I had a coaching center called P@ul’s Coaching Home. I used to teach students through lecture sheets at the coaching center. Some sheets are still with me. I’m sharing them with you one by one. There may be some errors. When teaching in class, I would correct the mistakes in the sheets. But now, due to lack of time, I couldn’t do that. Please take the trouble to correct them while reading.
Another thing. I never made solution sheets for any of the exercises. I would solve them instantly in class. So, you’ll have to take the trouble to solve and study them yourself.
Subject – Verb Agreement
Example – 1 : The professor were traveling in Europe when she received notice of her promotion. No Error
Modified Subject & Verb
Example – 2 : The professor voted teacher of the year by students were traveling in Europe when she received notice of her promotion. No Error.
Example – 3: His knowledge of history and economics aid him in his work. No Error.
Example – 4: The production of different kinds of artificial materials are essential to the conservation of our natural resources. No error
Subject With Accompaniment & Verb
Along with, together with, with, as well as, in addition to, accompanied by etc. == phrase of accompaniment
X + phrase of accompaniment + Y + verb (follows X)
Example – 5: His dog, along with his cat and goldfish, prevent him from taking long trips. No Error
Example – 6: Mary, accompanied by Jane, were well received at the show. No error
Inverted Sentence (Verb + Subject)
Example – 7: Just 2 miles from the factories and sky-scrapers stand a medieval castle which looks exactly as it did in the 12th century.
Example – 8: There has been several objections to the new policy.
Neither…nor, Either … or & Not only…but also
Neither / Either / Not only + X + nor / or / but also + Y + verb (follows Y)
Example – 9: Neither the councilmen nor the mayor take responsibility for the controversial bill. (A) Neither the councilmen nor the mayor take (B) Neither the councilmen or the mayor takes (C) Neither the councilmen take nor the mayor takes (D) Neither the mayor nor the councilmen takes (E) Neither the councilmen nor the mayor takes
Example – 10 : Either the governor or one of his close aides prefer not to have the Senator seated at the head table where he would be conspicu¬ous. No Error
Incorrect : Everyone knows that neither he nor they is allowed to leave the hall.
Correct : Everyone knows that neither he nor they are allowed to leave the hall.
Incorrect : Not only I but also he am to leave the house.
Correct : Not only I but also he is to leave the house.
Adjective and Adverb
“Adjectives are used to modify nouns. Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adverbs and ad¬jectives.”
Example – 11 : Some psychologists maintain that a child who has seen violence on television is more likely to react violent in situations of stress. No error
The recent created commission has done, nothing to address the problem except to approve the color of its stationery. No error
Example – 12 : The car runs quieter when I add a more heavy transmission fluid. (A) The car runs quieter when I add a more heavy (B) The car runs more quietly when I add a heavier (C) The car runs quieter when I add a more heavier (D) The car runs quietly when I add a more heavy (E) The car runs quieter when I add a heavier
Wrong Prepositions
In English, as in other languages, only certain prepositions can be used with certain verbs.
Examples- 13 : In contrast of the prevailing opinion, the editorial lays the blame for the strike on the workers and their representatives. No error
Examples – 14: Although ballet & modern dance are both concerned in movement in space, training for ballet is more rigorous than that for modern dance. No error.
approve/disapprove of
agree/disagree with
be ashamed of
compare with (point out similarities between
things of a different order)
capable/incapable of
be afraid of
compare to (point out differences between
things of the same order)
independent of
be interested in
be equal to
except for
next to
dependent on
related to
be bored with
similar to
Errors of Commonly Confused Words
Incorrect : They came despite of the rain.
Correct : They came in spite of the rain. or They came despite the rain.
Following are some of the more commonly misused words in English :
Indefinite…………Past……………Perfect……………Continuous………….Meaning
to lie……….lied………….lied………….lying……………. to tell an untruth
to lie………..lay…………..lain……………lying……….to recline
to lay…………laid………….laid…………laying………….to put down
Carefully distinguish between the verbs lay and lie. The verb lay is transitive and is always followed by an object; the verb lie is intransitive and connot have an object.
Examples: Lay the child down to sleep. I laid the book on the table. The hen has laid an egg. Let me lie here. He lay under that tree.
Incorrect : He was laying in bed all day yesterday.
Correct : He was lying in bed all day yesterday.
Affect (n) or Effect (v)? The flood affected our country.
The effect of the flood is devastating
Error in Making Comparisons
There
are three degrees of comparisons, namely (a) Positive (b) Comparative (c)
Superlative. When we talk about one person or one thing or one institution we
only use positive degree.
For
example :
1. He
is a rich man. 2. He is a poor man.
When we
compare two persons, things or institutions, we use comparative degree.
For
Example :
1. You
are stronger than your brother.
2. Mrs.
Gandhi was more shrewd than Mr. Morarji Desai.
When we
compare something with more than two, we use superlative degree.
For
example :
1. He is
the most intelligent boy in the class.
2. John
is the fastest runner.
Following
are the mistakes committed in making comparisions :
Use
Comparative degree for two. Using superlative degree to compare 2 things is an
error.
1.
Incorrect He is poorest of the two.
Correct
He is the poorer of the two.
2.
Incorrect. He is most prosperous of the twins.
Correct
He is more prosperous of the twins.
Example
– 15: Which is the correct? (A) John maintained that his record was better or
at least as good as hers. (B) John maintained that his record at its least was
as good as hers. (C) John maintained that his record was as good or better than
hers. (D) John maintained that his record was better or at least as good as her
scholastic record. (E) John maintained that his record was better than or at
least as good as hers.
Select
correct items for comparison.
Incorrect
: The speed of this engine is greater than the old one.
Correct
: The speed of this engine is greater than that of the old one.
Incorrect:
My pen is better than Ram.
Correct:
My pen is better than that of Ram.
Solution
: In the case of the first example, the speed of the engine must be com¬pared
with speed and not with engine. In the second example, pen must be compared
with the pen and not with Ram.
Example
– 16 : Your courage is as great as any other man in defending your country. (A)
as great as any other man. (B) so great as any other man. (C) great like any
other man. (D) as great as that of any other man (E) as that of any man.
Absolute
Adjectives: There are certain adjectives like square, parallel, essential etc.
which cannot be changed into comparative or superlative degrees.
Example
-17 :
Incorrect:
These two lines are more parallel than the others.
Correct:
These two lines are parallel and the others are not
Incorrect:
The box is more square than the other.
Correct:
The box is square and the other is not.
Redundancies
(Never give anybody free gifts?!)
Words
and expressions which do not contribute to the total meaning of the sentence
are called redundant words. Such words make the sentence absurd and incorrect.
I saw
the whole scene with my own eyes. (The italicised words are redundant).
Example
-18:
Period
of time : As `period’ gives the idea of time so the use of ‘time’ with it is
redundant.
Incorrect:
We stayed for a short period of time in the hotel.
Correct:
We stayed for a short period in the hotel.
Refer
back to : The word refer implies ‘back’ so it should not be used with refer.
Incorrect:
Please refer back to page 20.
Correct:
Please refer to page 20.
Repeat
again : ‘Repeat’ means to ‘do again’ so the word again is redundant with
‘repeat’.
Incorrect:
Do not repeat this mistake again.
Correct:
Do not repeat this mistake.
Return
back : The word ‘return’ means ‘turn back’. So ‘back’ should not be used with
‘return’.
Incorrect:
He returned back from his trip.
Correct:
He returned from his trip.
Example
-19 : After being in school for sixteen years, Jack couldn’t wait to get out to
get a job. (A) Jack couldn’t wait to get out to get a job (B) Jack arranged to
look for a job. (C) Jack was eager to get a job (D) Jack wanted out and a job
badly. (E) there was great desire in Jack to get out and get a job
Example
– 20 : If one begins to smoke at an early age, it is likely that he will go on
smoking further.
(A) it
is likely that he will be smoking further. (B) he will probably keep smoking
more & more. (C) he is likely to continue smoking. (D) it is hard to stop
him from smoking more. (E) he will have a tendency to continue snioking.
Tips:
“Avoid answer choices that are unnecessarily wordy.”
Double
Negatives
Double
negatives are not acceptable usage in standard written English.
Example
– 21: Not hardly a sound could be heard when the speaker approached the dais.
No error
Parallelism
“In
a correctly written sentence, similar elements must have a similar form”.
In
sentences containing a series of two or more items, check to see if the same
form has been used for all the items in the series. Do not mix infinitives with
gerunds, or verbs with nouns.
Example
– 22: To abandon their homes, leave behind their families, and travelling
across the ocean required great courage on the part of the immi¬grants who
moved to America. No error
The
review praised the wit, charm, and interpreting of the recital¬ist but never
mentioned her voice.
Example
-23 : The stranger was affable, with good manners and has a keen wit. (A) with
good manners and has a keen wit. (B) with good manners and a keen wit. (C)
well-mannered and keen-witted. (D) good manners as well as keen-witted. (E) and
has good manners as well as keen wit.
Example
24: To run for an important political office, to manage a large organization
and practising law effectively all require organization and problem-solving
skills. (A) To run for a political office, to manage a large organization and
practicing law (B) To run for a political office and to manage a large
organization, practicing law (C) Running for a political office, to manage a
large organization and to practice law (D) To run and manage political offices
and large organization and practicing law (E) Running for a political office
managing a large organization and practicing law
Incorrect:
The man was tired, irritable and needed sleep.
Correct:
The man was tired, irritable and sleepy.
Incorrect:
The friends planned hunting, fishing and eat.
Correct:
The friends planned hunting, fishing and eating
Incorrect:
My brother likes to swim, play tennis and riding.
Correct:
My brother likes to swim, play tennis and ride.
Incorrect:
He abused, insulted and I was irritated.
Correct:
He abused, insulted and irritated me.
Example
25: Edward not only resists learning new facts but also remembering old lessons
(A) Edward not only resists learning new facts but also remembering old
lessons. (B) Edward not only resists learning new facts but also to remember
old lessons. (C) Edward resists not only learning new facts but also
remembering old lessons. (D) Edward resists not only learning new facts but
also to remember old lessons. (E) Edward resists learning to correlate new
facts and remembering old lessons.
Incorrect:
The film was interesting, exciting, and it was made well.
Correct:
The film was interesting, exciting, and well-made.
Pronoun
Usage
“A
pronoun in a sentence must have a clear and proper antecedent.”
Example
-26: Samantha and Jane went shopping, but she couldn’t find anything she liked.
Example
– 27: During her rise to fame, she betrayed many of her friends, and because
of it, few people trust her.
In New
York City, they are brusque and even rude but quick to come to one another’s
assistance in a time of crisis.
Ten
years ago, the United States imported ten times as much French wine as Italian
wine, but today Americans are drinking more of it. No error
A
pronoun must agree with its antecedent, both in number & person.
Examples
– 28 : Although a police officer used to be a symbol of authority, today they
receive little respect from most people. No error
The
Abbot was an effective administrator who attempted to assign each monk a task
particularly suited to their talents and training. No error.
Example
– 29: In this article they imply that everybody who dislike this philosophy
must still accept its principal tenet themselves. (A) In this article they
imply that everybody who dislike this philosophy must still accept its
principal tenet themselves. (B) The author of this article implies that
everybody who dislikes this philosophy must still accept its principal tenet
themselves. (C) The author of this article implies that everybody who dislikes
this philosophy must still accept its principal tenet himself. (D) The author
in this article implies that everybody who dislike this philosophy must himself
still accept its principal tenet. (E) The author implies that everybody who
dislike this philosophy must themselves still accept its principal tenet.
Example
– 30 : Of the two leaders, neither Trotsky nor Lenin was most brilliant, but
each worked in their sphere for the party. (A) was most brilliant, but each
worked in their sphere (B) was most brilliant, but each worked in their own
sphere (C) was most brilliant, but each worked in his sphere (D) was most
brilliant, but each in their own sphere worked. (E) was more brilliant, but
each worked in his sphere.
List of
various types of pronouns:
Singular
everyone,
yours, I, me, mine, someone, his/hers, he, him, one, somebody, that, she, her,
other, nobody, this, you, such, anyone, ours, it, neither, anybody, no one,
each, another, everybody, either
Plural
we, us,
they, them, both, some, theirs, these, those
Can be
Singular or Plural
none,
any, you, who, which, what, that
Subject
pronouns : I, You, She, It, We
Possessive
pronouns : My, Your, His, Her, Our
Correct
the followings :
(1)
Those of us who are over fifty years old should get our blood pressure
checked regularly.
(2) A mother
who works outside has to prepare for emergencies when she cannot be there to
take care of her sick child.
(3) Our
neighbours know that when they go on vacation we will get their mail for them.
Example
31 : The preacher said that everyone will burn in eternal damnation for their
sins. (A) that everyone will burn in eternal damnation for their sins. (B) that
everyone for his sins in eternal damnation will burn. (C) that everyone will
burn in eternal damnation for his sins. (D) about everyone that they will burn
in eternal damnation for their sins. (E) that all of us should burn in eternal
damnation for their sins.
Errors
in Parallelism of Impersonal Pronouns
Impersonal
Pronouns: It is necessary to continue using the impersonal pronoun ‘one’
throughout a sentence and ‘he’ or ‘his’ may also be used instead of ‘one’ or
‘ones’.
Avoid
using ‘you’, ‘your’, ‘they’ or ‘their’ to refer to the impersonal ‘one’
Incorrect:
One should take your duties seriously.
Correct:
One should take one’s/his/her duties seriously. Or, You should take your duties
seriously.
Example:
After three years of college education, a person should be allowed to apply to
graduate school, because by that time you are ready to choose a profession. No
error
Incorrect:
If one knew the facts, you should not be so quick to criticize.
Incorrect:
If one does not work hard, you cannot expect to succeed.
Incorrect:
At a large university, one will almost always be able to find a friend who
speaks your language.
Pronouns
After Preposition
Except, between, among, with, without, including, but and all other prepositions + objective pronoun.
Example 32 Every conservative candidate except Smith and she was defeated in the election.
(A) except Smith and she (B) except Smith and her (C) excepting Smith and she (D) but not she and Smith (E) outside of her and Smith.
Example – 33: The judges were unable to decide on a single winner, so they divided first prize between John and him.
Example -34: Everyone except the pitcher and me was injured in that game. (A) except the pitcher and me was (B) except the pitcher and me were (C) except the pitcher and I was (D) accept the pitcher and I were (E) accept the pitcher and me was
Example -35: Everyone but he like football.
Errors in tense
“Verb tenses must be in proper sequence. When two or more events have taken place, are taking place, or will take place at the same time, their tenses must be the same. If two events have taken place in the past but one event occurred prior to the other, the latter of the two events must be in the past tense, and the earlier of the two must be in the past perfect tense”.
Example: The teacher began to discuss the homework assignment when he will be interrupted by the sound of the fire alarm. No error
Example: When I saw smoke pouring from the engine, I realized that I forgot to add oil. (A) I realized that I forgot to add oil. (B) I had realized that I forgot to add oil. (C) I had realized that I had forgotten to add oil. (D) I realized that I would forget to add oil. (E) I realized that I had forgotten to add oil.
Use of Than & Different
“A pronoun following than in a comparison will be the subject pronoun “.
Example: You are prettier than she (is). You drive better than he (does). He is taller than I (not me). He knows as well as I (not me). I hate him as much as she. (not me).
Note: The word different is followed by from.
Example: You are different from me.
Errors With Who/Whom
When you are in doubt about the correctness of WHO/WHOM, try substituting the subject/object of a simpler pronoun to clarify the meaning.
Example-37: I don’t know who/whom Sarah loved.
Example 38: There was a discussion as to who/whom (?) was better suited.
Technique: he/she was better suited/ NOT….. him/her was better suited. Here the pronoun he/she is the subject of the verb was.
Correct: There was a discussion as to who was better suited.
Example-39: The contest judges were told to give the prize to whomever drew the best picture. (A) to give the prize to whomever drew the best picture (B) to give the prize to whoever drew the best picture (C) to give whomever drew the best picture the prize (D) to give to whoever drew the best picture the prize. (E) to give the prize to whomever it was who drew the best picture
Errors in Verbs Followed by Verb Words
The following list consists of words & expressions that are followed by VERB WORD (the infinitive without to):
ask–requirement–prefer–demand–recommend–suggest–desire–recommendation–suggestion–insist–require–urge
Incorrect: She ignored the doctor’s recommendation that she stops smoking.
Correct: She ignored the doctor’s recommendation that she stop smoking.
i.e. ask–requirement–prefer–demand–recommend–suggest–desire–recommendation–suggestion–insist–require–urge + verb in the base form (without to)
Error in Ellipsis
ELLIPSIS is the technique of truncating a sentence by eliminating one or more words from a sentence keeping the original meaning of the sentence unchanged.
Example-40: She is not & does not intend to run for political office. (A) She is not and does not intend to run (B) She is not running and does not intend to (C) She is not and will not intend to run (D) She is not running and does not intend to run (E) She has not and does not intend to run This sentence contains an example of an ellipsis (the omission of a word or words from a sentence.)
Example-41: She had never run and does not intend to run.
Example-42: Baseball has and probably always will be the sport that symbolizes for people in other countries the American way of life.
Run-on Sentence
Never add two independent clauses by putting a comma between them, instead, use semicolon or full-stop.
Example-43: It is raining, I need a raincoat.
Example-44: Initially Bob was the group’s spokesman, afterwards it occurred to them that Jane was more articulate and more diplomatic. (A) afterwards, it occurred to them that (B) that wasn’t the best thing to do since (C) but they came to realize that (D) they concluded, however, that (E) then they decided that
Explanation: This sentence is an example of a run-on sentence, sentence, that is, a sentence which contains two independent clauses that are not properly joined together. The portion of this sentence before the comma is an independent clause, and the portion of the sentence after the comma is also an independent clause. A comma by itself is not sufficient to separate two independent clauses; rather, a coordinating conjunction like and, but, yet, for, or, or nor must be used between the comma and the second independent clause. Only choice (C) provides such a conjunction at the beginning of the second clause. Since “they came to realize” has virtually the same meaning as “it occurred to them” choice (C) is the correct answer. The main consideration here is that choices (A), (B), (D), and (E) are run-on sentences.
Gerund
Example-45: “Reading is his favourite pastime.”
Reading is used here as the subject of a verb and hence does the work of a noun. It is, therefore, a verb-noun and is called a gerund. Further examples of gerund:
1. Hunting tigers is a favourite sport in this country. 2. I like reading poetry. 3. He is fond of hoarding money.
A gerund is that form of the verb which ends in-ing and has the force of a noun and a verb.
Rule pronoun in the possessive case + gerund
Example: Although Peter had been looking forward to the debate for weeks, a sore throat prevented him taking part. No error
Errors in Modifying Countable and Noncountable Nouns
If a noun can be preceded by a number it is a countable noun and will be modified by these words: a few, many, more, some, few, fewer, number of
If a noun cannot be preceded by number, it is noncountable and will be modified by these words: amount of, little, less, some, a little, much, more
Incorrect: I was surprised by the large amount of people who came.
Correct: I was surprised by a large number of people who came.
Modifier
“Modifier should be placed beside the part that it modifies.”
Example-46: After stealing the watch, the police caught the thief.
Try to find errors in the following sentences:
1) After graduating from City College, his studies were continued at State University.
2) Returning to her room several pieces of jewellery were missing.
3) Having been delayed by heavy traffic, it was not possible for her to arrive on time.
4) Accustomed to getting up early, the new schedule was not difficult for him to adjust to.
SOLUTION: 1) After graduating from City College, he continued his studies at State University.
2) Returning to her room, she found that several pieces of jewellery were missing.
3) Having been delayed by heavy traffic, she arrived late.
4) Accustomed to getting up early, he had no difficulty adjusting to the new schedule.
Example-47: Riding in a coach and wearing the crown jewels, the crowd cheered the royal couple. (A) the crowd cheered the royal couple. (B) the royal couple was cheered the crowd.
Errors With Because
It is incorrect to say “The reason is because”- Use: The reason is that…..
Example-48: Incorrect: The reason he was rejected was because he was too young.
Correct: The reason he was rejected was that he was too young. Or, He was rejected because of his young age. Or, He was rejected because he was too young.
Appositive
An appositive is a noun phrase that explains another noun or noun phrase. It is placed before or after the noun or noun phrase that it explains.
Example- 49: Sweden, a Scandinavian country, offers a tuition-fee-free degree for international students.
Example-50: A Scandinavian country, Sweden offers a tuition-fee-free degree for international students.
Diction = Word choice
The wrong choice of “make” and “do”
Some common expressions with make
make advances in; make an attempt; make a comparison; make a contribution; make a decision; make a distinction; make a forecast; make an investment; make a plan; make a prediction; make a profit; make a promise; make an offer; make a suggestion;
make a law; make a point.
Some common expressions with do:
doing an assignment; do business with; do one’s duty; do a job; do research; do one’s research.
Wrong choice of like or alike
Example-51: Like A, B Like birds, mammals are warm-blooded
A, like B, Birds, like mammals, are warm-blooded
A is like B Birds are like mammals in that they are both warm-blooded.
A and B are alike === Birds and mammals are alike in that they are both warm-blooded.
Plural forms of numbers and measurements
Rule: 1. number + measurement in the singular form ( if used as an adjective) 2. number + measurement in the plural form ( if used as a noun)
Example-52: Rule 1- They went for a 6-mile walk. Rule 2-They walked 6 miles.
Similarly, Ten thousand, Six million dollars etc.
Wrong Use of Causative Verbs
Rule: 1. Causative verbs (have, let, make) + verb in the base form (without to). 2. help + verb without to/with to
Example-53: He had his driver wash the car. She let me go there What makes you come here? He helped me (to) take the charge.
“A number of” or “The number of”
Rule: A number of + plural; The number of + singular
Example – 54: A number of boys have reached early. (plural subject……… plural form verb)
The number of girls attending the meeting is ten. (singular subject……singular form verb)
Complement of Verbs
The following verbs take another verb as complements as infinitives (to + verb).
agree
hesitate
seem
attempt
hope
strive
claim
intend
tend
decide
learn
want
demand
need
wish
desire
offer
determine
plan
expect
prepare
fail
pretend
forget
refuse
Example – 55: We decided to join the meeting.
Place of the auxiliary verb in sentences starting with ‘Negative word, Only, So’
RULE:
Sentences starting with Negative words / Only / So + auxiliary verb + Subject
of the sentence (QUESTION ORDER, i.e. in the manner of forming a question)
Negative
words list: not only; not until; not once; at no time; by no means; rarely;
never; scarcely; nowhere; no sooner; seldom; hardly.
Example
– 56: Seldom has he read this kind of book.
Expressions
with Only: Only recently; Only once; Only in (on, at, by etc.)
Example
– 57: Only recently has he resigned from the job.
So +
adjective / participle + auxiliary verb (QUESTION ORDER)
Example
– 58: So confusing was the map that we had to ask a police officer for
directions.
Verb of
senses
Verbs
of senses (feel, look, smell, sound, taste) + adjective NOT adverb.
Example
– 59: She feels bad today about your behaviour.
Word
Form Problem
Some
important word forms
Number
+ Percent BUT NOT Number + percentage
Example
– 60: Seventy percent of the people voted.
The
percentage of the people in the meeting was satisfactory.
Tell
needs an object, but say does not need an object. Some common expressions with
tell: tell a story, tell the truth, tell a secret, tell a lie.
Example
– 61: He told me that he’d had a good trip. ( me– object)
He said
that he’d had a good trip.
Live, +
noun. Verb + alive.
Example
– 62: He likes to have live plants in his room but his collected plants are not
still alive.
Age……..
noun; old ……. adjective.
Example
– 63: You will be thirty years of age next month (or at the age of thirty).
He is
ten years old now.
Ago
refers to a past incident from present period. Before refers to a past incident
from past period.
Example
– 64: He came two years ago, and four years before that, he earned his PhD
degree.
Transitive
& Intransitive verb
A
transitive verb (raise, lay, set etc.) requires a complement after it; but an
intransitive verb (rise, lie, sit etc.) does not require a complement after it.
Example
– 65: Heavy rain raises the water level of the reservoir every spring.
(complement: ‘the water level of the reservoir’ )
The
water level rises when it rains every spring.
Affirmative
agreement “So” and “Too”
so, too
& also have the same meaning. But so is used in a sentence before the
auxiliary verb, but too & also after the auxiliary verb.
Example
– 66: He will talk to you and so will I. He will talk to you and I will too /
also.
Collective
Subjects
If the
following collective subjects work group-wise they take a singular verb, but if
the members of the group work individually then they will take plural subjects.
LIST:
audience; majority; 2/3/4 million dollars; 2/3/4 hundred miles; band;
orchestra; chorus; class; public; committee; series; faculty; staff; family;
team; group; variety; jury; community.
BUT
people, cattle, police always take a plural verb after them.
Example
– 67: Incorrect: The jury is arguing over several issues concerning this case.
Correct:
The jury are arguing over several issues concerning this case.
Incorrect:
The jury have reached its decision.
Correct:
The jury has reached its decision.
NOTE:
Collective nouns may be either singular or plural, depending on meaning.
Example
– 68: 1) The committee have carefully studied the proposal. (Committee is
considered as separate individuals).
2) The
committee has carefully studied the proposal. (Committee is considered as a
unit.)
3) My
family is large. My family is composed of ten members. They are loving and
supportive. They are always ready to help me.
4) Our
cricket team is winning. (cricket team is used as a group.) The team are
coining back their homes. (The team is considered as individual members of a
team.)
Compound
Subject:
Compound
subjects require plural verbs. Compound subjects (two or more nouns joined by
and) require plural verbs.
Example
– 69: Incorrect: The salespeople and their manager is in favour of the
proposal. (Salespeople and manager are compound subjects of the verb, but it is
singular. So, it is not correct.)
Correct:
The salespeople and their manager are in favour of the proposal.
Incorrect:
Received in the morning delivery was an ink cartridge and two reams of copy
paper. (Ink cartridge and reams are the subjects; the verb must be plural.)
Correct:
Received in the morning delivery were an ink cartridge and two reams of copy
paper.
Word
Use:
Misused
words call attention to themselves and detract from the writing. The
possibilities of error in word use are infinite; the following list contains
only a few of the common errors of this kind.
Don’t
Use
a long
ways
and
etc.
anywheres
continue
on
different
than
have
got to
in back
of
in
hopes to
in
regards to
inside
of
kind of
satisfied
nowhere
near
over
with
seldom
ever
try and
come
Use
a long
way
ইত্যাদি।
যেকোনো জায়গায়
চালিয়ে যাও
থেকে
ভিন্ন
অবশ্যই
পেছনে
আশায়
সম্পর্কে
মধ্যে
কিছুটা
সন্তুষ্ট
কোথাও নয়
উপরে
কদাচিৎ
আসার
চেষ্টা কর
অগণনীয়কে
গণনা করা;
আমরা এক জল, দুই জল বলি না, কিন্তু যখন তা কোনো পাত্রে রাখা হয় তখন আমরা তা গুনতে পারি।
লিটার/কেজি
সংখ্যা:
এক লিটার
দুধ…………দুই লিটার দুধ
এক কেজি
আলু…………দুই কেজি আলু
পাত্র:
এক বোতল
পানি…………দুই বোতল পানি
এক বয়াম
জ্যাম……………..দুই বয়াম জ্যাম
টুকরো:
একটা
পরামর্শ………….দুটো পরামর্শ
এক টুকরো
রুটি…………..দুই টুকরো রুটি
একটি
যন্ত্রাংশ …………….দুটি যন্ত্রাংশ
একটি
আসবাব……………..দুটি আসবাব
একটি
তথ্য ……………দুটি তথ্য
একটি
অলংকার …………….দুটি অলংকার
একটি
মালপত্র ……………..দুটি মালপত্র
একটি
চিঠি ………………দুটি চিঠি
একটি
সংগীত ……………দুটি সংগীত
একটি
সংবাদ …………….দুটি সংবাদ
এক টুকরো
টোস্ট …………..দুই টুকরো টোস্ট
এক টুকরো
চকলেট………………দুই টুকরো চকলেট
যেসব
পণ্য আপনি কিনেন:
এক
পাউরুটি ……………দুই পাউরুটি
এক বার
চকলেট …………….দুই বার চকলেট
এক বার
সাবান……………….দুই বার সাবান
উদাহরণ
– ৭০: ১। আমি একগ্লাস পানি চাই। ২। আপনি কি এক টুকরো কেক নেবেন?
৩। আমি কি এক কেজি আলু পেতে পারি? ৪। আমার তিন লিটার দুধ দরকার। ৫। ওই কাপের দুধটা খেয়ো না! ওতে দুটো চুল আছে।
ইংরেজিতে
খেলা
১.
তুলনা ও বৈসাদৃশ্য
সবচেয়ে
উপযুক্ত শব্দ বা শব্দগুলি দিন।
১. দুটি
জিনিস খুব একইরকম, তাই আপনি বলেন তারা একে অপরের। ক) same with খ) same
as গ) same like
২. তুমি
চকলেট পছন্দ করো… ক) and me too খ) and I too গ) and so do I ঘ) and also I
৩.
……একজন ডাক্তার হিসেবে, আমি আপনাকে ধূমপান ছাড়ার পরামর্শ দেব। ক) Like খ)Else গ)As
৪. সে
তা বলেছে……যেমন সে মনে করেছে ক) as খ)like গ) like as if ঘ)as if
৫. তুমি
টেনিস খেলো ………… আমার চেয়ে। ক) better than খ) more good than গ) more good as ঘ)
better as ঙ) more well
৬. ….
অনেক মানুষের মতো, আমরা মন্দার সময় টিকে থাকতে পেরেছি। ক) Contrary to খ) In
contrast to গ) On the contrary with
৭. যদি
তুমি আমার সাথে ……কর, তা বলো। ক) disagree with খ) differ from গ) differ with ঘ)
differ by
৮. যদি
তুমি এটা পছন্দ না করো, অন্য কিছু চেষ্টা করো। ক) other খ) more গ) else ঘ) another
৯. তাদের
মধ্যে বেছে নেওয়ার খুব কম আছে। তারা … ক) equally nice খ) equally as
nice
১০. দুটি
মডেল সব দিক দিয়ে একেবারে একই… ক) in all cases খ) in all respects গ) in any
event
১১. আজ
তোমার কেমন লাগছে? …ভালো, ধন্যবাদ। ক) More খ) Much গ)Very ঘ)Many
১২.
আমি কলেজে জায়গা পেয়েছি… ক) So I have খ) So have I গ) And I
১৩.
এটা করো… ক) like this খ) like so গ) so ঘ) like this way
১৪.
তুমি একমাত্র নও যে খবরটা শোনোনি। আমিও শুনিনি… ক) neither খ) also গ) too ঘ) either
১৫.
লন্ডনকে কেমন লাগে? ক) I very much like খ) I like very much,.গ) I like it very
much
২.
সামাজিকতা, বিনোদন ইত্যাদি।
দ্বিতীয়
তালিকা থেকে প্রথম তালিকার জন্য সবচেয়ে উপযুক্ত শব্দগুলি দিন।
তালিকা ১
১. সিনেমা
হল থেকে বের হতে চাইলে এটা খোঁজ….
২.
ব্রিটেনে, উপহার পেলে তখনই খোলা ভদ্রতা…এটা।
৩. থিয়েটারে
এখানে তোমার কোট রাখবে….
৪. তোমার
থিয়েটারের টিকিটে লেখা থাকতে পারে ‘… One’।
৫. যারা
অন্যদের সঙ্গ উপভোগ করে তারা…
৬. চিৎকার
করে তোমার উৎসাহ প্রকাশ করো…
৭. উপস্থিত
থাকা…
৮. ধর্মীয়
পঞ্জিকায় বিশেষ একটি দিন…
৯. পানীয়ের
মিশ্রণ, প্রায়শই অ্যালকোহলযুক্ত…
১০. নিমন্ত্রণে
‘হ্যাঁ’ বলার সময় তুমি যা করো: …
১১. কারো
সাহায্য দরকার হলে, তুমি হয়তো তাদের … করবে।
১২. জনপ্রিয়
ব্যক্তির প্রায়ই ব্যস্ত … জীবন থাকে।
১৩. একটা
… এ তোমাকে অ্যালকোহলযুক্ত পানীয় ও খাবার পরিবেশন করা হয়।
১৪. নিমন্ত্রণ
প্রত্যাখ্যান করতে চাইলে তুমি এটা করো: …
১৫. সিনেমা
হলে, উদাহরণস্বরূপ, প্রবেশের খরচ: …
১৬. তুমি
ভেতরে যেতে পারো না বলে এর সামনে ‘No’ লাগায়: …
১৭. যারা
কখনো দেখা হয়নি তাদের সাথে তুমি এটা করো: …
18. You
can’t sit at a restaurant table if it says this: …
19.
Someone is sitting in that seat. That seat is …
20.
What you need if you’ve been overworking; …
21. A
collection of clothes for all occasions: …
22. A
large number of people leaving a place: …
23.
Show your appreciation by clapping your hands: …
24.
Permit someone to do something: …
25.
Someone wants you to … a good hotel
26. You
don’t know about something. You … all knowledge.
List 2
(a)
accept
(b)
admission
(c)
admit
(d)
admittance
(e)
allow
(f)
applaud
(g)
assist
(h)
attend
(i)
cheer
(j)
cloakroom
(k)
cocktail
(l)
cocktail party
(m)
deny
(n) exit
(o)
exodus
(p)
festival
(q)
holiday
(r)
introduce
(s)
occupied
(t)
receive
(u)
recommend
(v)
refuse
(w)
reserved
(x)
sociable
(y) social
(z)
wardrobe
3. What
goes with what?
Suggest
the words that go together. The first one has been done for you.
1. This
verb goes in front of presents or guests…………….(receive)
2. This
adjective goes in front of room, parts, or time.
3. You
can … flowers or a meeting.
4. Two
things you can do with money and time.
5. This
noun comes after words like dinner or cocktail.
6. A …
of applause.
7. You
… a puzzle or a problem.
8. You
play a game … the rules.
9. You
can … a game or a trick.
10. You
… flowers or fruit.
11. You
go for a walk to … your legs.
12.
What you do to a photo to make it bigger: … it.
13.
Many people … things like stamps.
খুব উপকার হলো।