How to prepare English for CLAT 2021? Step by Step guide for English PDF Download

Preparation Tips for CLAT English

The English section of CLAT tests the candidate's proficiency in English based on comprehension passages, grammar, and vocabulary. Candidates are questioned on their understanding of the passage and its central theme, meanings of words used in the passage, etc. The grammar section has questions on sentence correction, sentence rearrangement, filling the blanks with appropriate words, etc.

Gaining proficiency in CLAT English is an uphill task. It takes months and years of rigorous practice to strengthen your language skills. But improving English for a competitive examination comes with certain advantages. Instead of doing everything to achieve mastery over the English language, it is advisable and effective to focus on limited areas of the subject.
Here are some systematic, well-chalked strategy development tips required to tackle this section of the crucial admission test:

Analyze the Syllabus and Pattern

The first piece of advice is to commence preparation only after you have made yourself familiar with what is expected in the English section including the syllabus and the pattern in which the questions are asked.  Though we admit there is no fixed pattern of CLAT, we are aware that the syllabus for this test is well-defined. Sticking to the prescribed areas will be a far better way to energize yourself and instill confidence. It makes no sense to concentrate on something that is not likely to appear in the test.  Apart from sheer wastage of valuable time, it brings disappointment and spreads confusion. So, make sure you analyze well.

English for CLAT

Includes 10 docs & 43 tests

The questions in the English section are based primarily on Vocabulary, Grammar, and Reading Comprehension. Unlike other sections of the CLAT exam, which are usually unpredictable, the English Section is structured and predictable.

• Subject Verb Agreement - English for CLAT
• Noun - English for CLAT
• Pronoun - English for CLAT
• Verb - English for CLAT
• Adjective - English for CLAT
• Articles - English for CLAT
• Conjuction - English for CLAT
• Prepositions - English for CLAT
• Cloze Test - English for CLAT
• Rearrangement Of Sentence - English for CLAT

Topic-wise Preparation guiding tips

1. Reading Comprehension

➤ The points and tips that will help in this section are:

• Speed up your Reading! CLAT and all other law entrance exams are timed examinations. When you attempt these exams you are essentially racing against the clock. So every extra second spent on a question can have an impact on your ability to attempt the remaining ones. Reading Comprehension questions are among the more time-consuming questions that you are likely to encounter during your exams. The length of passages provided for Reading Comprehension may sometimes be quite large but you must remember that they carry equal weightage as the other questions. As a result, you must use your time judiciously such that you are able to answer RC questions quickly but correctly.  It is important to increase your reading speed as this is relevant not only to the English section but to the whole paper. Your reading speed can be increased if you develop the habit of reading on a regular basis. It helps you to solve comprehension. Another good way to do this is by reading the Newspaper daily which will not only improve your reading skills but will also help you solve questions on Current Affairs, Legal GK, and Legal Reasoning. Additionally, developing a reading habit by reading plenty of books proves to be extremely fruitful.

• Focus on Important Details: While you are speed reading it is important to comprehend the text too. Do not spend time copying everything that is said in the passage or learning every point that is made.
  Identify the most important details like names of persons, places, subjects being referred to, and emotions being expressed.
  While solving such questions, don’t just keep on reading the passage, instead, take a glance at the questions and keep that in mind while reading so that you don’t have to read the passage again and again. 

• Understand each paragraph separately: While you are reading, make sure you understand each paragraph and pick the main points out of it that is summarise each paragraph. This basic technique will save you time by helping you in identifying the correct paragraph that you should refer to in order to find the answer to a question.

• Pick Small passages first: Long passages filled with technical terms can be a put off for any student. However, that is precisely the mountain that they have to tackle during entrance exams. The idea is to not try to scale the mountain all at once but to take small steps. Start with simple passages of short length. As your comprehension skills increase alongside your reading speed, gradually start taking up longer passages with difficult subject matters and tougher language.

2. Grammar

This section is quite tricky since we all have been studying English grammar from 1st standard but most of the aspirants are still confused as to the correctness of a sentence and that is completely fine as you learn everything with practice.

• Make Notes: Make notes while you prepare grammar and pay elaborate attention to the topics you are grappling with. Capture the basic rules of grammar and then apply them to solving exercises under various topics. 

• Learn the Rules: There is a strong percentage of people who generally rely on the "What sounds good" strategy, but that is not the right approach in the examinations like CLAT. you need to understand the basic rules of Grammar. Brush up your basic concepts and know the rules of Grammar. Revising your basics will acquaint you with frequently asked questions in the CLAT English Section on the following types:
  Spotting Errors, Sentence rectification, Cloze test and Fill in the blanks.

• Practice leads to Perfection: You should practice error finding and correcting exercises since they are also commonly asked in the CLAT exam. For this, you need to brush up on the rules of tenses. The type of grammar questions asked is varied and may differ in every paper, so it is advisable to go through the basics of English grammar thoroughly and keep on practicing it regularly. English is a vast language with numerous rules. It can surely be quite difficult to remember all of them. Practicing grammar exercises regularly can help you to get used to many of the rules. This can in turn help you to process the question and identify the applicable concepts quicker.
  English Full Test-1
  English Full Test-2
  English Full Test-3
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  English Full Test-5

3. Vocabulary

• The common vocabulary-based questions asked in the English Section are Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms, Foreign language words, and Spell Check. 

• Know the meanings of common words: There are many words that we use on a regular basis but not quite sure of their meanings.  It is best to brush up on these ‘familiar’ words so that you can determine the correct answer among options that are very close in their meanings.

• Learn New Words: While reading any text or article, if you come across any new words, take note of it. Find out its meaning before moving further with your reading. 

• Spellings are crucial: One of the important elements of a good vocabulary is a good grasp of spellings. Next time you spend time learning the meanings of new words, pay some attention to the spelling of each word. Exams with spelling check type questions tends to provide options with very similar alterations in terms of spelling. Only a cursory idea of the spelling may land you in trouble in case of such questions. 

• Knowledge of Synonyms and Antonyms: Looking out for synonyms of words can help in increasing your vocabulary at a faster pace. When you learn a new word, check for its synonyms. If you find two new words within the synonyms you will very well have learned three new words at the time you spent on one. Similarly, look for antonyms of words you come across. 

An overview of CLAT English Syllabus

➤ English Comprehension

• The English section is organized to test the candidates’ proficiency in English based on comprehension passages and grammar.

• Incomprehension section, aspirants will be questioned on their perception of passage, central theme, meanings of words, and many more.

Grammar Part

• It comprises topics such as correction of incorrect grammatical sentences, filling of blanks in sentences with appropriate words, etc.
• English Vocabulary - Synonyms, Antonyms, Analogies
• English Proficiency - Idioms & Phrases, One-word substitution, Sentence Improvement, Sentence Rearrangement, Fill in the blanks
• English Usage Errors - Common errors, Spotting errors, inappropriate usage of words, spelling mistakes
• Comprehension - Passages will be provided and questions will be based on them                                                       

All Courses for CLAT 2021

Mock Test Series for CLAT

Includes 45 tests 

Legal Aptitude for CLAT

Includes 23 docs, 81 videos & 51 tests 

English for CLAT

Includes 10 docs & 43 tests 

Logical Reasoning for CLAT

Includes 16 docs & 55 tests 

Quantitative Aptitude for CLAT

Includes 21 docs & 31 tests

CLAT Past Year Papers (2008-2019)

Includes 10 tests 

Similarly, prepare for other sections of CLAT here
How to prepare Reasoning for CLAT 2021?
How to prepare Legal Aptitude for CLAT 2021? 
How to prepare Numerical Ability for CLAT 2021?
How to prepare General Knowledge for CLAT 2021?