USE OF VERB:

 Generally past tense in reporting speech is followed by past tense in reported

speech.
He told me that he was accompanying his brother.
The teacher asked the students why they were making a noise.
He asked him what he had eaten.
They found that the ship was leaking.
If reporting speech or a clause in past is followed by a universal truth or a
proverb, there will be no change in the tense of reported speech (proverb or
universal truth):
I did not know that honesty is the best policy.
Astrologists found that the earth revolves round the sun.

 Sequence of tenses in conditionals is as following.

Open condition:
If I find the book I shall give you.
Improbable or imaginary condition:
If we set off now we could reach there in time.
If I were a millionaire I would help the poor.
Unfulfilled condition:
If you had studied hard you would have got through the examination.
If “if clause” is followed by a spontaneous response or result of that clause, both
the clauses will take first form of verb:
If you knead flour it turns into dough.
If he heats water it evaporates.
 Some verbs are followed by certain prepositions even if they are transitive e.g. to
operate upon, to search for.
He has been operated upon.
The police searched for the suspect.
 Some verbs do need a direct object. If direct object isn’t available, reflexive
pronoun is used as an object e.g., to resign, to distinguish, to set, to revenge, to
enjoy, to absent, to hurt, to be ashamed of, to avail.
She absented herself from the office.
The player hurt himself while fielding the ball.
He availed himself of leave at once.
 Following verbs are followed by gerunds (‘ing’ form) not by infinitives.
stop, avoid, start, delay, keep, enjoy, regret, miss, postpone, suggest, ‘cannot help’
He was told to start working.
You should avoid mentioning his divorce
I enjoy playing basketball.
I suggested going in my car.
He cannot help feeling sorry for you.
 ‘Had better’, ‘Would rather’ ‘Sooner than’, ‘Rather than’ and ‘Did nothing but’,
are followed by bare infinitive( infinitive without ‘to’)
You had better alter your plan.
She would rather die than give a speech.
They would sooner buy a house than live at home with their parents.
I would sooner quit than do it.
 The word ‘to’ is frequently used with infinitives but is not an essential part or sign
of it. After certain verbs, bid, let, make, see, hear, need, dare, infinitive without
‘to’ is used:
We let him go.
She made her weep.
They bade us go.
You dare not work.
‘Dare’ and ‘Need’, when conjugated with ‘do’ or used as main verbs, don’t take
bare infinitive.
I did not dare to ask.
We don’t dare to break our promise.
I needed to get some sleep.
 If the sentence begins with ‘No sooner’, ‘Hardly’, ‘Scarcely’, helping verb is put
before the subject:
No sooner did he leave than the storm broke.
Hardly had I eaten two morsels of loaf when my friend came to see me.
Scarcely had he gone when a police- man knocked at the door.
 Following verbs are generally not used in continuous or perfect continuous tenses:
be, feel, see, hear, smell, look, appear, seem, want, wish, like, love, hate, think,
believe, know.
 If the verb ‘know’ follows another verb, when talking about learning, it (another
verb) must precede ‘how to’.
I know how to swim.
She is well mannered and she knows how to behave with others.
 The verbs ‘discuss, describe, order, request, consider, term, depict, call, name,
resemble etc’ are generally not used with prepositions.
Have you discussed the problem with anyone?
My parents may be resembled a tree that which gives us cool shade.
She requested me to help her.
They named their son Asghar.
He considered himself an expert on the subject.
The verbs, ‘define, mention, regard’ are usually used with preposition ‘as’.
Life imprisonment is defined as sixty years under state law.
The advertisements depict smoking as glamorous and attractive.
He regards himself as a patriot.
 The verbs ‘lay’ and ‘lie’ are sometime confused with each other.
Lay (put something down), laid, laid
Rise (to assume upright position) rose, risen
Raise (cause to rise something/somebody) raised, raised
 Lie (to be or put yourself in a flat or horizontal position), lay , lain
She laid a hand on my arm.
The cat lay fast asleep by the fire.
 Some verbs ( score, make, take, give, ache) are not used with their appropriate
objects:
I request you not to make jokes in the class.
If I fail in this examination I will take the next (examination).
The teacher will give you a test tomorrow
He scored a goal against our team.
My tooth is aching very badly.
Please, make a speech.
He refused (to say that you will not do something) to obey my orders.
She denied (to say something is not true) of stealing.
He gave a lecture.
Please look at my book.
He is giving me trouble.
 USE OF NOUN/
AGREEMENT BETWEEN SUBJECT AND VERB:

 Following nouns are always plural in form ( having two linked parts) and always
take plural verbs: scissors, binoculars, glasses, spectacles, goggles, trousers, pants,
tights, shorts, tongs, pliers.
Scissors were lying at the table. OR A pair of scissors was lying at the table.
These glasses are imported.
Her trousers have been made of cotton.
 Some nouns usually convey plural sense but have no plural form. They always
take singular verbs: hair, scenery, moustache, poetry.
The scenery is magnificent.
His hair has turned white.
Poetry has its appeal to the heart.
 There are some nouns that have ‘s’ at the end but they always take singular verb:
measles, economics, politics, ethics, physics, mathematics,
 Some nouns have ‘s’ at the end but can take singular or plural verbs according to
the situation: innings, means, summons, acoustics, athletics, statistics.
Athletics (sports) make people strong.
Athletics (practice of jumping, running etc) builds strong muscles.
Our team won the game by an innings/ two innings.
They found a means to contact him.
Earn your livelihood through honest means.
 The word ‘ news’ in English, is used as a singular noun and takes singular verb:
What is the latest news?
 Some nouns are usually uncountable- some additional changes are made to make
them plural if needed: business, work, advice, furniture, information, mischief,
punishment, luggage, traffic, equipment.
I want to give you some/ some pieces of useful advice.
He was sent to his room as a punishment. / The students were given two acts of
punishment.
 Uncountable nouns are always used as singular and take singular verbs:
expenditure, honesty, bravery, milk, rice, beauty etc.
 Following are the nouns (collective nouns) are plural and take plural verbs:
gentry, police, people, cattle, poultry.
Police were searching for the suspect.
People were casting their votes.
The landed gentry are enjoying a luxurious life.
These poultry belong to him.
 Collective nouns take singular verb when the collection is considered one whole.
They take plural verb when their units or individuals are thought of: jury,
committee, family.
The committee has decided to close the restaurant.
 The committee are divided on an issue.
The jury has returned a verdict.
The jury have not yet decided the case because of the differences.
 The units of counting, when used with exact numerals, have no plural forms but
their plural form is used when there is no exact number is mentioned: dozen,
score, hundred, thousand, million etc.
They bought three dozen bananas.
There were dozens of candles scattered in the room.
He ran three hundred metre race.
We received ten thousand rupees.
The storm claimed thousands of lives.
 When linking verbs are used in a sentence to describe mathematical calculations,
measurements, amounts, distances etc they usually take singular verbs. When
conjunctions are used to join two subjects they take plural verb, as they are not
considered mathematical calculations.
Three plus three is six.
Two and two make four. as (Ali and Akbar offer their prayers.)
 If nouns joined by ‘and’ suggest one idea to the mind or refer to the same person
or thing, they take singular verb:
Time and tide waits for none.
Bread and butter is his priority.
The famous novelist and poet has passed away.
 ‘Many a’ and ‘more than one’, phrases take singular nouns and singular verbs but
they convey plural sense:
Many a man has been killed in recent riots.
More than one student has got the first position in the examination.
 Phrases, ‘majority of’, ‘a number of’, and ‘a great many’ take plural nouns and
plural verbs. The phrases ‘the number of ’ and ‘one of ’ take plural nouns but
singular verbs:
Majority of the Muslims belong to Sunni sect.
A number of girls are participating in debates.
One of our fellows has been ill for last three days.
 When two subjects are joined by ‘or’, ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’, ‘not only…but
also’, the verb put is according to the latter (second) subject. ‘Either’, ‘neither’,
‘each’, ‘everyone’, ‘every’ must take singular verbs.
Not only the students but also the teacher is ready to play a match.
Neither he nor I am fond of travelling.
Either he or I am right.
Every one of the citizens loves cultural values.
There are two types of qualification- either is acceptable.
Every girl and every boy was given a packet of pencils.
 When a subject consists a combination of some words or a long phrase having no
conjunction. The subject is usually before the first preposition and verb must be
put accordingly.
The decision of the committee about the hotel management is not appreciated.
The loyalty of horse, cat and dog has been appreciated.
 When two subjects are joined by the conjunctions, ‘as well as’, ‘with’, ‘along
with’, ‘together with’, ‘in addition to’, ‘like’, ‘and not’, ‘added to’, the verb
followed accords with the first subject:
The President, with its ministers, plans to go abroad.
English, as well as French, was taught there.
Ali, like his brothers, always stands first in his class.
 USE OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE:

 ‘The’ is used to refer to somebody or something that has already mentioned or is

to be particularized or is easily understood:
He purchased a book. The book was interesting.
The clock you want is not available.
The heat was getting to be too much for me.
Let us go to the club.
 ‘The’ is usually not used with uncountable and abstract nouns but if the reference
is specific the definite article is used with them.
Honesty is the best policy.
Milk is a balance diet.
The beauty of the girl made her famous.
The bravery of the soldier was appreciated.
 ‘The’ is used to refer to somebody or something that is the only normal or
obvious of their kind:
The queen brought about many reforms.
 ‘The’ is used with the names of countries conveying the sense of unity or
collection and with the name of only one province ‘ Punjab’:
London is the capital of the United Kingdom.
The United States of America consists of fifty one states.
The Punjab is the most populated province of Pakistan.
 ‘The’ is used to refer to the whole class of animals, birds etc when it precedes the
singular name of them, but not to human.
The horse is a faithful animal.
The cuckoo is a beautiful bird.
Man is mortal.
 The definite article is used to refer to the whole family or a married couple when
it precedes the name of some individual or person with an ‘s’ added to that
person’s last name: the Richards, the Jordans etc
Harry Bittering has three children. Don’t forget to invite the Bitterings.
 ‘The’ is used to refer to the names of oceans, seas, bays, straits, rivers, canals,(not
lakes) mountain ranges (not the mountains), group of islands, deserts, historical
places, main events of history, nations, certain holy books, heavenly bodies(but
not with planets other than the earth ) , directions, newspapers, magazines, ships,
trains, posts or positions, ordinal numbers and titles.
The Quran is the last divine book.
The boys swam across the Nile.
The Himalayas lies in the north of India.
The earth revolves around the sun.
The Pakistan Resolution was presented by Molvi Fazl.
 ‘The’ precedes the third degree of adjectives, and comparative degrees of
adjectives and adverbs when a parallel comparison is constructed.
He is the ablest and the most efficient teacher.
The higher your income, the better your food.
The more you earn, the more you spend.
 ‘The’ is used with adjectives to refer to things or group of people described by the
adjectives:
We should help the poor.
With him, you should always expect the unexpected.
The youth of today are diligent and honest.
 ‘The’ is used to refer to proper nouns when they are used as common nouns.
He is the Shakespeare of modern age.
Faisalabad is the Manchester of Pakistan.
 ‘The’ is used with a unit of measurement to mean ‘every’:
My car does forty miles to the litre.
You get paid by the hour.
 ‘The’ is used with the unit of time to mean ‘ the present’:
He is the player of the year.
We should have the dish of the day.
 ‘The’ is used before the word ‘whole’:
He spent the whole day writing.
She was not telling the whole truth.

OMISSION OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE:

 ‘The’ is not used with uncountable and abstract nouns unless they are specified:
Honesty is the best policy.
Kindness never goes unrewarded.
 Definite article is not used with a countable noun when it describes its primary
purpose:
He goes to a mosque five times a day.
Alia goes to college at 8:00 a.m.
Aslam’s father went to the college.
 ‘The’ is not used with the names of games, metals, articles of clothing, churches,
courts, prisons, schools, colleges, universities.
Hockey is our national game.
Gold is more costly than silver.
He put on a hat.
He was a graduate from Cambridge University.
 ‘The’ is not used with the names of subjects, disciplines, languages, inventions
(except they are merely for inventions themselves), days, months and diseases.
It is not easy to learn English.
He is suffering from diarrhea.
She is an M Sc in mechanics.
Telephone is a useful invention.
They have been living in this house since January.
 The definite article is not used with the names of seasons but when used with the
word ‘season’ itself.
Spring has set in.
The spring season has set in.
 USE OF INDEFINITE ARTICLE:

 When a countable noun is used in the singular form an indefinite article is used
with it if the reference is general; definite article is used, when the reference is
specific. There is a visitor for you.
She is a friend of my mother’s. (One of my mother’s friends)
He was armed with a bow and arrow.
 In certain idiomatic or set expressions or phrases, indefinite article (a or an) is
used with uncountable nouns when they have usually an adjective in front of them
or a phrase following them:
The angel took a pity on her.
She is always in a hurry.
He has a good knowledge of French.
A lion is a dangerous animal.
Red wine gives him a headache.
 Indefinite article ‘a’ is used before consonant sounds (not consonant letters). We
must be careful when saying abbreviations. An article is used according to the
sound of the first letter of abbreviations.
A European never likes Asian countries.
Is there a university in this town?
She is a B Ed from University of Lahore.
 Indefinite article ‘an’ is used before vowel sounds (not vowel letters).We must be
careful when saying abbreviations. An article is used according to the sound of
the first letter of abbreviations.
She is an honour to the profession.
She is an honest lady.
He is an M A.
It is an F M radio station.
 USE OF ADVEB:

 ‘Too’ denotes excess over what is fitting or reasonable or agreeable or natural. In

general terms very is used.
I am very glad to see you looking so well.
This book is very interesting.
 With adjectives and adverbs in positive degree, and with present participle
generally ‘very’ is used.
I am very happy to accept your offer.
The book is very amusing.
This climate is very injurious to my health.
He was much pleased to know that.
He is very sorry.
 When meaning intended, “so weak as not to be able to walk”, ‘too’ is used instead
of very.
He is too weak to walk.
We are too far to reach it.
 When an adjective is preceded by so it must follow as but not by that.
He is so kind as to invite me.
The weather is so pleasant as to be enjoyed.
 Some other ways to use adverb correctly/appropriately are as following.
I managed to do it somehow.
He behaved in a cowardly manner.
He plays well.
He told the story in detail.
It is very good film. I liked the whole of it.
Never have I seen such a sight.
I had just gone when he came.
He runs fast.
Hardly have I had any rest for a week.
If you cannot lift the whole, lift it little by little.
Will you just lend me your knife?
 USE OF PREPOSITION:

 Use of some frequently used prepositions is given below:

He writes in red ink.
This pen is to write with.
They sat in the shade of a tree.
She died of cancer last year.
We should die for our country.
He is ill with fever.
The beggar was blind of one eye.
They can’t part with (to give something to somebody else) this cottage.
The puppies were parted from (separated) their mother at birth.
Naseema got late for her office.
She lives at Gulshan Abad in Rawalpindi.
This cheque is on Habib Bank.
I said it to his face.
Afzal jumped into the river
Alia was married to Rehan.
A girl was born to her.
Have you heard of about the robbery of your son.
She always prefers fruits to vegetables.
I met him prior to his departure for Karachi.
He agreed with them about the need for change.
Do you think he will agree to their proposal?
They did not go there because of rain.
He sat for annual examination.
Open the book at page fifteen.
I prevented him from falling.
Who were you talking to?
What are you looking for?
The master didn’t listen to his complaint.
Everyone should pray to God.
He suggested this to me.
He was prevented from doing this.
He entered into an agreement with them.
The rumours eventually reached the President.
I am obliged to you for this good turn.
He threw the stick into the river.
This is a comfortable house to live in.

 Some verbs take objects without any preposition e.g. to love, to marry, to reach,
to attack, to resemble etc:
The man attacked him with a knife.
If you love each other, why not get married.
She married a German.
The magistrate directed his dismissal.
She didn’t ask him any question.
He accompanied his friends.
I met your friends.
She pitied him.
We discussed the matter.