Vocabulary and Grammar for SSC
Why This Chapter Matters
English carries 25-50 marks in SSC CGL (Tier 1: 25 marks, Tier 2 English paper: 200 marks). Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, idioms, one-word) and Grammar (error detection, sentence improvement) are the core components.
Vocabulary
1. High-Frequency Synonyms (SSC)
| Word | Meaning | Synonyms |
|---|
|---|---|---|
| Abate | Reduce/diminish | Lessen, decrease, subside, dwindle |
|---|---|---|
| Acumen | Sharpness | Insight, perspicacity, sagacity |
| Alacrity | Eagerness | Promptness, willingness, zeal |
| Ameliorate | Improve | Better, enhance, mitigate |
| Benevolent | Kind | Charitable, philanthropic, magnanimous |
| Capricious | Unpredictable | Fickle, erratic, whimsical, volatile |
| Candid | Frank | Outspoken, forthright, blunt, direct |
| Debilitate | Weaken | Enervate, enfeeble, incapacitate |
| Diligent | Hardworking | Industrious, assiduous, sedulous |
| Ephemeral | Short-lived | Transient, fleeting, momentary, evanescent |
| Frivolous | Trivial | Flippant, trifling, superficial |
| Garrulous | Talkative | Loquacious, verbose, voluble |
| Impeccable | Perfect | Flawless, immaculate, exemplary |
| Loquacious | Talkative | Garrulous, voluble, verbose |
| Nonchalant | Casual | Indifferent, unconcerned, blasé |
| Ostentatious | Showy | Flamboyant, pompous, pretentious |
| Pragmatic | Practical | Realistic, sensible, down-to-earth |
| Prudent | Careful | Judicious, sagacious, circumspect |
| Recalcitrant | Stubborn | Obstinate, refractory, intractable |
| Verbose | Wordy | Prolix, long-winded, loquacious |
2. High-Frequency Antonyms (SSC)
Placid ↔ Turbulent | Benign ↔ Malignant | Lucid ↔ Opaque
Magnanimous ↔ Petty | Austere ↔ Lavish | Transient ↔ Permanent
Cordial ↔ Hostile | Taciturn ↔ Garrulous | Zealous ↔ Apathetic
3. Idioms and Phrases (SSC Favourites)
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
|---|---|
| At the drop of a hat | Immediately, without hesitation |
|---|---|
| Bite the bullet | Endure a painful situation bravely |
| Bite the dust | To fail or be defeated |
| Burn bridges | Permanently destroy a relationship |
| Cut corners | Do something the easy/cheap way |
| Cry wolf | Raise a false alarm |
| Hit the nail on the head | Exactly right |
| In hot water | In trouble |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret accidentally |
| On the fence | Undecided |
| Pull someone's leg | Joke/tease someone |
| Raining cats and dogs | Raining heavily |
| Spill the beans | Reveal secret information |
| The ball is in your court | It is your decision now |
| Turn a blind eye | Deliberately ignore |
| Under the weather | Feeling ill |
| Wild goose chase | Pointless search |
4. One-Word Substitutions
| Phrase | One word |
|---|
|---|---|
| One who walks in sleep | Somnambulist |
|---|---|
| Fear of water | Hydrophobia |
| Fear of heights | Acrophobia |
| Science of coins/medals | Numismatics |
| Study of insects | Entomology |
| Study of birds | Ornithology |
| One who knows many languages | Polyglot |
| One who eats everything | Omnivore |
| Killing of one's own father | Patricide |
| Killing of one's own mother | Matricide |
| Killing of a king | Regicide |
| Killing of oneself | Suicide |
| Government by the people | Democracy |
| Government by one person | Autocracy |
| Government by the rich | Plutocracy |
Grammar
5. Common Error Types (SSC Pattern)
Subject-Verb Agreement errors:
"Each of the students have submitted" → has (Each = singular)
"The committee have decided" → has (committee = one body)
"A number of students are" → ✓ (a number of = plural)
"The number of students is" → ✓ (the number of = singular)
Tense errors:
"Yesterday I have gone to market" → went (yesterday = simple past)
"She has been here since two days" → for (duration = for, point = since)
Preposition errors:
"Congratulate on" ✓ | "Die of disease" ✓ | "Die from wound" ✓
"Suffer from" ✓ | "Superior to" ✓ (not than) | "Married to" ✓
Article errors:
"He is an MBA" ✓ (vowel sound) | "A honest man" ✗ → an (h silent)
"She is an European" ✗ → a (E sounds like 'yoo')
6. Sentence Improvement
Read for: wrong tense, wrong preposition, wrong article, redundancy, wrong comparison.
"More superior" → superior (comparative already in word)
"Return back" → return (back is redundant)
"Reason is because" → reason is that
PYQs (SSC)
SSC CGL 2023 (Synonym): FORTUITOUS
(A) Strong (B) Fortunate (C) Accidental ✓ (D) Deliberate
[Fortuitous = happening by chance, accidental]
SSC CHSL 2022 (Idiom): "She was over the moon when she got the job."
(A) Very sad (B) Very happy ✓ (C) On the moon (D) Confused
SSC CGL 2022 (Error): "He don't know the answer to this question."
Error: "don't" → "doesn't" (He = third person singular → doesn't)