English Grammar and Spot The Error Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering core English grammar rules, phrasal verbs, and common errors from the SSC CGL examination transcript.

Proximity Rule

In 'neither…nor' or 'either…or' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Base Form (Modals)

Following modal verbs like 'shall', 'will', 'can', or 'may', the main verb must remain in its base form without any suffix.

Rule of Parallelism

A grammatical principle where words or phrases in a list must maintain the same form, such as all gerunds ($V_{ing}$) or all infinitives ($to+V_1$).

Noun Clause (Singular Subject)

A clause used as a subject, such as 'What the ancient philosophers believed', which functions as a singular entity requiring a singular verb.

Uncountable Nouns (Grammar)

Nouns like 'information', 'scenery', 'furniture', 'equipment', and 'poetry' that are always singular and cannot take the suffix '-s' or the article 'a'.

Role of 'Both…and'

A fixed conjunction pair requiring the same part of speech to follow both elements to ensure balanced sentence structure.

Inverted Third Conditional

A hypothetical past structure following the format 'Had + subject + past participle' (e.g., 'Had she known').

Subjunctive Mood

A verb form used after words like 'recommend', 'suggest', or 'insist' that employs the base form of the verb regardless of the subject's number.

Transitive Verb

A verb, such as 'emphasize', 'reduce', or 'discuss', that takes a direct object without requiring an intervening preposition like 'on' or 'about'.

Absolute Adjective

An adjective like 'unique' that represents a non-gradable state and cannot be used with quantifiers like 'quite' or 'more'.

Complement vs. Compliment

'Complement' refers to completing or enhancing something, while 'compliment' refers to an expression of praise or admiration.

Bare Infinitive

The base form of a verb used without 'to', specifically required after the verb 'let' (e.g., 'let students take').

Superfluous Expression

A redundant phrase where the meaning of one word is already included in another, such as 'blunder mistake' or 'return back'.

Collective Noun (Verb Agreement)

A word like 'committee' or 'jury' that takes a singular verb when the group acts as a single unit or reaches a unanimous decision.

Phonetic Article Rule (An)

The article 'an' is used before terms with a vowel sound, regardless of the starting letter, such as 'an FIR', 'an hour', or 'an honest approach'.

Phonetic Article Rule (A)

The article 'a' is used before terms with a consonant sound, even if they begin with a vowel letter, such as 'a unique workshop'.

Look into

A phrasal verb meaning to examine the facts about a problem or situation.

Look down

A phrasal verb meaning to consider someone or something as inferior or less worthy of respect.

Cope with

A phrasal verb meaning to deal effectively with something difficult; frequently misused as 'cope up with'.

Hanged vs. Hung

'Hanged' specifically refers to death by execution, whereas 'hung' refers to suspending objects like clothes or paintings.

Gerund After Prepositions

The grammatical rule requiring the $V_{ing}$ form of a verb when it follows a preposition like 'from', 'of', or 'in'.

Inversion (Negative Adverbs)

A structural requirement where the auxiliary verb precedes the subject after negative adverbs like 'seldom', 'hardly', or 'no sooner'.

Drown vs. Sink

'Drown' is used for living beings (humans/animals), while 'sink' (past 'sank') is used for inanimate objects like ships.

Adverb vs. Adjective (Reckless)

'Reckless' is an adjective used to describe nouns, while 'recklessly' is the adverb required to describe verbs (e.g., 'drives recklessly').

'By the time' Structure

A conjunction used with the simple present in the first clause to require the future perfect tense ($will+have+V_3$) in the second clause.