chapter
    Grammar, Articles and Word Usage PYQs for GATE CS

    Solve 5+ Grammar, Articles and Word Usage previous year questions for GATE CS with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    Try a question

    Answer it here to see how it works. Nothing is recorded until you sign in.

    Question 1
    2025 Slot Set1 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard

    Ravi had ______ younger brother who taught at ______ university. He was widely regarded as ______ honorable man.

    Select the option with the correct sequence of articles to fill in the blanks.

    Question 2
    2024 Slot Set1 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    In the given text, the blanks are numbered (i)−(iv). Select the best match for all the blanks.

    Steve was advised to keep his head before heading to bat;
    for, while he had a head batting, he could only do so with a cool head his shoulders.
    Question 3
    2023 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard

    We reached the station late, and _______ missed the train.

    Question 4
    2021 Slot Set2 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard

    Gauri said that she can play the keyboard __________ her sister.

    Question 5
    2021 Slot Set1 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    Consider the following sentences:

    (i) Everybody in the class is prepared for the exam.
    (ii) Babu invited Danish to his home because he enjoys playing chess.

    Which of the following is the CORRECT observation about the above two sentences?
    Free preview ends here

    Login to view the complete previous-year questions and solutions

    Creating an account is free. You get the rest of this chapter, step-by-step solutions, and a study plan built around the topics you are actually weak at.

    Login to continueSee plans
    Why MastersUp

    Personalised first. High quality throughout.

    Most platforms hand everyone the same content. Here the content moves with your performance, topic by topic.

    Built around you, not around a syllabus PDF

    Every answer you give moves your topic-level intelligence rate. The next question, the next revision card and tomorrow's plan all change with it.

    Revision that hits your weak spots

    We only revise topics you have actually attempted and are still below the safe bar on — never the same chapter on repeat.

    Questions calibrated to the real exam

    Each question carries a measured toughness. You are served a rung above your current level, so practice keeps stretching you.

    Notes written for recall, not for volume

    Full lesson cards for first study, curated short-note cards for the last mile — with derivations, traps and exam patterns marked.

    One place for everything

    Notes, chapter practice, previous-year questions, test series and full-length papers — all feeding one picture of your preparation.

    Honest progress

    No vanity streaks. Progress here means chapters mastered and accuracy that held up on harder questions.

    Unlock the whole course

    Full notes and short notes, the complete question bank with worked solutions, mock tests, full-length papers, and an adaptive plan that rebuilds itself as you improve.

    View all plansStart free

    Grammar, Articles and Word Usage PYQs for GATE CS

    Solve 5+ Grammar, Articles and Word Usage previous year questions for GATE CS with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    Chapter Roadmap: Verbal Aptitude Essentials

    Chapter Journey

    Master the micro-rules of English that determine correctness in formal writing.

    1
    Articles & Determiners
    The foundation of noun specificity. (Current Topic)
    2
    Idioms & Contextual Usage
    Decoding fixed expressions and word nuance.
    3
    Grammar & Ambiguity
    Pronoun reference, comparisons, and structural logic.

    Hero Concept: The Specificity Spectrum

    The Specificity Spectrum

    Articles signal how well the listener knows the noun you are mentioning.

    A / An Indefinite
    "Any one of many" → I saw a dog.
    The Definite
    "That specific one" → I saw the dog.
    Zero (-) General/Abstract
    "The concept itself" → Dogs are loyal.
    Key Insight: If you can point to it uniquely in the context, use The. If it is just one example of a category, use A/An.

    Grammar, Articles and Word Usage: Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Explanations (5 Problems)

    Question 1 · Verbal Aptitude · 2025_Set1 MCQ

    Ravi had ______ younger brother who taught at ______ university. He was widely regarded as ______ honorable man.

    Select the option with the correct sequence of articles to fill in the blanks.

    1. A.

      a; a; an

    2. B.

      the; an; a

    3. C.

      a; an; a

    4. D.

      an; an; a

    Correct Answer:

    A

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: Articles depend on the specificity of the noun and its phonetic sound, not just its spelling.

    Exam route: The first mention of a singular countable noun ('younger brother') takes 'a'. 'University' starts with a consonant sound /j/, so it takes 'a'. 'Honorable' starts with a silent 'h' producing a vowel sound /ɒ/, so it takes 'an'. The sequence is a, a, an.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Analyze the first blank. 'Younger brother' is introduced for the first time and is singular/countable, requiring the indefinite article 'a'.

    Step 2: Analyze the second blank. 'University' begins with the letter 'U', but phonetically it starts with the consonant sound /j/ (like 'you'). Therefore, it takes 'a', not 'an'.

    Step 3: Analyze the third blank. 'Honorable' begins with 'H', but the 'H' is silent. The word starts with the vowel sound /ɒ/. Thus, it requires 'an'.

    Combining these gives 'a; a; an'.

    Common trap: Students often look at the first letter rather than the sound, leading them to incorrectly choose 'an university' or 'a honorable'.

    Verification: Substituting 'a; a; an' into the sentence reads perfectly and follows all phonetic and grammatical rules for articles.

    Question 2 · Verbal Aptitude · 2024_Set1 MCQ
    In the given text, the blanks are numbered (i)−(iv). Select the best match for all the blanks.

    Steve was advised to keep his head before heading to bat;
    for, while he had a head batting, he could only do so with a cool head his shoulders.
    1. A.

      (i) down (ii) down (iii) on (iv) for

    2. B.

      (i) on (ii) down (iii) for (iv) on

    3. C.

      (i) down (ii) out (iii) for (iv) on

    4. D.

      (i) on (ii) out (iii) on (iv) for

    Correct Answer:

    C

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: Idioms and phrasal verbs rely on fixed prepositions and particles that must be memorized as indivisible units of meaning.

    Exam route: We analyze the blanks based on fixed expressions: (ii) "heading out" means leaving for a purpose; (iii) "a head for" means a natural talent; (iv) "cool head on his shoulders" is the standard anatomical idiom. Matching these gives (ii)=out, (iii)=for, (iv)=on. Option C is the only one that fits this sequence, fixing (i)=down ("keep his head down" meaning stay focused/unnoticed).

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Look at blank (ii). The context is leaving to go bat. The phrasal verb "heading out" means departing. This eliminates options A and B.

    Step 2: Look at blank (iii). The phrase "a head for [activity]" is a fixed idiom meaning a natural aptitude or talent (e.g., "a head for numbers"). This fixes (iii) as "for".

    Step 3: Look at blank (iv). The expression is "with a cool head on his shoulders". The preposition "on" is physically and idiomatically required here.

    Step 4: Verify blank (i). "Keep his head down" is a valid idiom meaning to avoid trouble or stay focused, which fits the cricket context of concentrating before batting. Option C perfectly aligns with all deductions.

    Common trap: Students might guess "heading down" or "head on batting" based on literal spatial reasoning, failing to recognize the fixed figurative meanings.

    Verification: Reading the full sentence with Option C yields: "Steve was advised to keep his head down before heading out to bat; for, while he had a head for batting, he could only do so with a cool head on his shoulders." This is idiomatically flawless.

    Question 3 · Verbal Aptitude · 2023 MCQ

    We reached the station late, and _______ missed the train.

    1. A.

      near

    2. B.

      nearly

    3. C.

      utterly

    4. D.

      mostly

    Correct Answer:

    B

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: Adverbs of degree like 'nearly' modify verbs to show that an action was very close to occurring but ultimately did not.

    Exam route: The sentence describes a close call with missing a train. 'Nearly' is the correct adverb of degree meaning 'almost'. 'Near' is a preposition/adjective, 'utterly' means completely (which contradicts the binary nature of missing a train), and 'mostly' means for the most part.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Analyze the context. "Reached late" implies a rush, and the consequence is related to "missed the train". The missing word must indicate the degree or proximity of the action.

    Step 2: Evaluate the options.

    • 'near' is typically a preposition (near the station) or adjective (the near future), not an adverb modifying 'missed'.
    • 'nearly' is an adverb meaning 'almost' or 'very nearly'. "Nearly missed" is a standard collocation.
    • 'utterly' means completely or absolutely (e.g., utterly destroyed). You cannot "completely miss" a train in this context; you either miss it or you don't.
    • 'mostly' means mainly or usually, which doesn't fit a single specific past event.

    Step 3: Select 'nearly' as the only grammatically and semantically correct adverb.

    Common trap: Confusing the adjective/preposition 'near' with the adverb 'nearly', or choosing 'utterly' because it sounds emphatic.

    Verification: "We reached the station late, and nearly missed the train." This perfectly conveys the intended meaning of a close call.

    Question 4 · Verbal Aptitude · 2021_Set2 MCQ

    Gauri said that she can play the keyboard __________ her sister.

    1. A.

      as well as

    2. B.

      as better as

    3. C.

      as nicest as

    4. D.

      as worse as

    Correct Answer:

    A

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: The correlative conjunction "as ... as" strictly requires the positive degree of an adjective or adverb.

    Exam route: The sentence compares Gauri's ability to her sister's. The structure "as [adverb] as" demands the base (positive) form. "Well" is the positive adverb. "Better" and "worse" are comparative, and "nicest" is superlative. Thus, "as well as" is the only grammatically valid choice.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Identify the comparison structure. The sentence uses "as ... as", which is the standard marker for the positive degree of comparison.

    Step 2: Evaluate the options based on degrees.

    • "well" is the positive degree of the adverb (good better best; well better best).
    • "better" is comparative and must be followed by "than", not "as".
    • "nicest" is superlative and requires "the" and a group context.
    • "worse" is comparative and requires "than".

    Step 3: Conclude that only "well" fits the "as ... as" sandwich.

    Common trap: Students might think "better" sounds more natural in casual speech, but "as better as" is a severe grammatical error in formal English.

    Verification: "Gauri said that she can play the keyboard as well as her sister." This correctly compares their skills using the positive degree.

    Question 5 · Verbal Aptitude · 2021_Set1 MCQ
    Consider the following sentences:

    (i) Everybody in the class is prepared for the exam.
    (ii) Babu invited Danish to his home because he enjoys playing chess.

    Which of the following is the CORRECT observation about the above two sentences?
    1. A.

      (i) is grammatically correct and (ii) is unambiguous

    2. B.

      (i) is grammatically incorrect and (ii) is unambiguous

    3. C.

      (i) is grammatically correct and (ii) is ambiguous

    4. D.

      (i) is grammatically incorrect and (ii) is ambiguous

    Correct Answer:

    C

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: Indefinite pronouns like 'Everybody' are grammatically singular, while personal pronouns must have a single, unmistakable antecedent to avoid ambiguity.

    Exam route: Sentence (i) uses 'Everybody', which is singular and correctly pairs with the singular verb 'is'. Sentence (ii) uses the pronoun 'he', which could logically refer to either 'Babu' or 'Danish', making the sentence ambiguous. Therefore, (i) is correct and (ii) is ambiguous.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Analyze sentence (i). 'Everybody' belongs to the class of indefinite pronouns (along with someone, anyone, nobody), which always take singular verbs. 'Is' is singular, so the sentence is grammatically correct.

    Step 2: Analyze sentence (ii). The pronoun 'he' is used in the dependent clause. The main clause contains two male nouns: 'Babu' and 'Danish'. Because both are valid antecedents for 'he', the reader cannot know who enjoys playing chess. This is a classic ambiguous reference error.

    Step 3: Match these findings to the options. Option C correctly identifies (i) as correct and (ii) as ambiguous.

    Common trap: Students might think 'Everybody' implies a plural group and incorrectly select 'are', or they might assume 'he' naturally refers to the subject 'Babu' and miss the ambiguity.

    Verification: Rewriting (ii) to remove ambiguity (e.g., "Babu invited Danish because Babu enjoys chess") proves the original was structurally flawed in its clarity.

    More previous year questions (pyqs) in this unit