SVA rules:

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in

number. This is the cornerstone rule that
forms the background of the concept.
The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs
growl when they are angry.
2. Dont get confused by the words that
come between the subject and verb; they do
not affect agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my
jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between the
subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with there or
here, the subject will always be placed
after the verb, so care needs to be taken to
identify it correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs
in questions. Make sure you accurately
identify the subject before deciding on the
proper verb form to use.
Does Lefty usually eat grass?
Where are the pieces of this puzzle.
6. If two subjects are joined by and, they
typically require a plural verb form.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the
moon.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects
separated by and refer to the same person
or thing.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite
dish.
8. If one of the words each, every, or
no comes before the subject, the verb is
singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check
in.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are
connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or, and not only/but also the verb is
singular.
Jessica or Christian is to blame for the
accident.
10. The only time when the object of the
preposition factors into the decision of plural
or singular verb forms is when noun and
pronoun subjects like some, half, none,
more, all, etc. are followed by a
Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car)
takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines),
whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Example: The list of items is/are on the
desk.
If you know that list is the subject, then
you will choose is for the verb.

prepositional phrase. In these sentences,

the object of the preposition determines the
form of the verb.
All of the chicken is gone. All of
the chickens are gone.
11. The singular verb form is usually used
for units of measurement or time.
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car
running.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are
connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is
plural.
Dogs and cats are both available at the
pound.
13. If one subject is singular and one plural
and the words are connected by the
words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not
only/but also, you use the verb form of the
subject that is nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped
from the zoo. Neither the lion nor the bears
have escaped from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take
singular verbs. *
Everybody wants to be loved.
15. * Except for the pronouns (few, many,
several, both, all, some) that always take
the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.
16. If two infinitives are separated
by and they take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject
of a sentence, they take the singular verb
form of the verb; but, when they are linked
byand, they take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad
idea. Swimming in the ocean and playing
drums are my hobbies.
18. Collective nouns like herd, senate,
class, crowd, etc. usually take a singular
verb form.
The herd is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are
treated as singular and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
20. Final Rule Remember, only the
subject affects the verb!
Being able to find the right subject and verb
will help you correct errors of subject-verb
agreement.
Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase
beginning with of. This is a key rule for
understanding subjects. The word of is the
culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb
mistakes.
Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and

listeners might miss the all-too-common

mistake in the following sentence:
Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses
lend color and fragrance to the room.
Correct: A bouquet of yellow
roses lends . . . (bouquet lends,
not roses lend)
Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected
by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a
singular verb.
Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train
today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today
with stage decorations.
Rule 3. The verb in an or,
either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees
with the noun or pronoun closest to it.
Examples:
Neither the plates nor the
serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor
the plates go on that shelf.
This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For
example, if I is one of two (or more)
subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:
Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I
am going to the festival.
If possible, it's best to reword such
grammatically correct but awkward
sentences.
Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going
to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to
the festival.
Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb
with two or more subjects when they are
connected by and.
Example: A car and a bike are my
means of transportation.
But note these exceptions:
Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the
law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.
In those sentences, breaking and
entering and bed and breakfast are
compound nouns.
Rule 5. Sometimes the subject is separated
from the verb by such words as along with,
as well as, besides, not, etc. These words
and phrases are not part of the subject.

Ignore them and use a singular verb when

the subject is singular.
Examples:
The politician, along with the
newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as
nervousness, is the cause of her
shaking.
Rule 6. With words that indicate portionsa
lot, a majority, some, all, etc.Rule 1 given
earlier is reversed, and we are guided by
the noun after of. If the noun after of is
singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural,
use a plural verb.
Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.
NOTE
In recent years, the SAT testing service has
considered none to be strictly singular.
However, according to Merriam-Webster's
Dictionary of English Usage:
"Clearly none has been both singular and
plural since Old English and still is. The
notion that it is singular only is a myth of
unknown origin that appears to have arisen
in the 19th century. If in context it seems like
a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it
seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both
are acceptable beyond serious criticism."
When none is clearly intended to mean "not
one," it is followed by a singular verb.
Rule 7. In sentences beginning
with here or there, the true subject follows
the verb.
Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.
NOTE:
The word there's, a contraction of there is,
leads to bad habits in informal sentences
likeThere's a lot of people here today,
because it's easier to say "there's" than
"there are." Take care never to
use there's with a plural subject.
Rule 8. Use a singular verb with distances,
periods of time, sums of money, etc., when
considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence
for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar
bills) were scattered on the floor.
Rule 9. Some collective nouns, such
as family, couple, staff, audience, etc., may
take either a singular or a plural verb,
depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples:
The staff is in a meeting.
Staff is acting as a unit.
The couple disagree about disciplining
their child.
The couple refers to two people who
are acting as individuals.
NOTE
Anyone who uses a plural verb with a
collective noun must take care to be
accurateand also consistent. It must not
be done carelessly. The following is the sort
of flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot
these days:
The staff is deciding how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers would avoid
assigning the singular is and the
plural they to staffin the same sentence.
Consistent: The staff are deciding
how they want to vote.
Rewriting such sentences is recommended
whenever possible. The preceding sentence
would read even better as:
*Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling
Modifiers*
Misplaced Modifiers
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or
clause that is improperly separated from the
word it modifies / describes.

The staff members are deciding how they

want to vote.
Rule 10. The word were replaces was in
sentences that express a wish or are
contrary to fact:
Example: If Joe were here, you'd be
sorry.
Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were,
given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't
actually here, so we say were, not was. The
sentence demonstrates the subjunctive
mood, which is used to express things that
are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or
factually contradictory. The subjunctive
mood pairs singular subjects with what we
usually think of as plural verbs.
Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.
In the first example, a wishful statement, not
a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were,
which we usually think of as a plural verb, is
used with the singular subject I.
Normally, he raise would sound terrible to
us. However, in the second example, where
a request is being expressed, the
subjunctive mood is correct.
Note: The subjunctive mood is losing
ground in spoken English but should still be
used in formal speech and writing.

The example above suggests that a gold

man owns a watch.
Misplaced modifiers can usually
be corrected by moving the modifier to a
more sensible place in the sentence,
generally next to the word it modifies.
Example

Because of the separation, sentences with

this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or
confusing. Furthermore, they can be
downright illogical.
Example
Now it is the watch that is gold.

There are several kinds of misplaced

modifiers:

Just means only John was picked, no one

else:

1. Misplaced adjectives are incorrectly

separated from the nouns they modify and
almost always distort the intended meaning.
Example 1
Just means that John was picked now:

Correct the error by placing the

adjective next to the noun it modifies.
Corrected

Example 2

Just means that John hosted only the

program, nothing else:

Each of these sentences says something

logical but quite different, and its correctness
depends upon what the writer has in mind.
Often, misplacing an adverb not only alters
the intended meaning, but also creates a
sentence whose meaning is highly unlikely or
completely ridiculous.

Corrected

Sentences like these are common in

everyday speech and ordinarily cause their
listeners no trouble. However, they are quite
imprecise and, therefore, should have NO
place in your writing.
2. Placement of adverbs can also change
meaning in sentences.
For example, the sentences below
illustrate how the placement of just can
change the sentence's meaning.

This sentence, for example, suggests that

we brought a lunch slowly:

To repair the meaning, move the adverb

slowly so that it is near ate.

Watch out for adverbs such as only, just,

nearly, merely, and almost. They are often
misplaced and cause an unintended
meaning.
This sentence, for example, means that I
only contributed the money:

Example 2 (a corner smoking pipes?)

Repaired, however, the sentence means

that I contributed only $10.00.
Corrected

Like adjectives, adverbs are commonly

misplaced in everyday speech, and may not
cause listeners difficulty. However, such
sentences are quite imprecise and,
therefore, should have NO place in your
writing.
3. Misplaced phrases may cause a sentence
to sound awkward and may create a meaning
that does not make sense.

Example 3 (a house made of barbed

wire?)

The problem sentences below

contain misplaced phrases that modify the
wrong nouns.
To fix the errors and clarify the meaning, put
the phrases next to the noun they are
supposed to modify.

Corrected

Example 1 (a buyer with leather seats?)

4. Misplaced clauses may cause a sentence
to sound awkward and may create a meaning
that does not make sense.

Corrected

The problem sentences below

contain misplaced clauses that modify the
wrong nouns.

To fix the errors and clarify the meaning, put

the clauses next to the noun they are
supposed to modify.

Correction #1 (meaning the essays will be

returned on Monday)

Example 1 ( a buttered woman?)

Correction #2 (meaning that the teacher

spoke on Monday)

Corrected

Click on the link below to complete Exercise

3.

Example 2 (a hamper that Ralph wore?)

DANGLING
MODIFIERS
A dangling modifier is a phrase or clause
that is not clearly and logically related to the
word or words it modifies (i.e. is placed next
to).
Two notes about dangling modifiers:
1.

Unlike a misplaced modifier, a

dangling modifier cannot be corrected
by simply moving it to a different
place in a sentence.

2.

In most cases, the dangling modifier

appears at the beginning of the
sentence, although it can also come
at the end.

Corrected

Be careful! In correcting a misplaced

modifier, don't create a sentence with two
possible meanings.
Example

Problem: Did the teacher say this on

Monday or will she return the essays on
Monday?)

Sometimes the dangling modifier error occurs

because the sentence fails to specify
anything to which the modifier can refer.
Example 1

This sentence does not

specify who is looking toward the west. In
fact, there is nothing at all in the sentence to
which the modifying phrase looking toward

the west can logically refer. Since the

modifier, looking toward the west, is sitting
next to the funnel shaped cloud, the sentence
suggests that the cloud is doing the looking.

Dangling modifiers may be corrected in two

general ways.

Example 2
Correction Method #1

This sentence means that my mother

enrolled in medical when she was nine years
old!
At other times the dangling modifier is placed
next to the wrong noun or noun substitute.

Leave the modifier as it is.

Change the main part of the sentence

so that it begins with the term actually
modified.

This change will put the modifier next

to the term it modifies.

Thus, this dangling modifier

Example 1

may be corrected to

Because of the placement of walking to the

movies, this sentence suggests that
the cloudburst is walking to the movies even
though a possible walker - Jim - is
mentioned later.
Example 2

Now the sentence means that I was looking

toward the west.

Using the same method, this dangling

modifier

Since having been fixed the night before is

placed next to Priscilla, the sentence means
that Priscilla was fixed the night before.
As the above examples show, dangling
modifiers result in inaccurate and
sometimes ludicrous statements.
may be corrected to
How to correct dangling modifiers

Now the sentence means that Jim was

drenched by the cloudburst.
Correction Method #2
1

Change the dangling modifier phrase

to a subordinate clause, creating a
subject and verb.

Leave the rest of the sentence as it is.

Thus, the dangling modifier

Now the sentence means that the car (not

Priscilla!) was fixed.
Parallelism
-The balance between two or more similar
words, phrases or clauses is called
parallelism in grammar. Parallelism is also
called parallel structure or parallel
construction. Parallel construction prevents
awkwardness, promotes clarity and
improves writing style and readability.
Examples:
1

Nancy likes playing the piano, the

trumpet and play the guitar.
Nancy likes the piano, the
trumpet and the guitar.
Nancy likes playing the piano, the
trumpet and the guitar.

She played basketball, had a

shower and gone to school.
She played basketball, had a

may be corrected to

shower and went to school.

3

You can apply to the job by filling this

form or apply by telephone.
You can apply to the job by filling this
form or you can apply by telephone.

Rules of parallelism
Now the sentence means that I (not my
mother!) was nine years old when my mother
enrolled in medical school.

Parallelism is used to balance nouns

with nouns, prepositional phrases
with prepositional phrases,
participles with participles, infinitives
with infinitives, clauses with clauses.

Parallelism is used with elements

joined by coordinating conjunctions.
My mother likes cooking and to read.

Using the same method, the dangling

modifier

My mother
may be corrected to

likes cooking and reading

of expression and hold to it. The right-hand

version shows that the writer has at least
made his choice and abided by it. By this
principle, an article or a preposition applying
to all the members of a series must either
be used only before the first term or else be
repeated before each term.

Parallelism is used with elements in

lists or in a series.
This task can be done individually, in
pairs, or can be done in groups of
four.
This task can be done individually, in
pairs, or in groups of four.

Parallelism is used with elements

being compared.
She is mad about watching TV more
than to read a book .
She is mad about watching TV more

Parallelism is used with elements

joined by a linking verb or a form of
be
To learn is understanding the

The French, the Italians

Spanish, and the Portug

In spring, summer, or in winter

In spring, summer, or w
spring, in summer, or in

Corrected Version

It was both a long ceremony and The ceremony was both

very tedious.
and tedious.

world.
Parallelism is used with elements
joined by linking words.
The teacher not only wants his
students to keep quiet but also to do

A time not for words, but action

A time not for words, bu

action

Either you must grant his

request or incur his ill will.

You must either grant hi

request or incur his ill w

My objections are, first, the

My objections are, first,
injustice of the measure; second, measure is unjust; seco
that it is unconstitutional.
is unconstitutional.

the task .
The teacher wants his students not
only to keep quiet but also to do the

When making comparisons, the things you

compare should be couched in parallel
structures whenever that is possible and
appropriate.

task .

Unskillful writers often violate this principle,

from a mistaken belief that they should
constantly vary the form of their
expressions. It is true that in repeating a
statement in order to emphasize it writers
may have need to vary its form. But apart
from this, writers should follow carefully the
principle of parallel construction.

The French, the Italians,

Spanish, and Portuguese

Faulty Parallelism

world.
To learn is to understand the

Corrected Version

Correlative expressions (both, and; not, but;

not only, but also; either, or; first, second,
third; and the like) should be followed by the
same grammatical construction. Many
violations of this rule can be corrected by
rearranging the sentence.

than reading a book.

5

Faulty Parallelism

Faulty Parallelism

Corrected Version

My income is smaller than my

wife.

My income is smaller th
wife's.

Arranging Events in Sequential Order

1

Look for words that might give you clues as

to what order the events took place, such
as: "first," "then," "next," "finally," "lastly,"
"after" and "before." Obviously an event
that is described as being "first" can't

Faulty Parallelism

Corrected Version possibly be the last thing to happen, it

Formerly, science was taught by

the textbook method, while now
the laboratory method is
employed.

Formerly, science was

taught
would
havebyto be the first thing to
the textbook method; now it is
happen.
taught by the laboratory method.
2 Consider what task it is that you are trying
to put the events of in order. If you are

The left-hand version gives the impression

that the writer is undecided or timid; he
seems unable or afraid to choose one form

trying to put the events of making a

peanut butter and jelly sandwich in order,

then you can think about what you would

do first if you were going to make a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Picturing yourself running through the
events can help you to think of them in a
sequential order.

Rearrangement of Jumbled Sentences to

make a Meaningful Paragraph Important Points to note :

Sponsored Links
3

Start by looking for the first and the last

event so that you can work forward or
backward from these points. For
example, the first event in making a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich might
be to get out two slices of bread and the
last event might be cutting your
sandwich in half. If you can locate these
events in the list then you can evaluate
each remaining item on the list for the
next or previous logical step, such as
spreading peanut butter on one slice of
bread or putting the two slices of spread
covered bread together.

Pick a point to start from and consider what

might need to happen before or after that
point to arrive at the desired conclusion.
For example, if you were trying to put the
events of tying your shoe in order, you
might write "Make a loop" on the middle
line of a sheet of paper. Then you can
think of what events need to happen in
the process of tying your shoe before
you make a loop. You would know from
experience that you need to tie a half
knot with the two laces before you make
a loop, so you would write this event on
a line above the event of making a loop.
Continue doing this until you have all the
events in order.

Put dates in numerical order if you are

dealing with events of a historical nature.
You can start by organizing the events

1. Generally there is a central

point,idea, thought or a personality
about which a paragraph is written
Try to locate the sentence which
contains such matter. Mostly such a
sentence forms the first or the last
sentence of the paragraph.
2. There are two methods to
describe the central idea. First in the
opening sentence a central point is
mentioned. Thereafter the sentences
following that give logical description
or details of that and for that some
examples are given. In second
method some facts are given in the
opening sentences of the paragraph
and their result is given in the
concluding lines. Try to find out the
sentence containing the central idea
and
arrange
the
remaining
sentences accordingly.
3. Sentences containing proper
nouns i.e. names of persons,places
or buildings etc or abstract nouns
like qualities i.e. goodness or beauty
etc come in the opening line or in the
few starting lines of the paragraph.
4. Sentences containing pronouns
like he,his, him, she,her, they,their,
them or first or last part of a name
come in subsequent part of the
paragraph.
5. Pronouns like it, this that, these or
those show that these mention about
the topic already detailed in the
sentences preceding them. So these
sentences generally do not form the
first line of the paragraph.

into groups by year, then organize each

year by month, and finally by day until all
the events are in order.

6. Sentences containing words like

therefore, But, And, accordingly or
resultantly etc.come in the central

part of the paragraph. The first

sentence of the paragraph may
contain introductory details of
something and the last line of the
paragraph contains conclusions of
some logical details.
7. Sometimes words like initially,
eventually,finally
ensuing,proceeding, following or
mentioned below or above in the
sentence also indicate the location
of that particular sentence in the
paragraph.
8. In some paragraphs there are
sentences giving statements in
favour of or against an argument.
Try to sort out and arrange
sentences of both types separately.
This helps in framing the paragraph.
Initially, it may not be so easy as
stated, but a little practice makes it
very easy.
To explain all this here are some
examples.

alphabets marked against each

sentence in order as answer.
A. With the passage of time, vices
become more apparent and virtues
become objects of jealousy and
envy, thereby causing contempt and
hatred in the hearts of each other.
B. They become familiar with not
only strengths but also weaknesses
of each other's characters.
C. Generally people think that
familiarity should breed love, mutual
understanding and tolerance.
D. They expect that coming together
of two persons should bring them
closer and forge the bond of kinship
between them.
E. But when two persons come
closer, they come to know not only
strengths but also weaknesses of
each other's character.
(Answer : CDEBA)

Q. No. 1
Arrange the following jumbled
sentences in a way so as to make a
meaningful paragraph. Mention the
alphabets marked against each
sentence in order as answer.
A. Such a man goes on working hard and
even if he fails he is never downcast.
B. It is therefore, the man who labours
hard
with
a
strong
resolution and
an unshaken will, who achieves success
and makes his fortune
C. In turn failures make him all the more
determined and resolute and he persists in
his task till he attains the desired success.
D. A man who possesses a strong will and
firm determination finds all difficulties
solved.
E. To him there are a thousand ways open
to steer clear of all dangers and difficulties.

(Answer :DEACB).
Q. No. 2
Arrange the following jumbled
sentences in a way so as to make a
meaningful paragraph. Mention the

Q. No 3.
Arrange the following sentences to make a
meaningful paragraph. Write alphabets of
respective sentences as your answer.
A. He used to go to his school and
enjoyed studying and midday meals
there.
B. Besides, they needed his help in
odd jobs in the house as well as
their fields.
C. Karma lived with his parents in a
thatched small house in a silent
corner of the village.
D. This all stopped as his parents
could not afford to send him to
school to impart further education to
him.
(Answer :CADB)
Q. No. 4
Arrange the following jumbled sentences in
a way so as to make a meaningful
paragraph. Mention the alphabets marked
against each sentence in order as answer.

A. But sometimes, the persons of

opposite nature also come closer fall
in each other's company by
accident,chance or out of ignorance
vitiating the above statement to
some extent.
B. If a man moves in the company
of good, gentle and noble people, he
is usually adjudged to be a
gentleman.
C. It is usual for a man to see
company of those who possess
tastes, tendencies and
temperaments like his own.
D.On the other side, if he keeps
company with evil persons and bad
characters, he is considered to be a
man of bad character.
E.Generally, the character and
conduct of a person is gauged by
the kinds of people he mixes and
moves with.
(Answer: EBDCA)
Q. No. 5
Arrange the following jumbled sentences in
a way so as to make a meaningful
paragraph. Mention the alphabets marked
against each sentence in order as answer.
A. He cannot achieve wealth and
fortune unless he works hard and
unless he has a powerful will.

Arrange the following jumbled sentences in

a way so as to make a meaningful
paragraph. Mention the alphabets marked
against each sentence in order as answer.
A. When finally they made their first
ascent from the desert tract beside
the sea, to be borne aloft for almost
a whole minute, a great change
was effected in the nation's attitude.
B. Accordingly, the brothers, each a
man of mettle and each the perfect
complement to the other, set out with
their ingenious device, but with their
very little capital.
C. Those who had formerly been
skeptical and had prophesied that
the wright machine would remain
forever stationary on the earth, were
loudest in their praise of the
pioneers of the air.
D. Men laughed at the Wright
Brothers, mechanics from Dayton,
saying that a practicable flying
machine would never be built and
counselled them to stay on the
ground.
E. The wrights, however, refused to
accept this advice or to alter their
plans, for they were certain that
their machine embodied the
principles of aviation and they were
confident of their success.

B. It follows from it that he is the

builder of his own fortune.

(Answer : DEBAC)

C. A person must be persevering

and must exert himself if he wants to
shape out his destiny.

Q. No. 7
Arrange the sentences B, C, D and E to
form a logical sequence between sentences
(A) & (F) to construct a coherent paragraph.

D. He can also bring misery and

sufferings upon himself if he has not
the wish to labour.

A. The belief in evil spirits, though

still common, is probably less wide
spread than it was.

E. He can make his fortune if he

wishes to do so by being industrious
and persevering.

B. They live in terror of germs and

practise elaborate antiseptic rites in
order to counteract their influence.

(Answer: CABED )
Q. No. 6

C. Evil spirits being out of fashion, it

must therefore find expression in
other beliefs.
D. With many people especially

women, bacilli have taken the place

of spirits and microbes for them are
personification of evil.
E. But the human tendency to
oversize its sense of value is still as
strong as ever.
F. The forms change but the
substance remains.
(Answer : A EBDC F )
Q. No. 8
Arrange the sentences A, B, C, D
and E to form a logical sequence &
to construct a coherent paragraph.
A. Special justice has always
exercised an appeal to sensitive
persons.
B. We talk of things material and
spiritual.
C. Every great wave of human
thought which has affected millions
of human beings has something
spiritual in it.
D. Even the great revolution would
not have succeeded without a
spiritual element.
E. Yet it is a little difficult to draw a
line between the two.
(Answer: becda)
Q. No. 9
Arrange the sentences A, B, C, D and E to
form a logical sequence & to construct a
coherent paragraph.
A. Then we come to classical
Sanskrit which is also very good.
B. Instead of being inspired by good
idea, we have even lost what we
had.
C. However it gradually deteriorates
and there is no vitality left it in it.
D. We start with magnificent
literature.
E. The process of decay through

centuries can be traced in our

literature.
(Answer: EDACB)
Q. No. 10
Arrange the sentences A, B, C and D to
form a logical sequence & to construct a
coherent paragraph.
A. It must be viewed, as some new
epidemic would be viewed, as a
common peril to be met by
concerted action.
B. If we are to think wisely about the
new problems raised by nuclear
weapons, we must learn to view the
whole matter in a quite different way.
C. These conflicts are so virulent
and so passionate that they produce
a wide spread inability to understand
even very obvious matters.
D. It is a profound misfortune that
the whole question of nuclear
warfare has become entangled in
the age-old conflicts of power
politics.
(Answer: DCBA)
Q. No. 11
Arrange the sentences A, B, C,D and E to
form a logical sequence & to construct a
coherent paragraph.

A. Two of the taller kids stood on the

table to accomplish the adventurous
job.
B. Then I showed them how to
fasten the wire into a hook.
C. I promptly told the children to
fetch a broken table and a long and
strong piece of wire.
D. The small thiefs admired my
ingenuity and enjoyed themselves
running
around
everywhere in excitement.
E. One pulling down the branches
with hook and the second picking

the fruit while others passed them

down.
(Answer : CBAED )
Q. No. 12
Arrange the sentences B, C,D and E
between the sentences A & F to form a
logical sequence & to construct a coherent
paragraph.
A. Smoke oozed up between the
planks.
B.Passengers were told to be ready
to quit the ship.
C. The rising gale fanned the
smouldering fire.
D. Every one now knew there was a
fire on board.
E. Flames broke out here and there.
F.Most people bore the shock
bravely.
(Answers: EDCB )
Q. No. 13
Arrange the sentences B, C,D and E
between the sentences A & F to form a
logical sequence & to construct a coherent
paragraph.

A. My grandmother always went to

school with me because the school
was attached to the temple.
B. When we had both finished, we
would walk back together.
C. The priest taught us the alphabet
and the morning prayer.
D. This time the village dogs would
meet us at the temple door
E. While the children sat in rows on
either side of the verandah singing
the alphabet or the prayer in a
chorus, my mother sat inside
reading the scriptures.
F. and they followed us to our home
growling and fighting with each
other.

(Answer: CEBD)

A. Most of the perishable foods are

shipped by refrigerator ships.

Q. No. 15
Arrange the sentences B, C,D and E
between the sentences A & F to form a
logical sequence & to construct a coherent
paragraph.

B.As the green bananas are loaded,

a man watches closely the signs of
yellow on them.

A. Man cannot survive except

through his mind. He comes on this
earth
unarmed.

C. The cool temperatures keep the

bananas from getting ripe during the
trip.

B. Man has no claws, no fangs,no

horns and no great strength of
muscle.

D. They are placed in the

refrigerated hold of the ship.

C. Animals obtain food by force.

D. He must plant his food or hunt it.

E. Some foods such as bananas are

shipped before they get ripe.
F. Ripe bananas are poor travellers
and even one ripe banana at the
start of the trip can spoil a whole
shipload of fruit.
(Answer: D E B C)
Q. No. 14
Arrange the sentences B, C,D and E
between the sentences A & F to form a
logical sequence & to construct a coherent
paragraph.

E. His brain is his only weapon.

F. To plant he needs a process of
thought; to hunt he needs weapons
and to make
weapons --the
process of thought.

(Answer : E C B D )
What It Takes To Be A Good Sentence
Rearrangement:

1. You need to understand the idea behind

the economic foundation, that productive
the paragraph. If you
capacity
is
can understand the Divide this apple amoung Robert
different
in
idea/theme of the and David.
each
case
ans: between
paragraph it is easy
to put the sentences in order then.
1. FDEBAC
2. DCFAEB
3.
2. You should look out for the starting or the
DEBACF
4. DFEBAC
concluding sentences in the question.
Solution:
Sometimes they are clearly visible and can
If you look at the above question,
help you immensely in
you see clear
identifying the correct Divide this apple between the
links
in
transition being
sequence.
girls.
ans: amoung
mentioned
in
3. You need to know
the three
the relationships between
eras
in
ans: an
different sentences to put It takes me a hour to reach the
the
them in the right sequence.
temple.
hour
4. You should 1st fix the
statements A,E &B. Thus AEB has to be
relationships of sentences, put them in
together. Statement D talks about battle
order and then check the options.
with the enemy and statement C talks
5. Transition words and contrasting words
about how do you battle with your enemy,
also help in finding clean relationships
which is answered by statement F. Thus the
between sentences of
correct
ans: by (for
the
sentence
sequence
I go to school on bus / on bike
vehicles)
rearrangement.
is DCFAEB,
6.
The
whole
paragraph should have a coherent idea and
flow when arranged in the correct order.

which is option 2.
IDENTIFYING ERROR /ERROR
SPOTTING IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Let us look at this example to understand

the above mentioned points further:
A) So in the agrarian era, if you need to
destroy the enemy's
productive capacity, Game came to an end
what you want to do is An European visited in
bum his fields, or if
India.
you're really vicious,
salt
them. soon.
B)
Now
in
the
information era, destroying the enemy's
productive capacity means destroying the
information
infrastructure.
C) How do you do battle with your enemy?
D) With regard to defence, the purpose of
the military is to defend the nation and be
prepared to do battle
Rich should help poor.
with its enemy.
E) But in the industrial era destroying the
enemy's
productive
capacity
means
bombing the factories which are located in
the
cities.
F) The idea is to destroy the enemy's
productive capacity, and depending upon

When use of Articles :

e.g. 1

ans: The game

- words
beginning with h
such as:

ans: A European

- hour, honor,
honest, heir
historical
(adjective) are considered silent, so the
vowel following it takes an for the article.
- hence an hour, an heir, an honor etc.
e.g. 2
- when u or
eu takes a u
or you pronunciation (y is a consonant) so
the article a should be used.
- hence a European, a university, a union, a
unit, etc.

ans: The rich ... the poor

e.g. 3

Agreement of the subject and the verb:

- we are talking about a particular game.

e.g. 1

e.g. 4

- use plural verbs for and.

- rich / poor represent the people

representations use the

e.g. 2
She or he have done well.

Errors in using Prepositions:

- when or joins two subjects, the verb

agrees with the second subject.

e.g. 1
- amoung (to be used for more than two)

She or he is...

e.g. 2
- between (to be used
for only two)

Each of them are England citizens.

ans: is

David or his friends are...

e.g. 3

Everyone of the barrels areThe

full.chief minister
ans: isas well as his followers are at the meetin

e.g. 3

Not one of the boys are doing

Thewell.
boys withans:
theiris teacher are out in the field.

- use on foot to

the boys are missing.

ans:with
is the stars shine at night.
The moon along
She aims to do well in the One of
ans: use aim at
exams.
mean we walk to school.
- She aims at doing well in the exams.

- when using with / along with / together

with / as well as the verb should agree with
the first subject.
e.g. 4

The patient is now free

of danger.

ans: free from

e.g. 4

Either my neighbour or her children is coming for dinn

- use free from danger/risk/disease.

Neither they nor I were mistaken.

e.g. 5

- when using either-or / neither-nor the verb

agrees with the second subject.

She called at her friend.

ans: called on
e.g. 5

- use called at a place ... his friends house.

- use called on a
person -> means to
visit.

- sentences using each of / everyone of /

one of / not
one of use the
None of them have arrived yet.
ans: has
singular form of
None is genuine.
ans: are
the verb.
- None of -> uses singular verb. (has)
- None -> uses plural verb. (are)

Rosy and
Sarah is friends.

ans: are friends

Errors in use of Pronouns:

e.g.
One must not reveal his secrets to all.
- one as a subject should use ones.
- reason -> one does not indicate the
gender-where male / female.

- reason -> much is used for uncountable

nouns.
e.g. 2
Many students has turned up for the seminar.
- use have -> plural verb.
- many is used for countable noun.

Errors in use of Conjunctions:

e.g. 1
As we were late so we apologised.
- use either as or so
- do not use both as ... so. Each sentence
should use only one conjunction.
e.g. 2

With analogies, you are looking for similar

relationships, not similar meanings. Analogy
questions do not ask you to look for words
that have the same meaning as the word in
CAPITAL LETTERS. To answer analogy
questions, you must first figure out the
relationship between the two words in
capital letters. Then look for the pair of
words among the answers that has the
same relationship.

To answer analogy questions, start by

making up a "test sentence" that explains
how the two words in capital letters are
The woman is so poor and she cannot save anyting.
related. Then plug in the answer choices to
see which pair makes the most sense. For
example:
- use so with that...not.
SCISSORS : CUT ::
(A) window : close
e.g. 3
(B) spice : season
(C) cloth : weave
(D) mask : frighten
She has been waiting for you since 3 hours.
(E) country : vote
A good "test sentence" would be:
- use since to denote the starting time of
action.

Scissors are used to cut.

____ are used to ____.

- for for calculating time.

Plug in the five choices and ask yourself

which of the following sentences makes the
most sense:

waiting for you for 3 hours.

Errors in use of Plurals:
e.g. 1
Much water are wasted.
- use is - singular verb.

(A) The window is used to close.

(B) The spice is used to season.
(C) The cloth is used to weave.
(D) The mask is used to frighten.
(E) The country is used to vote.
You can clearly see that (B) is the correct
answer.
Another example:

SLUGGISH : ENERGY ::
(A) sheer : cliff
(B) reticent : tact
(C) inebriated : memory
(D) trite : speech
(E) satiated : hunger
A good "test sentence" would be:
Sluggish means without energy.
____ means without ____.
Plug in the five choices and ask yourself
which of the following sentences makes the
most sense:
courtesy of 4 Pics, One Word
(A) Sheer means without cliff.
(B) reticent means without tact.
(C) inebriated means without memory.
(D) trite means without speech.
(E) satiated means without hunger.

Tips in getting the right answer in Analogy

and Logic:
1.

Determine the thought and

relationship between the first set of
words

2.

Apply the same thought and

relationship among the choices for the
next set of words

(E) is the correct answer.

Civil Service Exam Reviewer for Analogy
and Logic
by Fehl Dungo 50 Comments
Analogy and logic test in the Civil Service
Exam is so challenging as well because it
requires tough analysis of words and logical
meanings between them. The key to finding
the right answers to questions in this type of
exam is understanding word meanings and
analyzing the relationship between words,
ideas, phrases in the given set of words.
If you know the famous game on the
iphone, ipad and mobile gadgets called 4
pics, 1 word, this type of exam is sort of like
that strategy, only easier because in this
type of test, you will be given choices, unlike
that game, you have no choice at all but to
guess the one word or thoughtthat defines
the relationship between the given photos.

According to some English Test Reviewers,

Analogy questions usually have the
following relationship and thoughts:

Synonym pretty: beautiful: big:

huge

Antonym big: small: fast: slow

Group wolf: pack: tree: forest

Cause and effect rain: flood:

quake: sink-hole

Sequence study: graduate: plant:

harvest

Classification blue: color: pants:

clothing

Degree warm: hot: cold: freezing

Effort and result paint: painting:

write: letter

Problem and Solution tired: sleep:

itch: scratch

Function keyboard: to type: phone:

to call

Analogy and Logic Questions and Answers

Note that we already highlighted the correct
answers.
Test your analogy skills by choosing the
best
word
that
expresses
similar
relationship to the given set of words.
1. Iron: metal: : granite: ______
1.

marble

2.

rock

3.

sand

4.

solid

2. Decibel: sound: : volt: ______

1.

watts

2.

fire

3.

electricity

4.

lightning

3. Coward: brave: : philanthropist: _______

1.

selfish

2.

kind

3.

pessimist

4.

optimist

4. Logic: reasoning: : ethics: _______

1.

character

2.

behavior

3.

subject

4.

traits

5. Antenna: signal: : net: ______

1.

web

2.

catch

3.

gross

4.

fish

6. Stanza: poem: : act: ______

1.

movie

2.

opera

3.

song

4.

lyric

7.
Astrology:
_________

Astronomy:

1.

Chemistry

2.

Biology

3.

Physics

4.

Science

8. Census:
__________

population:

1.

accounting

2.

merchandise

3.

cost

4.

list

:Alchemy:

inventory:

9. Oath: promise: : contract: __________

1.

license

2.

contact

3.

agreement

4.

paper

10. Glimmer: Flicker: : murmur: _______

1.

whisper

2.

shout

3.

rumor

4.

speak

11. Bouquet: flowers: : flock:

1.

dogs

2.

sheep

3.

ship

2.

rock

4.

cats

3.

statue

4.

form

12. Rescind: law: : withdraw: _______

18. Hammer: anvil: : pestle: _________

1.

bank

2.

candidacy

1.

ground

3.

deposit

2.

grinder

4.

resume

3.

mortar

4.

knife

13. Hoax: deceive: : filibuster: ______

19. Librarian: books: : curator: _______

1.

delay

2.

refuse

1.

atlas

3.

stop

2.

encyclopedia

4.

none

3.

room

4.

paintings

14. Syllabus: course: :agenda: _______

20. Archive: manuscript: arsenal: ________

1.

subject

2.

platform

1.

soldier

3.

meeting

2.

weapon

4.

lesson

3.

castle

4.

king

15. Cat: kitten: :horse: _______

1.

cab

2.

puppy

3.

stallion

4.

pony

16. Evaporate: vapor: : petrify: _______

1.

liquid

2.

stone

3.

magnify

4.

cold

21. Bodyguard:
_______
1.

advice

2.

counsel

3.

teacher

4.

leader

protection:

mentor:

22. Novelist: plot: : Architect: _______

17. Canvas: painter: : marble: ________

1.

1.

building

2.

design

3.

blueprint

4.

house

sculptor
23. Molecule: atoms: : tissue: _______

1.

organ

2.

cells

3.

body

4.

neutrons

24. Call: telephone: : type: ________

1.

cellphone

2.

ipad

3.

keyboard

4.

piano

25. Eavesdrop: conversation: : trespass:

_________
1.

property

2.

house

3.

land

4.

assets