Question 3 - Gap Filling (with Past Year Questions) - Grammar - English Class 10

This question asked in [CBSE Delhi Set II, 2019]

Fill in any four of the following blanks choosing the most appropriate options from the ones given  below. Write the answers in your answer sheet against correct blank numbers.

Birds and animals live in the lap     1    . nature and can predict the likely changes accurately.  Swallows usually fly high      2     . the sky. But during a storm, they come down      3    . fly close to  the ground. If they fly low you     4    . be sure of strong winds. Even a Toad can be   5  . reliable  Weatherman.

1. (A) in (B) of (C) on (D) for 

2. (A) in (B) of (C) on (D) to 

3. (A) nor (B) or (C) but (D) and 

4. (A) would (B) should (C) might (D) could

5. (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) some

Answer

1. (1)  

   • (a) in - used to describe position and hence not relevant
   • (b) of -  this is correct
   • (c) on - used to describe position and hence not relevant
   • (d) for - not relevant

   Since the lap belongs to someone, in this case ‘nature’, ‘of’ will be used. 

   So, the correct answer is “(b)-of”.

    

   (2)  

   • (a) in-  this is correct
   • (b) of - not a preposition 
   • (c) on - not the correct preposition
   • (d) to - not a preposition

   Since the sentence depicts the place where the birds (swallows) fly, ‘in’ will be used.

   So, the correct answer is “(a)-in”.

   (3)  

   • (a) nor - not relevant
   • (b) or - used when there is a choice
   • (c) but - not the correct connecting word
   • (d) and -  this is correct

   Since the sentences are to be connected as the two events will be taking place simultaneously, ‘and’ will be used.

   So, the correct answer is “(d)-and”.

    

    

   (4)  

   • (a) would - does not describe capability
   • (b) should - does not describe capability
   • (c) might - does not describe capability
   • (d) could -  this is correct

   Since the sentence is in past perfect tense and ‘can’ describes our capability of knowing about an event, ‘could’ will be used.

   So, the correct answer is “(d)-could”.

    

    

   (5)  

   • (a) a -  this is correct
   • (b) an - not used with constants
   • (c) the - not used with generic terms
   • (d) some - not relevant

   Since the sentence is talking about weathermen in general, ‘a’ will be used.

   So, the correct answer is “(a)-a”.

    

    

   Thus the correct paragraph is  

    

   Birds and animals live in the lap of nature and can predict the likely changes accurately.  Swallows usually fly high in the sky. But during a storm, they come down and fly close to  the ground. If they fly low you could be sure of strong winds. Even a Toad can be a reliable  Weatherman.