SSC CGL English · Spotting Errors
Prepositions, Word Choice and Idioms
The preposition a word takes, the right word between two that look alike, and the fixed phrases and extra words that a grammar rule alone will not catch.
Why this matters
Ninety-seven questions in the bank, 26 from the 2023 shifts, 38 from the 2024 shifts and 33 from the 2025 shifts. Grammar rules do not settle these: the preposition after a word, the meaning of look-alike words and the fixed phrases of English have to be known.
Concept 1 of 3: The preposition a word takes
Many words fix the preposition after them (good at, angry with a person, capable of), and some verbs take their object directly with no preposition at all (discuss, describe, reach, comprise). Learn them as pairs.
Definition
The groups:
- Of: capable of, confident of, afraid of, die of, built of (a material).
- Other fixed prepositions: good at, specialise in, angry with (a person), aptitude for, adapt to, talk to.
- From, among, between: prevent someone from + -ing; among for more than two, between for two.
- No preposition: discuss the issue, describe the scene, reach the station, tell me, order the soldiers, comprise experts, go abroad, return home.
- Place, time, transport: in the air, on the skin, by bus, from 10 till 6.
- Despite and in spite of: despite takes no of; in spite of does.
| Wrong | Right | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| accused for | accused of | 2025 (twice) |
| capable to / capable for | capable of + -ing | 2025 (three times) |
| confident to win | confident of winning | 2025 (twice) |
| good in / good with | good at | 2024, 2025 (twice) |
| prevent him to go | prevent him from going | 2025 (twice) |
| angry on | angry with (a person) | 2025 |
| specialises at | specialises in | 2024 |
| comprises of | comprises | 2025 |
| discussing about | discussing | 2025 |
| despite of | despite (or in spite of) | 2025 |
| between themselves (a team) | among themselves | 2023 |
| in bus | by bus | 2025 |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
SSC CGL · 2025 · Tier I, 18 Sep 2025, Shift 1 · Q91Easy
Example 1 · Spotting Errors · Prepositions, Word Choice and Idioms
Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:
He was accused for stealing the documents.
Adding a preposition the verb does not take
Discuss, describe, reach and comprise take their object directly: "discuss about", "reach at" and "comprise of" are all errors.
Despite of
Only "in spite of" takes of. "Despite" stands alone: despite the rain.
Concept 2 of 3: Look-alike words and the word that fits
Two words that look or sound alike can mean quite different things: principle and principal, affect and effect, personal and personnel. In the questions that ask you to replace an underlined word, the right word is the one whose meaning fits the whole sentence.
Definition
The groups:
- Look-alikes: principle (a rule) and principal (chief; head of a school); affect (a verb) and effect (a noun); personal and personnel (staff); stationary (not moving) and stationery (writing materials); internal and interior; ulterior and interior.
- Word form: the slot decides noun, verb or adjective: succeed (verb), success (noun), successful (adjective).
- Allowed or able: a rule is "allowed to", a skill is "able to".
- Fit the sentence: read it with each option; ask what the sentence is about, then which option means that.
| Wrong | Right | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| adopts itself (to water and land) | adapts itself | 2023 |
| beware of this fact | aware of | 2023 |
| noticeable people | notable people | 2023 |
| military person | military personnel | 2023 |
| lived by the same principals | principles | 2024 |
| the principle rights | the principal rights | 2025 |
| it had no affect | no effect | 2024 |
| interior problems (of a country) | internal problems | 2024 |
| not able to drink until 21 | not allowed to | 2024 |
| cynical investors who believed every word | credulous | 2024 |
| greater accurateness | greater accuracy | 2025 |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
SSC CGL · 2023 · Tier I, 14 Jul 2023, Shift 3 · Q83Easy
Example 2 · Spotting Errors · Prepositions, Word Choice and Idioms
Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution’.
The frog adopts itself to live both in water and on land.
Choosing the word that only sounds right
Principal and principle, stationary and stationery sound the same. Decide by meaning: a rule or a chief, not moving or paper and pens.
A noun where the verb is needed
After may, might or to, a verb is needed: "may succeed", never "may success".
Concept 3 of 3: Fixed phrases, extra words and correct sentences
Fixed phrases cannot be changed word by word (on foot, in detail, last night), and some words already carry a meaning, so adding to them repeats it (return back, more preferable). A few sentences are correct as printed, so choose No error only after every part checks out.
Definition
The groups:
- Fixed phrases: on foot, in detail, take pains, last night, nothing else but, in the matter of, in peril.
- Collocations: hopes are dashed, go on the rampage.
- Phrasal verbs: bring out (publish), give away (hand out prizes), back off (withdraw), call around (phone several people).
- Redundancy: return back, repeat again, more preferable, the reason is because: drop the extra word.
- No error: some sentences are correct as printed; check every part before choosing it.
| Wrong | Right | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| drove on the rampage | went on the rampage | 2023 |
| every single day by walk | on foot | 2023 |
| hopes were beaten | hopes were dashed | 2023 |
| brought about a new book | brought out | 2024 |
| gave up the prizes | gave away | 2024 |
| told the agitators to back in | back off | 2024 |
| nothing else your pride | nothing else but | 2024 |
| returned back | returned | 2025 (twice) |
| in details | in detail | 2025 |
| took pain | took pains | 2025 |
| yesterday night | last night | 2025 |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
SSC CGL · 2025 · Tier I, 19 Sep 2025, Shift 3 · Q90Easy
Example 3 · Spotting Errors · Prepositions, Word Choice and Idioms
Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:
He *returned back* to his hometown after many years.
Translating word for word
"By walk", "yesterday night" and "in details" come from translating; English says on foot, last night, in detail.
Missing a repeat because it sounds smooth
"Return back" and "more preferable" read naturally but say the same thing twice. Return means come back; preferable already compares.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
The preposition a word takes12 rows
| Wrong | Right | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| accused for | accused of | 2025 (twice) |
| capable to / capable for | capable of + -ing | 2025 (three times) |
| confident to win | confident of winning | 2025 (twice) |
| good in / good with | good at | 2024, 2025 (twice) |
| prevent him to go | prevent him from going | 2025 (twice) |
| angry on | angry with (a person) | 2025 |
| specialises at | specialises in | 2024 |
| comprises of | comprises | 2025 |
| discussing about | discussing | 2025 |
| despite of | despite (or in spite of) | 2025 |
| between themselves (a team) | among themselves | 2023 |
| in bus | by bus | 2025 |
Look-alike words and the word that fits11 rows
| Wrong | Right | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| adopts itself (to water and land) | adapts itself | 2023 |
| beware of this fact | aware of | 2023 |
| noticeable people | notable people | 2023 |
| military person | military personnel | 2023 |
| lived by the same principals | principles | 2024 |
| the principle rights | the principal rights | 2025 |
| it had no affect | no effect | 2024 |
| interior problems (of a country) | internal problems | 2024 |
| not able to drink until 21 | not allowed to | 2024 |
| cynical investors who believed every word | credulous | 2024 |
| greater accurateness | greater accuracy | 2025 |
Fixed phrases, extra words and correct sentences11 rows
| Wrong | Right | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| drove on the rampage | went on the rampage | 2023 |
| every single day by walk | on foot | 2023 |
| hopes were beaten | hopes were dashed | 2023 |
| brought about a new book | brought out | 2024 |
| gave up the prizes | gave away | 2024 |
| told the agitators to back in | back off | 2024 |
| nothing else your pride | nothing else but | 2024 |
| returned back | returned | 2025 (twice) |
| in details | in detail | 2025 |
| took pain | took pains | 2025 |
| yesterday night | last night | 2025 |
Watch out for (6)
- Adding a preposition the verb does not take→ The preposition a word takes
- Despite of→ The preposition a word takes
- Choosing the word that only sounds right→ Look-alike words and the word that fits
- A noun where the verb is needed→ Look-alike words and the word that fits
- Translating word for word→ Fixed phrases, extra words and correct sentences
- Missing a repeat because it sounds smooth→ Fixed phrases, extra words and correct sentences
Test yourself on Spotting Errors
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.