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    Verbal Aptitude PYQs for GATE CS

    GATE CS Verbal Aptitude: 2 units and 6 chapters, weightage from 21 previous year questions across 10 papers, a study order by exam weight and 339 practice que

    A question from this chapter

    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 Set2 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    Sequence the following sentences in a coherent passage.

    P: This fortuitous geological event generated a colossal amount of energy and heat that resulted in the rocks rising to an average height of 4 km across the contact zone.

    Q: Thus, the geophysicists tend to think of the Himalayas as an active geological event rather than as a static geological feature.

    R: The natural process of the cooling of this massive edifice absorbed large quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide, altering the earth’s atmosphere and making it better suited for life.

    S: Many millennia ago, a breakaway chunk of bedrock from the Antarctic Plate collided with the massive Eurasian Plate.
    Question 3
    2026 Slot Set1 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    Combinatorics deals with problems involving counting. For example, “How many distinct arrangements of N distinct objects in M spaces on a circle are possible?” is a typical problem in combinatorics. This kind of counting is sometimes used in the modeling of several physical phenomena. Often, in such models, the different combinatorial possibilities are assigned probability values. Assigning probabilities enables the computation of the average values of physical quantities.

    Consider the following statements:

    P: Combinatorics is always invoked in the modeling of physical phenomena.

    Q: Modeling some physical phenomena involves assigning probabilities to combinatorial possibilities in order to compute average values of physical quantities.

    Based on the passage above, what can be inferred about statements P and Q?
    Question 4
    2026 Slot Set2 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    Expedite, Hasten, Hurry, __________

    Fill the blank by choosing a word with a meaning similar to that of the words given above.
    Question 5
    2026 Slot Set2 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    Water : P :: Food : Q

    Choose the P and Q combination from the options below to form a meaningful analogy.
    Question 6
    2025 Slot Set1 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    “I put the brown paper in my pocket along with the chalks, and possibly other things. I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in one’s pocket: the pocket-knife, for instance the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about the things in my pocket. But I found it would be too long: and the age of the great epics is past.”

    (From G.K. Chesterton’s “A Piece of Chalk”)

    Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?
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    Verbal Aptitude PYQs for GATE CS

    GATE CS Verbal Aptitude: 2 units and 6 chapters, weightage from 21 previous year questions across 10 papers, a study order by exam weight and 339 practice questions.

    About Verbal Aptitude Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

    21 previous year questions from Verbal Aptitude in GATE CS, grouped by chapter with the exam year, answer key and step-by-step solution for each.

    GATE CS Verbal Aptitude Unit-wise Weightage from Past Papers

    We counted every GATE CS Verbal Aptitude previous year question in our bank (21 questions from 10 papers) and grouped them by unit.

    UnitChaptersPYQsShare of sectionAvg per paper
    Basic English grammar31048%1
    Basic vocabulary31152%1.1

    Suggested Verbal Aptitude Study Order for GATE CS

    1. Basic vocabulary: 52% of past Verbal Aptitude questions, about 1.1 per paper.
    2. Basic English grammar: 48% of past Verbal Aptitude questions, about 1 per paper.

    Start where the marks are. Units at the top of this list have appeared most often in past GATE CS papers.

    Units in GATE CS Verbal Aptitude

    All Verbal Aptitude chapters

    One Solved Question from Each Verbal Aptitude Chapter

    Question 1 · Grammar, Articles and Word Usage · 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 · Sentence Arrangement and Coherence · 2024_Set2 MCQ
    Sequence the following sentences in a coherent passage.

    P: This fortuitous geological event generated a colossal amount of energy and heat that resulted in the rocks rising to an average height of 4 km across the contact zone.

    Q: Thus, the geophysicists tend to think of the Himalayas as an active geological event rather than as a static geological feature.

    R: The natural process of the cooling of this massive edifice absorbed large quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide, altering the earth’s atmosphere and making it better suited for life.

    S: Many millennia ago, a breakaway chunk of bedrock from the Antarctic Plate collided with the massive Eurasian Plate.
    1. A.

      QPSR

    2. B.

      QSPR

    3. C.

      SPRQ

    4. D.

      SRPQ

    Correct Answer:

    C

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: The passage describes a geological sequence; the opening must introduce the event, followed by immediate effects, subsequent processes, and a concluding inference.

    Exam route: Sentence S introduces the collision. Sentence P refers to "This... event", locking S→P. Sentence R discusses "cooling of this massive edifice", which must follow the "rocks rising" in P. Sentence Q starts with "Thus", making it the conclusion. Sequence SPRQ is the only match.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Identify the opener. Sentence S introduces the specific historical event ("Many millennia ago... collided"). Sentences P, R, and Q contain dependent references ("This... event", "this massive edifice", "Thus") and cannot open the passage.

    Step 2: Link cause and effect. Sentence P explicitly refers to "This fortuitous geological event", which must immediately follow the collision described in S. This forms the mandatory pair S→P.

    Step 3: Follow the physical timeline. Sentence P describes the generation of heat and rocks rising. Sentence R describes the "cooling of this massive edifice". Cooling must chronologically follow the generation of heat and rising, forming the pair P→R.

    Step 4: Identify the conclusion. Sentence Q begins with "Thus", signaling a summary or inference drawn from the preceding active geological processes, making it the natural closing sentence.

    The sequence S→P→R→Q is logically and chronologically sound.

    Question 3 · Reading Comprehension and Passage Analysis · 2026_Set1 MCQ
    Combinatorics deals with problems involving counting. For example, “How many distinct arrangements of N distinct objects in M spaces on a circle are possible?” is a typical problem in combinatorics. This kind of counting is sometimes used in the modeling of several physical phenomena. Often, in such models, the different combinatorial possibilities are assigned probability values. Assigning probabilities enables the computation of the average values of physical quantities.

    Consider the following statements:

    P: Combinatorics is always invoked in the modeling of physical phenomena.

    Q: Modeling some physical phenomena involves assigning probabilities to combinatorial possibilities in order to compute average values of physical quantities.

    Based on the passage above, what can be inferred about statements P and Q?
    1. A.

      P is False and Q is False

    2. B.

      P is False and Q is True

    3. C.

      P is True and Q is False

    4. D.

      P is True and Q is True

    Correct Answer:

    B

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: Statement evaluation requires checking if the wording in the option strictly matches the passage without generalizing moderate quantifiers (like "sometimes") to absolutes (like "always").

    Exam route: Statement P uses "always", but the passage uses "sometimes" for combinatorics in physical models. Thus P is False. Statement Q uses "some", which is logically entailed by the passage's "Often, in such models". Thus Q is True. Match with Option B.

    Learning route:

    1. Analyze P: The passage explicitly states, "This kind of counting is sometimes used in the modeling of several physical phenomena." Statement P claims, "Combinatorics is always invoked". "Always" contradicts "sometimes". Therefore, P is False.
    2. Analyze Q: The passage states, "Often, in such models, the different combinatorial possibilities are assigned probability values. Assigning probabilities enables the computation of the average values of physical quantities." Statement Q claims, "Modeling some physical phenomena involves assigning probabilities...". Since "often" implies that it happens in at least some cases, "some" is a necessary truth derived from the text. Therefore, Q is True.
    3. Conclusion: P is False and Q is True. Option B correctly reflects this.
    Question 4 · Synonyms, Antonyms and Contextual Vocabulary · 2026_Set2 MCQ
    Expedite, Hasten, Hurry, __________

    Fill the blank by choosing a word with a meaning similar to that of the words given above.
    1. A.

      Accelerate

    2. B.

      Retard

    3. C.

      Provide

    4. D.

      Disable

    Correct Answer:

    A

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: This is a synonym series question testing semantic clustering, not just random vocabulary.

    Exam route: "Expedite", "Hasten", and "Hurry" all mean to make something happen faster. We need a fourth word in this cluster. "Accelerate" means to increase speed. "Retard" is the opposite. "Provide" and "Disable" are unrelated.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Identify the core shared meaning of the given words. "Expedite", "Hasten", and "Hurry" all share the core meaning of increasing speed or making an action occur sooner.

    Step 2: Determine the required relationship. The prompt asks for a word with a "similar" meaning, placing it in the same semantic cluster.

    Step 3: Evaluate options against the cluster. "Accelerate" means to gain speed or cause something to happen faster, fitting the cluster perfectly. "Retard" means to delay or slow down (antonym). "Provide" and "Disable" have entirely different meanings.

    Step 4: Conclude that "Accelerate" is the only logically consistent choice.

    Question 5 · Word Analogies and Semantic Relationships · 2026_Set2 MCQ
    Water : P :: Food : Q

    Choose the P and Q combination from the options below to form a meaningful analogy.
    1. A.

      P = Thirst; Q = Hunger

    2. B.

      P = Drink; Q = Hunger

    3. C.

      P = Thirst; Q = Satiated

    4. D.

      P = Wet; Q = Critic

    Correct Answer:

    A

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: This is a need-based functional analogy, recognizable because the first word in each pair is an item that satisfies a specific biological or physiological need represented by the second word.

    Step 1: Analyze the first pair. Water is a substance consumed to satisfy or quench the physiological need of Thirst.

    Step 2: Apply the exact same relationship to the second pair. Food is a substance consumed to satisfy or quench the physiological need of Hunger.

    Step 3: Evaluate the options to find the pair that matches this "Item : Need it satisfies" structure. Option A provides P = Thirst and Q = Hunger, which perfectly aligns with the established relationship.

    Step 4: Check other options to ensure no better fit. Option B uses "Drink" (an action, not a need). Option C uses "Satiated" (a state of being, not a need). Option D uses unrelated words.

    Answer: A

    Question 6 · Vocabulary-Based Reading Comprehension · 2025_Set1 MCQ
    “I put the brown paper in my pocket along with the chalks, and possibly other things. I suppose every one must have reflected how primeval and how poetical are the things that one carries in one’s pocket: the pocket-knife, for instance the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword. Once I planned to write a book of poems entirely about the things in my pocket. But I found it would be too long: and the age of the great epics is past.”

    (From G.K. Chesterton’s “A Piece of Chalk”)

    Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?
    1. A.

      The author of the passage carries a mirror in his pocket to reflect upon things.

    2. B.

      The author of the passage had decided to write a poem on epics.

    3. C.

      The pocket-knife is described as the infant of the sword.

    4. D.

      Epics are described as too inconvenient to write.

    Correct Answer:

    C

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: This is a detail-extraction and figurative language interpretation question. The correct option must be strictly supported by the text without adding external assumptions or literal misinterpretations.

    Step 1: Evaluate Option A. The passage uses "reflected" in the mental sense ("must have reflected how primeval..."), meaning "thought about". It does not imply the physical act of using a mirror. This is a literal interpretation trap.

    Step 2: Evaluate Option B. The author planned to write poems about "the things in my pocket", not about epics. The mention of epics is to explain why the pocket-themed book was abandoned (its length would rival great epics, and that age is past).

    Step 3: Evaluate Option C. The passage explicitly states: "the pocket-knife, for instance the type of all human tools, the infant of the sword." This directly and accurately matches the option.

    Step 4: Evaluate Option D. The author found the book of poems about pocket items would be "too long", not that epics themselves are inconvenient to write.

    Answer: C