RC Workshop and AIMCAT Discussion (Verbal)

AIMCAT 1220-1216

CAT No. of questio

ns in the

Verbal section

RC Grammar

Word based PJ/PC

2007 (PP)

25 3P * 4Q 3 ErrorIdentifica

tion

3 (choose the appropriate

word)/

PJ = 4/PC = 3

2008 (PP)

40 4P * 5Q 4 ErrorIdentifica

tion

4 (choose the appropriate

word)/4 DB/4 MU

PC=4

2009 (OL)

20 3P * 3Q ----- ----- -----

2010 (OL)

20 3P * 4/3/2

----- ----- -----

RC pattern in the previous CAT papers

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Aimcat

RC questions Grammar

Word based PJ/PC

1220 3Passages / 3 questions each

passage

2 – EI 3 (choose the correct word) / 2

DB

PJ = 2/PC=2

1219 3Passages / 3 questions each

passage

---- 3 (choose the correct word)/3

MU/3DB

PC = 2

1218 3Passages / 3 questions each

passage

3 - EI 3 (choose the correct word)/3

MU

PJ = 2

1217 3Passages / 3 questions each

passage

---- 2 (choose the correct

word/3DB/3M

PC = 3

1216 3Passages / 3 questions each

passage

3 - EI MU = 3 PJ = 3/PC=2

Overview of the Aimcats

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Assuming a student gives equal time per section at the outset

And also that a student tries to maximize his/her attempts in the verbal section

The equation would be : 20 Q = 45/40 minsTime per passage : 10-12 minsReading time : 5 minsTime taken to solve the questions : 7 mins

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Time allocation

Subject of the passage (most important) No. of questions per passage [CAT 2010] Length Question type : Direct/Partial

Inferential/Inferential

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How to choose a passage?

AIMCAT 1220Passage I : Translation of books into digital

formats Passage II : Green initiativesPassage III : The Criminal mind AIMCAT 1219 Passage I : a look at genocide with Stalin as

an example (Sub : history)Passage II : state of affairs in democratic

societies (Sub : politics)Passage III : history is dependant on

geography and social developmentT.I.M.E.

RC subjects in the Aimcats

AIMCAT 1218Passage I : Buddhism : Stephen Batchelor’s

understanding of Buddhism (Sub : Religion)Passage II : Correlation between poverty and

social problems (Sub : Economics)Passage III : trace the origin of super-massive

black holes (Sub : Cosmology) AIMCAT 1217 Passage I : book review : about climate science

and global warming (Sub : ecology)Passage II : Application of management principles

(Sub : Management)Passage III : Shyam Benegal and the New Indian

cinema (Sub : Arts)T.I.M.E.

RC subjects in the Aimcats

AIMCAT 1216Passage I : genesis of life on the Earth (Sub :

anthropology)Passage II : the various facets of Africa (the

economic development) (Sub : Geopolitics)Passage III : Efforts taken to prevent climate

change (Sub : Climate change)

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RC subjects in the Aimcats

Year Subject

2002 IPR,abstractionism,technology,music(arts)

2003 Education,history,culture,anthropology,sociology

2004 Social anthropology, fine arts , economics (capitalism), medicine, ecology

2005 Psychology,economics,language

2006 Politics (communism),sociology , psychology

2007 Science,history,sociology (human interaction)

2008 Language,sociology,fine arts

2010 Abstraction, sociology (changing trends in society, problems people face),ecology (snow /ice masses),langage,economics,feudalism,plato,urbanism,nationalism,spiritual healing,

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Sub areas asked in CAT in the last 10 years

http://samsmithessays.blogspot.com/2006/06/practicing-anthropology-without.html (anthropology)

http://www.economist.com/node/15172496?story_id=15172496&source=hptextfeature (anthropology)

http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article432445.ece (Sociology) http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text/1

(anthropology)

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Anthropology /Sociology/Culture

http://www.sydneyline.com/Historical%20Truth%20and%20Postmodernism.htm (history)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12522848 (history) http://www.historynet.com/the-war-over-plunder-who-owns-art-stolen-in-wa

r.htm/1 (history)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/opinion/07friedman.html?_r=3&ref=thomaslfriedman (politics)

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/africa_china/61408 (politics) http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/john-gilmers-last-stand/

(politics) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/books/review/adam-kirsch-on-new-bo

oks-about-world-war-ii.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all (world politics)

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History/Politics

http://www.theamericanscholar.org/how-longfellow-woke-the-dead/ (literature)

http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2734/julianne_escobedo_shepherd_8_c/ (literature)

http://www.city-journal.org/2011/eon0517hm.html (education) http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/most+influential+history/47880

14/story.html (literature)

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Language/Arts/Literature

http://hinduism.about.com/od/vivekananda/a/vivekananda_speeches_2.htm (philosophy)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Monkey_Theorem (philosophy) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation (philosophy) http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0517/Questions-abo

ut-God-Don-t-assume-all-religions-offer-similar-answers (religion)

http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/dawkins.html (religion) http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text/1

(religion) http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6711.html (morality) http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/980707-05-a.html (technology) http://grammar.about.com/od/classicessays/a/virhapmill.htm (philosophy)

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Religion/Philosophy

http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/dawkins.html (economics) http://www.guernicamag.com/blog/2734/julianne_escobedo_shepherd_8_c/

(economics) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/05/22/our_data_ou

rselves/?page=full (technology)

http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/ideas/ian-leslie/are-artists-liars?page=full (psychology)

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Economics/Business/Science/Tech

Style is the way in which an author presents his ideas on a particular subject.

Different types of Style: Factual Analytical Argumentative Narrative Descriptive Abstract

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A few other concepts related to RC

Tone is the author’s attitude towards the central idea or the subject being discussed

Types of tonesPositiveNegativeNeutral : unbiased disinterested objective

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Tones

Optimistic Assertive Euphemistic Advisory Surprise Didactic Nostalgic Passionate Ethical

Laudatory Eulogistic Critical

Appreciation

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Positive tones

Negative Pessimism Condescending Critical Acerbic Caustic Vitriolic Ironic Paradoxical Shock

Indignant Consternation Cynical Derisive Disparaging Dogmatic Sophistry Casuistry Incendiary

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Negative tones

Positive : when used for entertainment (PG Wodehouse);light-hearted, tongue in cheek, witty

Negative : when used to point out the fallacies in an individual or society

Negative humour tones: Sarcasm Mockery Satire Spoof

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Humour

Direct questions : word based/phrase based / sentence based/quote based

Partial Inferential : ‘except clause’ Inferential : central idea , style , tone

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Types of Question

1. The 'shift in power' caused by the digitization of books implies that (1220)

2. "Only 0.3 percent of Coca-Cola's drinks will come in Plant Bottles this year. They will, however, be consumed conspicuously". By this the author means one of the following. (1220)

3.  Which of the following is closest to what the words, 'Perhaps 0.3 percent is some kind of magic number in green marketing circles' mean? (1220)

4.  What does 'it' refer to in 'it's an unsettling thought'? (1220)

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Direct Questions

 The 'primordial soup' and 'warm little pond' (1216)

The author uses the phrase 'might give one pause' to ask which of the following questions? (1218)

The word ‘murky’ in the passage implies [1217] {passage 2}

What does ‘that’ stand for in ‘That is shame’ [1217] {Passage 1}

The term ‘Russian obliviousness’ in the passage means [1219] {Passage 1}

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Direct Questions

Questions based on Central Idea 1.  This passage (1216)2. In this passage, the author primarily

(1218)3. In the given passage, the main purpose of

the researchers is to (1218)4. In the final analysis, the reviewer’s take on

the book under review is that : [1217] {passage 1}

5. In this passage the author primarily : [1219] {Passage 2}

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Inference based questions

According to the passage, all of the following features are true regarding Benegal’s “previous work” except …. [1217] {passage 3}

According to the passage, all of the following statements regarding the ‘chaos’ in the factories are true, except …. [1217] {passage 3}

Which of the following appears to be an unlikely outcome of the ‘consultant’s intervention’ [1217] {passage 2}

Tim Flannery,as per the passage , is all the following except … [1217] {passage 1}

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PI questions

According to the passage , Naimark’s book title is plural because : [1219] {Passage 1}

The passage mentions some of the characteristics of the new middle class which emerged in the liberal states. Pick the exception. [1219] {Passage 2}

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PI questions

Objective of these kind of questions in any entrance examinations

The words given in these type of question are the commonly used words also called the high frequency words

The objective of this question is to evaluate a student’s language proficiency unlike vocabulary based questions

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Multiple Usage questions

Steps to be followed while solving these questions check the usage of the word in terms of the part of

speech [there are eight parts of speech : noun,pronoun,verb,adverb,adjective,preposition,conjunction,interjection]

The word in question could either be used as a noun or a verb.

E.g. the word nurse can be used in the following ways :

She works as a nurse in hospital. [noun]She nursed me throughout my illness. [verb]Do you nurse political ambitions ? [verb]

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How to solve these questions?

if the word in question is used as a noun then check for the usage of the article [a,an,the] ; the error could be with the usage of article

E.g. Firm Lie on a firm mattress to avoid a backache. The new firm had several plans for

expansion. This is a residential school and kids here

need a firm hand to make them behave.

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Multiple usage continued

The noun used in MU questions is generally a common noun [so we need not bother about the usage of the article ‘the’ with any other type of noun]

Common nouns : types : countable/uncountableCountable nouns : can be physically counted

and always take a plural formUncountable nouns : cannot be physically

counted and do not take a plural formThey also do not take a article : hence if

the word in question is an uncountable noun it would not take any article

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Article usage for MU questions

Template for the usage of the indefinite articles (a, an)

used with singular countable nouns : a book, an orange

always used with a adjective of quality : a beautiful girl , an intelligent student

Gives a positive connotation when used with an adjective of quantity e.g.. A few/a little

[difference between a , an : the choice between the two is determined by sound : before a word beginning with a vowel sound an is used : an enemy, an umbrella : before a word beginning with a consonant sound a is used : a boy, a girl ] T.I.M.E.

Template for the usage of articles for MU questions

If the word is used as a verb then the error could be with the preposition following it : a concept called ‘phrasal verbs’

E.g. Deal1. You begin a game by dealing 7 cards to

each player.2. Parents find it difficult to deal with their

children’s hostile and stubborn attitude.3. The nuclear deal between India and the US

has sparked off a controversy.4. Judges usually deal in harsher sentences to

repeat offendersT.I.M.E.

Multiple usage contd

Idioms : the error could be idiomatic (the incorrect idiom in terms of the meaning conveyed or in terms of the structure)

What are idioms?They are phrases grammatically with an

implied meaning [a phrase is a group of words without a finite verb]

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If these don’t work then ….