Phrases Previous Year Questions (PYQs) – Word Power – Page 1 of 2

The medal was awarded for the student's exemplary conduct and courage.

Explanation:

• "Exemplary" means serving as a desirable model or worthy of imitation. It is often used to describe behavior that is outstanding or deserving of recognition.

Examples:

• Her exemplary performance in the competition earned her a scholarship.

• The teacher praised the student for his exemplary behavior in class.

The correct sentence is:

"If you drink too much, it will impair your judgement."

Explanation:

• "Impair" means to weaken or damage something, in this case, judgement. It is often used when talking about a decrease in mental abilities, senses, or performance.

Examples:

• Drinking alcohol excessively can impair your ability to make decisions.

• Lack of sleep can impair your concentration.

The word "impounded" refers to the action of taking something into legal custody, often by authorities, due to a violation or legal reason. In the context of the sentence:

"The car driver was arrested for rash driving and his license was impounded by the police."

However, "impounded" is typically used for physical objects (like a car) rather than abstract things (like a driver's license). 

The correct sentence is:

The State Transportation Corporation has incurred a loss of 5 crore INR this year.

Explanation:

• "Incurred" means to experience or bring upon oneself, especially something negative, like a loss, debt, or expense.

Examples:

• The company has incurred significant expenses in its expansion efforts.

• The business incurred a heavy loss due to the economic downturn.

Explanation:

An encyclopedia is a book (or a collection of books) that contains summarized information on all branches of knowledge, often organized alphabetically.

Example:

• I consulted the encyclopedia to get more details on world history.

The most effective word to fill in the blank is:

"knocked"

Sentence:

The man was about to move his bike into the compound of his apartment when a passerby knocked down the motorcycle.

Explanation:

• "Knocked" in this context means that the passerby accidentally caused the motorcycle to fall over, either by bumping into it or colliding with it in some way.

Example:

• She accidentally knocked over the vase while cleaning the table.

The correct expression of approval is:

✅ 1. Super

Explanation:

• "Super" is a positive expression showing approval, admiration, or enthusiasm.

The other options are generally negative or exclamations of frustration:

• "Rotten!" – Negative, implies something is very bad

• "Damn!" – Often used to express anger, annoyance, or frustration

• "Hell!" – Usually expresses surprise, frustration, or emphasis, but not approval

So, "Super!" is the clear choice for showing approval.

✅ 1. Conclusive

Explanation:

• Incontrovertible means not open to doubt or question; undeniable.

• Conclusive means serving to prove a case; decisive or convincing, which fits the meaning well.

Why not the others?

• Disputable – ❌ Opposite in meaning; it means something open to doubt or challenge.

• Inconvenient – ❌ Has nothing to do with truth or evidence; it means causing trouble or discomfort.

• Indecisive – ❌ Means not settling an issue or lacking a clear result, again the opposite of “incontrovertible.”

Final Sentence with the correct word:

The weapon inspector's report was not expected to provide conclusive evidence of weapons of mass destruction.

The phoenix is a mythical bird.

✅ Correct adjective: "mythical"

Explanation:

• The phoenix is a legendary bird from mythology that is said to rise from its own ashes after death — so it is not real, but mythical.

Why not the others?

• Ethical – ❌ relates to morals or principles, not suitable here.

• Natural – ❌ suggests it exists in nature, but the phoenix is fictional.

• Carnivorous – ❌ means meat-eating, which doesn't fit the context as we're focusing on its existence, not diet.