English Term 2 Exam

Grammar and Sentence Structure

1. Comparisons and Superlatives

• When comparing two things, use the comparative form (“better,” “stronger”), not the superlative (“best,” “strongest”).

• Incorrect: Mary is the best of the two candidates.

• Correct: Mary is the better of the two candidates.

2. Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

• Use “fewer” with countable nouns and “less” with uncountable nouns.

• Incorrect: with less problems

• Correct: with fewer problems

3. Wordiness and Redundancy

• “The reason… is because” is redundant. Use “The reason… is that.”

• Incorrect: The reason I will not be going is because I will use up my travel money.

• Correct: The reason I will not be going is that I will use up my travel money.

4. Subject-Verb Agreement

• Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.

• Incorrect: None of us knows. (should be plural)

• Correct: None of us know.

• Incorrect: Neither of my brothers do anything.

• Correct: Neither of my brothers does anything.

5. Prepositions

• “Besides” means “in addition to.” “Beside” means “next to.”

• Incorrect: The teacher sat down besides the frightened child.

• Correct: The teacher sat down beside the frightened child.

6. Parallel Structure

• Items in a list should have the same grammatical form.

• Incorrect: I admire people who are honest, reliable, and have sincerity.

• Correct: I admire people who are honest, reliable, and sincere.

7. Sentence Fragments

• Every sentence must have a subject and a verb.

• Incorrect: Not being the case with dancers, as ballet careers hardly ever extend beyond the mid-thirties.

• Correct: This is not the case with dancers, as ballet careers hardly ever extend beyond the mid-thirties.

8. Run-On Sentences & Comma Splices

• Two independent clauses should be joined by a conjunction or a semicolon.

• Incorrect: The dog chased the cat, the cat ran up a tree.

• Correct: The dog chased the cat, and the cat ran up a tree.

• Correct: The dog chased the cat; the cat ran up a tree.

9. Verb Tenses and Conditional Sentences

• “If” with past perfect (had + verb) should use “would have” in the result clause.

• Incorrect: If she would have spent more time studying…

• Correct: If she had spent more time studying…

10. Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers

• Modifiers should be placed next to the word they describe.

• Incorrect: Hoping to win the race, the starting line was crowded with runners.

• Correct: Hoping to win the race, the runners crowded the starting line.

11. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

• A singular antecedent requires a singular pronoun.

• Incorrect: All states impose penalties on drivers who do not stop when he or she is involved in accidents.

• Correct: All states impose penalties on drivers who do not stop when they are involved in accidents.

12. Misuse of “Whom” vs. “Who”

• Use “who” for the subject and “whom” for the object.

• Incorrect: Whomever sells the most protection agreements will receive a bonus.

• Correct: Whoever sells the most protection agreements will receive a bonus.

13. Incorrect Use of Articles

• “A number” takes a plural verb, while “The number” takes a singular verb.

• Correct: A number of trainees find the course difficult.

• Correct: The number of trainees is increasing.

14. Use of “Had” in Past Perfect Tense

• “Had wrote” is incorrect; it should be “had written.”

• Incorrect: Shakespeare had wrote all his plays.

• Correct: Shakespeare had written all his plays.

Literature

Quaternity Theories

1. Text to Author -“ Examining how the authors background, experiences, and intentions influence the text.

2. Text to Reader - Understanding how readers interpret and interact with the text based on their perspectives.

3. Text to Itself (Other Texts) -“ Analyzing the structure, style, and meaning within the text and how it relates to other texts (intertextuality).

4. Text to World - Exploring how the text reflects or engages with historical, social, and cultural contexts.

Literary Criticism/Theories

1. Formalism -Focuses on the text itself, analyzing structure, language, themes, and literary devices without considering external factors like the author’s biography or historical context.

2. Historicism -“ Examines literature in its historical and cultural context, considering how time period and societal events shape the text.

3. Feminism -“ Analyzes literature through the lens of gender roles, power structures, and the representation of women.

4. Marxism -“ Focuses on class struggle, economic power, and social inequality in literature, often examining how texts reinforce or challenge capitalist ideology.

5. Gender & Queer Studies -“ Explores representations of gender and sexuality in literature, questioning traditional norms and highlighting LGBTQ+ perspectives.