SBI PO English Language Syllabus

English Language syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English Language in SBI PO, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading Comprehension

   3 topics

   • Passage-based Questions
   • Theme and Main Idea
   • Inference-based Questions
2. 2

   Grammar

   3 topics

   • Error Spotting
   • Sentence Correction
   • Fill in the Blanks
3. 3

   Vocabulary

   3 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
   • Cloze Test
   • Idioms and Phrases

English Language flashcards for SBI PO

18 of 51 cards from the English Language deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In SBI PO Reading Comprehension, what is the recommended first step before answering passage-based questions?

   Skim the passage quickly to grasp the central theme/tone, then read questions, and finally scan back for specific details and inference clues.

2. What is the difference between a 'fact-based' and an 'inference-based' RC question?

   A fact-based (direct) question's answer is stated explicitly in the passage; an inference-based question requires a logical conclusion drawn from the text, never stated word-for-word.

3. In RC, what does a 'tone' question ask you to identify, and name three common tones?

   It asks the author's attitude/feeling toward the subject. Common tones: critical, optimistic, analytical, sarcastic, neutral/objective, pessimistic.

4. Vocabulary in context: define a synonym and an antonym.

   A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another (e.g., 'happy'='joyful'); an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (e.g., 'happy' vs 'sad').

5. Give the meaning of the high-frequency banking-exam word 'mitigate' and one antonym.

   'Mitigate' means to make less severe or reduce. Antonym: aggravate / intensify.

6. What does 'lucid' mean, and provide a synonym?

   'Lucid' means clear and easy to understand. Synonym: clear / coherent / transparent.

7. What does 'ubiquitous' mean, and give an antonym?

   'Ubiquitous' means present everywhere. Antonym: rare / scarce.

8. In economy/banking passages, what does 'inflation' mean?

   Inflation is the sustained rise in the general price level of goods and services over time, reducing the purchasing power of money.

9. Define 'fiscal deficit' as it appears in banking-based RC passages.

   Fiscal deficit is the gap between the government's total expenditure and its total revenue (excluding borrowings) in a financial year.

10. In banking passages, what is 'monetary policy' and who controls it in India?

    Monetary policy is the management of money supply and interest rates to control inflation and growth; it is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

11. What is the 'repo rate' frequently mentioned in economy passages?

    The repo rate is the interest rate at which the RBI lends short-term funds to commercial banks against securities.

12. Name the eight parts of speech in English.

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

13. State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

    A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'He runs' / 'They run').

14. In subject-verb agreement, what verb form do two singular subjects joined by 'and' take?

    They usually take a plural verb (e.g., 'Ram and Shyam are friends'), unless they denote a single idea/person.

15. With 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', which subject decides the verb?

    The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it (proximity rule), e.g., 'Neither the boys nor the teacher is present.'

16. What verb (singular/plural) do collective nouns like 'team', 'committee', 'jury' usually take?

    A singular verb when acting as one unit (e.g., 'The committee has decided'); plural when members act individually.

17. Do 'each', 'every', 'everyone', 'somebody', 'none' take a singular or plural verb?

    They take a singular verb (e.g., 'Each of the students was present').

18. In spotting-errors questions, what is the rule for 'one of the + plural noun + singular verb'?

    The verb agrees with 'one' (singular): 'One of the boys is absent.' The plural noun after 'of' does not control the verb.

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