How to Prepare English for IBPS PO 2022 Exam? Expert Tips & Study Material

Experts Tips to Prepare English for IBPS PO 2021 Exam

IBPS PO 2021 Exam is no doubt one of the toughest exams of India, and it is no surprise that the level of English section in both Prelims and Mains tends to recline towards the tougher side. If you prepare well then the English section can surely boost your score in the exam.

Read Also: IBPS PO English syllabus before you start your preparation. Also, take the help of IBPS PO Books for your exam preparation.

English Language section basically consists of Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading Skill Test. Let’s have a look at the topics that will be asked in this section of the IBPS PO exam.

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Cloze Test
3. Fill in the blanks
4. Error Spotting/Sentence Improvement/Sentence Correction
5. Phrase Replacement
6. Odd One Out
7. Match the column
8. Para Completion
9. Para Summary
10. Sentence Connector

Practice IBPS PO 2022 Prelims and Mains Mock Test for FREE to get better scores – IBPS PO Mock Test

Now, Let’s discuss them in more detail. 

1. Reading Comprehension:

• This topic is usually time to consume but more questions are asked from this topic than any other. 
• To ace in this topic improve your reading skills by reading a range of articles such as economy, polity, philosophy, etc. 
•  In order to save time, first, try to go through the question and then through the passage. It will help you mark out the answer easily.
• For Synonyms / Antonyms-based questions, go through the sentence containing the concerned word first and then through the options provided.

Also Read: How to solve Reading Comprehension efficiently.

2. Cloze Test:

• This topic basically consists of a passage in which there are blanks in place of some words and you have to figure out which word fits the sentence among the given options. 
• The objective is to test your ability to comprehend text.
• Read the sentence first and then try to look for the correct option by substituting the provided options in the sentence.
• You should be able to eliminate incorrect options with the help of this approach.
• If you got stuck on any question then leave it and move on to the next one. 

Also Read: How to solve Cloze Test Questions, Check all types!

3. Sentence Rearrangement:

• Try to know the basic idea of the given passage. It will help you to arrange sentences quickly.
• All you need to do is recognize the proper connection between the given sentences.
• Usually, the given message in the jumbled sentences changes from general to particular. If you scrutinize, you can see that the first few sentences are general while others are fact-specific and informative.
• Sometimes, a good knowledge of options analysis helps to rule out the possible answers from the given options. This trick will save a lot of time.
• The key is to find the first sentence swiftly as it will give us a linear direction with respect to the given content.
• Similarly, guessing the concluding sentence will give you both the ends of the linear connecting idea.
• Generally, sentences denoting time, place & name are the most probable opening lines.

4. Spotting Errors/ Sentence Improvement/Sentence Correction:

• Again, go through the entire sentence first.
• Lookup for grammatical errors, in case the structure of the sentence seems fine to you.
• Try to eliminate the options by going through the sentence properly.

Also Read: 

• Tips to solve Sentence Improvement Questions
• How to solve Error Spotting Questions!

5. Phrase Replacement:

• You should be able to attempt these questions by reading the sentence accurately.
• In the case of doubt, try reducing the options.
• These sentences normally have grammatical flaws, so look up the structure in the sentence while attempting these questions.

6. Fillers:

• Read the whole sentence to get the gist of the flow.
• Go with the second part first to get the proper order or sense of the sentence while keeping the grammar rules in mind (especially tense.)
• Think of the logic behind the option, you can also go with Odd one out a strategy.

Also Read: How to solve Fillers Questions!

7. Odd One Out:

• This is also a new type of question for the English section of the IBPS PO exam.
• In this, the candidates are required to select one option that seems different from all other options.
• You need to identify the theme and then identify which sentence is not matching that theme.

Important Parts of English Section in IBPS PO 2021 Exam

There are two parts to the English section. They are:

1. Vocabulary
2. Grammar 

1. Vocabulary:

• A good vocabulary is required to clear any bank exam because unless you understand the meaning of the word, it will be challenging to attempt the question.
• To develop your vocabulary, try to read at least 3 – 4 articles from the newspaper or a novel on a daily basis.
• Reading newspapers has a twofold advantage, Not only it will improve your general knowledge, but also increase your vocabulary.
• Make sure that you read at least 2-3 articles from different newspapers regularly.
• You can use The Hindu, Economic Times, etc.
• For a detailed description of vocabulary improving tips, must-read here ‘Most Important Tips to improve vocabulary for bank exams‘.
• You can go through our series ‘Shape up of your vocabulary‘ to improve your vocabulary.

2. Grammar:

• This is an important parameter of the English language that is tested in these exams.
• Try to clear your grammar basics first, because that will help you in the structuring and understanding of sentences.
• You can attempt our exercises regularly that have been provided for various grammar topics to improve consistently.
• To learn and understand important Grammar rules in an easy manner.

Key Takeaways for IBPS PO English Section

• Time Management:
  • While practicing, try not to spend a lot of time on any question and you can achieve this by using a timer or a stopwatch.
  • Try the evaluate the number of questions you are able to attempt correctly. This exercise will help you manage your time efficiently.
• Practice:
  • Remember, you can’t expect to prepare this section in a day or two.
  • Good command of this section requires Regular Practice.
  • Spend at least 2 hours daily for this section.  
• Grammar:
  • To score well in Spotting Errors, Sentence Correction, and sentence improvement questions, you need to work on your English Grammar skills.
  • To improve English Grammar skills, have a clear idea of the grammar rules.
  • You must understand the grammar rules of Tenses, Subject-verb Agreement, Articles, Preposition, and Conjunctions. Go through detailed notes on every topic in our Grammar Scholar Series. 
• Learn idioms, phrases, and phrasal verbs well as these are asked in the recent pattern of bank exams.
• Besides online preparation, if you’re also looking for some Bank PO books then you can go for Word Power made easy by Norman Lewis (for vocabulary), Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi, and Grammar book by Wren and Martin.

Important Points To Remember

1. You should avoid guesswork in the exam.
2. Do not attempt the questions when you are not completely sure about the answer as one wrong question can make a lot of difference in the final IBPS PO cut-off.
3. Try to attempt the Cloze test, Fill in the blanks, Spotting errors, and Sentence improvement/correction before attempting Reading comprehension in the exam.
4. Read the instructions of the questions very thoroughly. If you read and try to understand the directions accurately then you can easily answer any new pattern question.

English Language Quiz 

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