General English Questions for SSC Exam

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, we need to follow certain rules, including tense changes.

The direct speech sentence is: He said, "I am going to the market."

Here's the step-by-step process to convert it to indirect speech:

1. Change of Pronoun:
   • The pronoun "I" in direct speech refers to the speaker (He). So, "I" changes to "he" in indirect speech.
2. Change of Tense:
   • The present continuous tense "am going" in indirect speech changes to the past continuous tense "was going" in indirect speech.
3. Remove the Quotation Marks:
   • The quotation marks are removed and the sentence is connected with "that."
4. Maintain the Sentence Structure:
   • The rest of the sentence structure remains the same.

Applying these rules, the sentence "He said, 'I am going to the market.'" becomes "He said that he was going to the market."

Therefore, the correct option is: c) He said that he was going to the market.

In this sentence, "I want to buy a new dress" and "I do not have enough money" are two independent clauses. When two independent clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction (in this case, "but"), a comma should be placed before the conjunction to separate the clauses.

Let's break down each option:

• a) I want to buy a new dress, but I do not have enough money.
  • This sentence is correctly punctuated. The comma before "but" separates the two independent clauses.
• b) I want to buy a new dress but I do not have enough money.
  • This sentence is missing a comma before "but." Without the comma, it incorrectly joins two independent clauses.
• c) I want to buy a new dress, but I do not have enough money.
  • This sentence uses a semicolon before "but," which is incorrect. A semicolon is used to join closely related independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction.
• d) I want to buy a new dress but, I do not have enough money.
  • This sentence incorrectly places the comma after "but." The comma should be before the conjunction "but" to correctly separate the two independent clauses.

Thus, option a) is the correct choice as it follows the proper punctuation rules for joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction.

An explorer is someone who travels to unknown places in order to discover new things. A tourist typically travels for leisure or sightseeing rather than exploration. A wanderer refers more to someone who travels aimlessly or without a specific destination in mind. A nomad is someone who moves from place to place, often following traditional routes or patterns, rather than exploring unknown territories. Therefore, "Explorer" best fits the description of a person who travels to unknown places to find out new things.

In English grammar, when using negative statements (like "did not"), the question tag that follows should be positive. Therefore, the correct question tag for "She did not know the answer" should be "Did she?" instead of "Didn't she?"

So, the corrected sentence would be: "She did not know the answer, did she?"

Correct answer: c) didn't she

• The word "ephemeral" is an adjective that describes something lasting for a very short duration.
• For example, "The beauty of the ephemeral cherry blossoms captivated everyone in the park."

The correct spelling is "February." The word "February" originates from the Latin word "Februarius," which means "to purify" and is related to a purification ritual held during this month in ancient Rome. The other options provided are misspellings of the word.

• "Febuary" omits the "r" after "b".
• "Feburary" incorrectly places the "r" after the "u".
• "Febraury" misplaces the "r" between "a" and "u".

Thus, option b) February is the correctly spelt word.

To find the antonym of "optimistic," we first need to understand its meaning. "Optimistic" refers to having a positive and hopeful outlook on life, expecting good things to happen.

Now, let's evaluate the options:

• a) Hopeful: This is a synonym of "optimistic," as it also means having hope and expecting positive outcomes.
• b) Pessimistic: This is the opposite of "optimistic." A pessimistic person expects negative outcomes and tends to focus on the downside of situations.
• c) Positive: This is another synonym of "optimistic," meaning having a positive outlook.
• d) Cheerful: This means being happy and in good spirits, which aligns with being optimistic but is not its direct antonym.

Therefore, the antonym of "optimistic" is b) Pessimistic.

The idiom "Bite the bullet" means to endure a painful or otherwise unpleasant situation that is seen as unavoidable. It originates from the practice of having a patient bite on a bullet during surgery before the advent of effective painkillers. Therefore, the phrase signifies facing a challenging situation with courage and resilience.

• Fragile means easily broken or damaged.
• Weak has a similar meaning to fragile, implying a lack of strength.
• Delicate also means easily broken or requiring careful handling, so it is similar to fragile.
• Sturdy means strong and not easily broken or damaged, which is the opposite of fragile.
• Brittle means hard but liable to break or shatter easily, similar to fragile.

Therefore, the word "Sturdy" is the most opposite in meaning to "Fragile".

Answer: c) Sturdy

• Looking at: This means to direct your gaze towards something, usually with interest or intent to see details. Example: "He was looking at the beautiful painting."
• Looking for: This means to search for something that is lost or needed. Example: "He is looking for his lost keys."
• Looking after: This means to take care of or be responsible for someone or something. Example: "She is looking after her younger sister."
• Looking on: This means to watch an event without becoming involved in it. Example: "They were just looking on as the argument continued."

In the context of the sentence "He is _______ his lost keys," the correct phrasal verb is "looking for," indicating that he is actively searching for his lost keys.