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SBI Clerk English Language Syllabus
The English Language syllabus for SBI Clerk in full: 6 chapters and 12 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 English Language flashcards with answers.
English Language syllabus: all 6 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Reading Comprehension
2 topics- Passage-Based Questions
- Theme and Main Idea
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Cloze Test
2 topics- Fill in the Blanks
- Contextual Usage
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Error Detection
2 topics- Grammatical Errors
- Contextual Errors
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Sentence Improvement
2 topics- Grammar Correction
- Sentence Structure
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Para Jumbles
2 topics- Rearranging Sentences
- Logical Sequence
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Fill in the Blanks
2 topics- Single Blank
- Double Blanks
SBI Clerk English Language flashcards — 51 questions with answers
In Reading Comprehension, what is an 'inference' question asking you to do?
To derive a conclusion that is not directly stated in the passage but is logically implied by the information given.
What is the difference between a 'fact-based' (detail) RC question and an 'inference' RC question?
A fact-based question has its answer stated explicitly in the passage; an inference question requires reasoning beyond what is written, drawing an implied conclusion.
When an RC question asks for the 'tone' of a passage, what is being tested?
The author's attitude or emotional stance toward the subject (e.g., critical, optimistic, satirical, neutral, sarcastic).
What does a 'central idea' or 'main theme' RC question require you to identify?
The single overarching point the entire passage is built around, not a minor supporting detail.
What is the best strategy for answering 'vocabulary in context' questions in RC?
Determine the meaning of the word from how it is used in the sentence, not from its most common dictionary meaning, since the same word can shift meaning by context.
Name the common genres of passages found in SBI Clerk Reading Comprehension.
Banking and economy, business and finance, social issues, science and technology, environment, and abstract/narrative passages.
What is the recommended approach for an economy/banking-based RC passage?
Skim for the main argument and key data, focus on cause-effect and conclusions, and not get lost in technical figures unless a question targets them.
In RC time management, why is it advised to read the questions before some passages?
For factual/detail-heavy passages, previewing questions lets you scan directly for answers, saving time versus reading the whole passage first.
Which two RC question types should be attempted first to maximize accuracy with minimal time?
Vocabulary (synonym/antonym) and direct fact-based detail questions, as they are quick and high-accuracy.
List the eight parts of speech in English grammar.
Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
What is the difference between an adjective and an adverb?
An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun; an adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
What is the basic rule of subject-verb agreement?
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
In subject-verb agreement, what verb form do two singular subjects joined by 'and' usually take?
A plural verb (e.g., 'Ram and Shyam are friends').
When subjects are joined by 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', which subject determines the verb?
The verb agrees with the subject nearest to it (the second/closer subject).
What verb form do indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'each', 'nobody', and 'everybody' take?
A singular verb.
Which collective nouns and uncountable nouns (e.g., 'furniture', 'information', 'news') take a singular verb?
They are treated as singular and take a singular verb (e.g., 'The news is good').
What are the three articles in English and how are they classified?
'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles; 'the' is the definite article.
What is the rule for choosing between 'a' and 'an'?
Use 'a' before a consonant sound and 'an' before a vowel sound (based on sound, not spelling, e.g., 'an hour', 'a university').
What are determiners, and give examples of their main categories.
Words that introduce/modify nouns: articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your), quantifiers (some, many, few), and numbers.
What is the difference in usage between 'few', 'a few', and 'the few'?
'Few' means hardly any (negative), 'a few' means some (positive), and 'the few' refers to a specific small number.
Show the other 31 English Language flashcards
In Spotting Errors questions, what is the systematic method to find the error?
Read the full sentence for sense, then check each part for subject-verb agreement, tense, preposition, article, pronoun, and word-order errors; mark 'No error' only if none is found.
What grammatical error is present in 'One of the boys are absent'?
Subject-verb agreement error; 'one' is the subject, so it should be 'is absent' (singular verb).
What is wrong with the sentence 'He is senior than me'?
Wrong preposition; 'senior' takes 'to', so it should be 'He is senior to me'.
What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?
A synonym is a word with the same or similar meaning; an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning.
Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'benevolent'.
Synonym: kind/generous; Antonym: malevolent/cruel.
What is a one-word substitution? Give an example.
A single word that replaces a phrase or group of words; e.g., 'one who studies the past' = historian; 'a person who cannot read or write' = illiterate.
What single word means 'a place where birds are kept'?
Aviary.
What single word means 'a speech made without prior preparation'?
Extempore (or impromptu).
What is an idiom? Give an example with its meaning.
A fixed expression whose meaning differs from the literal words; e.g., 'to bite the bullet' means to endure a painful situation bravely.
What does the idiom 'a blessing in disguise' mean?
Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be beneficial.
What does the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag' mean?
To reveal a secret, often accidentally.
What is the difference between homonyms, homophones, and homographs?
Homonyms sound and are spelled the same but differ in meaning; homophones sound the same but are spelled differently (e.g., 'their/there'); homographs are spelled the same but differ in pronunciation/meaning (e.g., 'lead' the metal vs 'lead' to guide).
Distinguish between the commonly confused words 'affect' and 'effect'.
'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence; 'effect' is usually a noun meaning a result.
Distinguish between 'stationary' and 'stationery'.
'Stationary' means not moving; 'stationery' refers to writing materials like paper and pens.
Distinguish between 'principal' and 'principle'.
'Principal' means chief/head of a school or main; 'principle' means a fundamental rule or belief.
What is a phrasal verb? Give an example.
A verb combined with a preposition or adverb that creates a new meaning; e.g., 'give up' means to quit.
What does the phrasal verb 'put off' mean?
To postpone or delay.
What is a collocation? Give an example.
A pair or group of words that habitually go together; e.g., 'make a decision' (not 'do a decision'), 'heavy rain'.
What is a Para Jumble question, and what is the goal?
A set of jumbled sentences that must be rearranged into a coherent, logically ordered paragraph.
What clues help solve Para Jumbles?
Identify the opening sentence (introduces topic), look for pronoun references, connectors/transition words, chronological order, and the concluding sentence.
In Para Jumbles, what role do words like 'however', 'therefore', and 'moreover' play?
They are transition/connector words signalling the relationship and sequence between sentences, helping fix the order.
What does a Sentence Improvement question ask you to do?
Replace an underlined part of a sentence with the option that makes it grammatically correct and most appropriate (or keep it as is).
What is a Cloze Test?
A passage with several blanks where you choose the most contextually and grammatically appropriate word for each blank from given options.
What is the key strategy for solving a Cloze Test?
Read the whole passage first to grasp the theme, then fill blanks using context, grammar, collocation, and logical flow rather than treating blanks in isolation.
What is a 'filler' question in English Language sections?
A question where you select the word(s) that correctly fill one or two blanks in a sentence so it is grammatically correct and meaningful.
What is the difference between a single filler and a double filler question?
A single filler has one blank to complete; a double filler has two blanks that must both be filled correctly, with the right option satisfying both.
What are connectors (linking words) and what is their function?
Words that join clauses/sentences to show relationships such as addition (and, moreover), contrast (but, however), cause (because, since), and result (so, therefore).
In Word Usage questions, what is being tested?
Whether you can identify the sentence(s) in which a given word is used correctly according to its meaning and grammatical role.
What does a Word Swap question require?
Identifying two words in a sentence that have been interchanged and must be swapped back to restore the correct, meaningful sentence.
What does a Phrase Replacement question ask you to do?
Choose the option that correctly replaces a highlighted phrase to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct, or indicate no replacement is needed.
What does the idiom 'once in a blue moon' mean?
Very rarely; something that happens only on rare occasions.
SBI Clerk English Language FAQ
What is in the SBI Clerk English Language syllabus?
SBI Clerk English Language is split into 6 chapters: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Detection, Sentence Improvement, Para Jumbles and Fill in the Blanks. Together they contain 12 topics.
How many chapters are in SBI Clerk English Language?
6 chapters, containing 12 topics. The largest chapter is Reading Comprehension, with 2 topics.
Are there flashcards for SBI Clerk English Language?
Yes — a 51-card English Language deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.