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SSC | SSC CGL

English Language for SSC CGL

SSC CGL sets 70 English Language questions for 185 marks across 2 stages, so it is worth planning your preparation around the topics below.

70 questions185 marks8 topics

How to approach English Language in SSC CGL

Reading comprehension and the cloze test decide this section, and both reward reading widely more than memorising rules. Build a daily reading habit, learn to spot the grammatical error patterns that recur, and treat vocabulary as something absorbed in context rather than crammed from a list.

Weightage in the paper

How much English Language is worth in each SSC CGL stage, from the official pattern.

StageQuestionsMarksTimeShare
Tier I (Computer Based Examination)255015 min25%
Tier II, Paper I (Computer Based Examination)45135—30%

English Language syllabus for SSC CGL

Every topic in the official syllabus. The linked ones open a set of solved questions you can practise straight away.

  • Reading comprehension
  • Cloze test and para jumbles
  • Error spotting and sentence improvement
  • Fill in the blanks
  • Synonyms, antonyms and one-word substitution
  • Idioms and phrases
  • Active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech
  • Spelling and misspelt words

Sample English Language questions with solutions

Written to the SSC CGL pattern, with the answer key and the method behind it — a look at how the section is actually set before you drill the full topic sets.

Antonyms · solved example

Choose the word that is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to: MEAGRE

  • ampleCorrect
  • glossy
  • scanty
  • westward
  • brittle

Solution

"meagre" means lacking in quantity. The word most nearly opposite in meaning is "ample".

Reading comprehension · solved example

Plastic has become both a marvel and a menace. Cheap, light and durable, it revolutionised packaging and medicine. Yet the same durability means that a bag used for minutes can persist in the environment for centuries. Much of it ends up in rivers and oceans, where it breaks into tiny fragments that enter the food chain. Bans on single-use plastic have helped in some cities, but critics argue that bans alone shift the burden onto consumers while producers escape responsibility. A lasting solution, many believe, will require redesigning products so that recycling is easy and profitable.

The word "persist" in the passage most nearly means:

  • continue to existCorrect
  • float away
  • dissolve quickly
  • burn
  • disappear

Solution

"Persist" means to continue to exist.

Word swap · solved example

In the sentence below, two highlighted words must be interchanged to make it meaningful. Identify them. The government has (A) raised the deadline for filing (B) returns and (C) extended the (D) penalty for late payment.

  • A and CCorrect
  • A and D
  • B and C
  • B and D
  • C and D

Solution

A deadline is extended and a penalty is raised, so the sentence as written has the two verbs the wrong way round. Interchanging A and C gives 'has extended the deadline for filing returns and raised the penalty for late payment', which is meaningful throughout. The nouns at B and D are correctly placed, so swapping either of them only makes matters worse. In this question type, find the pair of words that are the same part of speech and read each collocation aloud, since the error is nearly always a verb attached to the wrong noun.

Antonyms · solved example

Choose the word that is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to: INIMICAL

  • tubular
  • ashen
  • seasonal
  • hostile
  • favourableCorrect

Solution

"inimical" means tending to obstruct or harm. The word most nearly opposite in meaning is "favourable".

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Practise English Language

Untimed drills with the method shown after every question — the step between learning a topic and sitting it under a clock.

English Language study material

Sit English Language under a real clock

English Language shows up in every SSC CGL mock test, in the same interface, with sectional locking and negative marking.

  • SSC CGL: 28-question practice mock

    28 questions | 28 min

    Start

Frequently asked questions

How many English Language questions are asked in SSC CGL?

SSC CGL 2026 cycle sets 70 English Language questions for 185 marks, split across 25 in the Tier I (Computer Based Examination) and 45 in the Tier II, Paper I (Computer Based Examination).

Is there negative marking for English Language in SSC CGL?

Yes. SSC CGL deducts one fourth of a mark for each wrong answer, English Language included, so unsure guesses cost you. 0.50 marks (a quarter of the two marks a question carries) are deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.

Which English Language topics matter most for SSC CGL?

The SSC CGL syllabus lists Reading comprehension, Cloze test and para jumbles, Error spotting and sentence improvement, Fill in the blanks, Synonyms, antonyms and one-word substitution, Idioms and phrases and more. Weight your revision towards the ones you are weakest on and confirm the emphasis against the paper analysis for recent cycles.

How can I practise English Language for SSC CGL free?

Every English Language question on this site is free and written to the exam pattern. Use the topic drills for instant-feedback practice, the daily quiz to keep the section warm, and the SSC CGL mock tests to sit it under a real clock with negative marking.