Reduced size microstrip monopole slot antennas with different slot shapes-straight, L and inverted T, and placed on a small ground plane, are investigated. The ground plane size is 50 mm x 80 mm, which is about the size of a typical PC Wireless card. Detailed simulation and experimental investigations are conducted to understand their behavior and optimize for broad-band operation. It is shown that, the variation in the slot shape, from straight to L and T shapes, helps in generating additional resonances, which when coupled to the original resonances of the slot, further increases impedance bandwidths. The bent shapes of the L and T slots reduce their height and provide more space on the ground plane for electronics. A mirror image dual L-slot antenna, placed at two adjacent corners of the ground plane, is also investigated and optimized for the polarization diversity. They provide an impedance bandwidth of 87 %, with near orthogonal radiation characteristics. The measured impedance bandwidths (S-11 = -10 dB) of up to 60%, 84%, and 80% are achieved for these straight, L and inverted T slots respectively, by suitably selecting their design parameters. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data considering several practical issues.