UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 — English (Compulsory): Question Paper | Plutus IAS

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11 Sep UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 — English (Compulsory): Question Paper | Plutus IAS

Posted at 11 Sep 2026 in UPSC by
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The questions below are from English (Compulsory) of UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2026 (held 2026-08-29) — the actual paper, which is public government content. This page carries the questions for reference and revision; model answers for this paper are not published here.

Official paper (PDF): upsc.gov.in.

  1. Write an essay in about 600 words on any one of the following topics : 100 – (a) The rise of Indian women in sports. – (b) A thing of beauty is a joy forever. – (c) Growth of influencer culture in India. – (d) War is a problem, not a solution.
  2. (a) Rewrite the following sentences after making the necessary corrections. Do not make unnecessary changes in the original sentence : 1×10=10 (a) (i) The two first chapters of the novel are rather dull. (a) (ii) They were introduced to each other by a mutual friend. (a) (iii) Such goods are made for export, and are seldom or ever used in this country. (a) (iv) He not only lost his ticket, but also his luggage. (a) (v) This is one of the most interesting novels that has appeared this year. (a) (vi) Draw a line over the middle of the page. (a) (vii) She is bad in communicating her ideas. (a) (viii) Nothing now remains besides the factory itself. (a) (ix) House prices fell down by five percent last month. (a) (x) I will take both ones if that is okay. (b) Supply the missing words : 1×5=5 (b) (i) It is ten o'clock ________ my watch. (b) (ii) The public are cautioned ________ pickpockets. (b) (iii) His illness is a mere pretext ________ his absence. (b) (iv) His statement was tantamount ________ a confession. (b) (v) He parted ________ his property and went on pilgrimage to holy places. (c) Use the correct form of the verb given in the brackets : 1×5=5 (c) (i) I'm sure I ________ him at the party last night. (see) (c) (ii) I ________ for half an hour when it suddenly started to rain. (walk) (c) (iii) Don't disturb me. I ________ my homework. (do) (c) (iv) Perhaps we ________ New Delhi next month. (visit) (c) (v) I ________ him for a long time. (know) (d) Write the antonyms of the following : 1×5=5 (d) (i) Brief (d) (ii) Chatty (d) (iii) Candid (d) (iv) Always (d) (v) Expand
  3. (a) Rewrite the following sentences as directed without changing the meaning : 1×10=10 (a) (i) Latif is more industrious than most other boys. (Rewrite using superlative degree) (a) (ii) One must be honest in his/her dealings. (Rewrite after correction) (a) (iii) She is a good singer. (Rewrite using 'well') (a) (iv) There was a traffic-jam this morning. We were late for work. (Rewrite using a conjunctive adverb) (a) (v) The teacher asked the students a question. (Change the voice) (a) (vi) She has been working in the company for years; ______ ? (Add a question tag) (a) (vii) She said, “I have been teaching music for seven years.” (Change into indirect speech) (a) (viii) The measure was put through without opposition. (Rewrite using ‘pass’) (a) (ix) It is not necessary for him to go. (Rewrite using ‘need’) (a) (x) He speaks like his father. (Rewrite using ‘as’) (b) Use the following words to make sentences that bring out the meaning clearly. Do not change the form of the words. (No marks will be given for vague and ambiguous sentences) : 1×5=5 (b) (i) Conceit (b) (ii) Fussy (b) (iii) Stalk (b) (iv) Rebel (b) (v) Poorly (c) Choose the appropriate word to fill in the blanks : 1×5=5 (c) (i) He was ______ about locking the door and a thief got in. (Negligible/Negligent) (c) (ii) She was a ______ child who would never stop once her mind was made up. (wilful/willing) (c) (iii) She devised an ______ scheme to hoodwink the police. (Ingenuous/Ingenious) (c) (iv) ______ to the VIP room is limited. (Access/Excess) (c) (v) The budget focused on ______ growth. (Economical/Economic) (d) Use the following idioms/phrases in sentences of your own to bring out their meaning clearly : 1×5=5 (d) (i) Sitting on the fence (d) (ii) Cold blood (d) (iii) Over head and ears (d) (iv) Bag and baggage (d) (v) Black and white

Questions reproduced from the official paper for study purposes; verify on the exam-conducting body’s official website.

Related — other papers of this exam

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