CERTIFICATE COURSE IN

ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMS

FIRST YEAR DEGREE STUDENTS

ADD ON COURSE IN ENGLISH

( 2023 Admission )

Prepared by:

REBIN MOHAMMED TP

Assistant Professor, Department of English

 CONTENTS

Module I ( 10 lectures )

● Grammar

a) Parts of Speech

b) Sentence Structure

c) Sentence Correction

d) Correct use of Prepositions and Articles

Module II ( 10 lectures )

● Vocabulary

a) Synonyms and Antonyms

b) Idioms and Phrases

c) Homonyms

d) Analogy

e) Test of Spelling
 Module III ( 5 Lectures )

● Verbal Ability

a) Para-jumbles

b) Error Spotting

c) One-word substitution

d) Cloze Test

Module IV ( 5 Lectures )

● Reading Comprehension

a) Introduction to Reading Comprehension

b) Reading passages - Tips

c) Practice Questions
 INTRODUCTION

English is one language that most people all over the world choose to speak or learn to
speak, besides their own mother tongue. It is possible to speak English in any which
way and get your idea or message across to a listener. English is considered as global
language or lingua franca. There are around 350 million people around the world
speaking English as their first language and more than 450 million people speaking it as
a second language. English is also considered a trade language. The National Policy on
Education calls English a library language. A library language aids the users to read
books and understand books of various genres and subjects, to make notes of
important points, and use them his walks of life or enriching his home language.

Nowadays English language proficiency plays a vital role in competitive exams. The
English language is considered as a mandatory section in the syllabus, in almost all
competitive exams at all levels including the national and state levels. Candidates have
to acquire adequate knowledge by adopting systematic strategies of learning the
language to achieve their dream by qualifying these competitive examinations.

In the modern era, most of the competitive exams in the public and private sector has
English as an indispensable unit. Many sectors conduct the exams in English medium
too. Generally, most of the exams focus on vocabulary and basic understanding of the
English language such as grammar, comprehension, etc. Though, all the competitive
exams have other subjects like mental ability, general awareness but English plays a
fundamental role.

In the competitive exams, English Language paper aims at assessing the language
skills of the candidates to examine the aspirants’ mental alertness, presence of mind,
critical analysis as well as the judgement. In many domains of work, a variety of
vocabulary is required to completely express some of the ideas succinctly and
effectively. A large vocabulary correlates well with the capability to handle complex
ideas. This is the reason, why the English Language holds significance in competitive
exams.
AIM OF THE COURSE

Boost your English skills for competitive exams with our add-on course. Tailored for
success, this course hones your language proficiency for exam excellence. Elevate your
chances with our targeted English enhancement program. This program seeks to
prepare the students for competitive exams such as UPSC, Defence, SSC, Banking,
KPSC, Insurance and other examinations.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

•To help the students to approach and qualify competitive examinations by introducing
the usually discussed areas in the exams.

• To enable the learners to acquire necessary professional skills in the usage of English.

• To provide opportunities for the students to improve their writing and reading
comprehension skills.
 MODULE 1
GRAMMAR
English grammar is an essential component of competitive exams, as it tests the
candidates’ understanding of the language and their ability to communicate effectively.
If you have a good grasp of English grammar for competitive exams, it becomes less
time consuming and offers more time for completing other sections. So, let’s check out
some of the important English grammar sections for competitive exams:

I : PARTS OF SPEECH
Parts of speech refer to the various grammatical categories into which words can be
classified based on their functions within sentences. These categories include nouns,
pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
Understanding the parts of speech is essential for constructing grammatically correct
and meaningful sentences in a language.

1. Noun: A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns can be classified
into two main categories: Common nouns ( refer to common terms that are used to
name common people, places, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, ideas, objects and so on )
and Proper nouns ( refer to specific people, places, brands, months, days, important
historical events, eras and periods, nationalities, countries and languages ).

Eg : Man , Pen , India, Love etc.

2. Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun to avoid repetition. Types of
pronouns are:

a) Personal Pronouns: Refer to specific persons or things. Examples: I, you, he, she,
it, we, they.

b)Possessive Pronouns: Show ownership or possession. Examples: mine, yours, his,

hers, its, ours, theirs.

c) Reflexive Pronouns: Reflect the action of the verb back onto the subject.
Examples: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves.

d) Demonstrative Pronouns: Points to a noun or pronoun that the audience already

knows about . Examples: this, that, these, those.

e) Relative Pronouns: Introduce relative clauses and connect them to a noun.

Examples: who, whom, whose, which, that.

f) Interrogative Pronouns: Used to ask questions. Examples: who, whom, whose,

which, what.

g) Indefinite Pronouns: Refer to non-specific people or things. Examples: all, some,

none, anybody, everybody, nobody, everyone.

h) Reciprocal Pronouns: Words that are used to indicate a mutual relationship

between two subjects or objects. ‘Each other’ and ‘one another’ are the only two
reciprocal pronouns in the English language

I) Intensive Pronouns: Emphasize a preceding noun. Examples: myself, yourself,

himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves.

3. Verb: A word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being.

Eg: Play , Sit , eat etc.

4. Adjective: A word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. They provide more
information about the qualities, characteristics, or attributes of the nouns or pronouns
they modify. Eg : Pretty , Genius , Happy etc.

5. Adverb: A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, often indicating
how, when, where, or to what degree.

Eg : He walks slowly. ( modifies the verb ' walks ' )

He walks very slowly. ( modifies the adverb ' slowly ' )

The story was very interesting. ( modifies the adjective ' interesting ' ).

6. Preposition: A preposition is a short word that is employed in sentences to show the

relationship nouns, pronouns or phrases have with other parts within the respective
sentences. Types of prepositions:

a) Prepositions of Time – used to show when something is happening.

Eg : We will be meeting on Friday.

The supermarket will be closed from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Can you come after some time?

b) Prepositions of Place – indicate the place or position of something.

Eg : He hid behind the door.

The dog jumped over the fence.

c) Prepositions of Direction – used to denote the direction in which something travels

or moves.

Eg : The girl ran toward her father.

Jerry jumped into the river.

d) Prepositions of Location – employed to denote the location of a particular object.

Eg: He is staying at his friend 's house.

I lay on the floor.

7. Conjunction: A word that combines words, phrases, or clauses.

They are categorised into three main types:

a) Coordinating conjunctions – used to combine two independent clauses. Examples

of coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so.
 b) Subordinating conjunctions – used to combine an independent clause and a
dependent clause. Examples of subordinating conjunctions are if, although, though,
after, before, because, as if, unless, until, when, while, etc.

c) Correlative conjunctions – used to combine two phrases or parts of the sentence

which have equal importance within a sentence. Examples of correlative conjunctions
are not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, whether…or, rather…or, if…then, etc.

8. Interjection: A word or phrase expressing strong emotion, often punctuated with an

exclamation mark.

Eg :Hurray! We won the match.

Ouch! That really hurt badly.

Wow! That is a beautiful dress indeed.

Oh my God! That was unexpected.

Whoa! That guy is unbelievably huge.

II : SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Having learnt the parts of speech in the English language, not knowing how to use them
and where to place each part of speech to form a sentence would not be ideal. Right? In
fact, sentence structure is one among the most important grammatical components
that acts as the foundation of a language. So here is what you need to know.

Sentence structure is a grammatical component that tells you exactly where and how
each component of a sentence should be placed in order to get a meaningful sentence.
Aside from knowing the parts of a sentence, you also have to follow the grammar rules.
In case you forget, here’s a quick list:

* Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence.

*End a sentence with a period, question mark, exclamation point, or quotation marks.

*Most of the time, the subject of the sentence comes first, the verb comes second, and
the objects come last. (Subject -> Verb -> Object)

*If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb
must be plural. This is known as subject-verb agreement.

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Sometimes a clause is
a complete sentence on its own, but other times it needs help before it expresses a
complete thought.

A clause that is a complete sentence is called an independent clause. It contains

everything you need for a complete sentence: subjects and verbs, with objects optional.

Eg : He ate an apple.

A clause that is not a complete sentence is called a dependent clause, or subordinate

clause. These support or depend independent clauses, usually by adding necessary
information.

Eg: Although it is raining, I am going out for a run.

Dependent clause (incomplete thought): Although it (subject) is raining (predicate)

Independent clause (complete thought): I (subject) am going out for a run (predicate).

4 types of sentence structure

Depending on how you combine clauses, you can create four different types of
sentence structure:

1. Simple: 1 independent clause. Eg:

The maid is cooking.

Sam is sleeping.

2. Compound: 2 or more independent clauses. Eg :

He played cricket and they played football.

He cried and she laughed.

3. Complex:1 independent clause + 1 or more subordinate clauses. Eg:

I missed my exam because I was late. (The independent clause is “I missed my exam,”
whereas the dependent clause is “because I was late” and the subordinating
conjunction is “because”).

I cooked hurriedly after his arrival. (“I cooked hurriedly” is the independent clause
whereas the dependent clause is “after his arrival” and “after” is the subordinating
conjunction).

4. Compound-Complex: 2 or more independent clauses + 1 or more subordinate

clauses. Eg: Mary didn’t sit the exam because she came late, so the teacher was angry.
(The independent clauses in this sentence are “Mary didn’t sit the exam” and “The
teacher was angry.” On the other hand, the dependent clause is “because she came
late” )

The teacher, who is on duty, is incompetent, but the principal is competent. (The
independent clauses are, “The teacher is incompetent” and “the principal is competent.”
“Who is on duty” is the dependent clause.”)

Most sentences in English are constructed using one of the following five patterns:
III. SENTENCE CORRECTION
Sentence correction or sentence improvement is a type of grammatical practice where
a sentence is given with a word or a phrase that requires grammatical changes or
improvement. A sentence requires modification grammatically and contextually to have
a better understanding of the same.

Sentence Correction forms an integral part of the English syllabus of important entrance
exams. While preparing for these exams, students must make it a point to revise the
sentence correction rules well. Sentence Correction questions are often too tricky and
students find it difficult to answer. Hence, it is always advised to go through the rules
well and practise as many questions as possible.

Here are all the Sentence Correction Rules:

1. Subject Verb Agreement :

Subject Verb Agreement implies that the verb used in a sentence must be in agreement
with the subject of the sentence.Let’s go over the basic subject-verb agreement rules
quickly:

a) A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a
plural subject takes a plural verb).

Eg : She is in the car.

They are in the car.

b) The verb must be singular for collective nouns (like police, army, herd, etc).

Eg : The army has arrived.

The police is happy.

c) The verb must be plural when words are connected using ‘and/or’.

Eg : Reena and Rekha are planning for a trip.

d)The verb must be singular when the sentence begins with each/anyone/everyone.

Eg: Each one of us is deciding upon the matter.

e) For either/or and neither/nor, the verb is singular if the subjects of the sentences
are singular. In case one or both the subjects are plural, the plural verb is used.
Eg: Either he or she smiles when the teacher takes class.

Either he or they smile when the teacher takes class.

2. Parallelism :

To put it simply, parallelism refers to the structure of a sentence. To ensure the

sentence is grammatically correct, different words that signify the same performance in
a sentence should be used in a similar format.

For instance:

Diya likes dancing, cooking and singing – Correct.

Diya likes to dance, cook and sing – Correct

Diya likes to dance, cook and singing – incorrect.

3. Errors in Modifiers :

As you can guess from the name itself, modifiers ‘modify’ the subject. So, where do you
think should the modifiers be placed? Yes, they need to be placed next to the subject it
modifies.

Eg :Sitting in the garden, a scorpion stung her.

(Here, you can’t figure out who is sitting in the garden- the scorpion or the girl. This is an
incorrect way. )

The correct way would be: Sitting in the garden, she was stung by a scorpion.

4. Repetitions :

Sometimes, there is redundancy or repetitions in the sentence. In other words, the same
thing is written twice in a single statement. Most of the times, you can spot such errors
easily.

Eg: I returned back from London. – Incorrect

I came back from London. – Correct

5. Incorrect Comparisons Used :

Another important sentence correction rule is that the degree of comparison used must
be correct as often comparisons are made between different entities or dissimilar
things.

a) When comparative degree is used, we should exclude the thing compared from the
rest of the class of things.

Eg: John is wiser than all men. (Incorrect way)

John is wiser than all other men. (Correct way- John needs to be excluded from the rest
of the same category.)

6. Error in Diction:

A diction error refers to the error in choice of words/phrases. At other times, even some
idioms occur in sentences in an incorrect way.

a) Few and Less: Few is used before countable nouns and Less is used before
uncountable nouns.

Eg: There are a few children in the class today.

There is less juice left in the jar.

b) Few and A few: Few is something negligible, hardly any while. 'A few is equivalent to
some. Eg:

Few persons can keep a secret.

A few persons are convinced about the manager.

c) Little and A little: They are used for quantity in the same manner as above. Eg:

There is little hope of his recovery. (nil)

A little tact would have saved the situation. (some tact)

d) Lay and Lie: These words are used very differently.

- Lay, Laid:

'Lay the table', ordered the mistress, He laid the guitar by his side.

The hen had laid an egg.

- Lie, Lay, Lain:

Let me lie down here.

He lay under the banyan tree.

He had lain in the sun for three hours yesterday.

IV : CORRECT USE OF PREPOSITIONS AND ARTICLES

Candidates must be well aware of Preposition rules to use different prepositions
correctly in a sentence without making any grammatical errors in the exam. Here are the
6 rules for prepositions:

1. Prepositions must have an object. Without an object, the preposition is merely an

adverb. A preposition always has an object whereas an adverb never has an object. Eg:

He is in the kitchen

(The preposition “in” has an object the kitchen)

Please come in

(It is an adverb, since “in” has no object)

2. Preposition comes before its object but not always. A preposition comes before a
noun or a pronoun. Eg:

She put the things in the box

(“In” has an object box, and is placed before “box”)

You can not end a sentence with a preposition, which is a prevalent myth of English
grammar. But the truth is you can make a sentence with a preposition. For example:-

Who did you talk to?

(Preposition “to” related to the pronoun “who”)

3. If a pronoun is following a preposition, it should be in the objective form ( me, her,

them) and not the subjective form (I, she, they, etc.). Eg:
The gift is from Ravi and Ruchita

The secret is between me and you

4. Prepositions particularly have no form. Most of the prepositions are one-word only,
but there are some two to three-word prepositions known as complex prepositions.
Let’s take the help of examples to understand the concept with clarity:

One-word prepositions : before, on, into

Complex Prepositions : according to, despite, on account of, but for

5. Do not confuse the preposition ‘to’ with the infinitive ‘to’.

“To” is used as a Preposition (like to me, to India) as well and “to” is an infinitive
participle too (to eat, to dance, to sing, etc.). Be aware and don’t mix the two different
things. Here are a few examples for more clarity:

To as a Preposition :

He came to me.

He talked to me.

To as an Infinitive Participle :

I used to live in America.

They love to sing.

6. The verb cannot be an object of a preposition.

Objects of a preposition are nouns or pronouns that follow a preposition in a sentence.

It is the thing or person that the preposition is related to.

For example, in the sentence “I am going to the store,” the word “store” is the object of
the preposition “to.”
An article is a word that modifies a noun. If you are learning English online, there are two
different types of articles: the definite article (the) and the indefinite article (a/an).

Use of indefinite articles:

1. Indefinite Article ‘A’ is used before a word beginning with a consonant and with a
vowel giving the sound of a consonant whereas the indefinite article ‘An’ is used before
a word beginning with a vowel, with a mute ‘h’, with a consonant pronounced with the
sound of a vowel.

Eg: With a consonant, For Example- A boy, A child, A student, A book etc.

With a vowel giving the sound of a consonant, For Example- a one-eyed man, a
university student,

With a vowel, For Example- an elephant, an apple, an ass, an umbrella, etc.

With a mute ‘h’, For Example- an hour, an heir, an honorable person, an honest man, etc.

With a consonant pronounced with the sound of a vowel, For Example- An LL.B. student,
An M.P., An M.L.A., An S.P., etc.

2. Indefinite articles are used when we talk of a thing or a person that is indefinite or
that is mentioned for the first time.

For Example-

Twelve inches make a foot.

Not a word was said.

A bird in the hands is worth two in the bush.

3. Indefinite articles are also used to express class(in the sense of ‘any’).

For Example-

A cow is a useful animal.

A beggar cannot be a chooser.

A rose is a beautiful flower.

4. Indefinite articles are also used in the certain expression of quantity with certain
numbers and expressions of ‘Price/Rate, speed, ratio’.
For Example-

Rupees ten a kilo.

A dozen of mangoes.

Half a dozen.

5. Indefinite articles are also used for exclamation with ‘What’ or ‘How’ before singular
countable nouns.

For Example-

What a hot day!

What a pretty girl!

What a naughty child!

How fine a day!

6. Indefinite articles are also used before a person is not known to the speaker.

For Example-

A Mr. Gupta = Some Mr. Gupta

A Mrs. Sharma = Some Mrs. Sharma

7.. Indefinite articles are also used in the following adverbs: ‘Rather, very, much, quite,
so, too, such, as’.

For Example-

It is rather a nuisance.

It is rather a good step.

He is a very good person.

He is a much-hated character.

He is such a nice man that everybody like him.

8. Indefinite articles are also used before the verbs used as nouns.
For Example-

For a swim.

For a talk.

For a visit.

For a walk.

For a rest.

9.. Indefinite articles are also used before adjectives ‘little’ and ‘few’ to give a sense of
‘some’.

A little- Some(Quantity) and A few- Some (Number)

For Example-

I have little money to buy a house.

There are few boys in the class.

I met a few students at the university.

Please give me a little sugar.

Uses of Definite Articles :

1. When we talk about a particular person or thing, or one already referred to.

For example-

The book you want is out of print.

Let's go to the park.

The girl cried.

2. When a singular noun is meant to represent a whole class.

For example-
The cow is a useful animal.

The horse is a Noble animal.

The cat loves comfort.

The rose is the sweetest of all flowers.

3. Before some proper names.

For example-

Oceans and seas e.g. The pacific, The black sea.

Rivers e.g. The ganga, The Nile

Canals, e.g. The Suez Canal.

Deserts, e.g. The Sahara

The group of Islands e.g. The West Indies

Mountain ranges e.g. The Himalayas, The Alps

4. Before the names of certain books.

For example-The Vedas, The Puranas, The Ramayana.

5. Before names of things unique of their kinds.

For example- The Sun, The Sky, The Ocean, The Sea, The earth.

6. Before a proper noun when it is qualified by an adjective or a defining adjectival.

For example-

The great Caesar: the immortal Shakespeare.

The Mr. Roy whom you met last night is my uncle.

7. With superlatives.

For example-

The darkest cloud has a silver lining.

8. With ordinals.
For example-

He was the first man to arrive.

The ninth chapter of the book is very interesting.

9. Before musical instruments.

For example-

He can play the flute.

10. Before an adjective when the noun is understood.

For example-

The poor are always with us.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

1. Identify the parts of speech of the word under lined.

You must be careful when you drive.

(A) Adverb

(B) Adjective

(C) Verb

(D) Noun

2. One of the soldiers.............. killed by the enemies.

(A) are

(B) has

(C) is

(D) have
3. Can I be held responsible ________ my spouse's debts?

(A) for

(B) to

(C) by

(D)with

4. In the questions given below, the sentence has been broken into 5 to 6 parts. Identify
these parts and join them to form a meaningful sentence.

a) 1. airport 2. the 3. Rahul 4. to 5. gone 6. has

A. 234156

B. 365421

C. 356241

D. 345621

E. 213654

Answer: B. 365421

Explanation: Rahul has gone to the airport

b) . 1. room 2. not 3. was 4. comfortable 5. the

A. 21354

B. 51234

C. 51324

D. 15432
E. 51432

Answer: C. 51324

Explanation: The room was not comfortable

c) 1. the 2. library 3. to 4. she 5. went

A. 45312

B. 54213

C. 45132

D. 32541

E. 45321

Answer: A. 45312

Explanation: She went to the library

5. Directions: In each question, a part of the sentence is made bold. Below are given
alternatives to the bold part at (A), (B), (C) and (D) which may improve the sentence.
Choose the correct alternative. In case no replacement is needed, mark (E) as your
answer.

a) 28. Let you and I together go to watch the movie after work.

A. Let’s you and I together B. Let I and you together C. Let you and me together

D. Let’s you and me together E. No correction required

b) Effective breathing brings health to our organs, balances the nervous system, and
calms the mind.

A. bringing health to our organs B. brings health in our organs C. bringing health into to
our organs
D. will bring health to our organs E. No correction required.

6. Fill in the blank spaces with the correct article.

At Cambridge University there was _____ conference consisting of some of _____ most
celebrated biologists in _____ world. Most of _____ speakers had achieved success in
their chosen field after many years of difficult research. However, one of _____ most
famous researchers, Jane Wills, had received worldwide acclaim from ___ early age.
Emma Helme, _____ chemist who has written _____ lot about biology, was also there.
These scientists told _____ audience of their struggles. ____most interesting aspect was
how ____ data communication via ____ internet changed _____ way they did their
research. ____ email, one aspect of _____ data communications was very effective.

7. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions

This shop doesn’t have the toys I was looking __. (up/for)

The teacher divided the sweets ___ all the children. (between/among)

Bruce did not fare well __ his examination. (in/at)

The dog is grateful __ its owner. (to/for)

My brother’s anniversary is __ 5th November. (on/in)

The boy __ the store is quite young. (at/on)

Mahatma Gandhi was born __ 2nd October. (on/in)

Rupert is fond __ muffins. (of/off)

The dog jumped __ the sofa. (on/in)

Humpty Dumpty sat __ a wall. (on/at)

 MODULE II
VOCABULARY

Vocabulary plays a crucial role in competitive exams as it not only helps in the English
language section but also in other sections like reading comprehension, sentence
completion, one-word substitution, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones. Having a
strong vocabulary can significantly improve your chances of scoring well in these
exams. The best way to become better and better at vocabularies is to practice and use
it in day to day communication or wherever applicable. Let's discuss some of the key
points from the vocabulary part.

I. SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

A synonym is a word/phrase, the meaning of which is the same or nearly the same as
another word or phrase. Words that are synonyms are described as synonymous.

Eg : Happy – cheerful

content, joyful.

Types of Synonyms:

1) Relative Synonyms

These synonyms are so-called because they are words with similar meanings,

but they are based on different degrees of describing certain qualities.

Eg : big. Synonyms of big are – huge, colossal, massive, ginormous – again, all of

them have the same meaning, but there are differences in the degrees in their

description of how big something is.

2. Stylistic Synonyms.

Stylistic synonyms are much easier to understand, because the meanings are exactly
the same, but you use them interchangeably based only on the style of writing you are
doing. So, some might be more appropriate to use in formal writing, and others are
appropriate in informal writing.

Eg: Doctor ( superior) & Doc ( friend)

3. Contextual Synonyms.

These synonyms mean the same thing, but only based on the context in which they are
used.

Eg: Buy and Get – in certain contexts, these are synonyms because they mean the
same thing, but they won’t always be classed as synonyms because they won’t always
be interchangeable.

4. Total Synonyms.

These synonyms are synonyms in their purest form. It isn’t based on the degree

of anything, or context, or even stylistic choice. These words just have the exact

same meaning and can be switched whenever.

Eg: Perfect and flawless – these words mean exactly the same thing, and are

completely interchangeable in every context.

An antonym is a word/phrase that means the opposite of another word or phrase.

Types of antonyms:

1) Gradable antonyms:Also knowm as polar antonyms.It represents the

extremes along a continuum.Eg : tall and short.Hot and cold.

2) Complimentary antonyms:Also Binary antonyms.Mutually exclusive in nature.ie, if

one is there, the other must not be there.Eg: dead and alive.Boy and girl.True and false.

3) Relational Antonyms: These are the sets of word pairs which are responsible for
showing the relationship between two opposites such as there can’t be a child without a
parent or it’s either all or nothing. Relational Antonyms wouldn’t exist without the
other.ie, if one is present, the other should also be there.Eg: front and back Father and
child.
Since there a lot of synonyms and antonyms, it is impossible to learn everything. So
learning some tips will help us to score marks.

TIPS FOR SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS :

Enhance your vocabulary. Knowledge is the best tool.

1) The question and answer will always be in same parts of speech.

Noun, adjectives, adverbs and verbs are the main parts of speech we

have to consider.

Eg : It was a place of deep mystery and enchantment. It filled me witb with

positive thoughts.

Find out the synonym of the word Enchantment.

a) Mesmerizing b) magical c) eminent d) magic

The answer is magic.

Enchantment and magic are nouns.

2. Rules of antonyms alone:

a) In majority cases the word that starts with ‘Re’ will have the antonym that starts with
‘Ir’. Eg : Regular & irregular

b) The word starts with ‘M’ or ‘P’ – ‘Im’. Eg : Patient & impatient, mobile & immobile.

c) ‘L’ – ‘Il’. Eg : Legal & illegal

d) Can identify antonyms with the prefix ‘un’, in’, ‘dis’, ‘a’, ‘non’ etc.

Eg : Symmetrical & assymetrical, decent & indecent.

3) Look at the charge of the words and identify synonyms/ antonyms.

Eg :The old folks’ laughter is genuine as well as uncontrolled – so much so that it

rushes forth and spills like an overflowing liquid. The poet further suggests that the
laughter of the old folks is liberating. It is liberating not only for the old folks but also for
others, as it teaches them not to be pretentious.

Qn. Write the antonym of the word ‘ pretentious ‘.

a) Fake b) deceptive c) genuine d) silent.

The answer is genuine.

Pretentious is a negatively charged word while genuine is positive.

4. Look for the contextual meanings.Find the answers from the context of the sentence.

5. Look at the root words.

Eg : His first assignment is to assist with the encoffinment of a woman who died at
home and remained undiscovered for two weeks. The woman was killed by her own
brother for some financial reasons.

Select the antonym of the word ‘ encoffinment’.

a) Conceal b) liberty c) Prisonement d) impediment

The answer is liberty, freedom.

Root word coffin gives the clue here.

6. Option elimination if the question word is unknown. Find out the most apt answers by
eliminating options one by one.

II. IDIOMS AND PHRASES

Idioms are group of words in a fixed order which have a meaning that cannot be
guessed by knowing the meaning of the individual word. The proper use of idioms adds
color and appeal to one’s language. It is commonly use in (in) formal, spoken and
written forms of language. There are plenty of idioms. You can learn it only by using and
mastering it.
Eg : A blessing in disguise – Something good that seemed bad earlier

Get out of hand – getting beyond control

A phrase is a group of words that forms a grammatical component. It can be used to

communicate something. It is a part of a sentence and cannot stand on its own.
Phrases provide more information about whatever the sentence is speaking about.

In English grammar, there are five main types of phrases. They are:

1. A noun phrase is a group of words that have a noun or pronoun. It is used to modify
the noun. In other words, it can be said that a noun phrase can function as a subject, an
object or a complement in a sentence.

For example:

My brother’s friend had come to visit him. (Used as a subject)

Scented candles are my favourite. (Used as a subject)

The students were asked to find the buried treasure. (Used as an object)

2. An adjective phrase or an adjectival phrase is a group of words that consists of an

adjective. It can be used to complement it. It provides more information about the noun
or pronoun in a sentence. In other words, it can be said that it functions just like an
adjective in a sentence.

For example:

Annu has silky, smooth hair.

People, living in large cities, often find it difficult to reach in time.

3. An adverb phrase or an adverbial phrase is a group of words that includes an adverb

and other modifiers. It performs all the functions of an adverb. It can be placed in any
part of the sentence, with respect to the part of speech they modify.

For example:

We are planning to finish our group project by the end of May.

Later this evening, my cousins and I have planned to go to the park.

4. A verb phrase can be used just like a verb. It consists of a main verb and an auxiliary
verb.

For example:

Students are practising hard in order to participate in the state tournament.

Aaron has been writing multiplication tables for three hours.

5. A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and an object. It works just like an

adjective or an adverb. It relates the subject and the verb in a sentence. It is used to
modify the nouns and verbs in a particular sentence.

For example:

It was too hard for me to concentrate with the kids jumping around.

The jewellery boxes were kept inside the cupboard.

There are some things that you have to remember when using phrases:

a) Phrases are just a part of the sentence and cannot stand alone.

b) They do not give complete meaning if taken out of context.

c) They are mostly used to provide extra information about the subject, object or other
components in a sentence.

d) There can be more than one phrase in a sentence.

e) Make sure that the phrase gives your sentence clarity and does not simply
accumulate the sentence with information.

A list some important idioms are given below :

III. HOMONYMS
The word “homonym” comes from the prefix “homo”, meaning “the same”, and the
suffix “-nym,” means “the name”. Hence, Homonyms are words that sound alike and
have different meanings. They either sound the same or are spelt the same, but their
meanings are different. Eg : Address – location/ to speak to

Bark – the sound of dogs/ tree’s outer layer

Band – a ring/ a musical group

Homophones:

The -phone in homophone means “sound.” So homophones are words that sound the
same. Homophones always have different meanings, but they may be spelled the same
or differently. Bear (the animal) and bare (meaning “uncovered” or “empty”) are
homophones. But so are bark (the sound a dog makes) and bark (the covering of a tree).

Homograph:

The -graph in homograph means “written.” Homographs are words that are written the
same—meaning they always have the same spelling—but have different meanings.
Homographs can be pronounced the same or not.

Eg : Bat – an animal/sports equipment

Fine - happy / penalty

As we’ve just explained, the term homonym can refer to both a homophone and a
homograph, so we’ve broken them down into two separate lists. The items from both
lists can be broadly referred to as homonyms. But for clarity, it’s best to use the term
homophones when referring to words that sound the same and homographs when
referring to words that are spelled the same.

Here are just some of the many examples of homophones in English:

there | their | they’re

to | too | two

its | it’s

your | you’re

whose | who’s

by | buy | bye

I | eye

see | sea

dear | deer

bare | bear

hair | hare

here | hear
air | heir

where | wear

pair | pear | pare

fair | fare

right | write | rite

sight | site | cite

steal | steel

plain | plane

sale | sail

break | brake

know | no

week | weak

add | ad

meet | meat

sell | cell

great | grate

piece | peace

eight | ate

one | won

flower | flour

for | four | fore

our | hour

wait | weight

night | knight
male | mail

son | sun

board | bored

hole | whole

sweet | suite

tail | tale

Here are several examples of homographs whose pronunciation is different.

minute (the noun meaning “60 seconds”; the adjective meaning “very small”)

bass (the fish; the instrument)

Polish (from Poland) and polish (to make something shiny)

bow (the noun referring to a ribbon tied in a decorative way; the verb meaning to bend
reverently)

close (the adjective meaning “nearby”; the verb meaning “to shut”)

lead (the metal; the verb meaning “to act as a leader”)

Here are some of the many, many homographs that sound the same, along with some
of their common meanings (in many cases, there are multiple other meanings).

bear (the animal; the verb meaning “to carry”)

ring (a circle; a type of jewelry; what a phone does)

fan (the appliance that makes wind; an admirer/appreciator)

band (music group; a ring or strap)

bat (the animal; a baseball bat)

kind (the adjective meaning “nice”; the noun meaning “type”)

part (a component of something; a line in one’s hair; the verb meaning “to separate”)

park (a noun meaning an outdoor space; a verb meaning what you do to a car)

class (lesson; category; classiness)

fair (equitable or according to the rules; a carnival)

IV. ANALOGY
Analogies turn out to be a common topic in the reasoning ability section for all major
Government exams. Before solving the questions, an aspirant must understand the
concept of analogy. An analogy is a word used in terms of comparing two things or
finding a relation between two things.

Similarly, in questions related to Analogy in reasoning, options are given, which may or
may not be associated with each other and candidates need to find the odd option out.

The analogy questions may be asked in various forms. Given below are the type of
questions asked for analogies:

Numerical Analogy (Odd One Out) – A set of options may be given based on a certain
pattern, and one of them may be unlikely to follow the pattern and candidates need to
choose the odd one out

Numerical Analogy (Choose a similar pair) – An analogy may be given in the question
and candidates may have to find a similar analogy, based on the same pattern from the
given options

Alphabetical/Word Analogy (Odd One Out) – Options for different word analogy may be
given, in which one may not be following the set pattern, candidates need to find that
odd one out from the given options

Alphabetical/Word Analogy (Choose a similar pair) – An analogy may be given based

on a set pattern and candidates may have to find the word analogy pair from the given
options, which follows the exact same pattern.
Tips & Tricks to Solve Reasoning Analogy

Given below are a few tips which may help you prepare for the reasoning analogy
questions and also help you solve the questions faster:

* The first thing to solve an analogy question is to judge the pattern that is being
followed in the given analogy.

* If a candidate is unable to analyse the pattern followed, he/she must refer to the
options given. It shall simply analysing the pattern.

* For numerical questions, squares, cubes, multiplication, addition, etc. based patterns
may be followed. So ensure that you recheck these pattern as well.

* It is easy to score marks in questions based on analogy as they are direct and not very
complicated.

* Having knowledge of basic static GK shall also be important for these questions.

Solved Examples – Reasoning Analogy

Given below are a few sample questions on reasoning analogy based on the latest
pattern and considering the type of questions which may be asked.

Q 1. From the given options, find the pair which is similar to the given pair: 8:4

27:9

216:32

72:24

45:5

37:13

Answer: (1) 27:9

Solution:

The pattern followed is “Cube of a number: square of the same number”

So, (2×2×2) : (2×2) = 8:4

Similarly, (3×3×3) : (3×3)= 27:9

Q 2. From the given options, choose the odd one out.

Bangladesh: Taka

Brazil: Real

Cyprus: Dollar

Iran: Rial

Japan: Yen

Answer: (3) Cyprus: Dollar; All the other options given are correct in terms of country
and their currency. The currency of Cyprus is Euro

Q 3. What shall come in place of (?) Questions mark?

Flow : River :: Stagnant : ?

Canal

Dam

Ocean

Pool

Sea

Answer: (4) Pool; Water in river flows whereas the water in a pool is stagnant

Q 4. Find the odd one out from the given options.

Book: Author

Art: Artist

Invention: Scientist

Potter: Potter

Patients: Doctors

Answer: (5) Patients: Doctors; In all the other options, the creation is given in the first
half and the creator in the second half

Q 5. Find the odd one out from the given pairs.

5:15

24:70

33:99

121:363

1:3

Answer: (2)24:70

Solution:

The pattern followed is 3 multiplied by the first digit gives the second digit

5×3 = 15 which gives 5:15

24×3 = 72 and the given option is 24:70

33×3 = 99 which gives 33:99

121×3 = 363 which gives 121:363

1×3 = 3 which gives 1:3

The list of previous years solved analogy questions are given below in the link.

List of solved analogy questions

V. TEST OF SPELLING
The spelling section is asked in competitive exams to test your English language skills.
In this section four words are given out of four one option is either correctly spelt or
misspelt. However, if you are not a regular reader of English, you can master yourself in
this section by simply learning these common rules. Spellings in English can be
confusing. However, candidates do not need to fear. There are few common rules for
spellings. Students are advised to practice well to avoid confusion and gain confidence.

Common Rules for English Grammar Spelling Test

Rule #1

Whenever a word ends with “y” preceded by a vowel then always add “s” after the word
to find the plural.

For Example:

Boy: boys

Stay: stays

Delay: delays

Play: plays

As you can see the word ends with y and the vowel “o” is given before it.

Rule #2

Whenever a word ends with “y” preceded by a consonant then change “y” into “I” and
add “es” or “ed”.

For Example:

Party: parties

Library: libraries

Sky: skies

Theory: theories
Rule #3

The letter “q” is always followed by “u”

For Example: “Quiz”

Rule #4

Usage of “ei” & “ie” We generally used “ie” but whenever “c” is given then it is followed
by “ei”.

For Example:

Belief, believe, brief, chief, field, hygiene, niece, priest, relieved, thief, tier.

Except after “c”

Ceiling, conceive, deceive, receipt, receive, conceited.

When the main vowel sounds like AY, use ‘ei’.

Freight, neighbor, sleigh, weigh, weight, vein.

Rule #5

Whenever “full” is added to the end of a noun then the last “l” is dropped out.

For Example:

Cupful

Cheerful

Joyful
Rule #6

Prefixes: il-, im-, ir- We commonly change the prefix in- to il-, im- or ir- when the first
letter of a word is l, m, p, or r.

Rule #7

There are rules for the plurals of regular nouns and the -s forms of regular verbs. If the
ending is pronounced as ‘ch’ /tʃ/ or ‘s’ /s/, we add -es /ɪz/:

English Grammar Spelling Practice Problems

Q. Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word.

Fallicious

Victorious

Victorious

Generous
Ans. The correct answer is option A i.e. Fallicious.

The correct spelling is Fallacious and it means “based on a mistaken belief.”

The rest of the words are spelt correctly. Their meanings are given below:

Victorious: having won a victory; triumphant

Malicious: characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm

Generous: showing a readiness to give more of something, especially money, than is

strictly necessary or expected.

Q. Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word.

Miscellaneous

Multifarious

Gregarious

Hilarious

Ans. The correct answer is option C i.e. gregerious.

The correct spelling is Gregariousand it means “(of a person) fond of company;

sociable.”

The rest of the words are spelt correctly. Their meanings are given below:

Miscellaneous: (of items or people gathered or considered together) of various types or

from different sources

Multifarious: many and of various types

Hilarious: extremely amusing

Q. In the following question, four words are given out of which one word is incorrectly
spelled. Select the incorrectly spelled word.

Pleasant

Peasant
Prefferable

Proceed

Ans. The correct option is option C.

It is incorrectly spelled. The correct spelling is ‘Preferable’.

Its meaning is, ‘more desirable or suitable’.

Q. In the following question, four words are given out of which one word is correctly
spelt. Select the correctly spelt word.

Chauffeur

Chauffer

Choffer

None of the above.

Ans: The correct answer is option A i.e. Chauffeur Its meaning is ‘a person employed to
drive a private or hired car’.

Q. In the following question, four words are given out of which one word is correctly
spelt. Find the correctly spelt word.

Pionear

Pionneer

Poineer

Pioneer

Ans. Option D is the correct answer. Pioneer means a person who is among the first to
explore or settle a new country or area.
 MODULE III
VERBAL ABILITY
Verbal Ability is a major component of various competitive exams, it tests a capability
of an individual to communicate effectively and accurately using words in a clear sound
manner. Verbal Ability is an important measure for interviews and competitive
examinations in India. For aspirants who want to excel in Verbal Ability, having a strong
vocabulary and the ability to form sentences are essential skills. Verbal ability tests are
designed to assess a candidate’s writing skills and abilities in questions like spotting
errors, sentence corrections, sentence formation, synonyms, antonyms, and more.

I. PARA-JUMBLES
Para-Jumble as the name refers to a paragraph wherein the sentences of the paragraph
are jumbled and are assigned with some number or letter. So, the question is what
should we do in para jumble questions? We are required to arrange the sentences in a
proper manner such that they link and form a coherent paragraph, and we must do this
rearrangement by choosing the appropriate option from the given option.

There are basically 4 formats in which the parajumble questions can be asked in the
various competitive exams:

The Basic Format: This is the format where all the statements are given in a jumbled
form and candidates need to arrange all the statements logically.

Static First Statement: In the second type of format for parajumbles, the first statement
is given as static and candidates have to arrange the other statements logically, such
that the first statement remains constant.

Static Last Statement: Just like a static first statement, the last statement given can
also be static and candidates need to arrange the other sentences to make the
paragraph logical, with the last sentence constant.

Static First and Last Statement: The first and last statement can be static and
candidates are required to arrange the leftover sentences between these two
statements to make it logically correct.
Tips and tricks to solve sentence rearrangement questions are as given below:

1. Read all the given statements carefully and analyse the common point between them
and then start rearranging them.

2. Identifying the Opening Statement.

3. Refer to a pattern that may be given in the statement.

4. Identifying Central Theme.

5. Try relating the words given like, yet, but, when, then, they, anyway, etc. This will give
you a clearer idea of how the sentences can be rearranged.

6. Candidates with stronger vocabulary are more likely to solve the question quicker as
understanding the meanings of every word given in each sentence will help in arranging
the statements.

7. Paragraphs with one static statement are comparatively easier to crack as you get an
idea as to how the theme starts to evolve or how it shall end.

8. Once you think you are done with arranging the statements correctly, re-read the
entire passage to ensure that it is logically correct.

To help candidates get a better idea of the topic, discussed below are a few sample
questions and examples of parajumbles.

Let us start with a basic example to understand what needs to be done.

Example 1: Given below are jumbled statements, arrange the following in logical form:

Rani fills the form to the dance show

A talent hunt show is looking for Classical dancers like Rani

Rani is called for auditions

Rani is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer

Rani gets selected

The Correct Arrangement:

Rani is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer

A talent hunt show is looking for Classical dancers like Rani

Rani fills the form to the dance show

Rani is called for auditions

Rani gets selected

From the above arrangement, the questions which may be asked are as follows:

Q 1. What is the correct order of the statements when arranged logically?

Answer: 42135

Q 2. Which statement is the 3rd statement from the beginning?

Answer: (1.) Rani fills the form to the dance show

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

1. Directions: Rearrange the following sentences in the proper sequence to form a

meaningful paragraph and then answer the question given below.

(Question 1 to 5)

A. American President Donald Trump last week announced that his administration
would soon impose tariffs on the import of steel and aluminium into the U.S. for an
indefinite period of time.
B. The European Union, one of the largest trading partners of the U.S., has since vowed
to return the favour through retaliatory measures targeting American exporters.

C. After all, they had learned their lessons from the global trade war of the 1930s which
deepened and prolonged the Great Depression, or so it was thought.

D. The EU is expected to come out with a list of over 100 items imported from the U.S.
that will be subject to scrutiny.

E. World leaders did well to avoid protectionist trade policies in the aftermath of the
Great Recession of 2008.

1. Which of the following can be the first statement after re-arrangement?

A. A B. B C. C D.D E. E

2. Which of the following can be the second statement after re-arrangement?

A. A B. B C. C D.D E. E

3. Which of the following can be the third statement after re-arrangement?

A. A B. B C. C D.D E. E

4. Which of the following can be the fourth statement after re-arrangement?

A. A B. B C. C D.D E. E

5. Which of the following can be the fifth statement after re-arrangement?

A. A B. B C. C D.D E. E
2. Direction : In the following question, six jumbled sentences are given with one fixed in
the arrangement, you have to rearrange the remaining sentences to make a coherent
paragraph, and according to this rearrangement answer the following questions.

A. The Indian Navy has launched ‘Operation ‘SamudraSetu-II’ to meet the country’s
oxygen requirement amid the surge in Covid-19 cases in the second wave and the acute
shortage of liquid medical oxygen (LMO). ( Fixed Line )

B. Two ships INS Kolkata and INS Talwar have entered port of Manama, Bahrain for
embarking and transporting 40MT of liquid oxygen to Mumbai. INS Jalashwa is enroute
to Bangkok and INS Airavat to Singapore for similar missions.

C. The Indian Navy spokesperson via a tweet informed that the mission-deployed Indian
Naval warships will be undertaking shipment of the liquid oxygen-filled cryogenic
containers and the associated medical equipment.

D. All such containers carried on the aircraft across the country are empty as the
oxygen-filled tanks cannot be transported by air. Thus, the naval operation gains
prominence/ eminence/ astute along with the ongoing efforts of the Railways.

E. Last year Indian Navy had launched Operation SamudraSetu as part of the Vande
Bharat Mission and ______ approx. 4000 (3992) stranded and distressed Indian citizens
from Maldives, Sri Lanka and Iran.

F. As a part of the operation, the Navy has deployed INS (Indian Navy Ships) Kolkata,
Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa and Airavat for shipment of oxygen-filled
cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries.

11) What is the last sentence after rearrangement?

A.A

B.B

C.C

D.F

E.E

12) What are the adjoining pairs after the third sentence?

A.E-B

B.C-D

C.D-F

D.E-F

E.C-E

13) What is the full rearrangement for the given sentences (excluding fix sentence)?

A.DFEBC

B.ECBFD

C.FBCDE

D.CBFED

E.BCDEF
II. ERROR SPOTTING
Spotting errors is one of the most crucial yet the easiest topics for exams, provided that
you have the proper knowledge of English Grammar. This segment basically checks the
candidate’s command of the English Language. It covers a major section of verbal
ability in competitive examinations across India. To prepare for these exams,
candidates need to practice questions within the time limit.

Tips for Error Spotting in the English Language Section:

1. Certain nouns being a singular form represent plurality and therefore, take a plural
verb in a sentence.

Example: police, clergy, people, peasantry, cattle.

People has left. (Incorrect)

People have left. (Correct)

2. Certain nouns take the plural verb because of their plural form.

Example: Clothes, Scissors, trousers, amends, spectacles, thanks.

The spectacles is missing. (Incorrect)

The spectacles are missing. (Correct)

3. When a noun denoting weight, number, money, length or measure is following a

number, the noun form does not change as long as another noun or pronoun follows it.

Example: Million, pair, meter, year, dozen.

This is a 9-meters scale. (Incorrect)

This is a 9-meter scale. (Correct)

4. When the pronoun ‘one’ is used, it should be maintained throughout the whole
sentence.

One must help his siblings. (Incorrect)

One must help one’s siblings. (Correct)

5. For living people ‘whose’ is generally used and for things that are non-living ‘which’ is
used.

Which phone is kept on charging? (Incorrect)

Whose phone is kept on charging? (Correct)

6. ‘Fewer’ is used for denoting number while ‘Less’ is used for denoting quantity.

No less than thirty dogs were. (Incorrect)

No fewer than thirty dogs were. (Correct)

7. Sentences are always opposite to question tags, for example, if the question tag is
positive then the sentence is negative and vice versa.

It’s a bit early, is it? (Incorrect)

It’s a bit early, isn’t it? (Correct)

8. Instead of ‘who’ or ‘which’, the relative pronoun ‘that’ is used after adjectives in the
superlative degree.

These are the best which he could get. (Incorrect)

These are the best that he could get. (Correct)

9. ‘As’ is used both before and after the adjective to show equality.

I can write as fast, if not faster than her. (Incorrect)

I can write as fast as, if not faster than her. (Correct)

10. ‘Though’ is always followed by ‘yet’ in a sentence and not by ‘but’.

Though he is rich but he is kind. (Incorrect)

Though he is rich, yet he is kind. (Correct)

11. ‘Not’ is never used with ‘unless’ as ‘unless’ expresses a condition that is always
used in the negative sense.

Unless you do not pay the fine, you will not be excused. (Incorrect)

Unless you pay the fine, you will not be excused. (Correct)

12. ‘While’ implies a time duration of doing something and ‘When’ denotes a general
sense.

When learning how to box, the technique is of utmost importance. (Incorrect)

While learning how to box, the technique is of utmost importance. (Correct)

PRACTICE QUESTIONS ( Previous Year Questions):

The following sentence has been split into segments. Identify the segment that
contains a grammatical error.

Q:1 Rehan and Ronit are / good friends and / it don’t matter to them / as to who is
wealthier. [SSC CGL Tier I 2022]

1.good friends and

2.it don’t matter to them

3.Rehan and Ronit are

4.as to who is wealthier

Q:2 The river appears to have / got its name / from the town nearby. [SSC CGL Tier I
2021]

1.got its name

2.from the town nearby

3.The river appears to have

4.No error

Q:3 The woodcutter felled / some trees / with hardly / many effort at all. [SSC CGL Tier I
2021]

1.with hardly

2.The woodcutter felled

3.many effort at all

4.some trees

Q:4 No one were/present when I / entered the hall. [SSC CGL Tier I 2020]

1.present when I

2.No one were

3.No error

4.entered the hall

Q:5 If the economy fails / this year it reflect badly / on the government. [SSC CHSL 2020]

1.No error

2.on the government

3.this year it reflect badly

4.If the economy fails

Q:6 Has Gita any previous knowledge of work with junior colleagues? [SSC CGL Tier I
2022]

1.with

2.has

3.any

4.work

Q:7 During an earthquake, / it is advised to take / cover above a table / to save your life.
[SSC CGL Tier I 2022]

1.cover above a table

2.During an earthquake,

3.it is advised to take

4.to save your life

Q:8 The sports day events / will be conducted / from 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. / on
Saturday. [SSC CGL Tier I 2022]

1.The sports day events

2.will be conducted

3.from 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

4.on Saturday

Q:9 A probe has been ordered / by the incident / that occurred at the celebrations. [SSC
CHSL 2021]

1.by the incident

2.that occurred at the celebrations

3.A probe has been ordered

4.No error

Q:10 A clear and defined perception enabled her to dismissed the suggestion given by
some people around her. [SSC CGL Tier I 2022]

1.suggestion given by

2.clear and defined

3.some people around her.

4.enabled her to dismissed

Answers:

Q:1 (2) The third segment, "it don't matter to them," contains a grammatical error. The
verb "don't" is incorrect as it is the contraction of "do not," which is plural in nature. The
correct verb in this context should be "doesn't," which is the contraction of "does not"
and is singular in nature.

Q:2 (4) Sentence is contextually and grammatically correct.

Q:3 (3) To make the sentence correct ‘many’ should be replaced with ‘any’. Correct
phrase that will be used is ‘hardly any’ which means almost none.

Q:4 (2) The indefinite pronouns are always singular. So, “no one were” should be
replaced by “no one was.”

Q:5 (3) The given sentence is a conditional sentence. So, ‘this year it reflect badly’
should be replaced by ‘this year it will reflect badly.’ Type 1 conditional sentence refers
to the present or future.

Q:6 (2) The word 'work' is erroneously placed in the given sentence. Since, the
preposition 'of' is placed right before the word 'work'. A 'gerund' must always come after
a prepositon ('of' in the given sentence). Thus, in the given sentence, instead of 'work',
'working' should have been used.

Q:7 (3) The error is in segment three, which says "cover above a table." This segment
has a grammatical error because it does not use the correct preposition. The correct
preposition to use in this sentence is "under" rather than "above." The correct segment
would be "cover under a table."

Q:8 (3) The preposition “from” is followed by “to”. They talk about a range. Hence from -
to should be used.

Q:9 (1) The error is in the part “by the incident”. It should be replaced by “for the
incident” which means an instance of something happening; an event or occurrence.

Q:10 (4) The error lies in option 4 because of the wrong use of “Infinitive”.We need to
replace “Dismissed” with “Dismiss” because “To + v1” is the correct infinitive phrase.
III. ONE WORD SUBSTITUTION
One word substitution is the use of one word in place of a wordy phrase in order to
make the sentence structure clearer. The meaning, with the replacement of the phrase
remains identical while the sentence becomes shorter.

List of Frequently Asked One Word Substitutions:

IV. CLOZE TEST
A Cloze test is the combination of comprehension and fill in the blanks. Cloze Test
Questions are in the form of comprehension and passage with certain blanks and the
candidates have to place the most appropriate word from the given options in the space
provided. The testing of reading, analyzing and vocabulary skills of an aspirant is done
through the cloze test.

There are two major types of cloze test questions asked in the competitive exams:

Fill in the Blanks- In this format a long passage is given with a certain number of blanks.
For each marked blank in the passage candidates are provided with 4-5 options from
which a candidate has to choose the most appropriate word.

Incorrect word replacement- In these type of questions an aspirant has to find out if
the word needs to be replaced or not with the provided options. One of the options will
replace the blank or else the blank will require no change.

To ensure that a candidate does not lose marks in the cloze test passage, given below
are a few tips to solve the test-based questions:

Overview of the Passage: Take a quick glance at the passage to know what the topic
deals with as this will help you apprehend which of the given options most suitably fits
in the blank.

Look for Contextually Correct Options: The options provided under cloze test may
seem to be similar in meaning, which makes selecting the appropriate option even
tougher. Thus, look for an option which aptly fits with the context of the passage.

Eliminate Options in case confused: If you are unable to reach an answer, try
eliminating the options which seem to be incorrect. This will lessen your options and
may help to arrive at the correct answer easily.

Link the Sentences while answering: The cloze test is a passage based on a particular
topic. So, if you are unable to find the answer, try linking the sentences with each other
to simplify the context of the passage.

Understand the tone of the passage: Once a candidate understands the tone of the
passage, selecting the appropriate option becomes easier.
PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

Directions(1-5): Read the following information carefully and answer the questions
given below:

Four of the most popular forms i.e. facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram of social
media _____ 1 _____ great damage upon young people’s mental health. These four
platforms have a negative effect because they can _____ 2 _____ children’s and young
people’s body image worries, and worsen bullying, sleep problems, anxiety, depression
and loneliness. The findings follow growing _____ 3 _____ among politicians, health
bodies, doctors and parents about young people suffering harm as a result of cyber
bullying and social media _____ 4 _____ feelings of self-loathing and leading them to
commit suicide. However, the leader of the UK’s psychiatrists said these findings were
too simplistic and they _____ 5 _____ blamed social media for the complex reasons why
the mental health of so many young people is suffering.

1. A. desecrate B. impious C. inflict

D. perpetrating E. None of the above

2. A. mitigate B. exacerbate C. alleviate

D. effectuate E. None of the above

3. A. bridle B. consternate C. poise

D. concern E. None of the above

4. A. reinforcing B. ebbing C. augment

D. accentuate E. None of the above

5. A. legitimately B. outlandish C. unfairly

D. impartially E. None of the above

Directions(6-10): In the following passage, some of the words have been left out, each
of which is indicated by a letter. Find the suitable word from the options given against
each letter and fill up the blanks with appropriate words to make the paragraph
meaningful:

This year, the world’s largest democracy, India, and the biggest country by _____ 6 _____ ,
Russia, are celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations
between them. Russia continues to be among India’s major politico-diplomatic and
defence partner nations. While India has _____ 7 _____ separate strategic partnership
pacts with more than two dozen countries, the Indian and Russian governments in
December 2010 _____ 8 _____ their bilateral ‘Strategic Partnership’ to what they termed a
“Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”

The New Delhi-based _____ 9 _____ ‘Foundation for National Security Research’, which
did a comparative assessment of India’s strategic partnerships — meaning, ‘political-
diplomatic, defence and economic cooperation’ (during the 10-year period prior to
November 2011), had said, “Russia emerges as the most important strategic partner of
India (followed by the U.S., France, the U.K., Germany and Japan in that order).” The
November 2011 report had found that Russia had provided strong political and
diplomatic support to India and helped enormously in building India’s defence capability.
However, it warned that the “economic content of the (India-Russia) partnership is
extremely weak, ” and recommended that “urgent and _____ 10 _____ steps need to be
taken to improve economic relations if this (India-Russia) partnership is to be sustained
and made durable.”

6. A. Population B. Density C. Area

D. Democracy E. Economy
7. A. Inked B. Considered C. Contemplated

D. Refuted E. Revoked

8. A. Called B. Elevated C. Refreshed

D. Nullified E. Revived

9. A. NGO B. Startup C. Personnel

D. Think tank E. Avenue

10. A. Various B. Precarious C. Vigorous

D. Minuscule E. Exhilarating

Answers:

1. Option A “desecrate” means ‘treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect’ and
can be ruled out as it makes the sentence incoherent.

Option B “impious” means ‘non-pious’ and can be eliminated as it is not related to the
context of the passage.

Option D “perpetrating” means ‘to commit’ and though it seems to be in sync with the
context, its usage makes the sentence grammatically incorrect. Rather ‘perpetrate’
should be used.

Option C “inflict” means ‘cause something unpleasant or painful by someone or

something’ and it aptly fits the context and makes the sentence a meaningful one.

Hence, option C is correct.

2. Options A and C “mitigate” and “alleviate” mean ‘make something bad less severe’
and can be eliminated as they have positive connotation and contradict the sentence.

Option D can be ruled out as “effectuate” means ‘put into force or operation’ and is
vague in the context of the sentence.

Option B “exacerbate” means ‘make a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling worse’
and is apt as it fits in the blank perfectly. It rightly points at the fact that the social
media platforms are worsening the mindset of young people.

Hence, option B is correct.

3. Option A “bridle” means ‘show one's resentment or anger’ can be eliminated as its
usage renders the sentence incoherent.

Option B “consternate” means ‘to fill someone with anxiety’ and can be eliminated as it
makes the sentence grammatically incorrect. Rather, ‘consternation’ should be used.

Option C “poise” means ‘graceful and elegant bearing in a person’ and can be eliminated
as it does not lend any meaning to the sentence and is contextual misfit.

Option D “concern” means ‘make someone anxious or worried’ and here it aptly shows
that the politicians, doctors, parents were anxious about the wellbeing of young people.

Hence, option D is correct.

4. The sentence as a whole talks about propagating negative thoughts among

youngsters. Thus, the word to be used in the blank should indicate strengthening these
thoughts among youngsters.

Option A “reinforcing” means ‘to strengthen and support’ and conforms itself to the
explanation above.

Option B “ebbing” means ‘gradually decrease in terms of an emotion or quality’ and can
be eliminated as it is contradictory to the meaning expressed in the passage.

Options C and D “augment” and “accentuate” mean ‘making something greater by

adding to it or noticeable’ and are not usually used with “feelings”.

Hence, option A is correct.

5. The sentence hints at various complex reasons for which the social media cannot be
held responsible for governing the mental wellbeing of young people.

Option C “unfairly” means ‘in a manner that is not in accordance with the principles of
equality and justice’ and aptly fits the context and makes the sentence a meaningful one.

Options A and D “legitimately” and “impartially” mean ‘justly’ and can be ruled out as
make the sentence logically incorrect as they have positive connotation.

Option B “outlandish” means ‘looking or sounding bizarre or unfamiliar’ and can be

eliminated as it is nowhere related to the context of the passage.

Hence, option C is correct.

6. To answer this question correctly one needs to be good at general awareness as per
which Russia is world’s biggest country by ‘area’.

Option C is hence the correct answer.

7. As the words “considered” and “contemplated” are synonyms, neither of them could
be picked for the blank. Options B and C hence get eliminated. Moreover, the words
“refuted” and “revoked” are negative in meaning and thus would not go well with the
context.

Options D and E get eliminated as well.

Clearly, the word “inked”, the present form of which refers to ‘sign or enter a pact or
contract’ is the word that’d be fitting the gap appropriately.

Option A is hence the correct answer.

8. Usage of any of the words “called”, “nullified” and “declared” for the blank restricts the
flow of the sentence because of the presence of the preposition ‘to’ in the predicate part.
Options A, D and E hence get eliminated.

As the first sentence evidently implies a long term relation between the two countries –
India & Russia, the word “revived” will not be relevant here for the blank.

Clearly, the word “elevated” would be fitting the blank both grammatically and
contextually.

Option B is hence the correct answer.

9. Out of the given choices, only the noun phrase “think tank” which refers to ‘a body of
experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems’ is the
most appropriate option to be picked for the blank.

Option D is hence the correct answer.

10. Usage of any of words “precarious”, “minuscule” and “exhilarating” would be

absurdas none of them is meaningful or logical in the context of the passage. Options B,
D and E can hence be eliminated. Usage of “various” for the blank will not be
appropriate either as it’s not going well with the word “urgent” in combination. We can
eliminate option A as well.

Clearly, the word “vigorous” which means ‘strong and forceful’ would be the most
appropriate word for the blank in the given context of the passage.

Option C is hence the correct answer.

 MODULE IV
READING COMPREHENSION

Reading Comprehension requires you to read and understand the given text and answer
the questions based on it. Reading Comprehension is one of the tricky topics because it
can be time-consuming and it can go wrong if the candidate doesn’t comprehend the
text or paragraph. So, if you are an aspirational student here are a few neat tricks that
will help you ace in the Reading Comprehension section.

Reading Comprehension (RC) is the ability to actively read the information (mostly
passages) provided and assimilate the information to answer a given set of questions.

So, to solve the reading comprehension questions, one must be able to:

1. Understand the crux of the passage

2. Answer questions based on the text provided

3. Develop a perspective on the tone and tenor of the given passage

4. The most followed rule in the RC section is to understand what you read. It will prove
a boon for you if you are able to read fast. Nevertheless, speed is always secondary to
understanding.

Tips To Answer the Reading Comprehension Questions:

Given below are a few tips to answer the reading comprehension questions quicker and
more efficiently.

* Read Questions First: It is recommended that the candidate first read the questions
and then move towards reading the passage. This will help the candidate to spot the
answer within a shorter time span.

* Do Not Assume anything: For reading comprehensions, a crucial point to be kept in

mind is that assumptions should not be formed. The data given in the passage is the
only information that needs to be used to answer the questions.

* Solve the vocabulary-based questions first: There may be questions like antonyms and
synonyms or other vocabulary-based questions. The candidate may not have to read the
entire passage to answer, so answer them first. This would save precious time.

* Use the elimination method: One of the major reasons why candidates tend to make
errors in the English section is because of the confusing options given. If a candidate
cannot answer the question, he/she must start eliminating the options, which may not
be the correct answer until they reach one which they are most confident of.

* Improvise your reading skills: Try reading the important words and phrases from the
passage rather than reading each word in the comprehension. This will help you save
some time.

* Focus on the first and last passage: The introduction and conclusion of the passage
are the most important and may help you with questions like giving a suitable topic for
the passage, stating the passage’s tone or summarising the passage.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

1.

Direction (1-5): What, one wonders, is the lowest common denominator of Indian culture
today? The attractive Hema Malini? The songs of Vinidh Barati? The attractive Hema
Malini? The sons of Vinidh Barati?

Or the mouth-watering Masala Dosa? Delectable as these may be, each yield pride of
place to that false (?) symbol of a new era-the synthetic fibre. In less than twenty years
the nylon sari and the terylene shirt have swept the countryside, penetrated to the
farthest corners of the land and persuaded every common man, woman and child that
the key to success in the present-day world lie in artificial fibers: glass nylon, crepe
nylon, tery mixes, polyesters and what have you. More than the bicycles, the wristwatch
or the transistor radio, synthetic clothes have come to represent the first step away
form the village square. The village lass treasures the flashy nylon sari in her trousseau
most delay; the village youth gets a great kick out of his cheap terrycot shirt and
trousers, the nearest he can approximate to the expensive synthetic sported by his
wealthy citybred contemporaries. And the Neo-rich craze for ‘phoren’ is nowhere more
apparent than in the price that people will pay for smuggled, stolen, begged borrowed
second hand or thrown away synthetics. Alas, even the uniformity of nylon.
1. ‘The lowest common denominator’ of the Indian culture today is –

(A) Hema Malini

(B) Songs of Vividh Barati

(C) Masala Dosa

(D) Synthetic fibre

2.The synthetic fibre has –

(A) Always been popular in India

(B) Become popular during the last twenty years

(C) Never been popular the last twenty years

(D) Been as popular as other kinds of fibre

3. The latest symbol of modernity for the rural people is –

(A) The bicycle

(B) The wristwatch

(C) The transistor

(D) The synthetic cloth

4. The tern ‘Neo-rich’ means –

(A) The aristocracy

(B) The industrialists

(C) The newly rich people

(D) The common people

5. The tone of the passage is –

(A) Tragic

(B) Ironic

(C) Sombre

(D) Satiric

2.

Read the following passage carefully and answer question numbers from 6 to 11:

In terms of labour, for decades the relatively low cost and high quality of Japanese
workers conferred considerable competitive advantage across numerous durable goods
and consumerelectronics industries (eg. Machinery, automobiles, televisions, radios).
Then labour-based advantages shifted to South Korea, then to Malaysia, Mexico and
other nations. Today, China appears to be capitalizing best on the basis of labour.
Japanese firms still remain competitive in markets for such durable goods, electronics
and other products, but the labour force is no longer sufficient for competitive
advantage over manufacturers in other industrializing nations. Such shifting of labour-
based advantage is clearly not limited to manufacturing industries. Today, a huge
number of IT and service jobs are moving from Europe and North America to India,
Singapore, and like countries with relatively well-educated, low-cost workforces
possessing technical skills. However, as educational levels and technical skills continue
to rise in other countries, India, Singapore, and like nations enjoying labour-based
competitive advantage today are likely to find such advantage cannot be sustained
through emergence of new competitors.

In terms of capital, for centuries the days of gold coins and later even paper money
restricted financial flows. Subsequently regional concentrations were formed where
large banks, industries and markets coalesced. But today capital flows internationally at
rapid speed. Global commerce no longer requires regional interactions among business
players. Regional capital concentrations in places such as New York, London and Tokyo
still persist, of course, but the capital concentrated there is no longer sufficient for
competitive advantage over other capitalists distributed worldwide. Only if an
organization is able to combine, integrate and apply its resources (eg. Land, labour,
capital, IT) in an effective manner that is not readily imitable by competitors can such an
organization enjoy competitive advantage sustainable overtime.

In a knowledge-based theory of the firm, this idea is extended to view organizational

knowledge as a resource with atleast the same level of power and importance as the
traditional economic inputs. An organization with superior knowledge can achieve
competitive advantage in markets that appreciate the application of such knowledge.
Semiconductors, genetic engineering, pharmaceuticals, software, military warfare, and
like knowledge-intensive competitive arenas provide both time-proven and current
examples. Consider semiconductors (e.g. computer chips), which are made principally
of sand and common metals. These ubiquitous and powerful electronic devices are
designed within common office buildings, using commercially available tools, and
fabricated within factories in many industrialized nations. Hence, land is not the key
competitive resource in the semiconductor industry.

6. Which country enjoyed competitive advantages in automobile industry for decades?

(1) South Korea

(2) Japan

(3) Mexico

(4) Malaysia

7. Why labour-based competitive advantages of India and Singapore cannot be

sustained in IT and service sectors?

(1) Due to diminishing levels of skill.

(2) Due to capital-intensive technology making inroads.

(3) Because of new competitors.

(4) Because of shifting of labour-based advantage in manufacturing industries.

8. How can an organisation enjoy competitive advantage sustainable overtime?

(1) Through regional capital flows.

(2) Through regional interactions among business players.

(3) By making large banks, industries and markets coalesced.

(4) By effective use of various instrumentalities.

9. What is required to ensure competitive advantages in specific markets?

(1) Access to capital

(2) Common office buildings

(3) Superior knowledge

(4) Common metals

10. The passage also mentions about the trend of

(1) Global financial flow

(2) Absence of competition in manufacturing industry

(3) Regionalisation of capitalists

(4) Organizational incompatibility

3.

Many United States companies have, unfortunately, made the search for legal
protection from import competition into a major line of work. Since 1980 the United
States International Trade Commission (ITC) has received about 280 complaints
alleging damage from imports that benefit foreign governments’ subsidies. Another 340
charge that foreign companies “dumped” their products in the United States at “less
than fair value.” Even when no unfair practices are alleged, the simple claim that an
industry has been injured by imports is sufficient grounds to seek relief.

Contrary to the general impression, this quest for import relief has hurt more companies
than it has helped. As corporations begin to function globally, they develop an intricate
web of marketing, production, and research relationships, The complexity of these
relationships makes it unlikely that a system of import relief laws will meet the strategic
needs of all the units under the same parent company.

Internationalization increases the danger that foreign companies will use import relief
laws against the very companies the laws were designed to protect. Suppose a United
States-owned company establishes an overseas plant to manufacture a product while
its competitor makes the same product in the United States. If the competitor can prove
injury from the imports—and that the United States company received a subsidy from a
foreign government to build its plant abroad—the United States company’s products will
be uncompetitive in the United States, since they would be subject to duties.

Perhaps the most brazen case occurred when the ITC investigated allegations that
Canadian companies were injuring the United States salt industry by dumping rock salt,
used to de-ice roads. The bizarre aspect of the complaint was that a foreign
conglomerate with United States operations was crying for help against a United States
company with foreign operations. The “United States” company claiming the injury was
a subsidiary of a Dutch conglomerate. In contrast, the “Canadian” companies included a
subsidiary of a Chicago firm that was the second-largest domestic producer of rock salt.

1. Which of the following options is most similar in meaning to the word: “Intricate”
mentioned in the article?

Twisted

Straightforward

Simple

Advance

Developed

2. What is the full form of ITC as per the passage?

Imperial Tobacco Company

International Trade Commission

Indian Trade Company

International Trade Corporation

Indo-Tibetan Corporation

3. Since 1980 the United States ITC has received how many complaints alleging
damage from imports that benefit from subsidies by foreign governments?

180

280

340

None of the above

Not mentioned in the Passage

4.. As per the passage, which of the following is the second-largest producer of rock
salt?

A subsidiary of a Canadian Firm

A subsidiary of a Chicago Firm

A US Firm

A Subsidiary of a Dutch Conglomerate

Canadian Firm