Best English Book for SSC LDC

The Staff Selection Commission conducts yearly examination to recruit thousands of candidates to the position of Lower Division Clerk. The entrance is a Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) exam that is held in two stages- Tier-I and Tier-II.

LDC Exam Pattern

The first stage of SSC CHSL exam (Tier-I) is a computer-based objective test. Students are required to answer 100 questions in one hour.

SECTIONS	QUESTIONS	MAXIMUM MARKS	DURATION
General Intelligence	25	50
English Language	25	50
Quantitative Aptitude	25	50
General Awareness	25	50
Total	100	200	60 minutes

 

The second stage of the exam, i.e. Tier-II is an offline descriptive paper. You will have to write a letter (150-200 words) or an essay (200-250 words). Total marks allotted are 100 and the duration of the exam is exactly one hour.

SECTIONS	WORD LIMIT	MAXIMUM MARKS	DURATION
Letter Writing	150-200	50
Essay Writing	200-250	50
Total		100	60 minutes

 

As you can see, one important section in both the stages of SSC CHSL exam is English Language and Writing Skills. It is one of the most scoring sections and can make a huge difference in your overall performance. Therefore, you must give special attention to this section while working on your competitive exam preparation.

 

LDC English Language Detailed Syllabus

The Language section comprises of the following topics. The number of questions you can expect from each topic is also mentioned below for your convenience.

TOPICS	NUMBER OF QUESTIONS (EXPECTED)
Spotting the error	2-3
Fill in the blanks	2-3
Spelling error	2-3
Antonyms-synonyms	2-3
One-word substitution	2-3
Phrases and idioms	2-3
Sentence correction	2-3
Passive and active voice	3
Indirect and direct narration	3
Comprehension	5
Cloze passage	5
Para jumbles	1-5

 

Best English Books for SSC LDC

If you have a strong hold on English then you are good to go. All you need is practice. However, if you are someone who has trouble understanding the basics of the language, then you will have to work on your weak points. The questions in this section, unlike the others, are dubious in nature. Hence, students with poor knowledge on the subject usually find it difficult to score good marks. However, if you know exactly what to study, and which books to refer to, then half of your job is done.

Here are some of the best books, recommended by experts and exam toppers-

• Objective General English, written by S.P. Bakshi

This book is recommended for students who are concerned about the phrases and idioms, vocabulary etc.

 

• Plinth to Paramount, written by Neetu Singh

This one is one of the best books to read if you want to build your basic concept of English grammar. The book clarifies each grammar rule and describes their application in different contexts.

 

• Word Power Made Easy, written by Norman Lewis

You must have this book by your side if you want to score good marks in the exam. The book aims to clear your concept and help improve your vocabulary.

 

• Quick Learning Objective English, written by Vikas Agarwal and R.S. Agarwal
• Additionally, you must also inculcate the habit of reading newspapers regularly. Pick the top English newspapers and make a list of new words you learn every day. That will help you stock up words- synonyms, antonyms, spellings etc. Moreover, it will also improve your writing skills- be it an essay or a letter.

Once you feel confident about your competitive exam preparation, sit for the online test series to evaluate your performance.

Conclusion

Lower Division Clerk is quite a popular career option when it comes to government jobs for graduates. If you work hard and study strategically, you will manage to get through quite easily. Refer to these best English books and you will surely score great marks.