special what a spread we have on our tables .... it's the same spread we have brought in our language too!!!!Thus we use all the goodness of our food to nourish our language in more than one! 


Apple of your eye

Origin : In the past, the coloured round portion of our eyes that we call the pupil was called the apple of the eye. This was due to its shape,which was like an apple. We would be blind without our pupils. Since the pupil is such an important part of the eye, anything that is dear to us is called the apple of our eye
Meaning : a thing that is very precious to you.
Usage : Advika is such a fine child. No wonder she is the apple of her mother’s eye. [Answer : both 1 and 2 ]

Eat humble pie

Origin : in the 14th and the 15th centauries, a pie was called ‘umble pie’. Since it sounds like humble and humble means feeling humiliated, it was soon changed to eating humble pie which meant being sorry about something.
Meaning : to feel sorry or be apologetic about something
Usage : Harry boasted about scoring the highest marks in the class but when he saw the results, he had to eat humble pie.[Answer : 2 ]

Full of beans

Origin : We all know that beans are full of protein and energy. If someone ate a lot of beans, then we would expect him to be stronger than the rest of us.So,this idiom refers to people, who are very strong and energetic.
Meaning : to be strong and energetic
Usage : Even after running uphill for ten miles, Uncle Sam seems to be full of beans while the rest of us are dead tired.[Answer : 2]

Not one's cup of tea

Origin : People in England are very particular about the tea that they drink. Even though there are so many varieties, they will not drink any other than the tea that they are used to. It’s a matter of taste. So anything that you are not used to is not just your cup of tea.
Meaning : something that is not your taste or liking.
Usage : Sneha is very bad at cooking. It’s just not her cup of tea.[Answer : 1]

Nutty as a fruitcake

Origin : First let me tell you what a fruit cake is! It is a cake made with dried fruits and a lot of nuts. Nut is a term we sometimes use to describe people who are crazy.And if someone is as nutty as the nuts in a fruitcake, then they must be really crazy.
Meaning : crazy, mad, eccentric
Usage : Everybody in the country thought that aunt Hilda was nutty as a fruitcake. She wore no warm clothes in the winter and put on two or three sweaters in the summer. [Answer : both 2 and 3]

I hope you liked reading the origin of these idioms.If you know any idioms derived from food items do post them in the comments section of this post.

Corruption Perception Index (CPI)

What is corruption?

Definesd as 'the abuse of entrusted power for private gain' by Transparency International.

What is Transparency International?

Transparency International (TI) is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide.

What is Corruption Perception Index?

CPI is the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.

The top five least corrupt countries (2010): [ according to Transparency  International]
Denmark
New Zealand
Singapore
Finland
Sweden

The top five most corrupt nations (2010) :
Bosnia

Jamaica
Albania
India
Morroco

EngQuizzitive-CET-16 (grammar) : Indefinite Pronouns:Quiz

EngQuizzitive-CET-16 (grammar) : Indefinite Pronouns:Answers

Indefinite pronouns

A pronoun that refers to an unspecified person or thing. Indefinite pronouns include :

• quantifiers (some, any, enough, several, many, much);
• universals (all, both, every, each);
• partitives (any, anyone, anybody, either, neither, no, nobody, some, someone).

Template for the usage of Indefinite pronouns

Since the number of indefinite pronouns is not known there are considered to be singular in number.Hence in sub-verb agreement they always take a singular verb.

Also when they are replaced by any other pronoun (personal) the gender of the pronoun is always masculine and the number is singular.

Answers

1. One must take care of oneself.[one as an indefinite pronoun continues as one throughout the sentence]
2. Someone has left his bag on the table.[Indefinite pronoun when replaced by a personal pronoun the gender used is always masculine]
3. If anyone wants this he can have it. [Indefinite pronouns being singular always take a singular verb : Sub-verb agreement]
4. Everyone is late for breakfast today.[Indefinite pronouns being singular always take a singular verb : Sub-verb agreement.If the above sentence read as : Everyone of us are late for breakfast today] : Answer is both 1 and 3
5. Neither of the horses have been shod yet.[When indefinite pronouns like neither are followed by modifying phrases like of /of us the verb it takes is plural]

Konark : The Sun temple

The Sun Temple : Konark

Why is it called the Sun temple?

Etymology : "Konarka" , the place bears a name composed of two word elements : Kona meaning corner and ARKA meaning the Sun.

What is so special about the Sun Temple?

The Sun Temple, built in the thirteenth century, was conceived as a gigantic chariot of the Sun God, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven pairs of horses. Majestic in conception, this temple is one of the most sublime monuments of India, famous as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of architectural grandeur with plastic allegiance.The temple is one of the most well renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site.

What led to the destruction of the Sun temple?

Though the stone walls are of 20 to 25 feet (7.6 m) thick, the Sultan of Bengal (who invaded Orissa) somehow managed to displace the Dadhinauti (Arch stone) and thus caused the tower to collapse. He also damaged most of the images and other side temples of Konark. Due to displacement of the Dadhinauti, the tower gradually collapsed and the roof of the Mukasala was also damaged, due to the stones falling down from the temple top.

EngQuizzitive-1.4 (grammar) : Common nouns : Quiz

EngQuizzitve - 1.4 (grammar) : Common nouns

Common nouns
Aspect : number

Answers:

1. His means are small,but he has incurred no debt. [means refers to money]
2. He succeeded by these means in passing the examination. [means refers to ways of doing things]
3. There are more e's than a's on this page. [letters,figures and other symbols are made plural by adding an apostrophe and a s]
4. The Roman script consists of the English alphabet.
5. She added two spoonfuls of sugar to the custard.[spoonful and handful are regarded as one word]