Match the words in Column I with their synonyms in Column II.
| Column I | Column II |
|---|---|
| (i) Lonely | (p) Verbatim |
| (ii) Literal | (q) Solitary |
| (iii) Lousy | (r) Deadly |
| (iv) Lethal | (s) Terrible |
(i)-(q); (ii)-(p); (iii)-(s); (iv)-(r)
(i)-(q); (ii)-(s); (iii)-(r); (iv)-(p)
(i)-(s); (ii)-(p); (iii)-(q); (iv)-(r)
(i)-(r); (ii)-(s); (iii)-(p); (iv)-(q)
ANSWER
(A) (i)-(q); (ii)-(p); (iii)-(s); (iv)-(r)
Official answer: ASource: Official answer key, GATE 2026 EE (IIT Guwahati)
Start with the pair you are surest of, then rule out options. Lonely means alone, without company, and so does solitary: (i)-(q). Option C pairs (i) with (s) and option D pairs (i) with (r), so both are out.
Literal means taking words in their exact, word-for-word sense. Verbatim means in exactly the same words, so (ii)-(p). Option B pairs (ii) with (s), so B is out.
Only option A is left. Check its other two pairs so you know it is right, not just the last one standing.
Lousy (informal) means very bad or of poor quality, the same as terrible: (iii)-(s).
Lethal means able to cause death, the same as deadly: (iv)-(r).
All four pairs, (i)-(q), (ii)-(p), (iii)-(s) and (iv)-(r), match option A.
KEY IDEA
In a matching question, fix the one or two pairs you are sure of first. Each sure pair rules out every option that disagrees with it. Then check the remaining pairs of the option that survives, because the last option standing is not proof on its own. Here Lonely = Solitary, Literal = Verbatim, Lousy = Terrible and Lethal = Deadly.
WATCH OUT FOR
Matching by sound rather than meaning. All four Column I words begin with "L", which pushes you to guess. Two traps: reading "lousy" as something harmful and pairing it with "deadly", which is option B's (iii)-(r); and pairing "literal" with "terrible". Lousy means poor or bad (terrible). Lethal is the one that means deadly.
From the GATE 2026 EE paper. Every question of this paper · Download the full paper · All 32 Grammar & vocabulary questions, with notes
