Verbal Ability
What to master
Verbal Ability tests practical English: vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms), analogies, grammar and correct usage, sentence completion, paragraph organization, and reading comprehension. Review subject–verb agreement, pronoun reference, tense consistency, modifier placement, preposition use, and connectors such as however, therefore, and although. For vocabulary, learn words in context; for reading, separate main idea from supporting detail and inference.
Traps
Watch for a synonym that is close but wrong in tone or part of speech, analogies with reversed direction, and agreement errors caused by phrases between subject and verb. Misplaced modifiers, double negatives, and choices that are true but do not answer the question are common. In sentence completion, do not let a familiar word override the sentence’s logic. In paragraph organization, test logical order: general to specific, chronological, or cause–effect.
Worked example
Choose the correct verb: “Each of the applicants ___ submitted the form.” The subject is “Each,” singular, so use “has.” The phrase “of the applicants” does not change the subject. Rule of thumb: remove prepositional phrases before checking agreement. For analogies, state the relationship in a full sentence, e.g. “A pen is used for writing,” then keep the same direction and part of speech in the answer.