GATE Ecology and Evolution General Aptitude Syllabus

General Aptitude syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Aptitude in GATE Ecology and Evolution, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Verbal Aptitude

   3 topics

   • Basic English grammar
     • Tenses
     • Articles
     • Adjectives
     • Prepositions
     • Conjunctions
     • Verb-noun agreement
     • Other parts of speech
   • Basic vocabulary
     • Words
     • Idioms
     • Phrases in context
   • Reading and comprehension
     • Narrative sequencing
2. 2

   Quantitative Aptitude

   3 topics

   • Data interpretation
     • Data graphs (bar graphs, pie charts, and other graphs representing the data)
     • 2- and 3-dimensional plots
     • Maps and tables
   • Numerical computation and estimation
     • Ratios
     • Percentages
     • Powers
     • Exponents and logarithms
     • Permutations and combinations
     • Series
   • Mensuration and geometry
     • Elementary statistics and probability
3. 3

   Analytical Aptitude

   1 topic

   • Logic
     • Deduction and induction
     • Analogy
     • Numerical relations and reasoning
4. 4

   Spatial Aptitude

   2 topics

   • Transformation of shapes
     • Translation
     • Rotation
     • Scaling
     • Mirroring
     • Assembling and grouping
   • Paper folding, cutting, and patterns in 2 and 3 dimensions

General Aptitude flashcards for GATE Ecology and Evolution

22 of 50 cards from the General Aptitude deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In English grammar, what are the eight traditional parts of speech?

   Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

2. What is the basic function of a 'verb' in a sentence?

   A verb expresses an action (run, write), an occurrence (happen), or a state of being (is, seem); it is the predicate core of a clause.

3. Name the three principal tenses in English and what time each refers to.

   Present (current/habitual action), past (action already completed), and future (action yet to occur).

4. What are the four aspects each tense can take in English?

   Simple, continuous (progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous.

5. Identify the tense and aspect: 'She has been studying for three hours.'

   Present perfect continuous tense (has been + present participle), showing an action that started in the past and continues into the present.

6. What is the correct past tense and past participle of the irregular verb 'go'?

   Past tense: 'went'; past participle: 'gone' (e.g., 'I went' / 'I have gone').

7. In English, what are the three articles and how are they classified?

   'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles; 'the' is the definite article.

8. State the rule for choosing between the indefinite articles 'a' and 'an'.

   Use 'a' before a word beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before a word beginning with a vowel sound (sound, not spelling): 'a university', 'an hour'.

9. When is the definite article 'the' used rather than an indefinite article?

   'The' is used for specific or previously mentioned nouns, unique things (the sun), and superlatives (the best), whereas 'a/an' introduce something general or first-mentioned.

10. What is an adjective, and what question does it typically answer about a noun?

    An adjective modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun, answering questions like 'which?', 'what kind?', or 'how many?' (e.g., 'tall', 'three', 'blue').

11. What is the order of comparison for adjectives, with an example using 'big'?

    Positive, comparative, superlative: big, bigger, biggest. Comparatives compare two items; superlatives compare three or more.

12. How are comparatives and superlatives formed for most long (multi-syllable) adjectives?

    By adding 'more'/'most' before the adjective instead of the suffixes -er/-est: 'more beautiful', 'most beautiful'.

13. What is a preposition, and what does it link?

    A preposition is a word (in, on, at, by, with, between) that shows the relationship—of place, time, or direction—between a noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence.

14. Choose the correct preposition: 'The meeting is ___ Monday ___ 9 a.m.'

    'The meeting is on Monday at 9 a.m.' Use 'on' for days/dates and 'at' for clock times.

15. What is the difference in usage between the prepositions 'between' and 'among'?

    'Between' is used for two items or distinct individual items; 'among' is used for three or more items considered as a group.

16. What is a conjunction, and what are its two main types?

    A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. The two main types are coordinating conjunctions (joining equal elements) and subordinating conjunctions (joining a dependent clause to a main clause).

17. List the seven coordinating conjunctions remembered by the acronym FANBOYS.

    For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

18. Give three common subordinating conjunctions and their function.

    'Because', 'although', and 'when' (others: if, since, while). They introduce a dependent clause and show its relationship—cause, contrast, condition, or time—to the main clause.

19. State the rule of subject-verb agreement for number.

    A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'The dog runs' vs. 'The dogs run').

20. In subject-verb agreement, what verb form is used with two singular subjects joined by 'and' versus joined by 'or'?

    Subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb ('Tom and Jerry are here'); when joined by 'or'/'nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject ('Tom or his friends are here').

21. Do collective nouns like 'team' or 'committee' usually take a singular or plural verb in standard usage?

    They normally take a singular verb when treated as a single unit ('The team wins'), though a plural verb is used when emphasizing the individual members.

22. What is an adverb, and what four things can it modify or describe?

    An adverb typically modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a whole sentence, often answering how, when, where, or to what degree (e.g., 'quickly', 'very', 'yesterday').

See more General Aptitude flashcards →

Planning General Aptitude for GATE Ecology and Evolution

General Aptitude (GATE Ecology and Evolution) FAQ