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RC passages carry 10-15 marks in both Prelims and Mains. Practice is the only way to score here.
RC Strategy
• Read questions first, then the passage — you know what to look for.
• Underline topic sentences (usually first or last of each paragraph).
• Tone questions: look for emotional words (critical, appreciative, neutral, satirical).
• Inference questions: answer must be logically supported by the passage, not just guessed.
• Vocabulary in context: pick meaning that fits the passage, not the dictionary meaning.
| Question Type | Strategy |
|---|
| Main Idea / Title | Covers all paragraphs, not just first |
| Tone / Attitude | Author's emotional stance toward subject |
| Inference | Must be supported by passage, not assumed |
| Vocabulary in context | Substitute each option in the sentence |
| True / False statements | Locate exact lines; watch for "absolute" words |
A passage with blanks — choose from 4 options for each blank. 5-10 questions per set.
Approach
• Read the entire passage first for context and theme.
• Fill easier blanks first; they help confirm grammar/vocabulary for harder ones.
• Each blank has a contextual clue in the surrounding sentences.
• Eliminate options that change the meaning of the passage.
Tip
Watch for collocations — “make a decision” not “do a decision”, “commit a mistake” not “make a mistake.” New pattern cloze tests ask you to find the incorrect word in the blank (word replacement cloze).
Common Error Types
Subject-Verb Agreement
• Collective nouns (team, committee, jury) take singular verb when acting as one body.
• Either/Neither with two singular nouns → singular verb. With plural noun → plural verb.
• “None” can be singular or plural depending on context.
• Subjects joined by “as well as,” “along with,” “together with” → verb agrees with first subject.
Pronoun Errors
• “Between” always takes objective case: “between you and me” (not “I”).
• Reflexive pronouns (himself, myself) cannot be subjects.
• “Each other” for two; “one another” for more than two.
Tense Errors
• “Since” is used with perfect tenses, “for” with duration.
• “Barely,” “scarcely,” “hardly” are followed by “when” (not “than”).
• Conditionals: If + present → future (Type 1); If + past → would (Type 2); If + had → would have (Type 3).
Strategy
• Find the sentence introducing the topic — it is usually the first sentence (no pronoun referring to unknown noun, no connector word like “however” or “therefore” at the start).
• Find the concluding sentence — it often contains a summary or final result.
• Look for connector words: first, then, however, therefore, consequently, moreover, in conclusion.
• Pronoun-noun pairs: find the sentence with the noun before the sentence with its pronoun.
| Connector Type | Examples | Function |
|---|
| Addition | moreover, furthermore, also, besides | Adds more information |
| Contrast | however, but, yet, nevertheless, although | Shows opposition |
| Result | therefore, thus, hence, consequently | Shows conclusion |
| Sequence | first, then, next, finally, subsequently | Shows order |
Single blank (choose 1 word) or double blank (choose a pair). The pair must both fit grammatically and contextually.
Double Blank Strategy
• Eliminate any pair where even one word is wrong.
• Check for tone consistency — both words should be positive or both negative.
• Watch for antonyms vs synonyms in fill-type questions.
| Word | Meaning | Common Antonym |
|---|
| Augment | Increase / Expand | Diminish / Reduce |
| Stringent | Strict / Rigid | Lenient / Flexible |
| Lucrative | Profitable / Rewarding | Unprofitable / Futile |
| Volatile | Unstable / Fluctuating | Stable / Steady |
| Pragmatic | Practical / Realistic | Idealistic / Impractical |
| Prudent | Wise / Cautious | Reckless / Imprudent |
| Adversity | Difficulty / Hardship | Prosperity / Fortune |
| Mitigate | Lessen / Reduce | Aggravate / Intensify |
Vocabulary Tip
Banking RC passages often use economic/financial vocabulary. Practise reading Economic Survey summaries, RBI Annual Report highlights, and ET/Business Standard articles for authentic exam-level vocabulary exposure.
| Rule | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|
| Between vs Among | Between you and me | Between you and I |
| Less vs Fewer | Fewer people (countable) | Less people |
| Since vs For | Since 2010 (point in time) | Since 5 years |
| Neither...nor | Neither he nor she is late | Neither he nor she are late |
| Each / Every | Each student has his/her book | Each student have their books |
| Despite / In spite of | Despite the rain (no “of”) | Despite of the rain |
Mains English Tip
In SBI PO Mains Descriptive, Letter Writing and Essay topics are from banking/economy/social issues. Letter format: Date, Address, Subject, Salutation, Body (3 para), Closing. Word limits strictly matter.