English and Verbal Ability
Grammar refers to rules governing the usage of words (A group of alphabets with a specific meaning). We will discuss what are the different kinds of words in a later section as well as the composition of sentences in any given language. Grammar in any language cab be tough to understand for someone who is new to the language. This guide is aimed at candidates preparing for different competitive examinations like UPSC and State PCS exams. Care has been taken to cover the subject to the extent that is required for clearing the examination without undue importance to the complex topics. We believe any candidate who uses this guide will be able to attempt all the questions with ease and confidence.
English and Verbal Ability: Parts of Speech
Words can be divided into groups based on their usage and functions. All of these groups together are referred to as parts of speech. There are 8 major parts of speech in English grammar: noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, and interjection. Let us have a look at each of them in detail.
Noun: A noun is a word which is the name of a person, object, place, action etc
Proper Noun: Proper noun refers to a unique person, object, place etc (Examples: Abhishek, Delhi, Lion, Maruti Alto etc)
Common Noun: Common noun refers to a category of person, object, place etc(Examples: Person, City, Country, Animal, Car etc)
Pronoun: Pronouns are words that are used to refer to a known so that we do not have to keep repeating the noun (Example: I, We, He, Them, It etc)
Verb: Verbs are words that are used to refer to some action(Examples: Walking, Running, Reading, Washing etc.)
Adjective: Adjectives are words that give us more information about a noun (Examples: Good, Bad, Boring, Interesting etc)
Adverb: Adjectives are words that give us more information about a verb or adjective (Examples: Only, Very, Amazing etc)
Preposition: A preposition is used to link nouns, pronouns or phrases to other such words in a sentence (Examples: In, Up, into, after, across, with)
Conjunction: A conjunction is used to link nouns, pronouns or phrases to other such words in a sentence in a compound manner. Their usage is sometimes confused with prepositions. The exact difference is not in the scope of the present text (Examples: And, But etc)
Interjection: An interjection is used for expressing emotions, feelings etc.(Examples: Okay, Hey, Bye)
English and Verbal Ability: Articles
An article is a kind of adjective that gives more information about a noun. There are three articles in the English language.
A: It is an indefinite article that indicates that its noun is not a particular one
An: An is used similar to a but before words that begin with a vowel sound (even if spelled with an initial consonant
The: It is a definite article. It limits the meaning of a noun to one particular thing.
English and Verbal Ability: Vowels and Consonants
The letters in the English alphabet can be classified into two categories which are Vowels and Consonants. Vowels are letters that can be pronounced with the lips not pressed against either the teeth or the upper mouth and with relatively lesser air pressure. The vowels are A, E, I, O, U. Consonants are letter that are pronounced using some closure of the vocal system. The 21 consonant letters in the English alphabet are B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X,Y, Z
English and Verbal Ability: Phrases, Clauses and Sentences
Phrase: A phrase is a group of words which are used together but they do not contain a subject doing a verb (Examples: Best Friend, Old man, Cool afternoon etc)
Clause: A phrase is a group of words which are used together and they do not contain a subject doing a verb. A clause can be a sentence in itself. (She is hungry, I am feeling well etc)
Sentence: A sentence is a group of words that is contains a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses. (Example: The convict was declared guilty and sentenced to ten years imprisonment according to the law)
English and Verbal Ability: Subject and Predicate
Subject: The subject is what or who (the person, animal, or thing) that the sentence is about.
Predicate: The predicate always includes the verb, and tells something about the subject
Example: The players were complaining about the broken flood lights during the match yesterday: Here the players are the subject and complaining is the verb
English and Verbal Ability: Punctuation rules
All sentences must start with a capital, or upper case, letter.
Proper nouns (Irrespective of whether they are) must start with a capital letter
Every sentence is ended with either a period, exclamation mark, or question mark depending on which type of a sentence it is.
Colons are used to separate a sentence from other words or sentences
Commas are used to indicate pause in the sentence or separate things.
Parentheses are used to elaborate more about a topic without breaking the flow of the statement.
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