English Study Material
English Study Material
English Language
Edition 2017
Study Material
For
English Language
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
2. Pronouns 9
2.1 Personal Pronouns
2.1.1 Subject Pronouns
2.1.2 Object Pronouns
2.1.3 First Person, Second Person And Third Person
2.2 Reflexive Pronouns
2.3 Possessive Pronouns
2.4 Demonstrative Pronouns
2.5 Interrogative Pronouns
2.6 Indefinite Pronouns
3. Adjectives 11
3.1 Kinds of Adjectives
3.2 The Order of Adjectives
3.3 The Comparison of Adjectives
3.4 Adjective Phrases
4. Determiners 13
4.1 The Articles
4.2 Demonstrative Determiners
4.3 Quantifying Determiners
4.4 Interrogative Determiners
4.5 Possessive Determiners
4.6 Numbers
6. Auxiliary Verbs 19
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9. Conjunctions 23
9.1 Conjunctions Linking Phrases
9.2 Conjunctions With Lists
9.3 Conjunctions That Join Sentences
9.4 Conjunctions Of Time
9.5 Conjunctions Of Place
9.6 Conjunctions Of Reason
9.7 Conjunctions Of Purpose
10. Sentences 25
10.1 Four Kinds Of Sentence
10.2 Sentences With Objects
10.3 Simple Sentences
10.4 Compound Sentences
10.5 Conditional Sentences
10.6 Positive And Negative Sentences
10.7 Questions
10.8 Question-Word Questions
10.9 Question Tags
12. Punctuation 28
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1. NOUN
There are two main types of nouns: common nouns and proper nouns.
The names of the days of the week and the months of the year are proper nouns.
Monday Friday
Tuesday Saturday
Wednesday Sunday
Thursday
MONTHS
January July
February August
March September
April October
May November
June December
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The names of special days and celebrations are also proper nouns.
Independence Day
Memorial Day
Valentine’s Day
Halloween
Labour Day
Christmas
Ramadan
The names of famous places, buildings and monuments are proper nouns
the Sphinx
the Taj Mahal
Graceland
the Eiffel Tower
the Grand Canyon
the Golden Gate Bridge
the Sydney Opera House
the Great Wall of China
The names of people who live in a particular country are also proper nouns.
COUNTRY
Afghanistan
Australia
Britain
China
France
PEOPLE
Afghans
Australian
the British
the Chinese
the French
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SINGULAR PLURAL.
a mountain mountains
a river rivers
an envelope envelopes
an insect insects
an oven ovens
an uncle uncles
Nouns that have a vowel before the y are made plural by simply adding s at the end .
SINGULAR PLURAL
Day days
tray trays
runway runways
chimney chimneys
trolley trolleys
valley valleys
“Many nouns that end in f are made plural by changing the f to v and adding es.”
SINGULAR PLURAL.
Half halves
Leaf leaves
shelf shelves
wolf wolves
thief thieves
SINGULAR PLURAL
scarf scarfs or scarves
hoof hoofs or hooves
dwarf dwarfs or dwarves
wharf wharfs or wharves
Some nouns change spelling from the singular form to the plural.
SINGULAR PLURAL
man men
woman women
child children
person people
mouse mice
tooth teeth
foot feet
goose geese
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a family a crew
a team a club
a community a committee
a choir a company
a band a gang
an orchestra the government
an audience the army
Here are more collective nouns you can use for groups of people.
a crowd of shoppers
a company of actors
a class of schoolchildren
Some groups of things also have their own special collective nouns.
a bunch of bananas
a cluster of grapes
a bunch of flowers
a bouquet of flowers
a range of mountains
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9 Masculine nouns are words for men, boys and male animals.
9 Feminine nouns are words for women, girls and female animals.
MASCULINE. FEMININE.
Boy girl
man woman
father mother
son daughter
brother sister
husband wife
grandfather grandmother
uncle aunt
Many nouns are used for both males and females. They are called common gender nouns.
For e.g. :
teacher
pupil
child
baby
parent
cousin
With animals, there is one general word for the animal and special words for the male and the female.
• Sometimes the word for the male animal is the same as the general word.
• Sometimes the word for the female animal is the same as the general word.
ANIMAL
rabbit
horse
sheep
pig
chicken
MASCULINE FEMININE
buck doe
stallion mare
ram ewe
boar sow
rooster hen
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For e.g.:
This is my bed and that is Shyam’s bed.
We all like Dad’s cooking.
It is my job to collect everybody’s plate after the meal.
The flies are buzzing around the horse’s tail.
This is Ram and Shital’s room.
This is Vikram’s hat and that is Vikram’s father’s hat.
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2. PRONOUNS
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. There are different kinds of pronouns.
2.1 PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Personal pronouns may be used as:
the subject of a verb, or
the object of a verb.
Here are some more pairs of sentences that show personal pronouns used as subjects of verbs.
My name is Rahul. I am fourteen.
My father works hard. He works in a factory.
My sister is older than me. She is twelve.
Our dog is very naughty. It likes to chase cats.
Here are some more pairs of sentences that show personal pronouns used as objects of verbs.
I’m doing my homework. Dad is helping me.
Goodbye, children! I’ll call you later.
Where is John? I need to speak to him.
Miss Garcia is very nice. All the children like her.
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Possessive pronouns are used to talk about things that belong to people.
The words mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs are possessive pronouns.
This book is mine.
Have you lost yours, Ram?
This pen is mine and that one is his.
Demonstrative pronouns are used for pointing out things. The words this, that, these and those are
Demonstrative pronouns.
This is the Rahul’s' house.
These are sheep but those are goats.
That is my friend’s house.
Those are horses.
That’s my mother’s car.
You’ll have to work harder than this.
Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. The words who, whose, what, which and whom
are interrogative pronouns.
Who used all my paper?
Who is Mom talking to?
What is your brother’s name?
An indefinite pronoun does not refer directly to any other word. Most indefinite pronouns express he
idea of quantity.
Everybody is welcome at the meeting.
Many prefer their coffee with sugar.
Does anybody care for a cheese sandwich?
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3. ADJECTIVES
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They give you more information about people, places, and
things.
Some adjectives tell what people or things are like by describing their quality.
a beautiful woman a young soldier a flat surface
Some adjectives tell what things are made of. They refer to substances.
a plastic folder a stone wall a clay pot
dark darker
light lighter
high higher
low lower
old older
young younger
SUPERLATIVE FORM.
darkest lowest
lightest oldest
highest youngest
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Use more and most to compare most other two-syllable adjectives. You will also use more and most
with all adjectives that have more than two syllables.
Look at these examples. The adjective phrases are in bold and the nouns they describe are in bold.
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4. DETERMINERS
The words a, an and the are called the articles. The words a and an are indefinite articles. They are
used with singular nouns. Use a before nouns that begin with a consonant. Use an before nouns that
begin with a vowel.
Mehul is reading a book.
Would you like a peach?
Is that a dog or a fox?
The words this, that, these and those are also special pronouns called determiners. They are used to
point out which thing or person you mean. They are called demonstrative determiners.
Words such as many, much and several tell about quantity without giving an exact number. They
are called quantifying determiners. Some quantifying determiners are used only with plural nouns.
They are few, a few, fewer, many, several and both. few, a few, fewer, many, several and both.
The words what, which and whose are used before nouns to ask questions. Interrogative determiners
appear just before nouns.
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The words my, your, his, her, its, our and their are used before nouns to show ownership. They are
called possessive determiners.
4.6 Numbers
Numbers are determiners, too. Numbers are often used before nouns to tell you exactly how many
people or things there are.
Our family has two dogs.
There are twelve months in the year.
We bought three pizzas.
My grandfather lived for a hundred years.
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Most verbs describe actions, so they are called action verbs. Action verbs tell what people or things
are doing. Here are some common action verbs.
look
shout
run
jump
walk
sit
swim
throw
catch
fall
climb
dance
For example, the subjects ‘my dad’ or ‘our school’, or any of the pronouns he, she or it, require a
singular verb. Most singular verbs end in s. Look at the subjects and their verbs in these examples :
The third person singular form of some verbs is made by adding es at the end. Some examples
are verbs that end in sh, ch, ss, x, zz and o.
Some verbs that end in y have a vowel before the y. Just add an s at the end of these words to
make the third person singular form.
buy – buys
pay – pays
say – says
annoy - annoys
pray – prays
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Some verbs have an object. The object of a verb is the person or thing that is affected by the action of
the verb.
Here are some sentences with transitive verbs. The verbs are printed in bold and their objects are
printed in color.
Some verbs don’t have an object. A verb that does not have an object is called an intransitive
verb. Here are some sentences with intransitive verbs.
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You can also use the past progressive tense to say what was happening when something else
happened.
Sameer was doing his math homework when the phone rang.
Dad was cooking our dinner when I got home.
The past participle of some verbs is the same as the simple past tense.
To make the negative form, use will and shall with not. The contraction for “will not “ is “won’t”.
I will not help you unless you help me first.
It won’t be very sunny again until next summer.
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5.13 Gerunds
A gerund is thing” form of a verb used as a noun. Sometimes a gerund is called a verbal noun
because it comes from a verb.
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6. AUXILLARY VERBS
Auxiliary, or helping verbs, are used before infinitives to add a different meaning.
For example, you use auxiliary verbs to say:
that someone is able to do something,
that someone is allowed to do something, or
that someone has to do something.
“ought to”
You use ought to to make strong suggestions and talk about someone’s duty.
You look tired. You ought to go to bed early tonight.
I ought to get more physical exercise.
We ought to lock the door when we leave home.
You ought to turn off the computer when you’re not using it.
“Must”
Use must to talk about things that you have to do.
I must mail this letter today.
You must speak louder. I can’t hear you.
“Verb Phrases” - A verb phrase consists of a verb and a preposition such as after, into and over. The
preposition gives the verb a special meaning.
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Adverbs are words that tell you more about verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Many adverbs end in
“ly”. You make these adverbs by adding ly to adjectives.
She writes neatly.
The traffic was moving slowly.
We waited patiently to see the doctor.
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Adverbs of Emphasis
We have seen that most adverbs describe verbs, but remember that some adverbs also describe
adjectives or other adverbs. They are usually used to add emphasis.
Anil can run really fast.
That’s a very good drawing.
My rice is too hot.
The film was just terrible.
Your excuses are completely unbelievable.
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Prepositions are words that show a connection between other words. Most prepositions are little
words like at, in and on. Prepositional phrases are groups of words, such as “out of” and on “ top of”
.
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9. CONJUCTIONS
Conjunctions are words used to link words, phrases or clauses. Some common conjunctions are and,
but and or.
Use the conjunctions and, but and or to link phrases. The phrases in these examples are printed in
color.
Use the conjunctions and and or with lists of words. Remember to put a comma between the words.
Then use and or or between the last two words.
We bought milk, eggs, cheese and butter.
My favorite teachers are Mr. Sharma, Mrs. Chanda and Mr. Parekh.
In the morning I get up, take a shower, eat breakfast and brush my teeth.
Conjunctions are also used to join two sentences to make them one.
Here are some examples with and, but and or.
Mom is working in the garden. Dad is busy in the kitchen.
Mom is working in the garden and Dad is busy in the kitchen.
The conjunctions before, after, since, until, when, while, as and as soon as are used to say when
something happens. They are called conjunctions of time.
Take the toy out of the box before you throw the box away.
Before you leave the house, be sure that you’ve got your backpack.
I usually do my homework after I have my dinner.
After I went to bed, I heard a strange noise downstairs.
The conjunctions where and wherever are used to talk about places. They are called conjunctions of
place.
Does anybody know where Mr. Karan lives?
Where the road is narrow, big trucks can’t get through.
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The conjunctions because, since, as and in case tell why someone does something. They are called
conjunctions of reason.
I sat down because I was feeling tired.
Because we arrived late, we missed the beginning of the play.
I took an apple since it was the only fruit in the bowl.
Since you have finished your homework, you can help me make dinner.
The conjunctions so, so that and in order to tell what the purpose of something is. They are called
conjunctions of purpose.
The children are wearing hats so they won’t get sunburned.
John finished his homework before dinner so he could watch his favorite TV program.
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10. SENTENCES
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. Sentences always have a subject
and a verb
subject verb
She is working.
He is reading.
The children are playing.
They are singing.
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A negative sentence contains the word not or another negative word. Negative sentences tell you that
something does not exist or is not happening.
10.7 Questions
There are two kinds of questions: yes or no questions and question-word questions.
Use a helping verb and the subject of the sentence to make the question tag.
Tom is older than you, isn’t he?
Sakhi has got a dog, hasn’t she?
If the main part of the sentence has I am in it, use aren’t I in the question tag.
I’m your best friend, aren’t I?
I’m taller than Sumiko, aren’t I?
If the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.
You expect the answer to a positive question tag to be no.
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12. PUNCTUATION
Punctuation Marks
Punctuation marks are signs such as periods, commas and question marks. They are used in sentences
to make the meaning clear.
period (. )
Comma ( , )
Put a comma between items in a list.
Question mark ( ? )
Write a question mark at the end of a question, instead of a period.
Exclamation point ( ! )
Use an exclamation point at the end of a sentence that shows a strong feeling such as
surprise or fear. An exclamation point is used instead of a period.
Apostrophe ( ’ )
Use an apostrophe with s to show who something belongs to.
Quotation marks ( “ ” )
9 Use quotation marks around the exact words that someone says. You put the
mark “ at the beginning of the words, and the mark ” at the end.
9 Use a comma before the last quotation mark, to separate the words from the
rest of the sentence.
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Colon ( : )
When you are reading a playscript, notice the colon between the name of a character
and the words that they speak.
Capital Letter
Use a capital letter as the first letter of the first word in a sentence.
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POINT NO. 1 : Make a verb agree in number with its subject; make a pronoun agree in number with
its antecedent.
Singular subjects take singular verbs (list—was), and plural subjects take plural verbs ( Lists—
*were).
Singular antecedents are referred to by singular pronouns (animal—*its) and plural antecedents are
referents of plural pronouns (animals—their).
Exception: A plural verb is always required after you even when it is used in singular, referring to one
person, e.g:
POINT NO. 2: Ensure the verb agrees with the true subject and not with an intervening plural object
of a preposition or any other intervening plural.
POINT NO. 3: Subjects joined by and are usually plural and take plural verbs.
Exception
(a) If a subject consisting of two singular nouns connected by and refers to the same person
or thing, a singular verb is used.
My best friend and advisor has changed his mind again.
Here the subject is treated as singular because both qualities are found in one person.
Cornflakes and milk is our Sunday breakfast.
(b) When two subjects connected by and are preceded by each, every or many a, a singular
verb is used.
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POINT NO. 4: Words like with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in
addition to etc. do not affect the number of the verb, If the subject is singular, a singular verb is
required; if plural, a plural verb.
POINT NO. 5: If the subject is made up of both singular and plural words connected by or, nor,
either .,. or; neither . ..-. nor; not onlv ... but also, the verb agrees with the newer part of the subject.
POINT NO. 6: If the subject consists of two singular words connected by or; neither ... not or
either... or, the subject is singular and requires a singular verb.
Neither our Accounts Department nor our Head Office has a record of the transaction,
Sunita or Neeru has the swimming suit.
Either October or November is a good vacation month.
Neither the radio nor the television was in working order.
POINT NO. 7: Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning, such as news, measles,
mumps, physics, electronics, tactics, economics and so on, usually take singular verbs.
Some nouns ending in -ics (such as athletics, statistics and politics) are considered singular, when
referring to an organised body of knowledge and plum) when referring to individual facts, qualities or
activities.
POINT NO. 8:A linking verb usually agrees with its subject, not with its complement.
POINT NO. 9: Plural verbs are required for many nouns that have no singular form, such as
proceeds, goods, ashes, remains, credentials, premises, etc.
The proceeds of the magic show are to be given to the hind for soldiers’ welfare.
The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.
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Collective Nouns A collective noun is a word that represents a group of persons, animals or things,
e.g. audience, committee, company, council, arnz police, society board, department, cabinet etc. The
following Point No. . s govern the form of verb to be used with a collective noun:
POINT NO.10: When the group acts as a unit, the verb should be singular.
POINT NO .11: When the members of the group are thought of as acting separately, the verb should
be plural.
The teams are arguing over who should be the captain.
The committee were not in agreement on the action to be taken.
The audience were cheering and laughing; even crying.
POINT NO.12: Company names may be either singular or plural, according to their meaning. The
plural form emphasizes the individual personnel making up the company.
POINT NO. 14: After such expressions as one-half of two-thirds of a part of a majority of
(a) use a singular verb if a singular noun follows the of
Apan of the office is closed.
Two-thirds of the mailing list has been typed.
A majority of 3500 indicates his popularity in the constituency.
(b) use a plural verb when a plural noun follows the of
Pan of the walls are to be painted.
Two-tenth of our workers live in the suburbs.
The majority of our staff members live in villages.
POINT NO.15: The expression the number has a singular meaning and requires a singular verb,
whereas the expression a number has a plural meaning and takes a plural verb.
POINT NO.16: In sentences containing the words one of the verb is chosen as follows:
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(b) The sentences containing phrases one of those who or one of the things that a plural verb
is required. He is one of those managers who fawner increasing the staff.
Here, favour agrees with those. In the phrase one of those who, those is the plural object of the
preposition of In the subordinate clause who favour the relative pronoun who is the subject and must
agree with its antecedent those.
POINT NO. 17: Certain collective nouns, though singular in form, are always used in the plural
sense and take a plural verb. For example, gentry cattle, poultry alphabet, offspring etc.
POINT NO. 18: Certain nouns are always used in singular and followed by singular verbs. These are
not used in the plural sense and do not take on plural verbs. For example hair issue, advice,
information, scenery, luggage, mischief bread, abuse, furniture, land, business, machinery, poetry
etc.
POINT NO. 19: The words each, ever either and neither, used as pronouns or as adjectives, are
always singular and require singular verbs.
Exception: If a parenthetical each follows a plural noun or pronoun, the verb should be plural.
The members each feel their responsibility.
They each have their own problems
Ten each of these books are required.
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POINT NO. 20: All, any, more, most, some may be singular or plural depending on the meaning,
and take verbs accordingly.
POINT NO. 21: The titles of books or magazines are considered singular and take singular verbs.
POINT NO. 22:The following words and their compounds are always singular and require a singular
verb.
body (anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody)
thing (anything, everything, nothing, something)
one (anyone. everyone, someone, no one)
Something is wrong with him these days
Everybody in the office has tickets.
Everyone is required to clear their dues.
POINT NO.23: A relative pronoun (who, which, that) used as a subject takes a singular or plural
verb to accord with its antecedent.
Troublesome Pronouns
Pronouns are words used in place of a noun. Hence, a pronoun should not be used to begin a sentence;
a noun must first be used and then a pronoun should be used in place of it.
(a) Who and that are used when referring to persons, who being used when the individual person or
the individuality of a group is implied and that when a class, type or species is implied.
He is the boy who understands Punjabi.
She is the kind of student that we want.
(c) After two antecedents, one of which is the name of a person and the other the name of some
animal or thing, use that in place of who or which.
The lady and her pet dog that came yesterday have come again today.
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(d) After such words as all, any, none, only, alone, nothing use that in place of which or who.
Man is the only animal that can think,
All that glitters is not gold.
POINT NO. 25: The self- or selves-ending pronouns (myself yourself himself herself itself
ourselves, themselves) should be used as follows:
(b) To reflect the action expressed by the verb back on to the subject.
We have satisfied ourselves as to the wisdom of the action.
He found himself the only one in favor of the move.
(c) With words such as absent, apply enjoy, present, drink; avail, exert etc.
He presented himself before the manager.
He absented himself from the office today.
POINT NO. 26: When the indefinite pronouns (i.e. pronouns used for persons and objects in a
general way), one is the subject in a sentence, it must be followed by one or one’s and not his, her or
him.
One should keep ones promise.
One should do ones duty.
However, if anyone, anybody. each one, everyone, someone are used, do not use one but his or her .
POINT NO. . 27: Same is not a pronoun and as such it should not be used in place of a noun.
When you have read this boot please return it to me. (not return the same to me)
Take these books and return them to the library. (not return the same to library)
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POINT NO. 29: Use of either neither none, any, any one:
Use either or neither when referring to one out of two persons or things and when referring to one out
of more than two, use any, none, no one.
Either of you two can pay for it.
Neither of the two brothers has been selected.
Any one of the employees can claim it.
None of the students of this class has passed.
POINT NO. 30: Use were to express a condition that is contrary-to-fact, an uncertainty or a wish.
I wish I were a king. (a wish)
If Mr Anil were here, he would know. (contrary-to-fact)
We saw a streak in the material, as if the goods were faded. (uncertainty)
(c) In questions
(i) Always use shall with I and we
Shall I meet you at the railway station?
Shall I pay f& it?
(ii) With you, he, she, it and they, use the word that is expected in the answer:
Shall he be punished? (expected answer: ‘He shall’)
Will you get the report typed today? (‘Yes. I will’)
Should and would are past tenses of shall and will and in general express the same ideas as do shall
and will, except that should sometimes means ought.
You should not speak in that way.
We should respect our parents.
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POINT NO. 33: When referring to two persons, places or things use the comparative form; when
referring to more than two, the superlative form,
Rakesh is the taller of the two. (not tallest)
Of the two positions open, you have chosen the more promising. (not most)
That is the more efficient of the two methods. (not most)
That is the most efficient method that could be devised. (not more)
Today is the warmest day of the year (not warmer)
Was Monday or Tuesday warmer? (not warmest)
POINT NO. 34: Some adjectives and adverbs, from their very meaning, allow no comparison; for
example round, unique, square. perfect, completely universally, correct, always, never, dead etc
Such words may be modified in meaning, however, by such adverbs as hardly, nearly or almost, in
order to suggest art approach to the superlative.
It is almost a square table. (not most or more)
That design is vey nearly unique.
This plate is almost round.
POINT NO. 35: When comparing one person or thing with a group of which it is a part, use the
comparative degree and the words any other to exclude the thing compared from other objects of the
same class or kind. In other words, in a comparative construction we must be sure that if A and B are
compared, A is not included as part of B.
This coffee has a better flavor than any other coffee in the market.
Ludhiana is more populated than any other city in Punjab.
Gold is more costly than any other metal.
POINT NO. 36:When comparing two qualities of the same person or thing, use more and not -er to
form the comparative.
Sujata is more clever than wise. (not cleverer)
Rajesh is more brave than wise, (not braver)
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Troublesome Prepositions
Prepositions are a part of speech used to show the relation of a noun or noun equivalent (the object of
the preposition) to some other word in the sentence.
However, between may be used for more than two persons or things in order to bring each person or
thing into the relation expressed.
The difference between the three girls was so slight that they might have been thplets.
While packing glass tumblers, be sure to place paper between them.
The three children had but Rs 10 between them.
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POINT NO.48: Some words like senior junior prefer. Prior, superior, inferior, preferable etc. are
followed by to and not than.
He is senior to me in service.
Health is more preferable to wealth.
This cloth is inferior to that cloth.
POINT NO.49: Certain words are used in gerund (first form of a verb followed by -ing) along with
prepositions. For example abstain, confident, fond, insist, keen, persist, prohibit, refrain, succeed
etc.
I prohibited him from parking his car near the entrance. (not to park)
She is confident of speaking English within six months. (not to speak)
I abstain from drinking on Tuesday. (not to drink)
He worked hard and succeeded In securing good marks. (not to secure)
POINT NO.50: Certain words are used in gerund without a preposition if followed by the first form
of a verb. For example, avoid, enjoy, help, dislike, help, stop, remember etc.
He enjoys playing cards. (not to play)
Stop writing as the time is over. (not to stop)
I dislike playing with Rajan. (not to play)
Many people avoid drinking before their superiors, (not to drink)
POINT NO.51: Certain words are followed by different prepositions in different contexts. For
example:
I agree with Mr Saxena.
1 agree to your proposal.
In the above example, the word agree is used with two different prepositions, with and to. Agree with
is used for agreement with a person, whereas agree to is used for agreement to a plan, or proposal.
To change the preposition is to convey a different meaning from the one that the speaker intended or
to convey no meaning at all.
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A partial list of such words with their appropriate prepositions in different contexts is given
below:
For selection of the preposition to be used with different words, carefully study the following list of
import ant Words and the suitable prepositions to be used with them. This list will help you solve
questions regarding
(a) filling in the correct preposition in the blanks.
(b) detection of wrong prepositions used in sentences given in, ‘Spotting Errors’.
(c) sentence completion questions.
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A
abstain from food
abide by a statement
abound with living things
accede to a request
accept of a favor
arbitrate between two parties
annoyed at a thing
annoyed with a person
account for a fact
accuse of a crime
acquit of blame
acquiesce in decision
adapt to circumstances
adhere to a plan
agree to a proposal
agree with a person
aim at a thing
alight from a carriage
answer to a person
answer for conduct
appeal to a person for a thing appeal against an order
approve of an action
ascribe to a cause
ask/or a thing
ask for. a person
aspire after worldly greatness assent to a proposal
assure a person of safety
avail oneself of a chance
admit to or into a secret
B
bear with a person
begin with the fact
believe in one’s truthfulness
belong to a person
bent on going
bequeath a thing to a person
be set with danger
bestow a thing on or upon a person
betray to the enemy
betray into his hands
beware of some danger
blame of an offence
blame a person/or something
blind to the danger
blush at the sight
blush/or one’s conduct
boast of one’s skill
borrow of or from a person
bring a thing to light
bring a thing under notice
brood over past things
burden someone with a load
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C
charge a person with
cheat a person on/his due
coincide with something else
combat with difficulties
commit to memory
committed against the law
common to man and woman
comply with a request
compare something with another
compensate a person/or his loss
call upon or an a person
call at the office
call for punishment
catch at an opportunity
caution a person against
cease from quarrel(l)ing
compete with a person
compose of metal
conceal from others
concur with a person
concur in an opinion
condole with a person
conduce to health
confer favour on a person
confer with a person
confer about a thing confess to a fault
confide in a person
conform to a Point No. . or norm
conform with one’s views
congratulate a man an success
convive at others faults
consent to some proposal
consign to destruction
consist of material
consist in causes and insults
consult with a person
consult on or about something
contribute to a fund
copy from a book
coverage to a point
convict a person of a crime
cope with a person
correspond with a person (to write)
correspond to something
correspond about subject
count on a thing (depend)
count/or nothing
crave/or or after happiness
credit with good intentions
cure a man of a disease
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D
dash against a wall
drawn on a person
defer to a man’s wishes
delight in poetry
Deliver from a danger
demur to a statement
depend on help
deprive a man of a thing
desist from an artempi
despair of success
differ with a person
differ on a subject
differ from anything
differ to opinions
digress from the topic
dilate on a subject
dip into a river
disagree with a person
disapprove of anything
dispense with a man’s service
dispose off property or something
discharge from service
disentomb an opinion
distinguish one thing from another
distinguish between Iwo things
divide between two, among many
divert a person from a path
divest someone of fear
draw money on banks
dominate over a subordinale
drive at some point
drop off a tree
dwell on some matter
E
elicit from a person
embark on boardship
embark in business
emergefmin the hiding place
employ in some work
encroach on others’ right
endow a person with benefits marks upon a career
enter into one’s plans
entitle to a property
entrust a person with something
envy at others’ success
escape from custody
excel in music
exchange my things with, your things
exclude from the class
excuse him from paying the rme
exempt from duty
expel from college
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F
fail in one’s purpose
fail of success
fall among rogues
fall in Love with someone
faIl into difficulties
fall in with a suggestion
fall from the height
fall on the rival
feed on milk
feed with milk
feel for the troubled
fight against or with a person
fight out the reason
finish with a progi-ainme
flown upon a person
fill with something
flirt with a person
fly into rage
furnish a person with a thing
furnish a thing to a person
G
gain on someone in competition
get at the truth
get on with a master
get out of debt
get to a journey’s end
glance at a sight
glance over some writing
grasp at a shadow
grapple with difficulties
grieve at or for an event
grumble at the change
guard against or from danger
guess at something
H
hanker after worldly pleasure
happen at a time
happen in a place
happen to a person
healed of a disease
hear of a news
hesitate at bribing
hint at the solution
hover over the rest
hush up a matter
I
impress an idea on a person
impress a person with an idea
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increase in learning
indict a person for a crime
indulge in intoxicants
indulge himself with wine
inform a man of an event
inform a person about a thing
initiate a man into bribery
insinuate into one’s favour
insist upon going
inspire with patriotism
introduce with someone
introduce someone to someone
introduce into a place
intrude into your garden
invent in a factory
invest with power
invite to a party
involve a man in a crime
issue from the office
J
jest of sorrows
jeer at a person
join in work
join with a man
join to a thing
judge a person kv his word
jump at an offer (readily accept)
jump to a conclusion
K
keep from meeting
keep to a position
know of a secret
L
Lament for the dead
laugh at something
lay facts before someone
lay a person under obligation
level changes against someone
listen to complaints
live by labour
live on small wages
live for the family
live within one’s means
look after one’s health
lust after gold
M
make away with a thing
make out the meaning
marvel at one’s beauty
menace with punishment
merge into something larger
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O
offend against traditions
operate on a patient
originate in a place or thing
overwhelm with goodness
P
part with a person
partake of some food
participate with the team
participate in the match
persist in the denial
pertain to the answer
point at an object
point to some result
possess oneself of the goodwill
prefer one thing to another
present him with a purse
preside a: a meeting
preside over a function
prevent from falling
pride oneself on something
prohibit him drinking wine
protect from loss
purge the mind of superstitions
Q
question on the subject
quake with fear
R
reconcile to misfortune
reconcile with an enemy
refrain from an action
rejoice at the success of another
remonstrate against a person
replete with wealth
result for a cause
result in consequence
S
search for something lost
search into a matter (to examine)
slur over a malta
smell of a fragrance
smile as a challenge
smile on a person
span of time
snap at a person
strip a person off his possession
subsist on a small incomc
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succumb so hardship
sweep the dust off the surface
sympathize with a person
sympathize in his troubles
T
tamper with the tigure
testit3 to a fact
trade in thing
trade with a company
trespass against Point No. . s
trespass on a man’s time
trespass in a man’s premises
trifle wish a man’s feeling
triumph over difficulties
trust in a person
trust to his honesty
W/Y
wait a: a table
wait on a person (attend)
yield a pressure
yearn/or beauty
Problems In Articles
POINT NO. 52: As a general Point No. . the indefinite article a or an is used with nouns in singular
number only; the definite article the is used with any number.
Whenever, a singular noun begins with the sound of vowels (a, e, i, o and u) the indefinite article
an is used and if the word begins with a consonant sound the indefinite article a is used; as
an industry, an office, an idea, an article
but
a book, a copy, a table, a cupboard, a cycle
if the word begins with a consonant sounding like a vowel, the indefinite article an is used.
an NRI, an heir
However, if the word begins with a vowel sounding like a consonant, the indefinite article a is used;
as a university, a European country
POINT NO.53: The indefinite article a or an is used before a singular noun which is countable as
well as with a noun complement such as
A terrorist has been killed in an encounter.
A water pump is a must in houses in Rajasthan.
A cup of tea is refreshing after the day’s work.
Lala Lajpat Rai was a great freedom fighter.
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POINT NO.55: Sometimes the use of the indefinite article a before arid after certain a4jectives
changes the very sense of the word with which it is used. For example, the use of a before the
adjectives ‘few’, ‘little’, ‘slight’, etc. changes the very meaning expressed by these words. Few
means nearly nothing but a few means some. Note the following illustrations:
I don’t have utility time to spare. (means no time)
He has a little time to spare. (means sometime can be spared)
Few persons attended the lecture. (in negative sense means no person)
A few persons attended the lecture. (indicates that at least some persons)
POINT NO.56: Nouns that are countable and singular usually take an article and nouns that are not
countable do not take any article.
Water is essential for life. (article not used)
The water in the jug is not clean. (article the is used)
Gold is a precious metal. (article not used)
The gold in this ring is of poor quality. (article the is used)
Man is a social animal. (article not used)
He is the man who cheated me. (article she Is used)
Apples are good for health. (article not used)
The apples in our orchard are not yet ripe. (article the is used)
POINT NO.57: The definite article the is used with things that are one of their kind.
For example, the moon, the earth, the sky, the North Pole
the Prime Minister, the President
POINT NO.58: Definite article the is used before superlatives as also before only when it is used as
an adjective.
This is the best book on the subject.
This is the only reason.
This is the biggest blunder you have made.
This is the only purpose of my visit.
POINT NO.59: The is used before names of periodicals and newspapers, names of important
buildings, before names of rare or unique objects, names of rivers, oceans, bays, mountains, religious
groups, communities, institutions etc.
I have read this news in the Tribune. (newspaper)
The earth revolves round the sun. (heavenly bodies)
The Taj Mahal! is located at Agra in Uttar Pradesh. (important/ rare building)
The Ganges is the largest river in India. (river)
Similarly, the definite article the is used before the names of books (if they do not have the name of
pers ons):
The Bible. The Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi
The Two Faces of Indira Gandhi. The Kuran
but:
Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Mahatma Gandhi’s Autobiography
POINT NO. 60: The definite article the is used before words pointing out a class or kind of a thing. It
is sometimes done by using it before an adjective to represent a whole class,
The crow is a clever bird. (means all the crows)
The young will have to shoulder the responsibility. (means all the young)
The brave deserve the recognition.
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POINT NO.61: The is used before a proper, a material or an abstract noun when used as a common
noun.
Shakespeare is the Kalidasa of English literature.
The gold of Argentina is now freely sold.
Problems In Tenses
(a) Simple present tense is used to convey general or universal truth and habitual sentences.
(b) Present continuous tense is used to convey the continuity of the action
(c) Present perfect tense is used to convey the completion of an action that has some bearing on the
present.
For example
The earth revolves round the sun, (a universal truth)
1 always brush my teeth after the meals. (habitual)
It has been raining for many hours. (an activity that has continued for quite some time)
POINT NO.63: The past tense in the principal clause must be followed by a past tense in the
subordinate or dependent clauses.
1 felt that she was a little worried. (not is)
I forgot that they were coming today- (not are)
I saw that the machine had stopped. (not has)
I found that he was guilty. (not is)
I thought that she was absent. (not is)
Exceptions
(a) When a universal truth is expressed in the subordinate clause, its tense is not changed.
He said that the earth revolves round the sun. (not revolved)
I told him that honesty is the best policy. (not was)
Newton knew that the earth rotates.
He forgot that the earth rotates.
(b) When the subordinate clause begins with than or as, any tense may be used in the subordinate
clause,
even if there is past tense in the principal clause:
I met her more frequently than I meet you.
I saw her oftener than I see you.
She loved you more than she loves me.
He cared for you more than he cares for his brother.
Problems in Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words used to join words, sentences and clauses together. Note the following
conjunctions are words used to join words, sentences and clauses together. Note the following
conjunctions:
As soon ... as
Both ... and
Either ... or
Neither ... nor
Lest ... should
Not only ... but also
Hardly ... before or when
Though ... yet
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Whether ... or
Scarcely ... when or before
Point No.64: When a negative co-relative is used in the beginning of a sentence, a helping verb must
be used before the subject (e.g. do, does, did, etc.)
Scarcely did she hear the news when she began to cry.
Not only was he accused of theft. but also of murder.
No sooner did she heard the news than she wept.
No sooner did the doctor came than she died.
Also, note that no sooner is followed by than and not then or when:
No sooner did the news reach him than he fainted. (not when or then)
No sooner did she see me than she started grumbling. (not when or then)
Miscellaneous Points :
POINT NO. 66: When, while, after till, before: When these words are used in the subordinate clause
with reference to some future event, they are not followed by a verb in the future tense.
Before the rain would stop, they would have reached home. (incorrect)
Before the rain stops, they would have reached home. (correct)
When you will come to me, we will go to Ludhiana. (incorrect)
When you come to me, we will go to Ludhiana. (cornet)
POINT NO. 67: Until/unless: Mistakes are generally committed in using these words. Until means
time before and unless shows condition and means if not.
POINT NO.68: Doubt that/doubt whether; Doubt that is used in negative sentences and doubt
whether in positive sentences;
I do not doubt that he will succeed.
I doubt whether the news is true.
I doubt whether our country is really free.
We do not doubt that he will be fully cured.
POINT NO.69: Need/Needs: As a regular verb, need means require. In the present tense, with third
person singul ar, when followed by a negative, the final s is not added.
He need not worry. (negative nor is followed)
He needs to be worried. (negative not is not followed)
However, regular forms should not be confused
He dare not do it again. (i.e. does not have courage)
She dare not come to me. (i.e. does not have courage to come to me)
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However, if it is not followed by a negative word (not) or used in the sense of challenge, s is to be
added.
She dare not to disobey me.
but
She dares to disobey me. (a challenge)
She darts to insult me. (a challenge)
It should, however, not be confused when used as a normal verb:
I dare, he dares, she dares, they dare, we dare, Sunita dares
POINT NO.70: Since, from ,for: Both since and from imply a point of time (definite time, day, date
etc.) and for implies period of time.
(a) Since indicates point of time with present perfect or perfect continuous tense.
(b) From indicates point of time with all other tenses.
(c) For indicates period of time with present perfect or perfect continuous tense.
For example;
I have done nothing since yesterday.
She has been ill since last Friday.
She will go to school from today.
He commenced work from 30th January.
I have not seen him for a long time.
POINT NO.71: As long as/while/until: As long as and while are used to express the duration of an
action, whereas until is used to express the time before an action takes place (see also Point No. . 65).
As long as you remain in the office, you will get no rest. (not until)
Wait here until I come. (not as long as)
While I am sitting here, you can work on it. (not as long as or until)
POINT NO.72: On/over: On suggests contact with something; over suggests a higher position
without actual contact.
Keep this book on the table.
Place this cup on the table.
Keep the umbrella over your head.
POINT NO.73: You, he/she, I: When pronouns having different persons are used, the second person
(you) should come first, then the third person (he or she) and last of all the first person (I).
You, he and I should try to visit Sri Lanka- (not I, you and he)
It is between you and me. (not me and you)
POINT NO.74: Who and whom: To determine correct usage of who or whom cover the beginning of
the sentence, including who or whom and read what is left, inserting he or him, like sounds right use
who; if him sounds right use whom.
It was he whom we chose to be our captain.
(We chose him, to be captain; so use whom)
It was he who we thought would win the prize.
(We thought he would win the prize; so use who)
POINT NO. 75: Prepositions are not required after such words as: attack, accompany, discuss,
emphasize, fear, join1, request, resist, pervade, precedes violate, reach, shirk, resemble,
recommend, etc.
They attacked the enemy. (not on the enemy)
She resembles her mother. (not with or to her mother)
I have ordered the book. (not for the book)
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POINT NO.76: Do not use that with words like how, whether, why, what, where, when, whom,
whose, which, etc.
Nothing can be said that when he is expected to arrive. (incorrect)
Nothing can be said when he is expected to arrive. (correct)
He could not explain that why he was late. (incorrect)
He could not explain why he was late. (correct)
H is difficult to say that whether he will succeed. (incorrect)
It is difficult to say whether he will succeed. (correct)
In the above sentences that is not required. However, as to can be used. For example:
He could not explain as to why he was late.
POINT NO.77: Due to/caused by: Due to and caused by introduce adjective phrases and should
modii5 nouns. These words must be properly related to some noun or pronoun and should not be used
to begin a sentence.
Her success is due to her hard work. (modifies success)
His failure was caused by his laziness. (modifies failure)
(a) Because of and on account of introduce adverbial phrases and should modify verbs.
He resigned because of ill-health. (modifies resigned)
She resigned on account of ill-health. (modifies resigned)
(b) To express a cause or reason use because of and to express purpose use in order that or so that.
Men work so that they may earn living. (not because)
He missed his class because he overslept. (not In oi’der that/so that)
(c). Do not use because and reason of together.
The reason why he missed his class was because he overslept. (incorrect)
The reason why he missed his class was that he overslept, (correct)
{b) Correlative conjunctions (either ... or, neither ... nor, not only .,. but also etc.) should be followed
by
elements in parallel form.
She is not only proficient in desk work but also in marketing. (incorrect)
She is proficient nor only in desk work but also in marketing. (correct)
I have written both to their branch office and Head Office. (incorrect)
I have written to both their branch office and Head Office. (correct)
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Avoid Redundancies
POINT NO. 80: Redundancy refers to the use of more words than necessary to make a statement.
Redundancy is moderate formality and is restricted almost completely to indicating an excess caused
by tautology: redundant phrases like ‘essential requisite’ or ‘fundamental basis’. It may mean use of
unnecessary adjectives or words that needlessly make the sentence a sort of re-statement by using
unwanted words. These type of errors are often seen in written English communication and are not
desirable in grammatically correct sentences.
Examples
1.The Prime Minister’s explanation represented a consensus of opinion.
In this sentence the words ‘of opinion’ is not required and is an example of redundancy or
wordiness.
2. Shanti said that she stayed for a short period of time in the hospital.
In this sentence ‘of time is not needed because the ‘period’ signifies it.
3. Shri DK Oswal, our Chairman-cum-Managing Director has returned back from his
European
tour only this morning. In this sentence, one word is sufficient, either returned or back.
4. To revise the Point No. . s of grammar refer back to Chapter ii of this book.
In this sentence, the usage ‘refer’ is sufficient and there is no need to add ‘back’ in this
sentence.
5. He has been warned not to repeat this mistake again.
In this sentence the word ‘again’ is redundant and should be avoided.
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
Reading Comprehension or Comprehension means, to read something and understand it. For exams
like IBPS or State Bank of India Comprehension is a very important subject/Topic. In common
written exam of IBPS or State Bank of India, comprehension is the ability to read a text passage,
process it and understand its meaning so that the candidate answers all the questions which follows
thereafter the paragraph. In CWE, the total weight age of comprehension ranges from 5 marks to 10
marks.
The IBPS and State Bank of India PO exam includes comprehension in the question paper so that to
understand an individual's ability to comprehend text by their traits and skills, one of which is the
ability to make inferences. If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of their processing
capacity to
read individual words, which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read. There are a
number of approaches to improve reading comprehension, including improving one's vocabulary and
reading strategies.
This understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written and how they
trigger knowledge outside the text/passage.
Some people learn through education or training and others through their direct experiences.
Deep processing involves semantic processing, which happens when we encode the meaning of a
word and relate it to similar words. Shallow processing involves structural and phonemic recognition,
the processing of sentence and word structure and their associated sounds.
Comprehension is a very important part of English Language Section in Common Written Exam for
IBPS and State Bank of India Probationary Officers selection as well as in other category
officers/clerks selections.
Reading Comprehension is considered the most difficult section in an English Language exam.
Especially in State Bank PO Exam; Wherein the English language consists of 100 marks. 50 marks
for objective and 50 marks for descriptive examination. Most candidates have problems either
understanding the subject matter or completing all the sections. If a few critical points are taken care
of, however, this section isn't a very big problem.
Although there Is no rule about attempting successfully passage related questions in general. However
you can improve with practice. The general tips to get good score in passage question are mentioned
as follows.
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1. Reading practice
Read Newspapers, Magazines everyday to increase your reading skill and reading speed.
2. Listening Practice
Listen to English News Channels and English radios to increase your listening and
understaning capability.
• Read and understand the questions first before starting reading the passage. It will help you
read the passage more effectively.
• Be careful about the timing. Do not spend too long on one passage or question.
• If you do not know the answer to a question, leave it but do not waste time; move quickly
onto the next one
• Do not panic if you do not know anything about the subject of the text; all the answers can be
found in the text
• Do not worry if there is a word that you do not understand – you may not need to use it
• Have a glance through all sections, get an idea of the subject matter
• Now prioritize all sections according to the subject matter you find easier. The section you
find the easiest should be attempted first.
• All the answers are in the passage, so try and attempt the questions by reading the passage. In
difficult passages, go for a ' skim and scan' approach -- read the questions and try finding out
the answers by locating similar words.
• The most important step is to set a time limit for every passage and attempt that in the
specified time only.
• Answer the questions one by one with the help of the underlined parts of the text. Having read
the text once, you will find it easy to find specific information by scanning.
• The answers usually appear in the text in the same order as the questions. That is, the answer
to question 4 will be earlier in the text than the answer to question 5. This need not always be
true. It may apply to each question type rather than to all the questions taken together. The
answer to MCQ 2 will appear before that to MCQ 3 and the answer to Matching question 2
will usually appear earlier than that to Matching question 3. However, the answer to MCQ 3
may appear before the answer to Matching question 2.
• As soon as you find an answer, write it against the question on the question paper. It is not
always a good idea to try answering questions in the order in which they are asked.
Do not get stuck on any one question. If you can't get the answer, move on. You can always come back later.
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
The term "essay" is used in somewhat different ways in different contexts. An essay is fairly brief.
The term “Essay” usually refers to short pieces that might be published in a magazine or newspaper.
Here we are focusing on common written examination for selections in IBPS Banks or State Bank
of India Probationary Officers selections.
An essay is nonfiction, its not a story. That means that the writer of an essay is trying to tell the truth,
not merely entertain. Hypothetical examples can be an effective way of illustrating a point, as can
quotations from fictional works. An essay tries to make a point. This is perhaps the most important
and most challenging aspect of the essay. An essay is not just a bunch of words, or even a bunch of
paragraphs. An essay all fits together; it all points in one direction. An essay leads to one conclusion.
This is what makes an essay different from, say, an article in an encyclopedia, which may be a
relatively brief and interesting piece of nonfiction. An essay tries to make a point. It aims to support
a single claim. An essay tries to make a point in an interesting way. An essay is real writing; it is
written to someone. And so its goal is to interest its readers, to change their thinking, to get them
involved in the ideas it presents and ultimately get them to adopt those ideas.
When it comes to essay writing in English grammar test, especially in India for SBI PO or IBPS PO
exams, we have observed that the students had always taken essay writing as a very casual and light
subject. There are very few students who pays a real attention to writing effective essays and these are
the scoring students. The other category of students never knows and never realizes that why few
students often are having higher scores as compared to the remaining students. English is a scoring
subject. If one pays attention to the intricacies about preparing for English language test, he/she can
really score good numbers in any type of examination. This article focuses on one major point : How
to write effective Essay ?
In India students have very different approaches to drafting their essays. Some use a simple way of
starting a topic, and keeps on writing whatever comes to their mind. Without paying attention to the
content. Whereas some start at the introduction and writing sequentially through to the conclusion
then move on to another part of the essay, and then return to the earlier section. We would not want to
argue for any single approach. However there are several techniques worth applying.
One is to have a fairly clear idea of the structure of the essay before drafting. You will find that the
flow of words will come more easily if you know in advance how the different parts of the essay are
likely to hang together.
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
Here we are giving you a Step By Step Guide about writing clear and effective Essays:
Writing an essay often seems to be a tough task among many students. Whether the essay is for a
exam, a competition, or maybe even a normal college assignment, many students often find the task
overwhelming. While an essay is a large project, there are many steps a student can take that will help
making the process of writing an essay simpler.
Following steps in this process is the easiest way to draft a successful essay, whatever its purpose
might be.
Once you have determined the purpose of essay writing, you will need to do some research on topics
that you find little tough. Think about subject. What is it that arises interest in you? Jot these topic
down.
Finally, evaluate your options. If your goal is to educate, choose a subject that you have already
studied. If your goal is to persuade, choose a subject that you are passionate about. Whatever the
mission of the essay, make sure that you are interested in your topic.
2. Prepare a flowchart.
In order to write a successful essay, you must organize your thoughts in a proper way. By taking
what’s already in your thoughts and putting it on a paper, you are able to see connections and links
between ideas more clearly. This structure serves as a foundation for your essay.
To create a diagram, write your topic in the middle of your page. Draw three to five lines branching
off from this topic and write down your main ideas at the ends of these lines. Draw more lines off
these main ideas and include any thoughts you may have on these ideas.
If you prefer to create an outline, write your topic at the top of the page. From there, begin to list your
main ideas, leaving space under each one. In this space, make sure to list other smaller ideas that
relate to each main idea. Doing this will allow you to see connections and will help you to write a
more organized essay.
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
Begin with a good attention seeker sentences. You can use shocking information, dialogue, a story, a
quote, or a simple summary of your topic. Whichever style of writing you choose, make sure that it
ties in with your main statement, which will be included as the last sentence of your introduction.
Begin by writing one of your main ideas as the introductory sentence. Next, write each of your
supporting ideas in sentence format, but leave three or four lines in between each point to come back
and give detailed examples to back up your position.
You can do this by : Check the order of your paragraphs. Your strongest points should be the first and
last paragraphs within the body, with the others falling in the middle. Also, make sure that your
paragraph order makes sense.
Review the instructions for your essay, if applicable. You must double check instructions to ensure
that your essay is in the desired format.
Finally, review what you have written. Reread your paper and check to see if it makes sense. Make
sure that sentence flow is smooth and add phrases to help connect thoughts or ideas. Check your essay
for grammar and spelling mistakes.
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A. TITLE
B. Introduction Paragraph:
●Hook
●Thesis
●Transition
C. Body Paragraph 1:
●Strongest point
●Introduction
●Examples
●Explanation
●Conclusion that ties to thesis
●Transition
D. Body Paragraph 2:
●Weakest point
●Introduction
●Examples
●Explanation
●Conclusion that ties to thesis
●Transition
E. Body Paragraph 3:
●Second-strongest point
●Introduction
●Examples
●Explanation
●Conclusion that ties to thesis
●Transition
F. Conclusion Paragraph:
●Restated thesis
●Concise summary of the body and how it ties to thesis
●Signal for the end of essay
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
Writing skills are often the most difficult skills for students of appearing for various entrance exams
in India. When it come to Bank Jobs entrance test English Language is an integral part of the question
paper and interview as well. This article will throw some light on English Letter Writing skilld and
exams strategy.
While there are important differences between spoken and written English—for example, spoken
English has more shortened forms, contractions, omissions, and colloquial express ions—these
differences need not intimidate the learner at the intermediate level, nor prevent the teacher from
introducing real writing practice at this stage. Writing directions, taking down simple telephone
messages, making shopping lists are some examples of simple writing tasks in which the students can
actually practice writing English in everyday functions. Letter writing, with its many forms and uses,
is another activity that is particularly advantageous for the following reasons:
In addition to these reasons for practicing letter writing early in the English language training, there is
another even more pedagogically important reason to consider. Letters that are well-organized in form
and content generally follow a pattern that is similar to basic composition writing.
A well-composed letter, like a good composition in English, usually has three basic components:
We see, then, that letter writing can be an effective means of introducing and reinforcing the
principles of good composition in English; the writer in both cases must first organize his or her
thoughts logically to convey the intended message.
General Format
Let’s categorize the kinds of letters our students are most likely to encounter into two simple groups:
social letters and business letters.
For both types, indeed for almost any letter written in English, there is a general layout or format that
is followed and several general components that are required.
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MODEL LETTER
Closing,
(writer’s name)
Note: Readers in India usually expect to find these parts of a letter arranged in this way; they may be
confused if the format is changed. In some countries, for instance, the custom is to include the writer’s
name in the upper right-hand corner above the writer’s address. However, a reader accustomed to
English letters may think that the (foreign) writer’s name is a street, if it is written on the first line of
the address position.
1. Writer’s Address
Although you will usually find that the writer places his/her address in the upper right-hand corner of
the page, business ‘correspondents may place their address in the letterhead at the middle top of the
page, or at the lower left-hand corner.
Envelope Address
On the envelope, the Indian post office requires the addressee’s name on the first line, the Street
address on the second line, the city/state/pin code on the third line, and the name of the state/country
on the last line. All of this should appear in the center of the envelope. The writer’s name and address
should appear in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope.
MODEL ENVELOPE
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2. Salutation
Salutations are placed on the left margin. As a general rule, when the writer knows the addressee well
and is on a “first name” basis (that is, if they call each other by first name informally), the writer
begins an informal social letter with Dear followed by the addressee’s first or given name:
For formal social letters and business letters, however, the salutation Dear is followed by the
addressee’s title and family name:
In business letter salutations, the reader may also note other forms:
For example : Dear Publ isher, Dear Editor, Dear Reader, Dear Parents, Dear Colleague, etc.
This avoids the use of Dear Sir and Gentlemen, which are now outdated as they assume all readers are
male, and overlook the growing number of women in the business world today.
In business letters, the reader may also note the use of Ms., which is the exact linguistic equivalent of
Mr.; that is, Ms. indicates female gender but not whether the person is married. Some women still
prefer to use Miss (unmarried) or Mrs. (married), but most business correspondence today uses Ms.,
unless it uses some form indicating the position or office for whom the letter is intended.
The letter itself may also begin exactly on the left margin, directly under the salutation, or it may be
indented five spaces to the right, the traditional signal for a new paragraph in English. If you prefer
not to indent for each new paragraph, you should leave an extra space between paragraphs.
Although we are mainly concerned with format here, it will be well to keep in mind that the body of
the letter contains the main message or “point.” Culturally speaking, a native English language reader
usually expects the writer of formal or business letters to (1) introduce him/herself, (2) state the
purpose of the letter, and (3) conclude the letter. Note that the conclusion often may be a simple
“thank you” for the reader’s attention.
4. Closing Signature
The closing and signature at the end of the letter are usually spaced from the right margin and aligned
under the address and date that appear in the upper right-hand corner. If there is any possibility that
the person receiving your letter may not be able to read your signature (because of a difference of
handwriting styles), you should carefully print or type your name under your handwritten signature.
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www.bankpo.laqshya.in Descriptive English
Remember that when the reader answers your letter and addresses the envelope, he/she must be able
to spell your name clearly and correctly. Your letter is the only guideline to spelling your name and
address correctly.
In summary, a good letter must be clearly thought out, and clearly organized on paper. Its message
should be understandable to the reader and its appearance on the page should be well-balanced, like a
picture in a frame. A letter, remember, carries the writer’s unspoken thoughts and silently reflects the
writer’s personality. Each letter is a personally creative act of real communication.
17.2 General Tips for effective letter writing in IBPS OR State Bank PO Exams :
Point No 1 :-
The first thing is identify the type of letter you are being asked to write. Is it a formal, semi-formal or
informal letter? The entire style of your letter writing is based on your answer to this question. Adjust
your style and choice of words according to the type of letter you have been asked to write in the
exam.
Point No 2. :-
The next Important thing is open and close the letter correctly. Remember that each type of letter
requires a different opening and closing. The chart below will help you remember this:
Dear Mr Jay,
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Point No 4 :-
Always open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. With friends whom we know, we
care about the whole person. We have a broader relationship in the context of which this
communication is taking place. So it is best to acknowledge that friendship first, before getting down
to the reason for your letter. In fact, the first paragraph could be purely friendly small talk, unrelated
to the reason for your writing. Look at the example below:
Dear Shobha
I hope you and your family are all well. It was such a pleasure to see you again last summer. We sure
had a great time catching up with each other after so many years. You have always been a cherished
friend, no matter how much of a gap there has been since we met.
Anyway, the reason I'm writing is that I have some good news - I am getting married this summer...
Point No 5 :-
Remember, always identify the main purpose of the letter while writing in the exam. Are you asking
for help, apologizing, inviting someone, complaining or thanking someone? Learn appropriate and
polite expressions that will support what you need to say.
Point No 6 :-
Learn and use standard written phrases. Students sometimes struggle to finish their writing in time.
This happens when you are trying to write every sentence from scratch. The fact is, in conventional
letter writing in English, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases and add on to them the
specific information we wish to communicate. By learning how to use these expressions, you will find
the letter writing task much easier and will never have to fight for time.
Point No 7 :-
Make sure you write at least 100-120 words. Practice writing letters till you know what 120 – 150
words feels like and looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose marks if you
write more; the only restriction on writing more is in terms of time, not the number of words.
Point No 8 :-
Learn the correct spelling of commonly used words. It is surprising how many Banking Entrance
Aspirants make a mistake when spelling words such as "sincerely", "faithfully", "in connection with"
and so on. You can prevent yourself from losing marks by learning the correct spelling of these words
and expressions which you are highly likely to use on your exam.
Point No 9 :-
Stay on topic. In order to complete your letter within 10 minutes or less, practice writing letters
where you stick to the point. The letter writing test does not require you to make up a story to
complete your letter, but if you do so then you end with less time for the remaining questions.
Point No 10 :-
Include all important points asked by the examiner. If you exclude even one of the points given to
you in the question prompt, you will lose valuable marks. Practice writing letters that include the
major important points and go back and check that you have included them in each practice exercise
you do.
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