Grammar: editing and reordering
Class 10 English · Grammar · 32 questions with answers
Class 10 grammar is tested through editing, gap-filling and reordering rather than through naming rules, and the same four or five error types recur every year. That makes it pattern recognition, which improves faster than almost anything else on the paper - and it is why grammar deserves an hour rather than a term.
- Recognises the recurring error types instead of reasoning each sentence out
- Handles subject-verb concord across an intervening phrase
- Chooses determiners, modals and tenses in a gap-filling passage
- Reorders a jumbled sentence by finding the subject and verb first
Exercise 1 of 3 · 12 questions
Each line has one error. Write the incorrect word and the correction.
Write the answer · Warm-up
Here’s one done for you
'The number of applicants have increased' should be 'has', because the subject is 'the number' and not 'applicants'. Every version of this error works the same way - a phrase beginning with 'of' sits between the subject and the verb, and the verb agrees with the nearest noun instead of the real subject. Covering the 'of' phrase with a finger makes the right verb obvious, and this pattern appears in almost every paper.
- 1)The number of applicants have increased this year.
- 2)He is senior than me by two years.
- 3)She has been living here since ten years.
- 4)One of my friend is coming today.
- 5)He did not knew the answer.
- 6)The scenery of Kashmir are beautiful.
- 7)Each of the boys were given a prize.
- 8)He is the most tallest boy in the class.
- 9)I am knowing him since childhood.
- 10)The furnitures in this room are new.
- 11)Neither of the two answers are right.
- 12)She said that she will come tomorrow.
Answers
- 1) have → has. The subject is 'the number', which is singular.
- 2) than → to. 'Senior' takes 'to' rather than 'than'.
- 3) since → for. 'For' takes a length of time; 'since' takes a starting point.
- 4) friend → friends. 'One of' is always followed by a plural noun.
- 5) knew → know. After 'did', the verb stays in its base form.
- 6) are → is. 'Scenery' is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb.
- 7) were → was. 'Each' is singular however many boys there are.
- 8) most → removed. 'Tallest' is already superlative.
- 9) am knowing → have known. 'Know' is a state verb and does not take the continuous.
- 10) furnitures → furniture. It is an uncountable noun with no plural form.
- 11) are → is. 'Neither' is singular.
- 12) will → would. In reported speech after a past reporting verb, 'will' becomes 'would'.
Exercise 2 of 3 · 12 questions
Fill each gap with one suitable word.
Write the answer · Guided
Here’s one done for you
'An honest man' takes 'an' rather than 'a', and the reason is worth stating precisely: the choice depends on sound, not on spelling. 'Honest' begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent, so it takes 'an'. By the same rule 'a university' takes 'a', because it begins with a 'yoo' sound. Children who learn the rule as 'a before consonants' get both of these wrong.
- 1)If you ___ (study) regularly, you would not be worried now.
- 2)He has been working here ___ 2019.
- 3)You ___ wear a helmet - it is the law.
- 4)___ honest man is respected everywhere.
- 5)She is taller ___ her sister.
- 6)The book ___ I borrowed is very useful.
- 7)He works hard ___ he may succeed.
- 8)Hardly ___ he entered when the bell rang.
- 9)She is one of the ___ (good) singers in the school.
- 10)___ he is poor, he is honest.
- 11)I have been waiting ___ two hours.
- 12)The higher you climb, ___ colder it gets.
Answers
- 1) studied. An imagined present takes the past tense in the 'if' half.
- 2) since. 2019 is a starting point, not a length of time.
- 3) must. It expresses obligation, which 'should' would weaken.
- 4) An. 'Honest' begins with a vowel sound, since the h is silent.
- 5) than. Comparatives take 'than'.
- 6) which, or that. It stands for a thing.
- 7) so that
- 8) had
- 9) best
- 10) Although / Though
- 11) for
- 12) the
Exercise 3 of 3 · 8 questions
Rearrange each into a meaningful sentence.
Write the answer · Practice
Here’s one done for you
Reordering is faster with a method than by trial. Find the verb first - 'is', 'should encourage', 'was cancelled' - then ask who or what is doing it, and that gives you the subject. Everything else attaches to one of those two. Children who start at the beginning and try words in order can spend three minutes on a one-mark question; children who find the verb first take twenty seconds.
- 1)healthy / a / is / essential / for / diet / balanced / life / a
- 2)should / their / parents / children / encourage / read / to
- 3)of / pollution / one / is / air / problems / the / greatest / today
- 4)was / because / cancelled / rain / the / heavy / of / match
- 5)is / the / of / knowledge / power / source / real
- 6)must / we / environment / protect / the / our / for / future
- 7)reading / broadens / mind / the / habit / of / the
- 8)early / rising / health / good / for / is
Answers
- 1) A balanced diet is essential for a healthy life.
- 2) Parents should encourage their children to read.
- 3) Air pollution is one of the greatest problems today.
- 4) The match was cancelled because of the heavy rain.
- 5) Knowledge is the real source of power.
- 6) We must protect the environment for our future.
- 7) The habit of reading broadens the mind.
- 8) Rising early is good for health.
While your child works
- Cover any 'of' phrase between subject and verb. The right verb becomes obvious instantly.
- 'A' or 'an' depends on sound, not spelling - an honest man, a university.
- In reordering, find the verb first. It turns a three-minute puzzle into a twenty-second one.