Theory & Concepts

Master Conjunctions for SSC CGL

Get comprehensive theory, expert shortcuts, and hand-picked practice questions for Conjunctions specifically designed for the SSC CGL 2025-26 pattern.

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45 min readDifficulty: High

Conjunctions are connectors that link words, phrases, or clauses. In the SSC CGL Exam, conjunctions are heavily tested through correlation errors, incorrect pairings, and inversion patterns. Mastering these highly specific pairings is one of the fastest ways to secure full marks in Error Spotting and Sentence Improvement.

Learning path

  • Coordinating & Subordinating Conjunctions
  • Correlative Conjunction Pairs
  • High-Yield CGL Rules (Inversion & Lest)
  • 20 Practice Questions

1. Core Conjunction Types

Conjunctions are broadly categorized into three types based on their structural role in sentences:

Coordinating

Connects grammatically equal elements (FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So).

"He worked hard, yet he failed."

Correlative

Pairs of words that join grammatically equal elements (Either...or, Neither...nor, Not only...but also).

"Not only Delhi but also Mumbai faces pollution."

Subordinating

Joins a dependent clause to an independent clause (Because, Although, Unless, Until, If).

"You will pass unless you stop writing."

2. Master Grammar Rules for SSC CGL

These specific rules represent over 90% of conjunction-based errors found in previous tier-1 and tier-2 papers:

1
Hardly / Scarcely / Barely ... When

These negative adverbs must be paired with when or before, never 'than' or 'then'. Furthermore, they require inversion (verb before subject) when starting a sentence.

✔ "Hardly had I stepped out when it started raining."

✘ "Hardly had I stepped out than it started raining."

2
No sooner ... Than

Must be paired with than, never 'when' or 'then'. Like 'hardly', starting a sentence with 'No sooner' triggers grammatical inversion.

✔ "No sooner did the bell ring than the students ran out."

✘ "No sooner did the bell ring when the students ran out."

3
Lest ... Should

'Lest' means "for fear that" or "to avoid the risk of". It must be paired with the helping verb should or the base subjunctive verb form. Crucially, because 'lest' is already negative, you cannot place a negative word like 'not' in the 'lest' clause.

✔ "Run fast lest you should miss the train."

✘ "Run fast lest you should not miss the train."

4
Although / Though ... Yet / Comma

'Although' or 'Though' can be paired with yet or simply a comma. Pairing them with 'but' is a standard error trap.

✔ "Although he studied hard, he did not score well." (or "...yet he did not score well.")

✘ "Although he studied hard but he did not score well."

5
Unless vs. Until

Unless is condition-oriented ("if not"). Until is time-oriented ("up to the time when"). Both clauses are inherently negative, so do not use 'not' inside them.

✔ "Wait here until I return." | "You will fail unless you work hard."

✘ "Wait here until I do not return."

3. 20 Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 01Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Scarcely had the pilot landed the plane than the engine caught fire."

A) Scarcely had the pilot
B) landed the plane
C) than the engine caught fire
D) No error
Correct answer: C) than the engine caught fire

Solution

Step 1: Check the starting word: 'Scarcely'.
Step 2: 'Scarcely' is a negative adverb that must be paired with 'when' or 'before'.
Step 3: The sentence incorrectly uses 'than'.
Conclusion: Replace 'than' with 'when'. Option C.
Question 02Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "No sooner did the teacher enter the class when the students stood up."

A) No sooner did the
B) teacher enter the class
C) when the students stood up
D) No error
Correct answer: C) when the students stood up

Solution

Step 1: Locate the correlative conjunction: 'No sooner'.
Step 2: Check the pairing word: 'when'.
Step 3: 'No sooner' must be followed by 'than'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 03Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "Work hard lest you ___________ fail in the examination."

A) will
B) would
C) should
D) might
Correct answer: C) should

Solution

Step 1: Identify the connector: 'lest'.
Step 2: Under CGL grammar rules, 'lest' is strictly followed by the helping verb 'should'.
Step 3: 'should' matches the subjunctive structure perfectly.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 04Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Although he is extremely wealthy, but he lives a very simple life."

A) Although he is
B) extremely wealthy,
C) but he lives a simple life
D) No error
Correct answer: C) but he lives a simple life

Solution

Step 1: Look at the introductory clause with 'Although'.
Step 2: The correlative partner for 'Although' is either a comma or 'yet'. Using 'but' violates standard grammar rules.
Step 3: Replace 'but' with a comma or 'yet'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 05Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "No sooner ___________ the police station than the culprits escaped."

A) had he reached
B) he had reached
C) did he reached
D) he reached
Correct answer: A) had he reached

Solution

Step 1: 'No sooner' begins the sentence, which triggers the law of subject-auxiliary inversion.
Step 2: Inversion puts the auxiliary verb (had/did) before the subject (he).
Step 3: Option C uses 'did' + past verb 'reached' (incorrect, should be bare infinitive 'reach'). Option A uses past perfect 'had he reached' correctly.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 06Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Both Rahul as well as his brother have been invited to the ceremony."

A) Both Rahul
B) as well as his brother
C) have been invited
D) No error
Correct answer: B) as well as his brother

Solution

Step 1: Identify the correlative conjunction: 'Both'.
Step 2: Under CGL standards, 'Both' must be paired with 'and', never 'as well as'.
Step 3: Replace 'as well as' with 'and'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 07Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "He had scarcely stepped out of the room ___________ the lights went off."

A) than
B) when
C) then
D) before
Correct answer: B) when

Solution

Step 1: Identify the trigger adverb: 'scarcely'.
Step 2: 'Scarcely' pairs with 'when' or 'before'. In CGL exams, 'when' is the primary choice.
Step 3: Option B is the correct match.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 08Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Unless you do not give up bad habits, you will suffer in the long run."

A) Unless you do not
B) give up bad habits,
C) you will suffer
D) No error
Correct answer: A) Unless you do not

Solution

Step 1: Identify the conditional adverb: 'Unless'.
Step 2: 'Unless' is inherently negative ('if not'), so we cannot use another negative ('do not') inside the same clause.
Step 3: Modify 'Unless you do not give up' to 'Unless you give up'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 09Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "The choice is between career ___________ family life."

A) or
B) to
C) and
D) but
Correct answer: C) and

Solution

Step 1: Look at the word 'between'.
Step 2: The correct correlative pair for 'between' is 'and'. The alternative 'to' or 'or' is incorrect here.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 10Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "She was too tired that she could not complete her assignments."

A) She was too tired
B) that she could not
C) complete her assignments
D) No error
Correct answer: A) She was too tired

Solution

Step 1: Note the clause structure containing 'that she could not'.
Step 2: The structure 'too... to' matches infinitives. The structure 'so... that' matches finite clauses.
Step 3: Replace 'too tired' with 'so tired' to complement 'that'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 11Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "He behaved in such a rude manner ___________ everyone was shocked."

A) as
B) that
C) than
D) because
Correct answer: B) that

Solution

Step 1: Identify the correlative base: 'such a...'.
Step 2: 'Such... that' expresses a result, whereas 'such... as' is used for category categorization/examples.
Step 3: Because the clause shows a result ('everyone was shocked'), 'that' is required.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 12Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Run fast lest you should not miss the train."

A) Run fast
B) lest you
C) should not miss
D) No error
Correct answer: C) should not miss

Solution

Step 1: Analyze the negative conjunction 'lest'.
Step 2: Since 'lest' already means 'for fear that... not', adding 'not' creates a double negative error.
Step 3: Change 'should not miss' to 'should miss'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 13Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "He is not only hardworking ___________ highly intelligent."

A) but also
B) as well as
C) and also
D) but
Correct answer: A) but also

Solution

Step 1: Identify the initial correlative part: 'not only'.
Step 2: Pair it with 'but also'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 14Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Neither the teacher or the students attended the program."

A) Neither the teacher
B) or the students
C) attended the program
D) No error
Correct answer: B) or the students

Solution

Step 1: Locate the correlative: 'Neither'.
Step 2: 'Neither' must be paired with 'nor', not 'or'.
Step 3: Replace 'or' with 'nor'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 15Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "I am not sure ___________ he will attend the seminar or not."

A) if
B) whether
C) that
D) unless
Correct answer: B) whether

Solution

Step 1: Look at the end of the sentence: 'or not'.
Step 2: 'Whether' is the correct conjunction to pair with 'or not' when expressing doubt.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 16Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "No sooner did he see the tiger then he climbed up the tree."

A) No sooner did he
B) see the tiger
C) then he climbed
D) No error
Correct answer: C) then he climbed

Solution

Step 1: Detect the correlation: 'No sooner'.
Step 2: 'No sooner' must be followed by 'than'. The exam frequently inserts 'then' as a spelling trap.
Step 3: Replace 'then' with 'than'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 17Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "The reason why he failed is ___________ he did not practice enough."

A) because
B) due to
C) that
D) owing to
Correct answer: C) that

Solution

Step 1: Look at the phrase 'The reason why...'.
Step 2: 'The reason why' should be followed by 'that', not 'because' or 'due to' (which would cause redundancy).
Step 3: Choose 'that'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 18Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "As he was ill, so he did not come to the office."

A) As he was
B) ill, so
C) he did not come
D) No error
Correct answer: B) ill, so

Solution

Step 1: Look at the starting subordinating conjunction: 'As' (indicating reason).
Step 2: Conjunctions like 'As', 'Since', 'Because' should not take 'so' or 'therefore' in the second clause since they are redundant.
Step 3: Remove 'so'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 19Exam Pattern

Choose the correct option: "I shall not forgive him ___________ he apologizes for his behavior."

A) until
B) unless
C) while
D) as
Correct answer: B) unless

Solution

Step 1: Analyze the relationship: a conditional clause is needed ("if he does not apologize").
Step 2: 'Unless' expresses condition, while 'until' expresses time.
Step 3: Choose 'unless'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 20Exam Pattern

Identify the error: "Not only did she sing beautifully, and she also danced gracefully."

A) Not only did she
B) sing beautifully,
C) and she also danced
D) No error
Correct answer: C) and she also danced

Solution

Step 1: Identify the starter: 'Not only'.
Step 2: 'Not only' must be paired with 'but also'.
Step 3: Change 'and she also' to 'but she also'.
Conclusion: Option C.

Strategy errors to avoid

!

Hardly / No Sooner Inversion Failure

Always check that when a negative adverb starts the sentence, the subject is positioned AFTER the auxiliary verb. Writing "No sooner we reached than..." is incorrect; it must be "No sooner did we reach...".

!

Double Negatives with 'Lest', 'Unless', 'Until'

Never place 'not' or 'never' in a clause controlled by 'lest', 'unless', or 'until'. Doing so cancels the negative meaning and causes a syntax failure under exam guidelines.

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