Dell Verbal Ability Previous Year Questions
Q1) From the words given choose the correct word(s) which completes the sentence most appropriately.
The celebrated trainer’s _________ for helping his trainees to learn and achieve their goals was highly ___________.
A.predilection....reprehensible
B.distinction...enigmatic
C.derision...admissible
D.propensity.....commendable
Answer : Option D
Explanation:
Predilection = Liking; Reprehensible = Disgraceful
Distinction = Importance; Enigmatic = Mysterious
Derision = Disrespect; Admissible = Acceptable
Propensity = Tendency; Commendable = Admirable.
Blank 1 and Blank 2 must be positive words.
The meaning of the sentence is like, the trainer’s efforts for helping his trainees to learn and succeed was high admirable.
Through the context, options A and B are eliminated as blank 2 given in both the options are negative. And option C is eliminated as blank 1 is negative. So, only option with both the blanks as positive is only option D.
Q2) Choose the correct option.
Regulating personal habits or behavior on moral or religious grounds
A.Danegeld
B.Usance
C.Sumptuory
D.Contango
Answer : Option C
Explanation:
Danegeld - a land tax levied in Anglo-Saxon England during the reign of King Ethelred to raise funds.
Usance - It refers to the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs.
Sumptuary - relating to personal expenditures
Contango -Contango is when the futures price is above the expected future spot price.
The closet option is C.
Q3) From the words given choose the correct word(s) which completes the sentence most appropriately.
Confused and __________, Hogwart fumbled to make sense of seemingly inconsistent statements,_________ the impatience of his listeners.
A.prostrate...listening to
B.philosophical..overlooking
C.muddled....aware of
D.agitated...following
Answer : Option D
Explanation: The word that will fill the first blank must be complementary to the word "Confused". Out of the given options, "agitated" is the best choice.
Muddled = not clear, in blank 1 is also possible, but ‘aware of’ the impatience is not the correct fit in blank 2.
Q4) Statement:
The education of a student at collegiate level, not taking into account maintenance expenses, costs four hundred rupees a year. Collegiate education is thus drawing heavily upon the national resources of an impoverished community. So college education should be restricted to a brilliant few.
Assumptions:
I. Our resources are very limited.
II. Only a few students should be admitted to the colleges.
A.Both I and II are implicit
B.Only assumption I is implicit
C.Neither I nor II is implicit
D.Either I or II is implicit
E.Only assumption II is implicit
Answer : Option A
Explanation: The use of the words 'impoverished community' in the statement makes I implicit while the phrase 'college education should be restricted to a brilliant few' makes II implicit.
Q5) Spot the grammatical error in the given sentence
(a) Elderly people are often much more / (b) romantic than younger people and sometimes even more / (c) adventurous, having began / (d) to realize how many things they do not know. / (e) No error.
A.d
B.e
C.a
D.b
E.c
Answer : Option E
Explanation: There is an error in part c, which must be “having begun”. Part C is in option E.
Q6) Read the following passage and answer appropriately.
A rare disease, malicitis, is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. The number of cases reported this year is more than double the number reported four years ago. The government should now allocate more funds for treatment and prevention of malicitis.
All of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion except
A.a new test employed for the first time this year detects malicitis at a considerably earlier stage in the development of the disease
B.a committee of experts reviewed the funding four years ago
C.funds already available for research in malicitis are currently under-utilized
D.the number of cases reported this year represents the same fraction of the population as reported in all of the last five years
E.a private foundation has committed sufficient funds to cover treatment and prevention needs as well as research for the next five years
Answer : Option B
Explanation:
The conclusion is ‘Government should now allocate funds for treatment and prevention of malicitis.
Option A – weakens the conclusion.
Option B – does not weaken the conclusion, since the experts reviewed the funding four years ago, the government should now at least allocate funds.
Option C – weakens the conclusion, if funds are already available, there is no need of allocating the funds by government, which weakens the conclusion.
Option D – weakens the conclusion. However, it is not the same fraction of population as reported. It is more than double.
Option E – If sufficient funds are there again there would be no requirement for government allocating the funds.
So, option B is the correct answer.
Q7) Identify the correct sentence in the following questions.
(A) It’s only fair that we should share the work equally.
(B) The Patna Book Fair is a very important event for most publishers.
(C) Our house gives us shelter through fair weather or foul.
(D) I’ve got fair eyelashes, hence my eyes look awful without mascara.
A.All of the above
B.C and D
C.A, C and D
D.A, B and C
Answer : Option A
Explanation: There is no error in any of the four sentences, so option A all of the above are correct.
Q8) Statements:
I. Majority of the students in the college expressed their opinion against the college authority's decision to break away from the university and become autonomous.
II. The university authorities have expressed their inability to provide grants to its constituent colleges.
A.Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect
B.Both the statements I and II are effects of some common cause
C.Both the statements I and II are independent causes
D.Both the statements I and II are effects of independent causes
E.Statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect
Answer : Option A
Explanation: Clearly, the university's decision to refuse grant to the colleges must have triggered the college authority to become autonomous.
Q9) Fill up the blanks with suitable prepositions from the alternatives given under each sentence.
The President dealt ______ the problems facing the country.
A.in
B.at
C.with
D.on
Answer : Option C
Explanation:
Basically, everyone delas with the problems.
So, the president dealt with the problems facing in the country.
So, option C is the correct answer.
Q10) Fill up the blanks with suitable prepositions from the alternatives given under each sentence.
He always acts ______ the level and you can believe he Is serious when he says he is going to resign.
A.on
B.by
C.with
D.for
Answer : Option A
Explanation: “On” is the only correct preposition that fits in the blank. So, option A is the correct answer.
Q11) From the words given choose the correct word(s) which completes the sentence most appropriately.
For some politicians, charm is a mere ________ adopted to get votes and ______ criticism.
A.affectation..alleviate
B.prerequisite...distort
C.frugality...escheated
D.ruse...condone
Answer : Option A
Explanation:
In general, Charm = attractiveness is a mere pretension adopted to get votes, but for some politicians it is not required.
Pretension = affectation, so option A is the correct answer.
Q12) Choose the correct option.
The study of flags
A.Deltiology
B.Psephology
C.Adenology
D.Vexillology
Answer : Option D
Explanation:
Deltiology = Study and collection of postcards
Psephology = Study of elections and trends in voting
Adenology = Study of glands
Vexillology = Study of flags
So, option D is the correct answer.
Q13) Choose the grammatically correct sentence from the given set of sentences.
(A) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision, it would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind if it were an adult with such vision.
(B) A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind as an adult.
(C) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision would be rated about 20/500; qualifying it to be legally blind if an adult.
(D) A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500; an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind.
(E) As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision, which would deemed legally blind for an adult, would be rated about 20/500.
A.B
B.A
C.C
D.E
E.D
Answer : Option E
Explanation:
Statement A -That first “it” looks like a problem. Because it is the subject of the second clause, “it” will generally refer back to the subject of the first clause – in this case, “a baby.” So, statement A is eliminated.
statement B - The pronoun thing isn’t an issue anymore, but the meaning is still warped: “… a rudimentary sense of vision that would be… legally blind as an adult.” The vision wouldn’t be legally blind; the baby would. So, statement B is also eliminated.
statement C - we could argue about that “it” after the semicolon. It arguably refers to “vision” here, and that wouldn’t make sense. So, eliminated.
statement D - this seems fine. The vision is “rated about 20/500”, and that makes sense. We have full independent clauses on each side of the semicolon. It’s a little bit funky to see the last clause (“an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind”) so radically transformed from the other answer choices, but there’s nothing at all wrong with it. It’s as clear as it gets. So, statement D has no error.
statement E - Again, we have a “rudimentary sense of vision, which would be deemed legally blind for an adult…” And that makes no sense. So, eliminated.
Hence, the correct answer is statement D, which is in option E.
Q14) Replace the underlined text with grammatically correct usage.
Salt deposits and moisture threatens to destroy the Mohenjo-daro excavation in Pakistan, the site of an ancient civilization that flourished at the same time as the civilizations in the Nile Delta and the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates.
A.flourishing at the same time as those did
B.that flourished at the same time as the civilizations
C.that had flourished at the same time as the civilizations
D.flourishing at the same time as those were
Answer : Option B
Explanation:
Option A - This answer choice incorrectly uses the present continuous (“verb+ing” - “flourishing” in this sentence) to refer to an event that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past. Further, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase “as those did”, leading to awkwardness.
Option B - This answer choice correctly uses the simple past tense verb “flourished” to refer to actions that concluded in the past at the same time - the civilization found at Mohenjo-Daro flourishing and the civilizations found in in the Nile delta and the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates flourishing. Further Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
Option C - This answer choice incorrectly uses the past perfect tense verb “had flourished” to refer to actions that took place in the past at the same time- the civilization found at Mohenjo-Daro flourishing and the civilizations found in in the Nile delta and the river valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates flourishing; please remember, the past perfect tense (marked by the use of helping verb "had") is used only when a sentence contains two actions in the past; the helping verb "had" is used with the action in the "greater past".
Option D – This is incorrect as same as Option A.
So, option B is the correct answer.
Q15) Replace the underlined text with grammatically correct usage.
Many patrons in the hotel found the coffee too sweet to drink, but it was still ordered frequently.
A.but it was still being ordered frequently.
B.but they would still order it frequently.
C.but it would still be ordered frequently.
D.but they still ordered it frequently.
Answer : Option D
Explanation: Here, ‘but’ changes the context of the sentence which must happen from patrons’ end.
So, the correct sentence is ‘But they still ordered it frequently.