NABARD Grade A English Language Syllabus

State the subject-verb agreement rule for two singular subjects joined by 'and' versus joined by 'or/nor'.

Subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb; with 'or/nor' the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it (the proximity rule).

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for collective nouns (team, committee, jury)?

They take a singular verb when acting as one unit, and a plural verb when members act individually.

In error detection, what is a common error involving 'each, every, everyone, neither, either'?

These are singular and must take a singular verb and singular pronoun (e.g., 'Each of the boys is present', not 'are').

What is the rule for using 'few', 'a few', 'little', and 'a little'?

'Few/little' carry a negative sense (almost none); 'a few/a little' carry a positive sense (some). 'Few/a few' are for countable nouns; 'little/a little' for uncountable nouns.

What is a common preposition error with 'married to', 'comprises of', and 'discuss about'?

Correct usage is 'married to' (correct), 'comprises' (no 'of'), and 'discuss' (no 'about')—'comprises of' and 'discuss about' are wrong.

What is the difference between 'since' and 'for' when used with the present perfect tense?

'Since' indicates a point in time (since 2010); 'for' indicates a duration of time (for ten years).

In error detection, what is the rule for using 'the' with comparative 'than'?

After a comparative adjective, use 'than' (not 'then'); e.g., 'She is taller than him.' 'Then' refers to time.

What is a 'dangling modifier' and why is it an error?

A modifier that does not clearly attach to the word it is meant to describe, creating ambiguity, e.g., 'Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful' wrongly implies the trees were walking.

What is the purpose of a sentence improvement question?

To replace an underlined/bracketed part of a sentence with the option that makes it grammatically correct and stylistically clearer, or to mark 'No improvement' if it is already correct.

What is the rule for 'parallelism' in sentence improvement?

Items in a list or series joined by conjunctions must be in the same grammatical form (e.g., 'reading, writing, and speaking', not 'reading, writing, and to speak').

What is the correct conditional structure for an unreal/hypothetical present situation (second conditional)?

If + past simple, ... would + base verb (e.g., 'If I were rich, I would travel the world').

What is the rule for reported (indirect) speech regarding tense backshift?

When the reporting verb is in the past, the verb in the reported clause usually shifts one tense back (present simple to past simple, will to would, can to could).

What is a Cloze Test in English exams?

A passage with several blanks where the candidate selects the most appropriate word for each blank from given options, testing grammar, vocabulary, and coherence.

What is the key strategy for solving a Cloze Test?

Read the entire passage first for overall meaning, then fill blanks using grammar (part of speech), collocations, and contextual/logical sense rather than each blank in isolation.

In a Cloze Test, what is a 'collocation' and why does it matter?

A collocation is a natural word pairing (e.g., 'make a decision', 'heavy rain'); choosing the word that collocates correctly is often the key to selecting the right blank answer.

What is a Para Jumble question?

A set of sentences given in random order that must be rearranged to form a coherent, logically sequenced paragraph.

What are three clues used to solve Para Jumbles?

Identify the opening sentence (introduces the topic, no pronoun/connector); use linking words/transitions (however, therefore, moreover); and track pronoun-antecedent references and chronological/logical flow.

In Para Jumbles, why can a sentence beginning with a pronoun usually not be the first sentence?

Because a pronoun (he, she, it, this, they) refers back to a noun mentioned earlier, so it needs a preceding sentence to give it meaning.

What is a sentence completion question, and what skill does it test?

A sentence with one or more blanks to be filled with the option that best fits the meaning and grammar; it tests vocabulary, logical relationships, and grammatical fit.

What role do 'connectors/transition words' play in sentence completion?

They signal the logical relationship between ideas (contrast, cause-effect, addition, sequence), so identifying the connector tells you whether the missing idea agrees with or opposes the rest.

Give the connectors used for (a) contrast, (b) cause/result, and (c) addition.

Contrast: however, but, although, whereas; Cause/result: because, therefore, hence, consequently; Addition: moreover, furthermore, besides, in addition.

What is the difference between 'although/though' and 'despite/in spite of' in usage?

'Although/though' is followed by a clause (subject + verb); 'despite/in spite of' is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund.

What are the three main parts of an essay's structure?

Introduction (with a thesis statement), body (paragraphs each developing one point with evidence), and conclusion (summary and closing thought).

What is a 'thesis statement' in essay writing?

A single sentence, usually at the end of the introduction, that states the central argument or main point the essay will develop.

What is a 'topic sentence' and where does it appear in a body paragraph?

A topic sentence states the main idea of a paragraph and usually appears as the first sentence, with the rest of the paragraph supporting it.

What is a precis?

A precis is a concise, clear summary of a passage in the writer's own words, retaining all essential ideas while omitting examples, repetition, and unnecessary detail.

What is the standard length rule for a precis relative to the original passage?

A precis should be about one-third (roughly 1/3) the length of the original passage.

State three key rules for writing a good precis.

Write in the third person and reported (indirect) speech; use your own words, not copied sentences; keep it in the past tense and include only essential ideas with an appropriate title.

What is the difference between a formal letter and an informal letter?

A formal letter (official/business) uses formal language, a fixed structure with sender/receiver addresses, subject line, and salutations like 'Dear Sir/Madam'; an informal letter (personal) uses casual language and a relaxed format addressed to friends/family.

What are the standard parts of a formal/official letter?

Sender's address and date, receiver's designation/address, subject line, salutation, body (introduction, content, conclusion), complimentary close, and signature with name/designation.

What is the basic structure of a formal report?

A title/heading, an introduction stating the purpose, a body presenting findings/facts (often by-line, place, and date for a news-style report), and a conclusion or recommendations.