Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
You are given a sentence where one part is highlighted or underlined. Your job is to find the grammatically correct and meaningful replacement for that part. If the sentence is already correct, you select 'No improvement required'
Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs
2
Tense Consistency
All verbs in a sentence should follow logical time sequence
3
Preposition Usage
Each verb and adjective has specific prepositions
4
Article Usage
A/An for singular countable nouns, The for specific nouns
5
Pronoun Agreement
Pronouns must match their antecedents in number and gender
SUPER SHORTCUT FORMULA:
GSPT Method - Grammar + Sense + Precision + Tone
- Grammar: Is it grammatically correct?
- Sense: Does it make logical sense?
- Precision: Is it precise and clear?
- Tone: Does it fit the sentence tone?
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically tests these areas:
- Subject-Verb disagreement (40% questions)
- Wrong prepositions (25% questions)
- Tense errors (20% questions)
- Article mistakes (15% questions)
POWER TRICK - The 'NO CHANGE' Rule:
If you cannot find a clear grammatical error, the answer is often 'No improvement required'. SSC includes 30% questions where original sentence is correct.
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
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Step 1
Identify subject - 'The number' (singular)
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Step 2
Identify verb - 'are' (plural)
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Step 3
Apply rule - Singular subject needs singular verb
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Step 4
Correction - 'The number of students is increasing every year.'
Answer: Replace 'are' with 'is'
Worked Example 2:
Question: 'She is superior than her sister in studies.'
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Step 1
Identify comparison word - 'superior'
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Step 2
Check preposition - 'than' is wrong
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Step 3
Apply rule - Superior takes 'to', not 'than'
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Step 4
Correction - 'She is superior to her sister in studies.'
Answer: Replace 'than' with 'to'
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
Remember
30% of SSC sentence improvement questions have 'No improvement required' as the correct answer. Don't change what's already correct just because other options exist
Time Management Trick
Spend maximum 45 seconds per question. If you can't spot an obvious error in 30 seconds, mark 'No improvement required' and move on. This saves time and has 30% success probability
Advanced Pattern Recognition
SSC often tests the same error types repeatedly
Master these high-frequency error patterns
subject-verb disagreement with collective nouns, wrong prepositions with comparative adjectives, and tense inconsistency in complex sentences.
Identify the part of the sentence that needs improvement: 'The committee have reached (A) / a unanimous decision (B) / after a long deliberation (C) / on the matter.' (D)
60-Second Revision — Sentence Improvement
Remember: 30% questions have 'No improvement required' - don't over-correct
Formula: Collective nouns = singular verbs (team is, family has)
Trap: Don't choose different-looking option just because it exists
Shortcut: GSPT method - Grammar, Sense, Precision, Tone check
Rule: 'One of the + plural noun' always takes singular verb
Time limit: Maximum 45 seconds per sentence improvement question
Pattern: Subject-verb disagreement is most common error type tested