English Précis & Composition · CSS 2023
CSS 2023 English (Précis & Composition) Paper — solved
This is the complete CSS 2023 English (Précis & Composition) paper with model answers to every question. The MCQ key is given first, followed by the précis, the comprehension answers, and the composition section.
If you want the précis method taught in detail, the CSS Essay & Précis Masterclass covers it, and there are free walkthroughs on the CSSWithACSP YouTube channel.
Q1 Synonyms and Antonyms (20 MCQs)
The 2023 vocabulary section mixes synonyms and antonyms in a single run rather than separating them into two blocks, so the first thing to read on each item is not the word but the instruction above it.
Synonyms
- 2. ABSEIL: (A) Descent
- 4. ASSUAGE: (B) Mollify
- 6. INURE: (A) Accustom
- 8. MUNIFICENCE: (C) Generosity
- 10. DEMIT: (D) Resign
- 11. INVEIGH: (B) Rant
- 12. PALLIATE: (A) Mitigate
- 13. ADROITNESS: (C) Dexterity
- 14. AFICIONADO: (A) Enthusiast
- 15. PANACEA: (B) Remedy
Antonyms
- 1. BRUSQUE: (B) Pleasant
- 3. CONVALESCE: (D) Deteriorate
- 5. TYRO: (B) Veteran
- 7. DALLY: (A) Hasten
- 9. RANCOR: (A) Veneration
- 16. DOTE: (C) Criticize
- 17. MODICUM: (A) Mound
- 18. TEMERITY: (C) Reticence
- 19. VILE: (C) Viable
- 20. ABET: (D) Deter
The trap in this set
Look at question 4 and question 12 side by side. ASSUAGE means to soothe and PALLIATE means to ease without curing, and the correct answers, mollify and mitigate, are close cousins of each other. Papers built this way reward candidates who know a small set of words precisely over candidates who half recognise a large set.
Question 5 shows the other common trick. TYRO means a beginner, so "novice" is sitting there as the first option, tempting anyone who read the instruction as "similar" rather than "opposite". Whenever the obvious synonym appears as option (A) in an antonym question, treat it as a deliberate trap.
Q2 Précis and title (freedom in education)
This passage is an argument with a clear position, which makes it easier to compress than a descriptive one, but it carries a trap: the author spends his first sentences describing views he goes on to reject.
The passage, as printed
On the question of freedom in education there are at present three main schools of thought, deriving partly from differences as to ends and partly from differences in psychological theory. There are those who say that children should be completely free, however bad they may be; there are those who say they should be completely subject to authority, however good they may be; and there are those who say they should be free, but in spite of freedom they should be always good. This last party is larger than it has any logical right to be; children, like adults, will not all be virtuous if they are all free. The belief that liberty will ensure moral perfection is a relic of Rousseauism, and would not survive a study of animals and babies. Those who hold this belief think that education should have no positive purpose, but should merely offer an environment suitable for spontaneous development. I cannot agree with this school, which seems to me too individualistic, and unduly indifferent to the importance of knowledge. We live in communities which require co-operation, and it would be utopian to expect all the necessary co-operation to result from spontaneous impulse. The existence of a large population on a limited area is only possible owing to science and technique; education must, therefore, hand on the necessary minimum of these. The educators who allow most freedom are men whose success depends upon a degree of benevolence, self-control, and trained intelligence which can hardly be generated where every impulse is left unchecked; their merits, therefore, are not likely to be perpetuated if their methods are undiluted. Education, viewed from a social standpoint, must be something more positive than a mere opportunity for growth. It must, of course, provide this, but it must also provide a mental and moral equipment which children cannot acquire entirely for themselves.
Suggested title
Freedom and Purpose in Education
Model précis
Opinion on freedom in education divides three ways: that children should be wholly free, that they should be wholly subject to authority, or that they should be free and nevertheless turn out good. The third view is the most popular and the least defensible, since freedom no more guarantees virtue in children than it does in adults, and the belief that it does is a survival of Rousseau's thinking that observation does not support. Those who hold it treat education as having no positive aim beyond providing conditions for natural growth. That is too individualistic and takes too little account of knowledge. Communities depend on cooperation, which cannot be expected to arise spontaneously, and dense populations survive only through science and technique, so education must transmit at least a minimum of both. Even the teachers who allow the most freedom owe their success to benevolence, self-control and trained intelligence, qualities unlikely to develop where every impulse goes unchecked, so their methods cannot reproduce themselves. Education must therefore offer more than an opportunity for growth: it must supply the mental and moral equipment children cannot acquire alone.
(180 words from a passage of roughly 330.)
How this précis was built
The trap is the opening. Three positions are described, and a careless summary reports all three as though the author holds them. He holds none of them, and the précis has to make that clear while still recording that the three views exist.
The second decision is what to do with the author's own voice. "I cannot agree with this school" becomes an impersonal statement of the objection, because a précis reports the argument rather than performing it. The reasoning stays; the first person goes.
The full method is taught in the CSS Essay & Précis Masterclass. If you write good essays but lose marks here, the précis guide explains why: How to Write a CSS Précis.
Q3 Comprehension (voluntary simplicity)
The passage draws a careful line between voluntary simplicity and poverty, and most of these questions are testing whether you noticed that line rather than whether you can summarise the passage.
The passage, as printed
The majority of people have always lived simply, and most of humanity still struggles on a daily basis to eke out a meager existence under dire circumstances. Only in affluent industrialized countries do people have the luxury of more goods and services than they need to survive. On the basis of material wealth, North Americans and Europeans should be the happiest people on earth, but according to the 2012 Happy Planet Index (HPI), they are not. Surprisingly, what had begun as an experimental lifestyle evolved into a quiet revolution that spread the word through books such as Duane Elgin's best-selling Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (1981), as well as numerous magazines, alternative communities of the like-minded, and, later, Internet websites. Combined with a growing awareness of the environmental consequences of consumerism, the voluntary simplicity movement sought to reduce the consumption of goods and energy and to minimize one's personal impact on the environment. "Voluntary" denotes a free and conscious choice to make appropriate changes that will enrich life in a deeper, spiritual sense. "Simplicity" refers to the lack of clutter, that is, eliminating all those things, patterns, habits, and ideas that take control of our lives and distract us from our inner selves. However, this is not to be confused with poverty, which is involuntary, degrading, and debilitating. Neither does it mean that people must live on a farm or reject progress or technology, or do without what is necessary for their comfort and welfare. To practice voluntary simplicity, one must differentiate between what one wants (psychological desires) and what one needs (basic requirements of life), and seek a healthy balance that is compatible with both. In a consumer society where advertising bombards us with the message that without this, that, and the other product, we are unsuccessful, undesirable, and unimportant, being clear on what you really need and resisting what you don't can be an ongoing struggle. The beauty of voluntary simplicity is that it is a philosophy, and not a dogma. How one goes about it depends on individual character, cultural background, and climate. For this, three Rs (i.e., Reduce, Recycle & Reuse) represent the best way to get a handle on rampant consumerism. In economies driven by the quest for ever more, living with less is erroneously equated with poverty and social inferiority. By conserving energy, for instance, you are actually ensuring that more resources are available for future use. By making a frugal budget and sticking to it, you can eliminate unnecessary expenses. Recycling paper, metal, plastic, and glass and reusing building materials and old clothing keep materials in the loop and out of landfills. Pooling skills and resources through barter networks not only saves money, but sharing with others establishes bonds and fosters a sense of community. With the glut of cheap goods that are usually designed for obsolescence, quality products that last are becoming progressively harder to find. In the long run, a more expensive but durable and repairable item or even an older used item that is still in good condition is a better investment than a brand new piece of junk that will only break down and end up in the trash. Thus, at the heart of voluntary simplicity is the conscious realization that less is really more. Less consumption means more resources for future generations. Less activity that brings little satisfaction or reward is more time for yourself and your loved ones. Less stuff is more space to move around in. Less stress means more relaxation and better health. Less worry provides more enjoyment and more fulfillment in life.
1. How important is happiness to most people, and what is the relationship between material wealth and happiness?
The passage treats happiness as a central human concern while denying that wealth reliably delivers it. It points out that the richest societies do not report the greatest well-being, which breaks the assumed link between having more and feeling better. Material comfort appears to be necessary up to a point and unhelpful beyond it.
2. How does the author characterize 'Voluntary Simplicity' as a movement and as a philosophy?
As a movement it began as an experiment in living and spread through books, periodicals and like-minded communities into something organised. As a philosophy it is deliberately undogmatic, offering a principle rather than a prescription, so that its practice varies with a person's temperament, culture and circumstances. The passage insists on this distinction because a philosophy adapts where a doctrine dictates.
3. What impact is feared by the growing consumerism of modern society?
The fear is environmental and personal at once. Rising consumption drains resources that later generations will need, while goods designed to be replaced rather than repaired fill landfills and make durable quality harder to find. Consumerism also crowds out attention, leaving less room for the relationships and reflection that give life its value.
4. What influences make it difficult for people to reduce their consumption patterns?
Advertising is the strongest influence, because it attaches personal worth to ownership and suggests that without a given product a person is unsuccessful or unimportant. Social judgement reinforces this, since living with less is widely mistaken for poverty or low status. Separating genuine needs from manufactured wants therefore takes continuous effort rather than a single decision.
5. What are the challenges and rewards of voluntary simplicity?
The challenge is the constant discipline of telling need from desire while under commercial and social pressure to do the opposite. The rewards are practical and personal together: money saved, resources conserved, and stronger community ties formed through sharing and exchange. The passage sums it up as the recognition that less brings more time, space, health and satisfaction.
What the examiner is checking
Question 2 asks for two things, the movement and the philosophy, and treating them as one costs marks. This is the most common way candidates lose points on comprehension: answering the question they expected rather than the one that was set.
For how to use solved papers without simply memorising them, see how to use CSS past papers.
Q4 Sentence correction
Two sentences in this set test the same rule, that a phrase sitting between subject and verb does not change the verb, and spotting the pattern makes both of them free marks.
(i)
Printed: His knowledge of languages and international relations aid him in his work.
Corrected: His knowledge of languages and international relations aids him in his work.
Rule: The subject is "knowledge", which is singular. The plural nouns in the phrase that follows do not govern the verb.
(ii)
Printed: The ambassador, with his family and staff, invite you to a reception at the embassy on Tuesday afternoon.
Corrected: The ambassador, with his family and staff, invites you to a reception at the embassy on Tuesday afternoon.
Rule: The same rule again. "With his family and staff" is a parenthetical addition, not part of a compound subject, so the verb agrees with "ambassador" alone.
(v)
Printed: When he came back from vacation, Aslam and me plan to look for another apartment.
Corrected: When he comes back from vacation, Aslam and I plan to look for another apartment.
Rule: Two errors. The main clause is in the present, so the time clause cannot be in the past, and the pronoun is part of the subject, so it takes the subjective form.
(vii)
Printed: He came to me to enquire what is the salary attached to the appointment.
Corrected: He came to me to enquire what the salary attached to the appointment was.
Rule: An indirect question keeps statement word order, not question word order, and its tense shifts back to match the reporting verb.
(viii)
Printed: I am too tired that I do not hunt words and idioms in my English book.
Corrected: I am so tired that I do not hunt words and idioms in my English book.
Rule: "Too" pairs with an infinitive; "so" pairs with a "that" clause. The sentence used one half of each pattern.
The three not attempted
Sentence (iii) needs "sit for" rather than "sit in" an examination. Sentence (iv) is already correct as printed. Sentence (vi) mismatches "some of you" with "they", where the pronoun should be "you".
Q5 Punctuation and prepositions
This punctuation passage contains direct speech, which raises the difficulty sharply, because quotation marks, the commas around them and the capital letters inside them all have to be right together.
(a) Punctuation
While taking a nap on the porch one hot summer day, Hodga dreamed that a stranger promised to give him ten pieces of gold. The stranger placed them in Hodga's hand one by one, until he reached the tenth piece, which he hesitated to give him. "Come on, what are you waiting for?" said Hodga. "You promised me ten!" Just then he woke up. He immediately looked at his hand and saw that it was empty. He quickly shut his eyes again, stretched out his hand, and said, "All right, I'll settle for nine."
What was added and why. The opening phrase is introductory, so it takes a comma before the main clause. "Hodga" and "Hodgas" need capitals and an apostrophe. The dialogue takes double quotation marks with the question mark inside them, and "said Hodga" follows without a further comma because the question mark already closes the sentence. A comma precedes the final piece of speech, and "I'll" needs its apostrophe.
(b) Prepositions
(ii) She sat in the shade of the tree.
(iii) The moon does not shine by its own light.
(iv) The burglar jumped over the compound wall.
(v) She entered into an agreement with them.
(viii) It cannot be done without offence.
How to choose. Two of these are worth memorising as fixed forms. "Shine by its own light" is idiomatic and "shine with" would be wrong. "Enter into" is required for agreements and negotiations, whereas "enter" alone is used for rooms and buildings, which is why the preposition is present here and absent there. The rest follow from physical sense: shade encloses, so "in", and a wall is crossed, so "over".
Q6 Pairs of words in sentences
These pairs are near-identical in sound but unrelated in meaning, so each sentence has to carry enough context that the meaning would be obvious even to a reader who did not know the word.
(ii) Draught, Drought
Draught: A cold draught came through the window frame all night and kept Ayesha awake.
Drought: Three years of drought left the wells around Tharparkar dry and the herds thin.
(iv) Momentary, Momentous
Momentary: There was a momentary silence in the hall before the applause began.
Momentous: The passing of the resolution in March 1940 was a momentous occasion in the history of the subcontinent.
(v) Compliment, Complement
Compliment: The principal paid Saad a compliment on the clarity of his presentation.
Complement: The tangy chutney complements the richness of the nihari perfectly.
(vi) Eminent, Imminent
Eminent: Dr. Abdus Salam remains the most eminent physicist Pakistan has produced.
Imminent: The dark clouds over Murree made it clear that a storm was imminent.
(viii) Immigrant, Emigrant
Immigrant: Her grandfather arrived in Karachi as an immigrant in 1947 and never left the city again.
Emigrant: Thousands of emigrants leave Pakistan for the Gulf every year in search of work.
What makes these sentences work
The last pair shows the principle most clearly. Immigrant and emigrant describe the same person from opposite ends of the same journey, so the only way to prove you know the difference is to make the direction visible. "Arrived in Karachi" and "leave Pakistan" do that work. A sentence without direction proves nothing at all.
Q7 Urdu to English translation
This passage is a parable rather than an argument, and its meaning sits in its tone, so the translation has to preserve a storyteller's cadence as well as the sense of the words.
Model translation
The old man said that beyond the forest there stands a mountain on which grows the flower whose fragrance restores the light lost to the eyes. But the mountain is very high, and it is strewn with countless crags, with thorny scrub and with great boulders that block the way. Many have come to climb this mountain and many have gone away again, yet no one has ever come who reached the flower. Perhaps this is why there is sorrow and suffering in the world, and why man is still in search of the light.
How to handle a passage like this
Keep the parable's rhythm. The Urdu builds its obstacles in a list of three, crags, thorny scrub and boulders, and the repetition is doing work. The English keeps all three and repeats "with" to preserve the accumulation. Compressing them into "many obstacles" would be accurate and lifeless.
Do not explain the ending. The last sentence turns from the story to a reflection on human life, and it does so without warning or commentary. Adding a phrase such as "the moral of this is" would destroy the effect the passage was built to produce.
Watch the tenses. The old man's speech is reported, but the mountain is described in the present, because it is presented as still standing. Shifting everything into the past would be a defensible choice, yet it loses the sense that the flower is still there and still unreached.
The question paper is reproduced from the Federal Public Service Commission's CSS 2023 English (Précis & Composition) paper for study purposes. Part I was attempted on a separate OMR sheet and does not appear in the FPSC question paper itself; the MCQs given here are compiled from candidate recollections of that section. The answers are our own and are offered as one good attempt, not as an official key.