The SBI Circle Based Officer (CBO) Exam 2025 is designed to assess a candidate’s overall aptitude, including their command over the English language. Among the English section’s various question types, Word Usage Questions are particularly important. These questions are aimed at testing your contextual understanding, grammatical knowledge, and vocabulary usage, all of which are vital in a professional banking role where clarity of communication is key.
Word Usage Questions for SBI CBO Exam 2025
Word Usage Questions require candidates to identify the correct usage of a given word in multiple sentences. A word may be used with different meanings or in different grammatical forms, and your task is to select the sentence that uses it correctly in both context and structure. This tests candidates’ depth of vocabulary, awareness of nuanced meanings, and practical understanding of English language usage in the SBI CBO 2025 Exam.
Common Patterns in Word Usage Questions
Here are some common ways in which word usage questions are framed:
Single Word, Multiple Sentences: You are given a word and 3–4 sentences; you must pick the one with correct usage.
Homophones or Confused Words: Words like “affect/ effect,” “advice/ advise,” or “principle/ principal” may be used to test conceptual understanding.
Synonyms in Context: A word is used with a similar or different meaning across sentences; you must select the one that makes logical and grammatical sense.
Word Usage Questions for SBI CBO Exam 2025
Directions (1-15): In each of the following questions, a word has been used in sentences in THREE different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentences in which the usage of the word is CORRECT or APPROPRIATE.
Q1. PARODY
(i) When I heard the parody of the love song, I could not stop laughing.
(ii) Because the director does not have a good sense of humour, he was not amused by the witty parody of his film.
(iii) The detective could parody information out of the quietest suspects.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Both (i) and (ii)
d) Both (ii) and (iii)
e) None of these
Q2. TRIUMPH
(i) Earning a high school diploma was a huge triumph for the young man with a learning disability.
(ii) The stingy old man would triumph in every penny he saved.
(iii) The country’s military triumph finally brought peace to the war-torn area.
a) Both (i) and (ii)
b) Only (ii)
c) Only (iii)
d) Both (i) and (iii)
e) None of these
Q3. ISOLATE
(i) While the girl was sick with the flu, her parents had to isolate the other children into different bedrooms so they wouldn’t fall ill.
(ii) The quick-thinking general tried to isolate the enemy troop in the woods and cut them off from all supply sources.
(iii) A festive isolate bash is scheduled for my boss’s departure at the end of the month.
a) Both (i) and (ii)
b) Only (ii)
c) All are correct
d) Only (iii)
e) None of these
Q4. RISIBLE
(i) If you stick with the most risible elements of your speech, your audience will be so relaxed from laughing that you’re bound to win their support.
(ii) When there is an emergency, people will usually risible as fast as their feet will take them so they can help the victim.
(iii) The track team must run as quickly as they can risible the track to the finish line.
a)Only (ii)
b) Only (i)
c) Only (iii)
d) All are correct
e) None of these
Q5. WHOLESOME
(i) Though he put on a wholesome persona, the mayor was really a gambler who stole money from the city.
(ii) If I imbibe too much soda, I find that I am troubled with wholesome bouts of hiccupping.
(iii) This movie is a wholesome family entertainment.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Only (iii)
d) Both (i) and (iii)
e) None of these
Q6. ROBUST
(i) Even though we are told to robust plenty of water to stay hydrated and healthy, there have been cases where drinking too much water has been fatal for some people.
(ii) Robust savings can only be withdrawn if the worker is leaving the company permanently.
(iii) In order to be a fireman, one needs to be robust because fighting fires is a very difficult job.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Only (iii)
d) All are correct
e) None of these
Q7. GRADUAL
(i) A car only proceeds through gradual movements, starting slow and gaining speed a little bit at a time before reaching a cruising speed.
(ii) A gradual income is one that pays you slowly but surely, unlike a bonus check which only benefits you one time.
(iii) Time is completely gradual, moving along slowly and one second at a time, never making leaps and bounds at one time.
a) Only (ii)
b) Both (i) and (iii)
c) Only (iii)
d) All are correct
e) None of these
Q8. FRUGAL
(i) The mother didn’t mean to frugal, but she was tired and her children refused to do their chores.
(ii) The students began to grumble and protest when their teacher assigned them a frugal project during winter break.
(iii) My Mom was thoughtful enough to include my favourite snack in my lunch today, so it was much frugal than the school lunch I had the day before.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Only (iii)
d) Both (ii) and (iii)
e) None of these
Q9. DISSONANCE
(i) There is a great deal of dissonance between what a liar says and does.
(ii) The criminal used dissonance to his advantage by behaving in a way in which the police would never have expected him to act.
(iii) Dissonance often occurs when individuals try to explain their abnormal behaviours.
a) All are correct
b) Only (ii)
c) Both (i) and (iii)
d) Only (ii)
e) None of these
Q10. HEFTY
(i) The man struggled to carry his hefty bag down the steep stairs.
(ii) The hefty car parts were difficult to lift without the use of a machine.
(iii) While I expected my elderly neighbour to be hefty, he was actually genial and invited me in for tea.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Both (i) and (ii)
d) Only (iii)
e) None of these
Q11. LUMINOUS
(i) The movie editor used the computer program to give the actress the luminous appearance of an angel.
(ii) A luminous fine will need to be paid before you can get your driver’s license back.
(iii) During the marathon, my sister could luminous everyone else to win the race.
a) Only (ii)
b) Only (i)
c) Only (iii)
d) All are correct
e) None of these
Q12. FUNDAMENTAL
(i) Dribbling is a fundamental part of basketball.
(ii) A fundamental education needs to include reading, writing, math, and a variety of other subjects.
(iii) If you master the fundamental aspects of a sport, it makes the difficult skills easier to manage.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Only (iii)
d) All are correct
e) None of these
Q13. MEAGRE
(i) He skipped over the meagre steps, which caused his plan to fail.
(ii) They wanted to have a month to prepare, but their time was cut in meagre, leaving them only a fortnight.
(iii) Because you only earn a meagre salary, you should be very careful about your spending.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) Only (iii)
d) All are correct
e) None of these
Q14. CULMINATE
(i) The holiday parade will culminate with the arrival of Santa Claus on his sleigh.
(ii) Unfortunately, the tension between the two countries is likely to culminate in a war.
(iii) According to the director, the rehearsals will culminate in the play’s opening night.
a) Only (i)
b) Only (ii)
c) All are correct
d) Only (iii)
e) None of these
Q15. DURABLE
(i) The plate was made of durable plastic and didn’t break when accidentally dropped.
(ii) Because it could hold their collective weight, the bench was a very durable location for the family picture.
(iii) The football helmet was made of material that was very durable and could withstand repeated trauma.
a) All are correct
b) Both (i) and (iii)
c) Only (iii)
d) Only (ii)
e) None of these
| Answers | ||||
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 |
| c | d | a | b | d |
| 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |
| c | d | e | a | c |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| b | d | c | c | a |
Preparation Tips for Word Usage Questions
Build a Strong Vocabulary: Read daily newspapers (like The Hindu or The Indian Express), business magazines, and bank circulars to expose yourself to formal word usage in a real context.
Learn Through Context: Don’t just memorise definitions. Learn how a word is used in different scenarios. Use apps or tools like WordHippo or Merriam-Webster’s learner dictionary.
Practice Confusing Words: Focus on commonly confused words and idiomatic phrases. These are often tested because of their tricky nature.
Attempt Mock Tests: Regular practice with sectional quizzes and full-length mock tests can help you get used to time-bound answering and improve your accuracy.
Strategy to Solve Word Usage Questions in the Exam
- Read All Options Carefully: Even if the first option looks correct, check all others before finalising your answer.
- Eliminate Clearly Wrong Choices: Look for grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, or incorrect context to eliminate options quickly.
- Look for Clues: Prepositions, subject-verb agreement, tone, and tense often give away the right or wrong usage of a word.
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