CLAT 2026 English Section Analysis with Questions & Answers

The English Language section of CLAT 2026 focused mainly on reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference, and literary interpretation. In this article, we provide a detailed analysis of the English section along with all questions, answer options, correct answers, and brief explanations.

Overview of English Section in CLAT 2026

• Total Questions: 24
• Type: Reading Comprehension Based
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
• Main Focus: Understanding, Inference, Vocabulary

The section consisted of five passages taken from history, science, political theory, literature, and fiction.

Difficulty Level Analysis

The overall difficulty level of the English section was Moderate. Students with strong reading habits were able to attempt most questions accurately. However, long passages and close options made time management important.

• Vocabulary: Moderate
• Inference Questions: Moderate to Difficult
• Literary Devices: Easy to Moderate
• Time Management: Crucial

CLAT 2026 English Section – Questions, Answers & Explanations

Passage I: Non-Cooperation Movement (Q1–Q5)

The adoption of the Non-Cooperation Movement by the Congress gave it a new energy and from January 1921 it began to register considerable success all over the country. Gandhiji undertook a nation-wide tour during which he addressed hundreds of meetings and met a large number of political workers. In the first month, thousands of students left their educational institutions and joined more than 800 national schools and colleges that had sprung up all over the country. Gandhiji had promised Swaraj within a year, if his programme was adopted.

The Non-Cooperation Movement demonstrated that it commanded the support and sympathy of vast sections of the Indian people. Its reach among many sections of Indian peasants, workers, artisans etc, had been demonstrated. The spatial spread of the movement was also nation-wide. Some areas were more active than others, but there were few that showed no signs of activity at all.

The capacity of the ‘poor dumb millions’ of India to take part in modern nationalist politics was also demonstrated. This was the first time that nationalists from the towns, students from schools and colleges or even the educated and politically aware in the villages had made a serious attempt to bring the ideology and the movement into their midst.

The tremendous participation of different communities in the movement, and the maintenance of communal unity, despite the Malabar developments, was in itself no mean achievement. There is hardly any doubt that it was minority participation that gave the movement its truly mass character in many areas. And it was, indeed, unfortunate that this most positive feature of the movement was not to be repeated in later years once communalism began to take its toll.

Q1. From the passage it is evident that:

(A) The idea of Swaraj seemed futile
(B) The non-cooperation movement was a complete success
(C) The non-cooperation movement gained the sympathy of majority of the Indians
(D) The Indian National Congress represented microscopic minority

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The passage states that it commanded support and sympathy of vast sections.

Q2. The term “poor dumb millions” refer to:

(A) The vast number of common people who are impoverished
(B) Large number of common people who are hearing impaired
(C) Large number of people who are vulnerable
(D) The vast number of people who are impoverished and uneducated

Answer: (D)

Explanation: It refers to poor, uneducated and politically unaware masses.

Q3. Which of the statements is true?

(A) The Swaraj movement happened before non-cooperation
(B) The movement failed due to sudden withdrawal
(C) There was a fine show of communal unity
(D) The rich kept away

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The passage calls communal unity a major achievement.

Q4. The main idea of the passage is:

(A) No future impact
(B) Indians realised their potential
(C) British fear
(D) Feature repeated later

Answer: (B)

Explanation: The passage highlights mass political awareness.

Q5. “Communalism” refers to:

(A) Religious identity
(B) Caste identity
(C) Regional identity
(D) Secularism

Answer: (A)

Explanation: Communalism means religion-based divisions.

Passage II: Prehistoric Humans (Q6–Q10)

There were humans long before there was history. The archaic humans loved, played, formed close friendships and competed for status and power, but so did chimpanzees, baboons and elephants. There was nothing special about them.

Nobody, least of all humans themselves, had any inkling that their descendants would one day walk on the moon, split the atom, fathom the genetic code and write history books. The most important thing to know about prehistoric humans is that they were incognisant animals with no more impact on their environment than gorillas, fireflies or jellyfish.

Biologists classify organisms into species. Animals are said to belong to the same species if they tend to mate with each other, giving birth to fertile offspring. Horses and donkeys have a recent common ancestor and share many physical traits. They will mate if induced to do so – but their offspring, called mules, are sterile. Mutations in donkey DNA can therefore never cross over to horses, or vice versa. The two types of animals are consequently considered two distinct species, moving along separate evolutionary paths. By contrast, a bulldog and a spaniel may look very different, but they are members of the same species, sharing the same DNA pool.

Q6. Most significant characteristic of prehistoric humans:

(A) Environmental control
(B) Complex hierarchy
(C) Warfare dominance
(D) No special environmental impact

Answer: (D)

Explanation: They had no more impact than other animals.

Q7. Meaning of “incognisant”:

(A) Lacking intelligence
(B) Unaware of future potential
(C) Incapable socially
(D) Disinterested

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Humans were unaware of their future achievements.

Q8. Why humans did not stand out?

(A) Fewer offspring
(B) Behaviour not unique
(C) No tools
(D) No language

Answer: (B)

Explanation: They behaved like other animals.

Q9. Same species are determined by:

(A) Fertile offspring
(B) Appearance
(C) Ancestors
(D) Adaptation

Answer: (A)

Explanation: Fertile reproduction defines species.

Q10. Species classification explained by:

(A) Behavioural difference
(B) DNA focus
(C) Reproductive compatibility
(D) Environment

Answer: (C)

Explanation: Examples of horses, donkeys, dogs are used.

Passage III: Democratization (Q11–Q15)

In 1973, only 45 of the world’s 151 countries were counted as ‘free’ by Freedom House, a nongovernmental organization that produces quantitative measures of civil and political rights for countries around the world. The following generation saw momentous political change, with democracies and market-oriented economies spreading in virtually every part of the world except for the Arab Middle East. This transformation was Samuel Huntington’s third wave of democratization; liberal democracy as the default form of government became part of the accepted political landscape at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Underlying these changes in political systems was a massive social transformation as well. The shift to democracy was a result of millions of formerly passive individuals around the world organizing themselves and participating in the political life of their societies. This social mobilization was driven by a host of factors: greatly expanded access to education that made people more aware of themselves and the political world around them; information technology, which facilitated the rapid spread of ideas and knowledge; cheap travel and communications that allowed people to vote with their feet if they didn’t like their government; and greater prosperity, which induced people to demand better protection of their rights.

The third wave crested after the late 1990s, however, a ‘democratic recession’ emerged in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Approximately one in five countries that had been part of the third wave either reverted to authoritarianism or saw a significant erosion of democratic institutions. Freedom house noted that 2009 marked the fourth consecutive year in which freedom had declined around the world, the first time this had happened since it established its measures of freedom in 1973.

Q11. Answer: (A)

Explanation: Freedom House uses quantitative methodology.

Q12. Answer: (C)

Explanation: It means migrating to better governance.

Q13. Answer: (B)

Explanation: Refers to spread of democracy.

Q14. Answer: (C)

Explanation: Military presence is not mentioned.

Q15. Answer: (D)

Explanation: 2009 marked decline in freedom.

Passage IV: Tagore (Q16–Q20)

My kinsman and I were returning to Calcutta from our Puja trip when we encountered an unusual man on the train. At first, judging from his dress and bearing, we mistook him for an up-country boorish man. But as soon as he began to speak, our impression changed. He discoursed on every subject with such confidence that one might think the ‘Disposer of All Things’ sought his counsel in every decision. Until then, we had been perfectly content, unaware of hidden forces shaping the world—that the Russians were advancing, that the English were pursuing secret policies, and that confusion among native chiefs had reached its peak. Our new acquaintance, however, hinted at such matters with a sly smile, remarking:

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are reported in your newspapers

Having never before travelled beyond our homes, we were struck dumb with wonder at his manner. No matter how trivial the topic, he could quote science, comment on the Vedas, or recite quatrains from Persian poets. Since we possessed no real knowledge of science, the Vedas, or Persian literature, our admiration for him only grew. My kinsman, a theosophist, became convinced that our fellow passenger was inspired by some strange magnetism, occult power, or astral body. He listened with devotional rapture even to the most common place remarks and secretly noted down his words. I suspect our extraordinary companion noticed this and was quietly pleased. When the train reached the junction, we gathered in the waiting room to await our connection. It was 10 p.m., and as the train was expected to be delayed owing to some fault in the lines, I spread my bed on the table and prepared to sleep. But just then, the extraordinary man began spinning a tale, and of course, I could not close my eyes all night.

Q16. Answer: (A) – Deceptive appearances

Q17. Answer: (D) – Hyperbole

Q18. Answer: (B) – Mystic

Q19. Answer: (A) – Discourteous

Q20. Answer: (D) – Enjoyed impressing others

Passage V: Animal Farm (Q21–Q24)

Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, and he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he claims dominion over all animals. He sets us to work, returns only the bare minimum to keep us from starving, and keeps the rest for himself. Our labour tills the soil, our dung fertilizes it, and still, not one of us owns more than our bare skin. You cows, look at yourselves-how many thousands of gallons of milk have you produced this past year? And what has become of it, milk that should have nurtured strong calves? Every drop has gone down the throats of our enemies. And you hens, how many eggs have you laid, and how many of those ever hatched into chicks? The rest have gone to market to bring in money for Jones and his men. And you, Clover, where are the four foals you bore, who should have supported and comforted you in your old age? Each was sold at just a year old-you will never see them again. For all your labour in the fields and your four confinements, what have you gained except bare rations and a stall?

Even the lives we do live are cut short, denied their natural span. I do not grumble, for I am among the fortunate. I am twelve years old and have borne over four hundred children. Such is the natural life of a pig. But no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end. You young porkers sitting before me, each of you will scream your lives out at the block within a year. This is the fate that awaits all of us-cows, pigs, hens, sheep, everyone. Even horses and dogs share no better end. Boxer, the very day your great muscles fail you, Jones will sell you to the knacker, who will slit your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds. And the dogs, when old and toothless, are tied with a brick and drowned in the nearest pond

Q21. Answer: (B) – Critical and resentful tone

Q22. Answer: (A) – Allegory of exploitation

Q23. Answer: (C) – Disposal of unwanted animals

Q24. Answer: (B) – Highlights brutality

Preparation Tips for CLAT 2027 English

• Read newspapers and editorials daily
• Practice 2–3 RC passages regularly
• Focus on inference-based questions
• Improve vocabulary through reading
• Analyse sectional mock tests

Conclusion

The English section of CLAT 2026 focused on comprehension and critical reasoning. Candidates with consistent reading habits and good accuracy performed well. Regular practice and analysis can make this section highly scoring.

Important Links

• CLAT 2026 Question Paper PDF & Full Analysis
• CLAT 2026 GK & Current Affairs Analysis
• CLAT 2026 Legal Reasoning Analysis
• CLAT 2026 Logical Reasoning Analysis
• CLAT 2026 Quantitative Aptitude Analysis

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