GENERAL ENGLISH FOR COMPETITIVE

EXAMINATIONS

Articles

‘A’/ ‘An’ are called the indefinite articles because they refer to indefinite person or thing

‘The’ is called the definite article because it refers to the definite person or thing

Indefinite articles can be used before singular count noun

Definite article is used before singular count nouns as well as non-count nouns

USE OF ‘A’ AND ‘AN’

Use of ‘a’ before a word beginning with a consonant sound and use of ‘an’ before a vowel sound

In the numerical sense of ‘one’With units and rates

When someone is unknown to the person addressedTo make common noun a proper noun

USE OF ‘A’ AND ‘AN’

When two articles or objects are thought as one unit

With certain expression of quantity

Before singular nouns in all of sudden exclamatory expressions

‘An’ is used before word beginning with silent ‘h’

Alphabets with vowel sound used in abbreviation

M. A.

USE OF ‘THE’

With the name of a particular person or thing already referred toWhen the singular noun represents the whole classNote: Man and Woman can be used in general sense without articlesWith the names of oceans, rivers, canals, deserts, group of islands, mountain-ranges, religious books, musical instruments

USE OF ‘THE’

With natural objects

With superlative degree and double comparative degree

With ordinals

With an adjective when noun is understood

OMISSION OF ARTICLES

Before the name of substances and abstract nouns, plural countable nouns

Before most proper nouns

Before languages, school, college, university, religious places, history

Before the names of relations

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Singular subject must have singular verb

Plural subject must have plural verb

Two or more nouns or pronouns joined by ‘and’ require a plural verb

If nouns joined by ‘and’ suggest one idea or unit, or refer to suggest one person or thing, the verb should be singular

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Words joined to a singular subject by ‘with’, ‘as well as’ are parenthetical. The verb should be according to the former subject

Subjects joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ require a verb depending upon the subject nearer the verb

Each, every, one, none, somebody, someone, anybody, nobody, either, neither, any, many a, such indefinite pronouns always take singular verbs

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Two nouns qualified by ‘each’ or ‘every’ connected by ‘and’ require a singular verb

Collective nouns require singular verb when the group works as a unit, therefore take singular verbs; but if members of the group are acting individually, they require plural verb.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Certain words such as news, measles, mumps, end in –s but represents a single thing. These words need singular verbs.

Some words such as scissors, trousers, spectacles, shorts –end in –s , seem to represent a single unit ,take plural verb.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Title of the books need singular verbs.

If the subject is ‘the number of-----’ singular verb should be used.

If the subject is ‘a number of------’ plural verb should be used.

Nouns with adjectives such as ‘much, more, little, less take singular verb.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS

A noun is a word used as a name of a person , place or thing

Nouns which are used in singular form

Scenery, luggage, information, furniture, advice, machinery, stationery, news, poetry, business, mischief, fuel, issue, repair, bedding, physics, economics, classics, ethics, athletics, innings, gallows, brick, bread, fruit, word (promise)

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS

Nouns which are used in plural formCattle, police, poultry, people, gentry, peasantry, artillery, scissors, trousers, stockings, spectacles, shorts, alms, remains, riches, goods, measles, mumps etc. Words like dozen, score, hundred, thousand, million, preceded by a numeral take singular form of verbs.

NOUNS AND PRONOUNS

Certain expressions always use singular form of noun as well as verb

Nouns used both in singular and plural forms

Deer, sheep, fish, apparatus, wages, jury, public, team, audience, committee, government, congregation, orchestra etc.

One, any, none are followed by ‘of’ followed by plural words.

SOME COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Garland of beadsBouquet of flowersBunch of grapesPile of booksLibrary of booksHerd of cowsFlight of birds

SOME COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Pack of wolves

Group of people

Crowd of people

Mob of angry people

Swarm of bees

Crew of sailors

SOME COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Army of soldiers

hoarde of nomads

Band of musicians

Orchestra of musicians

PRONOUNS

Pronoun is a word which is used to replace noun or noun groups already mentioned.

The pronoun ‘one’ must be followed by “one’s”

When one means one in number, the pronoun for it is third person singular pronoun

PRONOUNS

Each, every, anyone anybody must be followed by the singular pronoun of their person

Let, but, except are followed by pronoun in the objective case

‘Such as’ is followed by subjective pronoun

Verbs like enjoy, avail, pride, resign, apply, acquit, assert, are followed by reflexive pronouns.

PRONOUNS

Reflexive pronouns are never used with verbs like ‘keep’, ’conceal’, ‘qualify’, ‘spread’, ‘rest’, ‘stay’.

When first, second and third person singular pronouns are to be used together, they should be used in the sequence of: you, he and I.

PRONOUN

Who denotes subjectWhom denotes objects

Whose denotes possession of a personWhich denotes lifeless objects

Which denotes additional informationThat denotes explanation.

PRONOUN

The expressions like ‘only’, ‘any’, It is’, ‘all’, superlatives’ usually take that in place of which or who

‘Each other’ is used for two persons and ‘one another’ is used for more than two persons.

PRONOUN

Subjective Objective Possessive Reflexive

I Me My/Mine Myself

We Us Our/Ours Ourselves

You You Your/Yours Yourself

He Him His Himself

She Her Her Herself

They Them Their Themselves

PREPOSITIONS

Definition: - A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show in what relating the person or thing denoted by it stands in regard to something else.

The word preposition means ‘which is placed before’

Preposition of Time

At: (a) with a definite point of time, (b) with festivals and special occasions

In: (a) with parts of the day, months, seasons and years, (b) with the future sense referring to the period in which an action may take place.

On: (a) with days and dates (b) to show sharp timings

Preposition of Time By: refers to the latest time by which an action will be over

For: used with the perfect continuous tense showing the duration of an action

Since: used with the point of time when the action begins and continues.

From: refers to the starting point of action

To: refers to the ending point of action.

Preposition of position

At: refers to an exact point.

In: refers to the larger area

Between: used for two persons or things

Among: used for more than two persons or things that begin with a consonant letter

Amongst: used for more than two persons or things that begin with a vowel letter

Preposition of position

Above: used for higher than

Over: used for vertically above

Below: used for lower than

Under: used for vertically below

Beneath: used for lower position

Preposition of direction

To: used to express motion to some place, destination

From: used to express the starting point

Towards: refers to the direction

Into: denotes motion towards the inside of something

Preposition of direction

For: denotes the direction

Against: shows pressure

Off: shows separation

At: refers to the aim

About: shows nearness of time

Other uses

Along: shows in the same line

Across: shows from one side to another

After: shows sequence

Behind: at the back of

Other uses

Before: stands for ‘in front of’

Beyond: shows ‘on the farther side of’

Beside: means ‘by the side of’

Besides: means ‘in addition to’

Words followed by ‘to’

Attention, objection, difference, alternative, access, approach, assent, attachment, exception, invitation, limit, reference, concession, refer, lead, listen, prefer, submit, senior, junior, superior, inferior, allot, aspire, attend, belong, contribute, yield,

Words followed by ‘to’

detrimental, essential, exposed, indebted, favourite, beneficial, alien, agreeable, applicable, acceptable, loyal, opposite, partial, preferable, prior, profitable, suitable, restricted, hostile, equal, entitled, supplementary.

Words followed by ‘IN’

Confidence, dressed, interested, succeed, absorbed, believe, faith, fail, write in ink, enveloped, correct, dabble, glory, indulge, involve, persist, perseverance.

Words followed by ‘OF’

Beware, boast, complain, despair, die, disapprove, dream, taste, assurance, afraid, aware, accused, cautious, conscious, devoid, fearful, ignorant, proud,

Words followed by ‘OF’

sure, desirous, suspicious, fond, independent, jealous, full, warn, guilty, care, complain, die, deprive, consist, acquit, dispose.

Words followed by ‘FOR’

Affection, ambition, aptitude, sorry, anxiety, capacity, pretext, useful, fondness, need, sufficient, contempt, hope, start, canvass, feel

Words followed by ‘FOR’

wish, yearn, desire, passion, pity, fitness, leisure, esteem, compensation, blame, motive, apology, guarantee, liking.

Words followed by ‘WITH’

Busy, consistent, enmity, endowed, acquaintance, bargain, delighted, gifted, inspired, overcome, infected, intimacy, touched, associate, clash, comply, correspond, quarrel, sympathize, bear, coincide

ADJECTIVES

Modifiers are adjective

Nouns as adjectives: A brick wall

Participles as adjectives: Running Water

Gerunds as adjective: A seating arrangement

ADJECTIVES

Adverbs as adjective: The above statement

Possessives as adjectives: A volcano’s crater

Prepositional phrase as adjective: The workmen on the site

ADVERBS

Front position Adverbs: How, when, where, why

Mid position adverbs: often, sometimes, never, usually, generally, frequently, occasionally, rarely, seldom, regularly, ever.

End position adverbs: well, at once