Rule 1. Uncountable nouns are used in singular form only with a singular verb and definite article, if required.

e.g. (i) Your advice was important to me.
(ii) Her hair is grey

List of such nouns are: Advice, Information, Hair, Luggage, Business, Evidence, Employment, Work, Mischief, Bread, Abuse, Scenery, Vacation, Machinery, Food, Poetry, Alphabet, Baggage, Furniture, Paper, Fuel, Equipment, Material.

Rule 2. Following expressions are used as singular norms always.

(i) A piece/loaf of bread.
(ii) A word of sympathy.
(iii) A word of advice/abuse.
(iv) An article of luggage/baggage.
(v) A piece of work.

Rule 3. Following expressions are used as plural norms always.

(i) Words of abuse.
(ii) Pieces/loaves of bread.
(iii) Some advice
(iv) Few articles of luggage.

Rule 4. These collective nouns are always used in plural with plural verbs.

Cattle, Gentry, Peasantry, Poultry, Clergy, Folk, People, Majority.

Rule 5. These collective nouns may be used singularly as well as plural. If they are shown as a body or group then they are singular, but if they are shown as individual members then they are plural.

Public, Board, Team, Mob, Audience, Ministry, Jury, Staff, Police, Number, Crowd, Family, House, Committee.

Rule 6. The number of some nouns are expressed by the use of verb after it.

e.g. (i) Sheep are grazing. (Plural)
(ii) A sheep is walking. (Singular)

Rule 7. Some nouns that end with's' or 'es' look like a plural one but used with singular verb.

Physics, Economics, Mathematics, Mechanics, Politics, Statistics, Statics, Summons, News, Series, Innings, Measles, Rickets, Athletics, Billiards, United States, Aquatics, Gymnastics, United Arab Emirates.

Rule 8. Name of books that reflect plurality is used as a singular noun with singular verb.

e.g. (i) War and peace is loved by people.
(ii) The Arabian Nights has a bulk sale.

Rule 9. Some nouns are always used in plural number with plural verb.

Jeans, Trousers, Pants, Breeches, Scales, Shears, Scissors, Spectacles, Alms, Thanks, Proceeds, Riches, Contents, Surroundings, Orders, Ashes, Credentials, Auspices, Refreshments, Savings, Requirements, Outskirts, Customs, Rations, Annals, Archives, Manners, Earnings, Assets, Spirits, Stairs.

Rule 10. In a compound noun, if a noun qualified by a quantitative adjective is used as an adjective of another noun then it is kept in singular form since adjectives are never used in plural forms.

e.g. (i) We are planning a ten-day tour. (not days)
(ii) She ran a forty mile race. (not miles)

Note: In the above examples, day and mile have been used as adjectives of tour and race respectively. Therefore they can't be used in plural forms.

However depending upon the qualifier (or another quantitative adjective) the noun can be made plural.

Rule 11. Avoid using apostrophe with's' if the noun is a non-living thing, but it can be used with living thing, Time, Weight, Distance, Amount or with personified nouns.

e.g. (i) Car's tire is old now. (wrong)
(ii) Tyre of the car is old now. (right)

Rule 12. If a singular noun is qualified by two different adjectives then it is considered plural and used with a plural verb.

e.g. (i) Social and political value in India are changing these days.
(ii) Summer and winter sale are in vogue these days.

Rule 13. If same noun is to come after a preposition and before the preposition then the noun remains singular.

e.g. (i) I want word to word copied.
(ii) He went door to door to sell things.

Rule 1. When the subject becomes the receiver of the action, then the verb becomes reflexive. In case a verb is being used reflexively, we use reflexive pronouns.

List of reflexive verbs: Acquit, Absent, Avail, Amuse, Avenge, Apply, Adapt, Adjust, Enjoy, Exert, Overreach, Pride, Resign, Revenge.

List of non-reflexive verbs: Keep, Stop, Turn, Hide, Rest, Move, Qualify, Bathe.

Rule 2. Reflexive pronouns can't be used as the subject of a sentence.

e.g. (i) Yourself and he reached that place.
You and he reached that place.

(ii) Himself cannot teach him.
He cannot teach himself.

Rule 3. If there is a complement in the sentence then the verb 'to be' is followed by the subjective case pronoun.

e.g. (i) It is I who will do this.
(ii) It was she who helped me.

Rule 4. Verbs and prepositions are followed by the objective case of pronoun.
e.g. (i) I am teaching you and her.
(ii) Let them sleep.

Rule 5. When all the three pronouns are used altogether in singular number, then we observe following order
231 = 2nd person, 3rd person, 1st person

e.g. (i) You, Hari and I will go there.
(ii) You, Rama and we are to perform.

Rule 6. When all the three pronouns are used altogether in plural number or if there is confession unpleasant act to be mentioned, then we, observe following order
123 = 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person
e.g. (i) I and you will be punished.
(ii) You and he are the main culprit.

Rule 7. Possessive case of pronoun will be used according to the first subject if the two: subjects are joined by the followings
As well as, Together with, Along with, Like and not, in addition to, Rather than, Except, No less than, nothing but, More than one.

e.g. (i) Sheena as well as her husband has returned to her house.
(ii) My brother along with his friends is doing his part of duty.

Rule 8. Possessive case of pronoun is used according to the nearest subject if two subjects are joined by the following
Either - or, Neither - nor, not only - but also, none-but.

e.g. (i) Neither the chef nor the cooks were in their uniform.
(ii) Not only he but also his sisters are responsible for their ruin.

Rule 9. Possessive case will be third person singular if the following pronouns are used as subject Each, Every, Either, Neither, Anyone, Many a, More than one

e.g. (i) Each boy is supposed to clean his desk.
(ii) Anyone can donate his property to me.

Rule 10. When a pronoun is used for more than one noun or pronouns of different persons then the possessive case is in the form of first person plural (our) and second person plural (your).

e.g. (i) Only you and I have brought our books.
(ii) You and he completed your work.

Rule 11. Pronouns. Either, Neither, Each other are used for two persons or things. Pronouns anyone, none, one another are used for more than two persons or things.

e.g. (i) The two brothers love each other.
(ii) Either of the two men is a thief.

Rule 12. Subject of a question tag is always a pronoun agreed to the number, gender and person.

e.g. (i) He is reading, isn't he?
(ii) She has not eaten, has she?

Rule 13. If the subject of the sentence contains 'Both' then it will be followed by 'And'. Also, negatives are avoided with 'Both'.

e.g. (i) Both Ram and Hari are criminals.
(ii) Both the boys are not working.
Neither of the boy's are working.

Rule 14. We generally use [who, whom and whose] for person and [which] for things. [That] is used for both persons and things. But, if we refer to a choice between two or among more than two then 'which' will be used.

e.g. (i) Of the two countries which is the more developed?
(ii) Which is your best friend in this class?

Rule 15. Noun is used only after possessive adjective but it is not used after possessive pronouns.

e.g. (i) This book is yours.
(ii) That school is hers.

Rule 16. 'But' can be used as a relative pronoun.

e.g. (i) There is nothing but flowers.
(ii) There is no man but lies.

Rule 17. 'Same' can't be used as a pronoun.

e.g. (i) I want a leave and the same is sanctioned.
I want a leave and it is sanctioned.

(ii) She bought a frock and wearing the same.
She bought a frock and wearing it.

Rule 18. 'What' is used without an antecedent and it refers to things only.

e.g. (i) It is incredible what she said.
(ii) I don't believe in what you say.

Rule 1. Some adjectives don't accept a comparative or a superlative degree. These types of adjectives denote absolute position. Here is the list of such adjectives Perfect, Unique, Ideal, Chief, Universal, Extreme, Complete, Entire, Excellent, Absolute, Eternal, Impossible, Supreme.

e.g. (i) India is the supreme power.
(ii) The entire valley is desolated.

Rule 2. These adjectives are followed by 'to' in their comparative degree and not by 'than'. Inferior, Superior, Prior, Senior, Junior, Prefer,
Preferable.

e.g. (i) A notice was issued prior to the meeting.
(ii) These goods are inferior to those.

Rule 3. When two adjectives qualify the same noun then both the adjectives should be in the same degree. However if both the adjectives are in comparative or superlative degree then, than or the should be used only once.

e.g. (i) She is beautiful and intelligent girl.
(ii) Maya is the most clever and most cunning employee of the office.

Rule 4. Ordinals are placed before cardinals.

e.g. (i) I was asked to read the first four lines of the poem.
(ii) She has crossed the first two rounds of.this game.

Rule 5. The Comparative degrees that ends in 'e' should be used as 'more+ positive degree' while comparing the two qualities of one and the same thing of a person.

e.g. (i) She is more clever than honest.
(ii) She is cleverer than I.

Rule 6. 'These' and 'Those' should not be used with the singular nouns 'kind', 'type' and 'sort'.

e.g. (i) She will not do this kind of dance.
(ii) We can do this sort of work.

Rule 7. 'All' and 'Both' take 'the' after them while 'whole' takes it before when these are used as adjectives.

e.g. (i) All the girls are beautiful.
(ii) Both the boys were clever.

Rule 8. 'All' and 'Both' take possessive case after them.

e.g. (i) All my work ended in nothing.
(ii) Both my brothers are clever.

Rule 9. Following will be used immediately before the Rules Related to Adverbs words they qualify. Either, Neither, Only, Both, Even, But also.

e.g. (i) She came not only to dance but also to sing there.
(ii) She is either clever or cunning.

Rule 10. 'As' is used in the positive degree to denote equality while 'than' is used in the comparative degree. Both 'as' and 'than' are required to be used when a sentence contains adjective in positive and comparative forms.

e.g. (i) She is as clever as, if not cleverer than me.
(ii) I am as honest as, if not more honest than you.

Rule 11. When two adjectives require different prepositions then appropriate prepositions should be used with both the adjectives.

e.g. (i) I am senior to and older than he.
(ii) His pen is different from and cheaper than mine.

Rule 12. We should use an adjective after noun when the noun is followed by preposition.

e.g. (i) The subject is a matter worthy of note.
(ii) She is the girl suitable for this role.

Rule 13. If the comparison of weight, quantity and number is implied and 'times' is used with it then we use positive degree, but when 'times' is not used then comparative is implied in the sentence.

e.g. (i) My book is three times as cheap as yours.
(ii) My book is five rupees cheaper than yours.

Rule 14. Some adjectives are used only predicatively and using them attributively is wrong.

Here is the list of such adjectives: Afraid, Asleep, Alike, Aware, Alone, Due, Glad, Ill, Ready, Unable, Sorry, Sure, Well, Worth.

e.g. (i) She alone can't do this.
(ii) I found the boy asleep.

Rule 15. If many adjectives are used to qualify a noun then we observe the following order of the adjectives Size, Shape, Age, Color, Nationality, Material.

e.g. (i) Thirteen year old whitish Indian boy is the main attraction.
(ii) A big round black American plastic table has been bought for me.

Rule 1. Adverbs of time are generally placed before the verb they modify.

List of Adverbs of time: Always, Recently, Often, Usually, Already, Seldom, Just, Hardly, Never, Rarely, Ever, Normally, Sometimes, Frequent, Generally.

e.g. (i) My brother often comes on Sunday.
(ii) He is always satisfied.
(iii) He never abuses anybody.

Rule 2. Adverbs of manner are placed only after the
intransitive verb. However, adverbs can be placed
before or after the transitive verb.
e.g. (i) He wept bitterly yesterday.

Intransitive verb Adverb
(ii) He played joyfully the game.

Transitive verb Adverb
(iii) He joyfully

Rule 3. If the introductory subject of a sentence is an adverb then the verb is used in the inverted form in order to show the emphasis lying there upon.

e.g. (i) Seldom does he watch TV.
(ii) Never will I see her face again.

Rule 4. 'Else' should be followed by 'but' while' other' and 'otherwise' is followed by 'than'.

e.g. (i) This is nothing else but an alien.
(ii) I have no option other than stealing.

Rule 5. Both 'Never' and 'not' are adverbs. Use of 'never' in place of 'not' is incorrect.

e.g. (i) I never went to Patna last year.
I did not go to Patna last year.

Rule 6. Adverbial phrases are used in this way seldom or never, seldom if ever, little or nothing, little if anything.

e.g. (i) Seldom or never I go to my village.
(ii) Seldom if ever I go to my village.

Rule 7. Double negatives are avoided in a sentence.

Here are the negative adverbs: Seldom, Nowhere, Never, Nothing, Hardly, Scarcely, Neither, Barely, Rarely.

e.g. (i) I rarely go to meet anybody.
(ii) She scarcely knows anything.

Rule 8. The following words are adjectives and should not be used as adverbs Manly, Masterly, Slovenly, Monthly, Weekly,
Sickly, Friendly, Orderly, Gentlemanly.

e.g. (i) I have paid my monthly bill.
(ii) His friendly attitude attracts everyone.

Rule 10. The following words can be used both as adjective and as an adverb Fast, Safe, High, Quiet, Straight, Outright, Direct,
Hard, Hardly, Light, Late.

e.g. (i) I took the safe passage.
(ii) Drive carefully to reach safe.

Rule 11. 'Loud' is adjective while, 'Loudly' and 'Aloud' are adverbs.

e.g. (i) I woke up with a loud sound.
(ii) She spoke loudly to him.

Rule 12. 'Late' can be used as both adjective and adverb while 'Lately' can be used as an adverb only in the sense of 'recently'.

e.g. (i) He always arrives late.
(ii) Late coming is not accepted.

Rule 13. 'Hard' can be used as both adjective and adverb while 'Hardly' can be used as an adverb in the negative sense.

e.g. (i) UPSC is a hard nut to crack.
(ii) He hit him hard on his head.

Rule 14. 'Very' is used to modify present participle, adverb and adjective in the positive degree.

e.g. (i) This book is very interesting.
(ii) This is a very good book.

Rule 15. 'Much' is used with comparative degree and past participle.

e.g. (i) I am much exhausted now.
(ii) He is much wiser than his sister.

Rule 16. 'So' is used with 'that' and 'too' is used with 'to', 'very' and "much" may be used in the place of 'so' and 'too'.

e.g. (i) He is so weak that he can't walk.
(ii) I am too weak to walk.

Rule 17. 'Enough' is both an adjective and an adverb. As an adjective it is placed before a noun and as an adverb it is placed after the adjective;
eg. (i) He has enough money.

Adjective
(ii) He is wise enough to do this.

Rule 18. 'Rather' is an adverb of degree like fairly, quite, pretty (to some extent)

e.g. (i) She is rather honest.
(ii) We are doing the work rather slowly.

Rule 19. 'Too',' As well' and' Also' are used in the sense of 'besides' or 'in addition to' in the Affirmative sentence. 'Too' and 'As well' can be used in the end position but 'also' can't be used in the end position.

e.g. (i) I found my money and book as well.
(ii) She got her degree and certificates too.
(iii) We found the car and also the truck.

Rule 20. If two persons are doing one action then [so + helping verb + subject] is used in the affirmative sentence.

e.g. (i) I won the game and so did he.
(ii) She cooks good and so do I.

Rule 21. If neither of the two persons are doing an action then [neither/nor + helping verb + subject] is used in negative sentence.

e.g. (i) I did not win the game and neither did he.
(ii) She does not cook food and neither do I.

Rule 22. 'As' should be used to introduce predicative of the verbs in the case of following verbs Regard, Describe, Define, Treat, View, Know.

e.g. (i) I regard her as my sister.
(ii) She defined it as tissue.

Rule 23. 'As' should be avoided to introduce predicative of the verbs in the case of followings, Name, Elect, Think, Consider, Call, Appoint,
Make, Choose.

e.g. (i) They appointed him captain.
(ii) He is chosen secretary.

Rule 1. When the object in the interrogative pronoun is understood then preposition is placed after the object.

e.g. (i) Whom are you talking to?
(ii) What are you looking for?

Rule 2. When the object of a preposition is relative pronoun 'that' then preposition is placed afterwards.

e.g. (i) He is the boy that everybody talks of.
(ii) This is the book that I was looking for.

Rule 3. When an infinitive qualifies a noun then the preposition should be placed after the infinitive.

e.g. (i) This is a better place to live in.
(ii) He gave me a pen to write with.

Rule 4. These verbs are not used with a preposition Stress, Emphasis, Discuss, Investigate, Comprise, Accompany, Consider, Violate, Demand, Pervade, Resemble, Precede, Resign, Concern, Regret, Await, Lack, Describe, Ensure, Join.

e.g. (i) He has ordered his transfer.
(ii) She is accompanying me.

Rule 5. 'Than' and 'But' are generally conjunction but they can be used as prepositions.

e.g. (i) There was none other than Rakhi.
(ii) There was no one else but Rakhi.

Rule 6. Words take certain preposition with them. See the list below:
∙ Assent to (a proposal)
∙ Avail ourselves of (an opportunity)
∙ Addicted to (drinking, something)
∙ Abstain from (food, indulgence, etc,)
∙ Acquiesce (an opinion in proposal)
∙ Afraid of (a ghost)
∙ Accession to (throne)
∙ Absorbed in (study)
∙ Acquaintance with (a person)
∙ Abundance of (wealth)
∙ Accustomed to (work)
∙ Attain to (a position)
∙ Accede to (a request)
∙ Absolved from (a promise, a sin)
∙ Adhere to (principles)
∙ Abhorrent to (good nature)
∙ Assure of (a thing)
∙ Acquit (someone ) of a charge
∙ Beware of (cheating)
∙ Comply with (one's wishes)
∙ Cured of (a disease)
∙ Conducive to (health)
∙ Condemn to (death)
∙ Comply with (wishes)
∙ Desirous of (doing something)
∙ Devoid of (quality)
∙ Despair of (success)
∙ Deprive of (something)
∙ Duty of (the country)
∙ Eligible for (a post)
∙ Excuse for (a fault)
∙ Exchange a thing (with a person)
∙ Exception to (a rule)
∙ Envious of (a person or a thing)
∙ Elder to (some family member)
∙ Fatal to (one's cause)
∙ Furnish with (clothes)
∙ Fearful of (death)
∙ Greedy for (wealth)
∙ Heir to (ancestral property)
∙ Hopeful of (success)
∙ Healed of (a disease)
∙ Hostile to (a person)
∙ Intimate with (a person)
∙ Insist on a (thing)
∙ Impertinent to (elders)
∙ Innocent of (a crime)
∙ Invite to (dinner)
∙ Intimate with (person)
∙ Insight into (a matter or thing)
∙ Keep to (the left, the point)
∙ Match for (a person)
∙ Mourn for (the dead)
∙ Mad with (anger)
∙ Need for (help)
∙ Notorious for (drinking, doing)
∙ Overwhelmed with (sorrow, grief)
∙ Passion for (study)
∙ Persist in (doing)
∙ Pleased with (a person)
∙ Proud of (a thing)
∙ Prefer to (a thing)
∙ Repent of (a mistake)
∙ Rob (a person) of (a thing)
∙ Short of (money)
∙ Shocked at (a loss)
∙ Sure of (some fact)
∙ Sacred to (a cause)
∙ Invite to (dinner)
∙ Jealous of (a person)
∙ Knock at (the door)
∙ Key to (success)
∙ Match for (a person)
∙ Motive for (an action)
∙ Need of (a thing)
∙ Occur to (mind)
∙ Pay for (One's mistakes)
∙ Peculiar to (a person or a thing)
∙ Pity for (poor, downtrodden)
∙ Preface to (a book)
∙ Pride (on a thing)
∙ Refrain from (doing some wrong)
∙ Respectful to (a person)
∙ Sentence to (punishment)
∙ Side with (a person)
∙ Superior to (a thing)
∙ Search for (a thing)

Rule 7. 'For', 'of', 'To', 'From', 'In', 'with', 'On' are called high frequency prepositions because they are used widely. Below is a list of high frequency preposition with the words they are used.

Preposition 'FOR'

(A) The following nouns take the preposition 'for' after them apology, appetite, affection, blame, candidate, contempt, craving, capacity,
compassion, compensation, desire, esteem, fondness, guarantee, leisure, liking match, motive, need, opportunity, partiality, pretext,
passion, predilection, remorse, relish.

(B) The following verbs take the preposition 'for' after them Atone, canvass, care, clamor, feel, mourn, pine, start, stipulate, sue, wish, yearn.

(C) The following adjectives and participles take the preposition 'for' after them anxious, conspicuous, customary, designed, destined,
eager, eligible, eminent, fit, good, grateful, prepared, proper, penitent, qualified, ready, sorry, sufficient, useful, zealous.

Preposition 'OF'

(A) The following nouns take the preposition 'of' after them assurance, abhorrence, charge, doubt, experience, failure, observance, proof, result, want.

(B) The following adjectives and participles take the preposition 'of' after them accused, afraid, apprehensive, apprised, assured, aware,
bereft, bought, cautious certain, characteristic, confident, conscious, convicted, convinced, covetous, defrauded, deprived, desirous,
destitute,. diffident, distrustful, dull, easy, envious, fearful, fond, greedy, guilty, heedless, ignorant, informed, irrespective, lame, lavish,
negligent, productive, proud, regardless, sanguine, sensible, sick, sow, sure, suspicious, tolerant, vain, weary, worthy.

(C) The following verbs take the preposition 'of' after them acquit, beware, boast, complain, die, disapprove, dispose, divest, dream, heal,
judge, repent, taste.

Preposition 'TO'

(A) The following nouns take the preposition 'to' after them allegiance, approach, assent, access, accession, antidote, antipathy, exception, incentive, indifference, invitation, key, likeness, limit, menace, obedience, opposition, objection, obstruction, postscript, preface,
resemblance, repugnance, sequel, submission, supplement, succession, traitor, temptation.

(B) The following adjectives and participles take the preposition 'to' after them acceptable, accustomed, abhorrent, addicted, adequate,
adjacent, affectionate, agreeable, akin, alien, alive, analogous, applicable, appropriate, beneficial, callous, common, comparable, condemned, conducive, conformable, congenial, consecrated, contrary creditable, deaf, derogatory, devoted, disastrous, due,
entitled, equal, essential, exposed, faithful, fatal, foreign, hostile, incidental, inclined, indebted, indifferent, indispensable, indulgent, inimical, insensible, injured, irrelevant, favorable, immaterial,. impervious, indigenous,liable, limited, lost, loyal, material, offensive, opposite, obedient, obliged, painful, partial, peculiar,' pertinent, pledged, preferable, prior, profitable, prone, relevant, repugnant, related, responsible, restricted, sacred, sensitive, serviceable, suited, supplementary, true, tantamount.

(C) The following verbs take the preposition 'to' after them accede, adhere, allot, assent, attain, allude, apologize/ adapt, appoint, ascribe, attend, attribute, belong, consent, conduce, conform, lead, listen, object, occur, prefer, pretend, refer, revert, stoop, succumb, testify, yield.

Preposition 'FROM'

(A) The following nouns take the preposition 'from' after them abstinence, deliverance, descent, digression, escape, exemption, inference.

(B) The following verbs take the preposition 'from' after them abstain, alight, cease, derive, derogate, desist, detract, deviate, differ, dissent, elicit, emerge, escape, exclude, preserve, prohibit, protect, recoil ,recover, refrain.

Preposition `IN'

(A) The following adjectives and participles take the preposition 'in' after them accomplished, accurate, :assiduous, absorbed, abstemious, backward, bigot, correct, defective, deficient, experienced, enveloped,. fertile, foiled, honest, implicated, interested involved, lax, remiss, versed.

(B) The following verbs take the preposition 'in' after them acquiesce, delight, excel, fall, glory, increase, indulge, involve, persevere,
persist.

Preposition 'WITH'

(A) The following adjectives and participles take the preposition 'with' after then acquainted, affected, beset, busy, compatible, complaint, contemporary, contented, conversant, convulsed, delighted, deluged, disgusted, drenched, endowed, fatigued, fired, gifted,
infected, infested, inspired, intimated, invented, overcome, popular, replete, satisfied, touched.

(B) The following verbs take the preposition 'with' after them associate, bear, clash, comply, condole, cope, correspond, credit, deluge,
disagree, dispense, expostulate, fill, grapple, meddle, quarrel, remonstrate, side, sympathize, trifle, vie.

Preposition 'ON'

The following verbs take the preposition 'on' after them comment, deliberate, decide, determine, dwell, enlarge, embark, encroach,
impose, insist, intrude, subsist, trample.

Rule 1. 'That' is used when 'The same' is used with a noun both in the case of qualification and resemblance.

e.g. (i) I shall buy the same car that my brother bought. (Resemblance)
(ii) He is the same boy that asked me for a lift yesterday. (Qualification)

Rule 2. 'As' is used when 'The same' is used either without a noun or when the verb is unexpressed in the case of resemblance.

e.g. (i) Just write the same as I do. (Resemblance)
(ii) I like the same car as he. (Resemblance)

Rule 3. A void using 'not' if the clause is beginning with 'until' and 'unless'.

e.g. (i) Please wait until I return.
(ii) Please do not go I unless say.

Rule 4. If one clause is conditionally dependent upon another then we use 'and'.

e.g. (i) Use your credit cards carelessly and soon you will be in debt.
(ii) Waste your time idly and soon you will have no time to prepare for exams.

Rule 5. 'Expression 'No Sooner' is followed by 'than'.
e.g. (i) No sooner did I get my salary than I started making my purchases.
(ii) No sooner does she reach her house than she begins to read here-mails.

Rule 6. Expression 'Hardly I scarcely' is followed by 'when'.

e.g. (i) Hardly had I reached the stadium when the match started.
(ii) Hardly had she touched her feet when it started to pain.

Rule 7'. If 'No/Not/Never' is being used in any sentence and we are to introduce alternative conjunction then it will be 'or' and we should not use 'nor'.

e.g. (i) I have no books or pencil.
(ii) He did not say or write this.

Rule 8. We should not use 'but' with 'however'.

e.g. (i) His behavior however has not changed.
(ii) Her drawings however seem awesome.

Rule 9. We should not use 'but' with 'though/although I even though' . 'Yet' can be used with them.

e.g. (i) Although he is poor, yet he is honest.
(ii) Though he is rich, yet he has no will to part with.

Rule 10. Only past conditionals will be used after' as if/as though'.

e.g. (i) He talks as if he were my boss.
(ii) He behaves as though he were the prince of this city.

Rule 1. To denote Habit, Custom, Practice, Repeating, Actions, Permanent, Activity, General, Truth, Historical, Present, Future, Arrangement; we use simple present tense.

e.g. (i) I go for a walk daily.
(ii) 15th August is celebrated every year.

Rule 2. Stative verbs should not be conjugated to present participle form.
See, Taste, Smell, Hear, Prefer, Please, Possess, Become, Face, Stand, Require, Resemble, Affect, Think, Mean, Mind Own, Belong, Comprise, Love, Desire, Hate, Believe, Want, Wish.

e.g. (i) I prefer tea to coffee.
(ii) She hates me for no reason.

Rule 3. Past continuous tense is used for definite arrangement for future in the past.

e.g. (i) He was leaving that night.
(ii) 1 asked her what she was doing next day.

Rule 4. Some of the verbs and adjectives are followed by infinitives. Such as: Agree, Happy, Desire, Need, Dare, Hope, Expect
Decide, Want, Wish, Refuse, Eager, Fail, Glad, Happy, Heard, Easy.

Rule 5. How + Infinitive
When Infinitive is used to express manner, the full forms of infinitive is 'how to' the verbs implying manner I method are 'Know, Learn, Explain, Teach, Discover, Wonder, Show, Ask, Remember, Forget, etc.

e.g. (i) He knows how to write English.
(ii) We taught him how to cook food.

Rule 6. For + Gerund is used for actions showing cause. (Action in the past).

e.g. (i) He will punish you for breaking the pen.
(ii) He punished you for corning late.

Rule 7. For+ Gerund is used for showing purpose for which the subject is used.

e.g. (i) This book is to read. [x]
This book is for reading. [.Y]

(ii) This machine is to measure height.[x]
This machine is for measuring height. [.Y]

Rule 8. For + Noun is used for purpose in place of to + verb when verb is made to serve as noun.

e.g. (i) We come here for a drive.
(ii) Sameer requested for a rest.

Rule 9. To + Gerund is also used with certain verbs and phrases.

e.g. (i) She is used to swimming at dawn.
(ii) Esha came here with a view to studying.

Rule 10. 'Direct Infinitive' is used after the verbs such as Let, Bid, Know, Help, Feel, Hear, Watch, See. 'Direct Infinitive' is used only when these verbs are used in active voice (not in passive voice except the verb 'let'.) The verb 'let' is followed by direct infinitive both in active and passive voice.

e.g. (i) I made the student write an essay.
(ii) The student was made to write an essay. (Passive voice)

Rule 11. The following phrases are also used with Direct Infinitive I had better, had rather, would rather would better, as soon, sooner than.

e.g. (i) I would/had better leave your house at once.
(ii) She would/had rather stay than leave now.

Rule 12. Direct Infinitive is used with, 'but, than, and, except, as, or'.

e.g. (i) He did nothing but cry. (correct)
(ii) She did no more than sleep the whole day. (correct)

Rule 13. Direct infinitive is used with phrases, 'Why not and Why'.

e.g. (i) Why not rest now.(suggestion)
(ii) Why not stay here. (suggestion)

Rule 14. Have + object (used in the sense of 'wish") is followed by direct infinitive, e.g.

(i) I will have him believe it.
(ii) She will have me recite this poem.

Rule 15. Won't +have+ object+ gerund (Used in the sense of won't allow)

e.g. (i) I won't have you talking like that.
(ii) I won't have you staying at Delhi.

Rule 16. Perfect infinitive should be used if the action expressed by the infinite precedes the action of the finite verb.

e.g. (i) He admitted to have uttered these words against me.

Rule 17. The verbs where perfect infinitive may be; if needed; used.

Deny, Confess, Admit, Remember, Recall, Claim, Regret, Seen, Appear, Report, Believe, Understand, Say, Allege, Learn, Require, Suppose.

e.g. (i) She denied to have seen him yesterday.
(ii) He appears to have been rich earlier.

Rule 18. Adjective 'enough' is used after adjective or 'too' before adjective when infinitive expresses negative meaning.

e.g. (i) She is too ill to go out.
(ii) She is good enough to help me.

Rule 19. Noun Preposition should be used, if required, after the infinitive when infinitive qualifies the noun.

e.g. (i) These days no airlines is safe to travel by.
(ii) I gave him a pen to write with.

Rule 20. 'To' should not be separated from Its verb by inserting any adverb between the two. Split infinitive is grammatically wrong.

e.g. (i) You are requested to kindly stay for sometime. (Use 'kindly' to stay)
(ii) You are required at least to obey your parents. (Correct)

Rule 21. Continuous Infinitive can be used with the following verbs and Modal auxiliaries.

Appear, Seem, Believe, Consider, Think, Report, Arrange, Hope, Pretend, say, etc.
May be, Might be, Should be, Could be, Must be, etc.

e.g. (i) She must be waiting for her husband.
(ii) You should be sleeping now instead of watching TV.

Rule 22. Gerund is a verb form which functions as a noun. It is formed by adding 'ing' with a verb. It is used in place of Infinitive in certain cases.

e.g. (i) I do not believe in talking rubbish. (Preposition + gerund)
(ii) I do not like riding. (Direct gerund)
(iii) She is used to swimming. (To + gerund)
(iv) Smoking is not good for health. (Subject)

Rule 23. Infinitives and gerunds are easily replaceable. However, certain rules have to be followed for replacing infinitives and gerunds by each other.

e.g. (i) I like to swim today. (At a particular time)
(ii) I like swimming. (General/habitual statement)

Rule 24. The following phrases and certain verbs are followed by direct gerund.

'Avoid, Mind, Detest, Can't Help, Can't bear, Resist, Enjoy, Resent, Stop, Start, Postpone, Defer, Worth, Prefer, Consider, Practice, Finish,
Risk, Pardon, Excuse, Forgive, It is no use/good, Propose, Miss imagine, Regret, Means, Anticipate, Love, Like, Hate, Dislike.'