SSC CGL English Questions: Every Question Type
English has about a dozen fixed question types. Each has its own rule.
SSC CGL English questions come in about a dozen fixed types: spot the error, fill in the blank, synonyms, antonyms, spellings, idioms, one-word substitution, sentence improvement, voice, narration, sentence shuffling, cloze and comprehension. Each type has its own trick.
Below is one original practice question for each type, with the rule that decides the answer. English carries the most marks of any section in Tier 2 Paper I, so these types are worth knowing cold.
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English in Each CGL Tier
From the 2026 notice. English questions are set only in English; other sections are bilingual.
Tier 1, English Comprehension
Questions
25
Marks
50 (2 each)
Time
15-minute sectional timer
Wrong answer
−0.50
Tier 2, English Language and Comprehension
Questions
45
Marks
135 (3 each)
Time
40-minute sectional timer
Wrong answer
−1
| Stage | Questions | Marks | Time | Wrong answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1, English Comprehension | 25 | 50 (2 each) | 15-minute sectional timer | −0.50 |
| Tier 2, English Language and Comprehension | 45 | 135 (3 each) | 40-minute sectional timer | −1 |
One Practice Question per Type
Original practice questions written for this page, not taken from any past paper.
- 1
Spot the error: "Each of the boys / have finished / their homework / on time."
Error in part 2. "Each" is singular, so the verb must be "has finished". The plural noun "boys" sits closer to the verb to pull you the wrong way.
- 2
Fill in the blank: "She has been living in Pune ___ 2019." (a) for (b) since (c) from (d) by
Answer: (b) since. Use "since" with a point in time (2019, Monday) and "for" with a length of time (five years).
- 3
Synonym: Choose the word closest in meaning to CANDID. (a) careful (b) frank (c) clever (d) cruel
Answer: (b) frank. Candid means open and honest. The vocabulary page has a longer synonym and antonym list.
- 4
Antonym: Choose the word opposite in meaning to SCARCE. (a) rare (b) plentiful (c) costly (d) small
Answer: (b) plentiful. "Rare" is a synonym placed as a trap; antonym questions often include one.
- 5
Spelling: Choose the correctly spelt word. (a) Acommodate (b) Accomodate (c) Accommodate (d) Acomodate
Answer: (c). Double c and double m. Spelling options differ by one letter, so read each one slowly.
- 6
Idiom: "The news of his transfer came as a bolt from the blue." (a) a welcome change (b) a complete surprise (c) a punishment (d) a rumour
Answer: (b) a complete surprise. Idioms are tested for their fixed meaning, never the literal one.
- 7
One-word substitution: "A person who cannot be corrected or reformed" (a) incorrigible (b) invincible (c) incredible (d) indelible
Answer: (a) incorrigible. The other three all start with "in" and sound alike: invincible (cannot be defeated), incredible (hard to believe), indelible (cannot be erased).
- 8
Sentence improvement: "Hardly had I reached the station than the train left."
Replace "than" with "when": "Hardly had I reached the station when the train left." "Hardly" and "scarcely" pair with "when"; "no sooner" pairs with "than".
- 9
Active to passive: "The committee will announce the results tomorrow."
"The results will be announced by the committee tomorrow." The object becomes the subject, and "will announce" becomes "will be announced". The tense must not change.
- 10
Direct to indirect: He said, "I am tired."
"He said that he was tired." With a past reporting verb, "am" moves back to "was" and "I" becomes "he".
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Cloze, Shuffling and Comprehension
These three types are built on passages, not single sentences. A cloze test gives a paragraph with blanks; read the whole paragraph once before filling any blank, because the right word often depends on the sentence after it. Sentence shuffling asks you to put jumbled parts or sentences in order; find the opening sentence first, then look for linking words such as "however", "this" and "therefore".
For Tier 2 comprehension, the notice says three or more paragraphs will be given: at least one simple one based on a book or a story, and others on current affairs, based on a report or an editorial. Reading one editorial a day is direct practice for it.
How the Section Is Usually Lost
English is often treated as the easy section and attempted fast. The usual loss is from questions where two options both sound right, such as "since" and "from" above. In Tier 2 each wrong answer costs 1 mark, so when you cannot name the rule that decides the answer, think twice before marking it.
FAQs
How many English questions are in SSC CGL?expand_more
Tier 1 has 25 English Comprehension questions worth 50 marks. Tier 2 Paper I has 45 English Language and Comprehension questions worth 3 marks each, 135 marks in all.
What types of English questions come in SSC CGL?expand_more
The Tier 2 syllabus lists vocabulary, grammar, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, spellings, spot the error, fill in the blanks, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, sentence improvement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect narration, sentence shuffling, cloze and comprehension.
Is SSC CGL English asked in Hindi?expand_more
No. The notice says questions are set in English and Hindi except the English section, which is in English only.
How do I improve my score in CGL English?expand_more
Learn the rule behind each question type, revise vocabulary in small daily sets, and read one editorial a day for comprehension. Then practise each type in timed sets.
Next steps
- Vocabularyarrow_forward
- Idioms and Phrasesarrow_forward
- One Word Substitutionarrow_forward
- Syllabusarrow_forward
The whole Tier 1 syllabus in one timed, scored paper.