Skip to main content

Common Error in Tense

   Errors In The use Of Tenses

The changed forms of a verb that indicate time of the action are called tenses of the verb.

(1) When the verb in the Principal Clause is in the Past tense, the verbs of the Subordinate
      Clauses should be in the Past tense.

     Examples :- He said that he had finished his work.
                       I was informed that her mother was ill.
(2) But a Past tense in the Principal Clause may or may not be followed by the Past tense
     in the subordinate clause if the latter expresses universal or habitual truth.

     Examples :- The teacher said that the earth revolves round the sun.
                        My brother told me that smoking is injurious to health.
(3) Any tense may be used in the subordinate clause if it gives a comparison by using the word than.

   Examples :- He respected you more than he respects his uncle.
                     The teacher liked Anil better than he liked me.
(4) Any tense can be used when the subordinate clause is in a quotation.

 Examples :- she said, "He will goto Madras tomorrow".
                    I said, " I am going to Delhi today".
(5) The Present Perfect Tense (subject + has/have + V3) can not be used when an expressin of
      Past  time ( yesteray, last night, ago etc.) is used.

      Examples :- We wrote to you yesterday about his mother.
                         I finished my letter last night.
(6) In conditional sentences the subordinate clause, beginning with if, is generally is Present or Past
      tense but not in future tense.

       Examples :- If i go to Delhi, I shall see the Red Fort.
                          If he had work hard, he would have passed.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Transitive and Intransitive Verb

THE VERB Transitive and Intransitive Verbs A Verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing. Verb comes from the Latin verbum, a word. It is so called because it is the most important word in a sentence. A Verb may tell us- What a person or thing does; as, Hari laughs. The clock strikes. What is done to a person or thing ; as, Hari is scolded. The window is broken. What a person or thing is; as, The cat is dead. Glass is brittle. I feel sorry. Def:- A Verb is a word used to tell or assert something about some person or thing. A Verb often consists of more than one word; as, The girls were singing. I have learnt my lesson. The watch has been found. Read these sentences:- The boy kicks the football. The boy laughs loudly. In sentence 1, the action denoted by the verb kicks passes over from the doer or subject boy to some Object football. The verb kicks is, therefore, called a Transitive Verb. (Transitive means passing ove...
7 comments
Read more

Expansion of Passages

EXPANSION OF PASSAGES This exercise is the exact opposite of Precis-writing. In Precis-writing we have to compress; and in these exercises we have to expand. A sentence, or a short passage, has to be enlarged into a paragraph by the fuller and more elaborate expression of its meaning, or by adding illustrations, details or proofs to a simple statement. Such exercise practically amounts to the writing of miniature essays on the subject of the original sentence or passage. No strict rule can be laid down for the length of the expansion; it must not be too short, or it will scarcely be an expansion, or so long as to become an essay. On the average, eighty to one hundred words should be aimed at. METHOD OF PROCEDURE Carefully read the original sentence or passage until you feel that you clearly understand its meaning. (It is a good practice to try to express the main idea in a word or a phrase; e.g., the real subject of the second specimen is, "Pride in One's Work...
Post a Comment
Read more

Comprehension

COMPREHENSION A comprehension exercise consists of a passage, upon which questions are set to test the student's ability to understand the content of the given text and to infer information and meanings from it. Here are a few hints:- Read the passage fairly quickly to get the general idea. Read again, a little slowly, so as to know the details. Study the questions thoroughly. Turn to the relevant portions of the passage, read them again, and then rewrite them in your own words, neatly and precisely Use complete sentences. If you are asked to give the meaning of any words or phrases, you should express the idea as clearly as possible in your own words. Certain words require the kind of definition that is given in a dictionary. Take care to frame the definition in conformity with the part of speech. SPECIMEN Read the passage below and then answer the questions which follow it.         1 It has been part of Nelson's prayer t...
17 comments
Read more