Comprehension

Workshop
Subject areas asked in CAT
Year Subject
2004 Social Anthropology, Fine Arts , Capitalism, Medicine, Ecology
2005 Economics, Language, Philosophy
2006 Communism, Sociology , Psychology
2007 Science, History, Sociology (human interaction)
2008 Language, Sociology, Fine arts, Mayans
2009 Spirituality, Sociology, History Of Language
2010 Abstraction, Sociology , Ecology, Language, Economics, Plato
2011 Urbanism, Nationalism, Spiritual Healing, Sociology
2012 Sociology, Language, Feminism, Economics
How to choose a passage?

Does it make a difference ?
Subject
Question Types
Length

How to tackle R.C. ?
Understanding the passage from the
AUTHORs point of view
1) Aim / Intention / Objective ?
2) Scope of the passage ?
3) Central idea, Theme, Tone ?
Importance of the question
Importance of the answer choices
Abstract Passages
Read the questions first.

Figure out what is expected of you

Follow the UPA method

Dont get too caught up
Style
Style is the way in which an author presents his ideas !

Different types of Style:

Factual
Analytical
Argumentative
Narrative
Descriptive
Abstract
Tones
Tone is the authors attitude towards the central
idea or the subject being discussed
Types of tones
Positive
Negative
Neutral : unbiased
disinterested
objective

Positive tones
Optimistic
Assertive
Euphemistic
Advisory
Surprise
Didactic
Nostalgic
Passionate
Ethical

Laudatory
Eulogistic
Critical Appreciation

Negative tones
Negative
Pessimism
Condescending
Critical
Acerbic
Caustic
Vitriolic
Ironic
Paradoxical
Shock

Indignant
Consternation
Cynical
Derisive
Disparaging
Dogmatic
Sophistry
Casuistry
Incendiary

Humour
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

Para Jumbles
The 7 step method :

1) Read all the sentences first
2) Understand the intention of the author
3) Figure out the idea flow
4) Introduction & Conclusion
5) Links
6) Deduce YOUR OWN answer
7) Answer Options
Para Jumbles
Ways to tackle Para jumbles
Types
Introduction (if required)
Links : Structure/grammar
Content
Structure links :
Noun-pronoun (number, gender)
Conjunctions
Parallelism
Para Jumbles Contd
Content links :
Idea elaboration
Idea example
Cause effect
Chronology
Common word approach
Generic to specific


Paragraph Completion
The 3 questions
Same grammar & tone
Same writing style
Does it complete the sense of the passage ?

Further points to be noted :
Writing style
Types of endings
All the very best
of luck to you!