English Language
English Language
The English section tests reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, sentence correction, cloze and para-jumbles. RBI JE questions are usually moderate; accuracy in grammar rules matters more than long reading.
Core grammar
- Subject–verb agreement: 'the number of' takes a singular verb; 'a number of' takes plural. 'One of the + plural noun' takes a singular verb for the main clause.
- Neither/nor and either/or: verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Tense consistency: do not shift from past to present without a time marker.
- Modifiers: place 'only', 'almost', and participial phrases next to the word they modify.
- Parallelism: lists must match form (noun–noun, gerund–gerund).
Reading and vocabulary
Read the passage's first and last sentences for the main idea; answer evidence-based questions by locating the line. For cloze, test collocation and preposition, not just meaning. Para-jumbles: find the opening (independent sentence) and mandatory pairs (pronoun–antecedent, however/therefore links).
Worked example
Choose the correct sentence: 'The number of branches have increased' or 'The number of branches has increased.' Reasoning: the subject is 'the number' (singular), not 'branches'; 'of branches' is a prepositional phrase. Correct: 'The number of branches has increased.' If the sentence were 'A number of branches have increased', plural 'have' is correct.
Traps
'One of the officers who was...' - 'who' refers to officers, so 'were' is often correct; but 'one of the officers was' for the main verb. Also watch 'since/for', 'between/among', 'less/fewer', and double negatives.