IBPS PO English Language Syllabus

Give the meaning of the idiom 'to make a mountain out of a molehill'.

To exaggerate a small or trivial problem and treat it as much more serious than it is.

Give the meaning of the idiom 'to call it a day'.

To stop working on something for the day or to decide that an activity is finished.

Give the meaning of the idiom 'a wild goose chase'.

A foolish, hopeless, or pointless pursuit of something unattainable.

What is the difference between the simple past and the present perfect tense?

The simple past refers to a completed action at a specific past time ('I ate at 8'), while the present perfect links a past action to the present with no specific time and emphasizes the result ('I have eaten').

What is the difference between the past perfect and the simple past tense?

When two past actions occur, the past perfect ('had + V3') marks the earlier action and the simple past marks the later one (e.g., 'The train had left before I reached the station').

State the subject-verb agreement rule for sentences beginning with 'Each', 'Every', 'Everyone', or 'Nobody'.

These are singular and take a singular verb (e.g., 'Each of the boys is present', 'Everyone has arrived').

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for 'a number of' versus 'the number of'?

'A number of' means 'many' and takes a plural verb ('A number of students are absent'); 'the number of' refers to a single total and takes a singular verb ('The number of students is rising').

What subject-verb agreement rule applies to nouns like 'news', 'mathematics', 'politics', and 'measles'?

Though they end in '-s', they are singular and take a singular verb (e.g., 'The news is good', 'Mathematics is difficult').

What is the subject-verb agreement rule when the subject is connected by 'as well as', 'along with', 'together with', or 'in addition to'?

The verb agrees with the first (main) subject, not with the noun after these phrases (e.g., 'The teacher, as well as the students, is present').

What does the 'theme' of a passage mean, and how does it differ from the topic?

The topic is what the passage is literally about (the subject), while the theme is the central message, insight, or underlying idea the author conveys about that topic.

What is a 'satirical' tone, and how is it identified in a passage?

A satirical tone uses irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's follies or vices; it is identified by mocking exaggeration and a critical, humorous edge directed at a target.

Distinguish between an 'objective' tone and a 'subjective' tone in a passage.

An objective tone is neutral, factual, and impersonal, presenting information without personal feelings; a subjective tone reflects the author's personal opinions, emotions, or biases.

What is a 'cause-and-effect' connector, and give three examples used in Sentence Connector questions?

A cause-and-effect connector links a reason to a result. Examples: 'therefore', 'consequently', 'as a result', 'hence', and 'thus'.

Which connectors are used to add information or list points, as tested in Sentence Connector/Starter questions?

Additive connectors such as 'moreover', 'furthermore', 'in addition', 'besides', and 'also'.

Which connectors signal a sequence or order of ideas in Sentence Starter questions?

Sequencing connectors such as 'firstly', 'then', 'subsequently', 'meanwhile', 'finally', and 'thereafter'.

What is the difference between 'because' and 'because of' in usage?

'Because' is a conjunction followed by a clause (subject + verb): 'He failed because he was careless.' 'Because of' is a preposition followed by a noun/noun phrase: 'He failed because of carelessness.'

What is the difference between the commonly confused words 'affect' and 'effect'?

'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('Rain affects crops'); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning the result ('The effect of rain on crops').

What is the difference between the commonly confused words 'accept' and 'except'?

'Accept' is a verb meaning to receive or agree to ('I accept the offer'); 'except' is a preposition meaning excluding ('Everyone came except John').

What is the difference between 'lie' and 'lay' as commonly tested in error detection?

'Lie' is intransitive (no object) meaning to recline — lie/lay/lain; 'lay' is transitive (needs an object) meaning to place — lay/laid/laid (e.g., 'I lie down' vs 'I lay the book on the table').

What is the difference between 'among' and 'between' in usage?

'Between' is used for two persons/things or distinct individual items; 'among' is used for more than two within a group (e.g., 'between you and me' vs 'among the students').

What is the rule for using 'much', 'many', 'little', and 'few' with countable and uncountable nouns?

'Many' and 'few' are used with countable plural nouns (many books, few books); 'much' and 'little' are used with uncountable nouns (much water, little time).

In a Cloze Test, what does a contrast clue like 'but', 'however', or 'although' tell you about the missing word?

It signals that the blank should contain a word opposite in meaning or direction to the idea before it, indicating a shift or contradiction.

What is the difference between the contracted forms 'its' and 'it's'?

'Its' is the possessive form ('The dog wagged its tail'); 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is' or 'it has' ('It's raining').

What is the difference between the words 'compliment' and 'complement'?

A 'compliment' is a remark of praise; a 'complement' is something that completes or goes well with another thing (e.g., 'The wine complements the meal').

What is an 'active voice' versus 'passive voice' sentence, and how is voice changed?

In active voice the subject performs the action ('She wrote a letter'); in passive voice the object becomes the subject and the verb uses 'be + past participle' ('A letter was written by her').

What is the rule for using 'farther' versus 'further'?

'Farther' refers to physical/literal distance ('He ran farther'); 'further' refers to figurative or additional degree/extent ('further information', 'further discussion').

What is the difference between 'advice' and 'advise'?

'Advice' is a noun meaning a recommendation ('Take my advice'); 'advise' is a verb meaning to recommend ('I advise you to rest').

What is a 'reflexive pronoun', and when is it correctly used?

A reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, themselves, etc.) is used when the subject and object are the same person ('He hurt himself'). It should not replace a normal subject or object pronoun ('between you and me', not 'myself').

In summary/main-idea writing for comprehension, what should be excluded from a good summary?

Exclude examples, illustrations, statistics, repetitions, the reader's own opinions, and minor supporting details — retain only the author's central ideas and key supporting points.

What is the difference between a 'phrase' and a 'clause', as tested in sentence structure?

A phrase is a group of related words without a subject-verb pair ('on the table', 'running fast'); a clause contains both a subject and a verb ('she ran') and can be independent or dependent.