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25+ marks in English section of CLAT now within your grip
Study English for half an hour every day for one month in order to score well. This dedicated study hones your language skills and enables you to put up a decent score.
Follow an easy method to prepare for English. List five sections on the basis of importance and ease.
- Reading comprehension
- Fill in the blanks
- Sentence rearrangement
- Fundamentals of grammar
- Word power
Topics that do not require you to be Excellent in English:
1. Reading Comprehension
Inculcate the habit of reading every day. Curl up with a book of any genre, read newspapers and magazines. Solving comprehension questions becomes easy this way. Though reading passages appears time-consuming, it is a scoring part if you are familiar with the tricks. To begin with, practice one passage from CLAT papers of the earlier years to form an idea about the level of difficulty. Consult preparation guides and practice comprehension passages to develop expertise.
Pattern of questions in Reading Comprehension
- Questions on the information in the passage
- Questions on what can be inferred from the information provided in the passage
- An apt title for the passage
- Summary of the Paragraph
- Antonyms /synonyms of words in the passage
- Meaning of legal jargon from the passage
Do not spend more than 10 minutes on a passage with 10 questions.
2. Para jumbles
Impeccable knowledge of English is not necessary to answer para jumbles (jumbled sentences). Regular practice improves your speed and accuracy. Some common tricks used to solve parajumbles can definitely help.
3. Fill in the Blanks /Cloze test
If you grasp the theme of the paragraph or sentence, it becomes easy to fill the blanks with appropriate words from the options. These questions test how well you understand what the sentence or passage conveys.
Topics that require good English
Analyse the question papers of the previous years. Topics covered in CLAT are simple and manageable. You will find very few questions demanding good command over the language. Brush up the topics listed above and put up a score of 25+ marks out of 40 in English.
1. Vocabulary
Build vocabulary by reading newspapers and magazines regularly. The commonly used words, phrases, idioms and foreign language words that appear in newspapers form the bulk of vocabulary related questions in the exam.
The popular word lists found online are helpful for those who prepare throughout the year. ‘Word Power Made Easy’ by Norman Lewis is a good reference book for enriching vocabulary if you have plenty of time to prepare for the test.
2. Grammar
Make notes while polishing grammar. Concentrate on weak areas, learn the basics of grammar and apply the rules learnt to various grammar practice exercises.
Revising the basics will help you to improve:
- Sentence Correction /Phrase Replacement
- Spotting the Error
Building vocabulary is difficult. Improving grammar is relatively easy.
Solve question papers and take online mock tests
Ensure ample practice-oriented study to make your efforts succeed. Candidates must familiarize themselves with the pattern being followed over the years by solving question papers of the earlier years. Taking online mock tests with sincerity and within stipulated time will enable candidates to realise their weak areas. Besides, they gather the actual feel of the examination. Toil hard. Burn the proverbial midnight oil.
Wish you all success.
Special thanks from Opus