2.

High-Frequency Vocabulary Analysis

A thorough analysis of vocabulary from the past seven years reveals a pattern of repetition. Below is a
list of frequently tested words.

Repeated Vocabulary (Synonyms & Antonyms)

Year(s)
Word Meaning
Appeared

Fanatical Filled with excessive and single-minded zeal. 2019

Provocative Causing annoyance, anger, or another strong reaction. 2019

Prejudiced Having or showing a dislike or distrust that is derived from prejudice. 2019

Terminal (of a disease) predicted to lead to death; incurable. 2019

Misanthropic Disliking humankind and avoiding human society. 2019

Tempestuous Characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion. 2020

Inertia A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged. 2020

The desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed by the

Philanthropy 2020
generous donation of money.

Contagious Likely to spread to and affect others. 2020

Generic Characteristic of or relating to a class or group of things; not specific. 2020

Iniquitous Grossly unfair and morally wrong. 2024

Equivocal Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. 2024

Belligerent Hostile and aggressive. 2024

Characterized by conflict, disorder, or confusion; not controlled or

Turbulent 2024
calm.

Nefarious (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal. 2024

Showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's

Complacent 2023
achievements.

Brevity Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech. 2023

Disdainful Showing contempt or lack of respect. 2023

Frugal Sparing or economical with regard to money or food. 2023

(of a person) subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or

Mercurial 2023
mind.

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Year(s)
Word Meaning
Appeared

Obfuscate Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. 2023

Invincible Too powerful to be defeated or overcome. 2023

Ushered Show or guide (someone) somewhere. 2023

Modelled on or aiming for a state in which everything is perfect;

Utopian 2023
idealistic.

Floundered Struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily. 2023

Reticent Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily. 2022

Magniloquent Using high-flown or bombastic language. 2022

Clandestine Kept secret or done secretively. 2022

Malicious Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. 2022

Forbearance Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance. 2022

Exhilarating Making one feel very happy, animated, or elated; thrilling. 2024

Fastidious Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2024

Debilitating (of a disease or condition) making someone very weak and infirm. 2024

Perquisite A special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position. 2025

Scrumptious Extremely tasty; delicious. 2025

Making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the

Scurrilous 2025
intention of damaging their reputation.

A loud, confused noise, especially one caused by a large mass of

Tumult 2025
people.

Potential Vocabulary List for Upcoming Exam

Based on the trends, words are often related to human behavior, qualities, governance, and abstract
concepts. Here is a high-potential list:

1. Abnegation: Renouncing or rejecting something.

2. Acrimonious: Angry and bitter.
3. Alacrity: Brisk and cheerful readiness.
4. Anathema: Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes.
5. Assiduous: Showing great care and perseverance.
6. Bellicose: Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight.
7. Capricious: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.
8. Cogent: Clear, logical, and convincing.

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9. Contentious: Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.
10. Corpulent: Fat.
11. Didactic: Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
12. Disparate: Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison.
13. Egregious: Outstandingly bad; shocking.
14. Enervate: Cause (someone) to feel drained of energy or vitality; weaken.
15. Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short time.
16. Esoteric: Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people.
17. Exacerbate: Make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
18. Fallacious: Based on a mistaken belief.
19. Garrulous: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
20. Gregarious: (of a person) fond of company; sociable.
21. Iconoclast: A person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.
22. Idiosyncrasy: A mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual.
23. Laconic: (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.
24. Largesse: Generosity in bestowing money or gifts upon others.
25. Laudable: (of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation.
26. Maudlin: Self-pityingly or tearfully sentimental.
27. Mellifluous: (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
28. Myriad: A countless or extremely great number.
29. Nadir: The lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization.
30. Obsequious: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
31. Onerous: (of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is
oppressively burdensome.
32. Paucity: The presence of something only in small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
33. Pejorative: Expressing contempt or disapproval.
34. Pernicious: Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
35. Petulant: (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered.
36. Profligate: Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources.
37. Pusillanimous: Showing a lack of courage or determination; timid.
38. Querulous: Complaining in a petulant or whining manner.
39. Quixotic: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
40. Salient: Most noticeable or important.
41. Sanguine: Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
42. Solipsistic: The view or theory that the self is all that can be known to exist.
43. Taciturn: (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
44. Ubiquitous: Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
45. Vacillate: Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive.
46. Veracity: Conformity to facts; accuracy.
47. Vex: Make (someone) feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried.
48. Vicarious: Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person.

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49. Vilify: Speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner.
50. Zephyr: A soft gentle breeze.

3. Important Idioms and Phrases

Here is a list of frequently asked idioms and phrases with their meanings and usage.

A paper tiger

Meaning: A person or organization that appears powerful but is actually ineffectual.

Example: The authoritarian regime turned out to be a paper tiger when the people united
against it.

The green-eyed monster

Meaning: Jealousy.
Example: The green-eyed monster got the better of him when he saw his friend's new car.

A foregone conclusion

Meaning: A result that is obvious to everyone even before it happens; an inevitable result.
Example: His victory in the election was a foregone conclusion.

Feel the pinch

Meaning: To have problems with money because you are earning less than before.
Example: With rising fuel prices, everyone is starting to feel the pinch.

Have an axe to grind

Meaning: To have a private reason for doing or being involved in something.

Example: He is always praising the manager, but I think he has an axe to grind.

Bite the bullet

Meaning: To endure a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.

Example: He had to bite the bullet and accept the pay cut to keep his job.

A hot potato

Meaning: A controversial issue or situation that is awkward or unpleasant to deal with.

Example: The issue of tax reform has become a political hot potato.

Sitting on the fence

Meaning: To avoid making a decision or choice between two opposing sides.

Example: You can't keep sitting on the fence; you need to decide whose side you're on.

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Kettle of fish

Meaning: A completely different matter or situation from the one you were discussing.
Example: I can handle the workload, but dealing with an angry client is a different kettle of
fish.

Changed hands

Meaning: To pass from one owner to another.

Example: The old mansion has changed hands several times in the last decade.

4. Essential Grammar Rules Breakdown

This section covers the most critical grammar rules tested in the 'Spotting Errors' and 'Sentence
Improvement' sections.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule: The verb must agree with its subject in number. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and
plural subjects take plural verbs.
Words like 'each', 'every', 'either', 'neither', 'everyone', 'anyone' are singular and take a singular
verb.
When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
Incorrect Example: Each of these chairs are broken.
Correct Example: Each of these chairs is broken.
Incorrect Example: Neither the manager nor the employees was present.
Correct Example: Neither the manager nor the employees were present.

2. Prepositions and Phrasal Verbs

Rule: Certain verbs, nouns, and adjectives are followed by specific prepositions. Using the wrong
preposition is a common error.
Incorrect Example: The students were apprised with the new rules.
Correct Example: The students were apprised of the new rules.
Incorrect Example: The committee is comprised of five members. (Note: 'Comprise' does not
take 'of' in active voice. 'Consist of' is correct, or 'is composed of').
Correct Example: The committee comprises five members. OR The committee is composed of
five members.

3. Conjunctions

Rule: Correlative conjunctions must be used in their correct pairs (e.g., 'not only... but also',
'either... or', 'scarcely/hardly... when'). The structure following both parts of the conjunction should

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be parallel.
Incorrect Example: Scarcely had I arrived than the train left.
Correct Example: Scarcely had I arrived when the train left.
Incorrect Example: He is not only famous in his state but also in the entire country. (Incorrect
parallelism)
Correct Example: He is famous not only in his state but also in the entire country.

4. Tenses

Rule: The sequence of tenses must be logical. A past action in the main clause is typically
followed by a past action in the subordinate clause. Also, simple past tense is used for a
completed action at a specific time in the past, whereas present perfect is used for an action that
has relevance to the present.
Incorrect Example: When he reached the department, the officials had left for the meeting. (This
is actually correct if the leaving happened before he arrived. A common error is mixing up past
perfect and simple past.) Let's take a better example:
Incorrect Example: I have seen the movie yesterday.
Correct Example: I saw the movie yesterday. (Specific time 'yesterday' requires simple past).

5. Articles (A, An, The)

Rule: 'A/An' is used for non-specific nouns, while 'The' is used for specific nouns that have already
been mentioned or are unique. 'The' is also used before superlatives.
Incorrect Example: He is a best student in our class.
Correct Example: He is the best student in our class.
Incorrect Example: This is an unique opportunity.
Correct Example: This is a unique opportunity. (The sound of 'unique' starts with 'y', a consonant
sound).

6. Rules of Adjectives and Adverbs

Rule: Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Do
not use an adjective where an adverb is required. Also, comparatives ('-er', 'more') are used for two
items, and superlatives ('-est', 'most') for more than two.
Incorrect Example: She sings very good.
Correct Example: She sings very well.
Incorrect Example: Of the two brothers, he is the tallest.
Correct Example: Of the two brothers, he is the taller.

7. Pronoun Usage

Rule: The case of a pronoun (subjective like 'I', 'he'; objective like 'me', 'him') depends on its function
in the sentence. The pronoun must also agree with its antecedent in number and gender.

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Incorrect Example: Let you and I go to the party.
Correct Example: Let you and me go to the party. ('me' is the object of the verb 'let').
Incorrect Example: Every student should bring their own book.
Correct Example: Every student should bring his or her own book. (In modern usage, 'their' is
often accepted, but in exams, the singular form is preferred).

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