UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) English (Paper I) Syllabus

English (Paper I) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for English (Paper I) in UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Grammar and Usage

   6 topics

   • Parts of Speech and Their Functions
     • Nouns, pronouns, and determiners
     • Verbs, adverbs, and adjectives
     • Prepositions and conjunctions
   • Tenses and Sequence of Tenses
     • Present, past, and future forms
     • Perfect and continuous aspects
     • Tense agreement in complex sentences
   • Subject-Verb Agreement
     • Collective nouns and indefinite pronouns
     • Proximity and notional concord
   • Articles and Modal Auxiliaries
   • Voice: Active and Passive Transformation
   • Direct and Indirect (Reported) Speech
2. 2

   Vocabulary

   5 topics

   • Synonyms and Antonyms
   • One-Word Substitution
   • Idioms and Phrasal Verbs
     • Common idiomatic expressions
     • Verb-particle combinations
   • Homophones, Homonyms, and Confusable Words
   • Word Formation: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots
3. 3

   Error Detection and Correction

   4 topics

   • Spotting Grammatical Errors in Sentences
   • Sentence Improvement and Rephrasing
   • Common Errors in Preposition and Article Use
   • Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
4. 4

   Sentence Construction and Arrangement

   4 topics

   • Ordering of Words to Form Sentences
   • Ordering of Sentences to Form Coherent Paragraphs
   • Cloze Test and Fill in the Blanks
   • Sentence Completion
5. 5

   Reading Comprehension

   4 topics

   • Comprehension of Unseen Passages
     • Identifying central idea and theme
     • Inference and conclusion
   • Vocabulary in Context
   • Tone, Purpose, and Author's Attitude
   • Factual and Critical Questions

English (Paper I) flashcards for UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services)

24 of 50 cards from the English (Paper I) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the eight parts of speech in English?

   Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection.

2. What is the function of an adverb, and what four things can it modify?

   An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or a whole sentence, typically expressing manner, time, place, frequency, or degree (e.g., quickly, very, often).

3. Distinguish a preposition from a conjunction by function.

   A preposition shows the relation of a noun/pronoun to another word (e.g., on, under, between), while a conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., and, but, because).

4. What is the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions? Give examples.

   Coordinating conjunctions join equal-rank elements (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Subordinating conjunctions join a dependent clause to a main clause (e.g., because, although, since, while, if).

5. What is a gerund and how does it differ from a present participle?

   A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun (e.g., 'Swimming is fun'). A present participle is the -ing form used as an adjective or in continuous tenses (e.g., 'a swimming pool', 'She is swimming').

6. List the twelve tenses in English (the four aspects across three times).

   Present, Past, Future — each in four aspects: Simple, Continuous (Progressive), Perfect, and Perfect Continuous. This gives twelve tenses in total.

7. Give the structure (formula) for the Present Perfect Continuous tense.

   Subject + has/have + been + verb-ing (e.g., 'She has been working since morning').

8. State the rule for the sequence of tenses when the main clause is in the past.

   When the main verb is in the past tense, the verb in the subordinate clause is usually also in a past form (e.g., 'He said that he was ill').

9. What is the exception to the sequence-of-tenses rule for universal truths?

   When the subordinate clause expresses a universal truth, habitual fact, or proverb, its present tense is retained even after a past main verb (e.g., 'The teacher said that the earth is round').

10. Which tense is used in a time/conditional clause to refer to future time, and why?

    The simple present is used after conjunctions like 'when', 'if', 'before', 'until', and 'as soon as' to denote future time; the future 'will' is not used in such clauses (e.g., 'I will call you when I reach home').

11. State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

    A verb must agree with its subject in number and person: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

12. When two singular subjects are joined by 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', which subject governs the verb?

    The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it (the second subject). E.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present.'

13. What verb (singular or plural) do subjects joined by 'with', 'as well as', 'along with', or 'in addition to' take?

    The verb agrees with the first (main) subject, not the noun in the accompanying phrase. E.g., 'The captain, as well as the players, was tired.'

14. Do 'each', 'every', 'either', 'neither', 'everyone', and 'none' take a singular or plural verb?

    They take a singular verb. E.g., 'Each of the boys was given a prize'; 'Everyone is happy.'

15. What verb form do collective nouns (team, family, jury) take?

    Singular when the group acts as one unit ('The team is winning'); plural when members act individually ('The jury are divided in their opinions').

16. What verb form is used with 'a number of' versus 'the number of'?

    'A number of' takes a plural verb ('A number of students are absent'); 'the number of' takes a singular verb ('The number of students is rising').

17. What are the indefinite articles and the definite article, and what is the basic difference?

    'A' and 'an' are indefinite articles (refer to any one of a class); 'the' is the definite article (refers to a specific/particular noun).

18. What determines whether 'a' or 'an' is used before a word?

    The sound, not the spelling: 'a' before a consonant sound ('a university', 'a one-rupee coin') and 'an' before a vowel sound ('an hour', 'an MP').

19. What are modal auxiliary verbs? List the main ones.

    Modals are helping verbs expressing mood/attitude such as ability, permission, possibility, or obligation: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to.

20. Distinguish the use of 'must' from 'should/ought to' in expressing obligation.

    'Must' expresses strong obligation, necessity, or compulsion; 'should' and 'ought to' express weaker obligation, advice, or moral duty.

21. What is the difference between 'can' and 'may' in formal usage?

    'Can' chiefly expresses ability or capacity; 'may' expresses permission or possibility (e.g., 'May I come in?' for permission).

22. State the general rule for changing an active sentence to the passive voice.

    The object of the active sentence becomes the subject, the verb changes to 'be + past participle' (agreeing with the new subject), and the original subject becomes the agent introduced by 'by'.

23. Convert to passive: 'They are building a bridge.' What is the passive form?

    'A bridge is being built (by them).' Present continuous active becomes 'is/are being + past participle'.

24. How is an imperative sentence (a command/request) changed into the passive voice?

    Use 'Let + object + be + past participle' (e.g., 'Open the door' becomes 'Let the door be opened'), or 'You are requested/ordered to...'.

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