Mastering Common Grammatical Errors for CLAT
Competitive exams like the CLAT place a significant emphasis on English Language and Comprehension. A strong grasp of grammar is fundamental to both understanding complex passages and constructing clear, accurate answers. This module will focus on identifying and correcting common grammatical errors that frequently appear in competitive exams.
Subject-Verb Agreement
One of the most frequent errors involves the agreement between the subject of a sentence and its verb. The verb must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. This can become tricky with compound subjects, intervening phrases, and indefinite pronouns.
The team of scientists is presenting their findings. (Subject 'team' is singular, so verb 'is' is correct.)
Pronoun Agreement and Reference
Pronouns must agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace (antecedents). Additionally, the antecedent must be clear; a pronoun should not have an ambiguous reference.
Ambiguous pronoun reference: 'them' could refer to 'students' or 'assignments'.
Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
Modifiers are words or phrases that describe or qualify other words. When misplaced, they can create confusion or unintended meanings. Dangling modifiers occur when the word being modified is not clearly stated in the sentence.
A misplaced modifier is a word or phrase that is separated from the word it modifies, leading to awkward phrasing or unintended meaning. For example, 'I saw a dog running down the street with a long tail.' (Does the street have a long tail?). The correct version would be: 'Running down the street, I saw a dog with a long tail.' A dangling modifier is a phrase that doesn't logically modify any word in the sentence. For example, 'Having finished the exam, the bell rang.' (The bell didn't finish the exam). The correct version: 'Having finished the exam, the student heard the bell ring.'
Text-based content
Library pages focus on text content
He served sandwiches on paper plates to the children.
Parallel Structure (Parallelism)
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This applies to lists, comparisons, and clauses joined by conjunctions.
The politician promised to lower taxes, create jobs, and improve education. (All infinitives)
Commonly Confused Words
Many words sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. Confusing these can lead to significant errors in meaning and comprehension.
Word Pair | Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
---|---|---|---|
Affect/Effect | To influence (verb) | A result or consequence (noun) | |
Than/Then | Used for comparison (conjunction) | Indicates time or sequence (adverb) | |
Its/It's | Possessive pronoun (belonging to it) | Contraction of 'it is' or 'it has' | |
There/Their/They're | Indicates a place or existence | Possessive pronoun (belonging to them) | Contraction of 'they are' |
To/Too/Two | Preposition or infinitive marker | Also or excessively | The number 2 |
effect (as it refers to the result/consequence)
Tense Consistency
Maintaining a consistent verb tense throughout a sentence or paragraph is crucial for clarity. Abrupt shifts in tense can confuse the reader about the timeline of events.
No inconsistency; 'opened' and 'saw' are past tense, and 'was sleeping' describes an ongoing action in the past.
Punctuation Errors
Incorrect use of punctuation, such as commas, apostrophes, semicolons, and colons, can alter the meaning of a sentence or make it grammatically incorrect.
A common punctuation error is the comma splice: joining two independent clauses with only a comma. For example, 'The weather was bad, we stayed inside.' This should be corrected with a period, semicolon, or conjunction: 'The weather was bad. We stayed inside.' or 'The weather was bad; we stayed inside.' or 'The weather was bad, so we stayed inside.'
The book was long; it took me weeks to finish it. (or 'The book was long. It took me weeks to finish it.' or 'The book was long, so it took me weeks to finish it.')
Learning Resources
A comprehensive and interactive resource covering a wide range of common grammatical errors with clear explanations and exercises.
Detailed explanation and examples of subject-verb agreement rules, including tricky cases, from a highly reputable academic source.
A collection of articles from Grammarly's blog that break down various grammatical errors in an accessible and practical way.
A clear video tutorial explaining the principles of pronoun-antecedent agreement and how to avoid common mistakes.
An in-depth guide to understanding and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers, with illustrative examples.
Explains the concept of parallel structure with numerous examples and exercises to help learners practice this important skill.
A curated list of frequently confused words with clear definitions and usage examples from a trusted dictionary source.
A short video lesson focusing on the importance of maintaining consistent verb tenses in English writing.
A comprehensive guide to punctuation rules, including detailed explanations of commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes.
Tips and strategies specifically tailored for CLAT English comprehension, often touching upon grammatical accuracy as a foundation.