Grammar

Determiners
Determiners A determiner is employed to modify a noun. It indicates regard to
something specific or something of a particular type. There are nearly fifty sorts of
determiners. The determiners come at the beginning of the noun and if an adjective is
present, then they come before the adjective.
Some examples of determiners are A, An, This, That, Those, each, these, some.
Any, much, many, cardinal and ordinal numbers – first, fifth, thirty, quite etc
Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners.

1. …………..books are missing from the library. (Any, Some)

2. She has not solved…………….. sums, (many, any)
3. This book is mine but…………….. is yours, (that, any)
4. ……… boys have done their work. (That, These)
5. He didn’t make……….. progress, (much, many)
6. He has forgotten…………………… of the details, (some, many)
7. The District Magistrate visited…………………. flood affected area, (every,
either)
8. ………….. villa is this? (Whose, What)
9. He is the…………… boy who has joined this gym. (first, whose)
10. I met her…………… week, (this, those)
11. Employees are ___ on protest.
12. The rainbow contains _____ colors.
13. The topic of the speech was _____ fascinating.
14. The candidate is deserving of victory.
15. The group's members were sporting ___ black badges.
16. I had a ____ of free time and couldn't finish my assignment.
17. On Sunday, we have a get-together at ____ home.
18. ___ child requires affection and attention.
19. I have read ____ book you recommended.
20. She needs ____ help with her homework.

Subject verb agreement

What are Subject Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence
must agree with its verb in number and person. This means that if the subject is
singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be
plural.

1. Two or more subjects joined by “and” are considered plural and require a
verb form without an “s.”
Example: Ravi, Raj, and Arjun walk to the store.

2. If a subject is modified by the words “each” or “every” that subject is singular

and will take a verb form that ends in “s.”

Example: Each boy and girl walks to the store

3. If plural subjects are joined by “or,” “nor,” or “but,” the verb must only agree
with the subject that is closest to it. Example: Either Rishi or his brother walks
to the store.

Neither Kavitha nor her sisters walk to the store.

4. Indefinite pronouns are usually singular and take a verb form that ends in “s.”

Indefinite pronouns that always take a singular verb form: anybody, either, neither,
one, anyone, everybody, nobody, somebody, anything, everyone, no one, someone,
each, everything, nothing, something

Example: Everyone walks to the store.

5. The subject of a verb is never in a prepositional* or verbal phrase. Therefore,

you must isolate the phrase and find the proper subject.

Example: The mother duck (with all of her little ducklings) walks to the store.

The mother duck (including all her ducklings) walks to the store.

6. When a collective noun, such as family, group, committee, or class, is the

subject, the verb will end in “s.”

Example: My family (with all my crazy cousins) always walks to the store.

7. A few nouns, such as economics, mumps, measles, or news end in “s” but are
considered singular.

Example: Economics is her favorite subject.

8. When the subject is a unit of measurement of time, distance, money, weight,

etc. The unit is considered singular, and the verb will end in “s.”

Example: Ten pounds of chocolate is too much to eat at once.

9. A subject made up of nouns joined by and takes a plural subject, unless that
subject’s intended sense is singular.

Example: She and I run every day.

Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich. (intended sense of singular)

Choose the correct subject verb combinations in the sentences below.

a. The lady in the car (look/looks) like your mother.

b. Most of the milk (is/are) gone.

c. One of the flowers (has/have) wilted.

d. Either Ram or Shyam (is/are) coming today.

e. Here (is/are) the newspaper.

f. The group of dancers (is/are) here.

g. Civics (is/are) my favorite subject.

h. A pair of scissors (is/are) in the draw.
i. The flock of cattle (is/are) grazing in the field
j. The King along with his ministers (is/are) here.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb.

1. Each of the girls ____ her own dress. (has/have)

2. Five miles____ long distance. (is/are)
3. Many a man ____ tried hard to climb the treacherous mountain range. (
have/has)
4. The furniture of the house ____ quite impressive. (is/are)
5. Few students ______ coming to the party. (is, are)
6. Uma, my childhood friend ____ leaving for Delhi next month. (is/are)
7. Most of my friends _____ government employees. (is/are)
8. The level of pain tolerance ____ from person to person. (vary/varies)
9. Either Tarun or Rohit ____ telling lies. (is/are)
10. A number of people _____reported to have fallen sick after drinking the water
from the tubewell. (was/were)
11. The government ____ criticised by the Supreme Court for their actions.
(was/were)
12. No one ____ a greater collection of books than my friend Roshan (has / have)
13. Somebody ____ waiting at the door for you. (is / are)
14. Two ____ ago, here is the place where the accident took place. (year/years)
15. Fast food, like burgers and street food, ____ harmful to our health. (is/are)
16. All the students ____ excited to visit the museum after school. (is/are)
17. Neither Arun nor his family ____ French. (speaks/speak)
18. Either Ramya or Malini ____ broken the glass. (has/have)
19. If anybody _____ for me, do let me know. (calls/call)
20. The plumber, along with his helper ____, expected to come soon. (is/are)
21. Several neighbours _____ complained about the loud sound coming from that
house. (has/have)
 22. Neither Parul nor Amrita____ went to work. (has/have)
23. The Olympics ____ held every four years. (is/are)
24. The people ___ lived without electricity for many years. (has/have)
25. The dog _____ chasing the cat. (is/are)

Tenses

Tenses in grammar refer to the time frame in which an action or state occurs. They
help indicate whether something happened in the past, is happening now, or will
happen in the future.
Tense Form Use Example
Simple present Verb + s/es Regular actions, habits, The sun rises in the East. He gets up
tense facts early everyday
Present Verb + ing Actions happening I am writing a letter now.
continuous tense now, temporary actions
Present perfect Have/has + past Completed actions in I have lived her for two years
tense participle the past with a
connection to the
present.
I have just eaten dinner.
Recent completed
actions
Present perfect Have/has been + Actions that started in They have been studying for two
continuous tense verb + ing the past and continue hours. (identify using since and for)
to the present

Simple past tense Verb + ed/irregular Completed actions in She played football yesterday.
form the past
Past continuous Was/were + verb + Actions happening at a They were watching TV at 7 PM.
tense ing specific time in the
past The students were writing when the
bell rang ( when is used –
combination of past continuous and
past tense)
Past perfect tense Had + past Completed actions that I had eaten dinner before I went out.
participle happened before
another past action ( with before – combination of past
perfect and past tense)
Past perfect Had been + verb + Actions that started She had been studying for two hours
continuous tense ing and ended before before she took the test.
another past action

Simple future Will/shall + verb Future actions, I will go to the store tomorrow.
tense predictions, promises
Future continuous Will/shall be + Actions happening in She will be studying at 7 PM.
tense verb + ing the future at a specific
time

Choose the correct verb form from those in brackets:

1. Archana ___________ to be a doctor. (wants, wanting, is wanting)

2. The Soup ________ good. (taste, tastes, is tasting)
3. He ______ TV most evening. (watches, is watch, is watching)
4. He _______ out five minutes ago. (has gone, had gone, went)
5. When he lived in Hyderabad, he _______ to the cinema once a week. (goes,
went, was going)
6. The baby _______ all morning. (cries, has been crying)
7. I _______ Rahul at the zoo. (saw, have seen, had seen)
8. I ______ Kumar this week. (haven't seen, didn’t see, am not seeing)
9. This paper _____ twice weekly. (is appearing, appearing, appears)
10. Ashok fell off the ladder when he ________ the roof. (is mending, was
mending, mended)
11. I _________ something burning. (smell, am smelling, have been smelling)
12. Look, the sun ______ over the hills. (rises, is rise, is rising)
13. She ______ unconscious since four o'clock. (is, was, has been)
14. He used to visit us every week, but he _______ now. (rarely comes, is rarely
coming, has rarely come)
15. I ______ him since we met a year ago. (didn't see, haven't seen, hadn't seen)
16. We ______ our breakfast half an hour ago. (finished, have finished, had
finished)
17. She jumped off the bus while it _______ . (already started, had already started,
would already start)
18. I ______ for half an hour when it suddenly started to rain. (have walked, have
been walking, had been walking)
19. Did you think you ______ me somewhere before?. (have seen, had seen, were
seeing)
20. The town _________ its appearance completely since 1980. (is changing,
changed, has changed)

Modals

Modals are auxiliary verbs that express various meanings such as possibility, ability,
permission, obligation, and future tense. They are used with main verbs to form verb
phrases.

Here are some common modals and their meanings:

Can: ability, permission Could: possibility, past ability May:
possibility, permission

Might: possibility, future uncertainty Must: necessity, obligation Should:

advice, obligation

Will: future, willingness, prediction Would: past willingness, politeness

Shall: future, obligation (formal) Ought to: obligation, advice

Will
1. I will finish my homework before dinner.
2. She will attend the meeting tomorrow.
3. They will travel to Europe next summer.

Would
1. Would you like to join us for a movie?
2. She would often visit her grandparents on weekends.
3. If I had more time, I would learn a new language.

Shall
1. Shall we begin the presentation?
2. I shall inform you of any updates.
3. Shall I open the window?

Should
1. You should exercise regularly to stay healthy.
2. He should apologize for his behaviour.
3. We should leave early to avoid traffic.

Can
1. Can you help me with this maths problem?
2. She can run a mile in under seven minutes.
3. Can I borrow your book for a day?

Could
1. Could you pass me the salt, please?
2. When I was younger, I could swim for hours.
3. Could we meet tomorrow to discuss the project?

May
1. May I come in?
2. You may leave the room once you finish your test.
3. The teacher may give us a surprise quiz today.

Might
1. It might rain this evening, so take an umbrella.
2. She might come to the party if she finishes her work.
3. We might go to the beach this weekend.
Must
1. You must wear a seatbelt while driving.
2. Students must submit their assignments by Friday.
3. We must respect the rules and regulations.

Need
1. You need not worry about the exam; you've prepared well.
2. She needs to finish her project before the deadline.
3. You need to rest if you want to recover quickly.

Ought to
1. You ought to take more care of your health.
2. They ought to be more considerate of others' feelings.
3. He ought to pay back the money he borrowed.
Fill in the blanks with Modals
1. I ____ call you when I reach home.
2. ____ you please pass the salt?
3. She ____ finish her homework before going out to play.
4. He ____ speak French when he was a child.
5. You ____ go to the doctor if you feel unwell.
6. We ____ leave now to catch the train on time.
7. ____ I open the window to let in some fresh air?
8. They ____ have taken the wrong turn.
9. You ____ bring a jacket; it’s cold outside.
10. ____ we meet tomorrow to discuss the project?
11. He ____ not attend the meeting if he doesn’t want to.
12. 1____ I borrow your pen for a moment?
13. You ____ apologize for being late.
14. It ____ snow later in the evening.
15. You ____ to help your parents with the household chores.
16. ____ you like to join us for dinner?
17. She ____ be at home right now.
18. You ____ not worry about the exam; you’ve prepared well.
19. The students ____ submit their assignments by Friday.
20. I ____ to finish this report by tomorrow.
21. ____ you mind if I sit here?
22. We ____ be careful while crossing the road.
23. They ____ have forgotten about the meeting.
24. You ____ leave your bag unattended in public places.
25. He ____ work harder if he wants to pass the exam.
REPORTED SPEECH
First identify the verb
Then convert it into past tense – remember – present tense becomes past tense –
past tense becomes past perfect tense
Persons change accordingly
Today – that day this - that
Tomorrow becomes the following day now - then
Yesterday – the previous day
Remember to use that only for statements and exclamations only……
For questions use either the question word like what, why, where, how followed
by a person
Eg- why are you crying? = Why he was crying ( Question person and then verb)
For question which begin with is, do have etc – use if or whether followed by
person and then verb.
Eg. Do you come by bus? = If you came by bus. ( when do or did is used without
not remove the do or did used – identify the verb – change it into past tense and
the use if followed by person and then verb)

[Link] the conversation given below and complete the paragraph by

transforming the sentences into reported speech:
The Lady: I’m so cold! Where are the taxis?
Bystander: You won’t get a taxi, not in this rain.
The lady feeling so cold asked the bystander ……………………. to which the
bystander replied that she would not get a taxi, not in that rain.

[Link] the conversation given below and complete the paragraph by

transforming the sentences into reported speech:
Shilpa: Can I borrow your English textbook?
Jaya: Sure you can. But when will you return it?
Shilpa asked Jaya whether she could borrow her English textbook. Jay replied in
the affirmative bus asked her __________________.

[Link] the conversation given below and complete the paragraph by

transforming the sentences into reported speech:
Journalist: What do you have to say about the latest allegation which incriminates
you and your cabinet?
Minister: The allegation is baseless and is the handiwork of the malicious opposition
to mislead the innocent public.
The journalist questioned the minister………………….. The journalist then told
him that the allegation was baseless and was the handiwork of the malicious
opposition to mislead innocent people.

[Link] the conversation given below and complete the paragraph by

transforming the sentences into reported speech:
Father: Where are you going, Shraddha?
Shraddha: I am going to Sayli’s house.
Father: What time will you be back?
Shraddha: I will return home tomorrow morning as we are studying together for a test.
Father asked Shraddha where she was going to which Shraddha replied that she
was going to Sayli’s house. Father then asked her …………… to which she
replied that ………… as they were studying together for a test.
[Link] the following dialogue and then complete the reports by transforming the
sentences into reported speech
Father: why have you come back?
Son: I missed my school bus.
The father asked his son ……………………. The son replied that he had missed
his school bus.
[Link] the following dialogue and then complete the reports by transforming the
sentences into reported speech
Daughter: Our school is arranging a trip to Goa in the summer vacation
Mother: What are the dates of the trip
The daughter told her mother that …………….. The mother asked the daughter
…………………….
7. Mahesh spoke to Satish about the new airport. Report Mahesh’s question.
Don’t you think the new airport is very user friendly?

8. Bharat and Nidhi spoke about the new series of Anita Desai. Report Nidhi’s
question.
Isn’t all Desai’s book interesting and exciting?

9. Manager said to Shekher, ‘Why didn’t you attend the meeting yesterday?’
The manager enquired Shekhar why did not he attend the meeting the day before.
The manager asked Shekhar why he did not attend the meeting the previous day.
The manager asked Shekhar why he had not attended the meeting the day before.
The manager enquired Shekhar that why didn’t he attended the meeting yesterday.
10. ‘You shall go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night’, the guide said.

The guide told us that we should go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night.
The guide told us we shall go to see the royal palace on a moonlit night.
The guide suggested that we should go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night.
The guide suggested us to go to see the royal palace in the moonlit night.