General English Syllabus, Books & Strategy for CHSL - LDC DEO Exam


English Language is a topic which is given to test the candidate's English Grammar, Vocabulary skills and Reading Skills. Please don't underestimate this topic as it does not include any question which you've studied upto your 10th standard.



If you're afraid from English then get ready to fight with your fear and if you're proud for the marks which you've taken in English till 10th or 12th then it's time for you to face the real English Language test.


What I am trying to say is it doesn't matter what you have done in your school days in English subject because that is not related to the syllabus or questions which you will face in the competitive exams like SSC CHSL. Let's just jump into it.



Syllabus of English Language 

Grammar Vocabulary Reading Skills
1. Spotting the Error 1. Synonyms 1. Sentence Completion
2. Sentence Improvement 2. Antonyms 2. Cloze Test
3. Voice 3. One Word Substitution 3. Sequence of Sentences
4. Narration 4. Spelling Rules 4. Comprehension Passage

5. Idioms & Phrases



Study Material



Detailed Analysis of Syllabus 



Grammar



1. Spotting the Error (5-6 Marks)



Example: 
Directions (1-5): In the following questions some parts of the sentences have errors and some have none. Find out which part of a sentence has an error. The number of that part is your answer. If there is no error, then your answer is (d) i.e. No error.



1. This custom (a)/ has come down (b)/ since times immemorial. (c) / No error. (d)
2. This letter will reach him (a)/ before he left (b)/ for Delhi. (c)/ No error. (d)
3. We stayed for (a)/ a short time (b) / in the hotel. (c)/ No error. (d)
4. Students are prohibited (a)/ to bring cycles (b)/ into the college. (c)/ No error. (d)
5. Unless you are careful, (a)/ you are bound to make mistake (b)/ in your work. (c)/ No error. (d)



Analysis 
You will be given some 5 or 6 sentences like above. Each sentence will be divided into parts a,b,c, & d. And you will be asked to find out error in the sentence. The part of the sentence which have error will be your answer. If there is not any error in the sentence then mark the last part i.e. 'No Error' as the answer. 



2. Sentence Improvement (2-4 Marks)



Example:

Directions (1-2): In the following questions, a part of the sentence is printed in bold. Below are given alternatives to the bold part at (1), (2) and (3) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed your answer is (4).

1. Did there bus come on time?
(a) their’s
(b) theirs
(c) their
(d) No improvement

2. Mayank was working overtime for the last two weeks.
(a) is working
(b) is being working
(c) has been working
(d) No improvement


Analysis

You will be given a sentence in each question and in the sentence some words will be bold. Your job is to find out whether the bolded word need improvement or not. If it need improvement then there will be some options given to you and you have to mark the correct option which can be replaced as the best suited option grammatically with the bolded words. If the sentence doesn't need any improvement then mark 'No Improvement' as the answer.


3. Narration/Direct or Indirect Speech (4-5 Marks)

Example:

Directions: In questions below a sentence has been in Direct/Indirect.Out of the four alternatives suggested, select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct and mark your answer in the answer sheet.

1. He said to me, "I grew these carrots myself"

(a) He told me that he has grown these carrots himself.
(b) He told me that he grew those carrots himself.
(c) He told me I grew these carrots myself.
(d) He told me that he grew these carrots himself.

2. Mrs. Shankar said, "I know what it is to be depressed."

(a) Mrs. Shankar is depressed she said.
(b) Mrs. Shankar said that she was knowing what it was to be depressed.
(c) Mrs. Shankar said that she knew what it is to be depressed.
(d) Mrs. Shankar knows what it is to be depressed.


Analysis:

I think you get the idea what you'll have in your plate from this question. You will be given a sentence in each question. It can be in direct speech or indirect and below it four options. If the given sentence is in direct narration then you have to find out the indirect narration of the same sentence in the options and mark that the correct option in the answer sheet. Do the same thing if you are given indirect sentence.


4. Change the Voice (4-5 Marks)

Example:

Directions: In the questions below a sentence has been in Active/Passive Voice. Out of the four alternatives suggested select the one which best expresses the same meaning in Passive/Active Voice and mark your answer in the answer sheet.

1. She took dog for a walk.

(a) The dog was took for a walk.
(b) The dog took a walk by her.
(c) The dog was taken for a walk by her.
(d) The dog took her for a walk.

2. The waiter filled the glasses with water.

(a) The waiter was filled the glasses with water.
(b) The water were filled in the glasses by waiter.
(c) The glasses filled with water by the waiter.
(d) The glasses were filled with water by the waiter.


Analysis:

The above questions will be asked from the chapter 'Voice' or 'Change the Voice'. These are very straight forward question. You will be a given a sentence. It can be in Active Voice or can be in Passive Voice. If the given sentence is in Active Voice, you have to find out the same sentence in Passive Voice in the given options and same thing if you have the sentence in Passive Voice then find out the sentence in Active Voice in the options and mark the answer in the OMR sheet.


How to deal with Grammar
Grammar (15-17 Marks)There are 4 chapters of Grammar. We need a book which is specifically written to match the syllabus of English Language of competitive exams. Don't buy traditional high school grammar books as they do not contain objective questions for practice and they are not upto the mark of competition exam English Language questions.


So we recommend you to go with Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi. The book is divided into 4 Parts and then parts into Units. For Spotting the Error & Sentence Improvement questions you will do Unit-I, II, III, IV, (skip V), and lastly Unit-VI.

Solve all the Revision Exercises. Unit-VI is the most important chapter as 16th chapter is Spotting the Error and 17th is Sentence Improvement Exercises. It contains the mixture of questions from all the Grammar chapters from Unit-I to VI. Skip 18th Chapter as it is not in syllabus.



For Narration you just have to understand the basic rules of  'Narration' and 'Voice'. For Narration Part-D, Chapter-1, Narration and for Voice Part-A (Foundation Module), Unit-I, Chapter-2 (already done above) of S.P. Bakshi.


Vocabulary



Example:
1. Synonyms (2-4 Marks)


Directions (1-5): In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which best expresses the same meaning of the given word.


1. Irresolute
(a) undecided 
(b) angry
(c) ignorant 
(d) firm
2. Frugal
(a) economical 
(b) delicate
(c) splendid 
(d) hungry
3. Motive
(a) reason 
(b) occasion
(c) intention 
(d) preparation
4. Pity
(a) offence 
(b) mercy
(c) kindness 
(d) joy
5. Quash
(a) question 
(b) pledge
(c) reject 
(d) slash




Analysis

This is the topic of Synonyms in which you will be given a word and asked to mark the option from the given options which best expresses the same meaning of the given word. We generally call it (Samanarthi Shabd) in hindi.


2. Antonyms (2-4 Marks)

Example: Directions (1-5): In the following questions, choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word.



66. Quiet
(a) strong
(b) noisy
(c) incomplete
(d) violent
67. Vague
(a) clear
(b) dull
(c) unknown
(d) shady
68. Incredible
(a) believable
(b) possible
(c) imaginable
(d) enjoyable
69. Inevitable
(a) avoidable
(b) unnecessary
(c) inseparable
(d) uncertain
70. Humility
(a) dignity
(b) cruelty
(c) anger
(d) pride


Analysis:
This time again you will be given a word and four options. You have to find out the word which is opposite in meaning to the given word.


3. Spelling Rules (2-3 Marks)

Example:Directions (1-2): In the following questions, groups of four words are given. In each group, one word is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word.


1.
(a) systamatically
(b) systematically
(c) systematicaly
(d) systimatically
2.
(a) erthiness
(b) earthines
(c) earthhiness
(d) earthiness


Analysis:

Your job is to find out the correctly spelt word in each question from the given four options.


4. One Word Substitution (3-4 Marks)

Example:  Directions (1-4): In the following questions, out of the four alternatives, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentence.


1. Able to use the left hand and right hand equally well
(a) ambivert
(b) ambidextrous
(c) ambivalent
(d) ambitious      
2. One who hates women
(a) philanthropist
(b) ascetic
(c) misogamist
(d) misogynist
3. A system of naming things
(a) horticulture
(b) miniature
(c) genocide
(d) nomenclature
4. A raised pass
(a) walkway
(b) walkout
(c) walkabout
(d) walkover


Analysis:

These are one word substitution questions. Again doesn't need any explanation. You have to find the word in the options which can be used as single word for that full sentence.


5. Idioms & Phrases (3-4 Marks)

Example:Directions (71-75): In the following questions, four alternatives are given for the idiom/phrase. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom/ phrase.


1. At one’s beck and call
(a) to attend a call
(b) to be helped by someone
(c) to be useful to someone
(d) to be dominated by someone
2. To explore every avenue
(a) to search all streets
(b) to scout the wilderness
(c) to find adventure
(d) to try every opportunity
3. The Manager doctored the accounts of the company.
(a) to make changes in account books
(b) to clear the doctors bill
(c) to verify the accounts in detail
(d) to manipulate the accounts
4. She could never measure up to her parent expectation.
(a) reach the level
(b) work as hard
(c) assess the amount
(d) increase her height


Analysis:

These questions can be asked in two ways. They can be asked as the '1st' and '2nd'. Under this you will be given an Idiom or phrase directly and asked to find out the meaning from the given options. Second method is shown in '3rd' and '4th' part. The idiom or phrase will be embedded in a sentence. This time also you will be asked to find out the meaning of that Phrase/Idiom printed bold in the sentence.


How to deal with Vocabulary
(B) Vocabulary (10-12 Marks): There are 7 chapters of Vocabulary. One book that can help you to build fantastic vocabulary is Word Power Made Easy. Not only it helps you to crack this exam but also polish your English Vocabulary for future.


The biggest advantage of this book is after reading 'Word Power Made Easy' you will be able to guess the correct answer of synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases and all other questions of Vocabulary even if haven't read that before. It makes you that much efficient.

This is divided into 3 parts and these three parts into 19 chapters. After Word Power you will do Unit-V which you've skipped above. Next you will do Chapter 2, 4, 6 & 7 of Part-B and lastly Spelling Rules of Part-D.


Reading Skills 

Directions (1-4): In the following questions sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four.


1. Sentence Completion (5-6 Marks)



Example:

Directions (1-2): In the following questions sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each question. Choose the correct alternative out of the four.

1. There was some ______ between the member ’s version and the committee’s version.

(a) discourse
(b) discrepancy
(c) certainty
(d) recurrence

2. We have talked a lot: not let us ______ to work.

(a) get down
(b) set off
(c) take off
(d) sit up


Analysis:

You have to find out the word in each question that suits best with the sentence.


2. Cloze Test

Example: There are certainly some things in common between science and religion. Both want the (91) of mankind. Only their ways and (92) are different. Then both of them (93) to have truth as their basis. Religion (94) that the truth it (95) should be believed in with a blind (96). Science says that it should be studied, (97), tested and only then relied upon. If during (98) some new truth or new aspect of the truth (99), science is ready to accept (100). But religion is not ready for research, experiment and change in whatever has already

been accepted or revealed.

91. 
(a) goodwill 
(b) goodness
(c) welfare 
(d) best
92. 
(a) manner
(b) demonstration
(c) style
(d) methods
93.
(a) say
(b) claim
(c) assure
(d) promise
94.
(a) wants
(b) promotes
(c) shows
(d) forces
95.
(a) proclaims
(b) announces
(c) creates
(d) ensures
96.
(a) belief
(b) mind
(c) faith
(d) trust
97.
(a) touched
(b) felt
(c) seen
(d) probed
98.
(a) hypothesis
(b) research
(c) meditation
(d) concentration
99.
(a) emerges
(b) comes
(c) presents
(d) revealed
100.
(a) these
(b) this
(c) it
(d) them


Analysis: 

This is a kind of a big paragraph in which you will be given 10 blanks. Each blank has four options and again you have to find out the correct option to fill the particular blank.


3. Sequence of Sentences

Example:


(1)
1: I have not come
P: even if it means some humiliation
Q: but the boy must learn
R: to complain, he said
S: to be honest
6: and admit he broke our window pane.

(a) SPRQ
(b) QSPR
(c) RQSP
(d) PRQS


Analysis:

You will be given a jumbled paragraph in which 1st and 6th (or last sentence) is correctly placed but the four sentence between those 1st and 6th sentence will be placed in zig-zag manner. Your job is to place them correctly and choose the option which match with your answer.


4. Comprehension Passage 


I think I don't have to explain this. As you've already know about what a comprehension passage is. It is a kind of chunk of text with 2 or 3 paragraphs. You have to read it and understand it then you have to answer few questions below it and that's it. 


How to deal with Reading Skills  (C) Reading Skills (19-20 Marks): There are not hard and fast rules to master reading skills. Questions like Sentence Completion, Cloze Test, Comprehensions Passage can be mastered with practice of lot of questions. So from Objective General English for:


(i) Sentence Completion - Part-B, Chapter-6
(ii) Cloze Test - Part-B, Chapter-7
(iii) Sequence of Sentences - Part-C, Chapter-1
(iv) Comprehension Passage - Part-C, Chapter-2


A Traditional Tip: Just Practice as much questions as you can.

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