Spotting Errors
Category :
Spotting Errors
SSC CGL Main Examination contains questions (usually 20) based on Spotting Errors. In these questions, a sentence is divided into three parts. The sentence may or may not have an error. The aspirants are required to find out the part which has an error. If the sentence is free from error, the answer is option (d), 'No error'.
Quick Clues
· Read the complete sentence before selecting the part with the error.
· Look for the error in the use of Preposition, Conjunction, Adverb and Verb particularly.
· Keep in mind the various exceptions to the grammatical rules.
· Remember the sentence may not contain any error.
· Avoid extra effort and creating an error yourself.
Articles
A, An and The are called articles.
There are two kinds of articles
(i) Indefinite article A/An
(ii) Definite article The
Use of Indefinite Article - A/An
· The article An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound. e.g.,
§ She is an intelligent girl.
§ You are an honest man.
· The article A is used before a word beginning with a consonant sound. e.g.,
(i) He is a European, (ii) He is a one-eyed man.
· A/An is used before a singular countable noun when it is mentioned for the first time representing no particular person or thing. e.g.,
§ He has an axe.
§ She is a lawyer.
§ A boy came to my office.
· A/An is used before a singular countable noun which is used as the representative of a class of things or persons. e.g.,
§ A lion is a fierce animal.
§ A dog is a faithful animal.
· A/An is used in its original sense of one or any. e.g.,
§ She wants a car.
§ There are twelve inches in a foot.
§ He bought a book
Use of Definite Article - The
The definite article The is used
· When we talk about a particular person or thing or one already mentioned, e.g.,
§ Give me the book which you bought yesterday.
§ The dress you want is out of stock.
· When a singular noun represents a whole class. e.g.,
§ The cat loves comfort.
§ The banyan is a useful tree.
· Before the first noun in 'noun + preposition + noun' construction. e.g.,
§ The Bharat of Ramayana is an ideal brother.
§ The gold of India is famous.
· Before names of mountain-ranges. e.g.,
The Alps, The Himalayas, The Vindhyas
· The' is not used before names of single mountain or peak. e.g.,
· Mount Abu, Mount Everest, Snowdon.
· Before names of groups of islands, e.g.,
The Andamans, The Hebrides, The West Indies.
· 'The' is not used before names of single islands. e.g.,
Sicily, Sumatra, Sri Lanka
· Before names of rivers, oceans, gulfs, deserts and forests. e.g..
§ The Ganges, The Amazon, The Nile, The Arabian Sea, The Pacific Ocean, The Indian Ocean, The Persian Gulf, The Gulf of Mexico, The Sahara, The Black Forest.
· Before names of religious and mythological books. e.g.,
The Veda, The Ramayana, The Bible.
· Before names of newspapers and magazines. e.g.,
The Hindustan Times, The Times of India/The Statesman.
· Before names of historical buildings, places and events. e.g.,
The Taj Mahal, The Red Fort, The Pyramids, The Kaba, The Kurukshetra, The French Revolution.
· Before musical instruments. e.g.,
§ He can play the flute.
§ She is fond of playing on the piano.
· When musical instruments are used as countable nouns. A/An is used.e.g.,
We gave her a harmonium.
I have bought a violin
· Before religious communities and political parties. e.g.,
The Hindus, The Muslims, The Sikhs, The BJP, The Congress Party, The Janata Dal.
· Before names of government departments and armed forces. e.g.,
The Judiciary, The Legislative, The Executive, The Army,
The Navy, The Air Force.
· Before the dates of months. e.g.,
§ The 6th February, The 21st of December
· Before the superlative degree. e.g.,
§ Honesty is the best policy.
§ She is the tallest girl in the class.
· Before the names of a few countries and provinces. e.g.,
§ The USA, The USSR, The Netherlands, The Sudan, The Punjab.
· Before comparative degree in case of a choice. e.g..
§ She is the prettier of the two sisters.
§ He is the stronger of the two.
Omission of Articles
The articles a, an, the are omitted
· Before names of days and months. e.g.,
§ She will go on Monday.
§ They are getting married in January.
· Before names of languages. e.g.,
§ He cannot speak English.
§ She is learning Punjabi.
· Before names of subjects. e.g.,
§ She has no interest in mathematics.
§ Biology is his favourite subject.
· Before names of diseases. e.g.,
§ AIDS is spreading like wild fire.
§ He died of cancer.
· But The' is used before the names of a few diseases. e.g.,
The measles, The plague, The gout, The mumps.
· Before names of festivals and seasons, e.g.,
§ She celebrated Christmas with her friends.
§ He will go to Canada in the winter season.
· Before names of sports. e.g.,
§ She plays tennis.
§ We like cricket.
· Before school, college, church, prison, hospttal bad market, when these places are visited or used primary purpose. e.g.,
§ She goes to church on Sunday.
§ The criminal was sent to prison.
§ I go to bed at 10 pm.
· Before man, life, death, art, science, when these words are used in the widest sense. e.g.,
§ Man is mortal.
Science has developed much in the past fifty
Noun
A noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing,
Kinds of Noun
Proper Noun
A proper noun is the name of a particular person or place.
e.g., Radha, New York, India.
Proper nouns are always written with a capital letter at the beginning.
Common Noun
A common noun is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.
e.g.. Girl, City, Country, Book.'
Collective Noun
A collective noun is the name of a group of persons or things taken together and spoken of as a whole, as unit.
e.g., Team, Army, Jury, Fleet.
Material Noun
A material noun is the name of metal or substance, of which things are made of e.g., Silver, Cotton, Wood.
Abstract Noun
An abstract noun is usually the name of a quality, action or state rather than a concrete object.
e.g., Kindness, Laughter, Childhood.
Some Important Rules
Rule 1 Some nouns like furniture, information, poetry, scenery, machinery, work, wood, paper, glass, dust, traffic, electricity, food, grass, luggage, advice etc are always singular.
These are uncountable nouns. Neither a/an is used before them nor their plural is formed.
e.g.,
§ Young persons dislike the advice of elderly people.
§ He gave me information about this issue earlier.
Rule 2 Some nouns like committee, jury, family, crowd, government, audience etc. are used as singulars when they are thought of as a unit but they are used as plurals when their members are thought of.
e.g.,
§ The audience likes his style.
§ The audience are requested to take their seats.
Rule 3 When the plural noun is a proper name for some single object or some collective unit, it is used as singular.
e.g.,
§ The United States has a big navy.
§ Gulliver's Travels is still very popular.
Rule 4 Some nouns like, sheep, deer, swine, species etc. have the singular and the plural alike.
e.g.,
§ A sheep is grazing in the field.
Sheep are grazing in the field.
§ It is a rare species.
There are many species of dogs.
Rule 5 Nouns expressing number like dozen, score, hundred, thousand etc. are used in singular with numerical adjectives.
e.g.,
§ She bought three dozen oranges.
§ I gave him five hundred rupees.
Rule 6 Some nouns like cattle, poultry, people, police, gentry, peasantry, electorate etc. are always plural.
e.g.,
§ Cattle are not allowed to enter this ground.
§ These poultry are mine.
§ There are few gentry in this town.
Rule 7 A plural noun is used after one of, either of, neither of and each of.
e.g.,
§ Neither of the girls has come yet.
§ One of my friends is a software engineer.
§ Either of them will do it.
Rule 8 The plural of compound nouns are formed by forming plural of the principal word.
e.g.,
§ All my brothers-in-law are in Mumbai these days.
§ None of the passers-by helped him.
Rule 9 Plural formation is done in both the parts of the compound nouns of man and woman.
e.g.,
§ All the women doctors of this nursing home are beautiful.
§ None of the men-servants was present yesterday.
But man-haters, woman-lovers, man-lovers are used.
Possessive Case
Rule 10 The possessive case is chiefly used with the
names of living things.
e.g.,
§ The cart's wheel was broken. (Incorrect)
The wheel of the cart was broken. (Correct)
§ Ravi's brother is my friend.
Rule 11 If non-living things are personified, they are used
in possessive case.
e.g.,
§ If you are fortune's favorite, you might escape suffering while others suffer.
§ He is at death's door.
Rule 12 The possessive case is also used with nouns
Denoting time, space or weight.
e.g.,
§ My friend's house is at a stone's throw from here.
§ He will be back in a week's time.
Rule 13 When two or more nouns show joint possession, the possessive sign is put to the latter only.
e.g.,
§ John and Maria's sons are not only handsome but also intelligent.
§ He listened to Javed and Salim's script.
Rule 14 If else is used with anybody, somebody, nobody
etc. the possessive sign is put to else.
e.g.,
§ This shirt is not mine, it is somebody else's.
§ I follow your suggestion and nobody else's.
Rule 15 When two nouns are in apposition, the
Possessive sign is put to the latter only.
e.g.,
§ That is Tagore the poet's house.
§ He is going to James Watt the scientist's country.
Rule 16 Possessive sign is not attached to two
Consecutive nouns.
e.g.,
§ Rekha's brother's nature is very good.
(Incorrect)
§ The nature of Rekha's brother is very good.
(Correct)
Pronoun
A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun. It is used to avoid the repetition of noun word in a sentence.
e.g., Rohit is a good player and Rohit is an energetic player. Here, Rohit is repeated in the above sentence. A pronoun can prevent this repetition and the sentence can be as following.
Rohit is a good player and he is an energetic player.
'He' is a Pronoun in the above sentence.
Kinds of Pronoun
Personal Pronouns
I, we, you, he, me, her, them etc.
· If a pronoun acts as a subject of a verb, it is in
Nominative / subjective case and if it acts as an object of a. verb, it is in objective case.
§ Nominative case I, we, you, he, she, it, they.
§ Objective case me, us, you, him, her, it, them.
· A pronoun is used in objective case after let.
e.g.,
§ Let him and me do this.
§ Let her and us play badminton.
· A pronoun is used in objective case after a preposition.
e.g.,
§ She was angry with you and him.
§ They laughed at her and me without a reason.
· Nominative case is used after than, if the comparison is between two nominatives.
e.g.,
§ As a student of science you are far better than he.
§ She drives faster than I.
· Objective case is used after than, if the comparison is between two objects.
e.g.,
§ She loves you more than me.
§ I know her better than him.
· Good manners require that the order of personal pronouns in a sentence should be 231 i.e., the second person should come before the third and the third person before the first.
e.g.,
§ You and I must work together.
§ You and he will follow it.
§ You, he and I are going to Delhi.
· While referring to unpleasant acts or accepting guilt/mistake, the order of personal pronouns in a sentence should be 123.
e.g.,
§ I, you and he have stolen the money.
§ I and you will be punished.
Indefinite Pronouns
One, some, any, everybody, somebody, anybody, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, everything, something, anything, nothing etc.
· In referring to anybody, everybody, everyone, anyone, each etc., the pronoun he or she is used according to the context.
e.g.,
§ I shall be glad to help everyone of my boys in his studies.
§ Everyone of the Miss India contestants tried to improve herself through rigorous training.
· The indefinite pronoun one should be used throughout, if used at all, i.e., its nominative - one, objective one possessive one's and reflexive - oneself should be used.
e.g.,
§ One should take care of one's family.
§ One should help oneself.
Reflexive Pronouns
Myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves, itself etc.
· A reflexive pronoun or an object must be put after acquit, absent, avail, resign, revenge, enjoy, exert, apply, adopt, adjust, avenge, pride.
e.g.,
§ I absented myself from the class.
§ You should avail yourself of every chance in life.
· Verbs such as bathe, break, burst, feed, gather, hide, keep, make, move, open, qualify, rest, roll, speed, steal, stop, turn, are usually not followed by a reflexive pronoun.
e.g.,
§ He has qualified for the post.
§ You should keep from bad boys.
· A reflexive pronoun cannot be used as a substitute for the subject.
e.g.,
§ Siddharth and myself decided to join the army.
(Incorrect)
§ Siddharth and I decided to join the army.
(Correct)
Emphatic Pronouns
When myself, yourself, ourselves, herself, itself, themselves etc. are used for the sake of emphasis they are called emphatic pronouns, e.g.,
§ I myself went to finalise the deal.
§ They themselves admitted their guilt.
Distributive Pronouns
Each, either, neither etc.
· Either and Neither are used for two persons or things.
e.g.,
§ Either of them can do this.
§ Neither of you will stand there.
· Each is used for two or more than two persons/things.
e.g.,
§ Each of the students contributed fifty rupees.
§ Each of the two boys is completing his work.
· For more than two persons or things any/anyone is used in place of either and none is used in place of neither.
e.g.,
§ Anyone of the students can participate in the debate.
§ None of these boys will enter the class.
Demonstrative Pronouns
This, that, these, those, such etc.
· This and these are used for. the, persons/things which are near the speaker.
· This is used for one person/thing and these is used for more than one person/thing.
e.g.,
§ This pen is a present for you.
§ These flowers are beautiful.
· That and those are used for the persons/things which are away from the speaker.
· That is used for one person/thing and those is used for more than one person/thing.
e.g.,
§ That boy is hardworking.
§ Those shirts are mine.
Relative Pronouns
Who, whom, whose, which, that etc.
· Who is used for persons only and which is used for things without life and for animals.
e.g..
§ This is the man who brought the new:-.
§ The watch which I recently bought is branded
· That is used for persons and things.
e.g..
§ This is the man that brought the news.
§ The watch that I recently bought is branded.
· Who/which is used in both defining and non-defining cases that is used in defining case. e.g.,
§ The horse which she has bought is black.
§ I have bought a dog which is white.
Here, in the first sentence that can be used in place of which but in the second sentence it can't be used.
· That is used after superlative degree, all, same, only, none, nothing.
e.g.,
§ He was the most eloquent speaker that I ever heard.
§ It is only donkeys that bray.
· Who is used in nominative case i.e., it is followed by a verb while whom is used in objective case i.e., it is not followed by a verb.
e.g.,
§ This is the boy who broke the glass.
§ The girl whom I met today was his friend.
Interrogative Pronouns
Who, whom, whose, which, what etc.
· Who is used for person.
e.g..
§ Who was knocking at the door?
· Which is used for both persons and things. It implies selection.
e.g.,
§ Which of these boys will win the prize?
§ Which of them has said so?
· After preposition whom is used instead of who.
e.g.,
§ By whom was the flower plucked?
§ About whom are you talking?
Exclamatory Pronoun
When interrogative word what is used to express surprise it is called exclamatory pronoun, e.g.,
What! you don't know Hrithik?
Reciprocal Pronouns
Each other, one another etc.
· Each other is used for two persons/things and one another is used for more than two persons/things.
· But in modern use there is no difference in the use of each other and one another.
e.g.,
§ They all helped one another.
The four friends quarreled with each other.
Adjective
An adjective is a word which is used with a noun or pronoun to add something to its meaning. An adjective either describes a person, place, animal or thing. Thus, an adjective is a word which qualifies a noun or a pronoun.
e.g., This is a yellow rose.
Here, 'yellow' adds something to 'the' meaning of 'rose'.
Kinds of Adjective
Proper Adjectives
Adjectives which are formed from proper nouns are called
Proper Adjectives.
e.g.,
|
Proper Nouns |
Proper Adjectives |
|
India |
Indian |
|
Turkey |
Turkish |
|
America |
America |
|
Shakespeare |
Shakespearian |
A proper adjective must begin with a capital letter.
Possessive Adjectives
My, our, your, his, her, their, its are called possessive adjectives. Possessive adjectives are always used before noun.
e.g., My book. Your brother, His horse
Numeral Adjectives
Numeral adjectives are of two kinds
Definite These adjectives denote exact number or order of persons/things.
· Those which denote exact number of persons/things are called cardinals.
e.g., One, two, three, four etc.
· Those which denote the serial order in which a person or thing stands are called ordinals.
e.g., First, third, next, last etc.
· Ordinals are used before cardinals, if they both are to be used in a sentence.
e.g.,
§ The first three pages of this book.
§ The last two scenes of this movie.
Indefinite These adjectives denote number of some kind without saying precisely what the number is.
e.g.,
· Many, some, enough, few, all, most, various, numerous, several etc.
· If definite and indefinite both numeral adjectives are to be used together, indefinite numeral adjectives should be used before definite numeral adjectives.
Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives are of two kinds
Definite This, that, these, those, such, same.
These adjectives point out a particular person or thing exactly.
Indefinite A, an a certain some, any, any other, another, other.
These adjectives point out persons or things in a certain sense but not exactly.
· A an, a certain, another, this, that are always used with Singular Countable Nouns, e.g.,
That book, A certain boy, This dog
· Such, the same, the other, any are used with both singular nouns and plural countable nouns, e.g.,
Such a girl, Such girls, the same horse, The same horses
· These, those, certain are always used with plural countable nouns, e.g.,
These tigers, Those men, Certain books
Distributive Adjectives
Each, every, either, neither are called distributive adjectives.
· Each is used for two or more than two things/persons.
e.g.,
§ Each boy must take his turn.
§ Each of the two girls is beautiful.
· Every is used for more than two persons/things.
e.g.,
§ Every word of it is false.
§ He gave every girl the same dress.
· Either and Neither are used for two persons/things.
e.g.,
§ Take either side, whichever you prefer.
§ Neither of the two ministers was available for comments.
· Article is not used before the noun used after each, every, either, neither.
e.g.,
Either a book will serve the purpose. (Incorrect)
Either book will serve the purpose. (Correct)
Quantitative Adjectives
These adjectives show the quantity or degree of a thing.
e.g.. Much, Little, Whole, Some, Enough, All etc.
· Much, little, whole are always used for quantity.
e.g.. Much milk, Little sugar, Whole book.
· All, some, enough, sufficient, most are used for both quantity and number.
Qualitative Adjectives
These adjectives show what quality or in what state persons or things are.
e.g., Big, Small, Brave, Sick, Ugly, Good etc.
Interrogative Adjectives
These adjectives are used to ask questions.
e.g.,
§ Which picture do you like most?
§ Whose pen is this?
Exclamatory Adjective
What is called exclamatory adjective when it is used to express surprise.
e.g.,
§ What an idea!
§ What a piece of work is man!
DEGREES
Degrees of Comparison
Positive Degree
The positive degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simple form. It is used when no comparison is made.
e.g.,
§ Rekha is a good singer.
§ He is a tall boy.
Comparative Degree
The comparative degree of an adjective is used when the quality of two persons or things are compared.
e.g.,
§ This girl is more beautiful than that.
§ My mango is sweeter than his.
Superlative Degree
The superlative degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of quality and is used when more than two persons or things are compared.
e.g.,
§ He is the most intelligent student in the class.
§ She is the prettiest of them.
Some Important Facts
· Senior, superior, junior, prior, inferior, posterior are followed by to and not by then.
All his colleagues are senior than him. (Incorrect)
All his colleagues are senior to him. (Correct)
· Interior, exterior, minor, major etc. are the adjectives of positive degree.
Neither more/most is used before them nor than is used after them.
e.g.,
§ His age is a matter of minor importance.
§ The interior decoration of his office is excellent.
· After comparatively or relatively positive degree is used.
e.g.,
The wind is comparatively colder today.
(Incorrect)
The wind is comparatively cold today. (Correct)
· Before enough positive degree is used.
e.g., He is smarter enough to get selected for this prestigious post. (Incorrect)
He is smart enough to get selected for this prestigious post. (Correct)
· To is used after 'prefer' if the comparison is between two nouns.
e.g., He prefers milk to tea.
But rather than is used after 'prefer' if the comparison is between two infinitives. e.g., She prefers to study rather than play.
· Perfect, complete, full, excellent, unique, circular, extreme, universal, chief, absolute etc. are the adjectives expressing qualities of highest order. These can't be compared.
e.g.,
Money is the chiefest aim of his life. (Incorrect)
Money is the chief aim of his life. (Correct)
Adverb
An adverb is a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies a verb an adjective, other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, manner, cause, degree, circumstance etc.
e.g.,
|
|
Modified word |
|
(i) He drove slowly. |
Verb |
|
(ii) He bought a very fast car. |
Adjective |
|
(iii) She moved quite slowly. |
Another Adverb |
Kinds of Adverb
I. According to their uses, adverbs are divided into three classes.
Simple Adverbs These adverbs modify the meaning of a verb, an adjective or an adverb.
e.g.,
§ You are quite right.
§ I can hardly believe it.
Interrogative Adverbs These adverbs are used for asking questions.
e.g.,
§ How did you come here?
§ Why is she not teaching today?
Relative Adverbs These adverbs are the same in form as interrogative adverbs, but instead of asking questions, they join two sentences together. These adverbs relate to some antecedent, expressed or understood.
e.g.,
§ Let me know the time when you will come.
(The antecedent expressed)
§ Let me know when you will start your business.
(The antecedent understood)
§ I remember the house where I was born.
II. According to their meanings, adverbs may be divided into the following classes.
Adverbs of Time These are the adverbs which tell us when an action takes place.
e.g.,
§ I hurt my knee yesterday.
§ Akash comes here daily.
Adverbs of Place These are the adverbs which tell us where an action takes place.
e.g.,
§ He follows his master everywhere.
§ She left her bag here.
Adverbs of Frequency These are the adverbs which tell us how often an action takes place.
e.g.,
§ He seldom makes mistakes.
§ I have called you twice.
Adverbs of Degree or Quantity These are the adverbs which tell us how much or in what degree or to what extent.
e.g.,
§ These mangoes are almost ripe.
§ He is kind enough to help her.
Adverbs of Manner These are the adverbs which tell us how an action takes place or in what manner.
e.g.,
§ The soldiers fought bravely.
§ The baby came down slowly.
Adverbs of Reason These are the adverbs which tell us why an action takes place.
e.g.,
§ She therefore left school.
§ I am hence unable to do it.
Adverbs of Affirmation and Negation These are the adverbs which tell us whether an action is done or not.
e.g.,
§ She will certainly hit him.
§ I did not meet her.
Some Important Adverbs
Too and Very
Too means 'more than required' and it is usually used before unpleasant adjectives.
Very means 'in a great degree' and it is used before pleasant/unpleasant adjectives.
If the sentence is not based on too ... to structure, very should be used in place of too.
e.g.,
§ Rita is too happy today. (Incorrect)
§ Rita is very happy today. (Correct)
§ My son's health has been too good. (Incorrect)
§ My son's health has been good. (Correct)
Too much and Much too
After too much a noun is used.
After much too an adjective is used.
e.g.,
§ His wife's rude behaviour gives him much too pain. (Incorrect)
§ His w ife's rude behaviour gives him too much pain. (Correct)
Much and Very
Very is used with positive degree and much is used with
comparative degree, e.g.,
§ The air is very hot today.
§ The air is much hotter today than yesterday.
Very is used with present participle and much is used with past participle.
e.g.,
· It is very disappointing for me.
· was much surprised at hearing the news.
Fairly and Rather
· Fairly is used with positive degree while rather is used with both positive degree and comparative degree.
· Fairly is used with pleasant objectives while rather is usually used with unpleasant adjectives. e.g.,
§ She is fairly wise.
§ This job is rather difficult.
But, rather good, rather clever, rather pretty are used.
Hard and Hardly
Hard means 'difficult' or 'solid'. It is used as an adjective as well as an adverb.
Hardly means 'almost not' and it is used as an adverb.
e.g.,
§ It was hard to believe that he was guilty.
§ There is hardly any tea left.
Late and Lately
Late means 'near the end of a period of time' and lately means 'recently'.
e.g.,
§ She married in her late twenties.
§ He had lately returned from Australia.
Ago
Ago is always used in past indefinite tense, e.g.,
§ I met her a year ago.
§ This had happened a week ago. (Incorrect)
This happened a week ago. (Correct)
Enough
(a) Enough is used just after the word that it qualifies.
(b) Always use positive degree of adjective/adverb before enough, e.g.,
Billu is now strong enough to leave his bed.
Rekha is enough wise to allow her son to go.
(Incorrect)
Rekha is wise enough to allow her son to go.
(Correct)
Else
Else should always be followed by but and never by than.
e.g., It is nothing else but love.
Still and Yet
Still is usually used in affirmative sentences and yet in negative sentences.
e.g.,
He has not still returned the money. (Incorrect)
He has not yet returned the money. (Correct)
Position of Adverbs
· An adverb is not used by splitting an infinitive.
e.g., She asked him to carefully write the answer.
(Incorrect)
She asked him to write the answer carefully.
(Correct)
· No adverb is used before quite.
e.g.,
Madan is absolutely quite alone. (Incorrect)
Madan is quite alone. (Correct)
· 'Inverted form of verb' is used in the sentences starting with seldom, never, hardly, scarcely, rarely, no sooner.
e.g.,
§ No sooner had he entered the class than the bell rang.
§ Seldom she invites her friends. (Incorrect)
Seldom does she invite her friends. (Correct)
· If adverbs of time/place/manner all are to be used in a sentence, the normal order is - adverb of manner, adverb of place, adverb of time.
e.g..
He danced in the city hall well last night.
(Incorrect)
He danced well in the city hall last night. (Correct)
With come/go/arrive etc., adverb of manner is used after adverb of place.
· Adverbs of quantity are usually used before the word that they qualify.
e.g.,
§ The party was too dull.
§ She is quite cool.
But enough is always placed after the word which it qualifies.
· Only should be placed immediately before the word it qualifies.
e.g.,
§ We worked only four sums.
§ John has slept only two hours.
· Preposition is not used before an adverb, e.g.,
My sister asked me to go to market with quickly.
(Incorrect)
My sister asked me to go to market quickly.
(Correct)
· The adverbs of frequency and quantity should be placed before the auxiliaries have to and used to.
e.g.,
I used to often take a break from my packed schedule.
(Incorrect)
I often used to take a break from my packed schedule.
(Correct)
· Always, often, seldom, never, just, ever, usually, hardly, already, nearly etc. are used before the main verb
e.g.,
I have told often him to write neatly. (Incorrect)
I have often told him to write neatly. (Correct)
§ He never talks ill of his friends.
§ Deepika always comes late.
· Adverbs of time/place/manner are generally placed after the verb or after the object if there is one. e.g.,
§ Poonam does her work carefully.
§ He looked everywhere.
§ I met her yesterday.
Adverb of manner is used before the object if a clause starting with who/ which/ that is used after the object, e.g.,
She received warmly all those who had come in time.
Conjunction
A conjunction is a word which connects the words, clauses, sentences, phrases and at the same time it brings about the relationships between the elements jointly. And, but, therefore, otherwise, when, however, since, last, yet, though, neither ... nor, either ... or, whether, till, as, if are some useful conjunctions
e.g.. He is the same man that met me yesterday.
Some Important Rules
Rule 1 Scarcely/hardly is always followed by
When / before
e.g.,
Scarcely had he gone out of the office, then he came. (Incorrect)
Scarcely had he gone out of the office when he came. (Correct)
Rule 2 Lest is followed by should.
Not is not used with it.
e.g.,
Be careful lest you will fall. (Incorrect)
Be careful lest you should fall. (Correct)
Rule 3 Although/though must always be followed by
yet or comma (,).
e.g..
Although he study hard but he failed. (Incorrect)
Although he study hard yet he failed. (Correct)
Rule 4 Both is followed by and and not by else, but or
as well as.
e.g.,
Both Meenu as well as Rita have finished their homework. (Incorrect)
Both Meenu and Rita have finished their homework. (Correct)
Rule 5 Rather and other are always followed by than.
e.g.,
I have no other choice but to do it. (Incorrect)
I have no other choice than to do it. (Correct)
Rule 6 Neither ......... nor and Either ......... or are
used in pairs. These are followed by the same part of speech.
e.g..
He has invited neither them not us. Incorrect)
He has invited neither them nor us. (Correct)
Either the step taken was right or wrong.
(Incorrect)
The step taken was either right; or wrong.
(Correct)
Rule 7 Not only is followed by but also. These always
join the same parts of speech.
e.g.,
He is going not only to open a hospital but also an inn. (Incorrect)
He is going to open not only a hospital but also an inn. (Correct)
Rule 8 Whether is always followed by or.
e.g.,
We do not care that you pass or fail. (Incorrect)
We do not care whether you pass of fail. (Correct)
Rule 9 The same is followed by relative pronoun that or
as.
e.g.,
He is the same boy who broke the glass.
(Incorrect)
He is the same boy that broke the glass. (Correct)
'As' is used if the verb is not clear in the sentence.
e.g.,
This is the same dress as mine.
Rule 10 Because, since, as, as soon as are not
followed by therefore, thus, etc.
e.g.. As he came late, therefore he was punished.
(Incorrect)
As he came late, he was punished. (Correct)
Rule 11 Until means 'up to the points in time or the event
mentioned'. It is used to express time.
Unless means 'if not'. It is used to express condition.
'Not' is not used with until/unless.
e.g.,
Arman cannot pass until he works hard. (Incorrect)
Arman cannot pass unless he works hard.
(Correct)
She continued in her idle ways until she was not eighteen. (Incorrect.)
She continued in her idle ways until she was eighteen. (Correct)
Rule 12 Such is usually followed by as.
e.g., Udit is not such a good singer as we expected.
Such is followed by that if the sentence expresses a cause or a result.
e.g.,
There was such a noise as we could-not hear
Our selves. (Incorrect)
There was such a noise that we could not hear ourselves. (Correct)
Rule 13 No sooner is always followed by than and
never by when, then, but etc.
e.g.,
No sooner had I reached there when she left.
(Incorrect)
No sooner had I reached there than she left.
(Correct)
Rule 14 Not/never is followed by or and not by or.
e.g., 1 have never written her nor talked to her.
(Incorrect)
I have never written her or talked to her. (Correct)
Rule 15 And is not used before a relative pronoun.
e.g.,
He is an intelligent boy and who is my friend.
(Incorrect)
He is an intelligent boy who is my friend. (Correct)
Rule 16 That, as, to etc., are not used before
interrogative words (where, who, what, whom etc.)
e.g.,
They asked her that where she had been. (Incorrect)
They asked her where she had been. (Correct)
Rule 17 Seldom or never and seldom if ever are used.
e.g.,
We seldom or ever see those forsaken who trust in God. (Incorrect)
We seldom or never see those forsaken who trust in God. (Correct)
Rule 18 Else is followed by but and not by than.
e.g.,
I want nothing else than to see her. (Incorrect)
1 want nothing else but to see her. '(Correct)
Rule 19 So ...... as is used in negative sentences.
As ......... as is used in both negative and affirmative sentences.
e.g..
She is so beautiful as Rekha. (Incorrect)
She is as beautiful as Rekha. (Correct)
You are not so hard working as your sister.
Preposition
A preposition is a word used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or method.
e.g..
§ She went to the market.
§ He came by bus.
§ A cat is under the table.
§ Rohan studies at 5 o'clock.
Some Important Prepositions
On and Upon
On is used for the things at rest while upon denotes motion. e.g.,
§ The pen is on the table.
§ The boy jumped upon the bed.
In and Into
In denotes position at rest while into denotes motion.
e.g.,
§ Rohit is in the classroom.
§ She came into the library.
With and By
With is used for the instruments or tools and by is used for the agent or doer.
e.g.,
§ I am cutting vegetable with a knife.
§ The robber was killed by him with an gun.
Since and For
Since is used for a point of time and for is used for a period of time.
e.g.,
§ She has been studying since 9 o'clock.
§ Lata has been coming to us for three days.
Since and From
Since is used for time while from is used for both time and place.
e.g.,
§ I have not met my cousin since last week.
§ They played from 4 pm to 5 pm.
§ We travelled from Kanpur to Jaipur.
In Future Tense from is used in place of since.
e.g.,
§ He has not come here since Monday.
§ He will not come here from Monday.
Till and To
Till is used to indicate time while to is used to indicate place.
e.g.,
§ I waited till 8 pm.
§ We went to the park.
At and In
(a) At is used for small towns and villages while in is used for big cities and countries.
e.g.,
§ She lives at Kasauli in Mathura.
§ I live in Meerut.
(b) At is used for a point of time and in is used for a wider period of time.
e.g.,
§ They will go at 4 o'clock.
§ They will go in the evening.
§ We left at 10 o'clock in the morning.
In and Within
In denotes 'at the close of some future time' and within denotes 'sometime short of the close.
e.g.,
§ They will return in six days.
§ Who will return within a week?
Between and Among
Between is used for two persons or things while among is used for more than two persons or things.
e.g.,
§ Those two girls quarrelled between themselves.
§ She likes to spend her evening among my friends.
Beside and Besides
Beside means by the side of, while besides means in addition to.
e.g.,
§ The little boy came and sat beside me.
§ Besides being fined, the criminal was sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
Some Prepositions that Follow Certain Words
A. For
Following words are usually followed by for.
Nouns ambition, affection, apology, anxiety, blame,
candidate, capacity, compensation, desire, esteem, fondness, guarantee, match, need, opportunity, passion, reputation.
Adjectives anxious, conspicuous, designed, eager,
eligible, eminent, fit, grateful, prepared, qualified, ready, sorry, sufficient, useful.
Verbs canvass, care, hope, mourn, search, stipulate, wish.
B. To
Following words are usually followed by to.
Nouns access, approach, assent, attention, dislike,
disgrace, indifference, invitation, key, leniency, likeness, limit, obedience, obstruction, opposition, preface, reference, succession, temptation.
Adjectives and Participles Acceptable, accustomed, addicted, adequate, adjacent, affectionate, alien, alive, applicable, comparable, appropriate, contrary, deaf, devoted, disastrous, due, entitled, equal, essential, faithful, fatal, liable, obedient, obliged, opposite, painful, prior, reduced, sensitive, true.
Verbs accede, apologies, appoint, aspire, attend, belong conform, lead, listen, object, occur, prefer, refer,
yield.
'Ior' words words ending with 'ior' (senior, junior, prior,
superior, etc.) usually take to as preposition
C. With
Following words are usually followed by with.
Nouns acquaintance, alliance, bargain, comparison, enmity, intimacy, relation.
Adjectives and Participles acquainted, busy,
consistent, contented, contrasted, delighted, disgusted, endowed, fatigues, fired, gifted, inspired, popular, satisfied.
Verb agree, bear, compare, clash, cope, compete,
coincide, comply, confer, condole, correspond, cover, credit, deal, disagree, dispense, discuss, do, entrust, fill, go, grapple, interfere, meddle, part, play, quarrel, side, sympathise, threaten, trifle, vie, write, wipe, work.
D. Of
Following words are usually followed by of.
Nouns age, distrust, experience, fear, knowledge, need,
necessaries, neglect, opinion, proof, sense, victim, view, use, want.
Adjective afraid, ashamed, aware, bare, capable,
confident, careful, convinced, conscious, deprived, devoid, dull, envious, fond, full, guilty, hopeful, ignorant, innocent, kind, jealous, made, proud, short, sure, tired, worthy.
Verbs accuse, acquit, approve, beware, boast, complain,
convict, deprive, dispose, dream, make, remind, repent, smell, think.
E. At
Following words are usually followed by at.
Adjective and Participles amazed, amused,
Astonished, annoyed, clever, good, quick, slow, surprised.
Verbs aim, arrive, blush, call, catch, gaze, glance, fire,
jump. knock, laugh, look, smile, store, wonder.
|
Some important facts |
|
· Preposition is not used after transitive verbs like discuss, describe, reach, order, tell, attack, demand, resemble, etc., |
|
when they are used in active voice, e.g., |
|
Keats had described about the beauty of nature in his poems, (Incorrect) |
|
Keats had described the beauty of nature in his poems. (Correct) |
|
Objective case is used after preposition, e.g., |
|
(i) He does not depend on them. |
|
(ii) I do not talk to him. |
|
· If there are two verbs which should be followed by different prepositions, both prepositions must be put in. e.g., |
|
He was surprised as well as pleased with my work. |
|
(Incorrect) |
|
He was surprised at as well as pleased with my work |
|
(Correct) |
|
· Verb is used in present participle (verb + ing) form if it is preceded by prepositions like about, after at, before, for, from, in, on, to, etc. e.g., ... |
|
(i) I do not believe in wasting time. |
|
(ii) They naughty boy was punished for doing it. |
|
· Preposition is not usually used before 'home'. But to is used if possessive case is used before home. e.g., |
|
(i) I am coming to your home. |
|
(ii) She is going home tonight. |
|
(iii) We have gone to Shikha's home. |
|
· Say, suggest, speak, listen, reply, talk, complain etc., are always followed by to if a person is used as an object after These verbs, e.g., |
|
(i) They are not listening to me. |
|
(ii) I suggested to Meenu that she should take medicine regularly. |
|
· Preposition is not used before yesterday, today, tomorrow, fast night, this morning, the next day etc. e.g., |
|
(i) She went last night. (ii) They will arrive here tomorrow.. |
Time and Tense
Time is the period during which an action is done whereas tense is the study of the forms of verb. Time and Tense are two different words. Time is a non-grammatical term. It indicates the exact time of action, Tense is a grammatical term. It indicates the form of a verb. Tense also indicates the time of action, but sometimes it is not clear
Now read these sentences
(i) The Sun sets in the West.
(ii) She is leaving for America tomorrow.
(iii) He sang a song.
Sentence (i), however, is related to Simple Present
Tense, but it indicates Past, Present and Future Time.
Sentence (ii) is related to Present Continuous Tense, but
indicates Future Time.
Sentence (iii) is related to Simple Past Tense and it
indicates Past Time.
Kinds of Tense
1. Present Tense
2. Past Tense
3. Future
There are four sub-categories of each of three
§ Simple
§ Continuous
§ Perfect
§ Perfect Continuous
Some Important Uses
Simple Present Tense
· It is used to express universal truth, principle and
proverb, e.g.,
§ Oil floats on water.
§ Fortune favours the brave.
· This tense is used to express 'habitual, regular and repeated actions, a g.,
§ My grandfather goes for walking in the morning.
§ He often gets late for school.
§ We like rice and curry.
· This tense is used to express human feelings, emotions and mental activity, e.g.,
§ I love my family.
§ Rajman thinks he is the best player.
§ Vivek hates beggars.
· This tense is used to show possession, e.g.,
§ She has a piano.
§ This car belongs to him.
· This tense is used to express a future event that is part of fixed time table or fixed programme, e.g.,
§ The next train is at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning.
§ Aarti goes to Haridwar next Monday.
· This tense is used, instead of the Simple Future Tense, in clauses of time and of condition, e.g.,
§ I shall wait till he comes.
§ You will get success if you try hard.
Present Continuous Tense
· It is used for an action going on at the time of Speaking.
e.g.,
§ The boys are playing cricket.
§ It is raining heavily.
· This tense is used for a temporary action which may not be actually happening at the time of speaking, e.g.,
§ Rohit is reading the Bible.
§ Vikas is learning French.
· This tense is used for an action that is planned or arranged to take place in the near future, e.g..
§ Her brother is arriving tomorrow.
§ We are going to the cinema tonight.
· This tense is used to express intention or likelihood and it indicates future time. e.g.,
§ Dhoni is playing to score runs.
§ You are going to fail.
Present Perfect Tense
· It is used to indicate completed activities in the immediate past. e.g.,
§ They have left for Delhi.
§ The show has just begun.
· The tense is used to denote an action beginning at sometime in the past and continuing up to the present moment (often with since/for phrases), e.g.,
§ I have worked here for five years.
§ She has known him for a long time.
§ We have lived here since 1998.
· This tense is used to express past actions in which time is not given and not definite e.g.,
§ Have you been to Agra?
§ Neeru has read 'Geetanjali'.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
· It is used to express an action which began at sometime in the past and is still continuing, e.g.,
§ Why has she been sleeping for four hours?
§ They have been living here for ten years.
§ We have been working on this project since May last.
· This tense is also sometimes used for an action already finished. In such cases, the continuity of the activity is emphasised as an explanation of something, e.g.,
§ He has been playing.
§ They have been arguing.
Simple Past Tense
· It is used to indicate an action completed in the past. e.g.,
§ I met her a week ago.
§ We left college last year.
· This tense is used to indicate situation related to the past. e.g.,
§ She was a good writer.
§ I was very happy.
· This tense is also used to express past habits, e.g.,
§ He always wrote to them.
§ She never came late.
§ I studied two hours everyday.
Past Continuous Tense
· It is used to denote an action going on at sometime in the past. e.g.,
§ She was playing chess.
§ We were talking loudly.
§ It was getting dark slowly.
· This tense is used to denote actions going on at the same time in the past. e.g.,
§ While you were sleeping, she was reading.
§ While he was laughing, Sonu was weeping.
· This tense is also used for persistent habits in the past. e.g.,
§ She was always complaining.
§ He was always chewing tobacco.
Past Perfect Tense
· It is used to describe an action completed before a certain moment in the past. e.g.,
§ She had written a letter even before she was eight years old.
· If two actions happened in the past, the earlier one is denoted by past perfect while the latter one is denoted by simple past. e.g.,
§ The train had left before I reached the station.
§ She took dinner after they had gone.
§ We had completed our work before he came.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
· It is used to express an action that had begun before a certain point in the past and continued up to that time. e.g..
§ At that time she had been living there for two years.
§ We had been playing football since 2013
Simple Future Tense
· It is used to express an action that is still to take place. e.g.,
§ He will come here tomorrow.
§ You will do it.
· This tense is also used to express intention, will, threat and determination. e.g.,
§ I will never break the law. .
§ He shall not come here again.
§ We will ask her the reason.
Future Continuous Tense
· This tense is used to talk about actions which will be in progress at a time in the future, e.g.,
§ Lata will be cooking in the kitchen.
§ They will be watching the match en TV.
§ I shall be learning guitar.
· This tense is also used to express future events that are planned, e.g.,
§ She will be coming here for your marriage.
§ I shall be staying here till Monday.
Future Perfect Tense
· It is used to indicate the completion of an action by a certain time in future e.g.,
§ We shall have reached there by evening.
§ She will have written the letter by then.
· This tense is used when there are two actions and it is necessary to emphasise that the preceding action will be completely finished before the next action starts, e.g.,
§ She will have left before you go to see her.
§ I shall have come before she sleeps.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
· It is used for actions which will be in progress over a period of time that will end in the future, e.g.,
§ We shall have been living here for four years by next January.
Subject Verb Agreement
The subject and the verb are the essential parts of a sentence,
A verb must agree with its subject in number and person.
· If the subject is singular, verb must be singular.
If the subject is plural, verb must be plural. Remember
Noun + s/es = Plural
Verb + s/es = Singular
Some Important Rules
Rule 1 When two or more subjects are joined by as well
as, like, besides, with, in addition to, together with, along with, but, except etc., the verb is used according to the first subject.
e.g..
§ The leader with all his followers was arrested.
§ The ship along with its crew was sunk.
§ The guru as well as his disciples is committed to celibacy.
Rule 2 Either, neither, each, every, anyone, someone,
nobody must be followed by a singular verb.
e.g.,
§ Neither of your students is intelligent.
§ Each of these substances is found in Tunisia.
§ Either of them has tore this application.
Rule 3 When the subjects joined by or, nor, either
............or, neither........nor are of different persons, the verb agrees with the nearer one.
e.g.,
§ Either you or I am going.
§ Neither Rekha nor her friends were present at the party.
§ You or she is to blame.
Rule 4 If two subjects together express one idea, the verb is singular.
e.g.,
§ Honour and glory is his reward.
§ Whisky and soda was served in the party.
§ The horse and carriage is at the door.
Rule 5 It the subject of a clause is a relative pronoun
(who, which, that), the verb is used according to the antecedent of the relative pronoun.
e.g.,
§ The boys who are playing are my cousins.
§ It is I who am helping you.
§ Meenu knows the boys who have broken the glass.
§
Rule 6 When plural nouns explain specific amount,
distance, quantity, time or period as a whole, the verb should be singular.
e.g.,
§ Hundred rupees was the amount given to her.
§ One hours is too short a time to judge one's character.
§ One thousand miles is a long distance.
Rule 7 When nouns like glasses, shoes, scissors, pants, trousers, spectacles etc., are used as subject, the verb is plural.
e.g.,
§ His trousers are very loose.
§ My scissors are sharp.
§ Your spectacles were on the table.
Rule 8 Two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by and take a plural verb.
e.g.,
§ Rashmi and her sister were playing.
§ Gold and silver are precious metals.
§ Fire and water do not agree.
Rule 9 If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be singular, e.g.,
§ The magistrate and collector has come.
§ The poet and critic has been honoured.
§ A black and white bull is in the field.
When the article is used before only one noun, one person/thing is intended and hence the verb must be singular.
When the article is used before both the nouns, two different persons/things are intended and hence the verb must be plural.
e.g.,
The magistrate and the collector have come.
The poet and the critic have been honoured.
A red and a white bull are in the field.
Rule 10 People, folk, gentry, cattle, police,
children etc.,
are plural and take a plural verb.
e.g.,
§ The police have arrested the thief.
§ The cattle are grazing in the field.
§ Children love to play some games.
Rule 11 After I wish/as if/as though/if a plural verb is
used to express regret, unfulfilled wish and unlikely condition.
e.g.,
§ I wish I were a millionaire.
§ He commanded me as if he were my boss.
§ If I were a player I would play for my country.
Rule 12 Many a/an must be followed by a singular verb.
e.g.,
§ Many a man does not know his own good deeds.
§ Many a man has resigned in crisis.
Rule 13 Furniture, luggage, scenery, information,
poetry, percentage, knowledge, advice, news, music etc., are always singular and take a singular verb.
e.g..
§ All his luggage was thrown out due to his misconduct.
§ Wordsworth's poetry is immortal.
§ The scenery of Kashmir is beautiful.
Rule 14 Some nouns like politics, billiards, darts,
bowls, physics, civics, statistics, measles, mumps etc., are plural in form, but singular in meaning and take a singular verb.
e.g.,
§ Measles is a dangerous disease.
§ Politics was the business of his life.
§ Mathematics is an interesting subject.
When the or possessive adjectives (my, your, his etc.) are used before the nouns ending with 'ics', the verb is plural.
e.g.,
§ The physics of Rakesh are not good.
§ His statistics are good.
Rule 15 Nouns like jury, council, mob, committee,
army, family, audience, team, crew, government etc., take a singular verb when the collection is thought of as a whole.
e.g.,
§ The committee has issued its final report.
§ The jury has done so in its interest only.
§ The mob has dispersed far and wide.
When the individuals of which a collective noun is composed are thought of, a plural verb is used.
e.g.,
§ The committee were divided in their opinions.
The jury have done so in their interest only.
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