IIFT Entrance Exam Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Syllabus

What is the basic structure (essential elements) of a simple English sentence?

A subject (who/what the sentence is about) and a predicate containing a finite verb; a complete sentence must express a complete thought. Optionally it has objects and complements.

State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

A verb must agree with its subject in number and person: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb (He writes / They write).

In subject-verb agreement, what verb form do two singular subjects joined by 'and' versus by 'or/nor' take?

Subjects joined by 'and' usually take a plural verb. With 'or/nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it (e.g., 'Neither the boys nor the girl is here').

Do indefinite pronouns like 'each', 'everyone', 'neither', 'someone' take singular or plural verbs?

They take singular verbs (Everyone is present; Each of the students has a book).

What is the 'sequence of tenses' rule when the main clause is in the past tense?

If the main verb is in the past tense, the subordinate clause verb is normally also in a past form (e.g., 'He said that he was ill'). Exception: a universal/eternal truth stays in the present tense ('He said that the earth is round').

When is the present perfect tense used, and how does it differ from the simple past?

Present perfect (has/have + past participle) links a past action to the present or refers to an unspecified time/result still relevant now ('I have finished'). Simple past refers to a completed action at a specific finished time ('I finished yesterday').

State the basic rule for using the definite article 'the' versus the indefinite articles 'a/an'.

'A/an' (indefinite) introduce a non-specific, singular countable noun mentioned for the first time; 'the' (definite) refers to a specific or previously mentioned noun known to both speaker and listener.

When do you use 'a' versus 'an'?

Use 'a' before a consonant sound (a book, a university—'yu' sound) and 'an' before a vowel sound (an apple, an hour—silent 'h'). It depends on the sound, not the letter.

What is the difference between a coordinating and a subordinating conjunction?

Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) join elements of equal grammatical rank; subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, when, since) join a dependent clause to an independent clause.

What is the standard prepositional usage: 'different from', 'different to', or 'different than'?

'Different from' is the standard, preferred form in formal English. 'Different than' is common in American usage, and 'different to' in British usage, but 'from' is safest for exams.

In error spotting, what is a 'dangling modifier' and how is it corrected?

A dangling modifier is a descriptive phrase whose intended subject is missing or unclear, so it appears to modify the wrong noun (e.g., 'Walking home, the rain started'). Fix it by giving the modified subject ('Walking home, I was caught in the rain').

What is a 'misplaced modifier'?

A modifier placed too far from the word it describes, causing ambiguity or unintended meaning (e.g., 'She almost drove the kids to school every day' should be 'She drove the kids to school almost every day').

What is the principle of 'parallelism' in sentence construction?

Items in a list, comparison, or series joined by coordinating/correlative conjunctions must be in the same grammatical form (e.g., 'She likes reading, writing, and painting'—all gerunds), not mixed forms.

What is 'redundancy' (pleonasm) in sentence correction? Give an example.

Redundancy is the unnecessary repetition of an idea using extra words that add no meaning. Examples: 'return back', 'free gift', 'past history', 'repeat again'—the second word should be removed.

With correlative conjunctions such as 'not only...but also' and 'either...or', what rule must be followed?

The elements following each part of the pair must be parallel in grammatical structure (e.g., 'not only running but also swimming'), and the paired conjunctions must be used together correctly.

What is a 'para jumble' question and the general strategy to solve it?

A para jumble gives sentences in scrambled order to be rearranged into a coherent paragraph. Strategy: find the opening sentence (introduces topic, no back-references), track logical/chronological flow, and use connectors, pronouns, and repeated keywords to link sentences.

In para jumbles, how do 'pronoun and reference clues' help establish sentence order?

A sentence containing a pronoun (he, it, this, these) or a definite reference ('the man', 'such ideas') must come after the sentence that first introduces the noun it refers to, fixing the relative order.

What do 'mandatory pairs' (linking words) indicate in para jumbles?

Connectors like 'however', 'therefore', 'for example', 'on the other hand', 'this', 'such' force a sentence to follow a specific preceding sentence, creating a fixed pair that narrows down the sequence.

In paragraph completion questions, what should the concluding sentence do?

It should logically and tonally continue the paragraph's line of thought, maintain the same idea/argument, and provide a sensible conclusion—without introducing a new, unrelated topic or contradicting what came before.

What is the key criterion for a correct 'summary' (precis) of a passage?

It must capture the central idea and main points accurately and concisely, in the same tone, without adding new information, personal opinion, or trivial details, and without distorting the author's meaning.

In sentence insertion questions, how do you decide where a given sentence fits in a paragraph?

Place it where it preserves logical flow and coherence—where its references (pronouns, connectors, keywords) link smoothly to the preceding and following sentences without breaking the chain of ideas.

In 'odd one out / out-of-context sentence' questions, how do you identify the sentence to eliminate?

Identify the common theme of the other sentences, then find the one that does not contribute to that single coherent paragraph—it deviates in topic, tone, or logical link even if grammatically correct.

What strategy helps with 'fill in the blanks' (single and double blank) vocabulary questions?

Use context clues and sentence logic: detect whether the blank needs a word that continues, contrasts, or causes the idea; for double blanks both words must fit together; check tone/connotation and grammatical fit before selecting.

In double-blank fill-in questions, why is it efficient to eliminate options based on just one blank?

If one of the two words in an option clearly does not fit the sentence's logic or tone, the entire option can be rejected immediately—so you only need one clearly wrong word to eliminate a choice.

In critical reasoning, what is the difference between a premise and a conclusion?

A premise is a stated reason or evidence offered to support a claim; the conclusion is the main claim or judgement that the premises are meant to establish or prove.

In critical reasoning, what is an 'assumption'?

An unstated premise that the argument takes for granted and needs to be true for the conclusion to hold; if the assumption fails, the argument breaks down.

How does a statement that 'strengthens' an argument differ from one that 'weakens' it?

A strengthener provides additional support making the conclusion more likely or valid; a weakener introduces evidence or a possibility that undermines the link between premises and conclusion, making it less likely.

In critical reasoning, what does identifying the 'flaw' or 'logical fallacy' in an argument involve?

Spotting a defect in reasoning where the conclusion does not properly follow from the premises—e.g., correlation mistaken for causation, hasty generalization, circular reasoning, or false dichotomy.

What is the difference between the literal/denotative meaning and the implied/connotative meaning of a word, as relevant to RC inference questions?

Denotation is a word's exact dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or cultural association it carries. Inference and tone questions often depend on connotation, not just the literal denotation.

What is the difference between 'fewer' and 'less', a commonly tested grammar distinction?

'Fewer' is used with countable nouns (fewer mistakes, fewer people); 'less' is used with uncountable/mass nouns (less water, less time).