English Grammar & Vocabulary Short Tricks (Zero Level → SSC CGL
)
Complete Notes + Memory Tricks + Examples
English in SSC CGL is based on:
- Grammar (50–60%)
- Vocabulary (20–25%)
- Reading Comprehension (15–20%)
- Error Detection & Sentence Improvement
PART 1: Parts of Speech (8 Parts)
Trick
“PNVAAPIC”
“Please Never Visit A Angry Police Inspector Constantly.”
| Letter | Part of Speech | Example |
| P | Pronoun | He, She |
| N | Noun | Boy, Delhi |
| V | Verb | Go, Eat |
| A | Adjective | Beautiful |
| A | Adverb | Quickly |
| P | Preposition | In, On |
| I | Interjection | Wow! |
| C | Conjunction | And, But |
PART 2: Tenses
Trick
There are 12 Tenses
3 + 4 = 12
| Time | Types |
| Present | 4 |
| Past | 4 |
| Future | 4 |
Present Tense Formula
Present Simple
Subject + V1 + s/es
Example
He plays cricket.
Present Continuous
Subject + is/am/are + V1+ing
Example
She is reading.
Present Perfect
Subject + has/have + V3
Example
I have completed my work.
Present Perfect Continuous
has/have been + V1+ing
Example
He has been studying for two hours.
PART 3: Subject–Verb Agreement Trick
Trick
Singular → Singular Verb
Plural → Plural Verb
Example
He plays.
They play.
Important SSC Rule
Each
Every
Everyone
Everybody
Someone
Anybody
Nobody
All take a singular verb.
Example
Everybody is happy.
PART 4: Articles
Trick
AEIOU = An
Use an before vowel sounds.
Example
an apple
an orange
an honest man (silent “h”)
Use a before consonant sounds.
Example
a university (starts with “yu”)
a European country (starts with “yu”)
PART 5: Preposition Trick
At
Specific Time
at 5 PM
at night
On
Days
Dates
on Monday
on 15 August
In
Months
Years
Seasons
Cities
Countries
in July
in 2026
in India
SSC Trick
At → Point
On → Surface/Day
In → Inside/Longer Period
PART 6: Active–Passive Voice Trick
Formula
Object becomes Subject
Example
Ram writes a letter.
↓
A letter is written by Ram.
PART 7: Direct–Indirect Speech
Trick
Today → That day
Tomorrow → The next day
Yesterday → The previous day
Now → Then
Here → There
PART 8: Modals
| Modal | Use |
| Can | Ability |
| Could | Past Ability |
| May | Permission |
| Might | Possibility |
| Must | Necessity |
| Should | Advice |
| Would | Polite Request |
PART 9: Vocabulary Tricks
Prefix Trick
| Prefix | Meaning |
| Un | Not |
| Dis | Opposite |
| Mis | Wrong |
| Re | Again |
| Pre | Before |
| Post | After |
Examples
Happy
Unhappy
Agree
Disagree
Write
Rewrite
Suffix Trick
| Suffix | Example |
| ful | Helpful |
| less | Careless |
| able | Readable |
| ness | Happiness |
| tion | Education |
PART 10: Common Confusing Words
| Word | Meaning |
| Accept | Receive |
| Except | Leave Out |
| Affect | Influence |
| Effect | Result |
| Advice | Noun |
| Advise | Verb |
| Loose | Not Tight |
| Lose | Misplace |
PART 11: One-Word Substitution
| Meaning | Word |
| One who cannot read | Illiterate |
| One who knows many languages | Polyglot |
| One who loves mankind | Philanthropist |
| One who loves books | Bibliophile |
| One who studies stars | Astronomer |
PART 12: Idioms
| Idiom | Meaning |
| A piece of cake | Very Easy |
| Break the ice | Start Conversation |
| Once in a blue moon | Very Rare |
| Hit the nail on the head | Exactly Right |
| Burn the midnight oil | Study Late |
PART 13: Synonyms
| Word | Synonym |
| Happy | Glad |
| Brave | Courageous |
| Big | Large |
| Rich | Wealthy |
| Honest | Truthful |
PART 14: Antonyms
| Word | Opposite |
| Ancient | Modern |
| Victory | Defeat |
| Expand | Contract |
| Accept | Reject |
| Maximum | Minimum |
PART 15: SSC Error Detection Tricks
Trick 1
After
One of the
Use Plural Noun
Example
One of the students
Trick 2
After
Each
Every
Use Singular Noun
Example
Every student
Trick 3
Many
Several
Few
Use Plural Noun
Trick 4
Much
Little
Use Uncountable Noun
Example
Much water
Little milk
Trick 5
Since → Point of Time
For → Period of Time
Examples
Since 2020
For five years
30 SSC Practice Questions
Fill in the Blanks
- He ___ to school every day. (go/goes)
- She has ___ the work. (complete/completed)
- I met him ___ Monday. (in/on)
- He is one of the best ___. (student/students)
- Everybody ___ ready. (is/are)
Error Detection
- Each boys is present.
- She don’t like tea.
- He have completed the work.
- One of the student is absent.
- She is senior than me.
Vocabulary
- Synonym of Honest
- Antonym of Ancient
- Meaning of Philanthropist
- One-word substitution for “One who knows many languages”
- Meaning of “Break the ice”
Answers
- goes
- completed
- on
- students
- is
- boys → boy
- don’t → doesn’t
- have → has
- student → students
- than → to (“senior to”)
- Truthful
- Modern
- A person who loves and helps humanity
- Polyglot
- To start a conversation
30-Day English Study Plan
| Days | Topic |
| 1–3 | Parts of Speech |
| 4–6 | Tenses |
| 7–9 | Subject–Verb Agreement |
| 10–12 | Articles & Determiners |
| 13–15 | Prepositions |
| 16–18 | Active–Passive Voice |
| 19–21 | Direct–Indirect Speech |
| 22–24 | Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, One-Word Substitutions) |
| 25–27 | Idioms & Phrases |
| 28–30 | Mixed SSC CGL Previous Year Questions |
Golden SSC CGL Strategy
- 📖 Learn 10 new vocabulary words daily.
- ✍️ Practice 20 grammar questions every day.
- 📰 Read an English newspaper editorial or article for 15–20 minutes to improve vocabulary and comprehension.
- 🔁 Revise grammar rules every weekend.
- 📝 Solve SSC CGL Previous Year English papers regularly to identify recurring patterns.
Following this routine consistently will help you build a strong grammar foundation and improve both accuracy and speed for SSC CGL English.
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