Grammar Essentials (Handbook)
🔒 Log in to trackPrepositions and conjunctions
🔒 Log in to trackPrepositions of time and place
| Preposition | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|
| at | exact point: at 6 pm, at noon, at night, at dawn | point/address: at the gate, at 12 MG Road |
| on | days and dates: on Monday, on 15 August | surface/street: on the table, on MG Road |
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of day: in May, in 2025, in the evening | enclosed area/city/country: in the room, in Delhi |
| by | not later than: by 5 pm | beside/means: by the window, by train |
| till / until | up to (continuity): wait till 5 | - |
| since / for | point / period with perfect tenses | - |
| between / among | two / more than two | between the two banks, among the villagers |
| beside / besides | beside = next to; besides = in addition to | sat beside me; besides English, he knows Tamil |
| into / in | into = movement inside; in = position | jumped into the pool; swimming in the pool |
Fixed prepositions (collocations SSC repeats)
| Fixed combination | Sense |
|---|---|
| abide by | follow a rule |
| absorbed in | fully busy |
| accede to | agree to a request |
| accompanied by (person) / with (thing) | went along with |
| accuse of / charge with | blame for a crime |
| acquainted with | knows |
| addicted to | habit |
| afraid of | fear |
| agree with (person) / to (proposal) / on (point) | agreement |
| angry with (person) / at (thing) | anger |
| apologise to (person) for (act) | say sorry |
| aware of / conscious of | knowing |
| beware of | be careful |
| boast of | brag |
| capable of | able |
| comply with | obey |
| confident of | sure |
| congratulate on | praise for success |
| consist of | made up of |
| cope with | manage |
| deal in (goods) / deal with (handle) | trade / handle |
| depend on / rely on | trust |
| deprive of | take away |
| die of (disease) / from (cause) | death |
| differ from (thing) / with (person's view) | disagree |
| divide into (parts) / among (people) | share |
| eligible for | qualified |
| envious / jealous of | envy |
| famous for | known for |
| fond of | likes |
| good at / weak in | skill |
| guilty of | blame |
| indifferent to | not caring |
| insist on | demand firmly |
| interested in | keen |
| married to | wedded |
| object to (+ V-ing) | oppose |
| part with (thing) / from (person) | give up / leave |
| prefer X to Y | choose |
| prevent / refrain / abstain from | stop |
| proud of | pride |
| senior / junior / superior / inferior / prior to | comparison |
| similar to / identical with | likeness |
| succeed in | achieve |
| sure of | certain |
| tired of (bored) / from (exhausted) | fatigue |
| wait for (someone) / wait on (serve) | waiting |
Verbs that take NO preposition before the object: discuss (the plan), describe, reach (the station), enter (the room), marry (someone), attack, resemble, request, order, answer (a question), comprise, emphasise, investigate. discuss about ✗, reach at ✗, comprises of ✗ (but consists of ✓, is composed of ✓), request for (as verb) ✗ (but a request for as noun ✓).
Conjunctions
Correlative pairs (must be used as fixed pairs):
| Pair | Example |
|---|---|
| either ... or / neither ... nor | Neither he nor I knew. |
| both ... and | both Ravi and Sita (not both...as well as) |
| not only ... but also | She not only sings but also dances. |
| whether ... or | whether you like it or not |
| no sooner ... than | No sooner had he left than it rained. |
| hardly / scarcely / barely ... when / before | Hardly had I sat when the phone rang. |
| though / although ... yet (or nothing) | Though he is poor, (yet) he is honest. (never though...but) |
| so ... that / such ... that (result) | so tired that he slept |
| such ... as / the same ... as (relative) | such books as these |
| lest ... should | Walk carefully lest you should fall. (never lest...not) |
| rather / other ... than | I would rather walk than wait. |
| as ... as / so ... as (negative) | not so tall as his brother |
Conjunction errors SSC tests
- Double conjunctions: Although ... but, Because ... so, Since ... therefore ✗ (use only one).
- unless / until / lest / till already carry a negative sense: Unless you do not work hard ✗.
- The reason ... is that (not because): The reason he failed is that he did not study.
- Scarcely ... than ✗ and No sooner ... when ✗: pairs cannot be mixed.
- Parallelism: correlatives must join the same kind of words: He not only plays cricket but also football ✗ → He plays not only cricket but also football.
Detailed notes
Prepositions: time and place
| Preposition | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|
| at | exact time: at 6 o'clock, at noon | exact point: at the bus stop, at the door |
| on | days and dates: on Monday, on 15 August | surface: on the table, on the wall |
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of day: in May, in 1998, in the morning | enclosed or large areas: in the room, in Bengaluru, in India |
Since vs for: since + starting point (since 2019, since Monday); for + length (for five years, for a week).
Fixed prepositions: learn as pairs
The exam tests which preposition a particular adjective, noun or verb demands. Memorise the pair, not the logic:
| Word | Pair |
|---|---|
| afraid, capable, fond, accused, proud, ashamed | of |
| good, bad, skilled, brilliant | at |
| angry at a thing; angry with a person | at / with |
| married, engaged, similar, senior, junior, preferable | to |
| abide, comply | by |
| listen | to |
| wait, prepare, apologise | for |
| insist, depend, congratulate ... on | on |
| Note senior to (not senior than) and prefer tea to coffee (not than). |
Between and among
- between for two (or clearly separate items): divided between the two winners.
- among for more than two treated as a mass: distributed among the villagers.
Correlative conjunctions: fixed partners
Each of these works only with its partner; mixing the partners is the classic planted error:
- No sooner ... than: No sooner had the bell rung than the students rushed out.
- Hardly / Scarcely ... when: Hardly had the match started when it began to rain.
- Not only ... but also (both parts join parallel words): She is not only intelligent but also hardworking.
- Neither ... nor; either ... or; both ... and (both...and never takes a negative). Remember: no sooner and hardly open with an inversion (had + subject) in written exam English.
Attack method
- Find the word the preposition hangs on (adjective, noun, verb) and recall its fixed pair.
- For time/place, locate the exactness: point → at, day → on, month/enclosure → in.
- For conjunctions, complete the pair mentally first, then choose the option that supplies it.
Quick revision
- at 6 / on Monday / in May; at the door / on the table / in Bengaluru.
- since + point, for + period.
- fond of, good at, angry at a thing, angry with a person, senior to, prefer to.
- between = two, among = many.
- No sooner...than; Hardly...when; Not only...but also.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: at / on / in for time and placevery common3 practice Q
The blank precedes or follows a clock time, a day, a month, a city or a surface.
- Classify the expression: exact point, day/date, month/large area, surface.
- at → point, on → day/surface, in → month/enclosure.
- Choose the matching option.
Why it works: the three prepositions partition time and space by precision.
Example: We reached the airport ___ 6 o'clock. (at/on/in/by)
Exact clock time → at.
Type 2: Fixed preposition after a wordvery common3 practice Q
An adjective, noun or verb (fond, good, angry, insist, married) is followed by the blank.
- Find the governing word.
- Recall its fixed pair from the pair list.
- Reject the prepositions that fit general meaning but not this word.
Why it works: these are conventions, and the exam reuses the same pairs.
Example: Ravi is very good ___ mathematics. (at/in/on/for)
good demands at for a skill.
Type 3: Between / among and since / for confusablescommon2 practice Q
Two or more parties share something, or a time span starts or lasts.
- Count the sharers: two → between, many → among.
- Point of start → since; length → for.
- Choose accordingly.
Why it works: each pair splits one idea by number or shape of the span.
Example: The prize was divided ___ the two winners. (between/among/in/into)
Two winners → between.
Type 4: Correlative conjunction pairsvery common2 practice Q
A sentence opens with no sooner, hardly, scarcely or not only, and the blank is the second half of the pair.
- Recall the fixed partner: no sooner...than; hardly/scarcely...when; not only...but also.
- Eliminate mixed partners (no sooner...when is the classic trap).
- Choose the partner word.
Why it works: correlatives are welded pairs; the first half dictates the second.
Example: No sooner did the bell ring ___ the students rushed out. (than/when/then/that)
No sooner demands than.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Partner check for correlatives
The moment you see hardly, scarcely, no sooner, not only, neither, either, both, whether, lest, though, scan ahead for its fixed partner. A wrong or missing partner is the error ~80% of the time.
Example: Spot the error: Scarcely had the match started / than it began / to rain heavily.
Scarcely pairs with when/before, not than → Scarcely had the match started when it began to rain.
⚡ Verb-preposition memory by meaning
Group collocations by the idea: stopping (prevent/refrain/abstain/desist from), dependence (depend/rely/count on), skill (good/expert/adept at; proficient in), Latin comparatives (senior/junior/superior/inferior/prior/prefer to). One group, one preposition.
Where students lose marks
Adding a preposition after discuss, reach, enter, resemble, request, comprise.
Using between for more than two people/things.
Writing prefer X than Y instead of prefer X to Y.
Using though...but, because...so, both...as well as.
Adding not after unless / lest / until.
Using since with a period (since three days) instead of for.
Practice sets — 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.