PPSC Excise Superintendent 2026 Paper

This question tests your understanding of English idioms. The expression \"hold one\'s peace\" means to remain silent or not speak, especially when someone else is speaking or when silence is expected.

In the sentence \"Kamal told the audience to hold their peace till he had finished his address,\" the speaker is requesting the audience not to interrupt while he is delivering his speech. Therefore, the phrase means \"keep silent\". It does not mean to remain peaceful, stay seated, or become reconciled.

• Idiom: Hold one\'s peace.
• Meaning: Keep silent.
• Usage: Please hold your peace until the meeting is over.

Therefore, the correct answer is: \"Keep silent\".

This question tests your knowledge of English idioms. The idiom \"let the cat out of the bag\" means to accidentally or deliberately reveal a secret that was supposed to remain hidden.

The origin of this expression is commonly linked to old marketplaces, where dishonest sellers allegedly substituted a cat for a pig in a bag. Opening the bag exposed the deception, giving rise to the idiom. Today, it is used whenever confidential information is disclosed before the appropriate time.

• Idiom: Let the cat out of the bag.
• Meaning: Reveal a secret.
• Example: He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.

Therefore, the correct answer is: \"To reveal a secret\".

This question tests your knowledge of English idioms. The idiom \"hit the nail on the head\" means to say or do something that is exactly right or perfectly accurate. It is used when someone identifies the real cause of a problem or gives the correct answer without any mistake.

This expression originates from carpentry, where striking a nail precisely on its head drives it in efficiently. Figuratively, it refers to making an exact observation or reaching the correct conclusion. The idiom does not mean physically hitting something, becoming angry, or making a mistake.

• Idiom: Hit the nail on the head.
• Meaning: To do or say exactly the right thing.
• Example: Your explanation hit the nail on the head.

Therefore, the correct answer is: \"To do exactly right\".

The correct answer is From. The verb "refrain" means to stop yourself from doing something, and it is always followed by the preposition "from". The correct structure is "refrain from doing something". Among the options:

• With: Incorrect; we do not say "refrain with".
• Of: Incorrect; "refrain of" is not standard.
• By: Incorrect; "refrain by" is not used.
• From: Correct; the phrase is "refrain from doing".

Thus, the correct preposition is "From".

The correct answer is Cut. This is an analogy question. The relationship between "Microscope" and "Magnify" is that a microscope is a tool used to magnify (the function). Similarly, a knife is a tool used to cut. Among the options:

• Cut: This is the primary function of a knife, matching the analogy.
• Sharpen: This is what you do to a knife, not what it does to something else.
• Slice: This is a specific type of cutting, but "cut" is the more general and direct function.
• Break: Not a function of a knife.

Hence, the correct answer is "Cut".

The correct answer is Money. An uncountable noun (also called a mass noun) is a word that cannot be counted with numbers and does not typically have a plural form. Among the options:

• Coin: Countable (you can have one coin, two coins).
• Note: Countable (one note, two notes).
• Money: Uncountable; you cannot say "one money" or "two moneys"; it is a mass noun referring to currency in general.
• Dollar: Countable (one dollar, two dollars).

Therefore, the uncountable noun is "Money".

The correct answer is Will arrest.

In English syntax and grammar, this sentence structures a classic First Conditional framework. This specific grammatical construction is universally employed to depict an entirely realistic future consequence that relies directly upon a specific condition being met. The foundational rule for the first conditional requires the conditional clause (the \"if\" clause) to be articulated in the simple present tense (\"if he doesn\'t stop\"), while the main consequence clause must be constructed using the simple future tense (\"The policeman will arrest\").

The alternative tense selections violate these established syntax guidelines for predictive conditional sentences. The simple present tense arrests would incorrectly imply a universal truth, habitual routine, or timeless scientific fact rather than a specific future event. Furthermore, selecting the past tenses—the simple past arrested or the past perfect had arrested—creates a severe chronological mismatch with the present-tense condition. Therefore, the future tense will arrest is the only choice that maintains flawless grammatical harmony and logical temporal progression.

The correct answer is Rare.

In linguistic analysis, vocabulary acquisition relies heavily on identifying precise semantic equivalents. The adjective infrequent is defined as something that happens at long intervals, is not habitual, or occurs uncommon times. The term rare serves as its absolute synonym, meaning exceptionally uncommon or seldom occurring. Both words accurately quantify a low frequency of occurrence within a given period, making them completely interchangeable in formal and academic English contexts.

The remaining distractor options fail to provide an exact semantic match due to incorrect frequency scaling. For example, never denotes a complete, absolute absence of occurrence, which is too extreme. Conversely, usual represents the polar opposite, indicating a high-frequency habit or standard norm. While sometimes indicates an intermittent occurrence, it implies a higher, more regular frequency than the scarcity connoted by infrequent. Therefore, rare is the only option that precisely captures the specific low-frequency essence of the target word.

The correct answer is "A mistake seems to have been made by you." The active sentence is: "You seem to have made a mistake." This contains a complex infinitive structure "seem to have made". To convert this to passive voice:

• The object "a mistake" becomes the subject.
• The infinitive "to have made" becomes "to have been made".
• The subject "you" becomes "by you".
• The verb "seem" remains in the present tense.

This gives us: "A mistake seems to have been made by you."

• "A mistake had been made" – incorrect tense (past perfect).
• "A mistake is being made" – changes the meaning to present continuous.
• "A mistake has made" – grammatically incorrect structure.

Hence, the correct passive voice is "A mistake seems to have been made by you."

The correct answer is Were the clothes ironed by her?.

In English transformational grammar, converting an interrogative sentence from the active voice to the passive voice requires strict adherence to tense preservation and syntactic restructuring. The original prompt is formulated in the simple past tense, marked by the auxiliary verb \"Did\". When converting a simple past question into the passive voice, the structural formula demands using the past tense form of the verb \"to be\" (was/were) combined with the plural grammatical subject (\"the clothes\") and the past participle of the main verb (\"ironed\").

The alternative distractor choices introduce errors in tense, aspect, or grammatical voice structure. For instance, Were the clothes being ironed by her? incorrectly introduces the past continuous aspect, which changes the original meaning. The choice Are the clothes ironed by her? shifts the sentence into the present tense, violating the rule of tense preservation. Lastly, Had the clothes ironed by her? creates an ungrammatical past perfect construction that lacks the required passive auxiliary. Therefore, option two is the only syntactically flawless conversion.

The correct answer is "He says that he had worked as a manager before becoming a doctor."

The direct speech is: He says, "I worked as manager before becoming a doctor." The reporting verb "says" is in the present tense, so the tense of the reported speech does not undergo backshifting (it remains in the same time frame). However, the action "worked" happened before the action "becoming a doctor". To show this sequence of past events clearly, we use the past perfect tense ("had worked").

• "He said that he works" – incorrect because "said" changes the reporting verb, and "works" is present tense.
• "He said that he worked" – incorrect because the reporting verb should be "says" (present), and it lacks the past perfect to show the sequence.
• "He says that he had worked" – correct because "says" stays present, and "had worked" correctly indicates the earlier action.

Therefore, "He says that he had worked as a manager before becoming a doctor" is the correct indirect speech.

The correct preposition is "to" because the phrase "stick to" is a standard English idiom meaning to remain loyal to, continue following, or firmly adhere to a belief, decision, rule, promise, or plan. Therefore, the sentence "Please stick to your faith." means "Please remain steadfast in your faith" or "Do not abandon your beliefs." The expression stick to is commonly used in both spoken and written English with nouns such as faith, principles, rules, schedule, plan, topic, and decision. It is an important collocation frequently tested in grammar and competitive examinations.

Prepositions often form fixed combinations with verbs, and these combinations must be memorized because changing the preposition usually changes the meaning or makes the sentence grammatically incorrect. For example, we say stick to the rules, stick to your promise, stick to the plan, and stick to the truth. Understanding such verb-preposition combinations improves both written and spoken English and helps candidates answer grammar-based multiple-choice questions accurately.

Why the other options are incorrect:

• On is incorrect because stick on generally means to attach something to a surface, not to remain faithful to a belief.
• With is incorrect because stick with can mean to stay with a person or continue using something, but the standard expression for beliefs or principles is stick to.
• In is incorrect because stick in refers to inserting or becoming lodged inside something and is not appropriate in this context.

The correct answer is Blessing.

In lexical semantics, morphological and etymological analysis provides the foundation for accurate vocabulary decoding. The noun benediction originates from the Latin roots \"bene\" (meaning well or good) and \"dictio\" (meaning to speak). Therefore, the literal and operational definition of the word is the utterance of a good wish, a ritual invocation of divine favor, or a formal blessing. In both religious ceremonies and formal literary contexts, it denotes an act that conveys positive spiritual utility, making blessing its absolute direct synonym.

The remaining distractor options do not provide an exact semantic match due to improper alignment in specificity or intent. For example, a curse represents the polar opposite concept, functioning as a direct antonym. While a prayer can contain a benediction, it is a broader category of communication that includes supplication, confession, or mourning, rather than strictly a declaration of favor. Similarly, a wish is merely a passive desire lacking the formal, declarative, or sanctified weight inherent in a benediction. Consequently, blessing is the only choice that captures the precise essence of the term.

The correct answer is Compassionate. The word "ruthless" means showing no pity or compassion; cruel. The opposite (antonym) of ruthless is someone who shows kindness and sympathy. Among the options:

• Cruel: This is a synonym (same meaning) of ruthless, not an antonym.
• Harsh: Also a synonym, meaning severe or unkind.
• Compassionate: Means showing concern for others' suffering; this is the direct opposite of ruthless.
• Merciless: Another synonym of ruthless.

Therefore, the correct antonym is "Compassionate".

The correct answer is Illicit. The word "unlawful" means not allowed by law; illegal. A synonym is a word with a similar meaning. Among the options:

• Legal: This is an antonym (opposite) of unlawful, not a synonym.
• Fair: Means just or reasonable, not related to legality.
• Illicit: Means forbidden by law or rules; it is a direct synonym for unlawful.
• Just: Means morally right and fair, not a synonym for unlawful.

Hence, the correct synonym is "Illicit".

The correct answer is Excited and ecstatic. The idiom "on cloud nine" is used to describe a state of extreme happiness, joy, or excitement. It means feeling wonderful, elated, or thrilled. Among the options:

• Angry: This is an opposite emotion.
• Sad: Also an opposite.
• Excited and ecstatic: This perfectly matches the meaning of being on cloud nine.
• Confused: This is unrelated to the idiom's meaning.

Therefore, the correct meaning is "Excited and ecstatic".