CAT Questions | CAT Word Usage Questions

The question is from CAT Word Usage. Word Usage for Verbal Ability for CAT. Word Usage questions that appear in the verbal section of CAT look for the correct usage of words in a sentence. Have a look at this question from Word Usage. Solve CAT Questions from Word Usage to get more practice and 2IIMs CAT questions bank provides you with CAT questions that can help you gear for CAT Exam .

Question 4: The government deserves to be congratulated wholeheartedly for at long last bringing to an end one of the most pernicious (A)/pernickety (B) vestiges of the license-permit Raj.

Early this week, a notification was issued taking (A)/delisting (B) the last 20 products off the "reservation list" - the list of products that can legally be made only by small and medium enterprises, or SMEs.

Typically for such economic restrictions, this reservation for SMEs was counter-productive: not only did it stunt the sector, but it ensured the perpetuation (A)/perpetration (B) of monopolies.

The value of trade as the engine of domestic reform can hardly be underemphasized (A)/overemphasized (B).

1. ABBA
2. BBAB
3. AAAB
4. BABB

Explanatory Answer

Method of solving this CAT Question from Word Usage:

Sentence 1- The government deserves to be congratulated wholeheartedly for at long last bringing to an end one of the most pernicious (A)/pernickety (B) vestiges of the license-permit Raj.

Pernicious means harmful and pernickety, fussy or snobbish. Either word seems to fit the sentence given; we need to read on to finalize the right choice.

Sentence 2- Early this week, a notification was issued taking (A)/delisting (B) the last 20 products off the "reservation list" - the list of products that can legally be made only by small and medium enterprises, or SMEs.

The correct word choice here is taking, as it is followed by an “off� in the sentence. Delisting the last 20 products makes sense, but delisting cannot be followed by an “off�.

It is also clear from this sentence that the correct word choice for sentence 1 is pernicious, not pernickety.

Sentence 3- Typically for such economic restrictions, this reservation for SMEs was counter-productive: not only did it stunt the sector, but it ensured the perpetuation (A)/perpetration (B) of monopolies.

Perpetuation and perpetration are again words that are very often confused. Perpetuation implies making something perpetual or continuing forever. Perpetration is the noun form of perpetrate, meaning to commit (a crime, or something negative).

Perpetuation is the correct choice here.

Sentence 4- The value of trade as the engine of domestic reform can hardly be underemphasized (A)/overemphasized (B).

The correct word choice here is overemphasized.

Hence, the answer is AAAB

Choice C is the correct answer.