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SSC CGL Correct / Incorrect Sentences

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This page covers SSC CGL Correct / Incorrect Sentences with complete concept notes, 47 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.

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Concept Notes

Correct / Incorrect Sentences— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Example of wrong

'The boys plays cricket.' → Should be 'play' (plural subject)

Special cases

- Two subjects joined by 'and' = plural verb

Example

Ram and Shyam ARE friends. - Subjects joined by 'or/nor/either-or/neither-nor' = verb matches the NEAREST subject

Formula

Neither A nor B + verb matching B. 2. USE OF ARTICLES (A, AN, THE) - Use 'A' before consonant sounds. Use 'AN' before vowel sounds. - Trick: Sound matters, not spelling. 'An honest man' (H is silent, sounds like vowel). 'A university' (sounds like 'Yu', consonant sound). - Use 'THE' before specific nouns, superlatives, unique things (the sun, the tallest). 3. TENSE CONSISTENCY - Do not mix tenses in the same sentence without reason. - Wrong: 'She was singing and she goes home.' - Right: 'She was singing and she went home.' 4.

PRONOUN ERRORS - Pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces). - Wrong: 'Everyone must carry their bags.' → Use 'his/her' with 'everyone, anyone, someone'. - Trap: 'between you and I' is WRONG. Always use 'between you and me' (object form after prepositions). 5. PREPOSITION ERRORS - Common wrong pairs: 'discuss about' (wrong) → 'discuss' (right). 'Cope up with' (wrong) → 'cope with' (right). - 'Married to' not 'married with'. - 'Blind of' is WRONG. Say 'blind to'. 6.

COMPARISON ERRORS - When comparing two things, use comparative degree (-er / more). - When comparing more than two, use superlative degree (-est / most). - Wrong: 'She is the most intelligent of the two sisters.' → Right: 'She is the more intelligent of the two sisters.' - Formula: Two = comparative. Three or more = superlative. 7. DOUBLE NEGATIVES - Never use two negatives in one clause. - Wrong: 'I don't know nothing.' → Right: 'I don't know anything.'

Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
Formula

EACH/EVERY + singular noun + singular verb

Trick 2 — The 'ONE OF' Rule

'One of the boys IS present' → verb is singular because subject is 'one'. But 'The boys who are present' → plural

Trick 3 — Cross out prepositional phrases

Find the real subject by ignoring words between commas or between 'of' phrases

Example

'A box of chocolates ARE on the table.' → Wrong! Real subject = 'box' = singular → IS.

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Find subject — 'Neither...nor' construction.

2
Step 2

Apply rule — verb matches nearest subject = 'employees' (plural).

3
Step 3

'was' is singular → ERROR. Correction: Replace 'was' with 'were'. Answer: Part with 'was' has the error. Worked Example 2: Sentence: 'She is one of the student who have passed the exam.'

1
Step 1

'one of the student' — 'student' should be plural after 'one of the'.

2
Step 2

'one of the students who have passed' → 'who' refers to 'students' (plural) → 'have' is correct.

3
Step 3

Error is in 'student' → should be 'students'. Correction: 'She is one of the students who have passed the exam.'

Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these

— THE #1 TRAP: Students often focus only on Part A and miss errors in Part B or C. Also, students confuse sound vs spelling for articles. Remember: 'An MBA degree' is correct because 'M' sounds like 'Em' (vowel sound).

Never judge articles by spelling alone — always say the word out loud mentally.

Key Points to Remember

  • Subject-Verb Agreement: singular subject takes singular verb, plural subject takes plural verb — always check this first.
  • Formula — Neither/Nor & Either/Or: verb agrees with the subject NEAREST to it.
  • Articles trick: use AN before vowel SOUNDS, not vowel letters. 'An hour', 'A university', 'An MBA'.
  • Formula — Comparison: Two things = comparative degree (more/er). Three or more = superlative degree (most/est).
  • EACH, EVERY, EVERYONE, ANYONE, SOMEONE, NOBODY = always singular verb + singular pronoun.
  • Shortcut — Cross out 'of' phrases to find real subject. 'A group of students IS...' not 'are'.
  • Preposition pairs to memorise: discuss (no 'about'), cope with (no 'up'), marry to, blind to.
  • Double negatives are always wrong. 'Don't know nothing' → 'Don't know anything'.
  • Pronoun after preposition must be in object form. 'Between you and me' — never 'between you and I'.
  • Tense consistency rule: do not shift tense within a sentence without a logical time reason.

Exam-Specific Tips

  • 'One of the + plural noun' always takes a plural noun after 'of', but the verb for 'one' itself is singular.
  • The word 'discuss' never takes 'about' after it — 'discuss the issue' is correct, 'discuss about the issue' is wrong.
  • 'Cope with' is correct — 'cope up with' is a very common wrong phrase tested in SSC exams.
  • Collective nouns (team, committee, jury, army) take singular verb when acting as one unit and plural verb when members act individually.
  • 'The' is used before superlatives, unique nouns (the sun, the moon), and specific references — absence of 'the' in these cases is an error.
  • 'Less' is used for uncountable nouns (less water, less time). 'Fewer' is used for countable nouns (fewer students, fewer chairs).
  • After 'wish', 'as if', 'as though', 'it is time' — always use past tense or past perfect (subjunctive mood). Example: 'I wish I were rich' not 'I wish I was rich'.
Practice MCQs

Correct / Incorrect Sentences — Practice Questions

47graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 47

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Practice 1easy

The manager asked (A) the employees (B) to submit their reports (C) by next Friday (D). No error (E)

Practice 2easy

Neither the principal nor the teachers (A) was present (B) at the meeting (C) yesterday evening (D). No error (E)

Practice 3easy

The data (A) shows that the number of students (B) have increased (C) significantly this year (D). No error (E)

Practice 4easy

The teacher explained the concept (A) in a clear manner (B) so that all students (C) could understand it easily. (D) No error (E)

Practice 5easy

She is one of the students who (A) has completed (B) the project (C) on time. (D) No error (E)

Practice 6easy

The students are required (A) to submit their assignments (B) before the deadline, (C) but few of them does so. (D) No error (E)

Practice 7easy

The committee (A) have decided (B) to implement the new policy (C) across all departments next month (D). No error (E)

Practice 8easy

The committee (A) have decided (B) to postpone the meeting (C) until next week. (D) No error (E)

Practice 9easy

She has been working (A) in this office (B) for the last five years (C) and she have not received (D) a promotion yet. (E) No error

Practice 10easy

The manager along with his team (A) are planning (B) to launch a new product (C) in the market next month. (D) No error (E)

Practice 11easy

She has been working (A) in this organisation (B) since five years (C) and she is very satisfied (D). No error (E)

Practice 12easy

Neither the teacher nor the students (A) was present (B) at the assembly (C) yesterday morning. (D) No error (E)

Practice 13easy

The data (A) shows that the number of applicants (B) have increased (C) significantly this year (D). No error (E)

Practice 14easy

Neither the manager nor the employees (A) was willing (B) to accept (C) the new salary structure. (D) No error (E)

Practice 15easy

The manager asked him to submit the report (A) by the end of (B) the day, but he (C) have not submitted it yet. (D) No error (E)

Practice 16easy

Neither the teacher nor the students (A) was (B) aware of the change (C) in the schedule (D). No error (E)

Practice 17easy

Identify the error in the following sentence: Neither the manager nor the employees (A) / was happy with (B) / the new working hours (C) / No error (D)

Practice 18easy

The committee (A) have decided (B) to postpone the meeting (C) until next week (D). No error (E)

Practice 19medium

The manager asked the employees (A) to work / (B) working / (C) that they work / (D) for working harder to meet the deadline. No error

Practice 20medium

(A) Each of the students / (B) Every one of the students / (C) All of the students / (D) A number of students have submitted their assignments on time. No error

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60-Second Revision — Correct / Incorrect Sentences

  • Remember: Check Subject-Verb Agreement first — it appears in nearly every SSC CGL paper.
  • Formula: Neither A nor B / Either A or B → verb agrees with B (nearest subject).
  • Trap: Articles are judged by SOUND not spelling. 'An honest man', 'A European', 'An MBA' — say it aloud.
  • Formula: Two items = comparative (more/er). Three or more items = superlative (most/est). Never mix these.
  • Remember: EACH, EVERY, EVERYONE, ANYONE, NEITHER, EITHER = singular verb always. No exceptions.
  • Trap: Cross out 'of the...' phrases to find the real subject. Do not let modifying phrases trick you into wrong verb agreement.
  • Remember: 'Discuss', 'cope with', 'marry to', 'blind to' — learn correct preposition pairs. Wrong prepositions = easy exam marks lost.
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