Chapter 01
Parts of Speech
The 8 Parts of Speech
| Part of Speech | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing, or idea | Ram, Delhi, happiness, dog |
| Pronoun | Replaces a noun | he, she, it, they, who, which |
| Verb | Shows action or state of being | run, is, have, will go |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | tall, red, three, beautiful |
| Adverb | Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb | quickly, very, well, often |
| Preposition | Shows relationship between noun and rest of sentence | in, on, at, by, with, under |
| Conjunction | Joins words, phrases, or clauses | and, but, or, because, although |
| Interjection | Expresses sudden emotion | Oh! Wow! Alas! Hurray! |
Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA) — Key Rules
Rule 1 — Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Each, every, either, neither, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, everybody, someone → always SINGULAR verb
✓ Each of the boys is present. ✗ Each of the boys are present.
Rule 2 — Collective Nouns
Collective nouns (team, committee, jury) take singular verb when acting as a unit, plural when acting individually.
✓ The committee has decided. ✓ The jury are divided in their opinions.
Rule 3 — Either/Or, Neither/Nor
Verb agrees with the nearer subject.
✓ Neither the manager nor the employees were present.
Rule 4 — With / Together with / Along with
These are NOT conjunctions. The verb agrees with the FIRST subject only.
✓ Ram, along with his friends, is going. ✗ ... are going.
Rule 5 — Plural-looking singular nouns
Mathematics, Physics, Economics, News, Innings, Measles → SINGULAR verb
✓ The news is good. ✓ Physics is my favourite subject.
Articles (A / An / The)
A — before consonant sounds. An — before vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u sounds, not just letters).
An hour (h is silent), An MLA (M sounds like 'em'), A university (sounds like 'yoo')
The — for specific, unique, or previously mentioned nouns. Before superlatives, unique bodies (the sun, the moon).
Chapter 02
Tenses
Tense Chart
| Tense | Structure | Signal Words | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | V1 / V1+s/es | always, usually, every day, often | She plays tennis. |
| Present Continuous | is/am/are + V1+ing | now, at present, currently | She is playing tennis. |
| Present Perfect | has/have + V3 | just, already, yet, ever, never, since, for | She has played tennis. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | has/have been + V1+ing | since, for (with duration) | She has been playing since morning. |
| Simple Past | V2 | yesterday, ago, last, in 2010 | She played tennis yesterday. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + V1+ing | when, while, at that time | She was playing when I arrived. |
| Past Perfect | had + V3 | before, after, by the time | She had played before I arrived. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | had been + V1+ing | for, since (past context) | She had been playing for 2 hrs. |
| Simple Future | will/shall + V1 | tomorrow, next, soon | She will play tomorrow. |
| Future Continuous | will be + V1+ing | at this time tomorrow | She will be playing at 5 PM. |
| Future Perfect | will have + V3 | by tomorrow, by the time | She will have played by noon. |
Common Tense Errors in SSC
Error Type 1 — Since vs For
Since = point of time (since 2010, since morning). For = duration (for 2 hours, for 3 years)
✓ I have lived here for 5 years. ✓ I have lived here since 2019.
Error Type 2 — Past Perfect sequence
When two past events: earlier action → Past Perfect (had + V3), later action → Simple Past
✓ He had left before she arrived.
Error Type 3 — Stative Verbs
Stative verbs (know, believe, understand, want, love, see, hear) are NOT used in continuous forms.
✗ I am knowing the answer. ✓ I know the answer.
Chapter 03
Active & Passive Voice
Voice Conversion Rules
Active: Subject + Verb + Object
Passive: Object (now subject) + be verb + V3 + by + subject (now agent)
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | He writes a letter | A letter is written by him |
| Present Continuous | He is writing | A letter is being written by him |
| Present Perfect | He has written | A letter has been written by him |
| Simple Past | He wrote | A letter was written by him |
| Past Continuous | He was writing | A letter was being written by him |
| Past Perfect | He had written | A letter had been written by him |
| Simple Future | He will write | A letter will be written by him |
| Modal | He can/must write | A letter can/must be written by him |
Pronoun Changes in Passive
| Active (Subject) | Passive (Object of by) |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| We | us |
| He | him |
| She | her |
| They | them |
| You | you |
Chapter 04
Direct & Indirect Speech
Tense Back-shifting Rules
| Direct Speech Tense | → Indirect Speech Tense |
|---|---|
| Simple Present | Simple Past |
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect |
| Simple Past | Past Perfect |
| Past Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous |
| will / shall | would / should |
| can / may | could / might |
| must | had to (for obligation) / must (for deduction) |
Change of Pronouns & Time/Place Expressions
Pronoun Changes
- I → he/she
- we → they
- me → him/her
- my → his/her
- you → I/we/he/she/they (context based)
Time/Place Changes
- now → then
- today → that day
- yesterday → the previous day
- tomorrow → the next/following day
- here → there
- this → that
- these → those
- ago → before
Chapter 05
Vocabulary
High-frequency Synonyms & Antonyms
Abate
To reduce/diminish
Syn: lessen, decrease | Ant: increase, intensify
Arduous
Very difficult; strenuous
Syn: laborious, tough | Ant: easy, effortless
Benevolent
Kind; generous
Syn: charitable, kind | Ant: malevolent, cruel
Candid
Frank; straightforward
Syn: honest, open | Ant: deceptive, evasive
Diligent
Careful and persistent
Syn: industrious, hardworking | Ant: lazy, negligent
Ephemeral
Short-lived; transient
Syn: fleeting, transitory | Ant: permanent, eternal
Frugal
Economical with money
Syn: thrifty, sparing | Ant: extravagant, wasteful
Gregarious
Fond of company; sociable
Syn: sociable, outgoing | Ant: reclusive, antisocial
Haughty
Arrogantly superior
Syn: arrogant, proud | Ant: humble, modest
Impeccable
Flawless; perfect
Syn: faultless, immaculate | Ant: flawed, defective
Jovial
Cheerful and friendly
Syn: jolly, merry | Ant: gloomy, sullen
Lethargic
Lacking energy; sluggish
Syn: sluggish, torpid | Ant: energetic, active
Meticulous
Very careful; precise
Syn: painstaking, thorough | Ant: careless, sloppy
Nonchalant
Casually unconcerned
Syn: casual, indifferent | Ant: anxious, concerned
Obsolete
No longer in use
Syn: outdated, archaic | Ant: current, modern
Prudent
Acting with care and thought
Syn: wise, judicious | Ant: reckless, imprudent
Querulous
Complaining; whining
Syn: grumbling, petulant | Ant: content, satisfied
Resilient
Able to recover quickly
Syn: tough, hardy | Ant: fragile, vulnerable
Stoic
Enduring pain without complaint
Syn: impassive, patient | Ant: emotional, sensitive
Verbose
Using more words than needed
Syn: wordy, long-winded | Ant: concise, terse
One Word Substitutions (High Frequency)
| Phrase | One Word |
|---|---|
| One who walks in sleep | Somnambulist |
| One who eats human flesh | Cannibal |
| One who can speak two languages | Bilingual |
| The study of plants | Botany |
| Fear of water | Hydrophobia |
| A person who does not believe in God | Atheist |
| A person who believes in the existence of God but not in organised religion | Deist |
| Murder of one's own brother | Fratricide |
| Murder of one's own father | Patricide |
| Murder of one's own mother | Matricide |
| Murder of a king | Regicide |
| One who lives in a foreign country | Immigrant / Expatriate |
| A place where bees are kept | Apiary |
| A place where birds are kept | Aviary |
| A book written by an unknown author | Anonymous |
| Something that cannot be heard | Inaudible |
| One who criticises popular beliefs | Iconoclast |
| Incapable of being tired | Indefatigable |
Chapter 06
Idioms & Phrases
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A blessing in disguise | A misfortune that eventually has a good result |
| Beat around the bush | Avoid talking about the main point |
| Bite the bullet | Endure a painful situation stoically |
| Bite the dust | To be defeated or fail |
| Burning the midnight oil | Working very late at night |
| Cost an arm and a leg | Very expensive |
| Cut corners | Do something in the cheapest or easiest way |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | Every negative situation has a positive aspect |
| Hit the nail on the head | Describe exactly what is happening |
| Hit the sack | Go to sleep |
| Jump on the bandwagon | Follow a trend; do what others are doing |
| Kill two birds with one stone | Accomplish two things with one action |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Accidentally reveal a secret |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely |
| On the fence | Undecided; neutral |
| Pull someone's leg | Tease or joke with someone |
| Spill the beans | Reveal secret information |
| Take with a grain of salt | Don't take too seriously; be skeptical |
| Under the weather | Feeling sick or unwell |
| Wrap one's head around | Understand something complex |
Chapter 07
Error Detection
Common Error Categories
Errors with Prepositions
Correct Preposition Usage
- ✓ Married to (not "with")
- ✓ Die of a disease (not "from")
- ✓ Blind of one eye; blind in both eyes
- ✓ Angry with a person; angry at a thing
- ✓ Good at (skill); good for (health/purpose)
- ✓ Afraid of (not "from")
- ✓ Tired of (bored); tired from (exertion)
- ✓ Listen to (not "listen at")
- ✓ Discuss (NO preposition needed)
Errors with Modals
Modal + V1 (base verb)
Modals (can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must) are ALWAYS followed by V1 (bare infinitive)
✗ He can to swim. ✓ He can swim.
✗ He must works hard. ✓ He must work hard.
Common Confusable Pairs
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Affect (v) | Effect (n) | Affect = to influence; Effect = the result |
| Fewer | Less | Fewer = countable nouns; Less = uncountable nouns |
| Lie (no obj) | Lay (obj needed) | The book lies on the table. I lay the book on the table. |
| Principal (n/adj) | Principle (n) | Principal = head/main; Principle = rule/belief |
| Stationary | Stationery | Stationary = not moving; Stationery = writing materials |
| Accept | Except | Accept = to receive; Except = excluding |
| Immigrate | Emigrate | Immigrate = come INTO a country; Emigrate = leave a country |
Practice — Error Detection
Find the error: "Each of the students (A) have submitted (B) their assignment (C) on time. (D) No error"SVA with 'each'
"Each" → singular verb. Should be "has submitted" not "have submitted".
Chapter 08
Fill in the Blanks
Strategy
- Identify what part of speech is needed (noun/verb/adjective/adverb)
- Check context — positive or negative tone?
- Use prefixes/suffixes to eliminate options (e.g. -ous = adjective)
- Check prepositions following the blank (afraid ___ → "of", good ___ → "at" or "for")
Commonly Tested Collocations
Make vs Do
- Make: a mistake, an effort, a decision, a speech, a promise, progress
- Do: homework, a favour, business, harm, damage, one's best
At / In / On (Time)
- At: specific times (at 5pm, at noon, at night)
- In: months, years, seasons (in May, in 2020, in summer)
- On: days, dates (on Monday, on June 5)
Chapter 09
Reading Comprehension
Strategy for RC
- Read all questions first — know what to look for
- Skim the passage — topic, tone, main idea
- Answer direct questions first — facts mentioned in passage
- Inference questions last — require understanding, not just recall
- Title/Main idea questions — look at first and last paragraphs
Types of RC Questions
| Question Type | Approach |
|---|---|
| Direct/Factual | Scan passage for exact information. Answer is stated explicitly. |
| Inference | Not stated directly — read between the lines. Eliminate extremes. |
| Vocabulary in context | Read the sentence around the word. Pick closest meaning in that context. |
| Main idea / Title | Must cover the ENTIRE passage, not just one part. Avoid too specific or too broad options. |
| Author's tone | Look for emotional words, adjectives. Common tones: critical, satirical, appreciative, neutral, sarcastic. |