English Comprehension and Communication
What the section tests
English Comprehension and Communication tests reading accuracy, vocabulary in context, grammar, and the ability to write clear, concise English. NIFT's GAT favours practical communication-choose the sentence that is grammatically correct, logically ordered, and precise.
Core rules and concepts
- Reading comprehension: locate the topic sentence, track the author's tone, separate stated fact from inference, and reject extreme options ('always', 'never') unless the passage supports them.
- Vocabulary: use context before memory. Roots and affixes help: 'bene-' good, 'mal-' bad, '-cred-' believe. Distinguish affect (verb) / effect (noun), its / it's, principal / principle.
- Grammar: make verbs agree with the nearer subject in 'neither…nor'; keep tense consistent; place modifiers next to the word they modify; maintain parallelism in lists.
- Para jumbles: find the opening sentence that introduces the topic without unexplained pronouns; link sentences through pronouns, conjunctions, and chronology; test the sequence by reading it aloud silently.
- Communication: prefer active voice, cut redundancy ('end result', 'past history'), and match tone to purpose.
Worked example
Choose the correct sentence: 'Neither the designer nor the models was ready for the show.' Reasoning: in a neither…nor construction, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it-'models' is plural, so use 'were'. The singular 'was' would be correct with 'Neither the designer nor the model was…'. This is agreement by proximity, not by the first noun.
Traps that cost marks
Answering from general knowledge instead of the passage; treating 'none' as always singular; misplaced modifiers ('Walking to the studio, the rain started'); confusing similar-sounding words; choosing a word because it sounds impressive rather than because it fits the context.