Important Grammar Rules To Clear English Section Of SSC CHSL Exam

The English section of the SSC CHSL exam can prove to be a game changer for the students if prepared thoroughly. This is an important section that can make a huge difference in the entire exam as it requires less time to prepare and is scoring provided you have good command over this section. Also, English is asked only in SSC CHSL Tier 1 exam and in Tier 2 if you have opted English language. The section comprises of 25 questions of 50 marks.

Questions are asked from various topics like fill in the blanks, spotting the error, synonyms, and antonyms, sentence correction, idioms & phrases, spelling mistakes, one – word substitution, cloze test, reading comprehension, etc.

This section will provide you an edge over your competitors as English is considered to be the weaker section of many students. So, a strategic approach with regular practice is a must for this section. In order to get a good command over this section, one needs to work on grammar and vocabulary. Practice well with the help of mock tests and evaluate your performance.

In this post, we have discussed some important grammar rules, which will come in handy for the preparation of English section of the SSC CHSL exam.

So, let’s begin now!

Few rules those are important for English section of SSC CHSL Exam:

  1. Vocabulary:

This section is something which can solve half of your problem. The verbal section revolves around vocabulary in some way or the other. Questions are asked from synonyms, and antonyms, spelling corrections, RC and many more. Try and practice vocabulary with the help of root words.
For example
:
Root: – Ego (Self/I)

Egoist: – A person who thinks about himself

Egotist: – A person who talks about himself

Egocentric:-The person who considers himself as the centre of the universe

Egomaniac:-He is a dangerous person. He may even kill a person if he senses harm

  1. Superfluous Expression:

Sometimes a sentence may sound correct but there might be few words which when removed, don’t change the meaning of the sentence. Try to identify such words.
For example:
All the audiences of the function are kindly requested to appear in the next gathering.
This sentence sounds grammatically correct but ‘kindly’ and ‘requested’ both indicate the same thing so ‘kindly’ is superfluous.

  1. Certain words look plural but are singular in form.
    For such words, a singular verb is used.
    For example:
    Measles are a very harmful disease

In this question, the verb ‘are’ is incorrect as ‘measles’ is singular and hence is followed by a singular verb.

  1. If all the three persons or two out of three persons come in a single sentence, the order is 2, 3, and 1.
    For example:
    You, he and I shall study for the MBA entrance exam.
    However, if something wrong is talked about or some mistake done by the persons has been accepted, the order is 1, 2, 3.
    For example:
    I, you, and he have made a blunder.
    If the pronoun is in plural form, the order should be 1, 2, 3.
    For example:
    We, you and they should now get down to the project work.

 

  1. ‘Each’ is used for two or more than two; ‘either’ and ‘neither’ are used for two and for more than two,‘any’, ‘anyone’ or ‘none’ is used.
    For example:
    Each of the students is doing this work.
    Each other’ is used for two, ‘one another’ is used for more than two.
    For example:
    He was so afraid that his knees knocked each other.

 

  1. If two qualities of the same person or thing are to be compared then the Positive degree of an adjective is used and the word ‘more’ is used.
    For example:
    Ramakanth is more intelligent than hardworking.
    However, if two adjectives are being used for the same noun or pronoun, in that case the adjectives should be used in the same degree.
    For example:
    Darjeeling tea is the best and the most preferred tea in the world.

 

  1. Words that have negative meanings like ‘not/never’ are not used with the following sets of words – ‘deny, forbid, both, unless, until, lest, hardly, scarcely, rarely, seldom’ etc.

For example:
Neither of us is going there.

 

  1. ‘Not only’ is followed by ‘but also’, ‘either’ is followed by ‘or’, ‘neither’ is followed by ‘nor’, ‘although/though is followed by ‘yet’, ‘if’ is followed by ‘then’, ‘both’ is followed by ‘and’, ‘no sooner’is followed by ‘than’, ‘whether’ is followed by ‘or’.
    For example:
    Not only Sunil goes to my uncle’s house but also stays there

Shyam will either do the work else return the accumulated money

Although Neetu is very rich, yet she is not loyal

If you come to my place, then I will teach you the magic

Both Bindiya and Sweety may come today for dandiya classes.

No sooner had I reached the airport than the flight departed

Gopal doesn’t know whether Mohan will come or not for the final allotment of land.

 

  1. ‘So’ is always followed by ‘as’ in negative sentences whereas ‘as’ is always followed by ‘as’ in both affirmative and negative sentences

For example:
Rohan is not so good as you are.

Nidhi is as good as Megha is.

 

  1. When two singular subjects are joined by ‘and’, then the verb used will be Plural and if ‘each’ / ‘every’ is used before the subject then the verb used will be Singular.

If only one person or thing or idea is discussed, then the verb used will be Singular but if two different people or thing or idea is discussed, then the verb used will be Plural.
For example:
Saini and Vaibhav are getting married.

Each girl and each boy is participating in the extempore.

My friend, philosopher, and guide has come.
Poverty and Misery come together.

 

  1. If the subjects are joined by‘as well as’, ‘with’, ‘along with’, ‘together with’, ‘and’, ‘not’, ‘in addition to’, ‘but’, ‘besides’, ‘except’, ‘rather than’, ‘accompanied by’ ,etc.. then the verb will agree with the first subject

For example:

Ram, as well as his parents, is coming.

The son along with his mother was drowned.

My father, unlike my sisters, is very strict.

 

  1. If two subjects are joined by ‘neither…..nor’, ‘either…..or’, ‘not only…..but also’, ‘nor’, ‘or’, ‘none but’, etc… then the verb will agree with the nearest subject
    For example:
    Neither Amit nor Shweta has come for the auditions.

 

  1. Cloze test and fill in the blanks are also the important subparts of this section as they help in raising the overall score. Never leave this part unattempted as this is the part where the chances of getting answers incorrect are less. It can be either in the form of a story with few blanks or can be in the form of a sentence with one blank.

 

  1. There are few questions from Idioms and phrases, one – word substitution, etc. If you are familiar with the question then it is easy to attempt but in case it’s new then try to decipher the meaning with the help of the sentence and the options and then try attempting it. Don’t just leave because you don’t know. Try eliminating the options.

So, the above discussed are the most important rules that need to be covered from the English section to score well.  Rules will help you in understanding the topic but at the same time practice is must, as without practising you won’t be able to remember the rules and solve questions during exams. So, these rules will help you to score well in this section.

Don’t forget to download SSC CHSL preparation app. It provides free study material, quizzes, mock test, previous papers, and all the notifications related SSC exams.

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