Verbal Ability Gyaan1)Parajumbles(PJ)- This is probably the easiest section of VA.

In order to score very well in the VALR section,one has to be very good at it.Good PJ skill easily ensures atleast 6 marks in CAT.Just go through the PJ theory(even for a lazy bum,it will take 1 day max to go through all the rules).After that,practice alteast 7-8 PJs every day.That will be enough. An article by Tanveer Sirhttp://www.pagalguy.com/news/solve-para-jumble-questions-using-chota-rajan-methodporiborton-strategy-other-easy-tricks-a-14818 2)Paragraph Completion(PC)- Simple section.5 rules to remember.Still many people get this wrong in CAT.The problem arises when one,after elimination of useless options,has to choose between the last two options.And this is where a good reading habit helps.Please read the article on PC by Tanveer Sir. http://www.pagalguy.com/news/don-detectives-hat-solve-paragraph-completion-deletedsentence-questions-a-16095 Also,the rules as given by GP SirRule 1: Scope of passage and answer choice should be the same Scope loosely refers to the subject of the passage and the issues discussed in it. Scope of the correct answer choice should be the same as that of the passage. For example, if the passage discusses the benefits of Nuclear Energy, choices discussing Solar Power are unlikely to be correct. When a choice is out of scope, it is discussing issues or subjects that are different from those in the passage.Out of scope can be loosely translated as out of syllabus. Rule 2: Scale of the passage and answer choice should be the same Consider a passage on the outbreak of bird flu in a city, the correct answer choice will also focus on the city, it will not significantly change the scale (or size) of the problem. Thus any choice that extends the bird flu problem of the city to the country or reduces it to a small part of the city is unlikely to be correct.In other words the size of the problem will be the same in the paragraph and the correct answer choice. Rule 3: Tone of the passage and the answer choice should be the same If the author of the paragraph has a favourable opinion on an issue then the correct answer choice should also reflect it. The tone of the passage and the correct answer choice has to be the same.If the passage is laudatory, it is not possible for the correct answer choice to be critical. Rule 4: Continuity Just as Ganges flows from Gangotri to Rishikesh to Varanasi and cannot reverse its direction, an issue that has been discussed and closed in the paragraph will not be taken up again, remember from Rishikesh Ganges can flow only to Varanasi and not to Gangotri. It is the last thought or issue that has to be taken forward and not something that is dead and buried. 3)Sentence Correction(SC)There are around 16 topics in grammar that need to be covered for CAT.But even if one doesnt get the in-depth knowledge in most of the topics,the SC questions of CAT are quite manageable.I had started with Aristotle SC Grail and Wren and Martin(because Aristotle SC doesnt have all the chapters).One can use TIME/CL/IMS/Sujit Kumars book to start the grammar portion.But the important thing to know is that no grammar book is exhaustive.So no matter with which one you start from,make sure you follow

some other guides too!!!To go through the basics of grammar(2 books) would need around 2 months max.After that,all one needs is practice.Reading too helps tremendously to build a strong grammar.One comes across parallelism,modifiers,punctuation,SVA,articles and almost every other grammar topic.So while reading,pay attention to the grammatical structure as well. 4)Critical ReasoningThis section is important from CAT/XAT point of view.Again,1 month max to get a hang of all the terms and tricks that are used in CR.Follow a standard GMAT book for CR to know about the basics.There are tonnes of pdfs too that are pretty good. 5)Confusing wordsThere is no single exhaustive list that lists all the homonyms.Majority of them are available as pdfs.And the past mock papers are a good source too.Collect as much as you can.Not a difficult area. 6)Phrasal Verbs(PV)-This is one of the most dreaded sections of VA :D Unless you devote exclusive time to this section,you cant be sure of the answer in the exam.Keep practising 3-4 PVs a day,not more than that.And hope that you are asked easy ones in CAT.:P 7)Vocabulary-This is the section that takes the maximum time.I personally feel that till the very last day,one has to keep revising words and still cannot be sure what word will he/she encounter the next day.So start from now on.It is not imp to mug up 30 words in a day,but it is too important to mug up 30 words a day for the next 7-8 months of your preps!!!Now,you have got around 8 months to CAT 2013.If you read 10 words a day too,you will complete a 2400 wordlist before CAT.So start from today itself.Pick a standard wordlist and read 10 words every day IN THE MORNING itself.And then,keep revising them in your head throughout the day(this is the most important step),10 words will hardly take 10 mins to revise.No big deal.And the final revision should be done just before you sleep.If you are unable to recall some words,then refer to them then and there!!!Also,dont just read the words mechanically. Associate words with funny ideas/people/stories/mnemonics.Use mnemonics wordlists,audio wordlists etc etc.You can create a blog too where every day,you can write a short passage that includes all the words you had memorized that day.Your writing will improve too(we have WAT nowadays). 8)Reading ComprehensionThe name itself gives the clue as to what needs to be done to ace this section. J Some other things to rememberDevelop a reading habit.I get bored after 20 minutes,I only love tech,philosophy bores me blah blah blah.Stop giving excuses and start reading.CAT/XAT people dont give a damn whether you like it or not.YOU HAVE TO DO IT.Please devote time to this.Make this a hobby rather than a method of sailing through CAT/XAT.After some months of dedicated reading,you yourself will see the difference.It helps in all areas of VA,be it RC,PC,SC,vocab,PVs,PJ.And dont restrict your reading to the likes of 3 mistakes of my life,I too had a love story.Broaden your genre.Another thing is-make English your primary language of communication.Even when you are on FB,start commenting in English.And dont feel bad if someone corrects you.Be happy that atleast someone is there to help you become better.If possible,create a small group of friends who have CAT as a common goal.Interact with them in English.No Hindi/other regional language whatsoever.