Key facts

  • In objective English questions, first decide whether the blank needs a noun, verb, adjective, adverb or phrase.
  • Commonly confused words are tested through meaning, grammar and natural collocation, not through spelling alone.
  • Accept means receive or agree; except means excluding, so the sentence position often reveals the answer.
  • Affect is usually a verb meaning influence; effect is usually a noun meaning result or consequence.
  • Principal means chief or head; principle means a rule, belief or standard.

Key Points at a Glance

  1. 1

    In objective English questions, first decide whether the blank needs a noun, verb, adjective, adverb or phrase.

  2. 2

    Commonly confused words are tested through meaning, grammar and natural collocation, not through spelling alone.

  3. 3

    Accept means receive or agree; except means excluding, so the sentence position often reveals the answer.

  4. 4

    Affect is usually a verb meaning influence; effect is usually a noun meaning result or consequence.

  5. 5

    Principal means chief or head; principle means a rule, belief or standard.

  6. 6

    Stationary means not moving; stationery means writing materials such as paper, pens and envelopes.

  7. 7

    Their shows possession, there shows place, and then shows time or order after an earlier action.

  8. 8

    Rereading the full sentence after choosing an option is the quickest check against a near-correct distractor.

MAHILA SUPERVISOR study hubView study packs

How Objective English Tests Grammar

RSSB objective English questions usually test the candidate's control of sentence sense. A blank may require a noun such as advice, a verb such as advise, an adjective such as adverse, or a phrase such as all ready. The quickest method is to read the entire sentence before looking at the options. A word that looks familiar may still be wrong if it does not fit the grammar of the sentence.

Grammar and vocabulary questions are often combined. In "The report will affect the promotion list", affect works because the sentence needs a verb meaning influence. In "The effect of the order was visible immediately", effect works because the sentence needs a noun meaning result. A candidate who only memorises spelling may miss this difference; a candidate who checks the job of the word in the sentence can eliminate the wrong option.

Exam use: identify the part of speech first, then test the meaning.

Open the complete note

This public page shows the first available section. The study pack opens the complete topic with all revision material.

7 more sections in the complete note

Open study pack