E should be the best choice..

Mark Twain was responsible for many striking, mostly cynical _________, such as "Always do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest." ______ can sometimes end up as _______, but rarely would someone use them as an ______.
A. epitaphs, Epitaphs, epigrams, epigraph.
B. epigraphs, Epigraphs, epitaphs, epigraph
C. epigrams, Epitaphs, epigrams, epigraph
D. epitaphs, Epitaphs, epigraphs, epigram
E. epigrams, Epigrams, epigraphs, epitaph

Neetujain1987 Says

But it is "She never baulked at embarrassing the government " means she always complied with governement and never embarass it.

jackoneill Says

Yes. I agree with Neetu Mam here. Baulk or Balk is a negative word and adding another negative word before this (never) makes the sentence a postive one. Hence she always complied with the govt.

She never baulked at embarrassing the government , unmindful of the fact that she belonged to the ruling party.
BAULK means to be unwilling to do something.So NOT/NEVER BAULKING means that one is willing to do something.

So the sentence means that she was always putting the government in embarrassing situations,thereby by showing that she is ignorant of the fact that she is embarrassing the same government that she is a part of.

Gates never failed to prove his immense stupidity in every situation.

Does the above sentence speak positively of Gates??:)

Neetujain1987 Says

But it is "She never baulked at embarrassing the government " means she always complied with governement and never embarass it.

Yes. I agree with Neetu Mam here. Baulk or Balk is a negative word and adding another negative word before this (never) makes the sentence a postive one. Hence she always complied with the govt.

Baulk at something means to be unwilling to do something.So the sentence means that- She always had this tendency to embarrass the government( and this reflected that she kind of ignored the fact that she belonged to the government itself!!!)

But it is "She never baulked at embarrassing the government " means she always complied with governement and never embarass it.

She never baulked at embarrassing the government , unmindful of the fact that she belonged to the ruling party.
Can anybody explain what this means? Baulked means disobey, not to comply
But here how it make any sense : not to comply with embarrasing the government & then unmindful of the act ?????????
Attacking popular culture, which is the underpinning of so much of our conventional wisdom, usually earns one of the sobriquet of puritan or crank

What does this sentence mean???

PS> is this appropriate thread to ask doubts?

Baulk at something means to be unwilling to do something.So the sentence means that- She always had this tendency to embarrass the government( and this reflected that she kind of ignored the fact that she belonged to the government itself!!!)

The second sentence basically means that a person who attacks popular culture(which forms a basis of the so called conventional wisdom) is regarded as either a puritan(a person with strict morality principles) or a mad person.

She never baulked at embarrassing the government , unmindful of the fact that she belonged to the ruling party.
Can anybody explain what this means? Baulked means disobey, not to comply
But here how it make any sense : not to comply with embarrasing the government & then unmindful of the act ?????????
Attacking popular culture, which is the underpinning of so much of our conventional wisdom, usually earns one of the sobriquet of puritan or crank

What does this sentence mean???

PS> is this appropriate thread to ask doubts?

Rule 34 :-

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 no explain that why he was late. (incorrect)
He could not explain why he was late. (Correct)

It 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.


Rule 35 :-
Because of/on account of/so that/in order that :
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 a reason use because of and to express a purpose use in order that or so that.
Men work so that they may earn living.
He missed his class because he overslept.

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)

Rule 32 :-
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. If he 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 )


Rule 33 :-

Prepositions are not required after such words as: attack, accompany, discuss, emphasize, fear, join, request, resist, pervade, precede, 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 )
One should not fear death. ( not from death )
You can request him. ( not request to )

Rule 29 :-
As long as/while/until : As long as and while are used to express the duration of an action, where as until is used to express the time before an action takes place.
As long as you remain in the office, you will get no rest.
Wait here until I come.
While I am sitting here, you can work on it.



Rule 30 :-
On/Over : On suggests contact with something; Over suggests at higher position without actual contact.
Keep this book on the table.
Place this cap on the table.
Keep the umbrella over your head.


Rule 31 :-
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 )

Rule 27 :-
Need/Needs : As a regular verb, need means require. In present tense, with third person singular, when followed by a negative, the final s is not added.
He need not worry. ( Negative not 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. (ie, does not have courage)
She dare not come to me. (ie, does not have courage to come to me)

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.
She dares to insult me.
It should, however, not be confused when used as a normal verb:
I dare, he dares, she dares, they dare, we dare, sunita dares.


Rule 28 :-
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 examples :
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.

Rule 24 :-
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. (Correct)
Rule 25:-
until/unless : Mistakes are generally committed in using these words. Until means time before and unless shows condition and means if not.
I cannot solve it unless you tell me its method.
Until she was informed officially, she had no idea about the plans.


Rule 26 :-
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.

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Rule 21 :-

The titles of books or magazines are considered singular and take singular verbs.
The Hindustan Times still has wide circulation.
'The two faces of Indira Gandhi' is a best seller.


Rule 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 his dues.
Nobody knows the trouble I have seen.
No one is entitled to have his debts cancelled.


Rule 23 :-
A relative pronoun (who, which, that) used as a subject takes a singular or plural verb to accord with its antecedent.
Measles is among the diseases that are curable.
This is the only one of the local papers that prints a weekly horoscope.

Rule 19 :-

The words each,every,either and neither, used as pronouns or as adjectives, are always singular and require singular verbs.
Each of them does have political ambitions.
Each employee is responsible for clearing his desk in the evening.
Neither of the boys is eligible for taking the examination.
Neither boy is eligible for selection.

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 problem.
Ten each of these books are required.


Rule 20 :-
All, any, more, most, some may be singular or plural depending on the meaning and take verbs accordingly.
Some of the books seem too old.
Some of the food is not good.
All the typing has been finished.
All the reports have been typed.
Most of the goods have been sold.
Most of the stock has been sold, but more of these shirts are due.

Rule 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.
These poultry are ready for sale.
There are twenty-six alphabets in English.
The cattle are grazing near the canal.


Rule 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.
Her hair has turned grey now.
The scenery of kasauli is beautiful.
Is there any information in this regard?
All the machinery is old.
I have sold all the furniture that was useless.
My luggage is lying at the bus stand.

Note:- A plural sense is often expressed by using some other suitable word before the above nouns. For example :-
He gave me many pieces of advice.
I have brought many items of furniture.
They have purchased many plots of land.

Rule 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 plural verb.
The number of board members is very small.
A number of board members were absent.
The number of orders still to be executed is estimated at nearly a hundred.
A number of our staff are going on leave.


Rule 16:-

In sentences containing the words one of, the verb is chosen as follows:
a) In simple form one of or one of the, a singular verb is used.
Eg:- One of the reasons for his demotion is his carelessness.
One of the pens is missing from my desk.

b) The sentences containing phrases one of those who or one of the things that, a plural verb is required.
Eg:- He is one of those managers who favour 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.
Mr Verma is one of our Officers who are accompanying me.
He is one of our employees who are always alert.

However, when only precedes one of/one of those, a singular verb is used.
Ramesh is the only one of our employees who is always alert.
Mr Verma is the only one of our officers who is accompanying me.

Rule 13 :-

When nouns expressing periods of time, amounts of money, or Quantities are considered as a single unit, singular verbs are used.
Ten rupees seems too much for the job.
Three months is too long a time to wait.
The number of board members is very small.
That Rs 1,00,000 was an inheritance from my father.
Yes, 5 metres is ample for a suit.


Rule 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.
Eg:- A part of the office is closed.
Two-thirds of the mailing list has been typed.
A majority of 3400 indicates his popularity in the Constituency.

b) Use a plural verb when a plural noun follows the of.
Eg:- Part of the walls are to be painted.
Two-thirds of our workers live in the suburbs.
The majority of our staff members live in villages.

Collective Nouns :- A collective noun is a word that represents a group of persons, animals or things, e.g. audience, committee, company, council, army,police, society, board, department, cabinet etc. The following rules govern the form of verb to be used with a collective now.

Rule 10 :-

When the group acts as a unit, the verb should be singular.
The committee has agreed to submit its report on friday.
The Board of directors meets once in a month.
The firm is one of the most reputed in the country.
The majority has made its decision.


Rule 11 :-

When the members of the group are thought of as acting separately,the verb should be plural.
The team 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.

Rule 12 :-

Company names may be either singular or plural, according to their meaning. The plural form emphasizes the individual personnel making up the company.
Mudra and corporation have retained the goodwill of their customers.
The oil Corporation is located at Nariman Point, Mumbai.

Rule 8 :-

A linking verb usually agrees with its subject, not with its complement.
Excessive absences were the reason for his failure.
The reason for his failure was excessive absences.


Rule 9 :-

Plural verbs are required for many nouns that have no singular form, such as proceeds,goods,ashes,remains,credentials,premises etc.
The proceedings of the magic show are to be given to the fund for soldiers' welfare.
The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.

Rule 6 :-

If the subject consists of two singular words connected by or, neither...nor, 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 Neetu has the swimming suit.
Either October or November is a good vacation month.
Neither the radio nor the television was in working order.


Rule 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.
News is travelling faster than ever before.
Physics has fascinated my hostel mate for months.

Some nouns ending in -ics ( Such as athletics, statistics and politics ) are considered singular, when referring to an organised body of knowledge and plural when referring to individual facts, qualities or activities.
Athletics provide good recreation. (ie., Various games )
Athletics is required of every student. (ie., Participation in games )

Rule 4 :-

Words like with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in addition to, etc. do not affect the number of verb. If the subject is singular, a singular verb is required; if plural, a plural verb.
The television, along with the cabinet, is sold.
Mrs. Paul, with her son and daughter, is going to the theater.
Our chief competitor, as well as ourselves, is obliged to increase prices.
The decoration of the room, including the carpets and furniture, is most pleasing.


Rule 5 :-

If the subject is made up of both singular and plural words connected by or, nor, neither...nor, either...or, not only...but also, the verb agrees with the nearer part of the subject.
Neither the quality nor the prices have changed.
Neither the prices nor the quality has changed.
Not only the headmaster but also the teachers are in favor of the expansion of the school.
Not only the teachers but also the headmaster is in favor of the expansion of the school.
Neither the salesmen nor the buyer is in favor of the system.
Neither the buyer nor the salesmen are in favor of the system.

Rule 2 :-

Ensure the verb agrees with the true subject and not with an intervening plural object of a preposition or any other intervening plural.
The box of Nestle's chocolates is missing.
(Here the true subject is box and not Nestle's chocolates. Chocolates is the object of preposition of)
His experience as teacher to boys and girls gives him understanding.
The prices of the new model vary from town to town.


Rule 3 :-

Subjects joined by and are usually plural and take plural verbs.
His typewriter and my audio were stolen.
Sony and Sanjay are going to Chennai today.

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.
Each man and boy is expected to meet his obligation.
Every shirt, tie and coat is marked for reduction sale.

Agreement Problems ( Subject and Verb )
Rule 1 :-

Make a verb agree in number with its subject; make a pronoun agree in number with its antecedent.
The list of spare parts was long. (Singular)
The lists of spare parts were long. (Plural)

Singular Subjects take Singular verbs (list-->was), and plural subjects take plural verbs(lists-->were).
Even an animal has its own territory. (Singular)
Even animals have their own territory. (Plural)

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.
Eg:- You were very helpful during my exams.
Note:- 's' added to a noun indicates the plural form but 's' added to a verb indicates the third person singular.
She favours the move.
They favour the expansion of the school.

80 Important Rules for Sentence Correction from next post

Inseparable phrasal verbs

Use:
Phrasal verbs consist of a verb and one or more prepositions. They are often used, especially in informal spoken English. The meaning of phrasal verbs is often completely different from the meaning of the verb alone.

Form:
1) Some phrasal verbs never use an object.
get up = get out of bed
I get up at seven oclock every morning.
take off = leave the ground
The plane took off on time.
look out = beware! be careful!
Look out! That car is going to hit you!
get on = be good friends
My dad and my brother dont get on.
break down = stop working (for vehicles)
Our car broke down on the way home from Scotland.
make up = become friends again after an argument
The kids often fight but they always make up afterwards.

2) Some phrasal verbs need an object.
get on / off something = exit transport
Get off the bus at the next stop.
look after someone / something = take care of someone / something
Please can you look after our cats while were on holiday?
see to something = do, arrange, prepare, organise
Dont worry about dinner. Ill see to it.
look into something = investigate
There has been a burglary at the school. Police are looking into it.
get to = arrive at
When you get to the end of the street, turn right.

3) Some phrasal verbs contain three words and an object.
look up to someone = respect someone
I look up to my teachers.
look forward to something = be excited about (a future event)
Im looking forward to the party.
get on with someone = be good friends with someone
I dont get on with Karen.
get on with something = continue doing something
Please be quiet and get on with your work.
put up with something = tolerate
I cant put up with that noise any longer!

just Subscribing

Great thread...
Thanks a lot to regular contributors...
Someone please give some tips on "I or ME,We or Us; He/She or Him/Her,They or Them"...

Hey HydRocker.., i am following your different threads in both QA as well as VA section and i really appreciate your patience towards sharing these important topics.
keep rocking fella....

Mixed Conditionals :-
Past --> Present
If i had taken an aspirin, I wouldn't have a headache now.

Past --> Future
If I had known that you are going to come by tomorrow, I would be in then.

Present --> Past
If she had enough money, she could have done this trip to Hawaii.

Present --> Future
If i were you, I would be spending my vacation in Seattle.

Future --> Past
If I weren't flying to Detroit, I would have planned a trip to Switzerland.

Future --> Present
If I were taking this exam next week, I would be high-strung.

Conditional Sentences - Special Types and Structures :-

If-clauses can be,
a) Clause - initial
b) Clause - medial
c) Clause - final

Examples :-
a) If you like, we can catch a movie.
b) We, if you like, can catch a movie.
c) We can catch a movie, if you like.

Types :-
Aside from the typical I,II,III structure , conditionals can be divided in to real and unreal conditionals.

Real Condition :-

-> If i have money, I spend it.
-> If i had money, I spent it.
-> If i have money, I will/am going to spend it.

Unreal Condition :-

-> If i had had money, I would have spent it.
-> If i had money, I would spend it.
-> If i had money, I would spend it.

Modal Verbs :-
Main Clauses with real conditional tenses can have modal verbs.
Eg:- If i have money, I can spend it.

You can use could and might instead of would in unreal conditional clauses.
Eg:- If i had money, I could spend it. ( I would be able to spend it )
If i had money, I might spend it. ( I would possibly spend it )

Conditional Sentences in English ( If Clause, Main Clause ) :-
Conditional sentences :-
The conditional sentences are sometimes confusing for learners of English.

Watch out:

1) Which type of the conditional sentences is used?

2) Where is the if-clause (e.g. at the beginning or at the end of the conditional sentence)?

There are three types of If- Clauses.

I) Condition possible to fulfill
II) Condition in theory possible to fulfill
III) Condition not possible to fulfill (too late)

Form :-
Type ---- If clause ---- main Clause

I) Simple Present ---- Will - Future ( or Modal + infinitive )
II) Simple Past ---- Would + infinitive
III) Past Perfect ---- Would + have + Past Participle

Examples :- ( if-clause at the beginning )
I) If I study, I will pass the Exam.
II) If I studied, I would pass the Exam.
III) If I had studied, I would have passed the Exam.

Examples :- ( if-clause at the end )
I) I will pass the exam, if i study.
II) I would pass the exam, if i Studied.
III) I would have passed the exam, if i had studied.

* We can substitute Could or Might for Would ( Should, may or must are sometimes possible too )

Thaks a lot sir for this wonderful thread.

SUBJECT Vs OBJECT

In the simplest terms,SUBJECT is the performer or doer of a certain action while OBJECT is something/someone on which the verb is acting upon.We can say that SUBJECT is the doer of the action and OBJECT is the noun that is receiving the action in the sentence.The two types of OBJECT cases we need to remember are-

1)Direct Object- This type of object is the answer to the question WHAT?

I drove the car.[ Here,The question "I drove WHAT?" is answered by CAR.So it is a direct object.

2)Indirect Object- This type answers the questions TO WHOM?/FOR WHOM?

I gave him a punch.:) [ Here,HIM is the indirect object and punch is the direct object.]

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SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT :-

11. Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning. (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more, most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular and require singular verbs. The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: "More than one student has tried this."

* Some of the voters are still angry.
* A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
* Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
* Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
* Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
* Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
* Two and two is four.
* Four times four divided by two is eight.


12. If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one is plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject.

* The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on Valentine's Day.
* It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
* It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT :-

7. Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular subjects (he, she, it and anything those words can stand for) have s-endings. Other verbs do not add s-endings.

He loves and she loves and they love_ and . . . .


8. Sometimes modifiers will get betwen a subject and its verb, but these modifiers must not confuse the agreement between the subject and its verb.

The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives, is finally going to jail.


9. Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking they're plural when they're really singular and vice-versa. Consult the section on the Plural Forms of Nouns and the section on Collective Nouns for additional help. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are regarded as plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

* My glasses were on the bed.
* My pants were torn.
* A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.


10. Some words end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular and require singular verbs.

* The news from the front is bad.
* Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.
On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless plural and require a plural verb.

* My assets were wiped out in the depression.
* The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
* Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.
The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been looking , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent . See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT :-

4. The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

* Neither of the two traffic lights is working.
* Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
* Either is fine with me.
In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is particularly true of interrogative constructions: "Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?" Burchfield calls this "a clash between notional and actual agreement."

5.The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is used the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the proximity determines the number.

* Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
* Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
* Are either my brothers or my father responsible?
* Is either my father or my brothers responsible?
Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house" sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to the verb whenever that is possible.

6. The words there and here are never subjects.
* There are two reasons for this.
* There is no reason for this.
* Here are two apples.
With these constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the verb but still determines the number of the verb.

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT :-

2. Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome Everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like more than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural verb with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb.

* Everyone has finished his or her homework.
* You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and nothing will change that.

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.
Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always singular Each is responsible.


3. Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).

* The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
* The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

Subject-Verb Agreement ( Important Topic ) :-

Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs. My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.

1. The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

* Everyone has done his or her homework.
* Somebody has left her purse.
* Some indefinite pronouns such as all, some are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns.

* Some of the beads are missing.
* Some of the water is gone.

On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb unless something else in the sentence determines its number. (Writers generally think of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the engines are working," but when something else makes us regard none as meaning not one, we want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh.")

* None of you claims responsibility for this incident?
* None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
* None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the word their precludes the use of the singular verb.

a link on which u can take a look
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/sv_agr.htm

A lovely thread that I have been avoiding till now:banghead:

One rule from my side-

WHICH vs THAT
Both of the words introduce clauses.The difference lies in what type of clauses they introduce respectively.What is a clause???A clause is something which has a subject and a predicate.A Subject??A subject is something about which a sentence talks of.A predicate is something which consists of a verb and its constituents that talk about the subject.

Sehwag went home.

In the above sentence,Sehwag is the subject and went home is the predicate.

So back to the start.

THAT introduces a essential clause whereas WHICH introduces a non-essential clause.
Essential clauses do not have commas associated with them while nonessential clauses are associated with commas.This is a good way to remember the difference.We use THAT where a comma is not used and we use WHICH when comma(s) are used.

Some examples-

1)The guitar that was used by Jimi Hendrix is up for sale.

As no comma is used,THAT is the correct usage.Here,we are talking about the particular guitar used by Jimi.So it is an essential clause and hence,THAT is used.



The guitar of Jimi Hendrix,which is a Fender,is up for sale.

Comma is there,so we use WHICH.Here,the clause 'which is a Fender' is non-essential as without it provides an information which is not compulsory.Hence WHICH is used.

Finally,an example combining the two-

The bat that was in lying in my garage, which I purchased two years ago, was stolen.


Kindly analyze the above sentence carefully.

Happy reading!!!!

Rules Related to the Correct use of NOUNS :-

6) Some nouns have the same form for the plural as well as for the singular. The following are some nouns that belong to this category.
Sheep,Species, Deer, Aircraft, OffSpring, Yoke, Space Craft, Salmon etc.

7) Some nouns are used in the singular only. The following are some nouns that belong to this category.
Advice, Corn, Grain, Justice, Clothing, Information, Poetry, Scenery, Machinery, Hair etc.

Some nouns are apparently plural in form but are singular in use.
News, Economics, Physics, Measles, Mumps, Ethics.
Note :- Summons is singular and summonses is plural.

9)When a plural noun denotes a specific amount, length, weight, quantity etc. considered as a whole, the verb must be in the singular form.
Eg:- Ten Thousand rupees is a large amount.
Six Kilometers is not a long distance for a runner like you.

10) Inanimate Objects (Lifeless Objects) which are remarkable for beauty, gentleness, Gracefulness, tenderness, weakness and so on, are treated as feminine gender.
Eg:- the moon, the earth, the Spring, Virtue, Peace, charity,fame, nature, Hope,truth,victory, defeat, Modesty, liberty etc.

One more point :-
Summon is a verb. Summons is a noun.

A combination of verb and preposition is called a phrasal verb. The word that is joined to the verb is then called a particle. Please refer to the brief section we have prepared on phrasal verbs for an explanation.

Idiomatic Expressions with Prepositions

-->agree to a proposal, with a person, on a price, in principle
-->argue about a matter, with a person, for or against a proposition
-->compare to to show likenesses, with to show differences (sometimes similarities)
-->correspond to a thing, with a person
-->differ from an unlike thing, with a person
-->live at an address, in a house or city, on a street, with other people

Unnecessary Prepositions

In everyday speech, we fall into some bad habits, using prepositions where they are not necessary. It would be a good idea to eliminate these words altogether, but we must be especially careful not to use them in formal, academic prose.
The words in the braces should not be used.

She met ((up with)) the new coach in the hallway.
The book fell off ((of)) the desk.
He threw the book out ((of)) the window.
She wouldn't let the cat inside ((of)) the house.
Where did they go ((to))?
Put the lamp in back of the couch.
Where is your college ((at))?

Prepositions in Parallel Form

When two words or phrases are used in parallel and require the same preposition to be idiomatically correct, the preposition does not have to be used twice.
The words in the braces should not be used.
You can wear that outfit in summer and ((in)) winter.
The female was both attracted ((by)) and distracted by the male's dance.

However, when the idiomatic use of phrases calls for different prepositions, we must be careful not to omit one of them.
The children were interested in and disgusted by the movie.
It was clear that this player could both contribute to and learn from every game he played.
He was fascinated by and enamored of this beguiling woman.

Prepositions of Movement: to
and No Preposition
We use to in order to express movement toward a place.
They were driving to work together.
She's going to the dentist's office this morning.

Toward and towards are also helpful prepositions to express movement. These are simply variant spellings of the same word; use whichever sounds better to you.
We're moving toward the light.
This is a big step towards the project's completion.

With the words home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs, we use no preposition.
Grandma went upstairs
Grandpa went home.
They both went outside.

Prepositions of Time: for and since
We use for when we measure time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years).
He held his breath for seven minutes.
She's lived there for seven years.
The British and Irish have been quarreling for seven centuries.

We use since with a specific date or time.
He's worked here since 1970.
She's been sitting in the waiting room since two-thirty.

PREPOSITIONS :-

A preposition describes a relationship between other words in a sentence. In itself, a word like "in" or "after" is rather meaningless and hard to define in mere words. For instance, when you do try to define a preposition like "in" or "between" or "on," you invariably use your hands to show how something is situated in relationship to something else. Prepositions are nearly always combined with other words in structures called prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases can be made up of a million different words, but they tend to be built the same: a preposition followed by a determiner and an adjective or two, followed by a pronoun or noun (called the object of the preposition). This whole phrase, in turn, takes on a modifying role, acting as an adjective or an adverb, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or under what conditions something happened.

Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in
We use at to designate specific times.
The train is due at 12:15 p.m.

We use on to designate days and dates.
My brother is coming on Monday.
We're having a party on the Fourth of July.

We use in for nonspecific times during a day, a month, a season, or a year.
She likes to jog in the morning.
It's too cold in winter to run outside.
He started the job in 1971.
He's going to quit in August.

He's going to quit in August.

Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in
We use at for specific addresses.
Grammar English lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham.

We use on to designate names of streets, avenues, etc.
Her house is on Boretz Road.

And we use in for the names of land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents).
She lives in Durham.
Durham is in Windham County.
Windham County is in Connecticut.

Glossary of English Grammar Terms

Active Voice
In the active voice, the subject of the verb does the action (eg They killed the President). See also Passive Voice.
Adjective
A word like big, red, easy, French etc. An adjective describes a noun or pronoun.
Adverb
A word like slowly, quietly, well, often etc. An adverb modifies a verb.
Article
The "indefinite" articles are a and an. The "definite article" is the.
Auxiliary Verb
A verb that is used with a main verb. Be, do and have are auxiliary verbs. Can, may, must etc are modal auxiliary verbs.
Clause
A group of words containing a subject and its verb (for example: It was late when he arrived).
Conjunction
A word used to connect words, phrases and clauses (for example: and, but, if).
Infinitive
The basic form of a verb as in to work or work.
Interjection
An exclamation inserted into an utterance without grammatical connection (for example: oh!, ah!, ouch!, well!).
Modal Verb
An auxiliary verb like can, may, must etc that modifies the main verb and expresses possibility, probability etc. It is also called "modal auxiliary verb".
Noun
A word like table, dog, teacher, America etc. A noun is the name of an object, concept, person or place. A "concrete noun" is something you can see or touch like a person or car. An "abstract noun" is something that you cannot see or touch like a decision or happiness. A "countable noun" is something that you can count (for example: bottle, song, dollar). An "uncountable noun" is something that you cannot count (for example: water, music, money).
Object
In the active voice, a noun or its equivalent that receives the action of the verb. In the passive voice, a noun or its equivalent that does the action of the verb.
Participle
The -ing and -ed forms of verbs. The -ing form is called the "present participle". The -ed form is called the "past participle" (for irregular verbs, this is column 3).
Part Of Speech
One of the eight classes of word in English - noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
Passive Voice
In the passive voice, the subject receives the action of the verb (eg The President was killed). See also Active Voice.
Phrase
A group of words not containing a subject and its verb (eg on the table, the girl in a red dress).
Predicate
Each sentence contains (or implies) two parts: a subject and a predicate. The predicate is what is said about the subject.
Preposition
A word like at, to, in, over etc. Prepositions usually come before a noun and give information about things like time, place and direction.
Pronoun
A word like I, me, you, he, him, it etc. A pronoun replaces a noun.
Sentence
A group of words that express a thought. A sentence conveys a statement, question, exclamation or command. A sentence contains or implies a subject and a predicate. In simple terms, a sentence must contain a verb and (usually) a subject. A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!).
Subject
Every sentence contains (or implies) two parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is the main noun (or equivalent) in a sentence about which something is said.
Tense
The form of a verb that shows us when the action or state happens (past, present or future). Note that the name of a tense is not always a guide to when the action happens. The "present continuous tense", for example, can be used to talk about the present or the future.
Verb
A word like (to) work, (to) love, (to) begin. A verb describes an action or state.

Some Rules of GRAMMAR :-


1. Two actions both in past
This is an important type of question that appears in entrance exams. If there are two actions that both occurred in the past, then which tense should you use for both? The answer is that for the one that occurred earlier, the past perfect tense should be used.

For Example:
-- 'I reached there before he came' is wrong. Why? Because for the earlier action (your reaching there), the past perfect tense needs to be used. The correct sentence is therefore 'I had reached there before he came'.
-- 'The movie had started before I reached'
-- The game had commenced before I switched on the TV

2. Plural form for wishes/ desires
Another important type of question/ rule of grammar from the test perspective is, while expressing wishes or desires, use the plural form.
Examples:
--'I wish I were a king'
--'I wish I were a bird'
--'He acted as if he were a king'
--'He behaves as though he were my boss'
--If he were here... (not 'if he was here')

3. Phrases that go together
There are certain phrases that always go together. These cannot be used in any other form. Some such phrases are:
--'Else' is always followed by 'but'
--'No sooner' is always followed by 'than'
--'Too' is always used with 'to'
--'Hardly/ Scarcely' must be followed by 'when'
--'The same' is always followed by 'That'
--'Although' is always followed by 'yet'
--'I' is followed by 'he' (not 'him')
--'You' can be followed by 'him' and 'me'
Examples:
--It is nothing else but fraud
--No sooner had he come than I met him (not 'no sooner had he come when I met him')
--He was too big to fit through the hole (you cannot just say 'he is too big' or 'too good')
--Hardly had he come when I met him
--This is the same person that came yesterday (not 'who came yesterday)
--Although he was aging, yet he was a good fielder
--Besides you and me, they are also coming (not 'besides you and I)
--Along with you and me, they are also coming (not along with you and I)
--I agree to you and him (not 'you' and 'he')

Hi hydrocker,
Thanks for this thread..
really helping me out right from the basics...
thanks again...

First of all :clap::clap::clap: for Hydrocker
Here is an useful article on subjunctives

Subjunctive

6) FAR BE IT FOR ME/FAR BE IT FROM ME
The mangled expression "far be it for me" is probably influenced by a
similar saying: "it's not for me to say." The standard expression is
"far be it from me" (may this possibility be far away from me).

7) FAZE/PHASE
"Faze" means to embarrass or disturb, but is almost always used in the
negative sense, as in "the fact that the overhead projector bulb was
burned out didn't faze her." "Phase" is a noun or verb having to do with
an aspect of something. "He's just going through a temperamental phase."
"They're going to phase in the new accounting procedures gradually."

FIANCE/FIANCEE
Your fiance is the man you plan to marry; your fiancee is the woman you
plan to marry.

9) FEELINGS FOR/FEELINGS ABOUT
When someone says "I'm developing feelings for you," the message is "I'm
falling in love with you." Feelings for are always positive feelings. In
contrast, feelings about something or someone can be either positive or
negative: "I've got a bad feeling about this."

10) FEARFUL/FEARSOME
To be "fearful" is to be afraid. To be "fearsome" is to cause fear in
others. Remember that someone who is fierce is fearsome rather than
fearful.

Few Common Mistakes :-

1) EXPATRIOT/EXPATRIATE
An expatriot would be somebody who used to be a patriot; but that's not
how people use the term. Instead, it is a common misspelling of
"expatriate," meaning someone who chooses to live abroad.

2) EXPRESSES THAT/SAYS THAT
"In her letter Jane expresses that she is getting irritated with me for
not writing" should be corrected to "In her letter Jane says that. . . "
You can express an idea or a thought, but you can't ever express that.
In technical terms, "express" is a transitive verb and requires an
object.

3) EXTEND/EXTENT
People often write "to a great extend" or "to a lesser extend." "Extend"
is a verb only, and should not be used as a noun. It's "to a great
extent," and "to a lesser extent."

4) IN THE FACT THAT/BY THE FACT THAT
The correct phrase is "by the fact that," not "in the fact that." While
we're at it, "infact" is not a word; "in fact" is always a twoword
phrase.

5) Interesting point :-
The "oid" ending in English is normally added to a word to indicate
that an item is not the real thing. A humanoid is not quite human.

Usual vs Is Usual

When something is compared to itself, usual is fine.
When something is compared to a subgroup to which it belongs, is usual should be used.

For example:

1. He is nicer than usual

2. He is faster than is usual for any human being.

3. Ram is faster than usual today.

4. Emails are often written in a much formal way than is usual in writing.

5. The sun looks less brightly than usual to-day.

6. The new sports car is heavier than is usual for a performance automobile, but it is exceptional because of its high-powered engine .

7. Successful completion of Grammar course is not easy and requires more planning and preparation than is usual for normal course completion .

8. There was a higher ratio of comedy to drama than is usual in a one hour show.

9. I checked this article more carefully than usual for grammatical errors.

10. The gravel was damper than usual, since it rained heavily yesterday.

11. Today I was busier than usual at work.

Now let us first begin with a sentence.(Sentence is a group of words which make sense.)

1) She is a beautiful girl.
In this sentence beautiful is an adjective,

Now see this sentence.

2) She is a girl of great beauty.
In this sentence of great beauty is an adjective phrase.(Phrase is a group of words depicting one meaning).

Let us see this sentence.

3) She is a girl who is beautiful.
In this sentence who is beautiful is a Clause. (A Clause is a group of words with a subject and a predicate.)

Look at the 3rd sentence carefully. She is a girl can stand alone but who is beautiful cannot stand alone. It needs the support of the first part of the sentence.

Now we shall divide this sentence into 2 parts. She is a girl /who is beautiful. The second part of the sentence needs the support of the first part.

The result is;

She is a girlMain Clause

Who is beautifulSubordinate Clause.

Now this subordinate clause says something more about the noun girl in the Main Clause.
A word that says something more about a noun is an Adjective and so a clause that says something more is known as an Adjective Clause.

Some more examples of sentences with this Clause;
a) The man who is fat is my grandfather.
b) Raja likes movies that are directed by Manirathnam.
c) The stone which shines the most is the diamond.

I hope you have tried to understand the concept of the Clause Analysis.

Hi HydRocker,
For the past few days I am following thid thread and it's really helping me out in clearing my basics.
U are doing a wonderful job and hope u continue doing the same.
It would be of great help if you post some more info about prepositions,as I find it really tough hadling them.

Thanking in advance.
Che10.

Disinterested or Uninterested?
Disinterested means "impartial" or "not taking sides." (In other words, not having a personal interest at stake.)

Uninterested means "not interested." (In other words, not showing any interest.)

Correct: A good referee should be disinterested.
(He does not take sides.)

Incorrect: He was disinterested in Jill's hobby.

Correct: He was uninterested in Jill's hobby.
(He shows no interest.)

Supposed To and Used To :-

The common expressions supposed to meaning "meant to" or "intended to" and used to meaning "formerly" are frequently misspelled or misunderstood.

Both expression are normally in the Passive Voice. This means that the verb is the past participle so it ends with an -ed. Writers sometimes drop the final d because of the t sound which follows it.

Incorrect: We are suppose to meet at seven.

Correct: We are supposed to meet at seven.

Incorrect: I use to read every Hardy Boys book I could find.

Correct: I used to read every Hardy Boys book I could find.

Disinterested or Uninterested?
Disinterested means "impartial" or "not taking sides." (In other words, not having a personal interest at stake.)

Uninterested means "not interested." (In other words, not showing any interest.)

Correct: A good referee should be disinterested.
(He does not take sides.)

Incorrect: He was disinterested in Jill's hobby.

Correct: He was uninterested in Jill's hobby.
(He shows no interest.)

Supposed To and Used To :-

The common expressions supposed to meaning "meant to" or "intended to" and used to meaning "formerly" are frequently misspelled or misunderstood.

Both expression are normally in the Passive Voice. This means that the verb is the past participle so it ends with an -ed. Writers sometimes drop the final d because of the t sound which follows it.

Incorrect: We are suppose to meet at seven.

Correct: We are supposed to meet at seven.

Incorrect: I use to read every Hardy Boys book I could find.

Correct: I used to read every Hardy Boys book I could find.

Who and Whom :-

Who and whom correspond to he and him. Who is the subject or predicate nominative. Whom is the object.

Correct: Who are you? (Subject)
Correct: Whom do you see? (Direct object)

Correct: Whom did you give it to?
(Object of preposition to)

Correct: Who did that? (Subject)

It may help you to recall that who follows the same pattern as he and they. When all three are in the objective case, they end with m: whom, him, them.

This same pattern applies when you add the suffix -ever or -soever:

Correct: Whoever dies with the most toys wins. (Subject)
Correct: He gave that ticket to whoever asked for one. (Subject of asked)

Correct: Pick whomever I tell you to. (Direct object)

Whose or Who's?

Whose is the possessive form of who (or, occasionally, which). It means "belonging to whom or which."

Who's is a contraction of who is or who has. Notice the apostrophe replacing the missing letters.

Incorrect: Who's department do you work for?

Correct: Whose department do you work for?

Correct: Who's coming to visit tomorrow?

Using That, Which, and Who as Relative Pronouns :-

That, which, and who when used as relative pronouns each has a distinct function.

In modern speech, which refers only to things. Who (or its forms whom and whose) refers only to people. That normally refers to things but it may refer to a class or type of person.

Examples: That is a book which I need for the class.

These are the books that I need for the class.

He is the man who will be teaching the class.

They are the type of people who would lie to their mothers.

They are the type of people that would lie to their mothers.
(That is OK here because it is a class or type.)

Gone or Went?
Gone is the past participle of to go. Used as the verb of a sentence, it must always be preceded by an auxiliary verb such as has, have, had, is, am, are, was, were, be, or one of their contractions.

Went is the past tense of to go. It never takes an auxiliary verb.

Incorrect: They gone to the movies.
(Gone needs an auxiliary verb.)

Correct: They have gone to the movies.

Correct: They are gone to the movies.

Correct: They went to the movies.

Incorrect: You could have went with them.
(Went takes no auxiliary verb.)

Correct: You could have gone with them.