NDA Discourse markers and connectors previous year questions with solutions

Answer: (c) Briefly

Method. Summarising marker 'Briefly'

The sentence gives a short rule of thumb about the referee's signal, and 'Briefly' marks a short statement of the point. 'On the contrary' needs a denial before it; 'Whatever more' is not idiom; 'As regards' needs a noun phrase ('As regards fouls, …'), not a clause.

Answer: (d) Incidentally

Method. Aside marker 'Incidentally' (= by the way)

'Incidentally, have you been to the library yet?' introduces a side question, as 'by the way' does (Swan). 'Sort of' is a hedge, 'Frankly' marks candour, 'All the same' is concession.

Answer: (a) As far as

Method. Topic-introducing marker 'As far as … is concerned'

'As far as X is concerned' is the fixed frame for narrowing to a topic (Swan, Practical English Usage). 'Talking about' needs a noun directly ('Talking about transfers, …'), not a following 'is concerned'; 'By the way' and 'To begin with' do not take this frame.

Answer: (b) By the way

Method. Aside marker 'By the way' (changing the subject)

The sentence drops in an unrelated piece of news with a question, which is the work of 'By the way' (Swan, discourse markers: introducing a new or incidental topic). 'For one thing', 'In the first place' open a list of reasons; 'As a result' needs a cause before it.

Answer: (d) Speaking of

Method. Topic marker 'Speaking of' (picks up a word just mentioned)

'Speaking of the wind, it was getting stronger' takes up 'the wind' as the topic and comments on it. 'To begin with' and 'First of all' open a sequence; 'By the way' cannot be followed by 'the wind' as a noun phrase object.

Answer: (b) Excuse me

Method. Attention-getting interjection 'Excuse me'

The speaker confronts someone in his room, and 'Excuse me, what are you doing …?' is the usual way to open such a challenge. 'On the other hand' contrasts, 'Look there' points to an object, 'Eventually' means finally; none fits.

Answer: (a) To a large extent

Method. Qualifying marker 'To a large extent'

'To a large extent, women are healthier…' states how far the claim is true, and the 'indeed' clause supports it. 'As regards' and 'As far as' need a noun or 'is concerned' to complete them; 'Turning now' needs 'to' + topic.

Answer: (d) In general

Method. Generalising marker 'In general'

'The Government has followed the policy' describes a standing pattern, so 'In general' fits. 'Particular' is an adjective, 'Knowingly' an adverb of manner, 'Otherwise' means 'if not'.

Answer: (c) In some cases

Method. Qualifying marker 'In some cases' (limits a generalisation)

The claim that an unhappy childhood leads to crime is true only of some people, so 'In some cases' fits. 'Still if', 'Even somewhat' and 'In progression' are not standard markers and do not read as English (Oxford dictionary of usage).

Answer: (d) In other words

Method. Reformulating marker 'In other words'

'The problem is nothing but a wrong assumption' restates an earlier point more plainly, which 'In other words' signals (Swan). 'In the meanwhile' is time, 'Somewhat' and 'Engagingly' are adverbs, not markers.

Answer: (b) Generally speaking

Method. Generalising marker 'Generally speaking'

The sentence states a broad historical observation about a century, which 'Generally speaking' introduces (Swan). 'Particularly speaking' is not idiom; 'Otherwise' means 'if not' and 'Of course' would claim the point is obvious.

Answer: (b) in any case

Method. Reinforcing marker 'in any case' (anyway, besides)

'I can't be bothered to tell him; in any case he would not listen' adds a second, stronger reason. 'Meanwhile' and 'in the meantime' are about time passing; 'somehow' means 'in some way' (Swan).

Answer: (a) As per reports

Method. Source-attribution marker 'As per reports'

'As per reports, this issue is likely to be discussed' attributes a forecast to reports, which is exactly its function. 'Accordingly' and 'Likewise' need a preceding point to follow from or match; 'Briefly' does not suit.

Answer: (b) Notably

Method. Highlighting marker 'Notably'

'Notably' draws attention to a particular comparison point, here the figure from the year-ago period. 'Particularly' modifies an adjective or phrase, not a whole clause, in this use; 'Seriously' and 'Unknowingly' are manner adverbs.

Answer: (a) understandably

Method. Stance adverb 'understandably' in a parenthetical

'Many, understandably, hesitate … for fear of nurturing discrimination': the speaker comments that their hesitation is reasonable, and the 'for fear' phrase supplies that reason. 'despite' and 'until' are not parentheticals; 'of course' is possible grammatically but asserts obviousness, not sympathy for the fear. UPSC's 'such question' is as printed.

Option d 'of course' is also grammatical as a parenthetical; 'understandably' is chosen because the 'for fear' clause gives the reason for the hesitation. Printed 'such question' (singular) kept as UPSC set it.

Answer: (c) what is more

Method. Adding marker 'what is more'

The speaker adds a second good point (being paid well) to the first (a loved career): 'what is more' = and also, more importantly (Swan). 'Briefly' and 'in conclusion' close, 'broadly speaking' generalises.

Answer: (a) In that case

Method. Conditional marker 'In that case' (= if so)

'In that case, you needed to consult a physician' draws a consequence from a situation just described. 'In these case' is ungrammatical (plural 'cases', and 'these case' is a disagreement); 'Likewise' is addition and 'Henceforth' means 'from now on', clashing with the past 'needed'.

Answer: (d) Hence

Method. Result connective 'Hence'

'Hence' (= therefore) states the consequence: the records are undermined because of the shoddy book-keeping. 'Because of' must precede a noun, and the next word is a comma; 'Forever' is not a connective. 'As such' (= in that capacity) needs an antecedent noun, which is absent.

'As such' is used loosely in Indian English to mean 'therefore', so b is arguable; 'Hence' is chosen as the standard stand-alone result marker, 'as such' strictly needing an antecedent noun (Oxford: 'as such' = in itself or in the exact sense of the word).

Answer: (c) Thus

Method. Result/⁠summing-up connective 'Thus'

'Thus' presents the statement as a conclusion drawn from what has gone before. 'Somewhat' contradicts 'completely transformed'; 'Believably' and 'Predominantly' do not introduce a sentence in this way.

No preceding sentence is printed, so 'Thus' is chosen as the only option that is a sentence-opening connective and does not clash with 'completely'.

Answer: (a) Hence

Method. Result connective 'Hence'

'Hence' (= therefore) opens a conclusion about what the committee has decided. 'But' and 'Although' set up a contrast, and 'Although,' cannot stand alone before a main clause; 'Later' (time) does not suit the present-tense 'is of the opinion'.

No preceding context is printed; 'Hence' is the only option that is a comma-separated sentence opener with a main clause after it. 'But' is a coordinating conjunction and takes no comma after it, so 'But, the committee …' fails as printed.

Answer: (d) unless he sends me the bill again

Method. Conjunction of condition 'unless' (= if not)

'I will not pay … unless he sends me the bill again' makes payment depend on the bill being re-sent. 'Till' and 'until' mean the same thing, so both cannot be the key and they cancel; 'if he sends' reverses the sense (I would refuse when he sends it). Dictionary: 'unless' = except if.

'till/⁠until he sends me the bill again' is also a sensible reading (pay only after the bill comes). The key d rests on a and b being exact synonyms that cannot both be right; flagged as less certain.

Answer: (a) because I did not like the look of it

Method. Conjunction of reason 'because'

'I did not buy it because I did not like the look of it' gives the reason for not buying. 'As far as' relates to extent, 'anyway' is an adverb not a conjunction, and 'if I did not like it' makes the reason a hypothesis.

Answer: (b) with which she was absolutely delighted

Method. Preposition fixed by the adjective: 'delighted with', pied-piped in 'with which'

One is delighted with a thing, so the relative clause is 'with which she was absolutely delighted'. 'for/⁠of/⁠on which' go with other verbs; 'delighted at/⁠by/⁠with' are the normal patterns (dictionary entry for 'delight').

Answer: (b) when it starts raining

Method. Time conjunction 'when' (whenever)

'You must stay inside when it starts raining' = stay in each time rain begins. 'where' is place; 'because it starts raining' misstates the reason and is odd; 'till it starts raining' would tell the person to stay in until rain begins, which is illogical.

No correct option. This question is defective as printed in UPSC's paper.

Method. Time conjunction 'until/⁠till'; the two are synonyms

'We must wait until you see the light turn green' (a) and 'till you see the green light' (b) both complete the sentence correctly and mean the same. 'because …' (c) gives no sensible reason, and 'unless you see the red signal' (d) reverses the logic.

Options (a) and (b) are both correct: 'until' and 'till' are the same conjunction, and 'wait until you see the light turn green' and 'wait till you see the green light' complete the sentence equally well with the same meaning. (c) gives a reason to go, not to wait, and (d) reverses the sense. No single answer is printed.