because, since, although, while, if, when, where, unless, until, after, before. These show relationships like cause-effect, time, condition, or contrast
either...or, neither...nor, both...and, not only...but also, whether...or. These must be used together and maintain parallel structure.
SSC CGL frequently tests conjunctions in three ways: 1) Error detection where wrong conjunctions are used, 2) Fill-in-the-blanks requiring appropriate conjunction choice, 3) Sentence improvement asking for better conjunction usage. Questions often test logical relationships between clauses and parallel structure.
Use the 'Logic Test' - read the sentence and identify the relationship between parts. If showing addition, use 'and'. If showing contrast, use 'but' or 'however'.
If showing cause-effect, use 'because' or 'since'. If showing choice, use 'or'. This eliminates wrong options quickly.
Identify the relationship between clauses. First clause: 'He studied hard' (positive action). Second clause: 'he failed' (negative result).
Apply logic test. There's contrast between expectation and result.
Find contrast conjunction. Among options, 'but' shows contrast.
Verify by substitution. 'He studied hard but he failed the exam' - makes logical sense. Answer: (b) but Another Shortcut: For correlative conjunctions, check if both parts maintain parallel structure. 'He likes not only cricket but also football' - both parts after conjunctions are nouns (cricket, football), so it's correct.
Students often confuse 'because' and 'since'. While both show cause-effect, 'because' gives direct reason, 'since' gives known/obvious reason. Also, using 'and' everywhere is wrong - match the conjunction to the logical relationship between clauses.
1graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis