¶ Verbs
All the exceptional rules related to "Verbs" are as follows.
Rule-1
When there are two subjects in a sentence and they are not of the same ‘number’, separate auxiliaries
such as -am, is, are, was, were must be used for both of them.
Example:
Incorrect: Three killed and one were injured.
Correct: Three were killed and one was injured.
Rule-2
A single verb should be made to serve two Subjects, only when the form of the verb is the same for both
of the subjects.
Example:
Incorrect: I am seventeen years old and my sister fourteen.
Correct: I am seventeen years old and my sister is fourteen.
He is 16 years old and my sister, 8.
Rule-3
Two auxiliaries can be used with just one principal verb, only when the form of the principal verb is
appropriate for both the auxiliaries.
Example:
Incorrect: He never has, and never will take such strong measures.
Correct: He never has taken, and never will take such strong measures.
Rule-4
When there is only one auxiliary verb for two principal verbs, the auxiliary verb should be correctly
associated with both the principal verbs.
Example:
Incorrect: Ten candidates have passed, one failed.
Correct: Ten candidates have passed, one has failed.
Rule-5
A past tense in the main clause should be followed by a past tense in the auxiliary clause.
Example:
Incorrect: He succeeded because he gets lucky.
Correct: He succeeded because he got lucky.
Rule-6
A past tense in the main clause may be followed by a Present Tense in the subordinate clause when
the subordinate clause expresses a universal truth.
Example:
Incorrect: Our teacher said that the earth moved around the sun.
Correct: Our teacher said that the earth moves around the sun.
Rule-7
When the subordinate clause comes after ‘lest’, the auxiliary verb ‘should’ must be used, whatever be
the tense of the verb in the main clause.
Example:
Incorrect: We start early lest we shall miss the train.
Correct: We start early lest we should miss the train.
Rule-8
An Adverb or Adverbial phrase should not be placed between ‘to’ and the verbal part of the infinitive.
This is called the split infinitive.
Example:
Incorrect: I hoped to immediately reply to your letter.
Correct: I hoped to reply immediately to your letter.
Rule-9
An infinitive should be in the present tense unless it represents an action prior to that of the governing verb.
Example:
Incorrect: I should have liked to have gone there.
Correct: I should have liked to go here.
Rule-10
If a Gerund is preceded by a Pronoun, that pronoun must be in the Possessive case.
Example
Incorrect: He emphasized me going there.
Correct: He emphasized my going there.
Rule-11
The Present Continuous Tense is used for an action that began in the past and still went on at the
time of speaking. It is used with, Adverbials of time introduced by ‘since’, ‘for’ and ‘how long’.
Example:
Incorrect: How long are you working in this office?
Correct: How long have you been working in this office?
Rule-12
When a Verb is preceded by a Preposition, it must be a gerund.
Example:
Incorrect: They were punished for come late.
Correct: They were punished for coming late.
Rule-13
The Future Indefinite Tense is not used in the clauses of time, place, and condition. Here, the Present
Indefinite Tense is used.
Example:
Incorrect: I shall wait for you till you will finish your work.
Correct: I shall wait for you till you finish your work.
Rule-14
The Present Perfect Tense is not used with the Adverbs of past tense like- yesterday, in 1990, etc.
Here, the Past Indefinite Tense is used.
Example:
Incorrect: I have bought a cycle yesterday.
Correct: I bought a cycle yesterday.
Rule-15
Then two past actions are mentioned in a sentence, Past Perfect Tense is used to represent the earlier
of the two past actions and Simple Past Tense is used to represent the latter action.
Example:
Incorrect: When I reached the station, the train already left.
Correct: When I reached the station, the train had already left.
Rule-16
Modal auxiliaries are not used together. But two auxiliaries can be connected by a Conjunction.
Example:
Incorrect: He should must do it.
Correct: He should and must do it.
Rule-17
When ‘need’ or ‘dare’ is followed by ‘not’, it turns into a modal auxiliary. In that situation it takes a Bare
Infinitive and we cannot use ‘needs not’ or ‘dares not’.
Example:
Incorrect: He needs not do it.
Correct: He need not do it.
Some exceptional rules of TENSE to look out for.
1. Event occurring at the same time must be given in the same tense.
Example: When he fainted, his brother was with him.
2. ‘Will’ or ‘shall’ cannot be used twice in the same sentence even if both actions refer to the
future tense.
Incorrect: I shall come if he will call me.
3. With the phrases ‘as if’ and ‘as though’ the past tense and plural form of the verb should be
used.
Incorrect: He behaves as if he is a king.
Correct: He behaves as if he were a king.
4. With the word ‘wish’, four verbs are namely used -were. had, could, would. ‘Were’ is used when
the wish seems to be unrealizable.
Correct: I wish I were a king.
5. ‘Had’ is used when our wish is a lament over the past happening.
Example: I wish I had accepted the job.
6. ‘Would’ is used when we refer to the future.
Example: I wish I would get a ticket.
7. ‘Could’ is used when we wish that something that has happened already should have
happened otherwise.
Example: He did not go because he was busy yesterday. I wish he could go with us.
8. ‘For’ is used for a period of time.
Example: He has been working for two hours.
9. ‘Since’ is used with a point of time.
Example: He has been working since morning.
10. In case of conditional sentences ‘had’ and ‘would have’ are used.
Example: If I had met him, I would have invited him.
Simple present is used to indicate present time (now) with the following stative verbs. The verbs
listed in the following list are almost never used in the present or past progressive (continuous),
although it is possible in some cases.
Example: The coffee tastes delicious.
Following are the verbs which are used as Causative Verbs and are given with grammatical structures under which they fall:
1. ‘LET’ standing for Permit Something to Happen:
Grammatical structure: LET + PERSON/THING + VERB (base form)
Example:
I don’t let my kids watch violent movies.
Remember: The past tense of let is also let; there is no change!
Note: The verbs ‘allow’ and ‘permit’ are more formal ways to say “let.” However, with ‘allow’ and
‘permit’, we use ‘to + verb’
I don’t allow my kids to watch violent movies.
Our boss doesn’t permit us to eat lunch at our desks.
2. ‘MAKE’ standing for Force or Require someone to take an action
Grammatical structure: MAKE(any tense) + PERSON + VERB (base form)
Examples:
After Billy broke the neighbor’s window, his parents made him pay for it.
Tip: When using the verbs ‘force’ and ‘require’, we must use ‘to + verb’.
The school requires the students to wear uniforms.
“Require” often implies that there is a rule.
The hijacker forced the pilots to take the plane in a different direction.
“Force” often implies violence, threats, or extremely strong pressure
3.HAVE standing for Giving Someone Else The Responsibility To Do Something
Grammatical structure:
For Active: HAVE(any tense) + PERSON + VERB (base form)
For Passive: HAVE(any tense) + THING + PAST PARTICIPLE OF VERB
Examples of grammatical structure for active:
I’ll have my assistant call you to reschedule the appointment.
Examples of grammatical structure for passive:
I’m going to have my hair cut tomorrow. (Someone will cut my hair)
4. GET standing for- Convincing/Encouraging Someone To Do Something
Grammatical structure: GET(any tense) + PERSON + TO + VERB
Examples:
My husband hates housework; I can never get him to wash the dishes!
5. HELP standing for- Assisting Someone In Doing Something
Grammatical structure:
HELP(any tense) + PERSON + VERB (base form)
HELP(any tense) + PERSON + TO + VERB
Tip: After “help,” you can use “to” or not – both ways are correct. In general, the form without “to”
is more common:
He helped me carry the boxes.
He helped me to carry the boxes.
FINITE NON-FINITE:
Finite verb: In a sentence, there is normally at least one verb that has both a subject and a tense. When
a verb has a subject and a tense, it can be referred to as a finite verb.
Example: We want Charlie to act as club secretary.
I like taking photographs of insects.
In both these sentences, the verbs ‘want’ and ‘like’ have a subject and a tense, thus they are both finite
verbs.
Non-finite verbs: All verbs can be used in either a finite for or a non-finite form. A verb is non-finite either
when it is used without a tense or when it is used in disagreement with a subject.
Example: To open, one should tear off the tab.
There are 3 types of non-finite verbs – infinitives, gerunds and participles.
Infinitive: The infinitive is the base form of the verb with ‘to’.
Example: I like to party.
Gerund: Gerunds are the base forms of verbs used adding ‘ing’ and always acting as nouns.
Example: Partying is what I like to do.
Participle: Participles are the base form of verbs used adding -ing, -ed, -d, -t, -en, -n, and always acting as
adjectives modifying nouns.
Example: The dancing parrots entertained the crowd.
The wrecked sailboat washed up onshore.
Linking verbs
A linking verb connects a subject with its complement. Most linking verbs are forms of the verb be.
These verbs are the verbs that indicate states of being rather than work being done.
Example: She is my sister.
We are happy.
They were shocked to hear the news.
TRANSITIVE-INTRANSITIVE
A transitive verb is one that can take a direct object, while an intransitive verb cannot take any direct object. The verbs lie/lay, rise/ raise, and sit/set cause problems even for native English speakers. The solution to the problem is to remember which verbs are transitive and which are intransitive.
SUBJUNCTIVE:
Subjunctive Verbs:
Advise Demand Prefer Require Ask
Insist Propose Stipulate Command Urge
Recommend Suggest Decree Order Request
¶ The Structure of Subjunctive Mood:
Sub (1) + Subjunctive Verb (any tense) + that + Sub (2) + Base Form of Verb + Complement
Examples:
- John has advised that Alex go to the movies.
- Robert insisted that I work on my paper.
- The principal demands that we study hard.
- He suggested that I buy this shirt.
- She proposed that we get married.