CDS (I) 2026 — English (Full Question Paper)

Word-Pair Meanings

Directions: In the following items, a pair of words is provided. You are required to select the option that most appropriately describes the meaning of both the words.

Pontoon and Platoon

(a)Pontoon means a wooden platform and Platoon means a bamboo structure
(b)Pontoon means a group of soldiers and Platoon means a series of bunkers
(c)Pontoon means a temporary bridge and Platoon means a group of soldiers
(d)Pontoon means a group of people and Platoon means a temporary bridge

Invoke and Revoke

(a)Invoke means to invite trouble for doing something and Revoke means to repay debts
(b)Invoke means to use the law to achieve something and Revoke means to officially cancel permission or agreement
(c)Invoke means to use the law to achieve something and Revoke means to ignore legal procedures
(d)Invoke means to usher newness and Revoke means to stick to tradition

Imminent and Eminent

(a)Imminent means immobile and Eminent means extremely large
(b)Imminent means extremely large and Eminent means immobile
(c)Imminent means famous and respected, and Eminent means happening soon
(d)Imminent means happening soon and Eminent means famous and respected

Liable and Libel

(a)Liable means being legally responsible and Libel means publishing something that is false
(b)Liable means publishing something that is false and Libel means being legally responsible
(c)Liable means the willingness to understand and Libel means being generous
(d)Liable means being generous and Libel means the willingness to understand

Incredible and Incredulous

(a)Incredible means impossible to understand something and Incredulous means extremely grateful
(b)Incredible means difficult to believe and Incredulous means not willing to believe something
(c)Incredible means not willing to believe and Incredulous means difficult to believe something
(d)Incredible means extremely grateful and Incredulous means impossible to understand something

Climatic and Climactic

(a)Climatic means related to climate and Climactic means the most exciting part of a story or situation
(b)Climatic means the most exciting part of a story or situation and Climactic means related to climate
(c)Climatic means scientific study of climate and Climactic means climbing to the top of something
(d)Climatic means climbing to the top of something and Climactic means the scientific study of climate

Cursor and Cursory

(a)Cursor means a handwriting type and Cursory means very rude
(b)Cursor means very offensive and Cursory means related to custom
(c)Cursor means very old norms and Cursory means invoking a curse
(d)Cursor means a pointer and Cursory means something done in haste

Affect and Effect

(a)Affect means the origin of something and Effect means the consequence of an action
(b)Affect means to influence and Effect means the result of an action
(c)Affect means to impact something and Effect means to reason
(d)Affect means the consequence of something and Effect means to influence something

Hard and Hardly

(a)Hard means difficult to a great degree and Hardly means scarcely
(b)Hard means difficult and Hardly means very difficult
(c)Hard means with great force and Hardly means ever so often
(d)Hard means to a great degree and Hardly means never

10.

Conscious and Conscience

(a)Conscious means brightness and Conscience means social awareness
(b)Conscious means awareness and Conscience means being spiritually aware
(c)Conscious means being able to perceive and Conscience means inner sense of right and wrong
(d)Conscious means clarity of purpose and Conscience means perception

Nearest Meaning (Underlined Word)

Directions: Select the option that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word in the given sentences.

11.

To say that the pandemic is done and dusted with would be an understatement.

(a)affecting politeness
(b)underplaying significance
(c)stating vociferously
(d)practising subterfuge

12.

The coach was of the opinion that his erstwhile protege was approaching the nadir of his career.

(a)all-time low
(b)zenith
(c)prime
(d)steady-state

13.

After the sudden demise of the director of the company, the employees felt stranded.

(a)liberated
(b)marooned
(c)aggrieved
(d)passive

14.

The Professor assured us that her class lectures would be interspersed with practical demonstrations.

(a)isolated
(b)explained
(c)combined
(d)supplied

15.

She was effusive in her praise.

(a)expressing approval while exhibiting strong feelings
(b)dispassionate expression of approval
(c)tranquil appraisal
(d)soothing and encouraging

16.

It is ingenuous to suppose that money did not play a part in his decision.

(a)naive
(b)clever
(c)erudite
(d)probing

17.

The advertisements were all posted in a conspicuous place.

(a)niche
(b)venerable
(c)noticeable
(d)available

18.

Early humans may have had a rudimentary understanding of certain mathematical concepts.

(a)elementary
(b)nuanced
(c)radical
(d)special

19.

The poorly conducted workshop was a travesty of the initial vision document.

(a)mockery
(b)complication
(c)expansion
(d)demonstration

20.

The abstruse style of the speaker left the students disinterested and fidgety.

(a)academic
(b)concise
(c)erudite
(d)recondite

Word Meanings

Directions: Select the most appropriate meaning of the given words from the options provided.

21.

Iconoclast:

(a)Person who criticises a cultural icon
(b)Person who attracts a lot of attention
(c)Person who does not adhere to accepted beliefs and traditions
(d)Person who negates his own positions

22.

Axiom:

(a)Quality of being very similar or equal
(b)Rule or principle that most people believe to be true
(c)Rule that says how people should behave
(d)The mathematical principle of being exactly equal

23.

Holistic:

(a)Relating to complete systems rather than individual parts
(b)Relating to a particular work in certain industries
(c)Related to routine tasks
(d)Related to holy rituals

24.

Obsequious:

(a)Excessively confident about oneself in a way that annoys people
(b)Overly eager to help or obey someone important
(c)Too emotional or dramatic
(d)Far too important and respected to be criticised

25.

Pachyderm:

(a)A thick-skinned mammal
(b)A strong-corded silk fabric
(c)A thick flour paste
(d)Patchy skin

26.

Ubiquitous:

(a)Something with limited presence
(b)Something with skewed presence
(c)Something with wide presence
(d)Something with selective presence

27.

Desiccate:

(a)To remove salt from diet
(b)To chop into little shards
(c)To dry out items of consumption
(d)To slice vegetables thinly

28.

Deleterious:

(a)Effecting a deletion
(b)An untrue proposition
(c)Causing harm or damage
(d)The process of deletion

29.

Equivocate:

(a)To give equal weightage to both arguments
(b)To advocate equally for both sides
(c)To change sides frequently
(d)To use vague language to conceal the truth

30.

Indolent:

(a)Lazy
(b)Bountiful
(c)Indulgent
(d)Poverty-stricken

Jumbled Sentences

Directions: Each item consists of six sentences comprising a passage; find the correct sequence of the four jumbled middle sentences P, Q, R, S.

31.

S1: The word science originates from the Latin verb Scientia meaning “to know”.
S6: By the middle of the twentieth century, science had become a truly international enterprise, with many cultures and countries contributing to its rapid growth.

P:Science, in a broad sense, is as old as the human species.
Q:From the sixteenth century onwards, great strides were also made in science in Europe.
R:The early civilisations of Egypt, India, China, Greece, Mesopotamia and many others made vital contributions to its progress.
S:The Sanskrit word Vijnana and the Arabic word Ilm convey a similar meaning, namely knowledge.

(a)QPRS
(b)SPRQ
(c)SQRP
(d)SQPR

32.

S1: Britain was the first country to experience modern industrialisation.
S6: This gave people a wider choice of ways to spend their earnings and expanded the market for the sale of goods.

P:Stability meant that the Kingdom had common laws, a single currency and a market that was not fragmented by local authorities levying taxes on goods that passed through their area, thus increasing their price.
Q:It had been politically stable since the seventeenth century, with England, Wales and Scotland unified under a monarchy.
R:By the end of the seventeenth century, money was widely used as the medium of exchange.
S:As a consequence, a large section of the people received their income in the form of wages and salaries, rather than in goods.

(a)QPRS
(b)QPSR
(c)SQRP
(d)SQPR

33.

S1: William I had the land mapped, and distributed it in sections to one hundred eighty Norman nobles who had migrated with him to Britain.
S6: Thus, Anglo-Saxon peasants became tenants of various levels of landholders.

P:They could not, however, use their knights for private warfare, which was forbidden in England.
Q:They soon began to gift some of their own lands to knights who would serve them just as they in turn served the king.
R:They were obliged to supply a certain number of knights to the king.
S:These noble lords became the chief tenants of the king and were expected to give him military help.

(a)PRQS
(b)PSQR
(c)SQRP
(d)SRQP

34.

S1: In an economic sense, feudalism refers to a kind of system of agricultural production.
S6: Thus, feudalism went beyond economic aspects to cover the social and political aspects of life as well.

P:In fact, the latter cultivated their own land as well as that of the lord.
Q:It is based on the relationship between lords and peasants, who worked on the former's land.
R:They also had judicial control over the peasants.
S:The peasants also performed other labour for the lords, who in exchange provided military protection.

(a)QPSR
(b)QSPR
(c)SRQP
(d)SQPR

35.

S1: The Japanese empire was considered rich.
S6: Soon, other developments such as the increased use of money and the creation of a stock market in rice show that the economy was developing in new ways.

P:However, paying for these imports with gold and silver strained the economy and led the Tokugawa to put restrictions on the export of precious metals.
Q:Over time, the silk from Nishijin came to be known as the best in the world.
R:They also took steps to develop the silk industry in Nishijin in Kyoto so as to reduce imports.
S:This was because it imported luxury goods like silk from China and textiles from India.

(a)QPSR
(b)QSPR
(c)SPRQ
(d)SQPR

36.

S1: A seasoned cricketer catches a cricket ball coming in with great speed far more easily than a novice, who can hurt his hands in the act.
S6: The conclusion is clear: force not only depends on the change in momentum, but also on how fast the change is brought about.

P:The novice, on the other hand, keeps his hands fixed and tries to catch the ball almost instantly.
Q:One reason is that the seasoned cricketer allows a longer time for his hands to stop the ball.
R:Consequently, he needs to provide a much greater force to stop the ball instantly, and this hurts.
S:He does this by drawing his hands backward in the act of catching the ball.

(a)RSQP
(b)QPSR
(c)RPSQ
(d)QSPR

37.

S1: People fall down from staircases in different ways in different countries.
S6: This is because for the Americans, their home is usually the only place where they regularly use the stairs.

P:They rely, instead, on the ease and safety of lifts and escalators which are ubiquitous in such places.
Q:This is not because the Japanese are more reckless staircase users, but simply because Americans don't much use the stairs in public places.
R:Staircase injuries, therefore, happen mostly in the home.
S:For instance, someone in Japan is far more likely to be hurt in a staircase fall in an office, department store or railway station than is anyone in the United States.

(a)QPRS
(b)SPQR
(c)SQRP
(d)SQPR

38.

S1: The lantana plant is not native to India.
S6: However, eradicating lantana is a long and arduous process which can only be carried out with a lot of technical expertise and financial commitment.

P:Since then, it has spread over six lakh square kilometres, covering fifty percent of the country's natural areas.
Q:Research also shows that the lantana has invaded most pasture lands in the country.
R:It was introduced in the country as an ornamental plant by the British in the 1800s.
S:A 2020 estimate by researchers shows that the plant occupies forty percent of forests, including tiger reserves.

(a)QSRP
(b)RPSQ
(c)RQSP
(d)SQPR

39.

S1: Biodiversity is crucial for the sustenance of life.
S6: After all, products that benefit customers must also positively impact the environment.

P:Corporations have a social responsibility to help navigate discourses on biodiversity and leverage opportunities for sustainable development.
Q:Conserving biodiversity requires the urgent collaboration between, and involvement of, individuals and corporations.
R:Further, customers' demand for greener products can be a catalyst for sustainability.
S:Redesigning manufacturing processes, adopting new technologies, and shifting to a paperless environment are ways to achieve such development.

(a)QPRS
(b)SPQR
(c)PQRS
(d)QPSR

40.

S1: Among the momentous watersheds through which human beings have passed since their appearance over 100,000 years ago, none has been more profound in its consequences than the shift to agriculture.
S6: Unfortunately, such transformations disrupted delicate natural balances as humans sought enhanced control over their new modes of subsistence.

P:They did this by purposefully transforming landscapes with their agricultural fields and pastures.
Q:They lived much like the way in which their own hominid predecessors had lived for millions of years, as integral components of the Earth's ecosystems.
R:However, with the invention of practices of agriculture, these new farmers and herders began manipulating their surroundings to an unprecedented degree.
S:Before that, for countless generations, nearly all humans had lived as hunters and gatherers, dwelling together in small, stable, nomadic bands that operated in close harmony with nature.

(a)RPQS
(b)PRQS
(c)RQSP
(d)SQRP

Idioms and Phrases

Directions: Given below are some idioms/phrases followed by four alternative meanings to each; select the most appropriate response.

41.

Mealy-mouthed

(a)Habituated to inflicting harsh words on others
(b)Possessing exquisite culinary sensibilities
(c)Lacking braveness to state things forthrightly
(d)Exhibiting tendency for gluttony

42.

Live in each other's pockets

(a)To have a lot of money that is shared with others
(b)To exchange wealth readily with each other
(c)To live by borrowing from each other
(d)To spend too much time together

43.

Play possum

(a)Pretend to be dead
(b)Take big risks
(c)Behave in a stupid way
(d)Be excessively happy

44.

Work like a dog

(a)To work in the hope of reward
(b)To work faithfully
(c)To work very hard
(d)To make a mess while working

45.

Open a can of worms

(a)To create suspense about how things will turn out
(b)To spark a situation that creates problems and complications
(c)To create trouble by saying the right thing at the wrong time
(d)To create something without anyone knowing about it

46.

More than meets the eye

(a)A pleasant feast for the eyes beyond one's imagination
(b)A beautiful spectacle unfolding before one's eyes
(c)The disguised significance of something beyond the obvious
(d)A pair of beautiful eyes

47.

Hold the fort

(a)To reach high places
(b)To breach all opposition
(c)Be present at the precise moment when one is required
(d)Be responsible on behalf of someone who is absent

48.

It's all Greek to me

(a)It is foreign to me
(b)It appears classical to me
(c)I can't understand it at all
(d)It's frustrating because it is unfamiliar

49.

To close ranks

(a)To engage in fierce competition
(b)To stop communicating with one's colleagues
(c)To stop hiring people for new jobs
(d)To unite in order to defend a common interest

50.

Be under a cloud

(a)To be the object of suspicion
(b)To be filled with gloom
(c)To operate as an undercover agent
(d)To hide one's misdeeds

Opposite Meaning (Underlined Word)

Directions: Select the option that is opposite in meaning to the underlined word in the given sentences.

51.

To him everything I did was considered contemptuous.

(a)condescending
(b)patronising
(c)arrogant
(d)reverential

52.

Social media trends are ephemeral.

(a)everlasting
(b)evanescent
(c)transient
(d)fleeting

53.

As a person Mohan is generally considered to be parsimonious.

(a)frugal
(b)sparing
(c)partisan
(d)extravagant

54.

Ramesh has a tempestuous relationship with his neighbours.

(a)tumultuous
(b)belligerent
(c)tranquil
(d)riotous

55.

Arvind had an arduous task to attend to.

(a)strenuous and exacting
(b)onerous and overbearing
(c)difficult and exacerbating
(d)easy and effortless

Opposite Meaning (Underlined Word), continued

Directions: (continued)

56.

Malaika has been in a perpetual dilemma since the time she heard the disturbing news.

(a)eternal
(b)transitory
(c)continuous
(d)unceasing

57.

They were distraught on receiving the news.

(a)flustered
(b)composed
(c)rattled
(d)perturbed

58.

She is considered to be demure by her family members.

(a)sedate
(b)modest
(c)brazen
(d)solemn

59.

What he got by way of a settlement was a pittance.

(a)bonanza
(b)petty amount
(c)instalment
(d)miniscule amount

60.

His academic papers often are viewed as being ponderous.

(a)profound
(b)difficult
(c)elegant
(d)informative

Word Class Identification

Directions: Each sentence has an underlined word; determine which word class the underlined word belongs to.

61.

Who came first in the race?

(a)Preposition
(b)Adjective
(c)Adverb
(d)Article

62.

It is obligatory for all employees to wear protective clothing.

(a)Noun
(b)Adjective
(c)Adverb
(d)Participle

63.

Turn right at the end of the street.

(a)Adjective
(b)Adverb
(c)Noun
(d)Preposition

64.

Swimming is good for health.

(a)Participle
(b)Verb
(c)Noun
(d)Gerund

65.

My arms are aching terribly.

(a)Noun
(b)Adjective
(c)Adverb
(d)Participle

66.

The local council could not finance the project as planned.

(a)Noun
(b)Verb
(c)Adverb
(d)Participle

67.

We met a lot of interesting people during our winter holidays.

(a)Conjunction
(b)Preposition
(c)Article
(d)Participle

68.

Vicky refused to join the trek to the hills because he is afraid of heights.

(a)Verb
(b)Adverb
(c)Noun
(d)Adjective

69.

The number of boxes sold leapt from 19,400 to 33,542.

(a)Noun
(b)Adjective
(c)Adverb
(d)Verb

70.

Amar ensured the timely delivery of the products.

(a)Adverb
(b)Adjective
(c)Noun
(d)Preposition

Prepositions and Determiners

Directions: Select the preposition or determiner most appropriate for the blank space.

71.

The information is available ______ the Internet.

(a)with
(b)on
(c)in
(d)at

72.

I don't want ______ more vegetables.

(a)one
(b)much
(c)many
(d)any

73.

What other sport do you play ______ hockey?

(a)beside
(b)besides
(c)instead
(d)expect

74.

I called the office two or three times, but ______ time no one responded.

(a)all
(b)some
(c)any
(d)each

75.

You can park on ______ side of the street.

(a)all
(b)no
(c)either
(d)both

76.

I'm not speaking to Ravi. I've fallen ______ with him.

(a)away
(b)back
(c)out
(d)through

77.

Dr. Kumar is very busy with her practice. She has ______ time for other things.

(a)few
(b)a few
(c)little
(d)a little

78.

Harish wanted to report on the war ______ the danger involved.

(a)though
(b)in spite of
(c)although
(d)even though

79.

______ student could tell you where the college library is located.

(a)All
(b)Some
(c)Few
(d)Any

80.

The two groups entered ______ an agreement after a protracted discussion.

(a)unto
(b)at
(c)in
(d)into

Similar Sounding Words

Directions: Similar sounding words are given, followed by sentences using one of these words; select the sentence(s) in which the word has been used correctly.

81.

crops, corps, corpse

1.What are the benefits of growing GM crops?
2.The volunteer corps was organising a blood donation camp.
3.He was sleeping like a corpse.