The english exam section is one of the easiest but also time consuming sections, as all the options look similar. You should inculcate the habit of reading regularly to score more in this section. Candidates should be thorough with all the basics of English grammar before starting their preparation. In order to excel in this section, Candidates should be familiar with basic grammar. They should inculcate the habit of reading daily to get on with the language flow. Candidates should practice regularly to get on with the flow.
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Here we have attached the important tips and tricks that are needed to tackle this section easily. Candidates who are all preparing for the SBI, RBI, IBPS and all other competitive exams should definitely make use of this strategies and excel in this section
Important English Grammar Tips
Nowadays IBPS has changed the questions pattern of English Section more often, to tackle the English Section aspirants should be very strong in the Basic English Grammar. To help you in this aspect here we have given the Important English Grammar Tips in the usage of Articles which will be more helpful to attend Error Spotting Questions.
| A | AN | THE |
| ‘A’ can be used before consonants and before ‘u’ (yu) and ‘o’ (wo) | ‘AN’ can be used before five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and consonant sound like (f, h, l, m, n, r, s & x) | ‘THE’ can be used before individual nouns or already known nouns. |
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Usage of article ‘A’
| THE PLACE OF USAGE | THE USAGE OF ‘A’ |
| A Consonant sound | He is a student. |
| Singular nouns | He is a teacher |
| Numbers | I have a car. |
| Type of noun is or to be | She wants to become a doctor. |
| Vowels with consonant sound | It is a (not AN) useful thing. |
| A noun of particular type | Each one should have a dictionary. |
| One of several | He is a member of the committee. |
| Quantity | I have a lot of money. |
| A proper noun(when compared) | He is a Tendulkar in our team. |
| Some drinks | Can you give me a cup of coffee? |
| Cost , frequency, speed | It is a costly bangle. |
| Substances, products | Good day is a tasty biscuit. |
| Noun formed from a verb | shall we have a race this evening? |
| Feeling | It is a relief to know that Ramesh is alive. |
| Particular day, season | They came here on a Sunday evening. |
| They first of the two nouns | We purchased a cup and saucer. |
| Vague sense | A Ravi phoned you yesterday. |
| An individual representing | A cow is a useful animal. |
Usage of article ‘AN’
‘AN’ is used before vowels . ( a , e, i, o, u)
EXAMPLES
- One day an artificial old statue came to my village.
- I am reading an interesting story.
- What an ugly face that cat has.
- He is an engineer.
- I bought an orange.
‘AN ’ IS USED BEFORE A NOUN BEGINNING WITH A MUTE ‘H’.
- He is an honest man.
- I waited for an hour.
‘AN‘ IS USED BEFORE CONSONANT SOUNDS SUCH AS “F, H, L, M, N, R, S, AND X”
F –I have an F.D. account at SBI.
H – It is an H.M.T watch.
L – I am an L.I.C agent.
M – He is an M.B.A gratuate
N – You get an N.O.C certificate.
R – He is an RSS activist.
S –You sent an SMS.
X – He took an x-ray.
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Usage of article “THE”
| Place of usage | Usage of ‘the’ |
| A particular noun | You meet the man. |
| A noun already mentioned | The boy you sent is smart. |
| Well known books | He bought the Bhagavad Geetha |
| Unique nouns | The sun sets in the west. |
| Newspaper and magazines | Do you read the Hindu. |
| Musical instruments | He knows to play the violin. |
| Superlatives | I saw the darkest cloud yesterday. |
| The ordinals ( first, second,…) | He was the first man to arrive. |
| Proper nouns | The john that I know he is a doctor. |
| Natural resources, rivers,seas,bays,etc.., | The Cauvery is the water source of Tamilnadu. |
| Common nouns in the sense of abstract nouns. | He played the fool. |
| As an adverb | The more the merrier. |
| Some countries, provinces | The Irish republic. |
| Peoples, families | The Indians, the Sharmas. |
| Singular as a representative of class | The rose is a beautiful flower. |
| Adjectives used as nouns | Hercules the novels of H.G. Walls. |
| Famous public buildings | The red fort is in Delhi. |
| A noun to give the force of a superlative | Today is he hottest day of the month. |
OMISSION OF ARTICLES
- Not used before school, college, church, hospital etc..,
Eg: Nancy goes to church every Sunday.
- Not used before predicative nouns denoting a unique position.
Eg: He was elected Chairman of the Board.
- In certain phrases consisting of transitive verb followed by its object.
Eg: He wants to work hard.
- In certain phrases consisting of prepositions followed by its object.
Eg: She is at home.
- Names of people.
Eg: This is Neena. ( not , This is a/an/the neena)
- Names of states/ cities/ towns.
Eg: I live in Tamilnadu. (not , This is a/an/the Tamilnadu)
- Names of days / months/ festivals.
Eg: She comes on Sunday. (not , This is a/an/the Sunday)
- Names of continents/ countries.
Eg: He lives in America. (not , This is a/an/the America)
- Names of languages.
Eg: We are learning English. (not , This is a/an/the English).
- Names of subject of study.
Eg: He is a student of law. (not , This is a/an/the law).
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