7 Best General English Books for Competitive Exams

One of the most important subjects in any competitive exam is English. And while it is now the widely accepted language, cracking the exam level English is still one of the toughest things out there. With the abundance of competitive exams and even the books available to study from (not to forget the immense library of material online), making the right choice for the right books can be a little difficult.

So, to take off some of that pressure from your shoulders and blow away the stress, we have found the best General English Books for competitive exams that you need in your study vanity. Get ready to understand right from the basics to nail the advanced with these general english books.

Scroll down to find your perfect one from the list of 7 best General English Books for Competitive Exams.

1. Best in Print Quality: Lucent's General English for All Competitive Exams

Is grammar what you get stuck with? Then this book is the best for you because it offers extensive information and knowledge for English Grammar - something that you won't be able to find anywhere else. So if English Grammar is not your strong suit then you need this book in your study prep kit. Every single concept is explained in detail in this book and it covers all the concepts. Paper quality is also outstanding and the ease of understanding keeps your focus intact.

What other aspirants have to say about it?
It's easy to understand and simple too - thus, it is very helpful for someone who is a beginner or has little time in their hands. For those who are appearing for competitive exams, this book works extremely well and helps keeping you in track with the prep.

What makes it a top pick?

• Covers all concepts of English Grammar extensively
• Easy to understand and read
• Good paper and print quality

Pros

• Value for money
• Well-explained

Cons

• Some students have complained that it is not for professionals

2. Best Overall: English Grammar & Composition

This book is a complete package. It helps candidates and aspirants improve English proficiency while educating them about the proper use of grammar as well. The book is well-divided over 69 chapters and covers all aspects and elements of grammar, inclusive of spelling rules, spotting the errors, idioms & phrases, word power, formation of words phrasal verbs, synonyms, palindromes, homonyms, antonyms, pangrams, heteronyms, foreign words, group terms, paragraph writing, letter writing, comprehension, report writing, choosing appropriate words, letter writing etc.

What other aspirants have to say about it?
The book uses easy and detailed explanation that allows one to understand every concept effortlessly and also implement with accuracy. The set of solved questions gives the perfect idea about the question pattern and prepares one for the actual examination. Apart from this, the tricks and techniques mentioned in the book to solve various types of questions are also very helpful.

What makes it the top english book for competitive exams?

• Competitive exams-oriented curriculum
• Based on intensive research and analysis
• Whole new style of content presentation that is easily understandable

Pros

• Easy to understand
• Extensive information
• Mentions tips and tricks

Cons

• Some students have said that this book is too beginner friendly

3. Most Extensive: Objective General English

Prepare and revise and get ahead of all the other competition with this objective general English book in your study kit. This book thoroughly features General English section that's asked in a number of examinations - both competitive and banking. The book is divided in 4 different parts to make it easy for the learner to understand all concepts thoroughly. It works brilliantly as a preparation booster for various competitive examinations like Bank, NDA, CDS, SSC, MBA, MCA,UPSC, B.Ed. Exams, etc.

What other aspirants have to say about it?
English is a super important subject when it comes to preparing for any sort of competitive examination and this book covers all aspects in an easy to understand format. It contains all sorts of information, imparts knowledge and provides lots of practice questions for every product.

What makes it a top pick?

• Covers an extensive curriculum
• Supremely precise and informative
• Additional practice questions are very helpful

Pros

• Very precise
• Informative
• Extensive information

Cons

• Some students have complained about the printing quality of the competitive english book

4. Best in bilingual: Examcart Latest Complete General English Book

Preparing for competitive as well as government exams? Your English needs to be top-notch. This General English Book by Examcart has got your back for all exams like those in the Banking sector, SSC, Defense, Management (CAT, XAT GMAT), Railway, Police, Civil Services and much more that you would be eyeing. With this book in your study kit, your English study material is sorted! The biggest thing is that the book comes with a 100% guarantee that the materials listed in here would be enough for you to prepare English Grammar curriculum for all competitive examinations. What more is required?

What are other aspirants saying about it?
This book suffices a world in itself. It is the best one out there and truly the only to guarantee that you wouldn't need anything else. It is super lucid, easy to understand and super helpful for those who are trying to build their English Grammar knowledge from ground up, aka, beginners!

What makes it a top pick?

• Covers 600+ applied grammar rules to help solve all previous and upcoming exam questions
• Features 1500+ examples based on applied grammar rules
• 4000+ questions based on all the competitive and bank examinations

Pros

• Easy to understand
• Bilingual - in both English and Hindi for easy understanding
• Covers all important topics

Cons

• Some students say that the paper seems to be too thin

5. Best budget: Arihant General English for All Competitive Examinations

Great knowledge, vast question banks and an enormous coverage of all competitive exams, this book by Arihant, has it all. With 32 chapters, this book prepares you with the whole English curriculum for all exams. It consists of 600 Practice Exercises and 10,000 Words & Sentences to prep you completely so you will be ready to pass every exam. Every chapter in the book contains if a short synopsis, a detailed description of important rules and practice exercises.

What other aspirants have to say?
The topic based examples are a game-changer. They really help in taking your study-game a notch up. Also, this book is not for beginners but for professionals - this book is all you need! It helps prepare you for all competitive exams and the questions keep you on track with your progress.

What makes it a top pick?

• Covers all types of objective questions
• Features previous year's questions to understand the rationale behind the answers
• Makes aspirants exam ready particularly in the English Grammar section

Pros

• Value for money
• Covers all topics for competitive exams
• Consists of a lot of examples for advanced learning

Cons

• Some students have said that the printing is average

6. Best in premium: Wren & Martin English for Competitive Examinations

Designed with the knowledge of original Wren& Martin text, combined with High School Grammar Composition, along with specialized content formulated by a panel of competitive examination experts inthe English language- this book is a complete masterpiece. It beautifully adapts a classical version for various admissions and recruitment competitive examination aspirants. It exhaustively runs over the curriculum for every competitive examination and none remains untouched.

What are other aspirants saying about it?
Wren and Martin comes with years of reputation and brand image when it comes to the world of English and the examples provided in this book are extremely useful. It is great for beginners and also has practice questions that keep you on-track with your progress.

What makes it a top pick?

• One stop solution for all competitive exams
• Additional question banks that serve as practice booster
• Covers both descriptive and objective portions

Pros

• Engaging and motivating
• Unique and peerless

Cons

• Some students have found this to be expensive

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