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Fifteen Minutes — the English newsletter for SSC & Banking aspirants

SSC CGL Tier 1 now gives you fifteen minutes for the English section, and the section locks when the timer ends. This is the newsletter for that paper — three times a week, about four minutes to read, every word and question taken from a real one.

The same five blocks, every issue

01Five from the papersWords that actually appeared, each stamped with the exam and year.
02Three questionsReal previous-year questions. Answers below a divider, so you attempt first.
03One ruleA single grammar rule, explained in about eighty words.
04The trapOne line on where this paper reliably takes marks off people.
05Notice boardCalendar and pattern changes, only when there is something real to report.

Here is a whole issue

Not a mock-up. This went out as issue 12.

Issue 12 · About four minutes

Three of the five below have appeared in more than one SSC paper since 2022. If you know all five cold, that is potentially four marks you are not currently losing.

Five from the papers

abate(verb) to become less intense or widespreadSSC CGL 2023

candid(adjective) truthful and straightforward, often uncomfortably soSSC CHSL 2023

frugal(adjective) sparing with money or foodSSC CGL 2022

obsolete(adjective) no longer in use; out of dateSSC CPO 2023

tenacious(adjective) holding firmly; not giving upSSC CGL 2024

Three questions

1. Select the word that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word: The scheme was praised for its FRUGAL use of public money. SSC CGL 2022

A. Thrifty B. Extravagant C. Modest D. Careful

2. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error: The number of applicants / have increased / sharply this year / after the notification. SSC CHSL 2023

A. The number of applicants B. have increased C. sharply this year D. after the notification

3. Select the correct one-word substitution: A person who is indifferent to pleasure or pain. SSC CGL 2023

A. Sceptic B. Stoic C. Cynic D. Ascetic

Answers

1. B — Frugal means sparing. Extravagant is its direct opposite; thrifty, modest and careful are all near-synonyms.

2. B — "The number of" takes a singular verb — it should be "has increased". "A number of" is the plural one.

3. B — A stoic endures without showing feeling. An ascetic gives up comfort by choice — close, but not the same claim.

One rule: Subject-verb agreement with 'the number of'

"The number of" is a singular subject — it names one quantity, so it takes a singular verb: the number of candidates has risen. "A number of" means "several", so it takes a plural verb: a number of candidates have withdrawn. Examiners use this pair constantly in error-spotting because the noun sitting next to the verb is plural either way, and your ear pulls you toward the plural verb.

The trap

In error-spotting, the word immediately before the verb is usually not the subject. Find the head noun first.

What this costs

Nothing, for the entire 2026 exam cycle. No card, and no trial that expires without warning.
Three emails a week. Nothing between them — no promotional blasts, no automated drip sequences.
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One click to leave, from any issue. It stops every kind of email we send, not just this one.

Read past issues

Every issue stays online. Nothing is held back for subscribers — the only thing subscribing changes is that it arrives.

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Questions

Is it really free?: Yes, for the entire 2026 exam cycle. No card, and no trial that quietly expires. If that ever changes, existing subscribers keep it free — we would rather lose the revenue than break that.
How often will you email me?: Three times a week — Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Nothing else. No promotional blasts between issues, and no automated sequences: every issue is put together and sent by a person.
Do I need the app?: No. The newsletter is complete on its own and you can read it without an account. Each issue links to the app if you want to practise what is in it, but that is optional.
Where does the content come from?: Our own tagged question bank. Every word and question carries the exam and year it appeared in, which is why you will see those stamps beside each item. If we cannot attribute something, it ships without a stamp rather than with an invented one.
How do I leave?: One click, from the link at the bottom of any issue. It takes effect immediately, and it also stops every other kind of email we send.

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