JKSSB English MCQs: Synonyms, Idioms, Error Spotting & Grammar (With Answers)

General English carries 20 of 80 marks in the JKSSB Junior Assistant paper and 20 of 100 in Class-IV. English questions are quick if you know a handful of rules, so this note gives the rules and 12 solved MCQs.

1. Vocabulary

Learn words in pairs. Abundant = plentiful, and its opposite is scarce. Ancient is the opposite of modern. Bibliophile is a lover of books; bilingual describes someone who speaks two languages.

2. Idioms

A piece of cake means something very easy. Once in a blue moon means very rarely. Break the ice means to start a conversation in an awkward moment.

3. Grammar rules that are asked again and again

• Subject-verb agreement: 'He doesn't like tea' (not 'He don't')
• Articles: 'an honest man', because 'honest' starts with a vowel sound
• Prepositions: 'good at', 'interested in', 'afraid of'
• Since / for: 'since 2015' (a point in time) and 'for ten years' (a period)

4. Voice and speech

Active to passive: 'The teacher praised the student' becomes 'The student was praised by the teacher.' Direct to indirect: 'He said, 'I am tired'' becomes 'He said that he was tired' (the tense moves back).

5. Spotting errors

Read the sentence part by part and check verb agreement, tense, article, preposition and spelling in that order. If a part sounds odd, test it against the rule list above.

One-word substitutions

• Bibliophile: a lover of books
• Philanthropist: one who loves humankind and gives to charity
• Misanthrope: one who hates people
• Atheist: one who does not believe in God
• Autobiography: the life story of a person written by that person
• Omnipotent: all-powerful
• Contemporary: belonging to the same time
• Orphan: a child without parents
• Spendthrift: one who spends money carelessly
• Pedestrian: a person who travels on foot

More idioms with meanings

• To bite the bullet: to face a painful situation bravely
• To burn the midnight oil: to work late at night
• To cry over spilt milk: to regret something that cannot be changed
• At the eleventh hour: at the last moment
• A blessing in disguise: something that looks bad but turns out good
• To let the cat out of the bag: to reveal a secret by mistake
• A white elephant: a costly possession that is not useful

Error spotting: examples

• 'She do not like coffee.' should be 'She does not like coffee.'
• 'Each of the boys have a book.' should be 'Each of the boys has a book.'
• 'He has gone to market yesterday.' should be 'He went to the market yesterday.'
• 'I am agree with you.' should be 'I agree with you.'
• 'The news are good.' should be 'The news is good.'
• 'He is senior than me.' should be 'He is senior to me.'

Building vocabulary

Learn common prefixes and roots. The prefix un- or in- often gives the opposite (happy and unhappy, possible and impossible), and anti- means against, pre- means before and post- means after. Read a short passage every day and note down three new words with their meanings. Revise the list the next morning.

How to use your time in the exam

English questions are quick. Aim for 30 to 40 seconds each, and spend a little longer on comprehension. If you are unsure of an idiom, use the sentence to find its meaning and mark the question for review.

Questions candidates ask

How many new words should I learn a day? Ten words, with a sentence for each, and revise them the next morning.

What is the best way to learn idioms? Learn each with a sentence of your own and revise the list weekly.

How do I improve error spotting? Learn the main rules, and check subject-verb agreement, tense, article and preposition in each sentence.

Practise

Take the 12 MCQs below, then use topic tests for English. The first Easy set of every topic is free; a free account unlocks the rest. Pattern: Junior Assistant syllabus and which subjects to study first.