IPMAT Indore 2024 · Verbal Ability · Question 24

Three errors in the underlined portion.

Tense. The opening clause uses “were filled” and “seemed to move” — both past. The main verb must match: provided.

Pronoun. “their seeking solace” is wrong. The sentence needs a noun phrase meaning the people who seek solace, which is those (as in those who seek). A possessive pronoun cannot fill a noun slot here.

Adjective choice. Welcome (adjective) means “gladly received” — a welcome retreat is one people are glad of. Welcoming means “friendly towards visitors”, which describes a host, not a refuge. The idiom is a welcome retreat.

The corrected clause:

…the serene countryside … provided a welcome retreat for those seeking solace amidst the chaos of urban living.

Why the others fail:

(a) “provides” — present tense, clashing with were filled ✘; “for them seeking” is ungrammatical ✘.

(b) “provides” — wrong tense ✘; “welcoming” — wrong adjective ✘.

(d) tense ✔, but “welcoming” ✘ and “for who seek solace” ✘ (needs those who seek or for whom).

Answer: Option 3

Shortcut. Filter on tense first — it is the cheapest check. The non-underlined clause carries were and seemed, so the answer must be past: (a) and (b) are gone instantly.

Between (c) and (d), one word decides it: welcome vs welcoming.

a welcome retreat = a retreat people are glad to have ✔

a welcoming retreat = a retreat that greets people warmly ✘

Note the pattern across Q65–Q69: every one of these five is solved by reading the part of the sentence that is not underlined and forcing the answer to agree with it.