FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR RECRUITMENT TO POSTS IN BPS-17, UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 2003
ENGLISH (PRÉCIS & COMPOSITION)
- Correct the following sentences:
- The hostel provides boarding and lodging to students.
- My cousin-brother will come to meet me.
- He lives backside of my house.
- You have read it. Isn’t it?
- We discussed about this question.
(1) I am studying in an University for an year.
- Neither he nor I are at fault.
- The committee have issued a notice.
- One must boast of his great qualities.
- It is one of the best speeches that has ever been made in the General Assembly.
Solution:
- A hostel provides boarding and lodging facility to the students.
- My cousin will come to meet me.
- He lives backside to my house.
- You have read it. Haven’t you?
- We discussed over this question.
- I have been studying in a university for a year.
- Neither he nor I am at
- The committee has issued a notice.
- One must boast of one’s great qualities.
- It is one of the best speeches that have ever been made in the General Assembly.
- Use the following idioms in sentences to make their meaning clear:
1. | Kick the bucket | 2. | Bolt from the blue |
3. | Put your foot down | 4. | Worth your salt |
5. | Down the drain | 6. | Be all ears |
7. | Swan song | 8. | Cheek by Jowl |
9. | In a nutshell | 10. | Give me five! |
- Correct the following sentences:
- Passing through ten different cities, Karachi is the most active.
- He was laid up for six weeks with two broken ribs.
- Some one showed the visitors in the room.
- Until you remain idle you will make no progress.
- It is very wrong to be devoted to lying and cheating.
- He told me that he is waiting for me since a long time.
- The house stood up in the dull street because of its red colour.
- He brought the articles to the market which he wanted to sell.
Solution:
- While passing through ten different cities, I found Karachi the most active.
- He has been lying up for six weeks with two broken ribs.
- Someone lead the visitors to the room.
- As long as you remain idle you will make no progress.
- It is much wrong to devote oneself to lying and cheating.
- He told me that he had been waiting for me since a long time.
- The house stood up in the street looking dull because of its red colour.
- He brought the articles to the market that he wanted to sell.
- Use the following idioms in sentences to make their meaning clear:
1. | To bring grist to the mill | 2. | Set one’s cap |
3. | To draw the longbow | 4. | Send a person to Coventry |
5. | Beer and skittles | 6. | Acid test |
7. | Skeleton in the cupboard | 8. | To A mare’s nest |
- To bring grist to the mill — (.. b l..,: .A.!, DIA; …._ 4–1 e :A, Si)
Meaning: something that is useful to someone for a particular purpose Usein sentence: As an actor, all experience is grist to the - Set one’s cap — (11. h:…,40 L …$)
Meaning: pursue someone romantically
Use in sentence: I thought Ayesha had set her cap for me, but we were wrong.
- To draw the longbow — (0:- ovti , AR: ,..,,c,..)
Meaning: exaggerate
Use in sentence: Shabbir always draws a long bow.
- Send a person to Coventry — (V.1)1):1) , VI CY;ei;)
Meaning: to ostracise, systematically ignore someone
Use in sentence: Due to his improper and ridiculous behaviour, we should send Aslam to the Coventry
- Beer and skittles –
Meaning: all fun and pleasure
Use in sentence: Life isn’t all beer and skittles.
- Acid test
Meaning: a decisive or critical test, as of worth or quality Use in sentence: They play passed the critic’s acid test.
- Skeleton in the cupboard
Meaning: a embarrassing fact that someone wishes to keep secret
Use in sentence: “There must be a skeleton somewhere in that family’s cupboard.”
- To a mare’s nest
Meaning: very complicated situation
Use in sentence: This arcaof the law is a veritable mare’s nest.
0 Use five of the following pairs of words in sentences:
(i) Auger, Augur (ii) Fain, Feign
(iii) Emigrate, Immigrate (iv) Envy, Jealousy
(v) Invade, Attack (vi) Trifling, Trivial
(vii) Simulation, Dissimulation (viii) Venal, Venial
- Auger:
Meaning: tool with a screw point for boring in wood
Use in sentence: He made many holes in the board with an auger.
Augur:
Meaning: portend, serve as an omen
Use in sentence: Conflicts among the various groups do not augur well for the future of the peace talks.
- Fain:
Meaning: willingly or happily
Use in sentence: I would fain forget what I had done.
Feign:
Meaning: to pretend that you have a particular feeling or that you are ill, tired etc.
Use in sentence: You know how everyone feigns surprise when you tell them how old you are.
- Emigrate:
Meaning: to leave one’s country
Use in sentence: Ahmad emigrated to the USA.
Immigrate:
Meaning: to settle in another country
Use in sentence: Her family permanently immigrated to the USA.
- Envy:
Meaning: to wish for something that someone else has
Use in sentence: She was looking with envy at her friend’s new dress.
Jealousy:
Meaning: something that you want to be or long for your own Use in sentence: I felt sick with jealousy.
- Invade:
Meaning: to enter a country, town, etc. using military force in order to take control of it Use in sentence: The rioters invaded the government buildings.
Attack:
Meaning: try to hurt or defeat using force
Use in sentence: A woman was attacked and robbed by a group of hooligans.
- Trifling:
Meaning: unimportant, petty
Use in sentence: I got the trifling details of the incident from my neighbour.
Trivial:
Meaning: not important or serious
Use in sentence: I know it seems trivial but I am very much worried about the disappearance. of my luggage.
- Simulation:
Meaning: imitation, replication
Use in sentence: The politician gave the simulation of the general concern towards the needy ones.
Dissimulation:
Meaning: an act of hiding the real feelings or intentions with a pretension Use in sentence: He was capable of great dissimulation and hypocrisy.
- Venal:
Meaning: Corruptible, money-grubbing, likely to accept bribes
Use in sentence: They are accused of being involved in venal practice.
Venial:
Meaning: not very serious and therefore able to be forgotten
Use in sentence: The judge dismissed the venial crimes and focused on the theft of th( animals.
29