One Word Substitution for the Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) Exam
One word substitution is the branch of vocabulary in which a whole phrase is replaced by a single precise word. The examiner gives a description, such as a person who speaks many languages, and the candidate must supply the one word, in this case polyglot, from four options. The question tests neither grammar nor reasoning but the width of the candidate's word store and the habit of noticing the exact word behind a description. Because the descriptions come from a small number of fields, such as persons, places, fears, killing, styles of government and study, the words group themselves naturally and can be learnt field by field. This page explains how the question is set, groups the words by the field they belong to, lists the substitutions that repeat in the paper, and warns of the confusions that cost marks. The material is prepared from standard vocabulary references and is reviewed before publication.
How This Portion Is Set
Most questions carry a short definition and four words, and the candidate chooses the word that matches the definition exactly. Some questions reverse the order and give the word, asking for its meaning or for the phrase it stands for. A few give a sentence with an underlined phrase and ask for a single word to replace it. In all forms the answer is exact and admits no near miss, so a word that means almost the right thing is as wrong as a word that means nothing close. This is why the candidate must read the definition to its last word before choosing.
Words for Persons
- A philanthropist is a person who loves and helps mankind.
- A misanthrope is a person who hates mankind.
- A polyglot is a person who knows many languages.
- An optimist is a person who looks at the bright side of things.
- A pessimist is a person who looks at the dark side of things.
- An atheist is a person who does not believe in God, and a theist is one who does.
- An orphan is a child whose parents are dead, and a widow is a woman whose husband is dead.
- A patriot is a person who loves and serves his country.
Words for Places and Homes
- An apiary is a place where bees are kept.
- An aviary is a place where birds are kept.
- A museum is a place where old and rare objects are kept for show.
- A mint is a place where coins and notes are made.
- An arsenal is a place where weapons and ammunition are stored.
- A dormitory is a large room where many people sleep.
- A granary is a storehouse for grain.
- A cemetery is a place where the dead are buried.
Words for Fears and Manias
- Claustrophobia is a fear of closed or narrow places.
- Acrophobia is a fear of heights.
- Hydrophobia is a fear of water.
- Xenophobia is a fear or dislike of strangers and foreigners.
- Nyctophobia is a fear of darkness.
- Kleptomania is an uncontrolled urge to steal.
- Insomnia is the inability to sleep.
Words for Killing and Death
- Homicide is the killing of a human being.
- Fratricide is the killing of a brother, and patricide the killing of a father.
- Regicide is the killing of a king, and matricide the killing of a mother.
- Genocide is the killing of a whole race or people.
- Suicide is the killing of oneself.
Words for Forms of Government and Rule
- Autocracy is government by one person with absolute power.
- Democracy is government by the people through their representatives.
- Bureaucracy is government by officials, and aristocracy by the nobility.
- Anarchy is the absence of government and of law.
- Monarchy is rule by a king or queen, and oligarchy by a small group.
Words for Study and Science
- Ornithology is the study of birds, and etymology the study of the origin of words.
- Entomology is the study of insects, and anthropology the study of human beings.
- Botany is the study of plants, and zoology the study of animals.
- Astronomy is the study of the stars and planets.
- Physics is the study of matter and energy, and chemistry of substances.
Words for Time and Number
- Annual means happening once a year, and biennial once in two years.
- Centenary means a hundredth anniversary, and millennium a period of a thousand years.
- Posthumous means happening after death, and simultaneous happening at the same time.
- A quorum is the minimum number of members needed for a meeting.
- A monopoly is the sole right to trade in a thing, and a dividend the share of profit paid out.
- A manuscript is a document written by hand, and a biography the life story of a person.
- An anonymous letter is one whose writer is not known, and a unanimous decision is one agreed by all.
Words for Kind and Quality
- An amphibian is an animal that lives both on land and in water.
- An omnivorous animal eats both flesh and plants, and a herbivorous one eats plants only.
- Transparent means that light passes through, and translucent that light passes only partly.
- Audible means loud enough to be heard, and inaudible too soft to be heard.
- Portable means easy to carry, and fragile means easily broken.
- Abundant means plentiful, and scanty means too little.
A Method for Answering the Question
- Read the whole definition and mark the key idea in it.
- Decide which field the word belongs to, such as a person, a place, a fear or a study.
- Recall the root of the word, since many words are built from a prefix or a suffix of fixed meaning.
- Eliminate the options that belong to a different field.
- Choose the exact word and, in reverse questions, the exact definition.
- If two options seem close, keep the one that misses no part of the definition.
Roots That Build Many Words
- The root biblio means book, as in bibliography, a list of books.
- The root philo means love, as in philanthropy, and the root miso means hate, as in misanthrope.
- The root cide means killing, as in homicide, and the root logy means study.
- The root gratia means free, as in gratis, and the root demo means people, as in democracy.
- The root chrono means time, as in chronology, a record of events in time order.
Traps That Cost Marks
- Choosing a word of similar sound but different meaning, such as entomology for the study of insects and etymology for the study of words.
- Ignoring a small but deciding part of the definition, such as many in a person who knows many languages.
- Mixing up phobia words and their objects.
- Treating prefixes such as a, an and anti as if they carried no meaning.
- Learning words as bare pairs and never using them in a sentence.
A Revision Plan for This Block
- Learn one field a day, such as persons on the first day and places on the second.
- Write each word with its definition and its own example sentence.
- Mark the common root in every word so that new words become easier.
- Revise the earlier fields before starting a new one.
- Attempt a mixed set once a week and note every word you missed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is one word substitution grammar or vocabulary?
It is vocabulary. The question tests whether you know the exact word for a description, and no rule of grammar decides the answer.
What is a phobia word?
A phobia word names an unreasonable fear, formed by joining a root for the feared thing with phobia, as in claustrophobia for the fear of closed places and acrophobia for the fear of heights.
What does the root cide mean?
The root cide means killing, so homicide is the killing of a person, regicide of a king and genocide of a whole race.
How do I avoid confusing similar words?
Learn the root of each word. Entomology and etymology both contain logy, but entomon means insect and etymon means true sense, which keeps the two apart.
Should I learn only the high-yield words?
Learn the high-yield words first, but learn them by field and with their roots, so that less common words built from the same roots can also be understood.