Practise Karnataka VAO English grammar with 14 original questions below and two fresh transfer questions in the quiz after the article. Each answer explains the sentence cue that settles the choice. Cover the explanations while answering, then record the rule you missed rather than only the answer letter.
General English carries 35 marks in Paper 2 under Rule 6(2)(b) of the Karnataka Civil Services direct-recruitment rules, 2021, alongside General Kannada's 35 and Computer Knowledge's 30. The rule names the broad English subject; it does not assign marks to articles, voice or the other grammar topics selected here. These are independent practice questions written by OpenExamPrep, not official questions, previous-paper reproductions or predictions of a 2026 paper.
Before choosing: find the sentence cue
Ask four questions: When does it happen? Who is the subject? Which person or object does a word refer to? From whose position is speech being reported? A familiar verb may change the time or speaker.
Write your first choice and a short reason. Mark a correct guess separately from a correct answer you can explain. For this learning exercise, count one point for each correct response among Questions 1–14; the two interactive questions are a separate transfer check. This small diagnostic has no official passing threshold and cannot predict selection. Its useful result is an error list.
Questions 1–3: articles depend on sound and reference
1. Choose by pronunciation
Describe Nisha using an indefinite article: “Nisha is ___ honest person.”
- A. a
- B. an
- C. the
- D. no article
Answer: B — an. The first sound of honest is a vowel because its initial h is silent. The article goes before the whole noun phrase, so listen to honest, not the consonant at the start of person. A selects by the written h and misses pronunciation. The suggests a particular already-identified person; this sentence simply describes Nisha. No article leaves the singular countable noun phrase without its required determiner.
2. Identify the same object again
“A blue folder and a yellow folder are on the table. The yellow folder contains the receipt. Please bring me ___ folder containing that receipt.” Which article identifies the specified folder?
- A. an
- B. no article
- C. the
- D. a
Answer: C — the. Both speakers can identify exactly which folder is meant: the yellow one containing the receipt. This is definite reference, not a request for any folder. A would introduce an unspecified member of a group instead of identifying this one. An also conflicts with the consonant sound in folder. Omitting the article does not work with this singular countable noun. The earlier description supplies the deciding evidence.
3. Distinguish a general class from a particular group
The writer means cyclists in general, with no particular group previously identified: “___ cyclists often carry water on long rides.”
- A. no article
- B. The
- C. An
- D. A
Answer: A — no article. The plural noun refers to a class generally, so a zero article fits this intended meaning. The would narrow the reference to some identifiable cyclists, which the instruction excludes. A and an introduce singular countable nouns and cannot modify the plural cyclists. This is why memorizing “every noun needs an article” fails: a singular countable example and a general plural example follow different patterns.
Questions 4–6: find the subject and the auxiliary
4. Express a current routine
Complete in the present simple: “Riya ___ the incoming forms every afternoon.”
- A. sort
- B. sorting
- C. sorted
- D. sorts
Answer: D — sorts. Riya is one person, and every afternoon describes a routine. A third-person singular present-simple statement needs sorts. Sort would fit a plural subject such as “the assistants,” but not Riya here. Sorting needs an auxiliary to form a complete verb phrase. Sorted is a past form and does not satisfy the requested present-simple routine. Find the actual subject before deciding whether the final s belongs on the verb.
5. Let “does” carry the agreement
Complete the present-simple question: “Does the new printer ___ quietly?”
- A. runs
- B. run
- C. running
- D. ran
Answer: B — run. Does already marks the singular present-simple question. The main verb therefore uses its base form, run. Runs repeats the singular marking in the wrong position; compare the statement “the printer runs” with the question “does the printer run?” Running is not the base form after does, and ran is past simple. Do not copy the statement's verb ending into a question without checking its auxiliary.
6. Keep plural agreement in a negative
Choose the present-simple negative: “The two assistants ___ the office on Saturdays.”
- A. does not open
- B. do not opens
- C. do not open
- D. are not open
Answer: C — do not open. The subject is plural, so use do rather than does; the main verb remains the base form open. A gives a plural subject the singular auxiliary. B gets the auxiliary right but adds an unnecessary s to the main verb. D cannot express the assistants' action of opening the office: it substitutes a form of be for the required action verb. Check agreement and verb form separately.
Questions 7–8: classify the time expression
7. Name an exact starting time
“The reading club starts ___ 8:15 a.m.” Choose the preposition that identifies its exact starting time.
- A. in
- B. on
- C. by
- D. at
Answer: D — at. A clock time takes at in this sentence. In usually introduces a longer period such as a month, while on introduces a day or date. By would change the meaning to a deadline: starting no later than 8:15, rather than stating the scheduled start itself. The distinction is semantic as well as grammatical. An option can form a possible sentence yet fail the meaning specified in the question.
8. Name a calendar date
A hypothetical course has this start date: “The course begins ___ 14 January.” Choose the usual preposition for the specified date.
- A. on
- B. in
- C. at
- D. to
Answer: A — on. The day number makes 14 January a date, so on is correct. In would fit the month alone: “begins in January.” At suits a clock time, not this calendar date. To does not state the start date in this construction. Seeing January and immediately choosing in ignores the number that changes the expression from a month to a date.
Questions 9–11: change voice while preserving time
For each item, choose the passive transformation that preserves the original tense and meaning. Move the original object into the subject position, then build the appropriate form of be + past participle.
9. Preserve a completed past action
“A carpenter repaired the door yesterday.”
- A. The door is repaired by a carpenter yesterday.
- B. The door was repairing by a carpenter yesterday.
- C. The door was repaired by a carpenter yesterday.
- D. The door had been repaired by a carpenter yesterday.
Answer: C. Repaired is past simple; the singular door therefore takes was repaired in the passive. A uses present tense despite yesterday. B uses the -ing form rather than the participle required here. D changes the verb to past perfect instead of preserving the original simple past. An earlier-past relationship could justify it elsewhere, but it is not the requested transformation. Recognizing a passive-looking phrase is only the first check.
10. Preserve a future action
“The volunteers will collect the forms tomorrow.”
- A. The forms will collected by the volunteers tomorrow.
- B. The forms will be collected by the volunteers tomorrow.
- C. The forms were collected by the volunteers tomorrow.
- D. The forms will be collecting by the volunteers tomorrow.
Answer: B. Future passive uses will be collected. A leaves out be, which is needed between will and the participle. C changes the action to the past despite the future original. D substitutes collecting for collected and does not make the forms the receivers of the action. Keep will for future meaning and check the complete verb phrase, not merely whether the sentence begins with the original object.
11. Preserve the present perfect
“The staff have checked the register.”
- A. The register has checked by the staff.
- B. The register have been checked by the staff.
- C. The register was checked by the staff.
- D. The register has been checked by the staff.
Answer: D. The original present perfect becomes has been checked. The new subject, register, is singular, so has replaces the original have. A omits been and fails to form a passive. B retains have even though the subject has changed. C forms a grammatical past-simple passive but changes the original tense. Preserve the time structure and check the new subject’s agreement.
Questions 12–14: report the meaning from the right viewpoint
Backshift is common after a past reporting verb, but it is not an automatic instruction to change every tense, pronoun or time word. A fact that remains true can retain present tense. Words such as today depend on the reporting day. The context below specifies those choices.
12. Report a temporary situation later
On Monday Rani said, “I am using a borrowed desk today.” She returned it that evening. On Wednesday another person reports Monday's statement. Choose the backshifted version referring to Monday.
- A. Rani said that she was using a borrowed desk that day.
- B. Rani said that she is using a borrowed desk today.
- C. Rani said that I was using a borrowed desk that day.
- D. Rani said that she were using a borrowed desk that day.
Answer: A. The temporary action is finished, and the reporter is someone other than Rani. Am using becomes was using, I becomes she, and today becomes that day to retain Monday's reference. B incorrectly presents the temporary action as current on Wednesday. C changes who used the desk. D pairs singular she with were in an ordinary reported statement. The reporting day and identity of the speaker jointly decide the answer.
13. Retain a fact explicitly still true
A teacher said last week, “The library opens at nine.” That remains its current routine. Choose the grammatically correct report that retains present simple to show the routine is still current.
- A. The teacher said that the library open at nine.
- B. The teacher said that the library had opened at nine.
- C. The teacher said that the library opens at nine.
- D. The teacher said that the library has opens at nine.
Answer: C. Retaining opens is permitted because the routine still holds, and the question expressly requests present simple. A misses singular agreement. B reports a past-perfect event rather than the requested current routine. D incorrectly combines has with opens. A backshifted report using opened can also be grammatical in a suitable context; it is not offered here. The lesson is permission to retain present tense, not a claim that backshift is always wrong.
14. Keep the original speaker's identity
On Monday I said to Meena, “I will return your notebook tomorrow.” On Friday I retell this myself. Choose the backshifted report that keeps the original people and intended Tuesday return.
- A. I told Meena that she would return her notebook the following day.
- B. I told Meena that I would return her notebook the following day.
- C. I told Meena that I would return my notebook the following day.
- D. I told Meena that I would return her notebook tomorrow.
Answer: B. I remains I because the person reporting is the original speaker. Your becomes her because the notebook belongs to Meena; will becomes would, and the following day refers to Tuesday after the Monday statement. A changes the returning person. C changes the owner. D would point to Saturday from Friday's viewpoint. Pronouns track real people and ownership, rather than following a mechanical “I always becomes she” rule.
Turn a missed cue into a focused revision session
| Questions | Record this error | Use this existing VAO section |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Sound, definite reference or general plural | English Grammar I |
| 4–6 | Subject agreement or the verb after do/does | English Grammar I |
| 7–8 | Clock time, month or full date | English Grammar I |
| 9–11 | Missing passive auxiliary, changed tense or new-subject agreement | English Grammar II |
| 12–14 | Reporting day, speaker, owner or still-current fact | English Grammar II |
For each miss, write the decisive cue, the rejected choice and one corrected sentence. Then change one feature: make a singular subject plural, remove the day number from a date, or report speech on the same day. Predict which word must change before checking it. The two quiz questions after this article apply that method to fresh sentences.
If you understand the rule in isolation but overlook it inside a longer sentence, use error spotting and sentence improvement. Next, attempt fresh mixed Karnataka VAO practice questions and keep your own grammar error log. For moving from topic repair to a full-paper exercise, see our previous-paper and mock-test workflow.
Sources for checking the rules yourself
The exam allocation comes from the official Gazette linked above, Rule 6(2)(b), English pages 17–18. Grammar explanations were checked against British Council LearnEnglish lessons on articles, present simple, time prepositions, passives and reported statements. The exercises and explanations here are original; those lessons provide the rule references.
