SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) English Comprehension Syllabus

English Comprehension syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English Comprehension in SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Vocabulary

   5 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
   • One Word Substitution
   • Idioms and Phrases
   • Spelling Errors and Misspelt Words
   • Homonyms and Confusing Word Pairs
2. 2

   Grammar

   5 topics

   • Parts of Speech and Their Usage
   • Tenses and Subject-Verb Agreement
   • Articles, Prepositions and Conjunctions
   • Error Spotting and Sentence Correction
     • Common grammatical errors
     • Phrase replacement
   • Narration and Voice
     • Active and passive voice
     • Direct and indirect speech
3. 3

   Sentence Structure and Usage

   4 topics

   • Sentence Improvement
   • Sentence Rearrangement and Para Jumbles
   • Fill in the Blanks (Single and Double)
   • Cloze Test
4. 4

   Comprehension and Writing Skills

   4 topics

   • Reading Comprehension Passages
     • Factual and inferential questions
     • Tone and vocabulary in context
   • Active to Passive Transformation in Context
   • Precis and Paragraph Writing (Tier II Descriptive)
   • Essay and Letter or Application Writing (Tier II Descriptive)

English Comprehension flashcards for SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level)

24 of 50 cards from the English Comprehension deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the difference between a synonym and an antonym?

   A synonym is a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word (e.g., happy = joyful), while an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (e.g., happy x sad).

2. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'Benevolent'.

   Synonym: kind/generous/charitable. Antonym: cruel/malevolent/selfish.

3. What is the meaning of the word 'Candid', and give one antonym?

   'Candid' means frank, honest, and straightforward. Antonym: deceptive/secretive/guarded.

4. What is a synonym for 'Abundant' and its antonym?

   Synonym: plentiful/ample/copious. Antonym: scarce/insufficient/meagre.

5. In One Word Substitution, what is the word for 'a person who knows many languages'?

   A polyglot.

6. In One Word Substitution, what is the word for 'one who eats everything (both plant and animal food)'?

   An omnivore.

7. In One Word Substitution, what is the word for 'a place where bees are kept'?

   An apiary.

8. In One Word Substitution, what is the word for 'a government run by a few people'?

   An oligarchy.

9. In One Word Substitution, what is the word for 'a speech made without prior preparation'?

   An extempore (or impromptu) speech.

10. In One Word Substitution, what is the word for 'one who cannot read or write'?

    An illiterate person.

11. What does the idiom 'to bite the bullet' mean?

    To force oneself to endure or accept a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.

12. What does the idiom 'a blessing in disguise' mean?

    A good thing that initially seemed bad or unfortunate.

13. What does the idiom 'to let the cat out of the bag' mean?

    To reveal a secret carelessly or by mistake.

14. What does the idiom 'once in a blue moon' mean?

    Something that happens very rarely.

15. What does the idiom 'to burn the midnight oil' mean?

    To work or study late into the night.

16. Identify the correctly spelt word: 'Accommodation', 'Acommodation', 'Accomodation', or 'Acomodation'.

    'Accommodation' (with double 'c' and double 'm') is the correct spelling.

17. What is the correct spelling: 'Embarass', 'Embarrass', 'Embaras', or 'Embarras'?

    'Embarrass' (double 'r' and double 's') is correct.

18. Which is correctly spelt: 'Maintenance' or 'Maintainance'?

    'Maintenance' is the correct spelling.

19. Which is the correct spelling: 'Privilege' or 'Priviledge'?

    'Privilege' is correct (no 'd').

20. What are homonyms? Give an example.

    Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings (e.g., 'bat' the animal vs. 'bat' the cricket equipment).

21. Distinguish between 'Stationary' and 'Stationery'.

    'Stationary' (with 'a') means not moving/fixed; 'Stationery' (with 'e') means writing materials like paper and pens.

22. Distinguish between 'Principal' and 'Principle'.

    'Principal' means the head of an institution or a main/chief thing; 'Principle' means a fundamental rule or belief.

23. Distinguish between 'Affect' and 'Effect'.

    'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence; 'Effect' is usually a noun meaning the result/outcome.

24. Distinguish between 'Complement' and 'Compliment'.

    'Complement' means something that completes or goes well with another; 'Compliment' means an expression of praise.

See more English Comprehension flashcards →

Planning English Comprehension for SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level)

English Comprehension (SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level)) FAQ