You may speak excellent English. Yet, when it comes to written English, many of us tend to flounder. 

What you speak is usually adapted to suit easy communication. To write correctly, you just need to go back and revise the basics you were taught in school.

CAT's Verbal Ability section tests basic grammar and your vocabulary through questions on analogies, antonyms/ synonyms, logical sequencing of paragraphs and sentence completion.

This section has approximately 50 questions. It is allotted 50 marks and has to be completed in approximately 40 minutes.

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Tips to crack Verbal Ability

This section cannot be mastered in one long cram session or within a scheduled number of days. You need to start small and then pick up fast, until the desire to know the language becomes second nature to you.

Here's how to make a start:

~ Pick up the Wren And Martin's High School English Grammar and Composition (often used in junior classes) for approximately Rs 85 to Rs 100. 

Go through the chapters on nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Do not spend time on practising exercises; concentrate on the application of these words in sentences. 

~ Get a pocket size dictionary, which truly is the best investment. Make it a point to read upto 10 to 15 words, or one page, every four hours. Don't memorise or cram.

Read complete meanings, usage and sentences. Use mnemonics; this means you create a mental image of the word.

For example, the word SUTURE means 'joining edges of a wound or incision by stitching'. You can relate this to your getting hurt and requiring stitches during an operation.

Similarly the word WARLOCK means 'sorcerer'. Make a mental picture of a wizard or magician to remember.

By the time you take the examination, make sure you have gone through the entire dictionary at least twice.

~ You will usually be tested on the application of the word, not its meaning. It is not possible to just cram and remember the approximately 5,000 odd words in any of the 'vocab lists' given to you.

~ As this is a multiple-choice type of test, you do not need to know meanings verbatim, nor exactly nor vaguely. It just pays to 'know' more words.

~ To enhance grammar skills, read books, magazines, newspapers and journals. The more you read, the better.

~ When you come across a new word, immediately check its meaning in the pocket dictionary.

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How to ace Reading Comprehension

RC passages are long and often based on unfamiliar topics. The basic idea is to test your speed and comprehension skills.

The purpose of the passage is not to test your ability to understand or analyse as you are not expected to write a 'thesis' on the subject or write detailed answers. Just read, understand, assimilate the required information and forget it as you move to the next passage.

Completing all the questions will prove to be a challenge, so here's how to get there.

~ First, quickly assess all the passages

There are approximately five to seven passages. Each RC passage is followed by four to five questions. All passages are compulsory.

~ Mark them in the order of preference

Familiar topics need to be given priority over unfamiliar ones since they are easier to comprehend.

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~ Do comprehensive reading

The entire RC passage contains paragraphs. Read the first and last line of each paragraph. This will give you an idea of what the passage is about (and usually takes only a moment).

~ Check the questions

They are usually presented in the following pattern: implications, main idea, word meanings (in context to the passage), author's point of view, assumptions and conclusions.

Just pick out the lead words and remember them.

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~ Now, speed-read

Underline important words, issues and those related to the questions. You can mark a star on the side of some sentences if you feel that part may be important or is very difficult to understand. Do not waste time; you can always come back to it later this way, if needed.

~ Question time

All answers are ALWAYS contained in the passage. Having no knowledge of the subject or past knowledge will actually not be bad or good for you. Do not solve questions based on preconceived notions about the topic. Many times, the passage may have an author's point of view or be biased in favour of a particular opinion.

Also, the article may change track due to contradictions or the presence of more than one possible analysis. Selective reading may not help you to get a fair idea of the passage, so read carefully.

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Quick tips

~ Don't forget you are human and have a limited capacity to learn at any given time.

Make the study process easier by doing all preparation in small doses.

~ Plan judiciously and proceed accordingly. This is the key to success.

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Dr Shelly Verma is on the faculty of Economics at the University of Delhi. She has designed and authored comprehensive online programmes along with supporting books for GRE and GMAT for US companies. She is affiliated with various training institutions for Verbal and Logical Reasoning, Group discussions, PDP and also does career counselling.