Column Based
Column-based questions are a vital part of the English language section in competitive exams like UPSC. These questions test your ability to form complete and meaningful sentences by joining two different fragments. Usually, you are given Column I and Column II. Each column contains parts of sentences that are currently separated. Your main task is to match a fragment from the first column with a suitable fragment from the second column.
Concepts (2)
Connectors are words that join two ideas. In column-based questions, they act as a bridge. For instance, 'although' introduces a contrast. If one part says 'it was raining', and the other says 'they went for a walk', 'although' is the perfect bridge.
Connectors are words that join two ideas. In column-based questions, they act as a bridge. For instance, 'although' introduces a contrast. If one part says 'it was raining', and the other says 'they went for a walk', 'although' is the perfect bridge. Understanding how 'and', 'but', 'so', and 'yet' work will help you match parts quickly. Example: 'She was tired' (Part A) + 'yet she continued working' (Part B). This shows how 'yet' connects two opposite ideas.
This rule states that the subject and verb must match in number. If the subject in Column A is plural, like 'The students', the verb in Column B must be plural, like 'are playing'.
This rule states that the subject and verb must match in number. If the subject in Column A is plural, like 'The students', the verb in Column B must be plural, like 'are playing'. Many students fail here because they ignore the number of the subject. Checking this simple rule can help you eliminate wrong options immediately. Example: 'The mangoes' (A) + 'are very sweet' (B). If the option was 'is very sweet', it would be grammatically wrong.
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Start Lesson: Connectors and Conjunctions