EVERY GATE PAPER

Reading comprehension and narrative sequencing

Reading comprehension questions give a short passage and ask what it states, implies, assumes or argues. Narrative sequencing gives jumbled sentences and asks for the only order in which they make a coherent paragraph. You solve both the same way: treat the passage as the whole universe, so an option is right only if the text supports it, and read the small words exactly. That means quantifiers such as all, some and only, connectives such as however and therefore, and pronouns that point back to something already said.

18 previous-year questions · 18 solved · 5 practice questions

What GATE comprehension questions ask

In the verbal-ability part of General Aptitude, a comprehension question gives you a short passage and asks one question about it. The passage is the entire universe of the question. An option is correct only if the passage supports it. Being true, sensible or well known does not make it correct. You may still use the ordinary meanings of words and the everyday facts needed simply to read a sentence (that noon is not overnight, that a week has seven days). What you may not bring in is information about the passage's topic that the passage itself does not give. The skill being tested is exact reading: knowing what a set of sentences commits you to and what it does not.

The question stems do two different jobs. Some ask what the passage says or commits you to: a stated fact, an inference, the main idea, the tone, the meaning of a word as it is used, or the purpose a sentence serves. Others ask about the passage's argument: what it takes for granted (an assumption), or what new information would make it stronger or weaker. Before you read the options, decide which job the stem is asking for, because each job has a different kind of correct answer.

Stem wording	What it asks for	The correct option	Typical wrong option
'According to the passage', 'the passage states'	A fact given in the passage, possibly in other words	A faithful paraphrase of one sentence	The same words with a changed quantifier, or with cause and effect reversed
'Can be inferred', 'is implied', 'must be true'	What follows from the passage, often by combining two sentences	A statement that cannot be false if every sentence of the passage is true	A plausible next thought, or a fact that is true in the real world but absent from the passage
'Is best supported by the passage'	The option the text backs most strongly	An option every part of which the text backs; if two seem backed, the more cautiously worded one	A stronger version of a supported claim (all, only, always)
'Assumption', 'the argument presupposes'	An unstated premise without which the conclusion does not follow	An option whose negation breaks the argument	An option that merely helps, or one that is stronger than the argument needs
'If true, strengthens', 'if true, weakens', 'most seriously undermines'	New information, taken as true, that makes the conclusion more likely (strengthen) or less likely (weaken)	An option that closes the gap between evidence and conclusion (strengthen), or widens it, often with another explanation (weaken)	An option that only repeats the evidence, or is about the topic but not about the link from evidence to conclusion
'Main idea', 'central point', 'best title'	The single claim that the whole passage serves	Covers every sentence's purpose, and no more	One detail (too narrow) or the general subject (too broad)
'The author mentions X in order to', 'the primary purpose'	The job a sentence, an example or the whole passage does	Names the role: background, example, objection, evidence or conclusion	An option that restates what X says instead of why it is there
'As used in the passage, the word X means'	The sense the word has in that sentence	The meaning that still makes sense when put in place of the word	The word's commonest meaning, when the passage uses another sense
'Tone', 'the author's attitude'	The author's stance, read from the evaluative words used	A tone word whose strength matches those words	An extreme tone (contemptuous, ecstatic) for a measured passage
'Cannot be inferred', 'EXCEPT', 'least supported'	The one option that is NOT supported	The option that is unsupported or contradicted	Treating the question as an ordinary inference question

EXAM TIP

'Best supported by the passage' and 'best supports the conclusion' point in opposite directions. In the first, the passage is the evidence and the option must follow from it. In the second (usually worded 'which of the following, if true, ...'), the option is new evidence and must make the passage's conclusion more likely. Read the preposition before anything else.

Restatement, inference, extrapolation and outside knowledge

It helps to sort each option in an inference-type question into one of five classes. A restatement says what one sentence already says, in different words. An inference is a new statement that is written nowhere but is forced by the passage, usually by combining two sentences, so it cannot be false while the passage is true. An extrapolation goes beyond the passage: a prediction, a recommendation, a cause the passage never gave, or a claim about a wider group. Outside knowledge is a statement about the topic that may well be true in the world but that the passage never touches. A contradiction conflicts with a sentence of the passage.

Only the first two classes are supported by the passage. Extrapolation tempts because it sounds like a sensible next thought. Outside knowledge tempts because you know it to be true. Neither is evidence from the passage, so an option that is correct in real life but not supported by the text is wrong. The examiner is testing whether you can keep the two apart.

THE INFERENCE TEST

Inferable \leftrightarrow cannot be false if the passage is true

Here $\leftrightarrow$ is read 'means exactly the same as'. For 'can be inferred', 'is implied' and 'must be true', an option passes only if it holds in every situation in which all the passage's sentences hold. 'Probably true' and 'true in real life' do not pass. Ordinary word meanings may be used in applying the test; facts about the topic that the passage does not give may not.

Class	What it does	Test	Supported?
Restatement	Repeats a sentence in other words	You can point to one sentence that says it	Yes
Inference	Combines or applies stated facts to reach something unwritten	It cannot be false if every sentence is true	Yes
Extrapolation	Predicts, recommends, widens the group or adds a cause	It could be false while the passage is true	No
Outside knowledge	Brings in facts about the topic that the passage does not mention	The passage is silent on it	No
Contradiction	Conflicts with the passage	Some sentence says otherwise	No

WORKED EXAMPLE

Passage: 'Every bus on Route 7 has been electric for the past two years. These buses are charged only at the depot, and only overnight. Last week, one Route 7 bus stopped at noon because its battery had run out.'

Classify each statement as a restatement, an inference, an extrapolation or outside knowledge.
(i) Every bus on Route 7 runs on electricity.
(ii) The bus that stopped last week was electric.
(iii) The bus that stopped was not charged between 9 a.m. and noon that day.
(iv) Route 7 should go back to diesel buses.
(v) Electric buses can travel a shorter distance on one charge than diesel buses can on one tank.

Solution

(i) says sentence 1 in other words, so it is a restatement. It is supported.
(ii) Sentence 1 says every Route 7 bus has been electric for the past two years. Sentence 3 says a Route 7 bus stopped last week, which falls within those two years. Together they force the conclusion that the bus was electric. It is written nowhere, yet it cannot be false while the passage is true, so it is an inference.
(iii) Sentence 2 says these buses are charged only at the depot and only overnight, and by (ii) the bus that stopped is one of them. 9 a.m. to noon is not overnight (an ordinary word meaning, not outside knowledge), so the bus was not charged then. The statement applies a stated rule to the case, so it is an inference.
(iv) is a recommendation. The passage reports a single breakdown and never compares electric buses with diesel ones. The statement goes beyond the text, so it is an extrapolation. It is not supported.
(v) may or may not be true in real life, but the passage says nothing about diesel buses. It is outside knowledge and is not supported.

Answer: (i) is a restatement; (ii) and (iii) are inferences; (iv) is an extrapolation; (v) is outside knowledge. Only (i), (ii) and (iii) are supported by the passage.

EXAM TIP

When a stem asks what is 'most likely' or 'most reasonably' inferred, no option may be strictly forced. Choose the one that needs the fewest and smallest outside assumptions. Still reject anything stronger than the text, and anything that rests on outside knowledge.

Strong words, weak words and the logic of 'only', 'unless' and 'some'

Small words decide how much a statement claims. Quantifiers (all, some), frequency words (always, often), certainty words (must, may), exclusivity words (only, the sole) and causal verbs (causes, is linked to) set the strength of a claim, and a stronger claim needs stronger support. An option may be as strong as the passage or weaker, but never stronger. Upgrading one word, for example from 'some' to 'all', from 'may' to 'will', or from 'a reason' to 'the only reason', is enough to make an option unsupported.

Kind of word	Strong (claims more)	Weak or hedged (claims less)
Quantity	all, every, each, none, no	some, many, a few, several, at least one
Frequency	always, never	often, usually, sometimes, rarely
Certainty	must, will, certainly, proves, cannot	may, might, can, could, suggests, is likely to
Exclusivity and superlatives	only, solely, alone, the sole, the best, the most	one of, among, a factor, partly
Causation	causes, results in, is responsible for	is associated with, is linked to, coincides with, follows

Never stronger than the text. If the passage says 'many', 'can' or 'is linked to', an option that says 'all', 'will' or 'causes' is unsupported.
Weaker follows from stronger only if the group exists. 'All the trainees passed' gives 'some trainees passed' provided there were trainees.
'Some' means at least one and possibly all. 'Some X are not Y' cannot be drawn from 'some X are Y'.
'Only' moves the 'every' onto the other group. 'Only graduates may apply' means that everyone allowed to apply is a graduate. It does not mean that every graduate may apply.
'A only if B' makes B necessary for A, not sufficient. From A you get B, and from not-B you get not-A. From B alone you learn nothing about A.
'Unless' means 'if not'. 'The match is played unless it rains' means that if it does not rain, the match is played; equivalently, if the match is not played, it rained. Read strictly, it says nothing about what happens if it rains, even though everyday speech often hints that the match is then off. In reasoning questions, use the strict reading.
'All' cannot be reversed; 'no' and 'some' can. 'All doctors are graduates' does not give 'all graduates are doctors'. 'No X is a Y' gives 'no Y is an X', and 'some X are Y' gives 'some Y are X'. 'Some X are not Y' cannot be reversed: 'some animals are not dogs' does not give 'some dogs are not animals'.
Sequence and correlation are not cause. 'After X was introduced, Y rose' and 'X is associated with Y' do not support 'X caused Y'.
A comparison says nothing about absolute amounts. 'Town A gets more rain than Town B' does not make Town A a rainy town.

The same rules in compact form. In these boxes, $\leftrightarrow$ is read 'says exactly the same as', and 'or' means one or both (inclusive) unless a sentence adds 'but not both'.

CONTRAPOSITIVE

if A then B \leftrightarrow if not B then not A

Of the three standard rearrangements of an if-then statement (converse, inverse, contrapositive), only the contrapositive keeps the meaning. The converse (if B then A) and the inverse (if not A then not B) do NOT follow; they are equivalent to each other, not to the original.

'IF' (SUFFICIENT CONDITION)

A if B \leftrightarrow if B then A

The part that follows 'if' is sufficient: it guarantees the other part. 'Only if', below, points the other way. 'A if and only if B' asserts both directions: if B then A, and if A then B.

'ONLY IF' (NECESSARY CONDITION)

A only if B \leftrightarrow if A then B

B is necessary for A. Knowing that B holds tells you nothing about A; knowing that B fails tells you that A fails.

'ONLY'

only X are Y \leftrightarrow every Y is an X

The group named after 'only' becomes the one that every member of the other group belongs to. It does not say that every X is a Y.

'UNLESS'

A unless B \leftrightarrow if not B then A

Replace 'unless' with 'if not'. Its contrapositive, 'if not A then B', is the same statement. On its own, the sentence says nothing about the case where B occurs.

'SOME' (REASONING CONVENTION)

some X are Y \leftrightarrow at least one X is a Y

'Some' means at least one and possibly all. It does not by itself mean 'not all'. 'At least' and 'at most' are read inclusively.

NEGATION OF 'ALL'

not (all X are Y) \leftrightarrow at least one X is not a Y

The opposite of 'all' is 'not all', not 'none'. You need this when you apply the negation test to an option that contains 'all' or 'every'.

NEGATION OF 'SOME'

not (some X are Y) \leftrightarrow no X is a Y

The opposite of 'at least one' is 'none'. Read the other way, the opposite of 'no X is a Y' is 'at least one X is a Y'.

NEGATION OF 'AND'

not (A and B) \leftrightarrow not A or not B

Denying 'both' says only that at least one of the two fails. It does not say that both fail.

NEGATION OF 'OR'

not (A or B) \leftrightarrow not A and not B

Denying 'either' (inclusive or) says that both fail. This is what 'neither A nor B' means.

Assumption, support, main idea and tone

An assumption is an unstated premise that the argument needs: without it, the evidence does not lead to the conclusion. It is not the conclusion itself, and it is not just something that would help. Assumptions sit in the gap between evidence and conclusion. Look for the gap where the conclusion uses a term the evidence never mentions, treats a correlation or a sequence of events as a cause, generalises from a sample to everyone, or projects the past onto the future.

NEGATION TEST FOR AN ASSUMPTION

not (option) \to conclusion no longer follows

Here $\to$ is read 'leads to'. State the mildest opposite of the option (the opposite of 'all' is 'not all'). If the conclusion then no longer follows from the evidence, the option is an assumption the argument needs. If the argument survives, it is not an assumption.

Find the conclusion. Signal words: therefore, so, hence, thus, clearly, it follows that, which shows that.
Find the evidence offered for it.
Name the gap: a new term in the conclusion, cause drawn from correlation, sample to whole, past to future, or 'no other explanation'.
Negate each option. Keep the one whose negation breaks the link between evidence and conclusion.
Reject options stronger than the argument needs ('every', 'the best', 'the only'). An argument rarely needs a superlative.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Passage: 'In a certain city, the number of cycling accidents reported to the police fell by a fifth in the year after the new cycle lanes opened. Clearly, the cycle lanes have made cycling in the city safer.'

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the conclusion depends?
(A) Cycle lanes are the best way to make roads safe.
(B) Cycling in the city did not decline by a fifth or more during that year.
(C) Every cyclist in the city now uses the cycle lanes.
(D) Accidents involving only cars also fell during that year.

Solution

Conclusion (signalled by 'Clearly'): the lanes have made cycling safer. Evidence: reported cycling accidents fell by a fifth after the lanes opened.
Gap: fewer accidents show that cycling became safer only if the amount of cycling did not fall at least as fast. With a fifth less cycling and a fifth fewer accidents, each trip would be exactly as risky as before. The argument also needs the lanes, and not something else, to be the reason for the fall.
Negate (B): 'Cycling declined by a fifth or more.' Accidents per unit of cycling then did not fall at all, so the evidence no longer shows that cycling became safer, and the conclusion no longer follows. So (B) is required.
Negate (A): 'Cycle lanes are not the best way.' The lanes could still have made cycling safer, so the argument survives. (A) is too strong, because it is a superlative.
Negate (C): 'Some cyclists do not use the lanes.' The lanes can still have made cycling safer overall. (C) is too strong ('every').
(D) is about car-only accidents, which the argument never relies on. Negating it leaves the argument intact, and if (D) were true it would hint at a city-wide cause, so the argument does not need it.

Answer: (B)

EXAM TIP

The negation test finds assumptions the argument needs. A few stems ask instead for an assumption that would allow the conclusion to be drawn ('which of the following, if assumed, makes the conclusion follow'). There, pick the option that, added to the evidence, guarantees the conclusion. It may be stronger than a needed assumption, so do not reject it for strength alone.

Strengthen and weaken questions ('Which of the following, if true, most strengthens / weakens the argument?') work the other way round from inference questions. You accept each option as true even though the passage does not say it, and ask what it does to the link between evidence and conclusion. A strengthener closes the gap, for example by ruling out another explanation. A weakener widens it, for example by offering another cause, by showing that a sample is unrepresentative, or by showing that the evidence does not measure what the conclusion claims. In the cycle-lane argument above, 'more people cycled in the city that year than the year before' strengthens it, because accidents fell even though there was more cycling. 'That year the police stopped recording accidents in which nobody was hurt' weakens it, because the fall may come from the change in recording. An option that only repeats the evidence, or is about the topic but not about the link, does neither.

The main idea (also called the central point or best title) is the single claim that every sentence of the passage serves. Wrong options usually fall into one of three types. They are too narrow: one detail, example or supporting fact. They are too broad: the general subject, or a claim that covers more than the passage discusses. Or they are distorted: the right topic, but with a changed relation or a stronger word. One common structure is belief, turn, author's view. When a passage opens with what 'many people think' and then turns with 'but', 'yet' or 'however', the main idea is normally the view after the turn; confirm that it also accounts for the sentences that follow.

Tone is the author's attitude, read from evaluative words such as 'unfortunately', 'rightly', 'a mere', 'remarkable' or 'so-called'. If a passage has few such words, its tone is neutral, objective or analytical. Match the strength of the tone word to the text: a passage that politely points out a weakness is critical or sceptical, not contemptuous or hostile. Useful tone words to know include objective, analytical, appreciative, admiring, critical, sceptical, cautionary, ironic, sarcastic, nostalgic, indignant, optimistic and pessimistic.

Narrative sequencing: ordering jumbled sentences

A sequencing question gives a set of jumbled sentences labelled P, Q, R, S and so on, and asks for the order that makes a coherent paragraph. It may be set as a choice among orders, or as a question about the position of one sentence. In a well-set question only one order works, because the sentences are tied together by visible links: words that point back, connectives that relate one sentence to the one before, and a thread of time or logic. Look for the links; do not try orders at random.

Clue	Signal words	What it tells you
Pronoun or demonstrative pointing back	he, she, it, they, this, that, these, such, the former, the latter	The sentence comes after the one that names what the word refers to, so it cannot open the paragraph, unless the thing referred to is named in the same sentence ('When the engineer arrived, she ...').
Contrast connective at or near the start of a sentence	however, but, yet, on the other hand, nevertheless, instead	It follows the sentence it contrasts with, usually immediately.
Result or conclusion connective	therefore, so, thus, hence, as a result, consequently	It follows its cause. A sentence that sums up ('thus', 'in short') is a likely closer.
Addition connective	also, moreover, further, besides, in addition	It follows an earlier point of the same kind.
Sequence and time markers	first, then, next, at first, later, finally, eventually, within a month, dates	They put events in time order: 'first' before 'then' before 'finally'.
Example marker	for example, for instance, such as	It comes after the general statement it illustrates.
Article and repeated noun	'a' or 'an' introduces; 'the' or a repeated noun refers back	First mention ('stone posts') usually comes before a definite repeat ('the stone posts').

Find the opener. It introduces the topic in full and contains no backward-pointing pronoun or connective. Rule out any sentence that begins with he, she, they, such, however, therefore, also or then, or that uses 'this', 'it' or 'the' for something not yet introduced. A 'this' of time ('This year ...'), an empty 'it' ('It is often said that ...') and 'the' for something generally known ('the monsoon') do not point back.
Lock the pronoun links. Every 'it', 'they', 'this' or 'such' must come after the sentence that introduces what it refers to.
Lock the connective links. A contrast follows what it contrasts with, and a result follows its cause.
Follow the thread. General comes before specific, claim before example, problem before attempt before result, earlier before later.
Form mandatory pairs (X immediately before Y) and use them to eliminate options. An option that breaks any pair is out.
Find the closer. It is often a result, a conclusion ('thus', 'finally') or a sentence that looks back on the whole.
Read the final order once, from start to finish, to confirm that every reference and connective lands correctly.

ORDERS LEFT AFTER FIXING THE OPENER AND K LINKS

N = (n - 1 - k)!

$n$ is the number of sentences, and $k$ is the number of 'X comes immediately before Y' links you have found (links may chain, as in X then Y then Z, which counts as two). The count holds when the links are consistent: no sentence is given two different immediate successors or two different immediate predecessors, the links form no loop, and no link places a sentence before the opener. With no clues there are $n!$ orders. For five sentences that is 120 orders with no clues, 24 once the opener is fixed, 6 after one link and 2 after two links. A few firm clues are therefore enough to eliminate options.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Arrange the sentences into a coherent paragraph.
P: It was this second step that finally made the bridge usable through the monsoon.
Q: For years, the villagers crossed the river on a bamboo bridge that the monsoon floods washed away every year.
R: First, they replaced the bamboo posts with stone ones.
S: The stone posts survived the floods, but the deck of the bridge was still carried away.
T: So they then tied the deck to the posts with steel cables.

(A) QRSTP (B) QSRTP (C) RQSTP (D) QRTSP

Solution

Opener: Q introduces the villagers, the river and the bridge, and points back to nothing. Every other sentence does point back: R has 'First, they', S has 'The stone posts', T has 'So they then' and P has 'this second step'. Q opens, which eliminates (C).
R introduces the stone posts, and S begins 'The stone posts survived', so R comes before S (pair RS). This eliminates (B).
S ends on a problem that is still unsolved: the deck is carried away. T begins 'So they then tied the deck', which is the response to that problem, so S comes before T (pair ST). This eliminates (D).
P refers to 'this second step'. The first step is R ('First') and the second is T ('then'), so P follows T. P also reads as a conclusion ('finally').
The full order is Q, R, S, T, P. It matches (A), and reading it through confirms that every reference lands correctly.

Answer: (A) QRSTP

EXAM TIP

When options are given, use them. First check which sentence each option opens with, then test one mandatory pair against the survivors. Two firm checks often leave a single option. Still read that order through once, because a trap option can satisfy one pair and break another.

EXAM TIP

The same clues answer two related forms. To choose the sentence that best fills a gap in a paragraph, pick the one that connects to the sentences on both sides of the gap. To spot the sentence that does not belong, look for the one that shares the topic but breaks the chain of references and connectives.

Exam traps and a routine for every question

Read the question stem first, and label its type: stated fact, inference, assumption, strengthen or weaken, main idea, purpose, word meaning, tone, or an EXCEPT/NOT question.
Read the passage once. Mark the conclusion words, quantifiers (all, some, only), contrast words (but, however) and causal words (because, so).
Before looking at the options, predict what the answer must do. For example: fill the gap between evidence and conclusion, or cover the view after the turn.
For each option, find the sentence or sentences that support it. If no sentence supports it, it is not supported. (In strengthen and weaken questions, instead take the option as true and ask what it does to the link between evidence and conclusion.)
Eliminate options with stronger words than the passage, outside knowledge, reversed relations or a shift of scope (one town to all towns, past to future).
In inference and 'best supported' questions, between two survivors prefer the one that makes the smaller claim while still being fully supported. In main-idea questions, prefer the one that covers the whole passage; in strengthen and weaken questions, the one with the larger effect on the link.

Trap	What it looks like	Why it fails
True in the world	A fact you know about the passage's topic	The passage neither states nor implies it, and the question is about the passage, not the world.
Stronger word	The passage says 'many', 'can' or 'is linked to'; the option says 'all', 'will' or 'causes'	The option claims more than the text backs.
Reversed relation	The passage says 'A only if B'; the option says 'if B then A'. Or cause and effect are swapped	The option uses the same words but states a different logical relation.
Scope shift	The passage is about one town, one year or one group; the option is about all towns, the future or everyone	It is an extrapolation beyond the cases the passage describes.
Echo words	The option copies phrases from the passage	Overlapping words are not support. Check the relation the option actually states.
Half right	The first half matches the passage; the second half adds a claim or a 'because'	An option is supported only if every part of it is supported.
Too narrow or too broad (main idea)	A single detail or example, or the general subject	The main idea must cover the whole passage and no more.

EXAM TIP

In EXCEPT, NOT, 'cannot be inferred' and 'least supported' questions, the correct option is the unsupported one. Circle the negative word before reading the options, then mark each option 'supported' or 'not supported'. The single 'not supported' option is the answer.

EXAM TIP

In an MSQ, judge each option on its own against the passage. More than one option can be correct, and finding one correct option does not make another less likely. Apply the conventions strictly: 'some' means at least one, and 'at least' and 'at most' are inclusive.

PREVIOUS-YEAR QUESTIONS

18 questions from the EC, EE and IN papers

Try each question first, then open the answer. We placed each question under a topic ourselves; the exam paper does not label topics.

See these papers in full: GATE ECE 2025 · GATE ECE 2024 · GATE ECE 2023 · GATE ECE 2022 · GATE ECE 2020 · GATE ECE 2018 · GATE EE 2026 · GATE EE 2025 · GATE EE 2023 · GATE EE 2022 · GATE EE 2020 · GATE IN 2025 · GATE IN 2023 · GATE IN 2022 · GATE IN 2020

GATE 2026 EE GA Q.4

GATE 2026 · EEGA Q.4 · 1 mark · MCQ

‘If Anish had scored hundred runs in today’s match, he would have been made the captain of his team. He would have then become the youngest captain in his team’s history. Unfortunately, he got out without scoring any runs. Hence, there won’t be any change in the captaincy for now.’

Based on the paragraph above, which one of the following statements is true?

(A)
Anish made hundred runs but was denied captaincy.
(B)
Anish was the captain of his team before the game today.
(C)
The current captain is older than Anish.
(D)
Anish is the youngest player in his team.

Answer and solution

GATE 2026 EE GA Q.4: answer and solution

See the question in the paper

Reading comprehension and narrative sequencing

What GATE comprehension questions ask

Restatement, inference, extrapolation and outside knowledge

Strong words, weak words and the logic of 'only', 'unless' and 'some'

Assumption, support, main idea and tone

Narrative sequencing: ordering jumbled sentences

Exam traps and a routine for every question

18 questions from the EC, EE and IN papers

5 questions to test yourself