PPSC Past Papers & Solved MCQs

The correct article is "a" because the choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound of the word immediately following the article, not its spelling. Although "one" starts with the vowel 'o', it is pronounced with a 'w' sound (like "won"), which is a consonant sound. Therefore, "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.

• "an" is incorrect as it's used before words starting with a vowel sound.
• "the" is a definite article used for specific items, not general ones like "one-eyed person" here.
• "of" is a preposition and grammatically incorrect in this context.

لقب (Laqab) is the correct answer. A Laqab is a descriptive name or title given to a person by the public or a community based on their qualities, achievements, or characteristics. For example, "Siddiq" for Abu Bakr (R.A) meaning "The Truthful".

• اسم مشتق (Ism Mushtaq) refers to a derived noun, formed from a root verb or another noun, not a descriptive title.
• اسم معرفہ (Ism Maarifa) is a proper noun, referring to a specific person, place, or thing, but not necessarily a descriptive title given by the public.
• کنیت (Kunyat) is a name indicating a relationship, usually starting with "Abu" (father of) or "Umm" (mother of), like Abu Hurairah, not a descriptive title based on qualities.

The correct answer is along. The preposition "along" means moving in a continuous line that follows the length of something. In this context, walking along the road describes the action of walking on or beside the road, following its direction.

Understanding Prepositions of Movement

Each preposition gives a different relationship between the subject and the road:

• Along: Indicates movement in a line parallel to the length of the road. This is the most natural and common way to describe walking on a road. Example: "We walked along the beach."
• To: Indicates movement towards a destination. If you say "walking to the road," it means you are heading towards it, not walking on it.
• Into: Indicates movement from outside to inside. "Walking into the road" would mean stepping onto the road surface from the pavement or sidewalk, which is not the intended meaning.
• Over: Indicates movement from one side to the other above the surface. "Walking over the road" might mean crossing it, which is not the same as walking along it.

Why "Along" Is Correct

The sentence "She is walking along the road" clearly describes a person moving in a straight path that follows the course of the road. This matches the most common and idiomatic use of the verb "walk" with a linear location.

Therefore, the correct preposition is "along."

The first capital of the Abbasid Caliphate was Kufa. After overthrowing the Umayyads, Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, the first Abbasid caliph, initially established Kufa as his seat of power. This marked the beginning of the Abbasid era.

• Baghdad became the capital later under Caliph Al-Mansur, who founded the city in 762 CE and moved the capital there, transforming it into a prominent center of learning and culture.
• Damascus was the capital of the preceding Umayyad Caliphate, not the Abbasids.
• Basra was an important city and port in Iraq but never served as the primary capital of the Abbasid Caliphate.

The correct preposition to complete the sentence is "about". The phrase "happy about" is an idiomatic expression used to indicate the reason or cause of one's happiness. The passengers were happy because of, or concerning, the treatment they received.

• "to" is often used with infinitives (e.g., happy to help) or to indicate direction.
• "at" can be used for a specific event or situation (e.g., happy at the news), but "about" is more general for a reason.
• "of" is generally not used with "happy" in this context; it's grammatically incorrect here.

The 10th year of Prophethood (10 Nabvi) is historically known as the "Year of Sorrow" (Aam al-Huzn). This year was marked by profound personal losses for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): the death of his beloved wife, Khadijah (R.A), and his protective uncle, Abu Talib. These significant events occurred shortly after the social boycott against the Muslims was lifted, leaving the Prophet without his primary emotional and political support during a critical period.

• Options 7, 8, and 9 Nabvi do not correspond to the "Year of Sorrow." The boycott itself ended just before the 10th Nabvi.

The synonym of "Abasement" is "Humiliation". "Abasement" refers to the act of humiliating or degrading someone, or the state of being humiliated. Therefore, "Humiliation" directly matches this meaning, describing the feeling or state of being shamed or disgraced.

• "Elevation" is an antonym, meaning the act of raising something to a higher position or level.
• "Improvement" means the process of getting better, which is unrelated to abasement.
• "Promotion" is also an antonym, meaning the advancement of someone to a higher position or rank.

Qasr prayer (shortening of prayers) is a significant concession in Islam specifically allowed for travellers (Musafir). When a Muslim travels a certain distance (typically around 48 miles or 80 km, though interpretations vary), they are permitted to shorten the four-rak'ah prayers (Dhuhr, Asr, Isha) to two rak'ahs. This is a mercy from Allah to ease the burden of travel and facilitate worship.

• When sick, one might adjust prayer posture but not necessarily shorten the number of rak'ahs.
• During Ramazan, Muslims fast, but Qasr rules are independent of the month.
• Therefore, "None of these" is incorrect.

The correct indirect speech for the exclamatory sentence "He said, "What a beautiful day it is."" is "He exclaimed with wonder that it was a very beautiful day." When converting exclamatory sentences to indirect speech, the reporting verb changes to "exclaimed" (often with an adverb like "wonder" or "joy"). The exclamation is transformed into a declarative statement, and the tense shifts from present ("is") to past ("was"). "What a beautiful day" becomes "a very beautiful day."

• Option A uses "sorrow," which is the wrong emotion.
• Option C and D incorrectly retain the present tense "is" instead of shifting to the past tense "was."

Abdul Malik ibn Marwan is widely recognized for standardizing the currency of the Umayyad Caliphate. He introduced the first purely Islamic coinage, replacing the Byzantine and Sasanian coins previously in circulation. These new coins, dinars (gold) and dirhams (silver), bore Arabic inscriptions and Islamic symbols, establishing an independent Islamic economic identity.

• Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Umar II) was known for his piety and just rule, not primarily currency standardization.
• Marwan II was the last Umayyad caliph.
• Al-Walid I was Abdul Malik's son, known for building projects, but the currency reform was his father's achievement.

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, several changes occur. The pronouns shift from first person to third person, tenses usually move one step back into the past, and time/place expressions are adjusted.

• Correct Option (B): "They said that they would visit London the following week." This correctly changes "We" to "they," "will visit" to "would visit" (past conditional), and "next week" to "the following week."
• Distractor (A): Fails to change "we" and "next week."
• Distractor (C): Fails to change "will" and "next week."
• Distractor (D): Uses an incorrect tense "were visit" and fails to change "we" and "next week."

The question asks about the number of sons Hazrat Yaqoob (A.S.), known as Jacob in English, had. Hazrat Yaqoob (A.S.) had 12 sons, who are historically significant as the progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. This is a foundational fact in Abrahamic religions, particularly in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• Option C (12) is correct because it accurately reflects the historical and religious accounts.
• Options A (10), B (11), and D (13) are incorrect numbers. The narrative consistently mentions twelve sons, including Yusuf (Joseph) and Binyamin (Benjamin), who were born to his wife Rachel, and the others born to Leah and his concubines.

Understanding vocabulary is crucial for this question. The word "Loathe" means to feel intense dislike or disgust for someone or something.

• Correct Option (C): "Detest" is a direct synonym for "Loathe," meaning to dislike intensely.
• Distractor (A): "Entrench" means to establish firmly, which is unrelated to disliking.
• Distractor (B): "Abjure" means to solemnly renounce a belief or claim, which involves rejection but not necessarily intense dislike in the same way as loathe.
• Distractor (D): "Meddle" means to interfere in something that is not one's concern, which is entirely different from the meaning of loathe.

The question asks about the first Amir-ul-Hajj (leader of the Hajj pilgrimage) in Islamic history. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (R.A.) was the first Amir-ul-Hajj. This significant event occurred in the 9th year of Hijra (631 CE), when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sent him to lead the pilgrimage to Mecca, a year before the Prophet's own Farewell Pilgrimage.

• Option A (حضرت ابو بکر صدیقؓ) is correct as he was appointed by the Prophet (PBUH) for this role.
• Options B (حضرت عمر فاروقؓ), C (حضرت عثمانؓ), and D (حضرت علیؓ) were all revered companions of the Prophet (PBUH) and later Caliphs, but they were not the first to hold the title of Amir-ul-Hajj.

This question tests knowledge of verb forms and their functions in grammar. A verb form ending in "-ing" can serve different roles.

• Correct Option (B): A Gerund is a verb form that ends in "-ing" and functions as a noun in a sentence (e.g., "Swimming is good for you").
• Distractor (A): An Adjective describes a noun or pronoun. While some "-ing" words can be adjectives (e.g., "a running man"), they don't act as nouns.
• Distractor (C): An Infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by "to" (e.g., "to run"), and does not end in "-ing" when acting as a noun.
• Distractor (D): A Participle is a verb form used as an adjective or to form verb tenses. Present participles end in "-ing" but function as adjectives or part of a verb phrase, not as nouns.

The question pertains to the marriage of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the fifth year of Hijra. The Prophet (PBUH) married Hazrat Zainab bint Jahsh (R.A.) in the 5th year of Hijra. This marriage was divinely ordained and addressed a significant social custom of the time regarding adopted sons, as Zainab (R.A.) was previously married to Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet's adopted son.

• Option B (حضرت زینب بنت جحشؓ) is correct as her marriage to the Prophet (PBUH) took place in the 5th year of Hijra.
• Options A (حضرت صفیہؓ), C (حضرت جویریہؓ), and D (حضرت ام سلمہؓ) were also Mothers of the Believers, but their marriages to the Prophet (PBUH) occurred in different years. Hazrat Umm Salamah (R.A.) was married in the 4th year of Hijra, while Hazrat Safiyyah (R.A.) and Hazrat Juwayriyah (R.A.) were married later.

When reporting commands or prohibitions, the structure changes from direct imperative to an infinitive phrase, often preceded by a reporting verb that reflects the nature of the command.

• Correct Option (C): "He ordered not to sleep." For negative commands, "not to" + infinitive is the correct structure. "Ordered" is an appropriate reporting verb for a direct command like "Don't sleep."
• Distractor (A): "He advised to not sleep." The placement of "not" is incorrect; it should be "not to sleep."
• Distractor (B): "He said to not sleep." "Said" is too neutral for a command, and "to not sleep" is grammatically awkward.
• Distractor (D): "He instructed not to sleep." While "instructed" is plausible, "ordered" often conveys a stronger, more direct command, fitting the imperative "Don't sleep" more precisely.

The question asks about the number of chapters in Shaukat Siddiqui's renowned Urdu novel, "Khuda Ki Basti." This novel is a classic of Urdu literature, known for its social commentary and realistic portrayal of society. The novel "Khuda Ki Basti" consists of 21 chapters.

• Option B (21) is correct, accurately stating the number of chapters in this famous work.
• Options A (11), C (31), and D (41) are incorrect. Knowing the structural details of prominent literary works is part of literary knowledge.

This question delves into the terminology of Urdu/Arabic rhetoric, specifically figures of speech related to comparison.

• Correct Option (A): تشبیہ (Tashbeeh) is the literary term for simile. It involves comparing one thing to another based on a shared quality, where the comparison is explicitly stated using words like "like" or "as." The question precisely describes Tashbeeh: comparing something to a clearer thing based on a common attribute.
• Distractor (B): استعاره (Ista'ara) is metaphor, a stronger comparison where one thing is directly identified with another, implying the comparison without explicit comparison words.
• Distractor (C): کتابه (Kinaya) refers to metonymy or allusion, where something is referred to indirectly by mentioning an attribute or something associated with it, rather than a direct comparison.
• Distractor (D): "null" is not a valid literary term.