CAT 2008 — VARC Question 13
In each of the questions, a word/phrase has been used in sentences in five different ways. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the usage of the word/phrase is incorrect or inappropriate.
Run
Answer & solution
- A
I must run fast to catch up with him.
- B
Our team scored a goal against the run of play.
You can’t run over him like that.
- D
The newly released book is enjoying a popular run.
- E
This film is a run-of-the-mill production.
Option 1 uses the verb ‘run’ appropriately with “fast” as an adverb qualifying it.
The phrase, ‘against the run of play’ is used in sports to describe an event or action against the flow of the game. For example, if Soccer team A has all the possession, all the chances and dictates the game, and team B has one chance and scores from it, then that goal is against the run of play. The term is used correctly in option 2.
Option 3 is incorrect. A person cannot “run over” someone. It can be a vehicle that can run over someone.
A person can ‘run after‘ (chase) someone, ‘run with‘, ‘run up to‘ or ‘run around‘ someone.
In option 4, a book can have a “popular run”, if a great number of copies of that book are getting sold.
In option 5, “run-of-the-mill production” is an ‘average’ or ‘mediocre’ or ‘banal’, ‘commonplace’ production that is not interesting. The usage here is correct.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.