“I am hungry” The above is an example of
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Correct answer: (B) clause
Explanation
As per the official key, 'I am hungry' is a clause (it is also a complete simple sentence).
BPSC TRE · English
Idioms & Phrases Previous Year Questions
23 Idioms & Phrases (English) questions asked in BPSC TRE previous year papers, each with the correct answer and explanation. Read them free on UTpaper, or attempt the full papers as timed online tests.
- 23 questions
- Official answer key
- Free
Other English topics
We are going for dinner at a place where there is peaceful ambience. (underlined: where there is peaceful ambience) The underlined section is
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Correct answer: (A) adjective clause
Explanation
'Where there is peaceful ambience' describes the noun 'place', so it is an adjective clause.
The figure of speech used in the phrase “darkness visible” is
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Correct answer: (C) Oxymoron
Explanation
'Darkness visible' (Milton, Paradise Lost) joins two contradictory ideas, which is an oxymoron.
questions that follow. It is a cold night in December and in a remote village, an old storyteller is sitting by
the hearth-fire with a group of students who have come home for the winter holidays. They love visiting her to listen to her stories, but tonight Granny is not her usual chirpy self; she looks much older and seems to be agitated over something. One of the boys asks her whether she is not feeling well and tells her that if so, they can come back another night. But instead of answering the question, the old woman starts talking and tells them that on a certain night a peculiar wind blows through the village, which seems to start from the region of the graveyard and which sounds like a hymn. She also tells them that tonight is that kind of a night. At first the youngsters are skeptical and tell her that they cannot hear anything and that such things are not possible, but the old woman rebukes them by saying that they are not paying attention to what is happening around them. She tells them that youngsters of today have forgotten how to listen to the voice of the earth and the wind. They feel chastised and make a show of straining their ears to listen more attentively and to their utter surprise, they hear the beginning of a low hum in the distance. They listen for some time and tell her, almost in triumph, that they can hear only an eerie sound. ‘No’, the storyteller almost shouts, ‘Listen carefully. Tonight is the anniversary of that dreadful Sunday.’ There is a death-like silence in the room and some of them begin to look uneasy because they too had heard vague rumours of army atrocities that took place in the village on a Sunday long before they were born. Storyteller and audience strain to listen more attentively and suddenly a strange thing happens : as the wind whirls past the house, it increases in volume and for the briefest of moments, seems to hover above the house. Then it resumes its whirling as though hurrying away to other regions beyond human habitation. The young people are stunned because they hear the new element in the volume and a certain uncanny lilt lingers on in the wake of its departure. The old woman jumps up from her seat and looking at each one in turn asks, ‘You heard it, didn’t you? Didn’t I tell you? It was Apenyo’s last song’ and she hums a tune softly, almost to herself. The youngsters cannot deny that they heard the note but are puzzled because they do not know what she is talking about. As the old woman stands apart humming the tune, they look at her with wonder. There is a peculiar glow on her face and she seems to have changed into a new self, more alive and animated than earlier. After a while a young girl timidly approaches her and asks, ‘Grandmother, what are you talking about? Whose last song?’
The old storyteller whips around and surveys the group as though seeing them for the first time. She then heaves a deep sigh and with infinite sadness in her voice, spreads her arms wide and whispers, ‘You have not heard about that song? You do not know about Apenyo? Then come and listen carefully ...’
Thus, on a cold December night in a remote village, an old storyteller gathers the young of the land around the leaping flames of a hearth and squats on the bare earth among them to pass on the story of that Black Sunday when a young and beautiful singer sang her last song even as one more Naga village began weeping for her ravaged and ruined children.
[An extract from ‘The Last Song’ in These Hills Called Home, by Temsula Ao, Penguin Books, New Delhi : 2006, p.31–33]
Which phrase in the extract of the story describes the feeling of surprise or astonishment with reference to the storyteller?
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Correct answer: (C) As though seeing them for the first time
Explanation
'As though seeing them for the first time' shows her surprise at their ignorance of Apenyo, so (C).
questions that follow. It is a cold night in December and in a remote village, an old storyteller is sitting by
the hearth-fire with a group of students who have come home for the winter holidays. They love visiting her to listen to her stories, but tonight Granny is not her usual chirpy self; she looks much older and seems to be agitated over something. One of the boys asks her whether she is not feeling well and tells her that if so, they can come back another night. But instead of answering the question, the old woman starts talking and tells them that on a certain night a peculiar wind blows through the village, which seems to start from the region of the graveyard and which sounds like a hymn. She also tells them that tonight is that kind of a night. At first the youngsters are skeptical and tell her that they cannot hear anything and that such things are not possible, but the old woman rebukes them by saying that they are not paying attention to what is happening around them. She tells them that youngsters of today have forgotten how to listen to the voice of the earth and the wind. They feel chastised and make a show of straining their ears to listen more attentively and to their utter surprise, they hear the beginning of a low hum in the distance. They listen for some time and tell her, almost in triumph, that they can hear only an eerie sound. ‘No’, the storyteller almost shouts, ‘Listen carefully. Tonight is the anniversary of that dreadful Sunday.’ There is a death-like silence in the room and some of them begin to look uneasy because they too had heard vague rumours of army atrocities that took place in the village on a Sunday long before they were born. Storyteller and audience strain to listen more attentively and suddenly a strange thing happens : as the wind whirls past the house, it increases in volume and for the briefest of moments, seems to hover above the house. Then it resumes its whirling as though hurrying away to other regions beyond human habitation. The young people are stunned because they hear the new element in the volume and a certain uncanny lilt lingers on in the wake of its departure. The old woman jumps up from her seat and looking at each one in turn asks, ‘You heard it, didn’t you? Didn’t I tell you? It was Apenyo’s last song’ and she hums a tune softly, almost to herself. The youngsters cannot deny that they heard the note but are puzzled because they do not know what she is talking about. As the old woman stands apart humming the tune, they look at her with wonder. There is a peculiar glow on her face and she seems to have changed into a new self, more alive and animated than earlier. After a while a young girl timidly approaches her and asks, ‘Grandmother, what are you talking about? Whose last song?’
The old storyteller whips around and surveys the group as though seeing them for the first time. She then heaves a deep sigh and with infinite sadness in her voice, spreads her arms wide and whispers, ‘You have not heard about that song? You do not know about Apenyo? Then come and listen carefully ...’
Thus, on a cold December night in a remote village, an old storyteller gathers the young of the land around the leaping flames of a hearth and squats on the bare earth among them to pass on the story of that Black Sunday when a young and beautiful singer sang her last song even as one more Naga village began weeping for her ravaged and ruined children.
[An extract from ‘The Last Song’ in These Hills Called Home, by Temsula Ao, Penguin Books, New Delhi : 2006, p.31–33]
Which phrase in the extract is a close equivalent of ‘pin-drop silence’?
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Correct answer: (A) Death-like silence
Explanation
'Pin-drop silence' corresponds to 'death-like silence' used in the extract, so (A).
questions that follow. It is a cold night in December and in a remote village, an old storyteller is sitting by
the hearth-fire with a group of students who have come home for the winter holidays. They love visiting her to listen to her stories, but tonight Granny is not her usual chirpy self; she looks much older and seems to be agitated over something. One of the boys asks her whether she is not feeling well and tells her that if so, they can come back another night. But instead of answering the question, the old woman starts talking and tells them that on a certain night a peculiar wind blows through the village, which seems to start from the region of the graveyard and which sounds like a hymn. She also tells them that tonight is that kind of a night. At first the youngsters are skeptical and tell her that they cannot hear anything and that such things are not possible, but the old woman rebukes them by saying that they are not paying attention to what is happening around them. She tells them that youngsters of today have forgotten how to listen to the voice of the earth and the wind. They feel chastised and make a show of straining their ears to listen more attentively and to their utter surprise, they hear the beginning of a low hum in the distance. They listen for some time and tell her, almost in triumph, that they can hear only an eerie sound. ‘No’, the storyteller almost shouts, ‘Listen carefully. Tonight is the anniversary of that dreadful Sunday.’ There is a death-like silence in the room and some of them begin to look uneasy because they too had heard vague rumours of army atrocities that took place in the village on a Sunday long before they were born. Storyteller and audience strain to listen more attentively and suddenly a strange thing happens : as the wind whirls past the house, it increases in volume and for the briefest of moments, seems to hover above the house. Then it resumes its whirling as though hurrying away to other regions beyond human habitation. The young people are stunned because they hear the new element in the volume and a certain uncanny lilt lingers on in the wake of its departure. The old woman jumps up from her seat and looking at each one in turn asks, ‘You heard it, didn’t you? Didn’t I tell you? It was Apenyo’s last song’ and she hums a tune softly, almost to herself. The youngsters cannot deny that they heard the note but are puzzled because they do not know what she is talking about. As the old woman stands apart humming the tune, they look at her with wonder. There is a peculiar glow on her face and she seems to have changed into a new self, more alive and animated than earlier. After a while a young girl timidly approaches her and asks, ‘Grandmother, what are you talking about? Whose last song?’
The old storyteller whips around and surveys the group as though seeing them for the first time. She then heaves a deep sigh and with infinite sadness in her voice, spreads her arms wide and whispers, ‘You have not heard about that song? You do not know about Apenyo? Then come and listen carefully ...’
Thus, on a cold December night in a remote village, an old storyteller gathers the young of the land around the leaping flames of a hearth and squats on the bare earth among them to pass on the story of that Black Sunday when a young and beautiful singer sang her last song even as one more Naga village began weeping for her ravaged and ruined children.
[An extract from ‘The Last Song’ in These Hills Called Home, by Temsula Ao, Penguin Books, New Delhi : 2006, p.31–33]
Which word in the extract is closest in meaning to the phrase ‘whips around’?
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
Explanation
None of the listed words (whirling, hover, blows) means 'turns around sharply', so (E) None of the above.
He fled where his pursuers could not follow. The underlined section is
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Correct answer: (B) an adverb clause
Explanation
'where his pursuers could not follow' modifies the verb 'fled', so it is an adverb clause: (B).
The umbrella with a wooden handle is mine. (Identify the correct clause/phrase for the underlined part)
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
Explanation
'With a wooden handle' is an adjectival phrase, which is not among options A-C, so (E).
He deserved to succeed. He failed. (Use an adverb or an adverbial phrase to join the sentences)
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Correct answer: (B) He failed undeservedly.
Explanation
'He failed undeservedly' joins the sentences using an adverb, so (B).
Directions (Q. Nos. 86 to 95) : Choose the correct option of the following questions.
‘You ate fish’ is an example of
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Correct answer: (C) sentence
Explanation
'You ate fish' has a subject and predicate and gives complete sense, so it is a sentence: (C).
Directions (Q. Nos. 136 to 140) : Choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined phrase.
He won the game by the skin of his teeth. (underlined phrase: skin of his teeth)
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Correct answer: (C) Just barely
Explanation
'By the skin of one's teeth' means just barely, by a very narrow margin.
Directions (Q. Nos. 136 to 140) : Choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined phrase.
The villagers were left to scrape the barrel. (underlined phrase: left to scrape the barrel)
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Correct answer: (B) To be forced to use one’s last resource
Explanation
'To scrape the barrel' means to be forced to use the last and poorest resources left.
Directions (Q. Nos. 136 to 140) : Choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined phrase.
He was trying to grab his forty winks. (underlined phrase: forty winks)
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
Explanation
'Forty winks' means a short nap, which is not among the options, so (E).
Directions (Q. Nos. 136 to 140) : Choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined phrase.
He was a proverbial man of straw. (underlined phrase: man of straw)
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Correct answer: (C) A man of no substance
Explanation
A 'man of straw' is a person of no substance or worth.
Directions (Q. Nos. 136 to 140) : Choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined phrase.
You have stirred a hornet’s nest. (underlined phrase: hornet’s nest)
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
Explanation
'To stir a hornet's nest' means to cause a lot of trouble or angry reaction; none of the options says this, so (E).
The word ‘toy’ in the phrase ‘to toy with the idea’ is a
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Correct answer: (C) verb
Explanation
In 'to toy with an idea', toy is a verb meaning to play with.
Choose the correct phrase from the choices given below : It _____ since early morning.
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Correct answer: (C) has been raining
Explanation
'Since early morning' needs the present perfect continuous: has been raining.
The questions 126 - 150 are based on English Grammar.
Which one of the following is a meaning of the phrase ‘Once for all’?
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Correct answer: (A) When a thing is done it is done forever
Explanation
'Once for all' means finally; what is done is done for ever.
The questions 126 - 150 are based on English Grammar.
Which one of the following would best explain the meaning of the phrase ‘Out-and-out’?
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Correct answer: (B) thoroughly
Explanation
'Out-and-out' means thoroughly, completely.
The questions 126 - 150 are based on English Grammar.
Which one of the following explains the meaning of the phrase ‘Through and through’?
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Correct answer: (B) thoroughness
Explanation
'Through and through' means thoroughly, completely.
My friend stabbed me in the back by stealing my class notes.
‘Stabbed me in the back’ is an instance of
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Correct answer: (A) an idiom
Explanation
‘Stab someone in the back’ is an idiom meaning to betray someone who trusts you; it is not a proverb or saying giving general advice.
Choose the meaning of the underlined phrase/idiom in the given sentence________
His popularity is 'on the wane'.
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
Explanation
'On the wane' means declining or decreasing. None of 'on the height', 'stand still' or 'spread far and wide' means that, so the answer is (E).
Choose the meaning of the underlined idiom in the given sentence__
Greek victory over Trojan proved to be 'Pyrrhic Victory'.
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Correct answer: (C) Victory at a high cost
Explanation
A Pyrrhic victory is one won at so great a cost that it is almost a defeat, named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus.
How to use these BPSC TRE English questions
Every question here was asked in a real BPSC TRE paper; the paper and shift are shown on the card, and the number opens the question on its own page. Try each one before tapping Show answer, then attempt the full BPSC TRE papers as timed tests to check your speed under exam conditions.