General English: Grammar, Vocabulary and Error Spotting
General English in UPSSSC VDO tests grammar, vocabulary and comprehension. The paper favours error spotting, fill-in-the-blanks, synonyms/antonyms, idioms and one-word substitutions, so rule-based accuracy matters.
Core rules
- Subject-verb agreement: each, every, either, neither and one of take a singular verb; with neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- Tenses: use since with a point of time (since 2010) and for with duration (for five years); present perfect continuous for an action still continuing.
- Articles: choose a/an by sound, not spelling: an hour, a university, an MLA.
- Prepositions: discuss (no about), married to, comprise (no of), prefer to.
- Vocabulary: learn synonym/antonym pairs in context; idioms such as "a bolt from the blue" (sudden shock) and "to beat about the bush" (avoid the main point).
Worked example
"Neither the principal nor the teachers ___ informed." With neither...nor, the verb follows the nearer subject, teachers, which is plural, so the answer is were. If the order were reversed ("Neither the teachers nor the principal"), the singular was would be correct.
Traps
Reject Indianisms: "discuss about", "return back", "more better", "one of my friend". Do not use a plural verb after "one of the". In comprehension, answer from the passage, not from general knowledge. Check whether the question asks for a synonym or an antonym before choosing.