We all know how important English is as a language, and it is vital for the applicants to learn this language because he/ she will appear for competitive exams; it is essential for our day-to-day activities.

Since the CUET examination is around the corner, students would know that the English Language is one of the three sections of the CUET exam, and they should be accustomed to the paper and the topics of the English Language section. 

However, many students who will be appearing for the first time in this examination do not know much about this section or the other sections of this exam, or they would not know the changes that this paper has faced when the acting body of this examination, that is, The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared a massive shift in the exam pattern.

Candidates who will be appearing for the CUET examination for the first time should run through this article by CUET Gurukul, as it contains all the information regarding the revised English Language section of the CUET examination, the syllabus,¹ and some tips and advice to ace this section.

What is English Language Section About?

English acts as the bridge language over many parts of the world, and this language has built prestige over the span of many years. And this language is used as an official language in India, and it is used in public sectors and private sectors of the country, and even examinations are conducted in this language.

Just like any other competitive exam, this section of the CUET examination also evaluates the command of the English Language of the candidates, where students are expected to have an enormous vocabulary, and they should have a strong command of the grammar rules of the language as well.

Types of Questions to be Asked in The English Language Section:

In this section of the English Language of the CUET examination, there will be three types of passages:

i. Factual
ii. Narrative
iii. Literary

passages of (maximum 300-350 words), and a regular reader can read this passage in 6 to 7 minutes.

Each passage of this section will be followed by a number of questions that will evaluate the comprehension skills and the languages skill of the candidate, and the applicants’ capacity to:

• • Read and understand the main idea discussed in the passage, as well as any disagreements and the different points of view, talked about in the passage.

• • Drawing inferences and conclusions based on the passage.

• • Giving a summary of the passage

• • Compare and contrast the distinctive dispute and perspective present in the respective passage; lastly.

• • Recognize the meaning of a number of words and phrasal verbs used in the passage.

In addition, students should also expect that there will be some grammar-based questions, such as writing a synonym of the underlined word or a random sentence from the passage would be highlighted, and the applicant would be asked to identify and correct the error; there would not be grammar-based questions in each passage. However, students can expect that there will be such questions in two to three passages.

Important Topics Of The English Language Section:

Just like any other subject, it is extremely crucial for the appearing candidate to look through the syllabus because the question pattern of the CUET examination was changed, so students must go through the syllabus to see the topics they will be preparing. Moreover, if the student is nervous because he/ she is not used to scoring well in the English examination, they should mark specific topics that will help them score well in this section. Needless to say, students must possess a colossal vocabulary to answer vocabulary-based questions. Here are the essential topics of this section:

• • Active and Passive Voice

• • Parts of Speech

• • Modals

• • Grammar

• • Phrasal Verbs

• • Prepositions

• • Articles

• • Subject-Verb-Agreement

• • Figures of Speech

• • Spotting Errors

• • Jumbled Sentences

• • Tenses

*The list is not exhaustive

Important Tips For CUET English Language Section:

Preparing for the English Language section can be difficult because it is difficult to state the requirements of this subject. And unlike mathematics which requires intelligence and a thorough understanding of the concepts, Physics requires understanding the concepts, and Biology requires memory. Learning English can be a difficult task because it requires all these concepts and smartness. However, students can follow these tips and advice to ace this section:

1. Reading Habit: In order to quickly read and comprehend the content of the passage, the applicant must build a reading habit, and he/ she should start reading newspapers, novels, or articles because it will develop the understanding skills of the candidate. It is vital for the students to read from a good newspaper, and they can read The Hindu, Telegraph, Times of India, or Indian Express. Moreover, simply reading the newspaper is not enough. The applicant must underline new words, and they should find the meaning and usage of the word in a sentence within a day or two. Candidates will notice the difference within a few weeks if they continue this habit.
2. Learn the Grammar Rules: In order to make a strong impression, applicants must know how to write and speak English that is grammatically correct. They can do so by revisiting their old grammar textbooks to brush up on their memory and reinforce their knowledge by going through topics such as verbs, adjectives, tenses, prepositions, modals, active and passive voice, etc. Since mugging up the rules will not be beneficial in the long run, it will be wise for the student to understand the rules of the language. Students can take the help of popular grammar books such as Grammar and Composition in English by Wren & Martin, English in General by Lucent Publications, and Thirty Days to a Stronger Vocabulary.
3. Talk To Yourself In English: In order to enhance your pronunciation, the student must be in the habit of talking in English, and simply talking to your friends and family members is not enough. Even though this tip would sound crazy to the reader, the candidates should think in English and speak to themselves in English. The English Language is like a sing-song language, and it has rhythm in it, but the Indian languages are flat, and they do not have rhythm in them; by talking to yourself in English, you can improve it, and you will start to feel comfortable as well.
4. Listen Carefully: The most crucial step of speaking English or any language correctly is to listen carefully and accurately, and one must develop the listening skill to be an effective listener because by being an effective listener, he/ she can be able to recognise the false start, intonations, accent, and stress marks of the speaker, and they would be able to find the explicit meaning of the speaker is trying to say.