IBPS Clerk Prelims English Question Paper 2019

Last Updated : 20 Oct, 2023

IBPS Clerk Prelims 2019 English question paper along with answer key PDF, will be provided in this Article. IBPS Clerk Prelims conducted on December 07, 2019, Whose previous year Question Paper of 2019 are available to download. The exam was organised by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection in the month of December. IBPS Clerk Prelims exam is supposed to be easy to moderate level in terms of difficulty.

IBPS Clerk Prelims question paper comprised of 100 questions contained in 3 sections- English Language, Numerical Ability and Reasoning Ability. The exam duration was 60 minutes. In this article, we have provided the IBPS Clerk Prelims English Question Paper of 2019 and you will also get the Previous year Question papers PDF with answers.

IBPS Clerk Prelims English Question Paper 2019 With Solutions

Directions (1-6): Some words have been deleted in the following passage. Fill in the blanks using the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank:

Two decades have passed since the mid-day meal became a part of the daily routine in government schools nationwide. In this long passage of time, procedures have ________ (1), but accidents continue to occur. Funds from the Centre flow smoothly through procurement of food items faces hurdles of different kinds. The latest ________ (2) in mid-meal stories concerns milk. Government norms entitle every child to receive 150 ml of milk as part of the mid-day meal. However, a video revealed recently how one liter of milk was mixed in a bucketful of water so that it would ________ (3) for the more than 80 children present that day in a school in rural Uttar Pradesh. This was somewhat similar to the one reported from Uttar Pradesh a couple of months ago. In the earlier incident, a video showed plain chapatis served with salt. The two videos made it to the national media; they also proved useful for the officers who ________ (4) the mid-day meal scheme since they also depend on unauthorized videographers to learn about the reality in schools. Each such revelation leads to the same ________ (5) official statement: punish the guilty, locate the video-maker and deal with him/her. In the latest mid-meal story narrated above, authorities in U.P. have reportedly done the ________ (6) needful, i.e., they have fired the apparent culprit, who is a para-teacher.

1.
(a) Residues
(b) Consistent
(c) Stabilized
(d) Stabilizing
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (c)
The statement has ‘but,’ and after this conjunction, the statement shows a negative context; thus, a positive connotation should be used. The most appropriate term used is ‘stabilized,’ which means to become stable. Moreover, with ‘have’, the third form of the verb should be used.

2.
(a) Tinted
(b) Respond
(c) Blunder
(d) Charged
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (c)
Since the previous sentence is of negative connotation and in this statement also, a sign of concern is shown. Thus, this blank should also have a negative word in it. Hence ‘Blunder’ should be used in it.
‘Blunder’ means a stupid or careless mistake.
‘Retaliate’ means attack in return for a similar attack.
‘Accusations’ means a charge or claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong.

3.
(a) Patriotism
(b) Assent
(c) Suffice
(d) Benefit
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (c)
Suffice is the correct word to choose as it means ‘being enough to meet needs of,’ since the needs of 80 children are being talked about; thus, Option – (c) should be chosen.

4.
(a) Rebut
(b) Supersede
(c) Unify
(d) Supervise
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (d)
The scheme is being talked about, which must have been under the supervision of officers. Thus, the correct word to be chosen is ‘supervise’.
‘Unify’ means to become whole or uniform.

5.
(a) Blend
(b) Likely
(c) Appropriate
(d) Reflexive
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (d)
The correct word that should be used here is ‘reflexive’ as it means taking account of the effect of something. All other words given fail to give the intended meaning of the statement.

6.
(a) Exterminate
(b) Customary
(c) Allow
(d) Strive
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (b)
‘Customary’ means ‘usual or conventional,’ should fit the blank as the same common thing is done by the authorities firing the culprit.

Directions (7-14): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:

Animals of all sorts live together in various ecosystems. The animals eat specific diets that connect them to a food chain within these natural communities. The three diets of animals include creatures that eat only plants, those that eat only meat, and animals that eat both plants and meat. Animals that eat plants exclusively are herbivores, and animals that eat only meat are carnivores. When animals eat both plants and meat, they are called omnivores. The balance of an ecosystem depends on the presence of every type of animal. If one type of animal becomes too numerous or scarce, the entire balance of the ecosystem will change.
Carnivores will feed on herbivores, omnivores, and other carnivores in an ecosystem. A natural community depends on the presence of carnivores to control the populations of other animals. Large carnivores include wolves and mountain lions. A large carnivore might hunt down large herbivores such as elk and deer. Medium-sized carnivores include hawks and snakes, and these animals typically feed on rodents, birds, eggs, frogs, and insects. Examples of small carnivores include some smaller birds and toads. These carnivores may eat insects and worms. Carnivorous animals have strong jaws and sharp teeth to enable them to tear and rip prey. These animals often have long, sharp claws that they also use to tear prey. Carnivores depend on sufficient prey in the food chain to give them the food they need. If the herbivore population or the population of other carnivores declines in an ecosystem, carnivores may not survive.
With a diet comprised of only plants, herbivores can be surprisingly large animals. Examples of large herbivores include cows, elk, and buffalo. These animals eat grass, tree bark, aquatic vegetation, and shrubby growth. Herbivores can also be medium-sized animals such as sheep and goats, which eat shrubby vegetation and grasses. Small herbivores include rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and mice. These animals eat grass, shrubs, seeds, and nuts. An ecosystem must provide _______________ (1) plants to sustain herbivores, and many of them spend the majority of their lives eating to stay alive. If plant availability declines, herbivores may not have enough to eat. This could cause a decline in herbivore numbers, impacting carnivores. Herbivores usually have unique biological systems to digest a variety of different plants. Their teeth also have unique designs that enable them to rip off the plants and then grind them with flat molars.
Omnivores have an advantage in an ecosystem because their diet is the most diverse. These animals can vary their diet depending on the most plentiful food, sometimes eating plants and other times eating meat. Herbivores have different digestive systems than omnivores, so omnivores usually cannot eat all of the plants that an herbivore can. Generally, omnivores eat fruits and vegetables freely, but they can’t eat grasses and some grains due to digestive limitations. Omnivores will also hunt carnivores and herbivores for meat, including small mammals, reptiles, and insects. Large omnivores include bears and humans. Examples of medium-sized omnivores include raccoons and pigs. Small omnivores include some fish and insects such as flies. Omnivore teeth often resemble carnivore teeth because of the need for tearing meat. Omnivores also have flat molars for grinding up food.

7. How natural community is dependent upon Carnivores?
(a) They feed on other carnivores.
(b) They control populations of other animals.
(c) They feed on both grass-eating, plant and meat-eating animals
(d) All (a), (b), and (c)
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (d)
The hint for the answer can be drawn from the second paragraph. Refer to the statement, “Carnivores will feed on herbivores, omnivores, and other carnivores in an ecosystem. A natural community depends on the presence of carnivores to control the populations of other animals.” Thus, all the options – (a), (b) and (c) are correct.

8. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true with respect to herbivores?
(a) Their survival depends upon abundant plants
(b) They have a digestive system suitable to digest diverse kinds of plants
(c) A significant part of herbivores’ life is spent eating
(d) Their diet includes only vegetation
(e) All of the above

Ans. Option – (e)
All of the above are correct. Refer to these statements in the third paragraph:
“With a diet comprised of only plants, herbivores can be surprisingly large animals.” An ecosystem must provide abundant plants to sustain herbivores. Many of them spend the majority of their lives eating to stay alive. Herbivores usually have unique biological systems to digest a variety of different plants.

9. What is the threat to survival of carnivores?
(a) decline in population of herbivores and other carnivores
(b) the insufficient number of prey in the food chain
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) only (b)
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (c)
Both (a) and (b) are correct, and these can be referred to form the last part of the second paragraph, 8th line, i.e., ‘‘Carnivores depend on sufficient prey in the food chain to give them the food they need. If the herbivore population or the population of other carnivores declines in an ecosystem, carnivores may not survive.’’ Thus, option – (c) is correct.

10. Why the balance of the ecosystem depends on each kind of animal?
(a) Carnivores and Omnivorous should be less in number than herbivorous.
(b) Specific diets of each kind of animal bring food chain in sync.
(c) Scarcity or abundance of a single kind can cause disturbance in the ecosystem balance.
(d) Both (b) and (c)
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (a)
A correct statement is an option – (c) among the given words. The hint for this can be drawn from the 1st paragraph, last two lines, i.e., ‘The balance of an ecosystem depends on the presence of every type of animal. If one type of animal becomes too numerous or scarce, the entire balance of the ecosystem will change.’

11. Which is the following can fill the blank (1) as given in the passage to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct?
(a) Majorly
(b) Abundant
(c) Inclusive
(d) Scarce
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (b)
The correct that should fill the blank is ‘Abundant’. Hence, option – (b) is the right answer.
‘Abundant’ means existing or available in large quantities; plentiful.
‘Diversity’ means the state of having a variety of things.

12. Why are Omnivores said to have an advantage?
(a) They can choose food that is available in abundance.
(b) Only (a)
(c) Diverse diet
(d) Only (c)
(e) Both (a) and (c)

Ans. Option – (e)
Option – (e) is correct, i.e., both option – (a) and (c). The hint for this can be drawn from the fourth paragraph. The statements that should be referred to are: ‘Omnivores have an advantage in an ecosystem because their diet is the most diverse,’ ‘These animals can vary their diet depending on the most plentiful food, sometimes eating plants and other times eating meat.’

13. In the given passage, which of the following words is most similar in meaning to BALANCE?
(a) Waning
(b) Indictive
(c) Solicitous
(d) Equilibrium
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (d)
The most similar meaning to the word ‘balance’ is Equilibrium.

14. Which of the following words is most opposite in meaning to SUFFICIENT, highlighted in the given passage?
(a) Vibrant
(b) Deficient
(c) Ingenue
(d) Proper
(e) None of these

Ans. Option – (b)
The word opposite in meaning to the word ‘sufficient’ is ‘deficient.’

Directions (15-19): Four words are given in bold in each of the questions given below. These four words may or may not be in their correct position. The sentence is then followed by options with the right combination of words that should replace each other to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. Find a suitable variety of terms that replace each other. If the sentence is correct as it is, select option – (e) as your choice:

15. In pursuit(A) of novel ways to draw caught(B) to the Big Prize, the Academy(C) seems to have been attention (D) on the wrong foot again.
(a) A-B
(b) A-C
(c) B-D
(d) C-B
(e) The sentence is correct

Ans. Option – (c)
B-D should be interchanged in the given statement as we draw someone’s attention and get caught in the correct phrase. Thus, option – (c) is the right answer.

16. The IMF followed(A) the World Bank in reducing(B) its forecast for India’s economic(C) growth in the current financial(D) year.
(a) A-B
(b) A-C
(c) B-D
(d) C-D
(e) The sentence is correct

Ans. Option – (e)
All the given words are correct at their respective positions. Thus, no change is required.

17. Today, thermal accounts (A) capacity generation (B) for about two-thirds of the installed(C) generation capacity(D) in the country.
(a) A-B
(b) A-C
(c) B-D
(d) C-D
(e) The sentence is correct

Ans. Option – (a)
In the given statement, the position of A & B should be switched as they are providing the correct intended meaning of the statement after switching the positions. All other words are right in their positions.

18. The Air Quality Index of Delhi worsened(A) slightly and expected (B) in the “poor” category and is stayed (C) to further deteriorate(D) from the last week of the month.
(a) A-B
(b) A-C
(c) B-C
(d) C-D
(e) The sentence is correct

Ans. Option – (c)
In the given statement, B & C should be interchanged, as at B, ‘stayed’ should be used to provide the context of ‘to stay in the poor category’ and at C, the context then would be ‘to expect’ that is ‘is expecting to deteriorate further.’ Thus, option – (c) should be chosen to give the correct meaning of this sentence.

19. With power (A) growth, the demand(B) for economic (C) in India is only going to increase(D) further.
(a) A-B
(b) A-C
(c) B-D
(d) C-D
(e) The sentence is correct

Ans. Option – (b)
We know that the power demand will increase when the economy grows, but the statement given is giving incoherent meaning; thus, A-C should be interchanged.

Directions (20-24): Each question below has one blank, indicating that something has been omitted. Choose the most suitable option meaning the words that can be used to fill up the blank in the sentence to make it meaningfully complete:

20. With tomato and onion prices continuing to soar, the Centre is considering a ___________ to increase the cultivation of these staple vegetables in the north Indian region.
(i) Proposal
(ii) Role
(iii) Promotion