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UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A) Syllabus

The English (General Ability Test - Part A) syllabus for UPSC NDA & NA in full: 4 chapters, 15 topics and 13 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 English (General Ability Test - Part A) flashcards with answers.

4Chapters
15Topics
13Sub-topics
50Flashcards

English (General Ability Test - Part A) syllabus: all 4 chapters

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

  1. Grammar and Usage

     4 topics
    • Parts of Speech
      • Nouns, pronouns and articles
      • Verbs, adverbs and adjectives
      • Prepositions and conjunctions
    • Tenses and Concord
      • Sequence and correct use of tenses
      • Subject-verb agreement
    • Voice and Narration
      • Active and passive voice
      • Direct and indirect speech
    • Error Detection and Sentence Correction

  2. Vocabulary

     4 topics
    • Synonyms and Antonyms
    • One-Word Substitution
    • Idioms and Phrases
    • Commonly Confused and Misused Words

  3. Sentence Structure

     4 topics
    • Sentence Improvement
      • Rearrangement of jumbled sentences
      • Sentence completion
    • Spotting Grammatical Errors
    • Fill in the Blanks
      • Single and double blanks
      • Contextual word choice
    • Cloze Test

  4. Comprehension

     3 topics
    • Reading Comprehension Passages
      • Identifying main idea and theme
      • Inference and tone-based questions
    • Vocabulary in Context
    • Cohesion and Ordering of Sentences

UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A) flashcards — 50 questions with answers

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

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

  2. What is a 'concrete noun' versus an 'abstract noun'? Give one example of each.

    A concrete noun names something perceived by the senses (e.g., 'table'); an abstract noun names an idea, quality, or state (e.g., 'honesty').

  3. Name the four types of pronouns illustrated by: 'himself', 'who', 'this', 'each'.

    'himself' = reflexive; 'who' = relative/interrogative; 'this' = demonstrative; 'each' = distributive (indefinite) pronoun.

  4. Distinguish between a transitive and an intransitive verb.

    A transitive verb takes a direct object (e.g., 'She wrote a letter'); an intransitive verb does not need an object (e.g., 'He slept').

  5. What is the difference between an adjective and an adverb in function?

    An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun; an adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

  6. What are the three degrees of comparison of adjectives? Give the forms for 'good'.

    Positive, Comparative, Superlative — good, better, best.

  7. What is a conjunction, and what is the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions?

    A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses. Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) join equals; subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if) join a dependent clause to a main clause.

  8. List the names of the three main tenses and their typical aspects.

    Present, Past, and Future tenses; each has four aspects: Simple (Indefinite), Continuous (Progressive), Perfect, and Perfect Continuous.

  9. What is the structure of the Present Perfect tense? Give an example.

    Subject + has/have + past participle (V3). Example: 'She has finished her work.'

  10. What is the structure of the Past Perfect Continuous tense? Give an example.

    Subject + had been + present participle (V-ing). Example: 'They had been waiting for two hours.'

  11. What does 'subject-verb concord (agreement)' require?

    The 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. In concord, what verb form do two singular subjects joined by 'and' usually take, and what is the exception?

    They usually take a plural verb. Exception: when the two nouns refer to one person or thing/idea, a singular verb is used (e.g., 'Bread and butter is my breakfast').

  13. In concord, when subjects are joined by 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', which subject decides the verb?

    The verb agrees with the nearer (closer) subject — the noun/pronoun immediately before the verb. Example: 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present.'

  14. What verb (singular/plural) is used with 'each', 'every', 'everyone', 'everybody', 'none', 'either', 'neither' as subjects?

    A singular verb. Example: 'Each of the boys is present'; 'Everyone was happy.'

  15. In concord, how do collective nouns (team, jury, family) take verbs?

    Singular verb when acting as one unit ('The team is winning'); plural verb when members act individually ('The jury are divided in opinion').

  16. What is the active and passive voice? Give the basic transformation rule.

    In active voice the subject performs the action; in passive voice the subject receives it. Rule: Object of active becomes subject of passive, and the verb becomes 'be + past participle'.

  17. Convert to passive voice and state the rule: 'She is writing a letter.'

    'A letter is being written by her.' Present Continuous active → 'is/am/are + being + past participle' in passive.

  18. How is a passive voice formed for the Present Perfect tense? Convert: 'They have completed the project.'

    Use 'has/have + been + past participle': 'The project has been completed by them.'

  19. In changing voice for imperative sentences (commands/requests), what structure is used? Convert: 'Open the door.'

    Use 'Let + object + be + past participle': 'Let the door be opened.'

  20. What are the two main types of narration (reported speech)?

    Direct speech (exact words quoted within inverted commas) and Indirect/Reported speech (the words reported without quotation marks).

Show the other 30 English (General Ability Test - Part A) flashcards

  1. In narration, how do present tenses in direct speech change when the reporting verb is in the past?

    They 'back-shift': present simple → past simple, present continuous → past continuous, present perfect → past perfect, will → would, can → could, may → might.

  2. In indirect narration, how do 'now', 'today', 'here', and 'this' typically change?

    now → then; today → that day; here → there; this → that (these → those).

  3. In narration, what reporting verb replaces 'said to' for a question, and what happens to word order? Convert: He said to me, 'Where are you going?'

    Use 'asked' and change to statement word order (no inversion): 'He asked me where I was going.'

  4. In narration, what reporting verbs are used for commands and requests in indirect speech?

    'ordered'/'told' for commands and 'requested' for requests, followed by 'to + infinitive' (e.g., 'He ordered them to leave').

  5. What is the rule for reporting a universal truth or habitual fact in indirect speech?

    The tense does NOT change even after a past reporting verb (e.g., 'The teacher said that the sun rises in the east').

  6. In error detection, what is wrong with 'He is one of the boys who is intelligent'?

    The relative pronoun 'who' refers to plural 'boys', so the verb must be plural: 'He is one of the boys who ARE intelligent.'

  7. In error detection, why is 'He is senior than me' incorrect, and how is it corrected?

    Latin comparatives (senior, junior, prior, superior, inferior) take 'to', not 'than': 'He is senior TO me.'

  8. In error/sentence correction, what is wrong with 'He has been ill since three days'?

    'Since' marks a point of time; for a period of time use 'for': 'He has been ill FOR three days.'

  9. In error correction, what is wrong with 'I am looking forward to meet you'?

    'Look forward to' is a phrasal verb where 'to' is a preposition, so it must be followed by a gerund: 'I am looking forward to MEETING you.'

  10. In sentence correction, why is 'Each of the students have a book' wrong?

    'Each of' takes a singular verb: 'Each of the students HAS a book.'

  11. What is a synonym? Give a synonym for 'abundant'.

    A synonym is a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another. Synonym for 'abundant' = plentiful (or copious).

  12. What is an antonym? Give the antonym of 'benevolent'.

    An antonym is a word opposite in meaning to another. Antonym of 'benevolent' (kind) = malevolent (cruel/hostile).

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

    Synonym: frank/honest; Antonym: deceptive/secretive.

  14. Give a synonym and an antonym for the word 'frugal'.

    Synonym: thrifty/economical; Antonym: extravagant/lavish.

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

    It is replacing a phrase or group of words with a single precise word. A person who knows many languages = a 'polyglot'.

  16. One-word substitution: What word means 'a government run by officials/bureaucrats'?

    Bureaucracy.

  17. One-word substitution: What single word means 'one who eats everything (both plants and meat)'?

    Omnivore (a plant-eater = herbivore; a meat-eater = carnivore).

  18. One-word substitution: What word means 'words inscribed on a tomb'?

    Epitaph (an inscription on a tombstone). [An 'epigraph' is a quotation at a book's start.]

  19. One-word substitution: What word means 'a place where government records are kept'?

    Archives.

  20. What is an idiom? Give the meaning of 'to bite the bullet'.

    An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning differs from the literal meaning of its words. 'To bite the bullet' = to face a difficult situation bravely/endure something unpleasant.

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

    A good thing that initially seemed bad or unfortunate.

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

    To reveal a secret (often accidentally).

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

    Very rarely; almost never.

  24. Commonly confused words: Distinguish 'stationary' and 'stationery'.

    'Stationary' (with an 'a') means not moving/fixed; 'stationery' (with an 'e') means writing materials such as paper and pens.

  25. Commonly confused words: Distinguish 'principal' and 'principle'.

    'Principal' = chief/head (e.g., school principal) or main; 'principle' = a rule, law, or fundamental truth.

  26. Commonly confused words: Distinguish 'affect' and 'effect'.

    'Affect' is usually a verb meaning 'to influence'; 'effect' is usually a noun meaning 'result' (and as a verb means 'to bring about').

  27. Commonly misused words: Distinguish 'complement' and 'compliment'.

    'Complement' = something that completes or goes well with; 'compliment' = an expression of praise.

  28. What is a 'cloze test', and what skills does it assess?

    A cloze test is a passage with periodic blanks that must be filled with the most appropriate words. It tests vocabulary, grammar, collocation, and overall reading comprehension/contextual understanding.

  29. In 'sentence improvement' and 'fill in the blanks', what is the rule for prepositions after 'comprise'?

    'Comprise' takes NO preposition ('The team comprises ten players'); but 'compose' takes 'of' ('The team is composed OF ten players').

  30. Fill in the blank with the correct word and state the rule: 'I have ____ (less / fewer) books than you.'

    'fewer' — use 'fewer' for countable nouns (books) and 'less' for uncountable nouns (e.g., less water).

UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A) FAQ

What is in the UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A) syllabus?

UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A) is split into 4 chapters: Grammar and Usage, Vocabulary, Sentence Structure and Comprehension. Together they contain 15 topics and 13 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A)?

4 chapters, containing 15 topics and 13 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Grammar and Usage, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for UPSC NDA & NA English (General Ability Test - Part A)?

Yes — a 50-card English (General Ability Test - Part A) 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.