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

The English (Paper I) syllabus for UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) in full: 5 chapters, 23 topics and 12 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 English (Paper I) flashcards with answers.

5Chapters
23Topics
12Sub-topics
50Flashcards

English (Paper I) syllabus: all 5 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  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. 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. 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. 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. 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

UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) English (Paper I) flashcards — 50 questions with 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.

Show the other 30 English (Paper I) flashcards

  1. 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).

  2. 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'.

  3. 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'.

  4. 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...'.

  5. In passive transformation, when is the 'by + agent' phrase usually omitted?

    When the agent (doer) is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or a general term like people/someone (e.g., 'English is spoken here').

  6. How is the passive of a sentence with a modal verb formed?

    Modal + be + past participle. E.g., 'You must finish the work' becomes 'The work must be finished (by you).'

  7. What pronoun and reporting verb changes occur when 'say to' is converted in indirect speech with a command?

    In commands/requests, 'say to' becomes 'tell/order/request', the inverted commas and that are dropped, and the imperative becomes a 'to-infinitive' (e.g., He said to me, 'Go' → He told me to go).

  8. State how present-tense verbs in direct speech change in indirect speech (back-shifting).

    Simple present → simple past; present continuous → past continuous; present perfect → past perfect; 'will/shall' → 'would/should'; 'can' → 'could'; 'may' → 'might'.

  9. How do 'now', 'today', 'tomorrow', 'yesterday', and 'here' change in reported speech?

    now→then; today→that day; tomorrow→the next day/the following day; yesterday→the previous day/the day before; here→there; this→that; these→those; ago→before.

  10. How is a direct question converted into indirect (reported) speech?

    The reporting verb becomes 'asked/enquired', the conjunction 'if/whether' is used for yes/no questions (or the question word for wh-questions), and the word order changes to a statement order with no question mark.

  11. In reported speech, how are exclamatory sentences (e.g., 'Hurrah! We won!') handled?

    They are changed to assertive sentences using verbs like 'exclaimed with joy/sorrow/surprise'; interjections are dropped (e.g., He exclaimed with joy that they had won).

  12. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'benevolent'.

    Synonym: kind/generous; Antonym: malevolent/cruel.

  13. Give a synonym and an antonym for 'candid'.

    Synonym: frank/honest/straightforward; Antonym: evasive/deceitful/secretive.

  14. Give a synonym and an antonym for 'transient'.

    Synonym: temporary/fleeting/short-lived; Antonym: permanent/lasting/enduring.

  15. Give a synonym and an antonym for 'meticulous'.

    Synonym: careful/scrupulous/thorough; Antonym: careless/sloppy/negligent.

  16. What is the one-word substitution for 'a person who knows many languages'?

    A polyglot (or multilingual person).

  17. What is the one-word substitution for 'a government by the few / a small privileged class'?

    An oligarchy.

  18. What is the one-word substitution for 'one who does not believe in the existence of God'?

    An atheist.

  19. What is the one-word substitution for 'a place where birds are kept'?

    An aviary.

  20. What is the one-word substitution for 'words inscribed on a tomb / in memory of a dead person'?

    An epitaph.

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

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

  22. What does the phrasal verb 'put off' mean?

    To postpone or delay (e.g., 'The meeting was put off until Friday').

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

    Something that seems bad or unfortunate at first but results in something good.

  24. What does the phrasal verb 'call off' mean?

    To cancel something (e.g., 'They called off the match due to rain').

  25. Distinguish the homophones 'stationary' and 'stationery'.

    'Stationary' (with an 'a') is an adjective meaning not moving/fixed; 'stationery' (with an 'e') is a noun meaning writing materials like paper and pens.

  26. Distinguish 'principal' from 'principle'.

    'Principal' means chief/main or the head of a school (and a sum of money); 'principle' means a rule, law, or fundamental truth.

  27. Define a homonym and contrast it with a homophone.

    A homonym is a word with the same spelling and pronunciation but a different meaning (e.g., 'bat' the animal vs 'bat' for cricket). A homophone has the same pronunciation but different spelling and meaning (e.g., 'their/there').

  28. What is the meaning of the prefixes 'mal-', 'bene-', and 'circum-'?

    'mal-' means bad/wrong (malnutrition); 'bene-' means good/well (benefit); 'circum-' means around (circumference).

  29. What is a suffix, and what part of speech do '-ness', '-tion', and '-ity' typically form?

    A suffix is added to the end of a word to change its meaning or class; '-ness', '-tion', and '-ity' typically form abstract nouns (e.g., kindness, action, ability).

  30. Identify the grammatical error: 'One should respect their parents.' What is the correction?

    Pronoun-antecedent disagreement: 'one' is singular, so it should be 'One should respect one's (or his/her) parents.'

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

What is in the UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) English (Paper I) syllabus?

UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) English (Paper I) is split into 5 chapters: Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary, Error Detection and Correction, Sentence Construction and Arrangement and Reading Comprehension. Together they contain 23 topics and 12 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in UPSC CDS (Combined Defence Services) English (Paper I)?

5 chapters, containing 23 topics and 12 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Grammar and Usage, with 6 topics.

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

Yes — a 50-card English (Paper I) deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.