English Language Preparation Strategy for SBI Clerk 2020 Exam

SBI Clerk Exam 2020 is a highly competitive exam that is conducted all over India, with lakhs of candidates appearing for the exam. This exam has three sections in the prelims paper- Numerical Ability, English Language and Reasoning Ability. Among all the three sections, the English Language is a highly scoring section that can easily help candidates to fetch good marks, provided their basic concepts of grammar and vocabulary is good. However, candidates are scared of this section and keep it for the last minute. Candidates must take all the sections of the exam seriously and prepare accordingly. With little effort, English, as well as other sections, can be mastered by the SBI Clerk exam. The main motive of the English Section is to test a Candidate’s Language skills and proficiency.

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Exam Pattern for SBI Clerk English Section

Let’s have a brief overview of the number of questions, maximum marks and time allocated for the English Language Section before getting into preparations.

The exam pattern has been changed for Prelims as well as Mains. There is section-wise allotted time durations for both the exams. Time duration to answer 30 questions is 20 minutes for the prelims exam and 35 minutes to answer 40 questions for the mains exam. To answer the questions within time, one must have theoretical knowledge and have practiced enough.

How to Prepare the English Language

As many students come from a regional language schooling background, they find English rather tricky. But in reality, if you are minimum idea about the grammatical concepts of the language and have a decent vocabulary, solving the questions in SBI Clerk exam English section is very easy and scoring:

English Language section has been divided into four components:

• English Vocabulary
• English Grammar
• Comprehension Reading
• Verbal Ability

Focus on two important aspects of the exam.

1. Speed- Since there is a time duration associated with this section, we have to read and practice regularly to increase our speed and proficiency. The time limit of 20 minutes for prelims and 35 minutes for Mains is enough to go through each and every question.
2. Accuracy- As the negative marking exists in SBI Clerk examination, try to attempt every question with 100% accuracy to ensure that every question is answered correctly. Attempting the questions with accuracy increases the chances of high scoring.

Read More SBI Clerk Pattern & Syllabus

Topic-wise Preparation tips for SBI Clerk English

Every year, the topics in English language remain static and are compulsory. This is especially true for English comprehension, cloze test, para jumbles and similar questions which are asked every year. Below are topic-wise preparation tips which will help you make sure every section is easy enough for you:

Component 1: English Vocabulary

Questions related to English Vocabulary include Antonyms, Synonyms, Cloze Tests and Fill in the Gaps. To Improve and prepare for English Vocabulary:

1. Regularly read English books and newspapers.
2. Makes notes of the words and sentences for your doubts and better understanding.
3. Practice the usage of the words and learn their meaning and opposite words as well.
4. Learn frequently used words and those tested in previous year papers and practice the usage regularly.
5. Practice questions including Cloze Tests and Fill in the Gaps.

Read More SBI Clerk 2020 Exam Pattern

Component 2: English Grammar

This is the most important component that comes under the English language. You need to have a strong knowledge of English grammar to bag good marks in this section. Questions asked are up to the level of Class 10 English Grammar.

It includes Error Spotting, Fill in the Gaps, Sentence Completion and Phrase Replacement. To prepare English Grammar:

1. Learn Basic Grammar rules- voice change, narrations, tenses, singular-plural, parts of speech, subject-verb agreement, articles, conjunctions, degrees of comparison and prepositions. You should have a thorough knowledge of these and rules should be at your fingertips.
2. Make notes and try understanding the rules with the help of examples
3. Practice sufficiently all types of questions to master the understanding and usage of your knowledge and memorize the rules.

Component 3: Reading Comprehension

There are two types of Comprehension tests- Fact-based and Story-based. Having a good grip of English Grammar and strong Vocabulary will help you easily understand them. To prepare Reading Comprehension:

1. Improve your reading speed by reading regularly, be it newspapers or books.
2. Improve grammar and vocabulary
3. Practice comprehension tests from previous year papers also
4. Solve the grammar section from every previous year paper.

Component 4: Verbal Ability

This includes para jumbles and sentence rearrangements where you have to arrange 6-7 sentences to form a meaningful passage and then, some questions are asked from these passages. It can only be achieved and mastered by improving reading speed and logical thinking. Practice on a daily basis and master the English grammar rules along with reading regularly.

Some important reference books for English language

Good preparation is only possible when you have quality study materials and books handy. The following are some of the standard books to follow while preparing the English section for any banking exam-

• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• Wren and Martin English Grammar
• Objective general English SP Bakshi

Read More SBI Clerk 2020 Results

By making a proper strategy of the preparation plan and going through the right resources, you can make sure your English language preparation is up to the mark. We hope the tips shared above are helpful to you and wish you all the best for the exams this year.