Benefits of English Grammar Exercises

English grammar practice is important because practicing English grammar will enable one to know all English basics and how to compose nice English sentences. It is amazing to find scholars in higher institutions of learning unable to compose grammatical error free sentences. This is simply because they did not practice advance English grammar at their early stages. One is supposed to be well conversant with all English grammar exercises right from lower classes and this will assure him or her enough practice on English grammar.
The knowledge on how English language is made up can actually help you in many ways. One of the ways is writing. Those individuals who can write grammatical error free content have a good foundation of English grammar. This means that they had enough English grammar practice right from childhood and this has made them shine in the language. It is not a surprise to find a native English speaker who cannot write a single grammatically correct sentence. The person had English as his or her first language but no effort has been done on advance English grammar. Therefore, undertaking English grammar exercises well can make you excellent in writing English.
It is worth to note that English grammar practice can actually help you not only in writing but also in speaking correct English. We note that those people who know how to write English can as well speak it out well. Pronunciation of English terms matters a lot and this is the area that actually need English grammar practice. Pronouncing an English word correctly indicates that you can also write it well. There are many English grammar exercises that one can go through and get enough practice.
Another benefit of English grammar practice is that it will help you in the study of other languages. English is the standard language that everyone is supposed to be conversant with. Without the knowledge of advance English grammar, then writing and pronunciation of terms in other languages would be a problem. Other subjects studied in school also require good English grammar. Such subjects include; geography, history, agriculture, economics and many more that require correct English grammar.

Thursday 1 October 2009

English Grammar Exercise 7(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

71. While my uncle and I were walking through the zoo my uncle was frightened by the roar of a lion. Answer
72. Mathematics is his favorite subject; he finds them very interesting. Answer
73. After the accident took place, neither the passengers nor the policeman were able to catch the bus driver. Answer
74. I only bought what was necessary; I was not whimsical. Answer
75. I believe that story about the tiger hunting because he himself had told us the story was true. Answer

Answers of Exercise 7(Advance Grammar)

71. The sentence is correct.
72. Here ‘mathematics’ is a subject and is singular. So it should be ‘it’ instead of ‘them’.
73. In a ‘neither-nor’ construction the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun which comes immediately before the verb. So here ‘the policeman was able’ is correct.
74. There is a wrong use of modifier in this sentence. ‘I bought only’ should be the correct answer.
75. The sentence is correct.
76. The sentence is correct.
77. Here verb ‘affect’ should be changed to noun ‘effect’ because it is the object of the clause. Never use a verb in subject or object position.
78. ‘I’ should be changed to ‘me’, because here the pronoun ‘me’ is the object of the preposition ‘among’.
79. The rule is (would like + complement + infinitive). So here it should be ‘to spend’.
80. The sentence is correct.

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Confusing Words

INSIST vs PERSIST
Despite my illness, Anthony insisted on going to market.
They persisted in taking decision against the principle.
INTENSE vs INTENSIVE
Most of them felt hot due to intense heat.
Five years ago I took intensive course from Japan.
JOURNEY vs TOUR vs TRIP
We will go for a trip to Coxesbazar on Monday.
Mr Khan had a nice tour in Europe last month.
The journey was too long.
LATE vs LATELY vs LATER vs LATTER vs LATEST vs LAST
She hasn't seen him lately.
Khan and Koli both are hardworking pupils, but the latter is more active at home.
I want a car of latest fashion.
I couldn’t understand the last line of that poem.
You are always late for office.
I will do it later.

Confusing Words

HOPE vs EXPECT vs WISH
He doesn't expect to see her at the college next Monday.
I wish she will be your friend.
She hopes I will be admitted in the university.
IMAGINARY vs IMAGINATION vs IMAGINATIVE
This film was about imaginary situation.
Why do you have too much imagination?
She's got really imaginative mind.
IMMIGRATE vs EMIGRATE vs IMMIGRANT
Our family will emigrate to France tomorrow.
Thousands of people immigrate into Unites States over few years.
Many immigrants may face various problems.
INTERESTING vs INTERESTED vs INTEREST
These books seem to interest them.
I’m so much interested in reading books.
That movie was really interesting.

Sunday 13 September 2009

Confusing Words

EQUAL vs IDENTICAL vs SIMILAR
This two subjects are not equal.
This book is almost similar to my book.
We were really surprised to see that our caps were identical.
ERROR vs MISTAKE vs CRIME vs SIN vs FAULT
I call him by mistake.
This is nothing but a typing error.
Don't punish her. It isn’t her fault.
You should confess your sin to us.
She is sentenced to death because of her serious crime.
EXCITING vs EXCITED vs EXCITEMENT
We all were excited when we were watching such exciting cricket match.
After hearing her result she jumped with excitement.
EVERYDAY vs EVERY DAY
I don’t know what is he doing every day?
You seem not to be busy with everyday task.
She writes ten poems every day.
GAOL vs GOAL
He had been in a gaol for ten years.
This is my goal of my life.
HANG vs HANGED vs HUNG
The criminal will be hanged tomorrow.
I hung her picture years ago.
HARD vs HARDLY
He hardly does his homework.
I tried really hard for my improvement.
HIRE vs LET vs RENT
This flat is to let.
That couple rent a house.
I hired a lorry to carry our furniture to the new flat.

Saturday 12 September 2009

Confusing Words

DISINTERESTED vs UNINTERESTED
The judge will have to be disinterested; otherwise he won’t be able to make right decision.
She is uninterested in reading.
DIVIDE vs SHARE
Jony shared his book with Raz.
The leader divided the pupils into three groups.
ECONOMIC vs ECONOMICAL vs ECONOMICS vs ECONOMY
Mr. Khan is really an economical business man.
He is taking honors degree in economics.
The economy of our country isn’t so well.
People will have to lead a miserable life in the period of economic recession.
ELIGIBLE vs LEGIBLE
You are the only person who is eligible for this job.
Her handwriting isn’t legible.
EMINENT vs IMMINENT
Dr John is really an eminent surgeon in that city.
We have to be out of this locality as a cyclone is imminent.

Confusing Words : supposed to and suppose, than and then, their-there-they'er, to-too-two, who and whom

supposed to and suppose:
• SUPPOSED TO-correct form for "to be obligated to" or "presumed to" NOT "suppose to"
I was supposed to go there.

SUPPOSE-to guess or make a conjecture
Suppose u are a member of this family.
________________________________________
than and then:
• THAN-use with comparisons
I like you more than your brother.

THEN-at that time, or next
I went to the market, then he called me.
________________________________________
there, their and they're:
• THEIR-possessive form of ’they’
Their behavior is really polite.

THERE-indicates location
There are many flowers in this garden.

THEY'RE-contraction for "they are"
They're going to have dinner.
________________________________________
to, too and two:
• TO-toward
He went to the school.

TOO-also, or excessively
He talks too much.

TWO-a number
Only two people can join here.
________________________________________
who and whom:
• WHO-used as a subject or as a subject complement
He is the person who can do everything for me.

WHOM-used as an object
Whom did Ali choose as his replacement?

Thursday 10 September 2009

Confusing Words : precede and proceed, principal and principle, quote and quotation, stationary and stationery

Precede and Proceed:
• PRECEDE-to come before
The exchange of angry words that preceded the scuffle.

PROCEED-to go forward
I will proceed to the degree of M.A.
________________________________________
Principal and Principle:
• PRINCIPAL-adjective, most important; noun, a person who has authority
Our principal is now on vacation.

PRINCIPLE-a general or fundamental truth
The basic principle of this topics is not so complicated.
________________________________________
Quote and Quotation:
• QUOTE-verb, to cite
She quoted a few lines from ‘Hamlet’.

QUOTATION-noun, the act of citing
This book is full of nice quotations.
________________________________________
Stationary and Stationery:
• STATIONARY-standing still
Things have remained stationary.

STATIONERY-writing paper
My father bought me stationary office.

Confusing Words : its and it's, lead and led, lose and loose, passed and past

Its and It's:
• ITS-of or belonging to it
The baby screamed as soon as its parents walk out of this room.

IT'S-contraction for it is
It's really nice weather.
________________________________________
Lead and Led:
• LEAD-noun, a type of metal
The pipe was made of lead.

LED-verb, past tense of the verb "to lead"
He led the students on that journey.
________________________________________
Lose and Loose:
• LOSE--verb, to misplace or not win
Don’t come home, if you lose the match.

LOOSE--adjective, to not be tight; verb (rarely used)--to release
Yesterday the criminal got loose from the jail.
________________________________________
Passed and Past:
• PASSED-verb, past tense of "to pass," to have moved
Hope you have passed a nice day.

PAST-belonging to a former time or place
She was the past vice president of our committee.

English Grammar Exercise 6(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

61. That is mostly for his work on evolution Charles Darwin is remembered. Answer
62. Kader Siddiqui, who wrote a 860-page book on liberation war, was barred from entering the country until the fall of President Ershad. Answer
63. Because it was faster, Kalam insisted in my taking the bus to Chittagong instead of the train. Answer
64. No one but he knew which questions were going to be asked on this test. Answer
65. Although I am playing tennis for more than five years, I could not win any national trophy. Answer
66. After Kamal had broken his leg, the coach had wanted us to visit him in the hospital. Answer
67. These shirts are all too expensive for us to buy at this time but we think we will return later. Answer
68. If Samir would have studied Economics in college he would not have found the business terminologies so difficult to understand. Answer
69. As a result of the bad weather, Rana is the only one of my colleagues who plan to attend the conference. Answer
70. After his heart attack, he was ordered to lay in bed and rest for one month. Answer

Answers of Exercise 6(Advance Grammar)

61. Here ‘that’ should be ‘it’, because the use of ‘that’ is unidiomatic in this regard.
62. Here the indirect article ‘a’ has to be changed to ‘an’, because the word after it begins with a ‘vowel’ sound.
63. Wrong use of preposition ‘in’. Here the correct preposition after ‘insisted’ is ‘on’.
64. In this sentence ‘but’ is used as a preposition meaning ‘except’. As an object of this preposition, ‘he’ is to be changed to ‘him’.
65. Here present perfect continuous form is to be used. So ‘am playing’ is to be changed into ‘have been playing’.
66. Here ‘want’ is the action that happened later. So simple past tense (wanted) should be used to indicate it.
67. The sentence is correct.
68. ‘Would’ can never be used after ‘if’. So it should be ‘had studied’.
69. Here the antecedent of ‘who’ is ‘one’ which is singular. So it should be ‘plans’ instead of ‘plan’.
70. Here ‘lay’ is wrong. It should be ‘lie’.

Monday 7 September 2009

Confusing Words : conscience and conscious, council and counsel, elicit and illicit, eminent-immanent-imminent

Conscience and Conscious:
• CONSCIENCE-sense of right and wrong
Conscience kept someone from copying on the exam.

CONSCIOUS-awake
She was conscious enough when the police entered the office.
________________________________________
Council and Counsel:
• COUNCIL-a group that consults or advises
Everyone on the council supported me.

COUNSEL-to advise
The teacher counseled me to read more.
________________________________________
Elicit and Illicit:
• ELICIT-to draw or bring out
The professor elicited correct answers from his student.

ILLICIT-illegal
The leader was banned for her illicit activities.
________________________________________
Eminent-Immanent-Imminent:
• EMINENT-famous, respected
The eminent cricketer won the Cricketer of the Year award.

IMMANENT-inherent or intrinsic
The significance of the story was immanent, and hard to recognize.

IMMINENT-ready to take place
A clash between my me and my sister is imminent from the second I enter here.
________________________________________

Friday 4 September 2009

Confusing Words : breath and breathe, capital and capitol, cite-sight-site, complement and compliment

Breath and Breathe:
• BREATH-noun, air inhaled or exhaled
His breath was stopped.

BREATHE-verb, to inhale or exhale
If someone doesn't breathe, then he is dead.
________________________________________
Capital and Capitol:
• CAPITAL-seat of government. Also financial resources.
The capital of England is London.

Do you have enough capital to start this business?

CAPITOL-the actual building in which the legislative body meets
The announcement of governor was made in the capitol.
________________________________________
Cite, Sight and Site:
• CITE-to quote or document
He cited five quotes from the different author in his paper.

SIGHT-vision
The sight beside that lake is really charming.

SITE-position or place
My site provides everything about grammar.
________________________________________
Complement and Compliment:
• COMPLEMENT-noun, something that completes; verb, to complete
A nice wine complements a seafood entree.

COMPLIMENT-noun, praise; verb, to praise
Thanks for your nice compliment.

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Confusing Words : allready and al ready, all together and altogether, apart and a part, ascent and assent

All ready and Already:
• ALL READY-prepared
Lunch was all ready when we arrived.

ALREADY-by this time
It has already been made.
________________________________________
Altogether and All together:
• ALTOGETHER-entirely
Altogether, he thought that they made everything.

ALL TOGETHER-gathered, with everything in one place
We are all together now.
________________________________________
Apart and A part:
• APART-to be separated
His old cycle fell apart before they reached school.

A PART-to be joined with
This job is a part of our main plan.
________________________________________
Ascent and Assent:
• ASCENT- climb
They made a steep ascent.

ASSENT-agreement
They are not in assent in this point.

Confusing Words : accept and except, affect and effect, a lot and alot, allusion and illusion

Accept and Except:
• ACCEPT-to receive
She accepts us well.

EXCEPT-to take or leave out
I like every books of this table except this one.
________________________________________
Affect and Effect:
• AFFECT-to influence
Lack of concentration affects the worth of your labor.

EFFECT-n., result, v., to accomplish
The effect of anger is not good.
________________________________________
A lot and Alot:
• A LOT (two words)-many.

ALOT (one word)-Not the correct form.
________________________________________
Allusion and Illusion:
• ALLUSION-an indirect reference.
The teacher made an allusion to Virginia Woolf's work.

ILLUSION-a false perception of reality.
This is nothing but an illusion.

Sunday 30 August 2009

English Grammar Exercise 5(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

51. They said that the man jumped off of the building and smashed on to the hard ground. Answer
52. Carbon-di-oxide, together with other CFC gases, are causing many problems in our environment. Answer
53. Kalam asked me what did happen last night, but I was unable to tell him. Answer
54. Rony hardly never misses an opportunity to sing in television. Answer
55. Salam is one of the most intelligent boys of the science class. Answer
56. The president emphasized the need for justice and equality between his countrymen. Answer
57. Albert Einstein has become one of the greatest scientist that the world has ever known. Answer
58. The chairman of the company refuses to accept either of the four new proposals made by the board of directors. Answer
59. The machinery in the factory was badly in need of to be repaired. Answer
60. Each of the students in the geography department has to type their own excursion report. Answer

Answers of Exercise 5(Advance Grammar)

51. The preposition ‘of’ is not necessary after the preposition ‘off’. So ‘of’ should be omitted.
52. Here carbon-di-oxide is a singular subject. So it should be ‘is’ instead of ‘are’.
53. This is a subject question. So the rule is (question word + subject + verb). So it should be ‘what happened’.
54. ‘Hardly never’ is a double negative and, therefore, is wrong. It should be ‘hardly ever’.
55. Here it should be ‘in. the rule for this is (one of the + superlative degree + noun + ‘in’ + singular count noun).
56. When there are two entities, ‘between’ is used, and when there are more than two, ‘among’ in used. So here ‘among’ has to be used.
57. The rule is –after ‘one of the’ there must be plural noun. So here it should be ‘scientists’.
58. ‘Either’ is used only for two items, and ‘any’ is used for more than two items. So here ‘either’ should be ‘any’.
59. The rule is (in need of + noun). So it should be only ‘repair’.
60. The correct pronoun should be ‘his’. ‘Each’ is singular, so ‘each’ must be followed by a singular verb and pronoun.

Sunday 23 August 2009

English Grammar Exercise 4(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

41. The doctor, accompanied by his wife and children, are staying in the hospital until after the seminar. Answer
42. Kamal was very late getting home last night, and unfortunately for him the dog barking woke everyone up. Answer
43. After walking for two miles, he suddenly realized that he has been walking in the wrong direction. Answer
44. The girl whom my brother married was used to be an actress in the ‘group theatre’. Answer
45. The Royal Bengal Tiger has long been a symbol of strength, power and it is very cruel. Answer
46. Because the workers had worked so deligent to construct the bridge, the contractor arranged a party. Answer
47. Hardly he had entered the classroom, when he realized that he had forgotten his homework. Answer
48. I do not understand where could he have gone so early in the morning. Answer
49. Lack of sanitation in households are a major cause of diarrhoea in different parts of our country. Answer
50. Kamal is looking forward to go to the USA after he finishes his studies at the college. Answer

Answers of Exercise 4(Advance Grammar)

40. Here ‘lend’ or ‘loan’ should be used instead of ‘borrow’.
41. Here the subject is singular because ‘accompanied by’ is a prepositional phrase and has no effect on the verb. So ‘are’ should be ‘is’.
42. Possessive form is used before a gerund. So it should be “dog’s”.
43. ‘After walking’ is past in this sentence but ‘has been walking’ is present. So it should be ‘had been walking’.
44. The correct form is : (subject + be + used to + gerund) and (subject +used to +verb in simple form). Here only ‘used to’ is to be used, because ‘be’ is the simple form of verb.
45. Here for parallel structure ‘cruel’ should be changed to noun ‘cruelty’ because ‘strength’ and ‘power’ are nouns.
46. Here the verb ‘had worked’ should be modified by an adverb. So the correct form is ‘diligently’.
47. Here it should be ‘Hardly had he’. Because if an adverbial appears at the beginning of a sentence, the rule is : (adverbial + auxiliary + subject + verb . . .).
48. This is an embedded question: the rule is (subject + verb + question word + subject + verb). So, here it should be ‘he could have’.
49. Here ‘lack of sanitation’ is a singular subject. So the verb should be ‘is’ instead of ‘are’.
50. The rule is (look forward to + verb + ing). So ‘going’ should be used.

Thursday 20 August 2009

Answers of Exercise 3(Advance Grammar)

31. ‘than’ should be ‘from’. The correct idiom is ‘different from’
32. ‘Although’ should be ‘despite’. (despite + noun phrase)
33. Should be ‘lie’. ‘lie’ means ‘to rest’ while ‘lay’ means ‘to put something on a surface’.
34. ‘watched’ should be ‘watching’ to maintain parallelism with ‘standing’ and ‘talking’.
35. ‘it was delivered’ should be ‘he delivered it’. Because a person is the subject here and this subject must appear immediately after the comma.
36. ‘ate’ should be ‘eaten’. Because for parallel structure it requires ‘dressed’ and ‘eaten’.
37. ‘us them’ should be ‘them to us’. If the direct object and the indirect object are both pronouns, the rule generally used is: (subject + verb + direct object + for/to + indirect object.)
38. Should be ‘known for’. Here the use of ‘known about’ is unidiomatic.
39. ‘Rashed’ should be ‘Rashed’s’, because it is necessary to use the possessive case before a gerund.
40. Here ‘lend’ or ‘loan’ should be used instead of ‘borrow’.

English Grammar Exercise 3(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

31. We thought that our shirts were the same, but his is different than the one I bought. Answer
32. Although the danger that he might be injured, Kamal bravely entered the burning house in order to save the oldman. Answer
33. The doctor told Mr. Karim that because of his severe injury he should lay in bed for a few days. Answer
34. Some of the people were standing in the street watched the parade, while others were talking to each other. Answer
35. Having finished his assignment before the deadline, is was delivered to the teacher before the class. Answer
36. After he had dressed and ate breakfast, Kamal rushed off to his office for a meeting with his clients. Answer
37. After learning all the details about the project, the contractor told us them at the planning meeting. Answer
38. Nepal has been well known about its natural beauty, famous saints and tradings for over four hundred years. Answer
39. Rashed being chosen as the most outstanding student on the campus made his parents very happy. Answer
40. Rina said that she would borrow me her new dress if I wanted to use it in the party. Answer

Wednesday 19 August 2009

English Grammar : With Books, Tutorials, Exercises etc. for speaking and writing English

English is not so easy language to learn. Native English speakers have enough of a problem learning the different sounds associated with words in the English language. Imagine how difficult it is for someone who is trying to learn English as a second language (ESL). The best way for ESL students to begin their learning of English is by using English Grammar Book or being in English Environment. There are many Grammar books on the market; however the best ones to access are focused on understanding Grammar and provide English Grammar tutorials within the book, English Grammar activities, English Grammar worksheets and English Grammar exercises for students to develop a better understanding of the use of English Grammar.

Basic English Grammar books provide English Grammar activities during tutorials. These activities are presented visually; however some students do not always respond well to visual content unless they are totally comfortable with the topic before they try the activity. English Grammar tutorials will include preview exercises to help students revise what they may know and what the teacher will need to include in the tutorial to assist the students to learn English Grammar effectively.

English Grammar tense can be a complicated English Grammar exercise for ESL students. The biggest challenge for ESL students is understanding the different types of tenses used in English Grammar. English Grammar learning can be complicated; however if you have a teacher who will help you through every English Grammar tense, at your own pace, your English Grammar learning will develop over time.

English Grammar checking software is available for download from many sites on the internet. The best person to ask for advice regarding this English Grammar checking software is your ESL teacher. Your teacher will know which software is the best one for your level of English Grammar learning and understanding.

Once you have begun your English Grammar learning, you will be provided with English Grammar worksheets and English Grammar exercises to complete. These English Grammar exercises can be completed in your classroom with the assistance of your teacher or they can be given to you to work on when the lesson is finished for the day. You may even have the opportunity to work with a classmate on an English Grammar activity. By having a partner to work with you will be able to hear the words spoken and have the opportunity to identify the words from those sounds. This technique is excellent for students who work best with verbal cues. For those ESL students who work best with visual cues, being able to read the words as they are being spoken is a great way to learn English Grammar.

Can I test my knowledge of English grammar? Learn to speak English? English websites secondary schools? How to spell English words? How to speak English? This type of many questions rises in English learners mind. And that’s why we have included lots of things about English grammar in our site: rules of basic English grammar, English grammar lessons, brief English grammar rules, English grammar tests for download, English grammar help, English grammar lesson plans, English grammar check, English grammar games, online English grammar, a comprehensive grammar of the English language, the best guides to English grammar, standard deviants English grammar, spoken English grammar, English grammar + ppt, declamation piece English, wikipedia in English, English dictionary, Old English alphabet, Old English fonts, Din standards English, Old English letters, English school holidays, English essay, Grammar quizzes, Grammar questions, correct grammar, free grammar printable worksheets, proper grammar, grammar guide, controversy teaching grammar, grammar punctuation, analytical grammar, grammar activities elementary , common grammar questions, the problems with teaching grammar etc.

As you progress in your English Grammar learning, you will be given more activities, worksheets and revision exercises to develop your understanding of English Grammar. When your teacher thinks you are ready, you will be given an English Grammar test to complete. The English Grammar test will comprise questions on topics within a chapter you have learned during your lessons, as well as an answer key for those activities so that you have the opportunity to get as many questions correct. Having said that, not all answers will be provided because you are being tested on what you know. That means you shouldn’t be given any tricky questions that you are not sure of the answers for.

English Grammar is not always easy to learn. If you have a supportive learning environment, you should be able to get the most information out of that environment that you need to become confident with your English speaking skills. By taking your time to learn English Grammar, you will be able to progress onto other parts of the English language and become a very proficient English speaker.

Saturday 15 August 2009

Afraid and Fear

Afraid

Afraid and fear

In an informal style, be afraid is more common than fear.

  • Don’t be afraid. (NOT Don’t fear)
  • Are you afraid of the dark?

I’m afraid = I’m sorry

I’m afraid (that) often means ‘ I’m sorry to tell you (that)’. It is used to introduce apologetic refusals and bad news.

  • I’m afraid (that) I can’t help you.
  • I’m afraid that there’s been an accident.

Afraid is not used before a noun

  • Hamid is afraid
  • Hamid is a frightened man. ( NOT … an afraid man.)

Across, Over and Through

On the other side (line) : across and over

Across and over can both be used to mean ‘on the other side of a line, river, bridge, road etc.’

  • His village is just across/over the border.
  • See if you can jump across/over the stream.

High things: over preferred

We prefer over to say ‘on/to the other side of something high’

  • Why are you climbing over the wall? (NOT …across the wall?)

On flat areas; in water: across preferred

We usually prefer across to say ‘on/to the other side of a flat area or surface’, or to talk about movement in water.

  • He walked across the field. (NOT … over the field)
  • Let’s swim across the river. (NOT … over the river)

But over is sometimes used in British English if there is no idea of arriving at the other side.

  • We often walk over the fields in the evening.

Across and through

The difference between across and through is like the difference between on and in. through, unlike across, is used for a movement in a three dimensional space, with things on all sides.

Compare:

  • We walked across the desert. (We were on the desert.)
  • I walked through the wood. (I was in the wood.)
  • We drove across the field.
* We drove through several towns.

Answers of Exercise 2(Advance Grammar)

21. ‘Neither’ must be followed by singular verb and pronoun in formal written English. So ‘were’ should be ‘was’.
22. Most adverbs of manner are formed by adding –ly to adjectives. So ‘different’ should be ‘differently’ to modify the manner in which the chair is shaped.
23. ‘because’ is a prepositional phrase, so ‘as evening’ should be ‘like evening’. ‘As’ acts as a conjunction, while ‘like’ acts as a preposition.
24. Here ‘raised’ should be used instead of ‘risen’. To ‘raise’ means to move to a higher place, while to ‘rise’ means to go up.
25. Adverb is used to modify an adjective. So ‘profound’ should be changed to adverb ‘profoundly’ which modifies adjective ‘disappointing’.
26. ‘was’ should be ‘were’. In the unreal condition (contrary to fact or hypothetical), the past tense form of ‘be’ is always ‘were’.
27. The clause ‘many people believed’ establishes a point of view in the past. ‘is’ should be ‘was’ to maintain the point of view.
28. A ‘verb word’ must be used in a clause after an impersonal expression. ‘is’ should be changed to ‘ be’ after the impersonal expression ‘it is essential’.
29. ‘living’ should be ‘live’. (subject + used to + verb in simple form)
30. ‘because’ should be ‘because of’. (because of + noun)

English Grammar Exercise 2(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

21. Neither of the two candidates who had applied for the job to the factory were eligible. Answer
22. This chair has the same design, but it is different shaped from that one. Answer
23. Because of the approaching cyclone, the wind began to blow hard and the sky became dark as evening. Answer
24. The flag is risen in the morning and taken down at night by the guards. Answer
25. To the men who worked so hard on the construction of the bridge, the news was profound disappointing. Answer
26. If the oxygen supply in the atmosphere was not replaced by plants, it would soon be exhausted. Answer
27. In ancient times, many people believed that the earth is motionless. Answer
28. It is essential that cancer is diagnosed and treated as early as possible in order to assure a successful cure. Answer
29. Kamal used to living in England, but his company had transferred him to a better position in France. Answer
30. Mr. Manik usually arrives at the office at ten o’clock, but because the traffic jam, he was one hour late. Answer

Tuesday 11 August 2009

English Grammar Exercise 1(Advance Grammar)

Each of the following sentences may contain an error in grammar, idiom or usage. If there is an error, it will appear in one of the underlined portions. Answers are given at the answer part. First try to answer by yourself, and then check it against the given answer. Answer explanation for each sentence is also given. If you go through this exercise, we can assure you that you will have a vast idea in English.

1. Rina was upset last night because she had to do too many homeworks. Answer
2. After Rana had returned to his house, he was reading a book. Answer
3. Kamal is thinking to go to the seminar on child-care next month. Answer
4. It has been a long time since we have talked to Rashed, isn’t it? Answer
5. The only students who were required to attend the workshop on ‘mass communication’ were Rana, Rina, Laila, and me. Answer
6. There’s a new supermarket in Elephant Road, isn’t it? Answer
7. The teacher tired to make the classes more enjoyable to the students so they would take a greater interest in the subject. Answer
8. Two of the students from the school has been chosen to participate in the national chess competition. Answer
9. The examination will test your ability to understand spoken English, to read non technical language and writing correctly. Answer
10. If cancer is suspected, the diagnosis need to be confirmed by blood tests. Answer
11. It has been known for the last two centuries that lightning was a form of electricity. Answer
12. Proper lighting is a necessary for good eyesight even though human night vision can be temporarily impared by extreme flashes of light. Answer
13. Intense clearing of jungles over decades in Chittagong Hill Tracts has destroyed the elephant’s habitat and threatened their survival. Answer
14. Enormous energy is required for the exchange of heat and moist between the atmosphere and the earth’s surface. Answer
15. Clouds hold water that evaporates from the land or the sea; later the water in clouds return to the land as rain. Answer
16. Medical experts are now suggesting that every healthy adult should receive counselling about exercise, diet and drug using. Answer
17. When the distance to any object is known, so the configuration of that object can be determined. Answer
18. Because fireworks are danger, many countries have introduced laws to prevent their sale. Answer
19. Throughout history, the mosquito is not only a nuisance but a killer carrying some of the most dangerous diseases known. Answer
20. Never before has so many people in Bangladesh been interested in cricket. Answer

Answers of Exercise 1(Advance Grammar)

Answers with Explanations:
1. Should be ‘much home-work’ instead of ‘many home-work’. Home-work can never be plural and it is a non-count noun, so it must be preceded by ‘much’.
2. Should be ‘read’ instead of ‘was reading’. You have to use the simple past tense to indicate an action that happened later.
3. Should be ‘of going’. (think of or think about + verb + ing). Never use: (think + infinitive).
4. Should be ‘hasn’t it’ instead of ‘isn’t it’, because the auxiliary verb in the main clause is ‘has’.
5. Should be ‘I’ instead of ‘me’. You have to use subject pronouns after the verb ‘be’.
6. Should be ‘isn’t there’ instead of ‘isn’t it’, when ‘there appears in the subject position of the sentence, it is also used in the tag question.
7. Should be ‘so that’ instead of ‘so’. It is required to use ‘so that’ between a purpose clause and a result clause.
8. There must be agreement between subject and verb. ‘has’ should be replaced by have to agree with the plural subject ‘two of the students’.
9. Ideas in a series should be expressed by parallel structures. ‘writing’ should be ‘to write’ to provide parallelism with infinitives ‘to understand’ and ‘to read’.
10. Here ‘need’ should be changed to ‘needs’ because ‘diagnosis’ is a singular subject.
11. ‘was’ should be changed to ‘is’, because to express a scientific fact present tense is used.
12. A noun is needed after the article ‘a’. So ‘a necessary’ is to be changed into ‘a necessity’.
13. It is correct to use ‘its’ instead of ‘their’ because the antecedent is the ‘elephant’ which is singular.
14. ‘and’ joins equal sentence parts. So adjective ‘moist’ should be changed to noun ‘moisture’ to provide parallelism with noun ‘heat’.
15. ‘water’ is a singular subject, so verb should be singular (returns).
16. The gerund ‘using’ is unidiomatic here. It should be ‘use’.
17. The conjunction ‘so’ should be omitted from the sentence.
18. Here the adjective ‘dangerous’ is to be used to modify the noun ‘fireworks’.
19. You should use the present perfect tense ‘has been’ because the action of the verb began in the past, includes present, and is likely to continue into the future.
20. There must be agreement between subject and verb. ‘has’ should be ‘have’ to agree with the plural subject ‘so many people’.

Friday 7 August 2009

Farther and further

Farther and further

Distance

We use both farther and further to talk about distance. There is no difference of meaning.

  • England is farther/further away than Finland.

Additional

We can use further (but not farther) to mean ‘additional’, ‘extra’, ‘more advanced’.

  • For further information, see the notice board. ( NOT For farther information)

Lay and lie

Lay and lie

There are three similar verbs that can be confused: lay (regular except for spelling), lie (irregular), and lie (regular).

Lay

Lay is a regular verb except for its spelling. Its forms are:

Infinitive: (to) lay

-ing form: laying

Past: laid

Past participle: laid

Lay means:

i. Place something in a certain position or on a surface.

  • Lay the book on the table.
  • He laid his hand on my shoulder.

ii. Cause somebody or something to be in a certain state.

  • Sprinkle water to lay the dust.
  • Lay somebody under an obligation.

iii. Bet money on something.

  • I’ll lay you Tk. 500 that she won’t come.

iv. (of birds, insects etc.) produce eggs.

  • The cuckoo lays its eggs in other bird’s nests.

Lie (irregular)

The forms of the irregular verb lie are:

Infinitive: (to) lie

-ing form: lying

Past: lay

Past participle: lain

Lie means:

Be down, be/become horizontal. It has no object.

  • Don’t lie in bed all day. (NOT don’t lay in …)
  • I lay down and closed my eyes. (NOT I laid down…)

Lie (regular)

The regular verb (lie) means: say things that are not true.

  • You lied to me when you said you loved me.

Adjective

Adjective

In English, there are lots of adjectives. These are so much important to decorate a sentence nicely and perfectly. That’s why we publishing some important adjectives below:

Usual Order of Attributive Adjectives

1) certain determiners such as all, both and half
2) determiners including the articles a, and and the;
possessive adjectives e.g. my, his, her, our and their;
demonstrative adjectives e.g. that, these, this, and those; and
certain other determiners such as another, any, each, either,
enough, every, neither, no, some, what and which
3) cardinal numbers e.g. one, two, three; and
certain other determiners such as few, many and several
4) determiners such as fewer, fewest, least, less, more and most
5) general descriptive adjectives, often in the following order:
a) adjectives indicating size e.g. large, long, narrow
b) adjectives indicating weight e.g. heavy, light
c) participles and other adjectives e.g. clever, excited, interesting
d) adjectives indicating temperature e.g. cold, hot, warm
e) adjectives indicating humidity e.g. dry, damp, wet
f) adjectives indicating age e.g. new, six-month-old, young
g) adjectives indicating shape e.g. barrel-shaped, round, square
6) adjectives indicating color e.g. blue, grey, white
7) adjectives indicating materials e.g. cloth, leather, metal
8) proper adjectives e.g. American, Victorian
9) defining adjectives, usually indicating purpose, method of operation, location,
time or categories of people

Below are pairs of adjectives with opposite meanings, indicating size:

deep

shallow

enormous

tiny

large

small

long

short

wide

narrow

thick

thin

The following are examples of adjectives indicating weight:

heavy
light
5-kilogram
2-ton

Below are examples of adjectives which indicate temperature, humidity, age and shape.

Temperature

Humidity

Age

Shape

hot

wet

new

square

cold

dry

old

round

warm

damp

young

triangular

cool

humid

six-week-old

octagonal

moist

two-year-old

spherical

Participles and other general descriptive adjectives which do not fall into any of the other categories usually follow adjectives indicating size and weight, and precede other types of attributive adjective. In the following examples, the adjective alert, and the participles twittering and excited are underlined.
e.g. two large, alert black cats
eleven tiny, twittering birds
many excited children

Below are examples of adjectives which indicate color:

red

black

pink

orange

white

magenta

yellow

brown

scarlet

green

beige

crimson

blue

silver

fox-red

violet

golden

olive-green

purple

turquoise

sky-blue, etc.

Below are examples of adjectives which indicate materials:

wooden

cotton

metal

paper

wool

iron

cardboard

silk

steel

plastic

satin

brass

rock

corduroy

gold

stone

velvet

silver

brick

flannel

copper

concrete

denim

lead

glass

nylon

tin

leather

polyester

aluminum

Predicate Adjectives

Attributive Adjectives

The boat is afloat.

the floating boat

The child is afraid.

the frightened child

The sky is aglow.

the glowing sky

The animal is alive.

the live animal

The boy is asleep.

the sleeping boy

Linking Verb

Linking Verb used with Predicate Adjective

to become

The wind became stronger.

to feel

The blanket feels soft, warm and comfortable.

to grow

The weather is growing cold.

to look

The sky looked grey and overcast.

to seem

His reasoning seems logical.

to smell

The soup smelled good.

to sound

The story sounds interesting.

to taste

The carrots tasted sweet.

to turn

The leaves turned scarlet.

Appearance

Condition

Feelings

negative

Feelings

positive

Feelings

natural

Shape

Size

Sound

Speed

Taste

Time

Touch

adorable
alert
average
beautiful
blonde
bloody
blushing
bright
clean
clear
cloudy
colorful
concerned
crowded
curious
cute
dark
dirty
drab
distinct
dull
elegant
fancy
filthy
glamorous
gleaming
graceful
grotesque
homely
light
misty
motionless
muddy
plain
poised
quaint
scary
shiny
smoggy
sparkling
spotless
stormy
strange
ugly
unsightly
unusual

alive
brainy
broken
busy
careful
cautious
clever
crazy
damaged
dead
difficult
easy
fake
false
famous
forward
fragile
guilty
helpful
helpless
important
impossible
infamous
innocent
inquisitive
mad
modern
open
outgoing
outstanding
poor
powerful
puzzled
real
rich
right
robust
sane
scary
shy
sleepy
stupid
super
tame
thick
tired
wild
wrong

afraid

angry
annoyed
anxious
arrogant
ashamed
awful
bad
bewildered
bored
concerned
condemned
confused
creepy
cruel
dangerous
defeated
defiant
depressed
disgusted
disturbed
doubtful
eerie
embarrassed
envious
evil
fierce
foolish
frantic
frightened
grieving
guilty
helpless
hungry
hurt
ill
jealous
lonely
mad
naughty
nervous
obnoxious
outrageous
panicky
repulsive
safe
scared
shy
sleepy
sore
strange
tense
terrible
tired
troubled
unusual
upset
uptight
weary
wicked
worried

agreeable
alert
amused
brave
bright
charming
cheerful
comfortable
cooperative
courageous
delightful
determined
eager
elated
enchanting
encouraging
energetic
enthusiastic
excited
exuberant
faithful
fantastic
friendly
frowning
funny
gentle
glorious
good
happy
healthy
helpful
hilarious
innocent
jolly
kind
lively
lovely
lucky
obedient
perfect
proud
relaxed
relieved
silly
smiling
splendid
successful
thoughtful
victorious
vivacious
well
witty
wonderful

alright
calm
different
fair
fine
OK
pleasant
puzzled

broad
crooked
curved
deep
even
flat
hilly
jagged
round
shallow
square
steep
straight
thick
thin
triangular
uneven

average
big
fat
gigantic
huge
large
little
long
massive
medium
miniature
narrow
petite
short
skinny
small
tall
tiny
wide

cooing
deafening
faint
harsh
high-pitched
hissing
hushed
husky
loud
melodic
moaning
mute
noisy
purring
quiet
raspy
screeching
shrill
silent
soft
squeaky
squealing
thundering
voiceless
whispering

fast
quick
rapid
slow
swift

bitter
bland
delicious
different
fresh
greasy
hot
juicy
repulsive
revolting
ripe
rotten
salty
sour
spicy
stale
strong
sweet
tasteless
tasty
terrible
wonderful

ancient
brief.
early
late
long
modern
new
old
old-fashioned
quick
short
young

blunt
boiling
breakable
breezy
broken
bumpy
chilly
clean
cold
cool
crooked
cuddly
curly
damaged
damp
different
dirty
dry
dusty
filthy
flaky
fluffy
fuzzy
greasy
grubby
hard
icy
loose
plastic
prickly
ripe
rough
rubbery
scratchy
shaky
shaggy
sharp
silky
slimy
slippery
smooth
soft
solid
steady
sticky
tight
uneven
unusual
unripe
warm
weak
wet
wooden
wooly

Shape

Size

Sound

Speed

Taste

Time

broad
crooked
curved
deep
even
flat
hilly
jagged
round
shallow
square
steep
straight
thick
thin
triangular
uneven

average
big
fat
gigantic
huge
large
little
long
massive
medium
miniature
narrow
petite
short
skinny
small
tall
tiny
wide

cooing
deafening
faint
harsh
high-pitched
hissing
hushed
husky
loud
melodic
moaning
mute
noisy
purring
quiet
raspy
screeching
shrill
silent
soft
squeaky
squealing
thundering
voiceless
whispering

fast
quick
rapid
slow
swift

bitter
bland
delicious
different
fresh
greasy
hot
juicy
repulsive
revolting
ripe
rotten
salty
sour
spicy
stale
strong
sweet
tasteless
tasty
terrible
wonderful

ancient
brief.
early
late
long
modern
new
old
old-fashioned
quick
short
young

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