SNAP General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability Syllabus

General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability in SNAP, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Reading Comprehension

   4 topics

   • Passage Types and Approach
     • Factual, narrative and discursive passages
     • Abstract and philosophical passages
     • Skimming, scanning and active reading techniques
   • Question Types
     • Main idea, theme and title questions
     • Specific detail and fact-based questions
     • Inference and assumption-based questions
     • Tone, attitude and author's purpose
   • Vocabulary in Context
     • Meaning of words from context
     • Synonym and antonym substitution within passages
   • Speed and Accuracy Strategies
     • Time allocation per passage
     • Elimination of distractor options
2. 2

   Vocabulary

   5 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
     • High-frequency word lists
     • Shades of meaning
   • Idioms and Phrases
     • Common English idioms
     • Phrasal verbs
   • One-Word Substitution
   • Foreign Words and Roots
     • Latin and Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes
     • Commonly tested foreign-origin words
   • Analogies
     • Word relationship types
     • Verbal analogy patterns
3. 3

   Grammar and Usage

   4 topics

   • Parts of Speech
     • Nouns, pronouns and articles
     • Verbs, adverbs and adjectives
     • Prepositions and conjunctions
   • Sentence Correction and Error Spotting
     • Subject-verb agreement
     • Tense consistency
     • Modifiers and parallelism
   • Fill in the Blanks
     • Single and double blanks
     • Contextual word choice
   • Confusing Word Pairs
     • Commonly misused words
     • Homophones and homonyms
4. 4

   Verbal Reasoning and Verbal Ability

   4 topics

   • Para Jumbles
     • Sentence rearrangement logic
     • Identifying opening and closing sentences
   • Sentence Completion
   • Critical Reasoning
     • Strengthening and weakening arguments
     • Assumptions and conclusions
   • Odd One Out and Coherence
     • Identifying out-of-context sentences
     • Paragraph coherence and cohesion

General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability flashcards for SNAP

22 of 50 cards from the General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the four most common passage types tested in CAT/SNAP Reading Comprehension?

   Narrative (story/anecdotal), Expository/Descriptive (factual/informative), Argumentative/Persuasive (author defends a stance), and Abstract/Philosophical (theoretical, idea-driven).

2. What is the recommended approach to a dense RC passage: read-questions-first or read-passage-first?

   For most SNAP-level passages, skim the passage first to grasp structure and main idea, then read questions; question-first works better only for short, fact-retrieval passages.

3. In RC, what is the difference between a 'main idea' question and a 'primary purpose' question?

   Main idea asks WHAT the passage says (its central point); primary purpose asks WHY the author wrote it (to argue, explain, criticize, describe, etc.).

4. Name the major RC question types tested in SNAP.

   Main idea/central theme, primary purpose, inference, tone/attitude, specific detail/fact, vocabulary-in-context, structure/function of a paragraph, and assumption/strengthen-weaken.

5. What is an 'inference question' in RC and what is the key rule for answering it?

   It asks what logically follows from the passage without being stated directly; the correct answer must be supported by the text, not by outside knowledge or extreme extrapolation.

6. What does 'vocabulary in context' mean, and why can a word's dictionary meaning be wrong?

   It tests the meaning a word carries in its specific sentence; a word may have multiple meanings, so context (not the most common dictionary sense) determines the correct one.

7. What is the most reliable strategy to determine an author's tone in RC?

   Look at adjectives, adverbs, and connotation of word choices; tone may be critical, appreciative, sarcastic, objective/neutral, optimistic, skeptical, or ironic.

8. In RC speed-and-accuracy strategy, what is the recommended order for attempting passages?

   Attempt easier/shorter or familiar-topic passages first to bank accuracy, and leave dense/abstract passages for last to avoid burning time early.

9. What is the trade-off between speed and accuracy in RC, and the practical rule?

   Reading too fast loses comprehension; reading too slow loses time. The rule: read at a pace that retains structure, and never re-read the whole passage—return only to relevant lines for detail questions.

10. 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/sad).

11. Give the antonym of 'benevolent' and the synonym of 'benevolent'.

    Antonym: malevolent (or cruel); Synonym: kind/generous/charitable.

12. What is the meaning of the idiom 'to bite the bullet'?

    To force oneself to endure or accept a painful or unpleasant situation that is unavoidable.

13. What does the idiom 'a blessing in disguise' mean?

    Something that seems bad or unfortunate at first but results in something good.

14. What does the phrase 'to call a spade a spade' mean?

    To speak frankly and directly about something, even if unpleasant; to tell the plain truth.

15. What is the meaning of the idiom 'to throw in the towel'?

    To give up or admit defeat.

16. Define 'one-word substitution' and give the word for 'a person who knows many languages'.

    Replacing a phrase or group of words with a single precise word. A person who knows many languages = polyglot.

17. What is the one-word substitution for 'a government run by the wealthy'?

    Plutocracy.

18. What is the one-word substitution for 'one who eats everything (all kinds of food)'?

    Omnivore.

19. What is the one-word substitution for 'fear of confined or closed spaces'?

    Claustrophobia (fear of open spaces is agoraphobia).

20. What does the foreign phrase 'bona fide' (Latin) mean?

    In good faith; genuine, real, or authentic.

21. What does the foreign phrase 'status quo' (Latin) mean?

    The existing state of affairs; the way things currently are.

22. What does the Latin phrase 'quid pro quo' mean?

    Something given or received in return for something else; a favor for a favor ('this for that').

See more General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability flashcards →

Planning General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability for SNAP

General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning & Verbal Ability (SNAP) FAQ