IPMAT Indore 2023 · Verbal Ability · Question 7

Step 1 — read the characterisation. Meena is “arrogant and class-conscious”, and she refuses to acknowledge Sunil. Refusing to acknowledge someone means treating them as beneath notice.

Step 2 — match the strength. Only an absolute dismissal explains a refusal to acknowledge:

a man of no importance

Why the others fail:

(b) of some importance — would be a reason to acknowledge him, not to snub him.

(c) of less importance — comparative, and it needs a second term (“less important than whom?”). It is also too mild to justify a refusal.

(d) of great importance — the exact opposite; she would be courting him, not ignoring him.

Answer: Option 1

Shortcut. The four options differ only in degree, so this is a calibration question, not a vocabulary one. Place them on a scale — no < less < some < great — and ask how strong the evidence is.

“Refuses to acknowledge” plus “arrogant” is the strongest possible dismissal, so take the extreme end of the scale.

General rule for degree questions: match the intensity of the blank to the intensity of the surrounding adjectives. Mild context, mild answer; absolute context, absolute answer.