The English Language section of CLAT isn’t just about words; it’s about how well you can understand, analyze, and express ideas. Whether you’re preparing for CLAT 2025, CLAT 2026, or just starting your journey, mastering the CLAT English Language section can give you a significant edge.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to excel— from the syllabus breakdown to proven preparation tips and resources. This comprehensive guide will help you sharpen your English skills and score higher, bringing you closer to your dream National Law University (NLU)!
CLAT English Language: Overview
The CLAT English Language section plays a crucial role in assessing a candidate’s reading, comprehension, and analytical abilities. This section contains 22-26 questions, accounting for roughly 20% of the total paper.
The passages provided are around 450 words each, derived from contemporary or historically significant fiction and non-fiction sources.
The English section of CLAT not only tests your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary but also focuses heavily on reading comprehension.
The questions are designed to evaluate how well you can interpret information, make connections, and extract meanings, all under the pressure of limited time.
| Aspect | Details |
| Number of Questions in CLAT English | 22-26 |
| Weightage in Total Paper | Roughly 20% of the paper |
| Passage Length | Approximately 450 words |
| Source of CLAT English Passages | Contemporary or historically significant fiction and non-fiction |
| Skills Tested | Comprehension Inference Summarization Comparison Vocabulary in context |
| Time to Read Each Passage | 5-7 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | 12th std |
CLAT English Language Syllabus 2025
Below is the latest CLAT English syllabus:
| Part | Topics Covered |
| Reading Comprehension | – Reading fundamentals: Speed reading, Skimming, Scanning |
| – Efficient reading | |
| – Finding the Main Idea | |
| – Mind Mapping | |
| – Inference | |
| Verbal Ability | – Vocabulary Based Questions |
| – Root words | |
| – Synonyms/Antonyms | |
| – Confusing words/Homophones/Homonyms | |
| – Foreign words | |
| – One word substitution | |
| – Fill in the blanks | |
| – Cloze test | |
| – Idioms | |
| – Analogies | |
| – Para jumbles | |
| – Literary devices | |
| English Grammar | – Parts of speech |
| – Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Verbs (Tenses, Modals, Conditionals) | |
| – Subject verb agreement | |
| – Adverbs, Conjunctions, Prepositions, Phrasal verbs | |
| – Miscellaneous error spotting | |
| – Confusing words | |
| – Determiners |
Download complete CLAT English Syllabus PDF:
Types of Questions in CLAT English Section
The CLAT English language section consists of the following types of questions:
- Reading Comprehension: Passages followed by questions that test your ability to understand, analyze, and interpret the text.
- Direct/Factual Questions: Questions that ask for specific information directly mentioned in the passage.
- Main Idea/Primary Purpose: Identify the central theme, purpose, or message of the passage.
- Inference-Based Questions: Require you to draw conclusions or infer meanings that are implied but not directly stated in the passage.
- Tone and Style of the Passage: Questions about the author’s tone (e.g., critical, neutral, sarcastic) or the writing style used in the passage.
- Vocabulary in Context: Identify the meaning of certain words or phrases based on how they are used in the passage.
- Sentence Correction: Correct grammatical errors in given sentences.
- Error Spotting: Spot and correct grammatical or structural errors in sentences or phrases.
- Fill in the Blanks/Cloze Test: Fill in the blanks with the correct word(s) based on grammar or context clues.
- Critical Reasoning (CR) Based: Analyze arguments or assumptions in the passage and answer questions related to logical reasoning or further application of the ideas.
How to Prepare for CLAT English?
The following are some effective strategies for CLAT English language preparation:
1. Understand Syllabus and Question Types
Begin your preparation for the English section by familiarizing yourself with the latest CLAT syllabus and the types of questions asked in the exam.
This will help you identify the key areas you need to focus on, such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, and sentence correction. Knowing the format allows you to practice the right type of questions.
2. Build Strong Reading Habits
The CLAT English section heavily relies on your ability to quickly and accurately comprehend passages. To improve, cultivate a daily reading habit.
Read a variety of materials like newspapers, magazines, fiction, and non-fiction. Focus on improving your speed and comprehension skills. This will help you tackle long passages efficiently during English for CLAT 2025.
3. Practice Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension for CLAT is a major part of the English section. Practice with passages from different genres, including fiction, science, history, and current affairs.
Focus on identifying the main idea, drawing inferences, and summarizing content. Try to read the passage within 5-7 minutes, as required in the exam.
4. Improve Vocabulary
A rich vocabulary is crucial for CLAT English language preparation. Learn new words daily through reading, flashcards, or vocabulary apps like Vocabulary.com.
Focus on learning synonyms, antonyms, and how to use words in context. Make sure to review regularly and incorporate new words into your writing and speaking to retain them effectively.
5. Brush Up on Grammar
For the grammar-based questions, ensure you have a solid understanding of the basics, such as tenses, subject-verb agreement, prepositions, and sentence structure.
Regularly practice sentence correction and error-spotting exercises to avoid common mistakes in grammar.
6. Take Mock Tests and Practice Papers
Incorporate CLAT mock tests and past papers into your preparation. This not only familiarizes you with the exam format but also improves your time management skills.
Analyze your performance after each test, identify your weak areas, and focus on improving them.
7. Time Management
Time management is crucial when preparing for English for CLAT 2025. Allocate specific time slots to reading comprehension, vocabulary practice, and grammar exercises.
When taking mock tests, aim to complete the English section within the time limits and gradually work on improving your speed without compromising accuracy.
8. Focus on Inference-Based Questions
The CLAT exam includes inference-based questions that require a deeper understanding of the passage.
Practice making inferences from reading materials and answering questions that go beyond the surface meaning. This skill is particularly useful in preparation for CLAT English language.
Tips to Score High in CLAT English Language
We have shared some expert tips and strategies to help you score high in English section of CLAT exam:
Focus on Accuracy: In the CLAT English language section, avoid careless mistakes by reading questions thoroughly. Focus on accuracy rather than speed in the initial stages of the exam.
Identify Author’s Tone Quickly: Developing the ability to recognize the tone of a passage (e.g., critical, humorous, neutral) can help you answer related questions quickly and correctly in English for CLAT 2025.
Use Elimination Strategy: When unsure of the correct answer, use the process of elimination to rule out incorrect choices. This is particularly effective in the CLAT English section for comprehension and vocabulary-based questions.
Skim and Scan Effectively: Practice skimming for the main idea and scanning for specific information within passages. This will help you manage your time efficiently during the exam.
Stay Calm and Avoid Overthinking: Overthinking questions, especially in reading comprehension, can lead to mistakes. Stay calm and trust your instincts when answering.
Review and Practice Varied Reading Material: Regularly expose yourself to different types of reading material like business, science, philosophy, and current affairs for CLAT. This broadens your knowledge base, helping you handle any passage topic in CLAT English language section.
Practice Mind Mapping: While reading CLAT English passages, create quick mental notes or mind maps to help organize the flow of the passage. This will assist in answering questions more efficiently.
Analyze Mistakes from Mock Tests: Go beyond just taking mock tests—analyze your mistakes in the English for CLAT 2025 mock exams. Identify patterns in your errors and work on them.
Mistakes to Avoid in CLAT English Language
You must avoid these mistakes:
1. Not Reading the Passage Carefully
Skimming through passages too quickly without proper comprehension can lead to wrong answers. Take time to understand the passage, especially for inference-based questions in the CLAT English section.
2. Neglecting Vocabulary Practice
Many candidates overlook vocabulary building, which is crucial for CLAT 2025 English. Not knowing the meaning of key words can cause difficulties in comprehension and fill-in-the-blank questions.
3. Overthinking Inference-Based Questions
Trying to find complex meanings in straightforward questions can lead to confusion. Trust your first understanding of the passage in the CLAT English section instead of overanalyzing.
4. Poor Time Management
Spending too much time on difficult passages or questions can leave you rushing through the rest of the section. Practice timed mock tests to manage time effectively in the CLAT English exam.
5. Guessing Without Elimination
Random guessing without eliminating options increases the risk of negative marking in CLAT 2025 English. Use logical elimination before making a guess.
Checkout: CLAT Marking Scheme
Best Books for CLAT English
Use the following books for CLAT English preparation:
1. Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
This book is a must-have for building a strong vocabulary. It not only teaches new words but also explains their usage and etymology.
2. 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary by Norman Lewis
If you’re looking for a quick yet effective way to enhance your vocabulary, this book is ideal. Designed as a 30-day program, it helps students learn new words daily, making it a great resource for CLAT 2025 English preparation.
3. High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren & Martin
A classic book for mastering grammar, Wren & Martin is essential for understanding the basics of English grammar, sentence structure, and correction.
4. English is Easy by Chetan Anand Singh
Known for its straightforward and student-friendly approach, this book simplifies the learning process for both vocabulary and grammar.
It is especially helpful for beginners who want to strengthen their skills for the CLAT English Language section, focusing on building a solid foundation in language usage.
Check the best books for CLAT preparation (for all subjects).
Best Newspapers for CLAT English Language
1. The Hindu
Known for its in-depth analysis and high-quality language, The Hindu is a top choice for students preparing for CLAT English.
Its editorial section, opinion columns, and articles on current affairs help improve reading comprehension and expose you to complex arguments, a key part of the CLAT English Language section.
2. The Indian Express
The Indian Express is another excellent choice for improving reading skills and vocabulary. Its coverage of national and international news, along with the editorial section, provides a diverse range of topics and writing styles.
This newspaper is perfect for practicing comprehension and critical reasoning for CLAT 2025 English.
Important Resources to Prepare English for CLAT
CLAT English Passages and Questions
To help you understand the type of passages and questions asked in the CLAT English section, we’ve included a couple of sample passages from previous year papers. These will give you a clear idea of the difficulty level, question formats, and the skills required to tackle comprehension-based questions effectively.
Passage 1:
“I grew up in a small town not far from Kalimpong. In pre-liberalization India, everything arrived late: not just material things but also ideas. Magazines — old copies of Reader’s Digest and National Geographic — arrived late too, after the news had become stale by months or, often, years. This temporal gap turned journalism into literature, news into legend, and historical events into something akin to plotless stories. But like those who knew no other life, we accepted this as the norm. The dearth of reading material in towns and villages in socialist India is hard to imagine, and it produced two categories of people: those who stopped reading after school or college, and those — including children — who read anything they could find. I read road signs with the enthusiasm that attaches to reading thrillers. When the iterant kabadiwala, collector of papers, magazines, and rejected things, visited our neighbourhood, I rushed to the house where he was doing business. He bought things at unimaginably low prices from those who’d stopped having any use for them, and I rummaged through his sacks of old magazines. Sometimes, on days when business was good, he allowed me a couple of copies of Sportsworld magazine for free. I’d run home and, ignoring my mother’s scolding, plunge right in — consuming news about India’s victory in the Benson and Hedges Cup….
Two takeaways from these experiences have marked my understanding of the provincial reader’s life: the sense of belatedness, of everything coming late, and the desire for pleasure in language. …. Speaking of belatedness, the awareness of having been born at the wrong time in history, of inventing things that had already been discovered elsewhere, far away, without our knowledge or cooperation, is a moment of epiphany and deep sadness. I remember a professor’s choked voice, narrating to me how all the arguments he’d made in his doctoral dissertation, written over many, many years of hard work (for there indeed was a time when PhDs were written over decades), had suddenly come to naught after he’d discovered the work of C.W.E. Bigsby. This, I realised as I grew older, was one of the characteristics of provincial life: that they (usually males) were saying trite things with the confidence of someone declaring them for the first time. I, therefore, grew up surrounded by would-be Newtons who claimed to have discovered gravity (again). There’s a deep sense of tragedy attending this sort of thing — the sad embarrassment of always arriving after the party is over. And there’s a harsh word for that sense of belatedness: “dated.” What rescues it is the unpredictability of these anachronistic “discoveries” — the randomness and haphazardness involved in mapping connections among thoughts and ideas, in a way that hasn’t yet been professionalised.”
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “The Provincial Reader”, by Sumana Roy, Los Angeles Review of Books]
Q1. What use was the kabadiwala (wastepicker) to the author?
- The kabadiwala bought up all her magazines.
- The kabadiwala’s stock of books and magazines were of interest to the author.
- The kabadiwala was about to steal the author’s magazines.
- The author ordered books online which the kabadiwala delivered.
Q2. What according to the author is essential about the experience of being a ‘provincial reader’?
- Belatedness in the sense of coming late for everything.
- Over-eagerness.
- Accepting a temporal gap between what was current in the wider world and the time at which these arrived in the provincial location.
- None of the above
Q3. Why did the author feel a sense of epiphany and deep sadness?
- Because the things that felt special and unique to the author, were already established and accepted thought in the wider world.
- Because the author was less well-read than others.
- Because the author missed being in a big city.
- All the above
Q4. What does the word ‘anachronistic’ as used in the passage, mean?
- Rooted in a non-urban setting
- Related to a mofussil area
- Connected with another time
- Opposed to prevailing sensibilities
Q5. Which of the following options captures the meaning of the last sentence best?
- Though the author feels provincial, she pretends to be from the metropolis.
- Though the author feels dated in her access to intellectual ideas, her lack of metropolitan sophistication lets her engage with the ideas with some originality.
- Though the author is aware of the limitedness of her knowledge, she is confident and can hold her own in a crowd. She also proud of her roots in the small town.
- All the above
Passage 2:
“Until the Keeladi site was discovered, archaeologists by and large believed that the Gangetic plains in the north urbanised significantly earlier than Tamil Nadu. Historians have often claimed that large scale town life in India first developed in the Greater Magadha region of the Gangetic basin. This was during the ‘second urbanisation’ phase. The ‘first urbanisation phase’ refers to the rise of the Harappan or Indus Valley Civilisation. Tamil Nadu was thought to have urbanised at this scale only by the third century BCE. The findings at Keeladi push that date back significantly. … Based on linguistics and continuity in cultural legacies, connections between the Indus Valley Civilisation, or IVC, and old Tamil traditions have long been suggested, but concrete archaeological evidence remained absent. Evidence indicated similarities between graffiti found in Keeladi and symbols associated with the IVC. It bolstered the arguments of dissidents from the dominant North Indian imagination, who have argued for years that their ancestors existed contemporaneously with the IVC. … All the archaeologists I spoke to said it was too soon to make definitive links between the Keeladi site and the IVC. There is no doubt, however, that the discovery at Keeladi has changed the paradigm. In recent years, the results of any new research on early India have invited keen political interest, because proponents of Hindu nationalism support the notion of Vedic culture as fundamental to the origins of Indian civilisation. … The Keeladi excavations further challenge the idea of a single fountainhead of Indian life. They indicate the possibility that the earliest identity that can recognisably be considered ‘Indian’ might not have originated in North India. That wasn’t all. In subsequent seasons of the Keeladi dig, archaeologists discovered that Tamili, a variant of the Brahmi script used for writing inscriptions in the early iterations of the Tamil language, could be dated back to the sixth century BCE, likely a hundred years before previously thought. So not only had urban life thrived in the Tamil lands, but people who lived there had developed their own script. “The evolution of writing is attributed to Ashoka’s edicts, but 2600 years ago writing was prevalent in Keeladi,” Mathan Karuppiah, a proud Madurai local, told me. “A farmer could write his own name on a pot he owned. The fight going on here is ‘You are not the one to teach me to write, I have learnt it myself.’ ”
[Excerpted from “The Dig”, by Sowmiya Ashok, Fifty-Two]
Q6. What was the assumption about the origin of urban life in India before the Keeladi dig?
- The origins lay in the northern Gangetic plains, which urbanised earlier than the south.
- The Indus Valley Civilization was the first urban civilization of India.
- The second urbanization was known to be in the Magadha empire.
- Both (A) and (B)
Q7. “The Keeladi excavations further challenge the idea of a single fountainhead of Indian life.” — in elaboration of this sentence, which of these options follows?
- Dominant theories of how urban and modern life came about in ancient India were proved wrong by the Keeladi archaeological dig.
- Neither the Indus Valley Civilization, nor the ancient urban civilization of Magadha are clear explanations of how urban life emerged in the Keeladi region of southern India in the third century BCE.
- The Keeladi archaeological dig proved that Indian urban and modern life emerged independently in several historical periods and geographies, and no one theory is enough to explain it.
- None of the above
Q8. Language, including a script similar to the Brahmi script, emerged in Keeladi in the sixth century BCE. Which of the following is the most convincing conclusion from this statement?
- Keeladi is a centre of culture and learning far superior to any others in ancient India.
- People of Keeladi were illiterate and could not use language to inscribe on their pots and pans.
- Ancient urban history of India, as we know it today, could significantly be altered by the findings of the advances achieved by the Keeladi civilization.
- All the above
Q9. BCE is the acronym for:
- Before the Common Era
- Before Colloquial Era
- Before Chapel Eternal
- Behind Christ Era
Q10. “A farmer could write his own name on a pot he owned. The fight going on here is ‘You are not the one to teach me to write, I have learnt it myself.’ ” — These sentences imply:
- That the Keeladi civilization was an inegalitarian one.
- That the Keeladi civilization did not conserve the access to education and literacy only for the elite.
- That the farmers of the Keeladi civilization were also potters.
- All the above
Check more CLAT English Questions.
FAQs About CLAT English Language
The CLAT English Language section holds about 20% of the total paper, with 22-26 questions.
There are 22-26 questions in the CLAT English section.
The passages are around 450 words and can be derived from contemporary or historically significant fiction and non-fiction.
The section tests reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, critical reasoning, and the ability to infer meanings and draw conclusions from passages.
Regular reading of newspapers, novels, and practice passages will improve reading speed and comprehension. Focus on skimming, scanning, and summarizing content.
The difficulty level is appropriate for a 12th-grade student, with a balance of direct and inference-based questions.
Yes, for every wrong answer in the CLAT English section, 0.25 marks will be deducted.
Read daily, use vocabulary apps like Vocabulary.com, and practice with word lists and flashcards. Regular revision is key.
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