Grammar Essentials for Civil Services Exams
Introduction
The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most competitive exams in India. It tests a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and analytical abilities across various subjects, including English. The English section of the CSE often involves questions related to grammar, which test candidates on their understanding of various grammatical concepts and their ability to apply them effectively in both written and spoken communication.
This comprehensive study module focuses on the essential grammar topics needed for the English section of the Civil Services Exams. We will cover key grammar rules, examples, and applications that will help you prepare for the exam.
1. Parts of Speech
Understanding the parts of speech is the foundation of English grammar. Here are the key parts of speech you’ll need to master:
a) Nouns
- A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Example: The teacher is very kind. (Teacher = noun)
b) Pronouns
- Pronouns are words that replace nouns.
- Example: He is going to the market. (He = pronoun replacing a person)
c) Verbs
- A verb shows action or state of being.
- Example: She runs every morning. (Runs = verb)
d) Adjectives
- Adjectives describe or modify nouns.
- Example: The beautiful flowers are blooming. (Beautiful = adjective)
e) Adverbs
- Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
- Example: He runs quickly. (Quickly = adverb modifying the verb runs)
f) Prepositions
- Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in the sentence.
- Example: The cat is on the table. (On = preposition)
g) Conjunctions
- Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses.
- Example: I like tea and coffee. (And = conjunction)
h) Interjections
- Interjections express emotions or sudden feelings.
- Example: Wow! That’s amazing. (Wow = interjection)
2. Tenses
Understanding tenses is crucial for expressing the time of an action or event. Here’s a breakdown of the primary tenses:
a) Present Tense
- Simple Present: Describes habitual actions or universal truths.
- Example: She teaches English.
- Present Continuous: Describes actions happening right now.
- Example: She is teaching English.
- Present Perfect: Describes actions that occurred in the past but have relevance to the present.
- Example: She has taught English for five years.
- Present Perfect Continuous: Describes actions that started in the past and are continuing.
- Example: She has been teaching English for five years.
b) Past Tense
- Simple Past: Describes completed actions in the past.
- Example: She taught English yesterday.
- Past Continuous: Describes actions that were happening at a particular point in the past.
- Example: She was teaching English when I called her.
- Past Perfect: Describes an action that was completed before another action in the past.
- Example: She had taught English before I joined her class.
- Past Perfect Continuous: Describes an ongoing action that was happening before another action in the past.
- Example: She had been teaching English for an hour when I arrived.
c) Future Tense
- Simple Future: Describes an action that will happen in the future.
- Example: She will teach English tomorrow.
- Future Continuous: Describes an action that will be ongoing at a specific point in the future.
- Example: She will be teaching English at 10 AM tomorrow.
- Future Perfect: Describes an action that will be completed by a specific point in the future.
- Example: She will have taught English by the time I arrive.
- Future Perfect Continuous: Describes an action that will be ongoing up until a specific point in the future.
- Example: She will have been teaching English for five years by next year.
3. Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement refers to ensuring that the subject and the verb in a sentence agree in number (singular or plural).
a) Rules of Agreement:
- Singular subjects take singular verbs.
- Example: The boy runs fast.
- Plural subjects take plural verbs.
- Example: The boys run fast.
- When two subjects are joined by “and,” use a plural verb.
- Example: The teacher and the students are ready.
- When two subjects are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the subject closer to it.
- Example: Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.
4. Modals
Modals are auxiliary verbs that express necessity, possibility, permission, or ability.
a) Examples and Usage:
- Can: Indicates ability or permission.
- Example: I can speak English.
- May: Indicates permission or possibility.
- Example: You may leave now.
- Must: Indicates necessity or strong recommendation.
- Example: You must submit the report by tomorrow.
- Should: Indicates advice or expectation.
- Example: You should study for the exam.
- Might: Indicates a lower possibility than may.
- Example: It might rain tomorrow.
5. Active and Passive Voice
a) Active Voice
- The subject performs the action.
- Example: The teacher explained the concept.
b) Passive Voice
- The object of the action becomes the subject.
- Example: The concept was explained by the teacher.
c) When to Use Passive Voice:
- In formal writing (e.g., reports, academic papers).
- When the doer of the action is unknown or irrelevant.
- When the focus is on the action itself, not who performed it.
6. Conditionals
Conditionals express hypothetical situations and their possible outcomes.
a) Zero Conditional: (If + Present Simple, Present Simple)
- Used for general truths or laws of nature.
- Example: If you heat water to 100°C, it boils.
b) First Conditional: (If + Present Simple, will + Verb)
- Used for real or possible situations.
- Example: If it rains, we will stay indoors.
c) Second Conditional: (If + Past Simple, would + Verb)
- Used for hypothetical or unlikely situations.
- Example: If I were rich, I would travel the world.
d) Third Conditional: (If + Past Perfect, would have + Verb)
- Used for unreal situations in the past.
- Example: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
7. Punctuation
Proper punctuation is essential for clarity and meaning in writing.
a) Common Punctuation Marks:
- Full stop (.): Used to end a declarative sentence.
- Example: The exam was difficult.
- Comma (,): Used to separate items in a list or clauses in a sentence.
- Example: The report was long, detailed, and insightful.
- Question Mark (?): Used at the end of a question.
- Example: Are you attending the meeting tomorrow?
- Exclamation Mark (!): Used to express strong feelings or emphasis.
- Example: What a great achievement!
8. Common Errors in Grammar
Awareness of common grammatical errors will help you avoid mistakes in the exam.
a) Run-on Sentences
- Example: I went to the market I bought some fruits.
- Correction: I went to the market, and I bought some fruits.
b) Misplaced Modifiers
- Example: She almost drove the car for five hours.
- Correction: She drove the car for almost five hours.
Conclusion
A strong command of grammar is essential for scoring well in the Civil Services Exams. Mastering these fundamental grammar rules and applying them correctly will enhance your writing and comprehension skills. By practicing these concepts, you’ll be prepared to tackle the English section with confidence and clarity.
20 English Grammar MCQs for Civil Services Exams
1. Choose the correct sentence.
- a) The teacher and the students was excited about the event.
- b) The teacher and the students were excited about the event.
- c) The teacher and the students is excited about the event.
- d) The teacher and the students be excited about the event.
Answer: b) The teacher and the students were excited about the event.
Explanation: The subject “teacher and students” is plural, so the correct verb is “were.”
2. Which of the following is a correct example of past perfect tense?
- a) He studied before I arrived.
- b) He has studied before I arrived.
- c) He had studied before I arrived.
- d) He was studying before I arrived.
Answer: c) He had studied before I arrived.
Explanation: The past perfect tense (“had studied”) is used to show that an action was completed before another action in the past.
3. Choose the correct sentence.
- a) He sings well than I do.
- b) He sings more well than I do.
- c) He sings better than I do.
- d) He sings good than I do.
Answer: c) He sings better than I do.
Explanation: The comparative form of “good” is “better,” not “more well” or “good.”
4. Which sentence uses the correct modal verb?
- a) You should to go to the meeting.
- b) You should going to the meeting.
- c) You should go to the meeting.
- d) You should gone to the meeting.
Answer: c) You should go to the meeting.
Explanation: After modals like “should,” the verb remains in the base form, i.e., “go,” not “to go.”
5. Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
- a) The child, who was sick, didn’t go to school.
- b) The child who was sick didn’t go to school.
- c) The child who, was sick didn’t go to school.
- d) The child who was sick didn’t go to school,
Answer: a) The child, who was sick, didn’t go to school.
Explanation: Commas are correctly used to set off the non-essential clause “who was sick.”
6. Identify the error in the sentence: “She has been teaching for five years when I arrived.”
- a) “She has been teaching” is incorrect.
- b) “For five years” is incorrect.
- c) “When I arrived” is incorrect.
- d) No error.
Answer: c) “When I arrived” is incorrect.
Explanation: The correct sentence should be: “She had been teaching for five years when I arrived,” as the past perfect continuous tense is required.
7. Choose the correct form of the verb.
- a) If he would study more, he will pass the exam.
- b) If he studies more, he will pass the exam.
- c) If he studied more, he will pass the exam.
- d) If he had studied more, he will pass the exam.
Answer: b) If he studies more, he will pass the exam.
Explanation: The first conditional uses the present simple (“studies”) and the future simple (“will pass”).
8. Identify the correct sentence.
- a) Neither the manager nor the employees was present at the meeting.
- b) Neither the manager nor the employees were present at the meeting.
- c) Neither the manager nor the employees is present at the meeting.
- d) Neither the manager nor the employees are present at the meeting.
Answer: b) Neither the manager nor the employees were present at the meeting.
Explanation: The verb agrees with the subject closer to it, “employees,” which is plural.
9. Which sentence is in the passive voice?
- a) The committee will announce the results tomorrow.
- b) The results will be announced by the committee tomorrow.
- c) The committee has announced the results.
- d) The committee announces the results.
Answer: b) The results will be announced by the committee tomorrow.
Explanation: This sentence is in the passive voice because the object “results” becomes the subject.
10. Choose the correct sentence.
- a) He hardly works, yet he gets promoted.
- b) He hardly works, yet he get promoted.
- c) He hardly work, yet he gets promoted.
- d) He hardly works, yet he getting promoted.
Answer: a) He hardly works, yet he gets promoted.
Explanation: The subject “he” takes the singular verb “works,” and the verb “get” must agree with the singular subject.
11. Which of the following sentences is in the future continuous tense?
- a) He will be singing at the concert.
- b) He will sing at the concert.
- c) He will have sung at the concert.
- d) He sings at the concert.
Answer: a) He will be singing at the concert.
Explanation: The future continuous tense is formed by “will be” + the present participle “singing.”
12. Identify the error in the sentence: “If I would have known, I would have helped.”
- a) “If I would have known” is incorrect.
- b) “I would have helped” is incorrect.
- c) “If I would” is incorrect.
- d) No error.
Answer: a) “If I would have known” is incorrect.
Explanation: The correct form is “If I had known,” as third conditional sentences require the past perfect tense in the if-clause.
13. Which is the correct comparative form of the adjective “bad”?
- a) Badder
- b) Worse
- c) Badly
- d) Worst
Answer: b) Worse
Explanation: “Worse” is the correct comparative form of “bad.”
14. Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.
- a) My brother, who is a teacher, is visiting us.
- b) My brother who is a teacher, is visiting us.
- c) My brother who is a teacher is visiting us.
- d) My brother, who is a teacher is visiting us.
Answer: a) My brother, who is a teacher, is visiting us.
Explanation: The clause “who is a teacher” is non-essential, so it should be set off by commas.
15. Choose the correct sentence.
- a) The manager is more intelligent than his assistant.
- b) The manager is more intelligent than his assistant is.
- c) The manager is more intelligent than his assistant are.
- d) The manager is more intelligent than his assistant be.
Answer: b) The manager is more intelligent than his assistant is.
Explanation: The comparison is complete with “is” at the end, ensuring subject-verb agreement.
16. Which of the following sentences uses the correct form of the verb?
- a) She enjoy her work.
- b) She enjoys her work.
- c) She enjoying her work.
- d) She enjoys her works.
Answer: b) She enjoys her work.
Explanation: The singular subject “she” requires the verb “enjoys” with an “s” at the end.
17. Which of the following sentences is correct?
- a) I have seen him yesterday.
- b) I saw him yesterday.
- c) I had seen him yesterday.
- d) I was seeing him yesterday.
Answer: b) I saw him yesterday.
Explanation: The simple past tense “saw” is used because the event happened at a specific time in the past.
18. Which of the following sentences is in the present perfect tense?
- a) She has completed the assignment.
- b) She completes the assignment.
- c) She will complete the assignment.
- d) She had completed the assignment.
Answer: a) She has completed the assignment.
Explanation: The present perfect tense is used to describe an action completed at an unspecified time before now.
19. Choose the sentence with the correct use of an article.
- a) She is a intelligent girl.
- b) She is an intelligent girl.
- c) She is intelligent a girl.
- d) She is the intelligent girl.
Answer: b) She is an intelligent girl.
Explanation: “Intelligent” begins with a vowel sound, so “an” is used before it.
20. Which sentence uses a correctly placed modifier?
- a) The boy on the bicycle rode quickly.
- b) The quickly boy on the bicycle rode.
- c) The boy rode quickly on the bicycle.
- d) The boy rode on the quickly bicycle.
Answer: c) The boy rode quickly on the bicycle.
Explanation: The adverb “quickly” correctly modifies the verb “rode.”
These MCQs and explanations will help you prepare for the grammar section of the Civil Services Exam, enabling you to identify key grammatical concepts and apply them effectively.
