UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Know your English
Q1. Consider the following statements about The Hindu and its language column "Know your English":
1. The Hindu was established in 1878 as a weekly and became a daily in 1889.
2. "Know your English" has appeared in the newspaper's Education section since 1982.
3. The column is authored by S. Upendran, a faculty member of the University of Hyderabad.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Hindu was established in 1878 as a weekly and became a daily in 1889.
- "Know your English" has appeared in the newspaper's Education section since 1982.
- The column is authored by S. Upendran, a faculty member of the University of Hyderabad.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the "Know your English" column:
1. It appears in the Education section of The Hindu.
2. It is a daily column carried in the newspaper's business supplement.
3. It has been running since 1982.
4. It is authored by S. Upendran of the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It appears in the Education section of The Hindu.
- It is a daily column carried in the newspaper's business supplement.
- It has been running since 1982.
- It is authored by S. Upendran of the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q3. Approximately how many months elapsed between the enactment of the English and Foreign Languages University Act, 2006 and the date on which it was brought into force?
- A. About three months
- B. About five months
- C. About seven months
- D. About eleven months
Q4. The university created by the English and Foreign Languages University Act, 2006 is administered by which one of the following?
- A. Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education
- B. Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education
- C. Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs
- D. Department of Culture Affairs, Ministry of Culture
Q5. Consider the following statements about the word 'psephologist' and its background:
1. Psephology denotes the study of votes and elections.
2. The word 'psephology', along with the idea of the 'swing' vote, was popularised before the British public by Robert McKenzie, a scholar of political sociology.
3. Psephismata were decrees that might be based upon the votes cast by citizens in their assembly.
4. 'Psephologist' was explained in the "Know your English" edition of 6 August 2026, alongside 'sting operation' and the distinction between 'affect' and 'effect'.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Psephology denotes the study of votes and elections.
- The word 'psephology', along with the idea of the 'swing' vote, was popularised before the British public by Robert McKenzie, a scholar of political sociology.
- Psephismata were decrees that might be based upon the votes cast by citizens in their assembly.
- 'Psephologist' was explained in the "Know your English" edition of 6 August 2026, alongside 'sting operation' and the distinction between 'affect' and 'effect'.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q6. Consider the following statements contrasting terms connected with the Greek root of 'psephology':
1. Psephismata corresponded to laws meant to last a long time, whereas nomoi were the more ephemeral day-to-day policies subject to frequent change.
2. Psephology, as a field, is concerned with the analysis of votes, whereas its popularisation before a mass audience is credited to a scholar associated with British political sociology.
3. Unlike a general political commentator, a psephologist is specifically a specialist in the analysis of polls and election results.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Psephismata corresponded to laws meant to last a long time, whereas nomoi were the more ephemeral day-to-day policies subject to frequent change.
- Psephology, as a field, is concerned with the analysis of votes, whereas its popularisation before a mass audience is credited to a scholar associated with British political sociology.
- Unlike a general political commentator, a psephologist is specifically a specialist in the analysis of polls and election results.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. In the Britannica Dictionary, how many usage labels are attached to the entry for 'whilst' before it is glossed as meaning 'while'?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. Four
Q8. Standard dictionary authority classifies 'whilst' as belonging to which one of the following varieties and registers of English?
- A. Chiefly British, and formal in register
- B. Chiefly North American, and informal in register
- C. Chiefly Australian, and archaic in register
- D. Chiefly Scottish, and poetic in register
Q9. Abscam, the undercover 'sting' investigation that targeted elected officials in the United States, was carried on across how many calendar years?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Five
- D. Seven
Q10. Consider the following statements about The Hindu and its recurring features:
1. It is an English-language daily published from Chennai and is regarded as one of India's most influential dailies.
2. At the beginning of the 21st century its daily circulation exceeded 900,000 copies.
3. It began publication as a daily in 1878 and was converted into a weekly in 1889.
4. "Know your English" has appeared in its Education section since 1982.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It is an English-language daily published from Chennai and is regarded as one of India's most influential dailies.
- At the beginning of the 21st century its daily circulation exceeded 900,000 copies.
- It began publication as a daily in 1878 and was converted into a weekly in 1889.
- "Know your English" has appeared in its Education section since 1982.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q11. Which one of the following correctly describes the first volume of the book series compiled from the "Know your English" column?
- A. Idioms and Their Stories, covering over 300 idioms
- B. Pronunciation and Its Pitfalls, covering over 300 mispronounced words
- C. Words and Their Origins, covering over 500 reader-queried etymologies
- D. Grammar for the Newsroom, covering over 200 rules of usage
Q12. The columnist who answered the queries in the 6 August 2026 "Know your English" teaches at an institution established under which one of the following Acts?
- A. The English and Foreign Languages University Act, 2006
- B. The Central Universities Act, 2009
- C. The Indira Gandhi National Open University Act, 1985
- D. The Jawaharlal Nehru University Act, 1966