HEC USAT-GS (General Science) verbal reasoning: Reading & Thinking Skills MCQs

Practice Reading & Thinking Skills MCQs for HEC USAT-GS (General Science) verbal reasoning — topic-wise sets with solved answers.

HEC USAT-GS (General Science) verbal reasoning: Reading & Thinking Skills MCQs — sample questions

  1. Question 1

    Q1. Identify the grammatical error in the sentence: 'The teacher gave the students their homework, but they wasn't completed yet.'

    • A) Incorrect use of 'their'
    • B) Incorrect verb tense in 'wasn't'
    • C) Incorrect subject-verb agreement
    • D) Missing article before 'homework'

    Answer: Incorrect subject-verb agreement

    Explanation: The subject-verb agreement is incorrect; 'they' is a plural pronoun and requires 'weren't'.

  2. Question 2

    Q2. Which sentence demonstrates correct use of the passive voice?

    • A) The ball was thrown by John.
    • B) John threw the ball.
    • C) The ball thrown by John.
    • D) John was thrown the ball.

    Answer: The ball was thrown by John.

    Explanation: The sentence 'The ball was thrown by John.' correctly uses the passive voice, with the subject 'ball' receiving the action.

  3. Question 3

    Q3. The phrase 'a lot of' is used before which type of noun?

    • A) Countable nouns
    • B) Uncountable nouns
    • C) Both countable and uncountable nouns
    • D) Proper nouns

    Answer: Both countable and uncountable nouns

    Explanation: 'A lot of' can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, making it a versatile quantifier.

  4. Question 4

    Q4. Choose the sentence with the correct conditional tense: 'If I _______ rich, I would travel the world.'

    • A) am
    • B) was
    • C) were
    • D) be

    Answer: were

    Explanation: The correct form is 'were' for the second conditional, used for hypothetical situations.

  5. Question 5

    Q5. Identify the function of the word 'although' in the sentence: 'Although it was raining, we went to the park.'

    • A) To indicate time
    • B) To show contrast
    • C) To add information
    • D) To indicate cause

    Answer: To show contrast

    Explanation: 'Although' is used to show contrast between two clauses, indicating that despite the rain, they went to the park.

  6. Question 6

    Q6. The phrase 'by the time' is used to indicate which aspect of time?

    • A) Duration
    • B) Sequence of events
    • C) Frequency
    • D) Specific time

    Answer: Sequence of events

    Explanation: 'By the time' indicates that one event happens before another is completed, showing a sequence.

  7. Question 7

    Q7. In the sentence 'The manager, as well as the employees, _______ to the meeting.', what is the correct verb form?

    • A) was invited
    • B) were invited
    • C) have been invited
    • D) are invited

    Answer: was invited

    Explanation: The subject 'The manager' is singular, and 'as well as the employees' does not change the verb form to plural.

  8. Question 8

    Q8. The word 'since' can be used to indicate which of the following?

    • A) Cause or reason
    • B) Time or duration
    • C) Both cause and time
    • D) Condition

    Answer: Both cause and time

    Explanation: 'Since' can indicate both cause ('since you're tired, let's rest') and time ('since morning').

  9. Question 9

    Q9. Which sentence correctly uses a participle phrase?

    • A) Having studied hard, the exam was easy.
    • B) Studying hard, the exam was easy.
    • C) Having studied hard, I found the exam easy.
    • D) The exam was easy, studying hard.

    Answer: Having studied hard, I found the exam easy.

    Explanation: The participle phrase 'Having studied hard' correctly modifies the subject 'I', indicating the reason for finding the exam easy.

  10. Question 10

    Q10. The phrase 'look forward to' is followed by which grammatical form?

    • A) Infinitive
    • B) Gerund
    • C) Base form of the verb
    • D) Past tense

    Answer: Gerund

    Explanation: 'Look forward to' is followed by a gerund (e.g., 'I look forward to meeting you').

  11. Question 11

    Q11. In the sentence 'The new policy has been met with widespread criticism, _______ its potential benefits.'

    • A) despite
    • B) because of
    • C) owing to
    • D) notwithstanding

    Answer: despite

    Explanation: 'Despite' indicates a contrast, showing that the criticism occurred even though there were potential benefits.

  12. Question 12

    Q12. The correct form of the possessive adjective in the sentence 'That is _______ book.' is:

    • A) my
    • B) mine
    • C) myself
    • D) me

    Answer: my

    Explanation: 'My' is a possessive adjective used before nouns, whereas 'mine' is a possessive pronoun used alone.

  13. Question 13

    Q13. The phrase 'used to' is employed to describe which type of past action?

    • A) Habitual or repeated
    • B) Completed
    • C) Interrupted
    • D) Future

    Answer: Habitual or repeated

    Explanation: 'Used to' describes past habitual or repeated actions that are no longer done.

  14. Question 14

    Q14. The correct sentence using the comparative form is:

    • A) This cake is more delicius than the one we had yesterday.
    • B) This cake is more delicious than the one we had yesterday.
    • C) This cake is deliciouster than the one we had yesterday.
    • D) This cake is as delicious than the one we had yesterday.

    Answer: This cake is more delicious than the one we had yesterday.

    Explanation: The correct comparative form is 'more delicious', following the rules for forming comparatives.

  15. Question 15

    Q15. The sentence 'The city, which is known for its beauty, attracts many tourists.' uses which type of clause?

    • A) Restrictive relative clause
    • B) Non-restrictive relative clause
    • C) Independent clause
    • D) Subordinate clause

    Answer: Non-restrictive relative clause

    Explanation: The clause 'which is known for its beauty' is a non-restrictive relative clause, providing additional but not essential information.

  16. Question 16

    Q16. In the sentence 'Having finished the project, we went home.', 'Having finished' is an example of:

    • A) Present participle
    • B) Past participle
    • C) Perfect participle
    • D) Gerund

    Answer: Perfect participle

    Explanation: 'Having finished' is a perfect participle, indicating an action completed before another action.

  17. Question 17

    Q17. The phrase 'in spite of' is used to:

    • A) Indicate a cause
    • B) Show contrast
    • C) Add information
    • D) Indicate time

    Answer: Show contrast

    Explanation: 'In spite of' is used to show contrast, indicating that something happened despite a particular circumstance.

  18. Question 18

    Q18. The sentence 'If I had studied harder, I _______ the exam.' requires which verb form?

    • A) will pass
    • B) would pass
    • C) would have passed
    • D) passed

    Answer: would have passed

    Explanation: The third conditional 'If I had studied harder, I would have passed' is used for past hypothetical situations.

  19. Question 19

    Q19. The word 'meanwhile' is used to indicate:

    • A) Simultaneous actions
    • B) Sequential actions
    • C) Contrasting ideas
    • D) Cause and effect

    Answer: Simultaneous actions

    Explanation: 'Meanwhile' indicates that two actions are happening at the same time. MDCAT and USAT English reward precise grammar and vocabulary usage.

  20. Question 20

    Q20. The correct form of the verb in the sentence 'By next year, I _______ English for five years.' is:

    • A) will have been studying
    • B) will study
    • C) am studying
    • D) study

    Answer: will have been studying

    Explanation: 'Will have been studying' is the future perfect continuous tense, indicating an action that will continue up to a point in the future.

Loading...