SSC CGL English Language: Vocabulary & Grammar (English & Hindi Explanations)
A comprehensive, syllabus-aligned revision guide for Tier-1 & Tier-2 aspirants. Master the most repeated vocabulary, critical grammar rules, and scoring strategies to maximize your English section scores.
The English Language section of the SSC CGL examination is a significant factor in determining the final merit list. In Tier-1, it accounts for 50 marks, while in Tier-2, it carries 135 marks. This cheat sheet is designed to provide high-yield revision of repeated vocabulary, golden grammar rules, and test-taking strategies to help you optimize your preparation in the final stages.
Top 50 Most Repeated Idioms & Phrases
Frequently tested idioms in SSC exams, accompanied by their meanings and contextual examples.
| No. | Idiom / Phrase | Meaning | Contextual Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | At the eleventh hour | At the last possible moment.हिन्दी अर्थ: अंतिम क्षण में | He submitted his SSC CGL application form at the eleventh hour, just before the website crashed. |
| 2 | A hot potato | A controversial issue that is difficult to deal with.हिन्दी अर्थ: विवादास्पद मुद्दा जिसे सुलझाना कठिन हो | The implementation of the new administrative reform became a hot potato for the commission. |
| 3 | Bite the bullet | Face a difficult situation with courage and fortitude.हिन्दी अर्थ: कठिन परिस्थिति का साहस से सामना करना | She decided to bite the bullet and resign from her low-paying job to focus entirely on full-time study. |
| 4 | Burn the midnight oil | Work or study late into the night.हिन्दी अर्थ: देर रात तक कड़ी मेहनत/पढ़ाई करना | To clear the highly competitive SSC exams, aspirants must burn the midnight oil for several months. |
| 5 | Once in a blue moon | Very rarely.हिन्दी अर्थ: ईद का चाँद होना (बहुत दुर्लभ रूप से) | Since he moved to Delhi for exam coaching, he visits his hometown only once in a blue moon. |
| 6 | Spill the beans | Reveal a secret prematurely or unintentionally.हिन्दी अर्थ: गुप्त बात या रहस्य उजागर करना | We wanted to organize a surprise birthday party, but Rahul spilled the beans to the team. |
| 7 | Break a leg | Used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.हिन्दी अर्थ: शुभकामनाएं देना (विशेष रूप से प्रदर्शन से पहले) | Before she went inside the examination hall for the interview, her mentor said, “Break a leg!” |
| 8 | Under the weather | Slightly unwell or sick.हिन्दी अर्थ: अस्वस्थ होना (बीमार महसूस करना) | I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday, so I decided to skip the daily mock test. |
| 9 | Cry over spilled milk | Complain or worry about something that has already happened and cannot be undone.हिन्दी अर्थ: बीत गई सो बात गई / व्यर्थ में पछताना | You didn’t perform well in Tier-1, but crying over spilled milk won’t help; start preparing for Tier-2. |
| 10 | Beat around the bush | Avoid talking about the main topic or speaking in an indirect way.हिन्दी अर्थ: घुमा-फिराकर बात करना (मुख्य मुद्दे पर न आना) | Stop beating around the bush and tell me exactly how many marks you scored in the English section. |
| 11 | Cost an arm and a leg | Extremely expensive.हिन्दी अर्थ: बहुत महँगा होना | Buying that premium comprehensive test series for SSC CGL cost him an arm and a leg. |
| 12 | Leave no stone unturned | Try every possible way to achieve a goal.हिन्दी अर्थ: कोई कसर न छोड़ना (हर संभव प्रयास करना) | The dedicated aspirant left no stone unturned to secure the post of Income Tax Inspector. |
| 13 | A blessing in disguise | Something good that is not recognized at first.हिन्दी अर्थ: विपत्ति के रूप में वरदान (शुरुआत में बुरा पर अंत में अच्छा) | Missing the train was a blessing in disguise, as that train met with an accident. |
| 14 | Add fuel to the fire | Make a bad situation even worse.हिन्दी अर्थ: आग में घी डालना (मामला और बिगाड़ना) | His sarcastic remarks only added fuel to the fire during the intense argument. |
| 15 | Barking up the wrong tree | Accusing the wrong person or pursuing a wrong course of action.हिन्दी अर्थ: गलत दिशा में प्रयास करना या गलत व्यक्ति पर आरोप लगाना | If you think English can be cleared by just memorizing rules without practicing comprehension, you are barking up the wrong tree. |
| 16 | Blow one’s own trumpet | Praise one’s own achievements or abilities.हिन्दी अर्थ: अपने मुँह मियाँ मिट्ठू बनना (अपनी प्रशंसा खुद करना) | No one likes a person who constantly blows his own trumpet in a study group. |
| 17 | By hook or by crook | By any means possible, whether honest or dishonest.हिन्दी अर्थ: सही या गलत किसी भी तरीके से (येन-केन-प्रकारेण) | He wanted to clear the examination by hook or by crook, which eventually led to his disqualification. |
| 18 | Call it a day | Stop working on something, especially for the rest of the day.हिन्दी अर्थ: काम बंद करना (उस दिन के लिए कार्य स्थगित करना) | After studying general awareness for six hours, he decided to call it a day. |
| 19 | Face the music | Accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions.हिन्दी अर्थ: किए का परिणाम भुगतना (आलोचना या सजा का सामना करना) | After neglecting his studies all year, he had to face the music when the results were declared. |
| 20 | Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret accidentally.हिन्दी अर्थ: रहस्य उजागर करना (अनजाने में भेद खोलना) | The official website let the cat out of the bag by publishing the answer keys ahead of schedule. |
| 21 | Hit the nail on the head | State or describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.हिन्दी अर्थ: बिल्कुल सही बात कहना या सटीक वार करना | The tutor hit the nail on the head by identifying that the student was weak in grammar rules. |
| 22 | Take it with a grain of salt | Listen to something with skepticism and not believe it completely.हिन्दी अर्थ: संदेह के साथ सुनना (पूरी तरह से सच न मानना) | You should take the rumors about exam postponement with a grain of salt until an official notification is released. |
| 23 | The last straw | The final problem in a series of problems that makes a situation unbearable.हिन्दी अर्थ: धैर्य की सीमा समाप्त करने वाली अंतिम परेशानी | The server error during the last hour of registration was the last straw for many candidates. |
| 24 | Through thick and thin | Under all circumstances, whether good or bad.हिन्दी अर्थ: हर अच्छे-बुरे समय में (सुख-दुख में) | True friends stand by each other through thick and thin. |
| 25 | Best of both worlds | A situation wherein one can enjoy two different opportunities at the same time.हिन्दी अर्थ: दोनों हाथों में लड्डू होना (दोनों तरफ से फायदा होना) | By getting a home-state posting, he enjoyed the best of both worlds: a secure government job and staying close to family. |
| 26 | Burn your bridges | Destroy all paths of retreat or ruin relationships permanently.हिन्दी अर्थ: वापसी के सारे रास्ते बंद कर लेना | Do not burn your bridges with your former employer, as you might need a reference letter. |
| 27 | Piece of cake | A very easy task.हिन्दी अर्थ: बच्चों का खेल (बहुत आसान काम) | For a student who practiced regularly, the reasoning section was a piece of cake. |
| 28 | Through the grapevine | To hear rumors or news through informal channels.हिन्दी अर्थ: अफवाहों के जरिए खबर मिलना (अनौपचारिक सूत्रों से) | I heard through the grapevine that SSC is planning to change the exam pattern next year. |
| 29 | To miss the boat | Miss an opportunity by being slow to act.हिन्दी अर्थ: अवसर गँवा देना (देरी के कारण मौका खोना) | If you do not apply before the deadline, you will miss the boat. |
| 30 | Steal someone’s thunder | Take credit for someone else’s achievement or divert attention to oneself.हिन्दी अर्थ: दूसरों के किए काम का श्रेय खुद ले लेना | She worked hard on the project, but her team lead stole her thunder by presenting it to the director. |
| 31 | Under someone’s thumb | Fully under someone’s control or influence.हिन्दी अर्थ: किसी के इशारे पर नाचना (पूर्ण नियंत्रण में होना) | The corrupted officer kept his subordinates under his thumb. |
| 32 | Pull someone’s leg | Tease or play a joke on someone by telling them something untrue.हिन्दी अर्थ: टांग खींचना (मजाक उड़ाना या चिढ़ाना) | Don’t worry, I didn’t fail the mock test; I was just pulling your leg. |
| 33 | Jump on the bandwagon | Join a popular trend or activity to become successful.हिन्दी अर्थ: बहती गंगा में हाथ धोना (प्रचलित प्रवृत्ति में शामिल होना) | Seeing the success of online education, many offline institutes jumped on the bandwagon. |
| 34 | Keep something at bay | Prevent something harmful from approaching or affecting you.हिन्दी अर्थ: किसी खतरे या नुकसान को दूर रखना | Regular revision is essential to keep exam anxiety at bay. |
| 35 | Kill two birds with one stone | Achieve two objectives with a single action.हिन्दी अर्थ: एक पंथ दो काज (एक प्रयास से दो काम करना) | Preparing for SSC CGL also helps in clearing state PCS exams, killing two birds with one stone. |
| 36 | Let sleeping dogs lie | Avoid restarting a conflict or bringing up an old issue.हिन्दी अर्थ: गड़े मुर्दे न उखाड़ना (विवाद को न बढ़ाना) | The dispute was settled years ago, so it is best to let sleeping dogs lie. |
| 37 | Make both ends meet | Manage to survive on a very limited income.हिन्दी अर्थ: गुज़ारा करना (मुश्किल से आय और व्यय का संतुलन बनाना) | With his meager salary, it was difficult for him to make both ends meet in a metro city. |
| 38 | On cloud nine | In a state of extreme happiness.हिन्दी अर्थ: सातवें आसमान पर होना (अत्यंत प्रसन्न होना) | He was on cloud nine when he saw his name in the final merit list. |
| 39 | Out of the blue | Completely unexpectedly or without warning.हिन्दी अर्थ: अचानक या अप्रत्याशित रूप से (बिना किसी चेतावनी के) | The change in the syllabus came out of the blue, shocking thousands of aspirants. |
| 40 | See eye to eye | Agree fully with someone.हिन्दी अर्थ: पूर्ण रूप से सहमत होना | The two business partners seldom see eye to eye on financial matters. |
| 41 | Take the bull by the horns | Deal with a difficult situation directly and courageously.हिन्दी अर्थ: मुसीबत का डटकर सामना करना (चुनौती को सीधे स्वीकारना) | Instead of fearing the quantitative section, take the bull by the horns and practice daily. |
| 42 | A bird’s eye view | A general or comprehensive overview of a situation.हिन्दी अर्थ: सरसरी निगाह से देखना (विहंगम दृश्य / सामान्य अवलोकन) | The revision guide provides a bird’s eye view of the entire English syllabus. |
| 43 | A wild goose chase | A useless, hopeless search or pursuit.हिन्दी अर्थ: निरर्थक खोज (व्यर्थ का प्रयास) | Looking for a shortcut to clear the Civil Services exam is a wild goose chase. |
| 44 | At daggers drawn | Bitterly hostile or on the verge of fighting.हिन्दी अर्थ: कट्टर दुश्मनी होना (तलवारें खिंची होना) | The two political factions are at daggers drawn over the new policy. |
| 45 | In the same boat | Facing the same difficult circumstances.हिन्दी अर्थ: एक ही नाव में सवार होना (समान कठिन परिस्थिति में होना) | Don’t feel discouraged about the tough competition; all aspirants are in the same boat. |
| 46 | Out of the woods | Out of danger or difficulty.हिन्दी अर्थ: खतरे या कठिनाई से बाहर होना | The patient is recovering, but he is not yet out of the woods. |
| 47 | Red herring | Something that misleads or distracts from the relevant issue.हिन्दी अर्थ: मुख्य मुद्दे से ध्यान भटकाने वाली बात | The media focus on celebrity gossip was a red herring to divert attention from inflation. |
| 48 | Smell a rat | Suspect trickery or deception.हिन्दी अर्थ: दाल में कुछ काला लगना (संदेह होना) | When the agent promised a government job without an exam, he immediately smelt a rat. |
| 49 | Turn over a new leaf | Change one’s behavior for the better.हिन्दी अर्थ: नया जीवन शुरू करना (सुधर जाना / व्यवहार में सकारात्मक बदलाव लाना) | After failing twice, he turned over a new leaf and began studying with discipline. |
| 50 | Wet blanket | A person who spoils other people’s fun or discourages them.हिन्दी अर्थ: मजा किरकिरा करने वाला व्यक्ति (उत्साह कम करने वाला) | Don’t invite him to the celebration; he is such a wet blanket. |
Top 30 One-Word Substitutions
High-frequency One-Word Substitutions categorized by themes to facilitate faster memorization.
Grammar Cheat Sheet
Master the most important rules governing the Spotting the Error, Sentence Improvement, and Conversion questions.
15 Golden Rules for Spotting the Error
Memorize these 15 rules. They cover over 80% of the grammar errors tested in SSC CGL exams.
हिन्दी नियम: एक verb (क्रिया) को हमेशा अपने असली subject (कर्ता) के अनुसार होना चाहिए, न कि उस noun के अनुसार जो prepositional phrase (संबंधसूचक वाक्यांश) या descriptive clause में उनके बीच आता है। हमेशा वाक्य के वास्तविक subject की पहचान करें।
हिन्दी नियम: जब collective nouns (जैसे committee, jury, audience, team) एक इकाई (single unit) के रूप में कार्य करते हैं, तो वे singular verb लेते हैं; लेकिन जब उनके सदस्य व्यक्तिगत रूप से कार्य करते हैं या उनकी राय विभाजित होती है, तो plural verb का प्रयोग किया जाता है।
हिन्दी नियम: each, every, everyone, someone, somebody, nobody, either, neither जैसे शब्द हमेशा singular verb (एकवचन क्रिया) और singular possessive pronoun (his/her) लेते हैं। इनके साथ ‘their’ का प्रयोग वर्जित है।
हिन्दी नियम: जब दो subjects को either…or, neither…nor, या not only…but also से जोड़ा जाता है, तो verb हमेशा अपने सबसे पास वाले subject के अनुसार आती है।
हिन्दी नियम: हमेशा ‘no sooner’ के साथ ‘than’ (कभी भी when या then नहीं) का प्रयोग करें और ‘hardly/scarcely’ के साथ ‘when’ का प्रयोग करें। यदि वाक्य इन adverbs से शुरू होता है, तो Subject से पहले Helping Verb (inversion) का प्रयोग किया जाता है (जैसे: No sooner did I…)।
हिन्दी नियम: Lest (कहीं ऐसा न हो कि) के बाद हमेशा helping verb ‘should’ का प्रयोग होता है, और इसके साथ कभी भी ‘not’ या कोई अन्य नकारात्मक शब्द नहीं आता है, क्योंकि ‘lest’ अपने आप में ही नकारात्मक (negative) है।
हिन्दी नियम: तीसरे conditional sentences (भूतकाल की काल्पनिक स्थिति) में वाक्य की संरचना इस प्रकार होनी चाहिए: If + Past Perfect (had + V3), would have + V3। Conditional clause (If वाले भाग) में कभी भी ‘would have’ का प्रयोग न करें।
हिन्दी नियम: काल्पनिक या वास्तविक तथ्यों के विपरीत स्थितियों (जैसे ‘as if’ या ‘as though’ के बाद) को व्यक्त करने के लिए हमेशा plural past verb ‘were’ का प्रयोग किया जाता है, चाहे subject singular (एकवचन) हो या plural (बहुवचन) (जैसे: He talks as if he were…)।
हिन्दी नियम: यह सुनिश्चित करें कि किसी श्रेणी या तुलना में आने वाले शब्द, वाक्यांश (phrases) या उपवाक्य (clauses) एक ही व्याकरणिक रूप (grammatical form) में हों (जैसे, यदि एक gerund (V1+ing) है तो सभी gerund होने चाहिए, या सभी infinitives होने चाहिए)।
हिन्दी नियम: जब ‘than’ या ‘as’ के बाद pronouns की तुलना की जा रही हो, तो subjective case (जैसे I, he, she, they) का प्रयोग करें यदि क्रिया (verb) निहित (implied) हो (जैसे: She is faster than I [am])।
हिन्दी नियम: जब कोई वाक्य नकारात्मक या प्रतिबंधात्मक adverbs जैसे seldom, never, rarely, scarcely, little आदि से शुरू होता है, तो auxiliary (helping) verb को subject से पहले रखा जाता है (जैसे: Seldom have I seen…)।
हिन्दी नियम: look forward to, with a view to, habituated to, accustomed to, addicted to जैसे वाक्यांशों के अंत में preposition ‘to’ होता है, इसलिए इनके बाद हमेशा **gerund (V1+ing)** का प्रयोग किया जाता है, न कि bare infinitive (V1) का।
हिन्दी नियम: until, unless, forbid, deny, prohibit, prevent, without, refrain जैसे शब्द अपने आप में नकारात्मक हैं। इन शब्दों से शुरू होने वाले उपवाक्यों (clauses) में कभी भी ‘not’ या अन्य नकारात्मक शब्दों का प्रयोग न करें।
हिन्दी नियम: fixed prepositions पर विशेष ध्यान दें; उदाहरण के लिए, senior/prefer/infer के साथ हमेशा **to** (than नहीं) आता है, abstain/refrain के साथ **from** आता है, और व्यापार के लिए deal **in** तथा व्यवहार/निपटने के लिए deal **with** का प्रयोग होता है।
हिन्दी नियम: scenery, furniture, advice, information, luggage, poetry, baggage, machinery जैसे nouns अगणनीय (uncountable) हैं। इनका कभी plural (-s लगाकर) नहीं बनता है और ये हमेशा singular verb लेते हैं। जबकि scissors, spectacles, trousers, congratulations, credentials जैसे शब्द हमेशा plural (बहुवचन) होते हैं और plural verb लेते हैं।
Active & Passive Voice Conversion Rules
Voice conversion is highly formulaic. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the appropriate form of the verb to be + V3 (Past Participle) is applied.
हिन्दी में समझें: Active से Passive में परिवर्तन काफी नियमबद्ध होता है। Active वाक्य का Object (कर्म) Passive वाक्य का Subject (कर्ता) बन जाता है, और verb to be का उपयुक्त रूप (जैसे is/am/are/was/were/been/being) + V3 (Past Participle) का प्रयोग किया जाता है।
Tense Conversion Chart
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Write(s) | Is/Am/Are + Written |
| Present Cont. | Is/Am/Are + Writing | Is/Am/Are + Being + Written |
| Present Perf. | Has/Have + Written | Has/Have + Been + Written |
| Simple Past | Wrote | Was/Were + Written |
| Past Continuous | Was/Were + Writing | Was/Were + Being + Written |
| Past Perfect | Had + Written | Had + Been + Written |
| Simple Future | Will + Write | Will + Be + Written |
| Future Perfect | Will have + Written | Will have + Been + Written |
Imperative & Interrogative Conversions
1. Imperative Sentences:
Imperative sentences expressing order/request/advice convert using: Let + Subject + be + V3 or You are ordered/requested/advised to + V1.
हिन्दी नियम: आदेश (order), अनुरोध (request), या सलाह (advice) व्यक्त करने वाले आज्ञासूचक (Imperative) वाक्यों को बदलने के लिए Let + Subject + be + V3 या You are ordered/requested/advised to + V1 का प्रयोग करें।
- Active: Shut the door.
- Passive: Let the door be shut. / You are ordered to shut the door.
2. Interrogative Sentences starting with ‘Who’:
Convert ‘Who’ into By whom at the beginning of the sentence.
हिन्दी नियम: ‘Who’ से शुरू होने वाले प्रश्नवाचक वाक्यों में ‘Who’ को वाक्य के शुरुआत में By whom में बदल दिया जाता है।
- Active: Who wrote this book?
- Passive: By whom was this book written?
Direct & Indirect Speech (Narration) Rules
When reporting someone’s words (Direct to Indirect), you must change pronouns (according to the SON rule), backshift tenses, and convert time/place indicators.
- 1. Pronoun Change Rule (S-O-N):
- First-person pronouns change according to the Subject of the reporting verb.
- Second-person pronouns change according to the Object of the reporting verb.
- Third-person pronouns undergo No change.
हिन्दी नियम (Pronoun बदलाव): First-person pronouns (I, We) reporting verb के Subject के अनुसार बदलते हैं; Second-person pronouns (You) Object के अनुसार बदलते हैं; और Third-person pronouns (He, She, It, They) में कोई बदलाव नहीं होता। - 2. Tense Backshifting (If the reporting verb is in the Past Tense):
- Simple Present → Simple Past | Present Continuous → Past Continuous
- Present Perfect → Past Perfect | Simple Past → Past Perfect
- Past Continuous → Past Perfect Continuous | Will/Shall → Would/Should
Exception: If the statement is a universal truth, habit, or historical fact, the tense does not change.
हिन्दी नियम (Tense बदलाव): यदि Reporting Verb Past Tense में हो, तो Tense पीछे खिसक जाता है (जैसे Simple Present → Simple Past)। अपवाद (Exception): यदि वाक्य में कोई universal truth, habit, या historical fact हो, तो Tense नहीं बदलता। - 3. Words Expressing Nearness:
- This → That | These → Those | Here → There | Now → Then
- Today → That day | Yesterday → The previous day | Tomorrow → The next day
हिन्दी नियम (दूरी/समय सूचक शब्द): समय या निकटता दर्शाने वाले शब्दों को दूरी दर्शाने वाले शब्दों में बदला जाता है (जैसे: This → That, Today → That day, Yesterday → The previous day)।
Cloze Test & Comprehension Strategies
Increase your accuracy and speed in Cloze Tests and Reading Comprehension passages with these structured approaches.
Tactical Blueprint for Cloze Tests
- The Rapid First Read: Never fill in the blanks on your first reading. Read the entire passage quickly without stopping to understand the central theme, tone (positive, negative, narrative, analytical), and logical flow.
- Identify the Part of Speech: Analyze the surrounding words of a blank to determine what part of speech is required (e.g., preposition, verb, adjective, adverb).
- Collocations and Fixed Phrases: Look out for prepositions that naturally go with verbs/nouns (e.g., “accused of“, “compliance with“, “abstain from“). Often, the preposition after the blank determines the correct word.
- Identify Transition Words: Notice words like however, despite, furthermore, consequently, although. They signal contrast, continuation, or cause-and-effect, which determines the direction of the missing word.
- Elimination Strategy: Eliminate options that do not fit grammatically or match the tone of the passage. Test the remaining options in the context of the sentence.
Tactical Blueprint for Reading Comprehension
- Read the Questions First: Before diving into the passage, skim the questions (not the options) to identify key terms and what is being asked. This allows you to perform an active, targeted search while reading.
- Focus on the Opening and Closing Paragraphs: The main idea, author’s thesis, and conclusion are typically located in the first and last paragraphs. Keep these in mind to answer theme-based questions.
- Determine Author’s Tone: Pay attention to descriptive adjectives and adverbs used. Is the author critical, supportive, neutral, sarcastic, or informative?
- Avoid External Assumptions: Base your answers strictly on the information provided in the passage, even if your general knowledge contradicts it.
High-Yield Practice Questions
Solve these practice questions modeled on recent SSC CGL exams and study their detailed explanations.
“The news of the sudden demise of the veteran politician were received with shock and grief across the nation.”
- A) The news of the
- B) sudden demise of
- C) were received with shock
- D) across the nation.
Explanation: The subject of the sentence is “The news,” which is an uncountable noun and always singular. Therefore, it requires a singular verb. The plural helping verb “were received” must be replaced with the singular “was received”. Refer to Golden Rule 15.
हिन्दी में स्पष्टीकरण: इस वाक्य का Subject ‘The news’ है, जो कि एक uncountable noun (अगणनीय संज्ञा) है और हमेशा singular (एकवचन) होता है। इसलिए, इसके साथ singular verb का प्रयोग होगा। सही subject-verb agreement के लिए plural verb ‘were received’ के स्थान पर singular verb ‘was received’ का प्रयोग किया जाना चाहिए।
“Hardly had I stepped out of the office than it started pouring cats and dogs.”
- A) had I stepped out of the office when
- B) I had stepped out of the office than
- C) did I stepped out of the office when
- D) No improvement
Explanation: As per Golden Rule 5, “Hardly” must be paired with “when”, not “than”. Additionally, since the sentence begins with the negative adverb “Hardly,” subject-auxiliary inversion is required (“had I stepped”). Therefore, option A is the correct choice.
हिन्दी में स्पष्टीकरण: Golden Rule 5 के अनुसार, ‘Hardly’ के साथ हमेशा ‘when’ का जोड़ा बनता है, न कि ‘than’ का। इसके अतिरिक्त, चूँकि वाक्य की शुरुआत नकारात्मक adverb ‘Hardly’ से हुई है, इसलिए subject-auxiliary inversion होना आवश्यक है (‘had I stepped out’ बिल्कुल सही है)। अतः, विकल्प A सही उत्तर है।
“Do not insult the poor.”
- A) The poor must not be insulted.
- B) Let the poor not be insulted.
- C) You are insulted not the poor.
- D) Let not the poor insulted.
Explanation: This is an imperative sentence expressing advice/prohibition. The standard passive structure for negative imperative sentences is: Let + Subject + not + be + V3. Thus, the passive voice is: “Let the poor not be insulted.”
हिन्दी में स्पष्टीकरण: यह एक imperative sentence (आज्ञासूचक वाक्य) है जो सलाह/निषेध को व्यक्त करता है। नकारात्मक imperative वाक्यों के लिए मानक passive संरचना: Let + Subject + not + be + V3 है। इसलिए, इसका passive voice ‘Let the poor not be insulted’ होगा। विकल्प B सही है।
“He said to me, ‘Where are you going tomorrow?’”
- A) He asked me where I was going the next day.
- B) He asked me where was I going the next day.
- C) He told me where I was going tomorrow.
- D) He questioned me where you were going the next day.
Explanation: 1. The reporting verb “said to” becomes “asked” in an interrogative sentence. 2. The conjunction “where” is used, and the question structure “are you going” becomes an assertive statement “I was going” (tense shifts from Present Continuous to Past Continuous; “you” second person changes to “I” based on the object “me”). 3. “tomorrow” changes to “the next day”. Hence, option A is correct.
हिन्दी में स्पष्टीकरण: 1. Interrogative (प्रश्नवाचक) वाक्य में reporting verb ‘said to’ बदलकर ‘asked’ हो जाता है। 2. Conjunction के रूप में ‘where’ का ही प्रयोग किया जाएगा, और प्रश्नवाचक संरचना ‘are you going’ बदलकर साधारण वाक्य संरचना ‘I was going’ हो जाएगी (यहाँ second-person pronoun ‘you’ reporting verb के object ‘me’ के अनुसार ‘I’ में बदल जाता है)। 3. Tense में बदलाव Present Continuous (are going) से Past Continuous (was going) में होगा। 4. समय सूचक शब्द ‘tomorrow’ बदलकर ‘the next day’ हो जाएगा।
“The committee members were not in agreement, and their opinions were widely ________.”
- A) convergent
- C) divergent
- D) identical
Explanation: The coordinating conjunction “and” links the lack of agreement to the nature of their opinions. Since they were “not in agreement,” their opinions must be differing or moving in different directions. The word “divergent” means tending to be different or develop in different directions, which fits the context. Convergent, homogeneous, and identical imply agreement/similarity, which contradicts the premise.
हिन्दी में स्पष्टीकरण: Coordinating conjunction ‘and’ यहाँ असहमति को विचारों की प्रकृति से जोड़ता है। चूँकि वे ‘not in agreement’ (सहमति में नहीं) थे, इसलिए उनके विचार विभाजित (divided) या भिन्न होने चाहिए। ‘divided’ शब्द यहाँ संदर्भ के अनुसार बिल्कुल सही बैठता है, जो collective nouns से संबंधित Golden Rule 2 (जब सदस्य विभाजित हों) के अनुरूप है। अतः, विकल्प C सही उत्तर है।
This study note is part of the daily current affairs initiative by IAS EasyWay.