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Grammar Workshop CAT – 2012
Grammar based questions
• Error identification: a sentence divided into 5 parts [CET pattern]5 sentences ;identify either the correct or
incorrect sentences [CAT pattern]
• Sentence correction a part of the sentence is underlined [GMAT
pattern]Choose the correct paragraphPara completion [grammar based]
• Multiple Usage
Common and ‘accepted’ Grammatical
errors
• Can you please give me the exact estimate?
• Please revert back.
• This is most urgent.
• Stand up !
• my past experiences ……
• I spoke to him yesterday night.
• Please give me two chalks.
• Tell to me ……
• Can you suggest me a solution?
• It was an (unexpected) surprise when (a pair of baby) twins were born at (12) midnight.
• Did you get the money from the ATM (machine)?
• The car will depreciate (in value) every year.
• You will get a (free) gift with every pair of sun-glasses bought.
Introduction to Grammar
• What is Grammar?
• Why was it invented?
• Who invented it?
• How important is it from the language perspective?
• The logic in a language and hence also in the rules of grammar
American Vs British English
Difference at two levels :
Grammar : sentence construction (minor)
Words / Vocabulary
Please note CAT is evaluating British English hence the rules learnt in school are still applicable in solving Grammar based questions in CAT
Language skeleton
Sounds (40) (represented by 26 letters)
Words (8 types) : Parts of Speech
Phrases (adj/adv/noun)
Clauses (Main clause and Sub clause)
Sentence (Simple , Compound, Complex)
Spelling – Pronunciation discrepancy
• Difference between a language and a script ?
• Language is an invention or a discovery?
• Script : Roman – consist of the English alphabet which consist of 26 letters
• Letters represent sounds : English language has 40 sounds which are represented by 26 letters
Parts of Speech Noun
Pronoun
Verb
Adverb
Adjective
Preposition
Conjunction
Interjection
Articles
Well, she and young Jonathan walk to school slowly.
Sentence / Phrase / Clause
• I bought a doll.
• I bought a doll which
has beautiful blonde hair.
• I bought a doll with
beautiful blonde hair.
• Group of words• Sub – Verb
• Independent
• Group of words• Sub – Verb • dependent
• Group of words• No Verb
• Dependent
Types of Sentences
• Simple Sentence = Main Clause
• Complex Sentence = Main Clause + Subordinate Clause
• Compound Sentence : Main Clause + Main Clause
Exercise
Identify the errors in the sentences given to you and identify the error type.
Errors in Sentence Correction
questions in CAT
Grammar Errors
• Pronoun – antecedent (noun) agreement
• Sub – Verb agreement
• Verbs and tense errors
• Parallelism
• Modifiers
Pronoun-antecedent concord
Number concord SN-SPr
PN-PPr
Gender concord Common : (he/she)
Case concord • Subjective case : when the noun and pronoun is used
as a subject in a sentence
• Objective case : when a noun and a pronoun is used as an object in a sentence
• Possessive: when a noun and a pronoun is used to indicate possession in a sentence
Case conundrum resolved
Subjectivecase
Objective case
Possessive adjective
Possessivepronoun
I Me My Mine
You You Your Yours
He Him His His
She Her Her Hers
It It Its Its
We Us Our Ours
They Them Their Theirs
Who Whom Whose whose
Few case related examples to solve
• We scored as many goals as they/them.
• It was I/me that gave you the lead.
• He is taller than I/me.
• Between you and I/me, I do not believe him.
• This is the waiter who/whom I was speaking to earlier.
• Rahul likes Shalini more than I/me.
Sub-Verb Agreement
SN-SV
PN-PV
SPr-SV
PPr-PV [ number and person]
Indefinite pronouns-SV [ they are replaced by a singular masculine pronoun]
Collective nouns : Collective action : SN-SV-SPr
Split action : PN-PV-PPr
Conjunctions in S-V concord
S-V concord (SN-SV/PN-PV),(SPr-SV , PPr-PV)
N and N – PV (when the two nouns are joined by a coordinating conjunction the verb is always plural)
(except when the two nouns refer to the same person or convey the same idea)
N as well as N – SV (when two nouns are joined by a subordinating conjunction the number of the verb depends on the number of the first noun)
Neither N nor N – 4 possibilities :
SN-SN-SV
PN-PN-PV
SN-PN-PV
PN-SN-SV
Verbs : Tenses
Indicator of time Types : 2 : Simple/Secondary Simple : Present/Past/Future Secondary : Perfect/Continuous/Perfect-
Continuous Important : Simple Present / Past Perfect Auxiliaries Types : Primary and Modal Primary : tenses indicators Modals : important from conversation point of
view
AuxiliariesPrimary Auxiliaries Modal Auxiliaries
To be : am/is/are/were/was
May/might
Have : has/had Can/could
Do : does/did Will/would
Shall/should
Must
Ought to
Needs to
Modal Auxiliaries
Modal Basic Meaning Secondary Meaning
May Probability (AE) Permission
might Past probability Negativity
Shall Future tense (BE) Probability (BE)
Should Past of shall Past probability ,advice, if
Can Ability Authority
Could Past ability Request (informal)
Will Future tense (AE) surety
Would Past of will Request (formal)
Must/has to Compulsion
Ought to Obligation
Had better threat
Needs to necessity
Modifiers
Modifiers : adjectives and adverbsError of misplaced modifiersAdverbs : order : Manner/Place/TimeE.g.. She wrote neatly /She wrote a letter neatlyOrder of Adjectives : size, followed by general
description of personality or emotion, followed by age, shape, colour, origin, material and purpose in the same order.
Error of misplaced modifierse.g. Shekhar told me he wanted to marry me often.Error of dangling modifierse.g. While talking on the phone the door bell rang.
Parallelism
All phrases , clauses in a sentence should be in the same structure
All adjectives in the same degree
All verbs in the same form [unless there is a change in the time factor and hence the tense has to change]
All adverbs in the same form
Error of comparison
Use of the correct double conjunction [not only/but also]
Adj/Adv Contd…
Misused Adjectives (Substitution based questions)
Few/some
Much/many
Few/less
Less/lesser
some/not many
Some/any
Any<not many<some
The few<few<a few
The little<little< a little
Older/elder
Partly/partially
Rather/fairly
Gold/golden
Last/latest
Later/latter
Former/earlier
Hard/hardly
Quiet/quite