Previous Year Questions 2025: English | English for CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and choose the best answer.
I. From a very early age, I knew that when I grew up, I should be a writer. I had the lonely child’s habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons, and I think from the very start my literary ambitions were mixed up with the feeling of being isolated and undervalued. I knew that I had a facility with words and a power of facing unpleasant facts, and I felt that this created a sort of private world in which I could get my own back for my failure in everyday life. I wanted to write enormous naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, full of detailed descriptions and arresting similes, and also full of purple passages in which words were used partly for the sake of their sound. I give all this background information because I do not think one can assess a writer’s motives without knowing something of his early development. 

His subject-matter will be determined by the age he lives in – at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own – but before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape. It is his job to discipline his temperament, but if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write. I think there are four great motives for writing, at any rate for writing prose. They are: (i) Sheer egoism: Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood; (ii) Aesthetic enthusiasm: Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed (iii) Historical impulse: Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity (iv) Political purpose : Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people’s idea of the kind of society that they should strive after. 

[Extracted with edits from George Orwell’s “Why I Write"]

Q1: For the author, aesthetic enthusiasm is an important motive for writing because it ...
(a) shapes the thoughts
(b) creates an artistic piece
(c) becomes invaluable
(d) non-utilitarian

Ans: C
Aesthetic enthusiasm is a key motive for writing as it drives the creation of work that holds intrinsic value, transcending mere utility or practicality. It fuels the writer’s passion for beauty and artistic expression, making it invaluable to the creative process.

Q2: The author strongly advocates the writers to:
(a) avoid any egoistic impression in their work
(b) be apolitical in their approach
(c) be contemporary in their treatment of their work
(d) None of the above
Ans: D
The author does not explicitly advocate for any of these specific approaches. Instead, the focus is on broader motivations for writing, such as aesthetic enthusiasm or other personal drives, rather than prescribing a particular style or approach like avoiding egoism, being apolitical, or staying contemporary.

Q3: Which of the following is a synonym for the word “tumultuous”?
(a) Chaotic
(b) Turbulent
(c) Disorderly
(d) All of the above
Ans: D
“Tumultuous” describes something marked by chaos, turbulence, or disorder. All three options—chaotic, turbulent, and disorderly—are accurate synonyms, as they capture the sense of unrest and agitation conveyed by the word.

Q4: George Orwell’s loneliness during childhood led to
(a) estrangement with his father
(b) unhappy days
(c) making up stories
(d) unpleasant incidents
Ans: C
Orwell’s loneliness during childhood fostered his imagination, leading him to create stories as a way to cope with or escape from his isolation. This creative outlet was a significant outcome of his solitary experiences.

Q5: Why does Orwell give background information?
(a) He had the lonely child’s habits
(b) It is essential to know about motives of writers
(c) Because of his historic impulse
(d) Due to the aesthetic enthusiasm
Ans: B
Orwell provides background information to shed light on the motivations behind his writing. Understanding a writer’s personal experiences and drives is crucial to grasping the context and purpose of their work.

Q6: If a writer escapes from early impulses, he will ...
(a) lose his urge to write
(b) be unable to imagine creatively
(c) be able to converse with imaginary characters
(d) be able to influence others
Ans: A
Early impulses are foundational to a writer’s motivation. If a writer moves away from these core drives, they risk losing the fundamental urge to write, as these impulses are what fuel their creative process.

II. Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas…. If education were identical with information, the libraries are the sages in the world and encyclopaedias are the rishis. Getting by heart the thoughts of others in a foreign language and stuffing your brain with them and taking some University degree, you consider yourself educated. Is this education? What is the goal of your education? Open your eyes and see what a piteous cry for food is rising in the land of Bharata, proverbial for its food. Will your education fulfill this want? 

We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. What we need to study independent of foreign control, different branches of the knowledge that is our own, and with it the English language and Western science; we need technical education and all else that will develop industries so that men instead of seeking for service may earn enough to provide for themselves and save against a rainy day. The end of all education, all training, should be man-making. The end and aim of all training are to make the man grow. The training by which the current expression of will are brought under control and become fruitful, is called education. What our country now wants are muscles of iron and nerves of steel, gigantic wills, which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into the mysteries and secrets of the universe and will accomplish their purpose in any fashion, even if it meant going down to the bottom of the ocean, meeting death face to face.

There is only one method of attaining knowledge. It is by concentration. The very essence of education is concentration of mind. From the lowest to the highest man, all have to use the same method to attain knowledge. The chemist who works in the laboratory concentrates on elements to analyze them. Knowledge is acquired by concentration. 

[Extracted with edits from “Education” by Swami Vivekananda]

Q7: According to the author, we need to study:
(A) English Language
(B) Technical Education
(C) Western Science
(D) All of the above
Ans: D
The author emphasizes a holistic approach to education, valuing the study of the English language, technical education, and Western science as essential components for comprehensive learning and development.

Q8: According to the author, which among the following is key to attain knowledge?
(A) University Degrees
(B) Library
(C) Concentration of mind
(D) Hard work and sports training
Ans: C
The author highlights the concentration of mind as the critical factor for attaining knowledge, as it enables deep understanding and effective learning, surpassing the mere accumulation of degrees or reliance on external resources.

Q9: Which of the following words is related to the word “assimilation”?
(A) Integration
(B) Adjustment
(C) Acclimatization
(D) All of the above
Ans: D
“Assimilation” refers to the process of absorbing or incorporating something, such as ideas or cultures. Integration, adjustment, and acclimatization all share similar meanings, as they involve blending, adapting, or becoming accustomed to new contexts, making all options relevant.

Q10: Education, as described by the author means:
(A) Information
(B) Library
(C) Degrees
(D) None of the above
Ans: D
The author views education as more than just acquiring information, accessing libraries, or earning degrees. It encompasses a broader process of personal and intellectual growth, not limited to these elements.

Q11: As per the author, the aim of education should be:
(A) to help a person build his/her character
(B) to help a person earn his/her livelihood
(C) to help a person develop his/her intellect
(D) All of the above
Ans: D
The author believes education should serve multiple purposes: building character, enabling livelihood, and developing intellect, as these together contribute to a well-rounded individual.

Q12: According to the author the country wants:
(A) massive will power
(B) spirit of philanthropy
(C) iron and steel industries
(D) All of the above
Ans: A
The author stresses the need for massive will power as a critical attribute for the country’s progress, prioritizing determination and resolve over other qualities or industries.​

III. Punctually at midday, he opened his bag and spread out his professional equipment, which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of palmyra writing. His forehead was dazzling with sacred ash and vermilion, and his eyes sparkled with a sharp, abnormal gleam which was really an outcome of a continual searching look for customers, but which his simple clients took to be a prophetic light and felt comforted. The power of his eyes was considerably enhanced by their position—placed as they were between the painted forehead and the dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks: even a half-wit’s eyes would sparkle in such a setting. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks. He sat under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree which flanked a path running through the town hall park. It was a remarkable place in many ways: a surging crowd was always moving up and down this narrow road morning till night. A variety of trades and occupations was represented all along its way: medicine sellers, sellers of stolen hardware and junk, magicians, and, above all, an auctioneer of cheap cloth, who created enough din all day to attract the whole town. Next to him in vociferousness came a vendor of fried groundnut, who gave his ware a fancy name each day, calling it “Bombay Ice Cream” one day, and on the next “Delhi Almond,” and on the third “Raja’s Delicacy,” and so on and so forth, and people flocked to him. A considerable portion of this crowd dallied before the astrologer too. The astrologer transacted his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. 

(Extracted with edits from “An Astrologer’s Day” by R.K. Narayan)

Q13: Which among the following is the word for the phrase ‘Bright and colourful in an impressive way’?
(A) Mystic
(B) Flare
(C) Sparkle
(D) Dazzling
Ans: D
“Dazzling” best captures the idea of being bright and colorful in an impressive, striking manner, evoking a sense of brilliance and visual impact.

Q14: Which among the following is not a trade or occupation represented in the pathway running through the town hall park?
(A) Magicians
(B) Medicine sellers
(C) Auctioneers of cheap bags
(D) Sellers of stolen hardware
Ans: D
Sellers of stolen hardware are not mentioned as a trade or occupation in the pathway through the town hall park, unlike magicians, medicine sellers, and auctioneers of cheap bags, which are typical activities in such a setting.

Q15: Who among the following used names like “Bombay Ice Cream,” “Delhi Almond,” and “Raja’s Delicacy” to attract the crowd?
(A) The sellers of cheap clothes
(B) The sellers of medicine
(C) The ice cream seller
(D) The groundnut seller
Ans: D
The groundnut seller used enticing names like “Bombay Ice Cream,” “Delhi Almond,” and “Raja’s Delicacy” to make their products sound appealing and draw in customers.

Q16: Which among the following is the meaning of the expression ‘vociferousness’?
(A) Expressing opinions or feelings in a loud and confident way
(B) Words that are spoken or sung to have a magical effect
(C) Willing or prepared to do something
(D) To hang about aimlessly
Ans: A
“Vociferousness” refers to the act of expressing opinions or feelings loudly and confidently, often with great intensity or assertiveness.

Q17: When did the astrologer usually start his day’s business?
(A) When people are attracted to him as bees
(B) When the surging crowd moves up and down the road
(C) Punctually at midday
(D) By the light of a flare
Ans: C
The astrologer typically began his business punctually at midday, a specific time that marks the start of his daily work.

Q18: What was considered as a prophetic light by the simple clients of the astrologer?
(A) The resplendent forehead of the astrologer with sacred ash and vermillion
(B) The sparkling eyes of the astrologer with an abnormal gleam
(C) The dark whiskers which streamed down the cheeks of the astrologer
(D) The saffron coloured turban around the head of astrologer
Ans: B
The sparkling eyes of the astrologer, with their abnormal gleam, were seen by simple clients as a prophetic light, suggesting wisdom or mystical insight.

IV. The right kind of education consists in understanding the child as he is without imposing upon him an ideal of what we think he should be. To enclose him in the framework of an ideal is to encourage him to conform, which breeds fear and produces in him a constant conflict between what he is and what he should be: and all inward conflicts have their outward manifestations in society. If the parent loves the child, he observes him, he studies his tendencies, his moods, and peculiarities. It is only when one feels no love for the child that one imposes upon him an ideal, for then one’s ambitions are trying to fulfill themselves in him, wanting him to become this or that. If one loves, not the ideal but the child, then there is a possibility of helping him to understand himself as he is. Ideals are a convenient escape, and the teacher who follows them is incapable of understanding his students and dealing with them intelligently; for him, the future ideal, the what should be, is far more important than the present child. The pursuit of an ideal excludes love, and without love no human problem can be solved. If the teacher is of the right kind, he will not depend on a method, but will study each individual pupil. In our relationship with children and young people, we are not dealing with mechanical devices that can be quickly repaired, but with living beings who are impressionable, volatile, sensitive, afraid, affectionate: and to deal with them, we have to have great understanding, the strength of patience and love. When we lack these, we look to quick and easy remedies and hope for marvellous and automatic results. If we are unaware, mechanical in our attitudes and actions, we fight shy of any demand upon us that is disturbing and that cannot be met by an automatic response, and this is one of our major difficulties in education. (Extract with edits from “The right kind of Education” by J. Krishna Murti)

Q19: According to the passage, why do we look for quick and easy remedies and hope for marvellous and automatic results?
(A) Because children are impressionable, volatile, sensitive, and affectionate
(B) Because of major difficulties in education
(C) Because we lack intelligence and skills
(D) Because we lack understanding, patience, and love
Ans: D
The passage suggests that the tendency to seek quick and easy remedies stems from a lack of understanding, patience, and love, which hinders a deeper, more thoughtful approach to addressing challenges with children.

Q20: What does the passage highlight as the quality of a parent who really desires to understand his child?
(A) They look at their child through the prism of an ideal
(B) They observe and study the tendencies, moods, and peculiarities of the child
(C) They love their child to become someone great as per their ambitions
(D) They encourage the child to find out what she/he is and what she/he should be
Ans: B
A parent who truly desires to understand their child, according to the passage, focuses on observing and studying the child’s unique tendencies, moods, and peculiarities, rather than imposing external expectations or ideals.

Q21: What is the antonym for the word “volatile”?
(A) Stable
(B) Steady
(C) Constant
(D) All of the above
Ans: D
“Volatile” describes something changeable or unstable. The antonyms—stable, steady, and constant—all convey consistency and reliability, making all options correct.

Q22: Which of the following currently reflects the intention of the author of this passage?
(A) The right kind of education for a child cannot be without love, care, and understanding
(B) True education should be governed by a tendency to conform a child to our ideals
(C) The teacher should focus on how a child should be according to his/her methodology, hope, or expectation
(D) Parents and teachers should work together collectively to guide a child on what she/he should do as per their ambitions
Ans: A
The author emphasizes that effective education must be rooted in love, care, and understanding, prioritizing the child’s individuality over forcing conformity to external ideals or ambitions.

Q23: In light of the above passage, what will be the result of forcing a child to conform to the framework of an ideal?
(A) It will make the child an ideal child
(B) It will create confusion and fear in the child
(C) The child will get into a conflict
(D) Will discourage the child to conform to the ideal
Ans: B
Forcing a child to conform to an ideal framework, as per the passage, leads to confusion and fear, as it disregards the child’s unique nature and creates emotional distress.

Q24: According to the author, what should be the attitude of a right kind of teacher?
(A) They should not empathise with the students
(B) They should use modern and scientific methods of teaching
(C) They should focus on studying each student individually
(D) They should instill great ideals in the students
Ans: C
The author advocates that a good teacher should focus on studying each student individually, understanding their unique needs and characteristics to foster meaningful education, rather than relying solely on methods or imposing ideals.