
Chapter Seven-How To Master Word Association Test
In this chapter we will understand why the word ‘Atom’ appears in the Word Association Test. Learn common mistakes, analyze real responses, and discover the perfect model sentence with logical insights.
1. Atom
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The sentence has completely taken away the essence of the word. The other problem with this sentence is that in day to day English we never use any phrase like atomic efforts. The phrase that comes closest to what Navpreet was trying to write is “baby steps”. Hence it does not sound natural and honest. The next problem with the sentence is that it does not even confirm whether the candidate herself has taken any ‘atomic/baby efforts’ which have resulted in any substantial gain. So the question is, how she should have gone about it? Let me help you understand.
When starting to learn Word Association Test, the very first thing a candidate should do is, ask herself whether the sentence is revealing anything about her in terms of her daily life or action/deeds or behavior traits. If yes, then is it in line with what the board is looking for? It will be wise to remember here that our psychology and mindset gets reflected most clearly in our behavior and conduct. My advice to candidates has always been that they should make a conscious effort to write sentences which reflect something about their behavior /deeds/actions or daily/regular activities. If the candidate has made lot of effort and is still unable to form a sentence which showcases something about her life/actions/deeds or behavior then the next thing the candidate should do is try to frame a sentence which may show something good about her surroundings. For this, the candidate should first try to see if a sentence can be framed which showcases something worthwhile about her immediate family. Since it is believed that a child borrows maximum traits of his immediate family, it would help if something good about family can be displayed. If not family, then try about friends. If not friends, try about colleagues. If not colleagues, try writing about the society surrounding us. This way we should move ahead in concentric circles. I know this concept will not become clear immediately but by the time you finish reading the book, everything I am saying will be crystal clear in your mind.
Let me help you understand what I mean when I say the candidate should try to show something about herself through the sentence. Although the use of the phrase “atomic efforts” looks unnatural, I will still give 2 examples of how she should have written the same sentence in a slightly different manner thereby showcasing her qualities so that the reader will understand about Word Association Test in a meaningful way. She should have thought about an area of her life where she has made improvements in the past. For the sake of our study I am taking examples of lack of fitness or weakness in English. If the candidate had fitness issues in the past or had any problems in English and had taken systematic efforts to improve in those areas then she could have framed sentence in the following manner.
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However, it does not take away the fact that the use of the the phrase “atomic efforts” still will not be digestible to the board as the English looks unnatural and the word atom’s essence is not getting reflected in the sentence. Also, I have already stated earlier that the sentence does not confirm whether the candidate is positive minded or negative minded. For all these reasons the candidate’s sentence is not going to prove useful from the board’s evaluation perspective.
- Shrey-each atom give birth to a new life.
Analysis: Shrey’s sentence, Just like Navpreet’s is more like a poetic beautification of the word atom. It is not having any connection with what the board is trying to gauge. Next problem with the sentence is that it doesn’t make it clear what exactly the candidate is talking about. It is a very vague kind of a sentence and will not convey or display any quality of the candidate to the board. It is not displaying any negative quality but then it is not even displaying anything worthwhile either. The sentence will not help the candidate.
- Peeyush-Japan rose beautifully after the second world war.
Analysis: In this sentence, Peeyush might feel that he has displayed some positive quality by writing about the development that took place in Japan after the second world war but if you think carefully, it will become clear that the thought that came to his mind was related to the atom bombs which were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Had this not been the case then Japan wouldn’t have come to his mind. Another point I would like to mention is that in this sentence there is no mention of the word atom. Lot of candidates develop this style of writing because of the belief that the essence of the word should get reflected in the sentence and it is fine even if the word itself is not there. Yes! There is nothing wrong with this style of writing. However, I will still encourage candidates to develop a style and habit of writing in which the word is mentioned in the sentence. The reason behind this is that a candidate can write sentences of a higher quality by using the word in the sentence. The second reason is that if and when you develop a style of writing in which the word is not used, it also conveys to the board that the candidate has been heavily tutored and coached. The response, even if accepted by the board, doesn’t generate the kind of positive impression which a sentence will generate if it is looking natural and not a coached response.
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17. Model sentence: Atomic energy is helping our country develop.
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