English Language and Verbal Reasoning
Core concepts
Verbal reasoning rewards precise reading, not speed alone. Revise vocabulary in context (synonyms, antonyms, one-word substitutes), grammar and usage (subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, modifiers, pronouns, prepositions, articles), sentence completion and cloze, para-jumbles, and reading comprehension including main idea, tone, inference, and author's assumption. For comprehension, separate what is stated from what is implied; for grammar, identify the head noun before checking agreement.
Traps
Common traps include absolute words such as always, never, only, and all; options that are true but do not answer the question; scope shifts from one group to another; reversed cause and effect; and pronoun ambiguity. In sentence completion, a contrast cue such as although or despite signals an opposite idea, while and or moreover signals continuation. In para-jumbles, look for pronoun and article links, chronological order, and general-to-specific flow.
Worked example
Complete: Although the witness was visibly ______, her testimony was remarkably ______. A) calm - confused B) agitated - coherent C) nervous - vague D) cheerful - irrelevant The contrast word although requires opposing ideas. Agitated contrasts with coherent, so B fits. A and C repeat the same negative direction; D is unrelated.
Rule of thumb
Predict your own answer before reading options, then eliminate on evidence. Underline the exact phrase in the passage that supports your choice; if no phrase supports it, do not select it.