Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for XAT: 4+ Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions

    Solve 4+ Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals previous year questions for XAT with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    Chapter Roadmap: Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals

    Chapter Roadmap

    Orientation

    Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals

    1. Current Topic
    Fixed prepositions, conditional clause types, punctuation standards.
    Why this cluster matters

    These areas involve small structural choices distinguishing standard written English from spoken English. Mastering them gives you a reliable elimination tool.

    What you will master:
    • Identify incorrect preposition usage in under ten seconds
    • Verify any conditional sentence using a tense-pairing check
    • Apply comma, semicolon, and apostrophe rules without hesitation

    Topic Hero: Three Small Systems, One Scanning Skill

    Three Small Systems, One Scanning Skill

    Concept

    Core insight: Detecting small structural violations that do not change the meaning of a sentence.

    Prepositions
    Tests: Fixed verb-noun pairings
    Signal: prefer than, accused for
    Conditionals
    Tests: Tense pairing between clauses
    Signal: would have in if-clause
    Punctuation
    Tests: Clause boundary marking
    Signal: comma splice

    These questions reward pattern recognition. Internalise the fixed pairings and tables to eliminate wrong options instantly.

    Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals: Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Explanations (4 Problems)

    Question 1 · Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) MCQ

    Which of the following conditional sentences are grammatically INCORRECT?

    1. If Sandhya had started from the hotel on time, she would have not missed the ight.
    2. The students wouldn’t have completed their assignment even if the professor would have been there.
    3. I had travelled across Europe if I weren’t afraid of airplane crashes.
    4. Saurav won’t join music classes unless his father will ask him.
    5. Should you wish to join the party, you must let me know by this evening.
    6. We would be stupid if we shared our strategy with her.
    1. A.

      4,5,6

    2. B.

      1,5,6

    3. C.

      2,3,4

    4. D.

      3,4,5

    5. E.

      1,2,3

    Correct Answer:

    C

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: Conditional sentences require strict tense pairing between the if-clause and the main clause.

    Step 1: Analyze sentence 1. "If Sandhya had started... she would have not missed". While "would not have" is preferred stylistically, the tense pairing (past perfect -> conditional perfect) is structurally intact.

    Step 2: Analyze sentence 2. "even if the professor would have been there". This is incorrect. The if-clause of a third conditional must use the past perfect ("had been"), never "would have".

    Step 3: Analyze sentence 3. "I had travelled... if I weren't afraid". This is incorrect. It mixes past perfect ("had travelled") with a present unreal condition ("if I weren't"). It should be "I would travel... if I weren't" or "I would have travelled... if I hadn't been".

    Step 4: Analyze sentence 4. "unless his father will ask him". This is incorrect. Clauses following "unless" must use the present tense, not the future tense ("asks him").

    Step 5: Analyze sentence 5. "Should you wish..." is a correct inverted conditional (equivalent to "If you should wish").

    Step 6: Analyze sentence 6. "We would be stupid if we shared..." is a correct second conditional structure.

    Conclusion: Sentences 2, 3, and 4 are grammatically incorrect. This matches option C.

    Question 2 · Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) MCQ

    Which of the following sentences have the CORRECT usage of punctuation?

    1. A.

      Italy is famous for its composers and musicians. France, for its chefs and philosophers. Poland for its mathematicians and logicians.

    2. B.

      Italy is famous for its composers and musicians, France, for its chefs and philosophers, Poland for its mathematicians and logicians.

    3. C.

      Italy is famous for their composers and musicians; France, for their chefs and philosophers; Poland for their mathematicians and logicians

    4. D.

      Italy is famous for their composers and musicians; France, for their chefs and philosophers; Poland for their mathematicians and logicians.

    5. E.

      Italy is famous for its composers and musicians, France, for its chefs and philosophers, and Poland, for its mathematicians and logicians.

    Correct Answer:

    E

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: Correct punctuation of elliptical constructions in parallel lists and pronoun agreement for collective nouns.

    Step 1: Check pronoun agreement. Countries (Italy, France, Poland) are singular collective nouns and require the singular pronoun "its", not "their". This eliminates options C and D (indices 2 and 3).

    Step 2: Check sentence structure. Option A (index 0) uses periods to create sentence fragments ("France, for its chefs...").

    Step 3: Check comma usage. Option B (index 1) creates a comma splice by listing independent clauses with only commas and no coordinating conjunction.

    Step 4: Evaluate Option E (index 4). It correctly uses "its" for all countries. It forms a single, properly structured sentence using commas to mark the elliptical omission of "is famous" and includes the coordinating conjunction "and" before the final item.

    Conclusion: Option E is the only grammatically and punctuationally correct sentence.

    Question 3 · Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) MCQ

    Read the following sentences carefully.

    1. She described about the journey.
    2. We are awaiting her reply.
    3. She is superior to us.
    4. She requested for more time.
    5. She is angry with her friend.
    6. She insisted for an apology.

    Which of the following options contains only grammatically INCORRECT sentences?

    1. A.

      1, 4, 6

    2. B.

      2, 3, 5

    3. C.

      1, 3, 4

    4. D.

      2, 4, 5

    5. E.

      1, 2, 6

    Correct Answer:

    A

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: Identifying redundant prepositions with transitive verbs and fixed preposition errors.

    Step 1: Analyze sentence 1. "Described" is a transitive verb and takes a direct object. "Described about" is incorrect. It should be "described the journey".

    Step 2: Analyze sentence 2. "Awaiting" is transitive. "Awaiting her reply" is correct.

    Step 3: Analyze sentence 3. "Superior" always takes the fixed preposition "to". "Superior to us" is correct.

    Step 4: Analyze sentence 4. "Requested" is transitive. "Requested for" is incorrect. It should be "requested more time".

    Step 5: Analyze sentence 5. "Angry with" a person is the correct fixed preposition. This is correct.

    Step 6: Analyze sentence 6. "Insisted" takes the fixed preposition "on", not "for". "Insisted for" is incorrect.

    Conclusion: Sentences 1, 4, and 6 are grammatically incorrect. This matches option A.

    Question 4 · Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR) MCQ

    Which of the following sentences have INCORRECT usage of preposition?

    1. The manager was sitting at the desk.
    2. My work is superior to yours.
    3. I prefer coffee than tea.
    4. She was accused for stealing gold.
    5. This is an exception to the rule.
    6. They are leaving to England soon.
    1. A.

      1,2,3

    2. B.

      3,4,5

    3. C.

      3,4,6

    4. D.

      2,3,4

    5. E.

      1,3,6

    Correct Answer:

    C

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Key idea: Identifying incorrect usage of high-frequency fixed prepositions.

    Step 1: Analyze sentence 1. "Sitting at the desk" is a standard, correct prepositional phrase.

    Step 2: Analyze sentence 2. "Superior to" is the correct fixed preposition for Latin-derived comparatives. This is correct.

    Step 3: Analyze sentence 3. "Prefer" takes the fixed preposition "to", not "than". "Prefer coffee than tea" is incorrect.

    Step 4: Analyze sentence 4. "Accused" takes the fixed preposition "of", not "for". "Accused for stealing" is incorrect.

    Step 5: Analyze sentence 5. "Exception to" is the correct fixed preposition. This is correct.

    Step 6: Analyze sentence 6. When indicating a destination, "leave" takes the preposition "for", not "to". "Leaving to England" is incorrect.

    Conclusion: Sentences 3, 4, and 6 contain incorrect preposition usage. This matches option C.

    More previous year questions (pyqs) in this unit

    chapter
    Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for XAT: 4+ Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Solutions

    Solve 4+ Prepositions, Punctuation & Conditionals previous year questions for XAT with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    A question from this chapter

    Question 1

    Which of the following conditional sentences are grammatically INCORRECT?

    1. If Sandhya had started from the hotel on time, she would have not missed the ight.
    2. The students wouldn’t have completed their assignment even if the professor would have been there.
    3. I had travelled across Europe if I weren’t afraid of airplane crashes.
    4. Saurav won’t join music classes unless his father will ask him.
    5. Should you wish to join the party, you must let me know by this evening.
    6. We would be stupid if we shared our strategy with her.
    Question 2

    Which of the following sentences have the CORRECT usage of punctuation?

    Question 3

    Read the following sentences carefully.

    1. She described about the journey.
    2. We are awaiting her reply.
    3. She is superior to us.
    4. She requested for more time.
    5. She is angry with her friend.
    6. She insisted for an apology.

    Which of the following options contains only grammatically INCORRECT sentences?

    Question 4

    Which of the following sentences have INCORRECT usage of preposition?

    1. The manager was sitting at the desk.
    2. My work is superior to yours.
    3. I prefer coffee than tea.
    4. She was accused for stealing gold.
    5. This is an exception to the rule.
    6. They are leaving to England soon.
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