Verbal Ability - General Aptitude

The grammar points GATE tests (subject–verb agreement, tenses, articles, prepositions, pronouns), vocabulary in context, sentence completion, analogies, and reading comprehension with inference questions.

The verbal half of General Aptitude tests English usage and careful reading. The questions are short, and most mistakes come from rushing, so read every option against the whole sentence.

Subject–verb agreement

Rule	Example
The verb agrees with the subject, not with a phrase in between	The list of names is on the desk.
Each, every, either, neither, everyone take a singular verb	Each of the students has submitted the form.
With either … or / neither … nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject	Neither the manager nor the employees are attending.
A number of (many) is plural; the number of is singular	A number of trains are late. The number of trains is small.
Collective nouns are usually singular when acting as one unit	The committee has decided.

Tenses

Past perfect for the earlier of two past actions: By the time we reached the station, the train had left.
Present perfect for a past action with a present result, without a specific past time: She has finished the report (not "has finished it yesterday").
After if in a condition about the future, use the present: If it rains tomorrow, the match will be postponed.
Unreal conditions: If I were you, I would accept the offer.

Articles and prepositions

An before a vowel sound, a before a consonant sound: an honest person, an hour, a university, a one-day match.
The for something specific or unique: the sun, the book you lent me.
Fixed prepositions must be learnt: good at mathematics, interested in, depend on, consist of, comply with, prefer tea to coffee, different from.

Pronouns

After a preposition, use the object form: between you and me (not "between you and I").
In comparisons, complete the clause to check: She is taller than I (am).
Who is a subject, whom an object: the person who called; the person whom we called.

Vocabulary in context

Questions often ask for the word closest in meaning as used in the sentence, so read the whole sentence:

"The new policy was meant to ameliorate the housing shortage." → improve.
"His laconic reply left us guessing." → brief, using few words.
"The evidence was corroborated by two witnesses." → confirmed.

Sentence completion

Look for signal words that show whether the blank continues or contrasts with the rest of the sentence: although, despite, but, however signal a contrast; and, because, so, moreover signal continuation.

"Despite the heavy rain, the match was not ______." The contrast word despite means the expected result of rain (cancellation) did not happen: cancelled.

Analogies

Identify the exact relationship in the given pair, then find the option with the same relationship in the same order:

Painter : brush :: writer : pen (a worker and their tool).
Fish : school :: wolf : pack (an animal and its group).
Thermometer : temperature :: barometer : pressure (an instrument and what it measures).

Reading comprehension

Answer only from the passage. An inference must follow from what the passage says, without outside knowledge; an option that is true in the real world but not supported by the passage is wrong.