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org/)

[Studyplan] SSC-CGL English Vocabulary, Grammar and

Comprehension: preparation strategy, tips, booklist, analysis

SSC (http://mrunal.org/category/ssc-2) / 3 years Ago /

519 Comments (http://mrunal.org/2013/01/studyplan-ssc-cgl-english-vocabulary-grammar-and-com
1. Introduction
2. Topic-wise breakup for SSC-English (tier I and II)
3. Overall: SSC-English (Tier 1 And 2)
4. Vocabulary?
How to improve vocabulary?
Vocab: Basics
How-to approach Norman Lewis?
Vocabulary: Advanced
5. English Grammar: Approach
1. Task #1: Active Passive (voice) and Direct-Indirect (speech)
2. Task #2: Sentence Correction+Improvement
6. Comprehension + Sentence Arrangement
7. Recommended Book for English Grammar

Introduction
In the previous articles we saw how to approach
General
Awareness for
Tier I

Click me (http://mrunal.org/2013/01/studyplan-ssc-cgl-2013-combinedgraduate-level-exam-general-awareness-tier-1-booklist-approach-freestudy-material.html)

Maths /
Quantitative
Aptitude for
Tier I and II

Click me (http://mrunal.org/2013/01/studyplan-ssc-cgl-maths-quantitativeaptitude-algebra-trigonometry-approach-booklist-sources-freestudymaterial-combined-graduate-level-exam-tier-1-2.html)

Reasoning/
General
Intelligence for
Tier I

Click me (http://mrunal.org/2013/01/studyplan-ssc-cgl-logical-reasoninggeneral-intelligence-preparation-strategy-approach-roadmapbooklist.html)

In this article, well see how to approach English for SSC-CGL exam.

In the SSC exam, you have to face English at two stages

Tier I (prelims)

50 questions
(other 150 question will come from GK, Maths and Reasoning)

2 hours

Tier II (mains)
Paper II

200 questions

2 hours

Negative marking: Yes

Topic-wise breakup for SSC-English (tier I and II)

Vocabulary
Tier I

Tier II

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

2011

Antonym

Synonym/Substitution

10

10

10

10

15

Idioms

10

Spelling

Fill In Blanks

15

30

20

10

Vocab Subtotal

20

35

30

55

45

41

Grammar
Tier I

Tier II

2010

2011

2012

2010

2011

2012

Sentence Correction

20

20

20

Sentence Improvement

20

20

22

Direct-Indirect

25

25

27

Active-Passive

20

20

20

Grammar Subtotal

20

15

10

85

85

89

Sentence Arrangement + Comprehension

Tier I

Tier II

2010

2011

2012

2010

2011

2012

Sentence Arrangement

10

20

20

Comprehension

10

50

50

50

Subtotal

10

10

60

70

70

(http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-

WIMmGvL9TXA/UPmpkp1ci7I/AAAAAAAAA8g/dE2hciM4nt0/s800/SSC%2520CGL%2520English%2520

Overall: SSC-English (Tier 1 And 2)

Tier I

Tier II

2010

2011

2012

2010

2011

2012

20

35

30

55

45

41

20

15

10

85

85

89

10

10

60

70

70

50

50

50

200

200

200

1. Synonyms
2. Antonyms
3. Fill in the blanks
(single statement)
4. Fill in the blank

Vocabulary

(huge paragraph)
5. Spelling mistake
6. Idioms and phrases
7. One word
substitution (similar
to synonyms)
8. Sentence
improvement

Grammar

9. sentence correction
10. Active passive
11. Direct-indirect
12. Comprehension

Comprehension

Total

13. Sentence
Arrangement
Grand Total

The SSC exams, the English questions usually come in the multiple of fives e.g. 5 question
on synonyms, then 5 on antonyms and so on. (tier 1)
Similarly in tier-ii, 10 questions on fill in the blanks, 20 questions on active passive and so on.
Please do not live in overconfidence that SSC is a pappu exam and Im a master of English. so
I dont need to prepare anything for vocabulary or grammar.
If you observe the previous SSC papers particularly the tier-II papers of English, the

vocabulary portion is not pappu at times, they ask meaning of words that are not used in
the day to day English.
Similarly, a lot of things that we say and write in English in our day-to-day life, are not
grammatically correct. So you may not be able to tick the right choice in sentence correct/
improvement question.
First of all, get a fullscape notebook / diary. Divide it into two parts
1. Grammar
2. Vocabulary. (last 50 pages)

Vocabulary?
Vocabulary is of critical importance in SSC exam because of following reasons
1. There are direct questions on synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases.
2. You can read the passage faster, if your vocabulary is good, else youll have to pause and
think.
3. In comprehension passages, some questions are in the format of what is the meaning of
XYZ word in the sentence
Apart from SSC, if youre planning to appear for CAPF , LIC or PSU exams they usually have a
descriptive paper (prcis, letter writing, essay etc.)
If youre planning for UPSC, or State PSC, both have compulsory English paper during Mains.
Again (prcis, letter writing, essay etc.)
So, youll have to write English essay someday and without good vocabulary you cant write a
decent essay.

How to improve vocabulary?

There is no dearth of ready-made books in the market for vocabulary.
Any Tom Dick or Harry can download a list of synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases
from Google search and publish a book.
But such books are useless because unfamiliar words dont stay long-term memory.

Vocab: Basics
Most of the so-called books on English vocabulary,
written by Indian authors, and merely rephrasing the
concept of Norman Lewiss book Word Power made
easy+ copy pasting some synonyms-antonym list
from google search.
My advice: Use this book called Word Power made
easy by Norman Lewis
(http://www.flipkart.com/search-book?
affid=mrunalrugm&wgtid=FK-AFSB&query=9788183071000)
This book does not merely contain meaning of words
but also helps you guestimate answers and
probable meanings of unfamiliar words.
Because Norman Lewis explains how English
vocabulary has evolved from certain roots. He has also
(http://www.flipkart.com/searchbook?
affid=mrunalrugm&wgtid=FKAF-SB&query=9788183071000)

explained the spelling rules.

Once youre selected in some exam, gift this book to
your siblings, friends or cousin. Really helpful for
everyone, irrespective whether he/she is appearing in
some competitive exam / not.

How-to approach Norman Lewis?

From outside, the book looks very thick and heavy just like Manorama yearbook.But actually
this book is written in a very lucid, easy, reader friendly language. You can read it like a
storybook after-dinner.

Structure of the book

This is subdivided into About 40 sessions (mini-chapters).

Basics of
vocabulary

Try to finish 3-4 sessions per day. Complete all the exercises given at
the end of each session.

In the appendix, he has given meaning of all the words you learned in
above sessions.

Appendix

I suggest you go through this list at least three times.

Why? Because while going through old papers of SSC, I realized that
sometimes theyve directly lifted words from this book in synonyms
question!

Vocabulary: Advanced

(http://wordweb.info/free/)
Download free software called WordWeb: http://wordweb.info/free/
(http://wordweb.info/free/)
It is also available for android phones, tablets etc. for free (links on the same site).
Keep a habit of reading in English on daily basis- be itEnglish-newspaper, magazine or some
web-article.
While reading such things, whenever you come across any difficult word- note down in your
diary, along with the sentence in which it appeared. (please keep in mind that absolute

words do not stay long-term memory. You have to connect them with a sentence or
context.)
Then lookup for its meaning in the Wordweb software, and write down the meaning back in
your diary/notebook.
Repeat this exercise, until youre selected in some exam.
This pretty concludes the approach for Vocabulary.
Moving to the next topic:

English Grammar: Approach

In the SSC exam, you have to face English grammar in following areas
1. Sentence correction
2. Sentence improvement.
3. Active passive
4. direct indirect speech

Approaching Grammar
Task #1: Active Passive (voice) and Direct-Indirect (speech)
This is no-excuse topic. Because it relies on a set of simple rules, almost like math formulas.
And usually Tier I has 10 questions on Voice+speech
and tier-II has almost 40-45 questions on these two topics alone.
Understand the grammar rules and practice maximum questions.
In your diary note down any special/odd rules you come across- including example
sentences.

Task #2: Sentence Correction+Improvement

To master sentence correction, youve to master two subtopics:
1. Grammar rules
2. Phrasal verbs

Grammar Rules
First of all you need to know the grammar rules. But you dont need to know all grammar
rules!
Because in competitive exam, sentence correction relies on certain specific mistakes only.
For example: The topic verb has lot of theory and classifications.
But for sentence correction, it boils down to very few rules for example
1. Either, Neither, none, each and every is singular.
Wrong

Each of the soldiers are disciplined

Right

Each of the soldiers is disciplined.

Your task = first go through your grammar book, and note down such rules with example
statements, in your note book. Revise these rules often (along with example sentences).

Phrasal Verbs
Grammar rules are like maths. Universal valid.
But Phrasal verbs are different game altogether. You need to know memorize the correct
usage- case to case basis. For example:
Correct phrasal verb

Wrong Usage

Dispose of= sell.

He has decided to dispose off his property.

Dispose to= willing, interested.

He is disposed in discussing that business proposition.

Both statements are wrong because phrasal verbs are incorrectly used.
Many a times, candidates know the grammar rules very well, but they fail to detect the error
in sentence because theyve not prepared the phrasal verbs.
Standard English has truckload of phrasal verbs. But you should at least know the
top/common 200 of them. (can begoggledand also available in various grammar books).
You next task: revise the list often and write down the very confusing ones into your diary:

with example sentence.

Once this is done, try to solve as many practice questions as you can.

Comprehension + Sentence Arrangement

Just one word: Practice.
The best source for practice= old papers of SSC, IBPS.

Recommended Book for English Grammar

There is no dearth of books on in English-grammar in
the market.
Some people might even advise you to use Wren and
Martin (http://http://www.flipkart.com/high-schoolenglish-grammarcomposition/p/itmdytg8qkrzygyu&affid=mrunalrugm)
etc. but such books are written from board exams/
academic point of view. And for the competitive
exams, we dont need to study everything of English
grammar, we just need a set of rules and practice
questions.
If you already have some IBPS Manual/ some English
grammar book (R.S.Agarwal, A.P.Bhardwaj) etc. use it.
If you dont have any book, I suggest you go for
objective general English by SP Bakshi (Arihant
Publication). (http://www.flipkart.com/objectivegeneral-english/p/itmdyuqqgafhtehp?
pid=9788183480000&affid=mrunalrugm)
He has given direct rules and example-sentences
(http://www.flipkart.com/searchbook?
affid=mrunalrugm&wgtid=FKAF-SB&query=9788183480000)

from competitive exam point of view. =makes it easy

to handle sentence correction.
Plus, the book also contains good list of phrasal verbs,
idioms and vocabulary.

While most English grammar books cost for around

Rs.300, SP Bakshi is half that price. (Around 150) and
yet coverage is same, including number of pages. And
it has Universal application for all exams: IBPS, LIC,
PSU, CDS etc.
Note: Arihant publication has released multiple books on English grammar and two of them
have similar sounding names. So please donot mixup.

Author

Pages
(approx.)

Comment

General English for All Competitive

Examinations by S.C.Gupta

S.C.Gupta

370

Not recommended
because it contains
mostly practice tests
and very few rules
on grammar= not
comprehensive
enough.

Objective general English by SP Bakshi.

(http://www.flipkart.com/objective-generalenglish/p/itmdyuqqgafhtehp?
pid=9788183480000&affid=mrunalrugm)

S.P.Bakshi

730

This is the
recommended book.

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