This section Covers Fun facts, Thought Provoking Questions and Interesting information about the English language
1
Grammer Excersises 1
(P Positive-Comparitive-Superlative)
Ex: He is
fast. (Convert to Superlative)
Ans: He is the
fastest.
Explanation : Fast
(Positive) – Faster (Comparitive) – Fastest (Superlative)
Peter has less when compared to the
others (convert to superlative).
Ron has done the worst when compared to
the others (convert to comparative)
Ans: Peter has least when compaired to
the others
Ron has done badly when compaired to
the others
Rule:
A - Comparison with -er/-est
1) all adverbs with one syllable
2) The adverb: early
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B - Comparison with more - most
1) carefully - more carefully - (the) most carefully
2) adverbs ending on -ly (not: early)
C – Irregular adverbs
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2
Allusion/Illusion
He made an ______ to last week's meeting
(Allusion/Illusion)
That a pair of railroad tracks seem to meet in the distance is an
optical _______ (Allusion/Illusion)
Ans: He made an
allusion to last week's meeting
That a pair of railroad tracks
seem to meet in the distance is an optical illusion
Rule: 1)
Allusion means reference.
2) Illusion is an unreality
a
Facts
a
The word "Checkmate" in chess comes
from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means "the king is dead."
The longest one-syllable word in the
English language is "screeched."
1)
Exercise
with Apostrophes
Commander Brant, a lawyer with 11 ______ service in the Navy, declined to
comment (years/years’)
There has been a closeout of ______ from
Kolar Mines. (diamonds/diamond’s)
Answer:
Commander Brant, a lawyer with 11 years’ service in the
Navy, declined to comment
There has been a closeout of diamonds
from Kolar Mines.
Rule:
The apostrophe is used for three purposes:
To indicate the omission of one or
more letters (can't, don't) or figures (the spirit of '76).
2)
Badly/Bad
I feel ______ that I missed the
concert
He smells ______.
Answer:
I feel bad that I missed the concert
He smells bad.
Rule:
We use bad (an adjective) with linking verbs
such as is, seems, feels, looks, or appears We use the adverb badly with
action verbs
"He smells badly" means he can't
detect the smell of his perfume, but "He smells bad" means he needs to
shower.
3)
Each Is/
Each Are
Each of the reports ______ to be submitted
ten weeks after it is assigned (is/are)
The reports each ______ white embossed titles
on their covers (has/have)
Answer:
Each of the reports is to be submitted ten weeks after it is
assigned
The reports each have white
embossed titles on their covers
Rule:
When each is used as a subject, it
takes a singular verb or pronoun
When each occurs after a plural
subject with which it is in grammatical apposition, it takes a plural verb or
pronoun
4)
Aide/Aid
The teacher's _____ more than once came to
the ______ of her supervisor. (aide/aid)
Answer:
The teacher's aide more than once came to the aid of
her supervisor.
Rule:
Aide means someone who assists or
supports
Aid means Assistance.
5)
Listen/Hear
I can ______ music in Peter's room.
(Listen/Hear)
Peter often ______ to music when he's at home
(Listen/Hear)
Answer:
I can hear music in Peter's room
Peter often listens to music
when he's at home
Rule:
Hear means to be aware of sounds in your
ears.
Listen means to pay attention to
something that you can hear.
6)
Disability/Impairment/Handicap
The man was driving a car while ________ by
alcohol.
_______
parking spaces are restricted to authorized vehicles 24 hours daily
Answer:
The man was driving a car while impaired by alcohol
Handicap
parking spaces are restricted to authorized vehicles 24 hours daily.
Rule: 1)
Disability is a word that is used to refer to
an on-the-job injury.
One is "On
disability" when they are being paid by their employer while recovering from the
injury.
2) A Handicap is a specific
ailment, injury, or infirmity that a person suffers from which limits their
ability to function in a normal capacity.
3) Impairment - the broadest
term can mean that there is a disability or handicap OR it can also mean
that the person has had too much too drink
a Facts a
- The
combination "ough" can be pronounced in nine different ways; the
following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced,
thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after
falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed." - The
only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is
uncopyrightable. - The
letters KGB stand for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy
Bezopasnosti
Emus and
kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian seal for
that reason
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES is the longest name of a country consisting of
alternating vowels and consonants.- The
most commonly occurring sounds in spoken English is the sound of a as in
alone, followed by e as in key, t as in top, and d as
in dip.
1)
Cite/Site
He _____ many experts in
his article
We erected the wall on the _____ of our
future home.
Answer:
He cites many experts in his article.
We erected the wall on the site of our future home.
Explanation:
Cite is a verb meaning "to quote for purposes of example, authority, or proof."
Site is usually used as a noun meaning "place or scene."
2)
Exercise
with Commas – Part I (Punctuate with Commas)
She hit the shot and he cheered for her
The dog bit him and he bit the dog
Answer:
She hit the shot, and he cheered for her.
The dog bit him, and he bit the
dog.
Rule:
Put a comma before and, but, for,
or, nor, so, yet when they connect two independent clauses.
3)
Exercise
with Commas – Part II (Punctuate with Commas)
For dinner the Girl Scouts ate steak onions
and ice cream.
I like Corvettes Porsches and Buicks.
Answer:
For dinner the Girl Scouts ate steak, onions, and
ice cream.
I like Corvettes, Porsches,
and Buicks.
Rule:
Separate three or more items in a series with
commas.
In this case, failing to put a comma,
after Onions, would mean that the person ate a mix of Onion and Ice-Cream (Yuck!
J)
4)
Exercise
with Commas – Part III (Punctuate with Commas)
Because I was hungry I bought a hamburger
When I get hungry I do stupid stuff
Answer:
Because I was hungry, I bought a hamburger
When I get hungry, I do stupid
stuff
Rule:
Always
put a comma after introductory modifiers.
5)
Exercise
with Commas – Part IV (Punctuate with Commas)
The hamburger hot and juicy tasted great.
Carlene you’re five minutes late
Answer:
For The hamburger, hot and juicy, tasted great.
“Carlene,
you’re five minutes late.”
Rule:
Separate Interrupters from Sentences with
Commas.
Put commas around the name of a
person or group spoken to.
All commas and Periods go
Inside quotation marks.
6)
Comprise/Comprise of
The jury _________ seven women and five men.
India _______ people of speaking various
languages.
Answer:
The jury comprises seven women and five men.
India comprises people of
speaking various languages
Rule:
Nothing is ever 'comprised of' something. To
comprise means to 'contain or to embrace'
7)
Exercise
with Numbers (Spell out/write as numbers)
___________ computers are laid out on the
floor. (Twenty two / 22)
The number of items in Café Coffee Day’s
menu, soon expanded to _______ (One Hundred Twenty Six/126)
Answer:
Twenty Two computers are laid out on the floor.
The number of items in Café Coffee Day’s
menu, soon expanded to 126.
Rule:
It is ideal to always spell out numbers at
the beginning of sentences.
Within a sentence, spell the numbers zero
through ninety-nine, and write the numbers 100 and higher by using digits
Treat numbers in the same
category consistently in a passage, either as numerals (if required for one
number, use them all) or as words
8)
Majority
is/are
The majority _____ in charge.
A Majority of voters _____ unhappy.
Answer:
The majority is in charge.
A Majority of voters
are unhappy
Rule:
Many words that mean a group of
things--total, majority, and number, for example--can be singular or plural.
Sometimes they mean the group acting as a
whole, sometimes the members of the group
Depending on whether you are thinking of
the whole or the parts, you can identify whether they are singular or plural.
a Facts a
- The
first word spoken on the moon was "Okay”.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobiacs
is the term for people who fear the number 666.- The
medical name for the part of the brain associated with teenage sulking is "superior
temporal sulcus". - The
"you are here" arrow on maps is called an ideo
locator. - The
longest sentence which is a palindrome:
“ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA”
-- By Napoleon Bonaparte when exiled to the
island of ELBA
- The
symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe. - "Underground"
is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the
letters "und." - The
longest place-name still in use is
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwe-nuakit
natahu, a New Zealand hill.
1) A/AN
Osama Bin Laden is considered _____ habitual offender by several people in the
1) Answers: Osama Bin Laden is considered A habitual offender by several people in the
Explanation: The traditional rule is that if the h- is sounded, a is the proper form. Most people following that rule would say a historian and a historic
He ________ all Maruti’s from his list of favorite cars.
He liked everything on the plate _______ the liver.
I ______ your offer of the book.
Answer: He excepted all Maruti’s from his list of favorite cars.
He liked everything on the plate except the liver.
I accept your offer of the book.
Explanation: Accept is a verb meaning "to receive" or "to approve."
Except is a verb meaning "to leave out" or "to exclude."
_________ swim in your pool?
Explanation: Can implies ability whereas May denotes permission. Here the sentence actually means “'May I (Have I permission to) swim in your pool?”
He divided the money _______ his two children.
He divided the money _______ his three children.
_______ the four of us, we raised a thousand dollars.
There was great rivalry ______ the three colleges.
Answer: He divided the money between his two children.
He divided the money among his three children.
Between the four of us, we raised a thousand dollars.
There was great rivalry between the three colleges.
Rule 2: Among is used for more than two
Exception 1: If more than two are involved in a united situation, between is used.
Exception 2: If a comparison or an opposition is involved, between is used.
ITPL is ________ from office than what I’d thought.
The Core Team progressed _______ on their research after the new Idea.
Answer: ITPL is farther from office than what I’d thought
The Core Team progressed further on their research after the new Idea.
6) Good/Well
I scored ____ on my spelling test.
The new car runs ____.
The pie smells ____.
I feel ____.
Answer: I scored well on my spelling test.
The new car runs well.
The pie smells good
I feel good.
Rule 2: Well is an adverb. It can only modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Standard: You do something well, but you give someone something good.
Exception: Verbs of sensation in phrases such as 'the pie smells good,' or 'I feel good'[emphasis added].
Although it contains many difficult words, I ___ read this book now.
When you receive the new books ___ try to read one of them?
Answers: Although it contains many difficult words, I can read this book now.
When you receive the new books Could I try to read one of them?
We can use can to talk about ‘theoretical’ possibility – to say that situations and events are possible theoretically.
We use May to express Future Probability. Might and Could express a less definite possibility than may
8) Advice/Advise
I need your ______ on the legal issue.
Please ______ me on which car to choose
Answers: I need your advice on the legal issue.
Please advise me on which car to choose.
Rule 2: “Advise” is a verb.
Therefore: When Ram advises people, he gives them advice.
a Facts a
- The longest English word that does not contain the letter 'e' is floccinaucinihilipilification at 29 letters
- What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in
- Honorificabilitudinitatibus, 27 letters long, is the longest word consisting strictly of alternating consonents and vowels.
- A and I are the shortest words that are composed of vowels only.
- The Shortest Statement in English is ‘I AM’.
- Esophagographers, 16 letters long, is the longest word in which each of its letters occurs twice.
- HYPoThAlAmICoHYPoPHYSeAlS is the longest word that can be spelled using chemical symbols. J
- The most commonly used words in spoken English are I, YOU, THE, and A.
- Unprosperousness, 16 letters long, is the longest word in which each letter occurs at least twice.
- Hydroxyzine and Xyzzor are the only two words that contain ‘xyz’
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