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Rule-3: Some nouns like scissors, spectacles, Incorrect : Either Ravi or Raju have done this.
tongs, trousers, measles, remains, proceedings, Correct : Either Ravi ro Raju has done this.
tidings, assets, credentials, alms, riches, tactics,
congratulations, thanks, binoculars, arrears, etc. Rule-11: Either, neither, each, one of, everyone,
are always used in the plural and take a plural many a should be followed by a singular verb.
verb.
Incorrect : Neither of these two applicants were
Incorrect : Where is my spectacle ? qualified.
Correct : Where are my spectacles?, Correct : Neither of these two applicants was
qualified.
Rule-4: Some nouns like deer, sheep, fish, Incorrect : One of my teachers live next door to
dozen, score (twenty), hundred, thousand, etc. me.
have the singular and the plural alike. Correct : One of my teachers lives next door to
me.
Incorrect : The sheeps are grazing in the field.
Correct : The sheep are grazing in the field. Rule-12: When the plural noun is a proper name
for some single object or some collective unit, it
CORRECT USAGE OF SUBJECT VERB must be followed by a singular verb.
AGREEMENT:
Incorrect : Gulliver's Travels were written by
Rule-5: The general rule is the verb should agree Swift.
with its subject in number and person. Correct : Gulliver's Travels was written by
Swift.
Incorrect : They is farmers. Incorrect : The United States have a big navy.
Correct : They are farmers. Correct : The United States has a big navy.
Incorrect : I is a teacher.
Correct : I am a teacher. Rule-13: When a plural noun expresses some
specific quantity or amount considered as a
Rule-6: A verb should not be made agree with a whole, the verb should be in the singular.
noun near it instead of its proper subject.
Incorrect : Fifty thousand rupees are a large
Incorrect : The quality of mangoes are not good. sum.
Correct : The quality of mangoes is not good. Correct : Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum.
Rule-14: A collective noun takes a singular verb Incorrect: I, You and he must work together.
when the collection is thought of as one whole Correct : You, he and I must work together.
and a plural verb when the individuals of which it
is composed are thought of. Rule-21: when two or more plural pronouns of
different persons come together first person
Incorrect : The committee have submitted its plural (we) comes first, then second person plural
report. (you) and last of all third person plural (they).
Correct : The committee has submitted its
report. Incorrect : You, they and we must work together.
Correct : We, you and they must work
Incorrect : The jury was divided in its opinion. together.
Correct : The jury were divided in their
opinions. Rule–22: Emphatic pronouns can not stand
alone as subjects.
Rule-15: When a noun is used as art adjective in
a compound word, it is always in the singular, Incorrect: Himself did it.
even though it is preceded by a plural numeral. Correct: He himself did it.
Incorrect : He gave me a ten rupees note. Rule-23 : The Indefinite pronoun 'one' should be
Correct : He gave me a ten rupee note. used throughout if used at all.
CORRECT USAGE OF PRONOUNS: Incorrect : One must not boast of his own
success.
Rule-16 : A pronoun must agree with its Correct : One must not boast of one's own
antecedent in person, number and gender. success.
Incorrect : Each of these boys has done their Rule-24: 'Either' or 'neither' is used only in
homework. speaking of two persons or things; 'any', 'no one'
Correct : Each of these boy has done his and 'none' is used in speaking of more than two.
homework.
Incorrect : Any one of these two roads leads to
Rule-17: When two or more singular nouns are the railway station.
joined by 'and, the pronoun used for them must Correct : Either of these two roads leads to the
be in plural. railway station.
Incorrect : Both Raju and Ravi have done his Incorrect : Neither of these three boys did their
homework. homework.
Correct : Both Raju and Ravi have done their Correct : No one of these three boys did their
homework. homework.
Rule -18: When two or more singular nouns Rule-25: 'Each other' is used in speaking of two
joined by 'and' refer to the same person or thing, persons or things; 'one another' is used in
the pronoun used for them must be with in the speaking of more than two.
singular.
Incorrect : The two brothers loved one another.
Incorrect: The collector and District Magistrate is Correct : The two brothers loved each other.
not negligent in their duty.
Correct : The collector and District Magistrate
is not negligent in his duty. Rule-26: A Relative Pronoun should agree with
its antecedent in number and person.
Rule-19: When two or more singular nouns
joined by 'or’ or 'nor', either..or, neither...nor, the Incorrect : The boys, who was lazy were
pronoun used for them should be in the singular. punished.
Correct : The boys, who were lazy were
Incorrect : Neither Ravi nor Raju has done their punished.
homework.
Correct : Neither Ravi nor Raju has done his Incorrect : I, who is your king will lead you.
homework. Correct : I, who am your king will lead you.
Incorrect : He is cleverer than any boy in the Rule-41: A single verb should be made to serve
class. two subjects, only when the form of verb is same
Correct : He is cleverer than any other boy in for both the subjects.
the class.
Incorrect : I am eighteen years old and my sister
Rule-34: When comparison is made by means of sixteen.
a superlative, the thing compared should include Correct : I am eighteen years old and my sister
the class of things with which it is compared. is sixteen.
Incorrect : He is the strongest of all other men. Rule-42: Two auxiliaries can be used with one
Correct : He is the strongest of all men. principal verb, only when the form of the
principal verb is appropriate to both the
Rule-35: When two persons or things are auxiliaries.
compared, it is important that the same parts of
things should be compared. Incorrect: He never has, and never will take such
strong measures.
Incorrect : The population of Bombay is greater Correct : He never has taken, and never will
than Delhi. take such strong measures.
Correct : The population of Bombay is greater
than that of Delhi. Rule-43: When there is only one auxiliary to two
principal verbs it should be correctly associated
Rule-36: Double comparatives and superlatives with the both.
should not be used.
Incorrect : Ten candidates have passed, one
Incorrect : He is the most cleverest boy in the failed.
class. Correct : Ten candidates have passed, one has
Correct: He is the cleverest boy in the class. failed.
Incorrect : He is more wiser than his brother. Rule-44: A past tense in the main clause should
Correct: He is wiser than his brother. be followed by a past tense in the subordinate
clause.
Rule–37: The adjectives superior, inferior,
senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior etc. Incorrect : He succeeded because he works hard.
should be followed by 'to' instead of 'than'. Correct : He succeeded because he worked
hard.
Incorrect : He is senior than me.
Correct : He is senior to me. Incorrect : He told me that he likes apples.
Correct : He told me that he liked apples.
Rule-38: Adjectives like 'unique', ideal, perfect,
complete, universal, entire, extreme, chief, full, Rule-45: A past tense in main clause may be
square and round, which do not admit different followed by a present tense in the subordinate
degrees of comparison should not be compared. clause when the subordinate clause expresses a
universal truth.
Incorrect : It is the most unique thing.
Correct : It is a unique thing. Incorrect : Our teacher said that the earth moved
round the sun.
Rule-39: All the adjectives which refer to the Correct : Our teacher said that the earth
same noun should be in the same degree of moves round the sun.
comparison.
Rule- 46 : When the subordinate clause comes Incorrect : How long are you working in this
after 'lest', the auxiliary verb 'should' must be office ?
used, whatever be the tense of the verb in the Correct : How long have you been working in
main clause. this office?
Incorrect : We start early lest we shall miss the CORRECT USAGE OF ADVERBS:
train.
Correct : We start early lest we should miss the Rule-56: Two negatives destroy each other.
train. Hence two negatives should not be used in the
same sentence unless we make an affirmation.
Rule-47: A participle should not be unrelated or Incorrect : I have not got none.
falsely related. Since it is an Adjective, it must Correct : I have not got any.
qualify a Noun or Pronoun.
Rule-57: 'At present' means 'at the present
Incorrect : Sitting on the wall, a scorpion strung time', 'presently' means 'shortly'. These should
him. not be confused.
Correct : Sitting on the wall, he was strung by a
scorpion, (or) Incorrect : Nothing more can be done presently.
While he was sitting on the gate, a Correct : Nothing more can be done at present.
scorpion strung him.
Incorrect : He will come back at present.
Rule-50: The auxiliary verbs like will, would, Correct : He will come back presently.
shall, should, can, could, may, might, must and
expressions like 'would rather', would sooner, Rule-58 : 'Hard' means 'diligently', ‘strenuously',
rather than, sooner than, had better etc. should 'Hardly' means 'scarcely at all'. These two
be followed by 'base form of a verb' adverbial forms of 'hard' must not be confused.
Incorrect : He might went there. Incorrect : He tried hardly to win the race.
Correct : He might go there. Correct : He tried hard to win the race.
Rule-51: The form of the verb that follows a Incorrect : She has eaten hard anything today.
preposition must be the gerund. Correct : She has eaten hardly anything today.
Incorrect : They were punished for come late. Rule-59 : 'Much' is used before past participles
Correct : They were punished for coming late. and Adjectives or Adverbs of comparative
Rule-52 : The future indefinite tense is not used CORRECT USAGE OF CONJUNCTIONS:
in the clauses of time, place and condition. Here
the present indefinite Tense is used. Rule-60: Two conjunctions should not be used in
the same sentence.
Incorrect : I shall wait till you will finish your
work. Incorrect : Although she was tired, but she still
Correct : I shall wait till you finish your work. went on working.
Correct : Although she was tired, she still went
Rule-53: The present perfect tense is not used on working.
with the adverbs of past time like yesterday, in
1990 etc; here Past Indefinite Tense is used. Rule-61: 'Both' should be followed by 'and'. It
should be used in the positive sense. In the
Incorrect : I have bought a cycle yesterday. negative sense, 'neither.. 'nor" should be used in
Correct : I bought a cycle yesterday. place of 'both'.
Rule-54: The past perfect tense is used to Incorrect : Both Ravi as well as Raja were
represent the earlier of the two past actions. present there.
Correct : Both Ravi and Raja were present there.
Incorrect: When I reached the station, the train
already left. Rule-62: 'Either......or", 'neither......nor",
Correct : When I reached the station, the train 'both.....and, 'not only.....but also’ should be
had already left. followed by the same parts of speech.
Rule-55: The present perfect continuous tense is Incorrect : He not only lost his ticket, but also his
used for an action that began in the past time luggage.
and still going at the time of speaking. It is used Correct : He lost not only his ticket but also his
with adverbials of time introduced by 'since', for" luggage.
and 'how long'.
Rule-63 : 'Neither1 should be followed by 'nor'; Rule-70: “an” is used in front of the singular nouns
'either' should be followed by 'or'. Both these which give vowel sound.
should not be confused.
Incorrect : He is a honest man.
Incorrect: He washed neither his hands or his Correct : He is an honest man.
face.
Correct : He washed neither his hands nor his Incorrect : I met M.L.A.
face. Correct : I met an M.L.A.
Rule-64: “no sooner" should be followed by Rule-71: “the” is used in front of unique objects,
'than', not by 'but' or then'. Seas, Oceans, Groups of Islands, Religions,
Superlative degree, Musical instruments,
Incorrect : No sooner do I finish this book then I directions, rivers, gulfs, canals, names of trans,
shall begin another. ships and newspapers, holy books, ordinals,
Correct : No sooner do I finish the book, than I mountain ranges and etc.
shall begin another.
Incorrect : He likes playing flute.
Rule-65 : 'Hardly' and 'scarcely' should be Correct : He likes playing the flute.
followed by 'when' or 'before', but not by than' or
that'. Incorrect : He is a second person to win the
game.
Incorrect : Hardly did I reach the station, than Correct : He is the second person to win the
the train left it. game.
Correct : Hardly did I reach the station when
the train left it. Incorrect : He had been to Himalayas.
Correct : He had been to the Himalayas.
Rule-66: 'That' should not be used before a
sentence in Direct Speech and before Rule-72: Articles are omitted in front of
Interrogative adverbs and pronouns in the languages, names of Meals, proper nouns,
Indirect Speech. material nouns, games, collective nouns, abstract
nouns and names of the countries (unless ii is
Incorrect : He said that "I shall go there". formed of smaller units).
Correct : He said, "I shall go there".
Incorrect : I like the chess.
Incorrect : He asked me that who I was. Correct : I like chess.
Correct : He asked me who I was.
Incorrect : The Gold glitters.
CORRECT USAGE OF ARTICLES: Correct : Gold glitters.
Rule-67: “a” or “an” should be used in front of Incorrect : The English is a funny language.
singular count nouns when there are no other Correct : English is a funny language.
determiners.
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Incorrect : I read book.
Correct : I read a book.