Revision: Error-Pattern Capsules

What to remember

• Most grammar mistakes in teacher-level tests come from a small set of patterns: agreement, tense, article, preposition, pronoun and word choice.
• For each pattern, learn the rule and one model sentence. Then spot the same pattern in new sentences.
• A teacher also needs to know how to correct pupils' errors kindly and usefully.

Capsule 1: Subject-verb agreement

Capsule 2: Tenses

• Use the simple present for habits and facts: The sun rises in the east.
• Use the present perfect for a past action with a link to now. Do not use it with a finished-time word. Wrong: "I have seen him yesterday." Right: "I saw him yesterday."
• Use since with a point of time and for with a period of time: since Monday, for two days.
• "Hardly/scarcely ... when" and "No sooner ... than": No sooner had he come than it rained. Hardly had he come when it rained.
• After "if", do not use "will" in the same clause: If it rains, we will stay home.
• After "wish", use the past form: I wish I knew the answer.
• Do not use the continuous form with state verbs such as know, like, want, believe. Wrong: "I am knowing him."
• Conditionals: zero (If you heat ice, it melts), first (If it rains, I will stay), second (If I were rich, I would travel), third (If I had known, I would have come).
• Sequence of tenses: in reported speech the tense usually moves one step back: "I am tired," he said becomes He said that he was tired.

Capsule 3: Articles

• Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound: a university (starts with /j/), an hour (silent h), an honest man.
• Use the for something already mentioned or unique: the sun, the Ganga, the Himalayas.
• Do not use an article before names of languages, meals, games and most abstract nouns: She speaks Telugu. We play cricket.
• Use "the" before an adjective that stands for a group: the poor, the rich.
• Wrong: "He is an European." Right: "He is a European."

Capsule 4: Prepositions

Time: at a point (at 5 o'clock), on a day or date (on Monday), in a month or year (in June). Between two, among more than two.

Capsule 5: Pronouns

• After prepositions use the object form: Between you and me (not "between you and I").
• Use "I" last in a list: My friend and I went.
• "Who" is for the subject and "whom" for the object: Whom did you meet?
• Use "one ... one's" or "he ... his" consistently; do not mix.
• Each other for two persons, one another for more than two (in strict use).
• Reflexive pronouns are never used alone as subject: Wrong "Myself Ravi." Right "I am Ravi."

Capsule 6: Adjectives, adverbs and comparison

• Do not use double comparatives. Wrong: "more better", "most cleverest". Right: "better", "cleverest".
• Use than with the comparative and to with these Latin comparatives: superior to, inferior to, senior to, junior to, prefer to.
• Less is for uncountable nouns (less water). Fewer is for countable nouns (fewer books).
• Much goes with uncountable nouns and many with countable ones.
• Elder/eldest are used for family members; older/oldest for any person or thing.
• Farther shows distance; further means more or additional.
• Late/later/latest is about time; latter/last is about order.
• Use "very" with adjectives (very good) and "too" for a negative sense: too hot to drink.
• Adverb position: "only" goes just before the word it limits.

Capsule 7: Uncountable nouns

These words are not used in plural form and do not take "a/an": advice, information, furniture, luggage, news, equipment, knowledge, scenery, homework, bread. Wrong: "informations", "a furniture". Right: "a piece of furniture", "some advice".

Words with unusual plurals: data, media, criteria, phenomena, alumni, formulae, children, men, teeth, mice. A criterion is singular, criteria is plural.

Capsule 8: Voice and speech

• Passive: Be + past participle. The work was done by him. Only transitive verbs have a passive.
• Reported questions use statement order: She asked me where I lived (not "where did I live").
• "Say" is followed by "to" and "tell" by a direct person: He said to me / He told me.
• Say "I suggest that he go," not "I suggest him to go".

Capsule 9: Word-choice confusions

Classroom angle: handling errors

A mistake is a slip that the learner can self-correct. An error shows a gap in learning. Teachers should note common errors and revise the rule. Methods include a recast (the teacher repeats the sentence correctly), prompts and peer correction. Correct fluency work later and accuracy work at once. Praise correct use. Avoid shaming a pupil. Many errors in Telugu-medium classes arise from mother-tongue influence, such as dropping articles or using the wrong preposition.

Exam traps

• 1. "One of my friends is" is singular, not "are".
• 2. "Neither ... nor" agrees with the nearer subject.
• 3. "Hardly ... when" and "No sooner ... than" are not interchangeable.
• 4. "Discuss about", "return back" and "comprises of" are all wrong.
• 5. "Less" is for uncountable nouns and "fewer" for countable nouns.
• 6. "Furniture", "advice", "luggage" and "news" have no plural.
• 7. "Between you and me" uses the object pronoun.
• 8. "Elder" is only for family comparison.

One-liners

• 1. "Each" takes a singular verb.
• 2. Use "since" for a point of time and "for" for a period.
• 3. "An hour" uses "an" because the h is silent.
• 4. "A university" uses "a" because it begins with /j/.
• 5. Prefer A to B, never "prefer A than B".
• 6. Congratulate someone on success.
• 7. "Information" is uncountable.
• 8. "Criteria" is the plural of "criterion".
• 9. "The number of" takes a singular verb.
• 10. The past of "lie" (rest) is "lay".
• 11. Use "among" for more than two.
• 12. "Stationery" means writing materials.

Practice questions

1. Choose the correct sentence.

   1. One of my friend are ill.
   2. One of my friends are ill.
   3. One of my friend is ill.
   4. One of my friends is ill.
   Answer

   D. One of my friends is ill.

   'One of the' plus a plural noun takes a singular verb.

2. Fill in the blank: Neither the boys nor the teacher ___ late.

   1. are
   2. were
   3. have been
   4. was
   Answer

   D. was

   The verb agrees with the nearer subject, 'teacher'.

3. Fill in the blank: The number of pupils in the class ___ small.

   1. are
   2. is
   3. were
   4. have been
   Answer

   B. is

   'The number of' takes a singular verb.

4. Fill in the blank: A number of pupils ___ absent today.

   1. was
   2. are
   3. has been
   4. is
   Answer

   B. are

   'A number of' means several, so the verb is plural.

5. Fill in the blank: The news ___ good.

   1. are
   2. have
   3. were
   4. is
   Answer

   D. is

   'News' is singular in form and meaning.

6. Fill in the blank: Many a student ___ failed in that test.

   1. are
   2. were
   3. have
   4. has
   Answer

   D. has

   'Many a' takes a singular verb.

7. Fill in the blank: She has been ill ___ Monday.

   1. during
   2. since
   3. for
   4. from
   Answer

   B. since

   'Since' goes with a point of time.

8. Fill in the blank: She has been ill ___ three days.

   1. since
   2. by
   3. for
   4. from
   Answer

   C. for

   'For' goes with a period of time.

9. Fill in the blank: I wish I ___ the answer.

   1. will know
   2. have known
   3. know
   4. knew
   Answer

   D. knew

   'Wish' for a present unreal situation takes the past form.

10. The word that means 'writing materials' such as pens and paper is

    1. stationer
    2. stationery
    3. stationary
    4. stationing
    Answer

    B. stationery

    Stationary means not moving.

11. Choose the correct word: The film had a great ___ on the audience.

    1. affect
    2. affecting
    3. effect
    4. affected
    Answer

    C. effect

    'Effect' is the noun meaning result.

12. Choose the correct word: The school ___ welcomed the guests.

    1. principled
    2. principally
    3. principle
    4. principal
    Answer

    D. principal

    'Principal' means the head of a school.

13. Choose the correct word: He ___ the book on the table.

    1. lay
    2. lain
    3. laid
    4. lied
    Answer

    C. laid

    'Lay' (laid, laid) takes an object: he laid the book.

14. The plural of 'criterion' is

    1. criterias
    2. criteria
    3. criterium
    4. criterions
    Answer

    B. criteria

    'Criteria' is the plural of criterion.

15. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Discuss about' is an incorrect usage. 2. 'Return back' is an incorrect usage.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both contain redundant or wrong words.

16. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Furniture' is an uncountable noun. 2. 'Informations' is the correct plural of information.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Information has no plural form.

17. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Less' is used with uncountable nouns. 2. 'Fewer' is used with uncountable nouns.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Fewer goes with countable nouns.

18. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Elder' is used for comparing members of a family. 2. 'Farther' is used for extra or additional.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    'Further' means additional; 'farther' shows distance.

19. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. A mistake can be self-corrected by the learner. 2. An error shows a gap in the learner's knowledge.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both definitions are standard.

20. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Between' is used for two persons or things. 2. 'Among' is used for more than two.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

21. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Hardly' is followed by 'than'. 2. 'No sooner' is followed by 'when'.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Hardly takes 'when'; no sooner takes 'than'.

22. Which of the statements is/are correct? 1. 'Prefer' is followed by 'to' when comparing two things. 2. 'Superior' is followed by 'than'.

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    'Superior to' is correct; 'than' is wrong.