English tips

RULE: Semantic Classification of Adjectives;

Semantics represents the meaning of the word , not their form. It can be classified in below form

1) Stative Adjectives

These adjectives represents that qualities of person/thing which are static in nature,

1) He is tall.

2) She is beautiful.

3) Rainbow has seven colours.

2) Dynamic Adjectives

These adjectives represents that qualities of person/thing which are dynamic in nature and not permanent qualities

1) He is ill.

2) He is poor.

3) He is foolish.

4) She is greedy.

3) Gradable Adjectives

Gradable adjectives represents the series or order or degree, for example;

Rich – richer – Richest; poor- poorer- poorest

For these adjectives, to represents the series or order or degree, adverbs of degree can be used

1) It is extremely/very hot.

4) Non- Gradable Adjectives

The quantity/degree of non-gradable adjectives can not be decreased and comparison is invalid, adverbs of degree can not be used here

Full, perfect, round, square, excellent, Indian , atomic, botanical, chemical, biological, unique

RULE: Number of hair/work/word

When hair is used in general sense, there is no plural of it. When hair is used in special sense as a countable noun, there is plural of it, --hairs. For example;

1)      His hair is dark.

2)      I had my hair cut.

3)      There are only two grey hairs on my head now. (special sense)

When work is used generally, its meaning is work and there is no plural of it. When work is used as internal productivity/special sense, there is plural of it, -- works. For example;

1)      I am without work presently.

2)      My father is fond of hard work.

3)      The works of Tulsidas are immortal.

When word is used as a message or reality, there is no plural of it. When the meaning of word is word, there is plural of it, -- words

1)      He sent me word.

2)      He is a man of word.

3)      Use these words in sentences.

RULE : The Same + noun + that/as

In a sentence, if the same is used before noun, As or that are used as per following rule. if Verb is in the sentence, use that/as after ‘The same’, when Verb is hidden, as is used after ‘The same’

1) This  is the same cap that I bought yesterday,

2) This is the same cap as I bought yesterday.

3) The is the same pen as yours. [Verb (is ) is hidden after Yours]

4) This is not the same book as mine. [Verb (is ) is hidden after mine]

NOTE: Even when the verb is not hidden we use ‘as’ with the same in case of resemblance

1) She has the same hair as her sister has. (resemblance)

2) She has the same jacket that her sister has. (Identity) (that is used in case of identity)

RULE: Such/as + noun + as

If in a sentence, Such or as comes before Noun, then for that Noun, ‘as’ is used, not-who/which/that

1)       He is not such a good man as can help me. (correct)

2)      As many  questions as were set were answered. (correct)

In the first sentence, Such came before man, that’s why pronoun ‘as’ is used for ‘man’. In the 2^nd sentence ‘as’ is used before questions, that’s why ‘as’ is used after it. Please don’t make below kind of sentences.

1)      She is not such a good girl who/that can help him. (incorrect)

RULE : Generallly ‘The’ is not used before Proper Noun

1)      The Deepak has come. (Wrong)

2)      Deepak has come. (Right)

3)      I live in the Bangalore. (Wrong)

But there are many exceptions of the Rule18, which are below

1)      The is used before the names of, River, Ocean, Bay, Gulf, canal

The Ganges, The Koshi, The Red sea, The Arabian sea, The Bay of Bengal, The Gulf of Mexico, The Suez canal, The Pacific ocean

2)      The is used before ‘Mountain ranges’ and ‘Group of islands’

The Alps, The Himalayas, The Nicobars, The Andmans, The Philippines

But ‘The’ is not used for ‘Mountain Peak’ and ‘Individual Island’, for example

Kangchenjunga, Mount Abu, nanda Devi, Sumatra, Java

3)      The is used before the name of Desert, Train, Aeroplane, Ship etc

The Sahara desert, The Punjab mail, The Boeing, The Vikrant, The Victoria

4)      The is used in ‘Physical positions’, ‘nationality words’, ‘Geographical Directions’, ‘Physical Environment’ etc

The French, The Indians, on the top, at the bottom, at the front, The east, the west, the rain, the for

5)      The is used for ‘political party’, ‘Religious community’, ‘religious book’, ‘Armed forces’, ‘Government Branches’, ‘Hotel & Restaurant’, ‘Museum’, ‘newspaper’, ‘Library’

The Congress, The Hindus, The Geeta, The Ramayana, The police, The army, The judiciary, The Taj hotel, The lions club, The British library, The Hindustan times

6)      The is used for ‘Historical building’, ‘Dynasty’, ‘Empire’, ‘Historical Period/Age’, ‘Historical event’

The Red fort, The Gupta Dynasty, The Roman Empire, The Victorian age, The French Revolution

Note: Many important Buildings and Institutions are made from two words, out of which one word is the name of some person/place, ‘The’ is not used here, For example

London zoo, Indira Gandhi Airport, man Singh palace

RULE: Always singular verb is used when distributive pronoun (each/everyone/either/neither) is used as a subject, for example;

1)      Each of them has gone.

2)      Neither of the two views is good.

Each is always singular, even when it is followed by 'of them' etc, e.g.,

Each of the wheels has three spokes.

Below three sentences are wrong,

1)      But neither of them were able to do it.   (was)

2)      Neither of these two were more than minor poets.  (was)

3)      Each of these two are a series of moral essays.  (is)

NOTE: If each is used after plural noun or pronoun as apposition, then plural verb is used, for example;

1) We each wish to rise.

2) They each have a problem

RULE: Few nouns ends with ‘s’ and they are always plural, important one are;

Alms, amends, annals, archives, ashes, arrears, athletics, belongings, breeches, bowels, binoculars, billiards, brains, customs, congratulations, cards, drawers, earnings, entrails, fireworks, funds, glasses, guts, greens, knickers, lodgings, lees, mumps, measles, nuptials, odds, outskirts, pantaloons, pioneers, particulars, proceeds, proceedings, ,regards, riches, remains, seals, savings, shambles, scissors, spectacles, stairs, surroundings, tidings, troops, tongs, tactics, thanks, vegetables, wages, works

1)      His earnings are handsome.

2)      All her valuables were stolen away.

RULE: Few Nouns are always singular, important one are;

Poetry, scenery, machinery, stationary, jewellery, crockery, luggage, baggage, postage, breakage, haltage, wastage, percentage, polish, foolish, rubbish, dust, dirt, information, furniture, traffic, clothing, money, coffee, music.

1)      Premchandra’s poetry is immortal.

2)      I saw lovely scenery in Paris.

Please note

·         These Nouns cannot be made plural

·         A/an is not used before these nouns.

·         ‘The’ is used before these nouns when they come before Preposition/Adjective clause.

1)      The poetry of Premchandra is immortal.

PAY ATTENTION:

·         With Singular meaning, ‘an item of/an article/a piece of’ are used before these nouns.

·         With Plural meaning, ‘items of/articles of/kinds of/pieces of’ are used before these nouns.

·         With ‘More quantity’ meaning, ‘much/some/little/most/a lot of’ are used before these nouns. (Few/many/several are not used).

Example,

1)      This is a piece of poetry.

2)      She gave me a piece of information.

3)      He gave me a lot of information.

RULE: Number of the names of bird/animals.

In relation with hunting, when any bird/animal are used, they are always singular and a/an/the are not used with them

1)      He went to hunt elephant. (not elephants)

2)      He wanted to shoot wild dog. (not dogs)

RULE: Noun ending with ‘ics’

Mathematics, politics, economics, ethics, etc

If these words represents a subject, always use them in singular form

1)      Physics is taught even in schools today.

2)      Mathematics requires practice.

When these words represents quality or property, always use them in plural

1)      His mathematics are weak.

2)      Most men’s politics sit much too loosely about them.

Politics are the outcome rather than the cause of social change

RULE : Few Nouns are always Singular even when they come after ‘Numeral Adjective’ , for example

Dozen, stone, hundred, million, score, grass, thousand, pair, for example;

Three hundred rupees, two dozen bananas

But when they represent indefinite number, they can be made Plural too, for example;

Dozens of pens, hundreds of boys, thousands of books, millions of men, several pairs of shoes

 RULE: A number/the number:  if ‘The’ or possessive adjectives (Your, Our or Their) are used before ‘Number’, then verb is always considered singular, because in that condition ‘Number’ doesn’t represent ‘Indefinite Number’; For example;

1)      The number of potential cricketers born varies from age to age.

2)      The number of persons interested in philosophy is always small.

In that way, there is a lot of difference between ‘’the number” and “a number”. Singular verb is used with ‘The Number’ and ‘Plural verb’ is used with ‘A Number’ because ‘A number’ represents many, for example;

1)      A number of girls have come.                            ========   Many Girls.

2)      The number of girls in the army is increasing.  ========   ‘Number’ of Girls.

RULE: (a) Many a/an, More than one ;

Singular verb is always used with 'many a/an' and one + noun, for example;

1) Many a man was killed in the accident.

2) More than one boy was absent.

3) More than one workman was killed. (Don't use 'workmen' or were)

(b) More + plural noun + than one

Plural verb is always used with 'More + plural noun + than one', for example;

1) More samples than one have been reviewed.

2) More girls than one were present.