120 Rules of Grammer

Apply coupon code - 2FT0NG
https://link.testbook.com/SkJ0aQI06zb?tbreferrer=2FT0NG

Use this referral code and get 10% off on any purchase of Testbook Pass or Testbook Pass Pro. https://link.testbook.com/SkJ0aQI06zb?tbreferrer=2FT0NG OR use code 2FT0NG

Use coupon code 2FT0NG
https://link.testbook.com/SkJ0aQI06zb?tbreferrer=2FT0NG

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE91: When two different helping verbs are required in a sentence, we always use the main verb in both the cases.

Examples :-

🔸 I have never and will never watch this movie.❌

🔹 I have never watched and will never watch this movie.✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE90 : Whenever infinitive (to + V1) in a sentence talks about a noun, it is always followed by a preposition.

Examples :-

🔸 The child has no bed to sleep in. [Infinitive is used to talk about the noun “bed”]

🔹 I have a pen to write with. [Infinitive is used to talk about the noun “pen”]

🔸 The child wanted a toy to play with.
[Infinitive is used to talk about the noun “toy”]

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE89 : Pseudo Subjects:
When in a sentence, irrespective of the presence of main subject, we have to talk about something which is not related to the main subject, in that case we use “pseudo subject”.

Examples :-

🔸 Being a rainy day, I did not go to school. ❌
🔹 It being a rainy day, I did not go to school. ✅

In the above example, there is no Subject of “rainy day”, “I” is the main Subject and has no relation with “rainy day”. So to add a Subject, we use “It” as a Pseudo Subject.

Being ill, he did not come to class.✅

In the above example, there is no need of pseudo subject as “ill” in the first part refers to the main subject “he”.

🟡 Being vacant, I did not enter the room. ❌
🟣 It being vacant, I did not enter the room. ✅

In the above example, there is no subject of “vacant” which has no relation with the main subject “I”, thus we need a Pseudo subject “It” to make the sentence grammatically correct.

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE88 : Optative Sentences -

The sentence which expresses a prayer, keen wish, curse etc. is called an optative sentence. This kind of sentence generally starts with ‘may’ and ‘wish’.

Sometimes, ‘may’ remains hidden.

In the case of optative sentences, whether the subject is singular or plural, we use the base form of the verb (i.e. V¹).

Examples :-

🟡 May God bless you!

🟣 Long live the king.

🟡 May the almighty help in this tragedy!

🟣 Wish you a happy journey together.

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE87 : Usage of “too”, “as well” and “also” -

When we have to denote some extra thing in a sentence, we use these three words.

It is to be noted that “also” cannot be used at the end of the sentence.

However, “too” and “as well as” can be used at the end of the sentence.

Examples :-

🔹 I have brought a bag too. ✅️

🔸 I have brought a bag as well. ✅️

🔹 I have brought a bag also. ❌

🔸 I have also brought a bag. ✅️

#NOTE : In normal cases, “too” and “so” are used to give negative sense to the sentence.

When we use “too” with the meaning of “addition”, we can use it at the end.

However, when we use “too” with the meaning of “high intensity”, we cannot use it alone.

🔹 She is too beautiful. ❌

🔸 She is very beautiful. ✅

🔹 It is too hot to go outside. ✅

🔸 It is so hot that I cannot go outside. ✅

🔹 The question was too difficult to solve. ✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE86 : We use the article “A” when we mean “One of many” and the article “The” when we mean “only one”.

Moreover, we use the article “A” with the possessive case and “The” with the objective case.

Examples :-

🔸 A brother of mine is a scientist. [Possessive case]

🔹 The brother of me is a scientist. [Objective case]


Some more examples :-

🟡 A servant of theirs lives in Delhi.

🟣 The servant of them lives in Delhi.

#NOTE : We can rewrite these phrases :-

🔶 My car – The car of me

🔷 My brother – The brother of me

🔶 One of my brothers – A brother of mine

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE85 : Usage of “Mathematics” and “Statistics”:

When these two words are used as a field or a subject, we consider them uncountable nouns and thus a singular verb is used.


However, when the meaning of the word “Mathematics” is “Calculation” and “Statistics” is “Data”, we use plural verb in both the cases.


Examples :-

🔸 Mathematics is an interesting subject.
[Used as a subject]

🔹 Mathematics are telling that he has made a lot of money.
[Here it means “calculations”]

🔸 Statistics is difficult to understand.
[Used as a subject]

🔹 Statistics tell us that it will rain today.
[Here it means “data”]

#NOTE : The word “Data” is plural. The singular form of “Data” is “Datum”.

Examples :-

🔸 Data warns us and we will have to change our strategy. ❌

🔹 Data warn us and we will have to change our strategy. ✅


#NOTE : The word “Summons” is a singular noun but “Summon” is a verb. The plural form of “Summons” is “Summonses”.

Examples :-

🔸 Two summons were issued. ❌

🔹 Two summonses were issued. ✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE84 : Use of the word “Politics”:

When the word “Politics” is considered as a field or a subject, it is used as singular.

When the word “Politics” is considered as a set of political beliefs, it is used as plural.

Examples :-

🔸 Politics is a very dirty game.
[ whole field ]

🔹 His politics are different from mine. [ political beliefs]

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE83 : Possessive Case is always followed by a Noun.

Examples :-

🔸 His belongings were lost. ✅

🔹 His earnings are not enough. ✅

🔸 His surroundings are not clean. ✅


Some more examples of nouns which are always plural are :-

Riches, premises, spectacles, Bowels, Valuables, Proceeds, Alms, Billiards, Movables, Wages, Thanks, Annals, Measles, Trousers, Goods, Socks, Fetters, Shorts, Pantaloons, Tidings, Mumps, Eatables, Scissors, Stockings, Surroundings,Breeches, Arms, Tongs

#NOTE: Some Verbs play the role of Nouns, just by adding ‘s’ at the end.

Examples :-

VERB NOUN

Belong Belongings

Earning Earnings

Surrounding Surroundings

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE82 : Use of “too much” and “much too”:

We use “much” and “too” together in twoways:

(1)too much – we use “too much” as an Adjective.

(2)much too – we use “much too” as an Adverb.

“MUCH” indicates a big quantity of an uncountable substance or element (one that
you can't count).


If the quantity becomes too big, much is preceded by “TOO”:
TOO MUCH + uncountable noun = an excessive quantity.



Another construction describing an excessive quantity is less frequent and is built with an adjective :- MUCH TOO + ADJECTIVE

In this construction, ‘MUCH’ has played the function of ‘increasing’, amplifying the adverb ‘too'; it is equivalent to ‘far too heavy’.

Examples :-

🔸 He is too much strong. ❌

🔹 He is much too strong. ✅

🔸 There is much too sugar. ❌

🔹 There is too much sugar. ✅


In the above examples, it is to be noted that “strong” is an Adjective and “sugar” is a Noun.Thus, we use the Adjective “too much” with the noun and Adverb "much too" with the Adjective.

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE81: Use of proper Prepositions :
It is important to use exact prepositions after the words.

Examples :-

🔸 He is superior to and older than me.

🔹 This book is different from and better than that book.

🔸 Nobody seems to have responsibility for the budget.

🔹 What’s the reason for your unhappiness?

🔸 Changes in society have meant that young people leave home earlier.

🔹 There’s been a steady increase in the value of the euro.

🔸 Go to our website to get the address of your nearest branch.

🔹 My reaction to it all was to try to forget it.

🔸 Her response to the criticism was very strong.

🔹 18 is the age at which you are allowed to vote.

🔸 Fisk is making his third attempt at the world record.

🔹 The police inquiry into the theft continues.

🔸 She did some research into the causes of back pain.

🔹 This is an example of international collaboration.

🔸 We need to find another way of doing things.

🔹 Her response to the criticism was very strong.

🔸 I saw an advertisement for a teaching job in Malawi which looked interesting.

🔹 There is a growing awareness of the impact of climate change among the young.

🔸 Congratulations on your new job!

🔹 I’d like to do a course in computer programming if I could find a good one.

🔸 Do you have any previous experience of working with children?

🔹 He seems to have less interest in everything these days.

🔸 Can you give us some information on/about bus tours, please?

🔹 The invitation to the reception at the embassy arrived the next day.

🔸 He has an amazing knowledge of European history.

🔹 Can anyone become a member of your book club?

🔸 I was a newcomer to windsurfing so I was very nervous.

🔹 I’d love to show you some of the nice places in my hometown.

🔸 The visit to the temple was the high point of the holiday.

🔹 I need some lessons in how to set up a website.

🔸 Changes in our diet have meant that more and more people suffer heart disease.
[ Changes that happen ]

🔹 The director of studies must be informed of any changes to the timetable.
[ Changes that people purposely make ]

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE80 : Error of Parallelism :

The rule of Parallelism explains that sentence elements that are alike in function should also be alike in construction. These elements
should be in the same grammatical form so that they are parallel.


Here are some examples of parallel elements :-

🟡 Words :- thinking, running, etc.

🟣 Infinitives :- to see, to understand, etc.

🟡 Prepositional phrases :- at the time, in the house, etc.

🟣 Subordinate clauses :- because I care, after they met, etc.

🟡 Linking words :- not only…but also…, either…or…, neither…or…, if…then…, etc.

🟣 Nouns :- honesty, originality,
goodness, etc.

🟡 Adjectives :- charming,
courteous, beautiful, etc.


Examples :-

🔸 I like singing, dancing, and to walk. ❌

🔹 I like singing, dancing, and walking. ✅

🔸 He asked his mother to cook, to rest and prepare the dish. ❌

🔹 He asked his mother to cook, to rest and to prepare the dish. ✅

🔸 My friends never judged me by my words or what I did. ❌

🔹 My friends never judged me by my words or my actions. ✅

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

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

🔸 I like to read books over watching movies. ❌

🔹 I like reading books over watching movies. ✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE79 : Use of “Until” and “Unless”:

CONCEPT :-

Until – Time Oriented
Unless – Action Oriented


Examples :-

🔸 Wait for me until sunset.
[referring Time]

🔷 Unless the government reduces the tax, the tax-payer base will not increase.
[referring Action]


#NOTE : There is no difference in meaning between “till” and “until” as both mean “up to (the time that)”.

However, we cannot use “till”
at the beginning of the sentence which is not there with the case of “until”.

Examples :-

🔸 Until your next birthday, you will have to wait for a new bike. ✅

🔹 We did not eat till past midnight. ✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE78 : Use of the conjunction “Lest”:
Lest means otherwise.

The conjunction “lest” is always followed either by the verb “should” or no helping verb at all.


Examples :-

🔸 Work hard, lest you would fail. ❌

🔹 Work hard, lest you fail. ✅

🔸 Work hard, lest you should fail. ✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE77 : The conjunction “Both” is always followed by “and” and not “as well as”.

Examples :-

🔸 Both Ram as well as Shyam are good at English. ❌

🔹 Both Ram and Shyam are good at English. ✅


#NOTE : The word “good” is always followed by the preposition “at”.

Examples :-

🔸 She is very good at geography.

🔹 Rohan is good at football.

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE76 : Use of the Prepositions “in, on, and at” :-

‘In’ refers to town, cities, and countries in a wider sense.
[ In Delhi, in Dubai, in Saudi Arabia ]

‘At’ is used for speaking of comparatively smaller place.
[ at Rohini in Delhi, at Laxminagar ]


CONCEPT :-

Preposition “in” implies Area/Volume.

Preposition “on” implies Surface.

Preposition “at” implies Point.


Based on the above concept, we use these prepositions in following order :

Point of time < day < month < year

At < on < in < in

The above order can be understood by this way as well :-

Since “point” is smaller than “surface” which in turn is smaller than “volume”, we follow the order of these prepositions in the same
manner.


Examples :-

🔸 At 4 pm.

🔹 On Sunday.

🔸 In April.

🔹 In 1947.


🟡 Are you free at lunchtime?

🟣 My birthday is on 30 May.

🟡 We are going to Italy in April.

🟣 I started working here in 2009.

#NOTE :- There are certain words before which we don’t use any preposition like “last Monday, coming Monday, today, tomorrow,
yesterday, etc.”


Examples :-

🔸 I am having dinner with Rachel tomorrow night.

🔹 I saw her yesterday afternoon.
I have a checklist of things that I must do today.

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE75 : When we talk about Imperative Sentences and that also when we talk about proposals, in that case we always use “shall we” in question tag statement.

Examples :-

🔸 Let us go for a walk, don’t we? ❌

🔹 Let us go for a walk, shall we? ✅

🔸 Let us go out to dinner, shall we? ✅

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE74 : When a collective noun is used in the main statement and depicting all its units are working together on the same thing or all are behaving similarly, we consider everything to be singular.
However, if all the units are working on different things, we consider everything to be plural.

Examples:-

🔸 The jury has taken the decision, hasn’t it?
[Only one decision is taken]

🔹 The audience took the seats, didn’t they?
[Audience took their respective seats]

120 Rules of Grammer

RULE73 : When we use “Each or Every” in a sentence, a singular noun or pronoun is followed which is further followed by a singular verb. But in the case of question
tag, noun (or, pronoun) following “Each or Every” is considered plural and thus we use plural verb in question tag statement.


Examples:-

🔸 Every girl is very talented, isn’t she? ❌

🔹 Every girl is very talented, aren’t they? ✅

🔸 Each one has to work hard to make both ends meet, hasn’t he? ❌

🔹 Each one has to work hard to make both ends meet, haven’t they? ✅