UPSC NDA English Syllabus

What is a preposition? Give two common examples.

A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence, often indicating place, time, or direction. Examples: 'in', 'on', 'under', 'between'.

What is the difference between 'between' and 'among'?

'Between' is used for two persons or things; 'among' is used for more than two. Example: 'between you and me' vs. 'among the three of them'.

What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?

A phrase is a group of related words without a subject-verb pair; a clause contains both a subject and a finite verb. Example: 'in the morning' (phrase) vs. 'when the sun rose' (clause).

What is the difference between an independent clause and a dependent (subordinate) clause?

An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent clause cannot stand alone and relies on an independent clause to complete its meaning.

What are the four kinds of sentences by structure?

Simple (one independent clause), compound (two or more independent clauses), complex (one independent + one or more dependent clauses), and compound-complex (multiple independent + at least one dependent clause).

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

Both end in -ing. A gerund functions as a noun ('Swimming is good exercise'), while a present participle functions as an adjective or part of a continuous verb ('the swimming pool', 'She is swimming').

What is an infinitive in English grammar?

An infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by 'to' (e.g., 'to run', 'to write'). It can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.

What are modal auxiliary verbs? Give three examples.

Modals are helping verbs that express ability, possibility, permission, or obligation. Examples: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must.

What is the difference between 'can' and 'may' when asking for permission?

Both can request permission, but 'may' is more formal and polite ('May I come in?'), while 'can' chiefly denotes ability and is informal for permission ('Can I sit here?').

What is a synonym and what is an antonym?

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

What are homophones? Give an example.

Homophones are words that sound alike but differ in spelling and meaning, e.g., 'their/there/they're', 'to/too/two', 'principal/principle'.

What is the difference between 'principal' and 'principle'?

'Principal' means chief/head (the principal of a school) or a sum of money; 'principle' means a fundamental rule or truth (the principle of equality).

What is the difference between 'stationary' and 'stationery'?

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

What is the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'?

'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('Smoking affects health'); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning result ('the effect of smoking').

What is an idiom? Give one example with its meaning.

An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning differs from the literal meanings of its words. Example: 'to bite the dust' means to fail or die.

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

It means something that appears bad or unfortunate at first but later turns out to be beneficial.

What is a prefix and what is a suffix?

A prefix is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning (e.g., un- in 'unhappy'); a suffix is added to the end (e.g., -ness in 'happiness').

What does the prefix 'mal-' mean, and give an example?

'Mal-' means bad or badly. Example: 'malnutrition' (bad nutrition), 'malfunction' (faulty functioning).

What is a one-word substitute for 'a person who studies the stars and planets'?

An astronomer. (Note: an astrologer predicts the future from stars; an astronaut travels in space.)

What is the one-word substitute for 'a government by the people'?

Democracy. (Compare: rule by a king = monarchy; rule by a few = oligarchy; rule by the wealthy = plutocracy.)

What is the one-word substitute for 'one who cannot read or write'?

Illiterate.

What is the one-word substitute for 'a speech made without preparation'?

An extempore (or impromptu) speech.

In reading comprehension, what is the difference between the 'main idea' and a 'supporting detail'?

The main idea is the central point of the whole passage, expressible in one sentence; a supporting detail is a fact, example, or reason that explains or proves that main idea.

What does it mean to read a passage for 'inference'?

Inference means drawing a conclusion that is logically implied but not directly stated, by combining textual clues with reasoning while staying within what the passage supports.

When a comprehension question asks for the author's 'tone', what are you identifying?

The author's attitude toward the subject, conveyed by word choice, e.g., critical, sarcastic, objective, optimistic, or ironic.

What is a collective noun, and what kind of verb does it usually take?

A collective noun names a group as a single unit (e.g., team, jury, committee). It usually takes a singular verb when the group acts as one, e.g., 'The committee has decided.'

What is the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

A transitive verb needs a direct object to complete its meaning ('She bought a book'); an intransitive verb does not take a direct object ('The baby slept').

What is a determiner? Name three categories.

A determiner is a word placed before a noun to clarify its reference. Categories include articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that, these, those), and quantifiers (some, many, few, much).

What is the difference between 'fewer' and 'less'?

'Fewer' is used with countable nouns ('fewer mistakes'); 'less' is used with uncountable nouns ('less water').

What is the rule for using the definite article 'the' with superlatives?

'The' is always used before a superlative adjective. Example: 'the tallest building', 'the best student in the class.'