Grammar

Since an Adverb Clause in a Complex Sentence is a Subordinate Clause which does the work of an Adverb, it can be of the following kinds : Time Place Manner Cause or Reason Purpose Result or Consequence Comparison Condition Supposition or  Concession ADVERB CLAUSE OF TIME Adverb Clauses of Time are introduced by subordinating conjunctions like when, whenever, as, after, since, before, till; as, I will do it when I please. As he entered the room all stood up to greet him. She came after darkness had fallen. I have not been well since I returned from England. I haven’t heard from him since he left for the States. Before you leave this place bring me some milk. Wait until I come. The children danced while the piper played. You can stay here as long as you like. So long as the rain continued, I remained with my friend. As soon as I heard the news, I left the place. No sooner did the thief see the policeman than he ran away. ADVERB CLAUSES OF PLACE Adverb Clauses of Place are introduced by subordinating conjunctions like where, whenever, whence, whither; as, Where the piper went, the children followed. The dog …

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Simple Compound and Complex Sentences Examples and Exercises THE SIMPLE SENTENCE Examine the following sentence : An honest man is loved by all. The sentence has only one Subject and one Predicate and is, therefore, a Simple Sentence. A Simple Sentence is one which has only one Subject and one Predicate. [Or] A Simple Sentence is one which has only one Finite Verb. THE COMPOUND SENTENCE Examine the following sentences: The moon rose and everything looked bright. I got the book from the library and read it and enjoyed it. The sentence 1 is made up of two parts joined by the Co-ordinating Conjunction and : (a) The moon rose. (b) Everything looked bright. As each part has a Subject and a Predicate of its own and is part of a larger sentence, each is a Clause. We further notice that each Clause can make good sense by itself and can, therefore, stand alone as a complete sentence. In other words, each Clause is independent of the other, or of the same rank, and is called a Co­ordinate Clause. A sentence which is made up of Co-ordinate Clauses is called a Compound Sentence. The sentence 2 is made up of …

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Phrasal Verbs and Verb Combinations Certain Verbs, when followed by certain Prepositions or Adverbs, acquire a new significance; as, He backed up (supported) my claims. He backed out of (withdrew from) the contest. Study carefully the following Phrasal Verbs Phrasal Verbs With BEAR Bear down (overthrow or crush by force): He was able to bear down all opposition. Bear off or away (win): He bore off or away from the first prize. Bear out (establish or confirm): If the evidence bears out the charge, the man will be sent to prison. Bear up (not to despair): It is not easy to bear up when one is beset with difficulties on all sides. Bear with (tolerate): We could not bear with her violent temper.                                             , Phrasal Verbs With BLOW Blow up (explode): There were only a few persons in the mine when it blew up. Blow out (extinguish): The wind has blown out the candle. Phrasal Verbs With BREAK Break down (demolish; collapse; fail): The resistance of the garrison broke down (collapsed). If you go on working like this your health is sure to break down (fail). Break out (to appear suddenly): Cholera has broken out in the city. War has broken …

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It is sometimes desirable to express the idea of a phrase of a group of words by a single word He is liked by the people. (popular) He arrived exactly at the time appointed. (punctually) I want you to go at this very moment.  (immediately) She was careful about how she spent her money. (frugal) He died a short time ago. (recently) She is not yet fully developed. (immature) He is fair in giving judgments (impartial) A storm is likely to come soon. (imminent) Her handwriting is difficult or impossible to read. (illegible) His mother is unable to read or write. (illiterate) All the streets were decorated with bright lights as a sign of rejoicing. (illuminated) Glass is hard but easily broken. (brittle) He was elected by all present, without opposition, (unanimously) She did not accept the invitation. (declined) The driver increased his speed as he came to the hill, (accelerated) Tortoises pass the winter in sleep in cold countries. (hibernate) The propeller was turning round and round very rapidly. (revolving) Hitler marched forcibly into Poland in 1939. (invaded) Mody, at last, brought back to his mind the number of the house he was looking for. (recalled) Do you know …

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At, in. Note their following two uses: With reference to the time it is used for a point of time; in for a period of time in which something happens; as, He came at daybreak (or at sunset). At an early hour this morning, the Hall was full of noise. In this month (year, season) many famous men died He was born in 1950. He will start at five o’clock in the morning. With reference to space, at is used for small and less important places, villages and small towns, it is used for large places, countries and large towns as, He lives at Lakheri. He lives at Nadbai. He lives in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai. He lives at Maulasar in Rajasthan. I met him at Moga in Punjab. By, with. By used after Verb in the passive to express the agent or doer of the action expressed by the Verb. With is used the instrument with which the action is done. The farmer was killed by a robber with a knife. The essay was written by me with a fountain pen. The tree was cut by the man with an axe. On, upon. On is often used in speaking …

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Conjunctions and Sentence Connectors Examples and Exercises Read the following sentences She came to me and spoke against her husband. Choose a watch or a clock. It was a case of a miser and his money. Did you know that she was a musician? He will pass if he works hard. I cannot see how she can win. All the italicised words are called Conjunctions because they join together words and sometimes sentences. In sentences 1 and 2, the Conjunctions and or join together the clauses that are independent of each other, i.e., are of equal rank. Such Conjunctions are called Co-ordinating Conjunctions. NOTE: The Sentence 2 means ‘Choose a watch or (choose) a clock’(two clauses). In sentences 4, 5 and 6, the Conjunctions that, if, and how join clauses of unequal rank. One is the main or independent clause, the other is a clause depending on or limiting the main clause. Such Conjunctions are called Subordinating Conjunctions. Co-Ordinating Conjunctions Co-ordinating Conjunctions are of four kinds: Cumulative or Copulative. By these Conjunctions, one statement or fact is simply added to another, as, And. — Trust in God and do the right. Both…and. — He was both fined and imprisoned. As …

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Like Adjectives, Determiners also qualify the Nouns that follow. Here is a list of some important Determiners : Demonstratives: this, that, these, those, Possessives: my, our, your, his, her, its, their. Some, any, much; many; each, every; either, neither; little, a little, the little; few, a few, the few; less, fewer, both, all; a lot of, lots of; a large number of; a great deal of; a good deal of Articles: The Indefinite Articles a, an, the Definite Article the. Some, any. — To express quantity some is used in affirmative sentences, any in negative sentences. There is some butter in the cupboard.          She has bought some pens. I did not give him any butter.                        She did not buy any pens. Any is used in Affirmative sentences when it has an emphatic meaning such as; “No matter which or who.” Any fool can do it. Give me a book. Any book will do.           He will pay any price he is asked. Some is replaced by any in the following cases: In Interrogative Sentences as Have You any butter?                   Did she buy any books? But …

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This, that, these, those. — The plural of this is these and of that is those. Mistakes are often made by using these and those with Singular Nouns’, as, I am very fond of these kinds of flowers. [Here ‘kind’ is Singular; these should be this] We never associate with those sorts of people. [Here again ‘sort’ is Singular; therefore ‘those ’should be ‘that’] Comparison of Adjectives When only two things are compared, the Comparative Degree of the Adjective should be used. The use of the Superlative Degree in such cases is a frequent source of error; as, This is the best book of the two. [Should be ‘better’]. She is the tallest of the two sisters, [Should be ‘taller’]. Who is most intelligent — Rama or Krishna? (should be ‘more intelligent). Similarly Which is the better (not, best) of the two? Of the two evils, choose the lesser one. (not, least). When a comparison is made by means of a Comparative followed by then, the thing that is compared must always be excluded from the class of things with which it is compared, by using the word other, as, ‘Gold is more precious than any other metal.’ If we …

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Personal Pronouns Personal Pronouns have the same Number and Gender as the Nouns for which they stand; as, The boy has failed; he did not work hard. The girl has passed; she worked hard. Call the boys here; they are my students. The book was lost. It was mine. I have six flowers. They are all roses. Personal Pronouns I, he, she, we, they have the forms me, him, her, us, them, for the Objective Case. Do not use / for me when the Pronoun is connected by a conjunction (and, or) with some other word in the Objective Case. These books are for you and me. (Not, I) He invited my sister and me to dinner. We must always write: You and I (not, I and you) must work together. You and he (not, he and you) must go together. Hari and I (not, I and Hari) are friends. He and I (not, I and he) can never be friends. You and he and I can never pull on together. You and she and I must work together. You and Ali and I are old school friends. We always write: Between you and me Between him and me. Between …

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Use of Articles – A, An, or The A or An and The are usually called Articles. They are really Demonstrative Adjectives. A or An is called the Indefinite Article, because it is used when we do not speak of any particular or definite person or thing; as, I saw a boy in the bazar. I found an inkpot lying in the room. The is called the Definite Article, because it is used when we speak of some particular person or thing; as, This is the boy whom I saw in the bazar yesterday. This is the inkpot which I found lying in the room. As a general rule, a Common Noun in the Singular Number must have an Article before it; as, He fought like a hero. I saw an elephant yesterday. This is the book he gave me. CORRECT USE OF ‘A’ AND ‘AN’ A is used before — Words beginning with the sound of a consonant; as, a boy, a Woman, a cow. Such vowels as have the sound of ‘yu’; as, a ewe, a useful thing, a unit, a university, a European, a uniform , a utensil, a union. ‘O’when it is sounded as‘wa’; as, a …

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