Tips & Techniques in English For competitive Exams – Grammar – Verb & Adverb

Tips & Techniques in English For competitive Exams – Grammar – Verb & Adverb

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Verb & Adverb

VERB

AGREEMENT OF THE SUBJECT WITH THE VERB:

1. A verb must agree with its subject in number and person. Often due to “Error ofProximity” the verb is made to agree in number with a noun near it instead of with its proper subject.
For example :
(a) The quality of the mangoes were not good. (Wrong since subject is quality, a singular and not mangoes.)
(b) The quality ofthe mangoes was not good (Right).
(c) His knowledge of Indian vernaculars are far beyond the common. (Wrong)
(d) His knowledge of Indian vernaculars is far beyond the common. (Right)

2. Verb should be singular even when some words are joined to a singular subject by ‘with’, ‘as well as’ etc,
For example :
(a) The chairman, with the directors, is to be present.
(b) Silver, as well as cotton, has fallen in prices.

3. Two or more singular subjects connected by ‘or’, ‘nor’ require singular verb.
For example :
(a) No nook or corner was left unexplored.
(b) Our happiness or our sorrow is largely due to our own actions.

4. If two singular nouns express one idea, the verb is in the singular.
For example :
(a) Bread and Butter are essential for one’s life. (Incorrect)
(b) Bread and Butter is essential for one’s life. (Correct)

5. Either, neither, each, everyone, many a must be followed by a singular verb.
For example :
(a) Neither of the two men was very strong.
(b) Every one of the prisons is full.
(c) Many a man has done so.
(d) He asked whether either of the applicants was suitable.

6. When the subjects joined by‘or’, ‘nor’ are of different numbers, the verb must be plural, and the plural must be placed next to the verb.
For example :
(a) Neither Rekha nor her friends was present at the party. (Incorrect)
(b) Neither Rekha nor her friends were present at the party. (Correct)

7. When a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, the verb is generally singular.
For example:
(a) Five hours are too short a time to judge one’s character. (Incorrect)
(b) Five hours is too short a time to judge one’s character. (Correct) This is so because five hours is considered as one chunk.

8. Two nouns qualified by each or every, even though connected by ‘and’ require a singular verb.
For example : Every boy and every girl was given a packet of sweets.

9. ‘None’ though singular commonly takes a plural verb.
For example : None are so deaf as those who will not hear.

10. Tell which sentence is correct.
(a) Put in to bat first, a huge total was expected from India.
(b) Put in to bat first, India was expected to pile up a huge total. Now: who has been put in to bat first? A huge total of India? Common sense tells us it must be India. But the sentence a, as it stands,
appears otherwise. So, sentence b is correct.
(a) Being a rainy day, I decided to take my umbrella.
(b) It being a rainy day, I decided to take my umbrella.
The sentence a, as it stands, gives us the impression that being a rainy day qualifies I. This is simply not true. I am not a rainy day. So sentence b is correct.

11. When a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, the verb is generally singular.
For example :
(a) One hundred paise is equal to one rupee.
(b) Six miles is a long distance.
(c) Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum.

ADVERB

A word that modifies the meaning of a verb is called an Adverb.

SOME IMPORTANT RULES :

1. Adverbs of manner such is well, fast, quickly, carefully, calmly etc. are placed after the verb if there is no object and after the object if there is one.
For example :
(a) It is raining heavily.
(b) She speaks English well.

2. Adverbs of time such as always, often, sometimes, never, generally, ever, merely, seldom etc. are placed before the verb they qualify.
For example :
(a) I seldom meet him. (Right)
(b) I meet him seldom. (Wrong)

Adverbs of degree refer to words which show “how much”, “in what degree” or “to what extent” does the action takes place.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING :

3. Meaning of too is more than enough. Too denotes some kind of excess.
For example :
(a) He is too weak to walk.
(b) It is never too late.
Hence, use of very in place of too is wrong.
For example : Instead of saying that
(a) Cow’s milk is too nutritious We should say that
(b) Cow’s milk is very nutritious.

4. Enough is placed after the word it qualifies.
For example : Everyone should be strong enough to support one’s family.
It will be wrong if we write ‘Everyone should be enough strong to support one’s family’.

5. Much is used with past participles.
For example :
(a) He was much disgusted with his life.
(b) The news was much surprising.
Very is used with present participles.
For example :
(a) He is very disgusted with his life.
(b) The news is very surprising.

6. Very and much are also used to emphasise superlative form of adjectives/adverbs-
For example :
(a) Rishi is the very best boy in his class.
(b) Rishi is much the best boy in his class.
Adverbs of Affirmation or Negation refer to words that assert the action emphatically.
Consider these examples :
(a) He certainly was a winner among them.
(b) Luckily he survived the crash.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING :

7. No sooner should always be followed by than.
For example :
(a) No sooner I saw him I trembled with fear. (Wrong)
(b) No sooner did I see him than I trembled with fear. (Right)

8. ‘Not’ should not be used with the words which have negative meaning if we want the sentence to be negative.
For example :
(a) I received no letter neither from him nor from her. (Wrong)
(b) I received letter neither from him nor from her. (Right)

9. ‘Of course’ is used to denote a natural consequence. It should not be used in place of certainly, undoubtedly.
For example :
(a) Of course he is the best player. (Wrong)
(b) He is certainly the best player. (Right)

FOLLOWING ARE COMMON RULES OFAD VERBS IN GENERAL :

10. Only is used before the word it qualifies.
For example :
(a) Only I spoke to him.
(b) I only spoke to him.
(c) I spoke to him only.

11. Else is followed by but and not by than.
For example : It is nothing else but hypocrisy.

12. ‘As’ is often used in a sentence though there is no need for it.
For example :
(a) He is elected as the President. (Wrong)
(b) He is elected President. (Right)

13. ‘Perhaps’ means possibly whereas ‘probably’ means most likely.
For example :
(a) Where is Govinda? Perhaps he is not here. (Wrong)
(b) Where is Govinda? Probably he is not here. (Right)