It has become quite necessary to possess a good vocabulary in order to succeed in government exams. As most of the questions from the English section deal with vocabulary. To prepare for this section it is important for students to increase their stock of words. Building up a good vocabulary from scratch sure seems like a daunting thing to do, but, with some hard work and patience students can easily improve it.
One fourth of the total number of questions in the bank exams consist of verbal aptitude. Out of these, at least half of the questions are vocabulary based. This gives an idea about the importance of vocabulary in bank exams. You cannot master vocabulary in a day, it needs daily practice. Here are 10 tips that can prove useful to candidates looking to improve their vocabulary for government exams, especially bank examinations.
1. Read English newspaper daily. The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express and The Hindu are some of the premier English dailies available. Reading the newspaper is like killing two birds with one stone. You get to increase your general awareness while simultaneously developing your vocabulary.
2. Read a lot. Reading improves both vocabulary and writing skills. It is better to read things that interest you like novels, blogs or magazines. A regular habit of reading can go a long way in improving your vocabulary.
3. Note down new words. Every time you see a new word, note it down. Check the dictionary for its meaning and afterwards write down both the meaning and proper usage of the word. Use a good and reputed dictionary for this purpose.
4. Check out the construction of a new or unknown word. Break the word down into its roots and components and then memorize them. Doing this can act as a reference and enable you to retain a large amount of words. Roots are most commonly Latin in origin.
5. Revise your new word list at regular intervals. Revising will help in memorizing the words for a longer time period. Also learn how to correctly pronounce and spell the new words. Also try to learn a small fixed number of new words daily, and increase the number with time.
6. Try learning various prefixes and suffixes. A good understanding of these allows you to correctly guess the meanings of unknown words. Also keep an eye on the different forms of the words.
7. Identify your vocabulary requirements. Go through a sample question paper of the bank exams and understand the questions. Solving sample and past papers will also provide you with a list of important words to learn.
8. Use the new words you learn whenever possible. Using the words allow you to understand the proper usage and also sentence formation. It helps in guessing the context of a sentence even if it has a few unidentifiable words.
9. Play word games. Playing these games allows you to improve your vocabulary while engaging yourself in a fun filled activity.
10. Learn the synonyms and antonyms of all important words. Handling synonyms and antonym questions is much easier if you have an idea of negative and positive prefixes and suffixes. A lot of questions asked in the bank exam are from the following sections. Make a chart of your progress and goals.
Besides, above tips, reading dictionary can also help a lot in improving vocabulary. If you have a sound vocabulary, you are likewise blessed with a strong comprehension and the power to express yourself clearly in few words. Internet is an outstanding source to improve this skill, as there are several websites just a click away that are created to help your boost vocabulary. Vocabulary learning is tricky, because if you cannot remember the new words, you forget everything after a short period of time. You should understand that improving vocabulary is a continuing activity, which fully depends on a smart practice. A good vocabulary is also a great speaking and writing tool. It’s never too late to learn, start working on your vocabulary from today.