CAT 2014 is 100 days away and if you have not geared up to fight the Error correction module and are short of understanding the fundamentals of Verbal Ability, you may not also be able to do so well in other modules of Vocabulary, Jumbled paragraphs and reading Comprehension.
If you are still having the wandering thoughts and your preparation of Verbal Ability section has not yet taken good shape, it can be a serious issue. Prof S K Agarwal, Expert on Verbal Ability preparation shares various types of anticipated questions, their preparation strategy and the core topics to prepare to excel in Error correction module. Correct answers to questions in Error correction module may improve your CAT percentile by 12 to 16 as 2 to 3 questions are expected on grammar and sentence correction in CAT 2014
Verbal Ability section broadly consists of four parts and Error correction in sentences or paragraphs is an important one. It is the foundation that enables you to build the structure of Verbal Ability in English. If you don’t have strong basics you cannot write a well framed and appealing language which could convey your message in true sense. The communication will go weak and may convey drastically different message.
Questions on error correction could be on correct usage of Grammar, punctuation, spelling, Tenses, compound or specific words- these areas are considered as the foundation on which the entire building of English language stands.
4 Types of questions that you may anticipate in CAT 2014
These questions, more or less could be based on any of the following four types. While one or two question types make their recurring presence in VA other forgotten types can throw surprises by making a comeback. So prepare well for all of them.
Type-1: Marking the correct sentences in a paragraph
This question type consists of four sentences, out of them one or more sentences may be correct. The options are given accordingly and you are supposed to mark the correct option. The correct sentences can be picked out, if you have clarity of rules of English Grammar, punctuation, spelling and tenses along with the syntax pattern for short and long sentences. you may have much difficulty in cracking this question if you do not have strong fundamentals. It will be better to revisit the standard 10th grammar and tenses and then move ahead. This type of error creates confusion and a good deal of preparation and practice is required.
Example
Direction- In the question there are four sentences or parts of sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar including, spelling, punctuation and usage. Pick out the most appropriate option, out of the options that follow the question
A. The host was gracious enough as we had warmly received and he
B. overwhelmed with joy whenever anything big or small demanded by our children,
C. the entire host family left no stone unturned to fulfil our desires and we began to
D. consider ourselves as if we had belonged to some great royalty.
1. A&C 2. B&D 3. A&B 4. C&D
Ans. 4.C&D. Explanation A&B are incorrect– had warmly been received (Adv. Of manner to be placed between auxiliary and principal verb in passive); B-was overwhelmed, was demanded
Type-2: Marking the incorrect sentences
It is opposite to earlier question type. Instead of finding out the correct sentences in the four lined paragraph, you have to pick the incorrect sentences, which may be one or more. Again the strong basics are required to solve this type of questions since they are based on rules of the core grammar, syntax and verbosity.
Another important aspect is that CAT every year places either of the above two types of questions and most of the candidates who do not focus on direction sometimes mark wrong options and thus invite avoidable penalty on wrong answers. Please therefore, read the direction carefully before going for an answer option.
Example
Direction- In the question there are four sentences or parts of sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) that is/are incorrect in terms of grammar including, spelling, punctuation and usage. Pick out the most appropriate option, out of the options that follow the question
A. It would have been better for the improvement of
B. socio-economic condition of our country if we
C. opted for some other form of Government and the
D. economic system than the one that exists now.
1. A&C 2. B&D 3. C only 4.D only
Ans with explanation- 3.C only– had opted. Use of unreal past indicating no probability. In such sentence we use past perfect with ‘if clause’ or conditional clause and place would/should/could/might+have+III form of the verb
Type-3: Correction of underlined clauses which may or may not be grammatically incorrect
This question is formed with a long sentence with an underlined part or clause of the question sentence. The question may contain wrong use of words, parts of speech, incorrect subject verb agreement. In fact it is a test of the aspirant whether he/she can effectively use the language with better and good communicative formation of sentences.
Four options are given to replace the underlined clause. It can be a part of sentence, complete sentence, a phrase, an idiom with incorrect syntax, tense, verb or other grammatical error. One of the options (Mostly option A) is same as in the question-which may or may not be correct. Wrong options will either change the message and context of the sentence or are written in more than required words-changing the necessary structure of the sentence.
If you find that the underlined part of the sentence is incorrect in one or other way, You may not waste time on reading the option A, as in most of the cases, it is the same as given in the question. Try to read carefully & concentrate on the shortest, aptly written option having no grammatical error, as this may be the correct choice.
Example
Direction – Below is given a sentence in which a part of the sentence has been underlined. Four options follow the question. The first of these repeats the original; the other three are different. If you think the original is the best, choose option A, else pick out the most appropriate option which, in your view expresses the best way of writing Standard English.
The judges finally distributed the awards among the most active children talking at length among themselves.
A. The judges finally distributed the awards among the most active children talking at length among themselves.
B. The judges finally distributed the awards talking at length among themselves.
C. The judges, talking at length among themselves finally distributed the awards among the most active children.
D. The judges distributed finally talking at length among themselves the awards among the most active children.
1. A 2.B 3.C 4.D
Ans-3C- Explanation-The judges, talking at length among themselves, finally distributed the awards among the most active children. (Participial phrase – modifies judges)
Type-4: Re-writing of entire sentence
This type of question does not have any underlined part of sentence but the entire sentence may have to re-written. Besides the sentence may contain one error, multiple errors or no error. Four options that follow the question have re-written sentences in different forms and you have to pick the most appropriate option. Option A, as in above repeats the question.
If you think that the sentence is not correct-either grammatically or syntax-wise, you may not waste time on reading option A. Close reading of Option A is required in case, you find no error or unable to find any error in the question. Since the question and the option A are same in most of the cases-reading either of the two will suffice. In this case all the options are required to be closely read before marking the correct answer.
Example
Direction – Below is given a sentence which is followed by four options. If you think there is no error in the question choose option A else choose the most appropriate option in accordance with the rules of standard written English.
I have been ill for fortnight and the Management as well as the school sports committee prefer to elect me the Captain of school team. Initially I thought that it was only in a fun but I was wrong.
A. I have been ill for fortnight and the Management as well as the school sports committee prefer to elect me the Captain of school team. Initially I thought that it was only in a fun but I was wrong.
B. I had been ill for the fortnight and the Management as well as the school sports committee prefer to elect me the Captain of school team. Initially I thought that it was only in a fun but I was wrong.
C. I have been ill for a fortnight and the Management as well as the school sports committee prefers to elect me Captain of school team. Initially I thought that it was only in fun but I was wrong.
D. I was ill for fortnight and Management as well as the school sports committee preferred to elect me the Captain of school team. Initially I thought that it was only in a fun but I was wrong.
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D
Ans. 3C. Explanation - “I have been ill for a fortnight and the Management as well as the school sports committee prefers to elect me Captain of school team. Initially I thought that it was only in fun but I was wrong.”
1.Fortnight - Last fortnight, the last fortnight, a fortnight – to be preceded by either article, adjective etc.
2.Management-collective noun; we use verb after as well as in agreement with the former subject i.e. Management and not as per the latter.
3.Election to a specific position is not preceded by article, so no use of ‘The’
4.Use of In a fun is not correct- Must use in fun, will be fun, remarked in fun etc.
How to prepare
What should you read to get expertise in the section of Error Correction is very important. Following topics are to be covered at length to solve questions on errors correction.
Learning the fundamentals is the key. Getting well versed with these topics would also be helpful in your preparation of vocabulary and jumbled paragraphs. Besides when it comes to WAT these topics will help you to go for error free writing skill.
Topics on Parts of speech
CAT has been placing number of questions on the usage of parts of speech in Grammar. Hence the suggestion is to begin with the use of Articles followed by such topics as Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, use of punctuations, conjunctions, Non finites, Misplaced and dangling modifiers. The list is although long but once you begin you will start enjoying their study.
Topics on structure of sentences
Subject-verb agreement is a very important phenomenon to understand the syntax. It will be a good idea to begin the study of time zones with Indefinite tenses followed by continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous tenses. Structure of sentences with special usage of specific words must be well understood for example usage of few, a few, the few, little, a little, the little, as well as, fairly, rather, either-or, neither-nor, and many more such words should be clearly understood.
Apart from these, framing of conditionals and unreal past, reported speech, usage of Voice should also be clear to you to win the CAT 2014 race.
Please remember that it is very important that one should be well versed with the fundamentals of grammar, which is the first and foremost step to achieve finesse in English. Once covered, rest assured your confidence level in usage of various distinctive parts of English language will be greater than earlier ever.
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