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
One word substitution: 50 common words grouped by theme
A grouped list of 50 one word substitutions for people, places, government, sciences and killing, with tips for SSC.
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How to prepare
One word substitution asks you to replace a phrase with a single word. The words are standard, and the same ones appear again and again. Learn them in groups, and pay attention to roots: -cide (killing), -cracy (rule), -logy (study), omni- (all), -phile (lover), mis- (hate in misanthrope and misogynist).
People
| Description | Word |
|---|---|
| One who works for the welfare of others | Altruist |
| One who hates mankind | Misanthrope |
| One who hates women | Misogynist |
| One who loves mankind and gives generously to good causes | Philanthropist |
| One who does not believe in God | Atheist |
| One who believes that God’s existence cannot be known | Agnostic |
| A lover of books | Bibliophile |
| One who can speak many languages | Polyglot |
| One who is unable to pay debts | Insolvent |
| One who never drinks alcohol | Teetotaller |
| One who eats too much | Glutton |
| One who pretends to be what he is not | Hypocrite |
| One who cannot be corrected or reformed | Incorrigible |
| One who leaves his own country to settle in another | Emigrant |
| One who comes into a country to settle there | Immigrant |
| An expert judge in matters of taste, especially art | Connoisseur |
Places
| Description | Word |
|---|---|
| A place where birds are kept | Aviary |
| A place where bees are kept | Apiary |
| A place where grain is stored | Granary |
| A place where weapons are stored | Arsenal |
| A place where coins are made | Mint |
| A place where historical records are kept | Archives |
| A shelter for aircraft | Hangar |
| A place where dead bodies are kept for identification | Morgue |
| A place where monks live | Monastery |
| A place where animals are slaughtered | Abattoir |
Government
| Description | Word |
|---|---|
| Government by the people | Democracy |
| Government by one person with absolute power | Autocracy |
| Government by a small group | Oligarchy |
| Government by the wealthy | Plutocracy |
| Government by religious leaders | Theocracy |
| Government by officials | Bureaucracy |
| Absence of government and order | Anarchy |
Sciences and studies
| Description | Word |
|---|---|
| Study of mankind | Anthropology |
| Study of birds | Ornithology |
| Study of insects | Entomology |
| Study of the origin of words | Etymology |
| Study of earthquakes | Seismology |
| Study or collection of coins | Numismatics |
| Collection and study of postage stamps | Philately |
| The art of beautiful handwriting | Calligraphy |
Killing
| Description | Word |
|---|---|
| Killing of one’s mother | Matricide |
| Killing of one’s father | Patricide |
| Killing of one’s brother | Fratricide |
| Killing of a king | Regicide |
| Killing of a large group of people of one race or nation | Genocide |
Qualities and others
| Description | Word |
|---|---|
| All-powerful | Omnipotent |
| All-knowing | Omniscient |
| Incapable of making a mistake | Infallible |
| Writing that cannot be read | Illegible |
| A remedy for all ills | Panacea |
| Happening after a person’s death | Posthumous |
| Words written on a tomb | Epitaph |
| A notice of a person’s death in a newspaper | Obituary |
Tip: SSC loves near pairs: aviary / apiary, entomology / etymology, emigrant / immigrant, epitaph / epithet. Learn these side by side.
Solved examples
- One who cannot be corrected: (a) incurable (b) incorrigible (c) invincible (d) infallible
Answer: (b) incorrigible. “Incurable” is used for diseases. - The study of insects: (a) etymology (b) entomology (c) ornithology (d) ecology
Answer: (b) entomology. Etymology is the study of word origins. - A place where bees are kept: (a) aviary (b) apiary (c) granary (d) nursery
Answer: (b) apiary. An aviary is for birds.
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