By Sunīl Chaudhari – Digital Success Coach & Founder of Guruji English Classes

If you are preparing for competitive exams in India — SSC, Banking, IBPS, SBI, UPSC, CDS, Railways, Airforce, State PCS, Police Exams, or any government job exam — English Grammar becomes one of your strongest scoring subjects.

But here’s the biggest confusion every student faces:

👉 “Sir, which English grammar book is best for competitive exams?”
👉 “Which book should I follow so that I don’t waste time?”
👉 “Which book explains grammar clearly and gives exam-oriented questions?”

As a Digital Success Coach, and as someone who has trained thousands of learners for communication, English fluency, and competitive English, I can confidently say:

Choosing the right grammar book saves you time, reduces confusion, and gives you maximum marks with minimum effort.

The wrong book will confuse you.
The right book will prepare you.

This is why I have created this complete guide to help you choose the best English grammar books specifically for competitive exams.

Let’s begin your success journey.

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⭐ Why Grammar Books Are Essential for Competitive Exams

Most exams in India focus on three components:

• Grammar

• Vocabulary

• Reading Comprehension

But grammar is the only section where you can score near 100% marks if you follow the right book and practice regularly.

Here’s why grammar books are important:

✅ 1. Grammar questions repeat every year

Tenses, articles, subject–verb agreement, voices, narration — patterns remain the same.

✅ 2. Competitive exams follow rule-based answers

The correct answer must follow grammar rules, not guesswork.

✅ 3. Grammar helps in reading comprehension

Understanding structure makes comprehension easy.

✅ 4. Grammar builds your speaking and writing confidence

You write better emails, applications, essays, descriptive answers.

✅ 5. Good books simplify grammar for fast learning

The right book explains rules in easy English + gives hundreds of practice questions.

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⭐ Criteria I Use to Choose the Best Grammar Books

A book for competitive exams should be:

All the books listed below meet these requirements.

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⭐ Top 10 English Grammar Books for Competitive Exams (Expert Recommended)

Below is the handpicked list of the best grammar books for competitive exams in India.
Each book is explained in detail—with strengths, ideal audience, and how to use it.

Let’s begin.

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1. “Objective General English” by SP Bakshi (Arihant Publications)

This is one of the most popular and most trusted English books for competitive exams.

⭐ Why It’s Powerful

• Very clear explanations

• Beginner-friendly

• Perfect for SSC, Bank, Insurance, Defence exams

• Covers grammar + vocabulary + comprehension

⭐ What It Includes

• Grammar rules

• Error spotting

• Sentence improvement

• Fill in the blanks

• Cloze tests

⭐ Best For

Beginners and mid-level learners.

⭐ How to Use

Read one chapter daily → Solve exercises → Revise notes.

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2. “Plinth to Paramount” by Neetu Singh (Kiran Publications)

One of the most exam-oriented grammar books in India.

⭐ Why It’s Famous

• Simple Hindi-English explanation

• Perfect for SSC CGL, CHSL, GD, CPO

• Practical questions

• 100% exam pattern-based

⭐ Strengths

• Error spotting section is the best in India

• Very easy for Hindi medium students

⭐ Best For

SSC aspirants and Hindi-speaking learners.

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3. “English Grammar & Composition” by Wren & Martin (High School Edition)

A legendary book — the foundation of grammar.

⭐ Why It’s Useful

• Extremely detailed

• Great for conceptual clarity

• Good examples

• Helps in descriptive English

⭐ Who Should Use It

Students preparing for:

• UPSC

• State PCS

• Teaching exams

• Descriptive papers

⭐ How to Use

Read concepts → Solve exercises → Don’t try to finish in one go (too detailed).

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4. “A Mirror of Common Errors” by Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh

This book focuses ONLY on grammar mistakes made in exams.

⭐ Why It’s Important

• Best book for error detection

• Very concise

• Practice-heavy

• Exam-oriented

⭐ Perfect For

SSC + Banking students who want to master error spotting.

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5. “General English for All Competitive Exams” by KD Publications (Neetu Singh)

This is updated every year and follows the latest exam pattern.

⭐ Best Features

• 7000+ grammar questions

• Topic-wise practice

• Very easy language

• Direct exam-style explanations

⭐ Ideal For

All competitive exam aspirants who want fast practice.

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6. “Objective English” by Hari Mohan Prasad & Uma Rani Sinha

One of the most structured competitive English books.

⭐ Why Students Love It

• Clear rule-based approach

• Good for concept building

• Focus on standard English

• Great for banking and insurance exams

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7. “Word Power Made Easy” by Norman Lewis

While not a grammar book, it is essential for competitive exams.

⭐ Why It’s Needed

• Strong vocabulary improves grammar

• Helps in choosing the correct option

• Improves reading comprehension

Use this with any grammar book.

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8. “Corrective English” by AK Singh

A compact book that focuses on corrections and grammar errors.

⭐ Why Beginners Should Read It

• Simple Hindi-English explanation

• Good examples

• Very useful for SSC + Defence exams

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9. “High School English Grammar & Composition – Key Book”

This is the solution book to Wren & Martin.

⭐ Why It Helps

• Step-by-step solutions

• Very helpful for self-study

Use only if you use the main Wren & Martin book.

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10. “Competitive General English” by Kiran Publications

A combination book covering grammar + vocabulary + comprehension.

⭐ Why It’s Useful

• Lots of previous-year questions

• Topic-wise arrangement

• Good for practice

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⭐ Comparison Table — Best Grammar Books for Exams

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⭐ Which Book Should YOU Choose? (My Personal Recommendation)

To avoid confusion, here is my simple recommendation based on your exam:

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For SSC CGL / CHSL / CPO / GD

👉 Plinth to Paramount
👉 Mirror of Common Errors
👉 SP Bakshi

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For Banking / IBPS / SBI / RBI

👉 SP Bakshi
👉 Objective English (H M Prasad)
👉 Word Power Made Easy

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For UPSC / State PCS

👉 Wren & Martin (High School Edition)
👉 Word Power Made Easy
👉 Kiran Competitive English

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For Defence Exams (Airforce, Navy, NDA, CDS)

👉 Plinth to Paramount
👉 SP Bakshi
👉 Corrective English

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For Beginners (Any Exam)

👉 SP Bakshi
👉 KD Publications

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⭐ How to Study Grammar for Exams (My Proven Method)

Follow this plan to get maximum results.

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Step 1: Learn the Grammar Concept (15–20 minutes)

From:

• SP Bakshi

• Neetu Singh

• Wren & Martin

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Step 2: Solve Practice Questions (30 minutes)

From:

• KD Publications

• Kiran Publications

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Step 3: Solve Previous Year Questions (20 minutes)

Always solve PYQs — they show real patterns.

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Step 4: Error Spotting Practice (10 minutes)

Use:

• Mirror of Common Errors

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Step 5: Revise Notes (10 minutes)

Revision = memory + speed + confidence.

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⭐ Most Important Grammar Topics for Competitive Exams

These topics appear every year in every exam:

• Tenses

• Subject–verb agreement

• Articles

• Prepositions

• Conjunctions

• Modals

• Voices (active/passive)

• Narration (direct/indirect)

• Error spotting

• Cloze test grammar

• Sentence improvement

Focus on these first.

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⭐ Sample Error-Spotting Exercise

Example questions you must solve:

❌ Incorrect:

He don’t know the answer.

✔ Correct:

He doesn’t know the answer.

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❌ Incorrect:

She going to market.

✔ Correct:

She is going to the market.

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Practice like this daily.

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⭐ How Many Hours Should You Study English Grammar?

To crack competitive exams:

👉 Study 45–60 minutes daily

👉 Practice questions for 30 minutes

👉 Do revision once a week

This routine is enough to score high marks.

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⭐ Signs Your Grammar Is Getting Stronger

You will notice:

✔ You solve questions faster
✔ Your accuracy improves
✔ You make fewer mistakes while writing
✔ You understand passages easily
✔ You speak confidently

These are strong indicators of progress.

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⭐ Final Thoughts — The Right Grammar Book Can Change Your Result

Grammar is not difficult.
Grammar becomes difficult when you choose the wrong books or follow confusing methods.

With the right book and daily practice, you can score extremely high marks in English.

Remember:
👉 Your exam success depends on your preparation strategy
👉 Your preparation strategy depends on your study material
👉 Your study material begins with the right grammar book

Choose smart.
Study consistently.
Practice daily.
And your results will reflect your dedication.

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