CAT 2014 registration is over with the registration count of 1.90 lakhs. The number is the clear indicator that 1.90 lakhs CAT 2014 aspirants will be in the field to compete for 19 IIMs and other top B schools. Those who go for better and steady preparation strategy will therefore get an edge. The week in hand is a good time to improve the pace of practice for CAT 2014 to get this edge.
Immediately after CAT 2014 registration got over festival season has brought a series of holidays and accordingly the week in hand is filled with holidays and festivals. In your buoyant mood of festivities please do not let loose the grip on your CAT 2014 preparation. The preparation must get a shot in arm during this weekend. In fact a good opportunity in the form of consecutive holidays has arrived before the CAT 2014 aspirants. Prof SK Agarwal, author and expert in Verbal Area suggests how to convert this windfall of consecutive holidays in your favour and give a push to your preparation for CAT 2014 this weekend.
Fundamentals: Learn and practice
CAT aspirants usually remain in search of ways and means to strengthen their fundamentals of English Language. But there is always dearth of time and the problem is more acute with the working professionals who are preparing for CAT 2014. The problem is not so difficult as perceived to solve it and get to the core of the issue but it needs time to spend focused on understanding the concept and correlating it to the specific contextual usage.
This fact is ignored by the teacher and taught both. Even the preparation centres also go by individual problems without making it a part of comprehensive concept. The result is while aspirant solves one question with certain tip he/she gets stuck in case some twisted form of the paragraph/sentence appears before him. It is therefore the need of the hour that aspirants should understand what types of questions they can face, where they lack and what improvement in learning the fundamentals is required.
In the following article CAT 2014 aspirants will not only learn the types of questions expected in CAT 2014 but they will also learn certain rules on fundamentals which are required to solve different types of questions based on fundamentals of English language.
Although CAT 2014 aspirants may not encounter any structural changes in the Verbal Ability section, the importance of practicing more in the area of error correction in sentences and paragraphs should not be undermined. In this expert article you may learn the five most important types of error correction questions with relevant tips to solve them. The suggestion from the expert is that you should go for more and more practice of such type of questions.
Error correction in paragraphs and sentences is a very important part of Verbal Ability section and the question types may vary from year to year. For example, CAT 2013 did not ask the aspirants to re-write or correct the underlined sentences, although there were paragraphs from which correct or incorrect sentences had to be picked out. Wrong attempts on these two-three questions may take you out of the fray and the right attempts may enable you to enter your desired B-school. Fraction of the percentile counts, please remember.
Types of Questions with sample Exercises
Following Five types of questions, based on fundamentals of Grammar, Verb Agreements in paragraphs and sentences may appear in CAT-2014. Questions on corrections in paragraphs appear year after year and sometimes CAT substitutes them with other types. More and more practice is therefore required. More practice using tips and tricks in right direction will definitely help you to perform better in this area.
Spotting the errors in underlined Parts of sentences
The question consists of a sentence, a part of which is underlined. Four options ( A,B,C,D) are given to replace the underlined clause. It can be a part of sentence, a phrase, an idiom with incorrect syntax, tense, verb or other grammatical errors which may or may not exist. Option A is same as the question. The test taker is directed to pick out the most appropriate option that should replace the underlined clause in terms of standard written English.
Q.1 Direction – Below are given the sentences in which a part or the complete sentences have 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.
Q.1 Although the proceedings went on for one year or so, we are not aware what were the verdict of the gentlemen of jury?
A. we are not aware what were the verdict of the gentlemen of jury?
B. we are not aware what the verdict of the gentlemen of jury were?
C. we are not aware what the verdict of the gentlemen of jury was.
D. we are not aware what was the verdict of the gentlemen of jury?
1.A 2. B 3. C 4. D
Q.1-Ans. 4.D- Explanation- ‘Jury’ is a collective noun, when the decision is collective it is supposed to be placed in singular number and should be followed by singular verb. However, in case the jury is divided in decision, we will write – The jury are divided in their verdict (it indicates all the individual members of Jury)
When Complete sentence is underlined
The question comprises an underlined sentence which may or may not be correct as per the rules of standard written English. Again, four options ( A,B,C,D) are given to replace the underlined sentence. Option A is same as the question. The test taker is directed to pick out the most appropriate option that should replace the underlined sentence in terms of standard written English.
Sample Question with answer explanation-
Q.2 My neighbour as well as his wife always discuss the family problems before me.
A. My neighbour as well as his wife always discuss the family problems before me.
B. My neighbour as well as his wife have always discussed the family problems before me.
C. My neighbour as well as his wife always discusses the family problems before me.
D. My neighbour as well as his wife are always discussing the family problems before me.
A 2. B 3. C 4. D
Q.2 Ans. 3.C-Explanation- Compound word ‘as well as’ is followed by the verb and pronouns in accordance with the former (first) subject. We must write – The Principal as well as the teachers is coming; use of plural verb ‘are’ will be wrong
Re-writing of entire sentence
There is no underlined part of sentence. It may contain one error, multiple errors or no error. Four options (A, B, C, D) with the re-written sentence structure are given and the most appropriate one has to be picked out. There may be the direction to the aspirant in the beginning of the question like- ‘ if you think, sentence needs re-writing, do not waste your time reading option ‘A’ as it is same as the question’. Proceed accordingly as close reading of Option A is required in case, you find no error or unable to find any error in the question. In this case all the options are required to be closely read before marking the correct answer.
Sample Question with answer
Direction- Below is given a sentence which may or may not be correct as per the rules of standard written English. The sentence is followed by four options labelled A,B,C & D. Option A is the same as the question. If you think that that no improvement is required in the sentence, choose option A, else do not waste your time reading this option. Please select the most appropriate option, out of the four options given for the following sentence, which, in your view, should be the correct one in terms of rules of standard written English including usage of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Please note that the meaning & context of the sentence must not change.
Q.3 Although I know the answer already and he invited me to visit him often, since I just have seen her in the square, I am never determined to yield this point.
A. Although I know the answer already and he invited me to visit him often, since I just have seen her in the square, I am never determined to yield this point.
B. Although I have already known the answer and he invited me to visit him often but since I just have seen her in the square, I am never determined to yield this point.
C. Although I knew the answer already, and he has often invited me to visit him, since I just have seen her in the square, I am never determined to yield this point.
D. Although I already know the answer and he often invited me to visit him , since I have just seen her in the square, I am determined never to yield this point.
1. A 2. B 3. C. 4.D
Q.3. Ans-. 4. D - Explanation – Adverb modifies a verb/an adjective or an adverb. Place it before the verb i.e. ‘already know’, ‘often invited’, ‘have just seen’, ‘ determined never to yield this point – i.e. I will never compromise/surrender on this point, it is not ’never determined’ –it will mean –adverb never is giving emphasis on the determination of the subject ‘I’ besides this is the particular point which is never to be yielded.
Marking the correct sentences in a paragraph
This is the most common question type that appears almost in every session of CAT. The question consists of four sentences, forming a paragraph, out of them one or more sentences or all the sentences, may be correct. The options (A,B,C,D) are given accordingly and you are supposed to mark the most appropriate option that identifies the correct sentences in the paragraph.
Sample question with answer
Direction for question- In the following question please identity the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Choose the most appropriate option.
Q.4
A. If you couldn’t find my umbrella, you may tell me so that
B. I will ask someone over there to help me find out the same
C. As you know, it is still raining cats and dogs outside this shelter,
D. and the gentleman, who has just dropped us to this bus shelter in his car, also left us.
E. Now we cannot do anything else but to wait for someone who can help us.
1. A&E 2.C&D 3. BD&E 4.C&E 5. A&D
Q.4 Answer- 4. C&E- Explanation -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, as this type of error creates more confusion. So a good deal of practice is required of various parts of speech in grammar alongwith correct use of punctuation.
B. Incorrect- I would ask someone over there to help me find out the same (use would- clause is connected to if clause, again the same structure- would/should/could might+base verb)
C. Correct- As you know ,it is still raining cats and dogs outside this shelter,( Cats & Dogs-use of idiom, verb is correct)
D. Incorrect -and the gentleman, who has just dropped us to this bus shelter in his car, has also left us (Incorrect, instead use- has left –parallel action “ has just dropped” “has left”. If the sentence were framed –“ and the gentleman who dropped us to this bus shelter in his car a few minutes ago, has also left”-it would be correct.
E. Correct-Now we can’t do anything else but to wait for someone who can help us. (Correct)
Marking the incorrect sentences in a paragraph
It is opposite to earlier one. Here also, you are given four sentences- the difference is that you have to mark the incorrect sentences, which may be one or more. Right choice of options can be exercised by following the rules of grammar, syntax and verbosity.
Sample Questions with answer
Direction-Q. 1 & 2 In each 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
Q.5
A. The hunter shot three tigers while in the forest but couldn’t lie
B. his hands on any of them as it transpired a cunning old man hid them
C. under wild bush in the forest. I suggest that when you get there
D. go into the third door on your right to see the old man.
1. A&B 2.A,B&C 3. B,C&D 4. A,C&D
Q.5 Answer- 2.A,B & C- A-couldn’t lay; B-it transpired that.. C- ‘that’ should not be used before ‘when’;
Important tips
- Your answers should conform to ‘Standard Written English’ as per British Language and not as per American English
- Go for more exercises based on the concepts you have learnt along with other questions about which you know a little.
- Use complete words and sentences in proper writing style. It will help you to spot the spelling and punctuation errors in sentences and paragraphs.
- Errors are sometimes very simple ones. In our anxiety to find out something big, we tend to skip them like use of singular, plural, punctuation marks, preposition, infinitive etc. the suggestion is to read attentively. Sometimes sentences, when spoken a little aloud, make you feel that something is awkward in their formation. So, be careful.
What you should study
Study the basics like Parts of speech, subject verb agreement, time zones, contextual usage of vocabulary words. Once your basics are clear you can solve other questions with more accuracy and speed.
Practice more questions
CAT 2014 will be a longer duration exam. You must learn to sit longer and solve more questions. It will be better to solve one mock test of 100 questions during these holidays in a single sitting and without any break.
Related Links
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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more preparation tips on CAT 2014
