NDA (I) 2018 General Ability Test · Question 3 of 150

Correct — C, 'allowed'. When a court grants bail it formally permits something that lies within its power to permit, and 'allowed' carries exactly that sense — the court allowed bail. 'Grant' in this legal use means to accede to a request, not to give away property.

• (a)confessed — To confess is to admit one's own guilt or fault; a court hearing a bail plea is deciding a request, not admitting anything.
• (b)donated — To donate is to give money or goods as a gift or to charity, which belongs to the money sense of 'grant' — a research grant — and not to the sense used with bail.
• (d)yielded — To yield is to give way under pressure, or to produce a crop or a result; granting bail is an exercise of judicial discretion, not a concession forced on the court.

'Grant' has two everyday senses — to give money or a benefit, and to allow or accede to a request. With bail, permission and orders it is the second sense that is in play.

The decoys are built out of the other senses of 'grant', so the way through is to keep the whole phrase in view — 'granted bail' — rather than the verb on its own. As printed, the sentence calls the person 'the criminal' although bail is decided before any conviction; the wording is the paper's, and the item turns only on the verb.

• Bail is a court's permission for an accused person to stay out of custody while a case runs.
• 'Take something for granted' uses a third sense — to assume it without questioning it.
• The money sense survives in 'grant-in-aid' and 'a research grant'.

• Choosing 'donated' by reaching for the money sense of 'grant'.
• Choosing 'yielded' because a court appears to be giving in to a request.

Asked as a synonym item — choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Choose the word closest in meaning to 'sanctioned' in 'The government sanctioned the project.'

  • (a)approved
  • (b)cancelled
  • (c)delayed
  • (d)studied

  Answer(a) approved — with a project, 'sanction' means to give official permission.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Choose the word closest in meaning to 'granted' in 'The principal granted him leave.'

  • (a)refused
  • (b)allowed
  • (c)donated
  • (d)borrowed

  Answer(b) allowed — leave is permitted, not gifted.