Chapter 2:The Most Important Points to Remember
[written by Sahil]
1.Use of Consider
When ‘consider’ means ‘regard as’, ‘as’ should not be present with ‘consider’ in the sentence. Consider must directly be followed by the sentence without an infinitive like ‘to be’ etc.
Example:
Some students of literary criticism consider the theories of Blaine to be a huge advance in modern critical thinking and question the need to study the discounted theories of Rauthe and Wilson.
(A)to be a huge advance in modern critical thinking and question
(B)as a huge advance in modern critical thinking and question
(C)as being a huge advance in modern critical thinking and questioned
(D)a huge advance in critical thinking and question (When consider means regard as, no need of as)
(E)are a huge advance in modern critical thinking and questioned
Critics consider correction facilities to be an integral part of communal system. - Incorrect
Critics consider correction facilities an integral part of communal system. – Correct
Example:
Many scholars regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru as the most impressive in South America.
(A) regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru as
(B) regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru to be
(C) regard the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru to have been
(D) consider that the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru are（A）
(E) consider the pre-Hispanic civilizations of Peru as
A is correct
2. Semicolon
Any sentence after a semicolon (;), should be an independent clause.
3.Object v/s. Subject
If a noun is the object of a verb, the verb should end with ‘ed’. If a noun is the subject of a verb, the verb should end with ‘ing’. (e.g. ‘local times determined’ when the noun is object of the verb ‘determined’) (e.g. determining the local times – where the noun local times is the subject of the verb determining). Somebody determined times – times is object of determined
Times differed – Times is the subject of differed
4. One of the
The pattern to remember is ‘one of the NOUN (this noun will always be plural) + that/who + PLURAL VERB
Examples :
He is one of the PERSONS who MAKE money.
This is one of the CARS that RUN on hydrogen.
A NUMBER of people ARE waiting for the bus.
THE NUMBER of cars in the city IS decreasing.
Any of the STOCKHOLDERS who DISAPPROVE – is the right use
Three cats, each eat
Three cats, each of which eats
A sentence like ‘X is one of the Y that ARE. ARE is the correct use. Such a sentence always should have a subject verb agreement with Y and not with X.
Example:
With its plan to develop seven and a half acres of shore land, Cleveland is but one of a large number of communities on the Great Lakes that is looking to its waterfront as a way to improve the quality of urban life and attract new businesses.
(A) is looking to its waterfront as a way to improve the quality of urban life and attract
(B) is looking at its waterfront to improve the quality of urban life and attract
(C) are looking to their waterfronts to improve the quality of urban life and attract
(D) are looking to its waterfront as a way of improving the quality of urban life and attracting（C）
(E) are looking at their waterfronts as a way they can improve the quality of urban life and attract
C is correct.
5. Tenses
When the entire sentence is in the same tense, a simple present tense may be fine. However, if the sentence implies that an action occurred before another action, ‘had’ may need to be used apart from the simple present tense.
To be + Complement: Points to present tense (The depletion of ozone layer is believed to be the cause of all problems)
To have been: Points to past tense (The impact of meteorite is believed to have caused the extinction of dinosaurs)
If they would have found the receipt by April, they would have paid less tax.
If they had found the receipt by April, they would have paid less tax. - Correct
6.Parallelism
Its very important to maintain parallelism. E.g. I like to dance, to run and to watch TV. This is the correct sentence. However, a sentence like ‘I like to dance, to run and watch TV’ is wrong because it does not maintain parallelism.
Infinitive parallelism: to salvage…to process
Only way for farmers to salvage fruit is to process it
That parallelism: Many agree that there is waste…and that government is rubbish
7. Singular verb or plural
When the subject is plural use a plural verb.
e.g. In laws of motion, there is a condition and its converse regarding bodies at rest and bodies in motion. – This is incorrect.
The correct sentence would be : In laws of motion, there are a condition and its converse regarding bodies at rest and bodies in motion.
8)Countable VS Uncountable Nouns
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Countable nouns |
Non Countable nouns |
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More (More than 200 million people in world earn less than 10 dollars a day) |
Much
There is too much traffic, because many people travel. Much is also used with nouns like ‘Work’ and ‘Happiness’ |
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Fewer (Could I have fewer soup, please? Is wrong, The correct sentence is ‘Could I have less soup, please?)
As a rule of thumb,
Use fewer to modify a plural noun. Example: I have fewer papers to write than last year. Use less to modify a singular noun. Example: You’ll need less paper if you type your report.
When drive-ins were at the height of their popularity in the late 50’s , some 4000 existed in the United States, but today there are less than one-quarter that many
B. there are fewer than one quarter as many c. there are fewer than one quarter of that amount D.the number is less than one quarter of that amount E. it is less than one quarter of that amount Fewer is correct, as highways are countable (4000/4) = 1000. So, C is the answer.
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Less (Also used for sums of money as in above sentence, periods of time and distance, or while citing numerical or statistical data)
With a total population of less than two hundred and fewer breeding females than ever before, the American crocodile seemed a decade ago to be in danger of disappearing. (A) of less than two hundred and fewer (B) lower than two hundred and less (C) lesser than two hundred and fewer (D) fewer than two hundred and less（A） (E) of fewer than two hundred and of fewer
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Majority |
Quantity, amount, greater (Used to compare numbers) |
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Number, many
When dealing with people, always use ‘number’ and not amount. |
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9)Singular VS Plural Nouns
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Singular nouns |
Plural nouns |
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Each, everyone |
Half, all, most, 10% |
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Fractions
With fractions, the verb agrees with preceding noun or clause e.g. 1) One third of the article is rubbish 2) All of the info is correct 3) Half of what he writes is rubbish About 50% of the job is routine. |
Fractions |
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None, everyone |
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With collective nouns, use a singular/plural verb depending on whether you want to emphasize on a single group or its individual members.
All of the class IS/are here.
Half of my family LIVES/live in Canada.
Team is a collective noun and can be singular or plural depending upon the rest of the sentence following the noun.
Example:
The team streamed into the locker room, donned their uniforms, and, before commencing its first practice, they joined in a brief strategy session.
(A)and, before commencing its first practice, they joined in a brief strategy session.
(B) and its first practice was preeceded by a brief strategy session
(C) and a brief strategy session preeceded its first practice
(D) and, before commencing their first practice, they joined in a brief strategy session
(E) and, before commencing their first practice, joined in a brief strategy session
E is correct
10.Subject Verb Agreement
If the subject and verb are reversed, they should still agree with each other.
Examples:
A group of lions is called pride ‘or’ A pride is a group of lions
Attached are copies of the contract ‘or’ Copies of the contract are attached.
Among the various emotions on display WAS anger….
Among the various things found WERE statues….
11.In conditional sentences (X will occur if Y happens), verb of the main clause should be in future tense and verb of the if clause should be in present indicative (if Y happens)
Example:
We will go to the movie only if I finish my work.
12.IT as a pronoun
Whenever, ‘it’ is used in a sentence, it should always refer to a NOUN. If that noun is not present in the sentence, don’t use ‘it’. Also ‘it’ should unambiguously refer to a single noun in the sentence. If unsure, replace the ‘it’ in the sentence with the NOUN.
e.g. Under a provision of constitution that was never applied, congress has been required to call a convention for possible amendments to document when asked about it. (There is no noun, to which ‘it’ can refer to).
13.USE of OR
When there are 2 or more options separated by ‘OR’, both should equally apply to the following clause.
Example:
Slowing the growth or damaging forests (Both slowing the growth and damaging apply to forests. Now, consider the clause ‘slowing the growth forests’ and ‘damaging forests’. The first one, does not seem fine. As, it should be ‘slowing the growth of or damaging forests).
Damaging or slowing the growth of forests – Is the correct usage (Damaging forests or slowing the growth of forests).
Example:
I decided that I would either take my daughter to the cinema or go by myself.
(A)I would either take my daughter to the cinema or go by myself.
(B)I either would take my daughter to the cinema or go by myself.
(C)I would either take my daughter to the cinema or else I would myself go.
(D)either I would take my daughter to the cinema or go by myself.
(E)either I would myself go to the cinema or take my daughter.
Solution:
The construction either XXX or YYY is a common construction with parallelism errors. In this case, the XXX (after the word either) and the YYY (after the word or) should be in the same format. Let us consider what XXX and YYY are for each option:
Choice A:
XXX: take my daughter to the cinema
YYY: go by myself
(This is correct - they are both clauses starting with a verb. After all, A (the original text) is the correct answer.
Choice B:
XXX: would take my daughter to the cinema
YYY: go by myself
No - one clause starts with the auxiliary verb “would” and the other starts with the plain verb “go”.
Choice C:
XXX: take my daughter to the cinema
YYY: else I would myself go
Yuk! That use of “else” is totally unnecessary! It certainly ruins the parallelism. Besides, the inclusion of “would” in one part but not the other is enough to spoil the parallel effect.
Choice D:
XXX: I would take my daughter to the cinema
YYY: go by myself
Ha! One part contains a subject and auxiliary verb (”I would”) and the other doesn’t! Need I say more?
Choice E:
XXX: I would myself go to the cinema
YYY: take my daughter
The swapping of the two parts is not in itself wrong, but the inclusion of “I would” in the first part and not in the second is the same error that was present in (D).
14.When two adjectives modify the same noun, both must have similar forms.
Incorrect: The topology course was both rigorous and a challenge.
Correct: The topology course was both rigorous and challenging.
This is wrong. Adjectives rigorous and challenge both modify course, so it should be rigorous and challenging.
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