English Language
English Language in IBPS PO tests reading comprehension, grammar and usage: cloze test, error detection, sentence improvement, para jumbles, fillers, word usage and swap, and match-the-column. RC carries substantial weight and tests main idea, inference, tone and vocabulary in context.
Core rules
- In RC, distinguish stated detail from inference; the correct inference must be supported by the passage, not by general knowledge.
- For para jumbles, find the opening sentence, often definitional with no pronoun reference, and link connectors such as 'however', 'therefore' and 'this'.
- Subject-verb agreement: 'one of the + plural noun' takes a singular verb; 'neither...nor' agrees with the nearer subject.
- In sentence improvement, check parallelism, modifier placement and tense consistency before choosing a better-sounding option.
Worked example
'Neither the manager nor the clerks was aware of the change.' The correlative pair 'neither...nor' takes a verb agreeing with the nearer subject, 'clerks' (plural), so 'was' should be 'were': 'Neither the manager nor the clerks were aware of the change.'
Traps
Do not reject an option only because it is wordy; grammatical accuracy can outweigh brevity. In fillers, a word may fit grammatically but not collocate: 'make a decision', not 'do a decision'. In error detection, watch articles, prepositions and countability. In RC, avoid extreme options with 'always' or 'never' unless the passage is absolute.