Active and passive voice: rules for every tense
How the verb changes in each tense, pronoun changes, modals and imperative sentences, with SSC examples.
Study notes
Fill in the blanks: grammar clues, prepositions and conjunctions
Grammar and vocabulary clues for single-blank questions, fixed prepositions and conjunction pairs that SSC tests often.
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Two kinds of blank
SSC fill-in-the-blank questions test either grammar (a preposition, article, tense, conjunction) or vocabulary (the word that fits the meaning). Decide which kind it is first; the options usually tell you. If all four options are prepositions, it is a grammar question. If they are four adjectives of different meanings, it is vocabulary.
Grammar clues
- Time words fix the tense: “yesterday” needs the simple past, “since 2015” needs the present perfect, “by next year” often needs the future perfect.
- Subject fixes singular or plural: “The list of items ___ long” → is.
- Fixed verb patterns: “avoid / enjoy / finish / mind + -ing”; “want / decide / refuse / hope + to”.
- Article before the blank tells you a noun or adjective follows.
Vocabulary clues
- Tone of the sentence: a negative context needs a negative word.
- Signal words: “but”, “although” and “despite” show contrast; “and”, “so” and “because” show agreement or result.
- Explanations after a comma, semicolon or colon often define the blank word.
- Collocations: the word that naturally partners the next word (deep sleep, heavy traffic, bitter cold).
Prepositions to learn
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| accused of | He was accused of cheating. |
| charged with | She was charged with fraud. |
| abstain from | He abstains from meat on Tuesdays. |
| congratulate on | I congratulated her on her result. |
| insist on | They insisted on paying the bill. |
| comply with | All shops must comply with the rules. |
| consist of | The kit consists of five tools. |
| dispose of | Please dispose of the waste properly. |
| confide in | She confided in her elder sister. |
| deprived of | The village was deprived of clean water. |
| good at / afraid of | He is good at chess but afraid of exams. |
| angry with (a person), at (a thing) | She was angry with him; angry at the delay. |
| agree with (a person), to (a proposal) | I agree with you; the board agreed to the plan. |
| between (two), among (more than two) | Divide the sweets among the five children. |
| beside (next to), besides (in addition to) | Sit beside me. Besides English, he knows Tamil. |
| since (point of time), for (period) | since Monday; for three days |
Conjunction pairs
- not only … but also: She is not only clever but also kind.
- either … or / neither … nor: Neither the manager nor the clerk was present.
- no sooner … than / hardly … when / scarcely … when
- so … that / such … that: The bag was so heavy that I could not lift it.
- lest … should: Leave early lest you should miss the train.
- although / though are not followed by “but” in the same sentence.
- unless means “if not”, so do not add another “not” after it.
Tip: Read the sentence with each option in place, quietly in your head. Your ear often catches a wrong preposition faster than a rule does, but confirm with the rule when two options sound fine.
Solved examples
- She has been ill ___ last Monday. (a) for (b) since (c) from (d) by
Answer: (b) since. “Last Monday” is a point of time with the present perfect. - He was accused ___ theft. (a) for (b) with (c) of (d) about
Answer: (c) of. “Accused of” is the fixed pattern; “charged with” uses with. - The judge found the evidence too ___ to convict anyone; it was weak and unclear. (a) flimsy (b) solid (c) convincing (d) strong
Answer: (a) flimsy. The words after the semicolon describe weak evidence.
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