CUET UG English (Language) Syllabus

English (Language) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English (Language) in CUET UG, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading Comprehension

   3 topics

   • Factual Passages
     • Locating explicit information
     • Note-making and summary points
   • Literary Passages
     • Theme, tone and mood
     • Figurative language and inference
   • Narrative and Discursive Passages
     • Author's purpose and viewpoint
     • Drawing conclusions
2. 2

   Verbal Ability

   4 topics

   • Rearrangement
     • Jumbled words
     • Para-jumbles and sentence ordering
   • Synonyms and Antonyms
     • Word meanings in context
   • One-word Substitution and Idioms
     • Idioms and phrases
     • Proverbs
   • Spotting Errors
     • Sentence improvement
3. 3

   Grammar and Usage

   3 topics

   • Parts of Speech
     • Nouns, pronouns and articles
     • Verbs, adverbs and adjectives
   • Tenses and Voice
     • Tense usage and sequence
     • Active and passive voice
   • Sentence Structure
     • Subject-verb agreement
     • Direct and indirect speech
     • Prepositions and conjunctions
4. 4

   Vocabulary Building

   3 topics

   • Word Formation
     • Prefixes, suffixes and roots
   • Fill in the Blanks
     • Single and double blanks
     • Cloze test
   • Confusable Words
     • Homophones and homonyms

English (Language) flashcards for CUET UG

18 of 49 cards from the English (Language) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a factual passage in reading comprehension?

   A passage that presents information, facts, instructions, or descriptions objectively (e.g., reports, advertisements, notices) without the author's personal opinions or emotions; comprehension focuses on retrieving stated information.

2. What is a literary passage and what kinds of texts fall under it?

   A passage drawn from creative writing such as poems, extracts from novels, short stories, or plays; it requires interpreting figurative language, tone, theme, and the author's deeper meaning rather than just literal facts.

3. How does a discursive passage differ from a narrative passage?

   A narrative passage tells a story or describes a sequence of events; a discursive passage presents arguments, opinions, and discussion of an issue (often weighing different viewpoints) to persuade or analyse.

4. What is the difference between 'inference' and 'fact-retrieval' questions in passage comprehension?

   Fact-retrieval questions ask for information stated directly in the text; inference questions ask for a conclusion logically implied but not explicitly stated, requiring the reader to read 'between the lines'.

5. In reading comprehension, what is the 'main idea' of a passage?

   The central point or overall message the author wants to convey, which the whole passage supports; it is broader than any single detail and often found in the topic sentence or implied throughout.

6. What does 'tone' refer to in a literary passage?

   The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice and style (e.g., sarcastic, formal, nostalgic, critical, humorous, sympathetic).

7. What is the goal of a sentence-rearrangement (jumbled sentences) question?

   To reorder a set of scrambled sentences into a coherent, logically sequenced paragraph, using cohesion clues such as pronoun references, connectors, time order, and the opening/concluding sentences.

8. What clues help identify the correct opening sentence in a rearrangement task?

   The opening sentence usually introduces the main subject independently, contains no back-referencing pronouns (it, this, they) or connectors (however, therefore), and sets the context for the rest.

9. What is a synonym? Give an example.

   A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. Example: 'happy' and 'joyful'.

10. What is an antonym? Give an example.

    A word that has the opposite meaning of another word. Example: 'increase' and 'decrease'.

11. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'abundant'.

    Synonym: plentiful / ample. Antonym: scarce / insufficient.

12. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'benevolent'.

    Synonym: kind / generous. Antonym: malevolent / cruel.

13. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'transparent'.

    Synonym: clear / see-through. Antonym: opaque.

14. What is one-word substitution? Give an example.

    Replacing a phrase or a group of words with a single precise word. Example: 'a person who knows many languages' = polyglot.

15. What single word means 'a person who studies the past through artefacts and remains'?

    Archaeologist.

16. What single word means 'a government run by a few people'?

    Oligarchy.

17. What single word means 'a place where birds are kept'?

    Aviary.

18. What single word means 'one who cannot read or write'?

    Illiterate.

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