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

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

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

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').

What does the French phrase 'carte blanche' mean?

Complete freedom or unlimited authority to act as one wishes.

What do the roots 'bene-' and 'mal-' mean? Give an example of each.

'Bene-' means good/well (benefit, benevolent); 'mal-' means bad/evil (malfunction, malevolent).

What does the root 'chron' mean, and give an example?

'Chron' means time; example: chronology (order of events in time), chronic (lasting over time).

How do you solve a verbal analogy of the form A : B :: C : ?

Identify the precise relationship between A and B (e.g., tool:function, part:whole, cause:effect), then apply the identical relationship to C to find the matching fourth term.

In the analogy 'Bird : Feathers :: Fish : ?', what is the answer and the relationship?

Answer: Scales. Relationship: body covering of the animal.

What is the analogy relationship in 'Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : School'?

Worker : Workplace (the person and the place where they typically work).

Name the eight parts of speech in English.

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 (a 'quick' runner); an adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb (he ran 'quickly').

What is the rule of subject-verb agreement for collective nouns and 'either/neither...nor'?

A collective noun usually takes a singular verb (the team wins). With 'either/neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject (Neither the boys nor the girl 'is' coming).

In error spotting, what is a 'dangling modifier'?

A descriptive phrase that does not clearly attach to the word it is meant to modify (e.g., 'Walking down the street, the trees were beautiful'—the trees aren't walking).

What is the rule for using 'fewer' vs 'less'?

Use 'fewer' for countable nouns (fewer chairs); use 'less' for uncountable/quantity nouns (less water).

In sentence correction, what is the correct use of 'between' vs 'among'?

Use 'between' for two persons/things; use 'among' for three or more.

What is the strategy for solving Fill-in-the-Blanks (single/double) questions?

Read the full sentence for context and tone, predict the type of word needed (positive/negative, cause/contrast), then test options for grammatical fit and meaning—both blanks must fit in double blanks.

Distinguish the confusing pair 'affect' vs 'effect'.

'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence (the rain affected the match); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning a result (the effect was severe).

Distinguish the confusing pair 'principal' vs 'principle'.

'Principal' means chief/main or head of a school (also the sum invested); 'principle' means a fundamental rule or belief.

Distinguish the confusing pair 'stationary' vs 'stationery'.

'Stationary' (with 'a') means not moving; 'stationery' (with 'e') means writing materials like paper and pens.

Distinguish the confusing pair 'complement' vs 'compliment'.

'Complement' means something that completes or goes well with (the wine complements the dish); 'compliment' means an expression of praise.

What is a para-jumble question and what is the core solving technique?

It gives jumbled sentences to be reordered into a logical paragraph. Technique: find the opening sentence (introduces topic, no pronoun referring back), then link sentences using transition words, pronoun references, and chronology to find the mandatory pairs.

In para-jumbles, what are 'mandatory pairs' and how do they help?

Mandatory pairs are two sentences that must appear consecutively (linked by a pronoun, connective, or continuation of idea); identifying them eliminates wrong sequence options quickly.

What is the approach to a 'sentence completion' question?

Determine the logical direction of the sentence (continuation, contrast, cause-effect) using clue words, then choose the option that completes the thought coherently and grammatically without contradicting the given part.

In Critical Reasoning, what is the difference between an assumption and an inference?

An assumption is an unstated premise the argument depends on (a gap-filler); an inference is a conclusion that must be true based on the stated information.

In Critical Reasoning, how do you 'strengthen' vs 'weaken' an argument?

Strengthen: add evidence or close a gap supporting the conclusion; Weaken: introduce a fact, alternative cause, or counterexample that undermines the link between premise and conclusion.

What is a logical 'flaw' or fallacy: explain 'correlation implies causation'.

It is the mistaken assumption that because two events occur together, one must cause the other; correlation alone does not prove a causal relationship.

In Critical Reasoning, what is a 'conclusion' and how do you identify it?

The conclusion is the main claim the argument supports; identify it by indicator words like 'therefore', 'thus', 'hence', 'so', and by asking what the premises are trying to prove.

What is the strategy for an 'Odd One Out' (sentence) question?

Identify the common theme connecting most sentences, then eliminate the sentence that introduces a different idea, contradicts the theme, or does not fit the paragraph's logical flow.

What does 'coherence' mean in a paragraph, and what creates it?

Coherence is the logical and smooth flow of ideas. It is created by proper sequencing, transition/linking words, consistent pronoun reference, and a single unifying central idea.

What is the difference between coherence and cohesion in writing?

Coherence is the overall logical sense and unity of ideas; cohesion is the grammatical/lexical 'glue' (connectives, pronouns, repetition) that ties sentences together at the surface level.

In Verbal Ability, what are common transition/connective categories and an example of each?

Addition (moreover, furthermore), Contrast (however, nevertheless), Cause-effect (therefore, consequently), Sequence (firstly, subsequently), and Example (for instance, namely).