English is a major language which gives a major impact on competitive exams. While most Indian students are familiar with the quantitative sections of competitive tests such as the GMAT, GRE, and IELTS, English for competitive exams remains a difficulty for many. With English for competitive exams receiving equal weightage, if not more, than Maths, it is critical to gain clarity about basic grammar rules, understand the skills required to crack the verbal section of competitive exams, and become extremely comfortable and confident with English for competitive exams. Does the "English monster" frighten you and make you question your ability to pass the competitive exam you're studying for?
- The English section remains compulsory across the major Indian exams
- In SSC CGL Tier 1, English Comprehension carries 25 questions for 50 marks with a 15-minute sectional timer
- In IBPS PO Prelims, the English Language section carries 30 marks
- Both test vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, idioms, and sentence correction, so daily practice with standard reference books and previous year papers is essential.
What Is General English for Competitive Exams?
Most competitive exams assess applicants' verbal abilities through a dedicated English section. This section typically includes reading comprehension, synonyms, antonyms, idioms, one-word substitutions, fill-in-the-blanks, sentence correction, cloze tests, and error spotting. Exams like SSC CGL, IBPS, RRB, and UPSC all include English sections. A strong vocabulary and grammar foundation is essential for scoring well in these sections.
Most competitive tests assess applicants' verbal abilities with questions covering areas such as Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Tenses, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Active and Passive Voice, Reporting Speech, Diction, and so on. Knowledge of these areas can help you answer questions on competitive tests' verbal sections. If you want to study abroad, taking IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE is a simple yet time-consuming process. If you want to learn more, visit our English Proficiency Tests blog.
The general English needs to be prepared for all competitive exams.
- English is required for all the competitive exams.
- English is required for MNC placement exams.
- English is required for online English tests.
- English is required for understanding and learning the basic skills.
- English is required for job interviews.
- English is required for learning current affairs.
English Grammar for Competitive Exams
The students who are preparing for competitive exams should have in-depth knowledge of grammar in English. English grammar is an important topic in competitive exams like bank, railway, SSC etc. There are some tips for improving English grammar:
- Read newspapers, articles, books, and novels; this will improve the grammar in your English language.
- Review the basics of English grammar. Search for the basic parts of speech.
- Get a manual of English grammar for learning the skills of grammar.
- Listen to those who have a good hand in English and understand basic grammar.
- Practice English grammar by searching on the internet.
- Write on some topics in English daily. This will improve the grammar in your English language.
English Vocabulary for Competitive Exams
The English vocabulary needs to be strong for understanding the questions in the exams. Vocabulary means knowing the correct meaning of any word. A strong vocabulary is very important for understanding things and acquiring knowledge.
- Adroit – Clever or skilful
- Debacle – a sudden and complete disaster
- Precious – of great value
- Appease – make peace with
- Brusque – rudely abrupt
- Cajole – influence by flattering
- Callous – emotionally hardened
- Circumspect – careful to consider potential consequences and avoid risk
- Coherent – marked by an orderly and consistent relation in parts
- Decry – express strong disapproval of
- Elated – in high spirits
- Erudite – having and showing profound knowledge
- Fabricate – make up something artificial or untrue
- Furtive – secret and sly
- Gratuitous – unnecessary and unwarranted
- Hypocrisy – pretending to have qualities and beliefs that you do not have
- Infamy – a state of dishonour
- Inhibit – limit the range or extent of
- Impudent – improperly forward or bold
- Extol – praise or honour
What Are Important English Synonyms for Competitive Exams?
Synonyms are words that share the same or similar meanings. Competitive exams frequently include vocabulary questions asking candidates to identify meanings of unfamiliar words. Effective preparation involves learning word families and context usage. Practising vocabulary lists and previous year question papers builds the synonym knowledge needed for exams like SSC CGL, IBPS PO, and UPSC Prelims.
The word synonym means that the word's meaning is the same as another word. Competitive exams often ask for a synonym of a given word. Here are some synonyms with their meaning:
- Acumen – awareness
- Abate – moderate
- Adversity – misfortune
- Awkward – rude
- Brittle – breakable
- Bewitching – charming
- Base – vulgar
- Benign – friendly
- Busy – active
- Capable – competent
- Callous – unfeeling
- Chaste – pure
- Comprise – contain
- Consequence – outcome
- Contrary – dissimilar
- Cunning – smart
- Decipher – reveal
- Demolish – ruin
- Denounce – blame
- Eager – keen
How Can You Practise English Questions for Competitive Exams?
The best way to master the English section is to practise real exam-style questions daily. Work through error spotting, sentence correction, idioms, fill-in-the-blanks, and tense-based questions from SSC CGL, IBPS PO, and RRB previous year papers. Reviewing each answer and understanding the underlying grammar rule steadily improves both accuracy and speed in the actual examination.
The general English is an important part of competitive exams. By practising the questions, you can get good marks in the English section of the paper. Here are some questions with answers for practice:
Q1: Select the part that has an error - My sisters-in-law (a)/ who live in Bangalore (b)/ have come to stay with us. (c)/ No error (d)? A: (a) 'sisters-in-law' is correct; the error is elsewhere in older keys, so read the option carefully.
Q2: Transporting goods by (a)/ air is cheaper (b)/ than land. (c)/ No error (d)? A: (c) Add 'by' before 'land'.
Q3: Bolt from the blue? A: A complete surprise.
Q4: Blue blood? A: A member of high-class society.
Q5: When the principal entered the class, the student ............ on the blackboard? A: was writing.
Q6: She ............ the TV when her husband came? A: was watching.
Q7: Jawaharlal spent his childhood ............ Anand Bhawan? A: at.
Q8: Error identification - Vimal / was / murdered / by a knife. A: 'by a knife' should be 'with a knife'.
Q9: Idioms and phrases - to set the Thames on fire? A: to try to do the impossible.
Q10: She decided that she would get this job by hook or by crook. A: by any means, right or wrong.
How to Improve English Vocabulary for Competitive Exams 2026Read →What Are Important Idioms in English for Competitive Exams?
Comprehension passages in English competitive exams often include idiomatic expressions that test understanding of figurative language. Idioms are fixed phrases whose meanings differ from the literal words used. Common examples include 'burn the midnight oil' and 'hit the nail on the head'. Regular reading of English newspapers and magazines helps candidates encounter and understand idioms in natural context.
Idioms are expressions of human behaviour and reactions to certain things, such as social traits, habits, and situations.
- Rank and file – ordinary people
- By fits and starts – in short periods
- A wee bit – a little
- Under his thumb – under his control
- Burn the midnight oil – work or study hard
- Hoping against hope – hoping when there is little hope
- Hit the nail on the head – do or say the exact thing
- To get rid of – dispose of
- Rain cats and dogs – rain heavily
- To no avail – without any results
- Keep one at bay – keep one at a distance
- Like a cat on hot bricks – very nervous
- Cry for the moon – ask for the impossible
- Be in a tight corner – in a very difficult situation
- At arm's length – keep at a distance
- Out of the way – strange
- Sitting on the fence – hesitate between two decisions
- In cold blood – deliberately and without emotion
- Like a fish out of water – in a strange situation
- In high spirits – very happy
What Is One Word Substitution in English for Competitive Exams?
One word substitution replaces a descriptive phrase or clause with a single appropriate word. This topic appears regularly in SSC, IBPS, and UPSC competitive exams. For example, 'omnivore' substitutes the phrase 'a creature that eats both plants and animals'. Mastering a curated list of commonly tested one-word substitutions significantly improves vocabulary scores in competitive examinations.
One-word substitution is important for competitive exams. Here are some examples through which you can practice:
- One who is not sure about God's existence – Agnostic
- A person who deliberately sets fire to a building – Arsonist
- One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession – Amateur
- One who can use either hand with ease – Ambidextrous
- One who makes an official examination of accounts – Auditor
- A person who believes in or tries to bring about a state of lawlessness – Anarchist
- A person who has changed his faith – Apostate
- One who does not believe in the existence of God – Atheist
- A person appointed by two parties to solve a dispute – Arbitrator
- One who leads an austere life – Ascetic
- An unconventional style of living – Bohemian
- One who is bad at spellings – Cacographer
- One who feeds on human flesh – Cannibal
- A critical judge of any art and craft – Connoisseur
- Persons living at the same time – Contemporaries
- One who is recovering health after illness – Convalescent
- A person who regards the whole world as his country – Cosmopolitan
- One who is a centre of attraction – Cynosure
What Are the Best Free Books for English Grammar in Competitive Exams?
Popular books for English grammar competitive exam preparation include Wren and Martin's High School English Grammar, SP Bakshi's Objective General English, and RS Aggarwal's English for Competitive Examinations. These books cover grammar rules, vocabulary, comprehension, and question patterns for SSC, IBPS, RRB, and state-level exams. Many editions are also available as free PDF resources online.
There are several free resources for preparing English grammar for competitive exams. The names of some free online grammar guides are listed below.
- English4U online grammar lessons
- Grammar Teacher
- Oxford Guide to English Grammar
- English Page's online English grammar book
- Education First's English grammar guide
Which Are the Best YouTube Channels for English Competitive Exams?
Several YouTube channels provide free English preparation content for competitive exams. Popular options include Unacademy, Adda247, wifistudy, Dear Sir, and English by Aman Vashishth, offering lessons on grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, and exam strategy. These channels upload daily practice questions, concept videos, and mock tests tailored for SSC, IBPS, RRB, and UPSC English sections. Consistent practice drives improvement.
There are several YouTube channels through which you can learn English for competitive exams.
- English by Aman Vashishth
- wifistudy (Unacademy)
- Dear Sir
- Adda247
- Unacademy
What Are the Best Books for English Competitive Exams?
Recommended books for English competitive exam preparation include Objective General English by SP Bakshi, Wren and Martin's High School English Grammar, and A Mirror of Common Errors by Dr Ashok Kumar Singh. For banking exams, English for General Competitions by Neetu Singh is widely used. Daily newspaper reading alongside structured book practice provides the strongest preparation.
There are several books for competitive exams in English. Students can prepare English with these books for competitive exams.
- Objective General English – a question bank for different competitive exams. The authors are RS Aggarwal and Vikas Aggarwal.
- English for Bank Exams – specially designed for the English that appears in bank exams. S. Chand Publishing is the publisher.
- Objective General English – authored by SJ Thakur and SK Rout. It covers a wide variety of topics of the English language.
- Descriptive English – authored by SP Bakshi. This book is helpful for the descriptive paper in competitive exams and improves writing skills.
- Wiley's ExamXpert Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension – covers various topics of the English and verbal reasoning sections of MBA and CAT exams.
How Should You Prepare English Comprehension for Competitive Exams?
English comprehension in competitive exams tests a candidate's ability to read and answer passage-based questions accurately. The best approach includes reading one English newspaper article daily, practising past comprehension passages, and identifying main ideas, tone, and inference. Building vocabulary through regular reading improves comprehension speed and accuracy in SSC, IBPS, and UPSC examinations.
Comprehension in English is a passage from which you answer questions by reading carefully. Here are some ways of improving reading comprehension.
- Read the comprehension passage carefully before answering.
- Practise comprehension passages daily.
- Work through different types of comprehension assignments.
- Summarise the passage in your own words.
- Recognise the story structure.
- Generate and answer your own questions on the passage.
- Make inferences from the passage.
What Are the Rules for Articles in English Competitive Exams?
The English section in competitive exams regularly tests correct use of articles. The three articles are 'a', 'an', and 'the'. 'A' precedes consonant sounds, 'an' precedes vowel sounds, and 'the' is used for specific or previously mentioned nouns. Common errors include misusing 'a' with vowel sounds or omitting 'the' before superlatives. Mastering article rules improves grammar scores significantly.
The English section usually contains questions on articles. Students should practice articles as much as they can. An article is a word used before a noun. The articles are 'a', 'an', and 'the'.
Q: She wants to become a ...... engineer. A: an.
Q: He hopes to join ...... University soon. A: a.