Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
Answers:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
Answer:
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Answer:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
Answer:
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
Answer:
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun-like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
Answer:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
Answer:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given a point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Answer:
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus on the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun-like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given a point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Question# 1:
I won him in the race.
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him. In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Explanation:
This sentence, although grammatically correct, doesn’t give any sense. We always win something against somebody, or we win against somebody.
Win Against (phrasal verb) means: To achieve a victory over somebody or to beat, defeat, conquer, overmatch, or surmount.
Examples:
- He is the person who has already won against many experienced football players.
- Kashmiris seem sure to win against, soon, the much stronger Indian army.
Usage of “Win”, “Beat”, and “Defeat”:
These words confuse non-natives, mostly Pakistani and Indian students, as to which one they should use in sentences. They take them as synonyms to one another. Let’s clear the concept hereunder.
If you are playing a tennis game with your friend, you always win the game or beat your friend in the game.
Focus the difference, we, sometimes, use the verb “WIN”, without an object. Because when we win, people are interested in knowing who is the winner, not in loser.
Pakistani team won the world cup beating Indian team.
On the other hand, when we “BEAT” or “DEFEAT” somebody, people are interested in knowing both the winner and the loser. The verbs “BEAT” and “DEFEAT” cannot be used without objects.
Thus, the right answers are:
- I won against him in the race.
- I won the race against him.
- In the race, I won against him.
- I won the race.
Question# 2:
He said that I am playing chess.
He said that he was playing chess.
Explanation:
In this sentence, the sequence is disturbed. Always remember, if the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause will be in any past tense: past simple/indefinite, past continuous, past perfect continuous, etc.
Examples:
- She believed that Nimra would come. (Not – …… Nimra will come.)
- I realized that I had earned a lot. (Not – …… I have earned…)
- She thought that she had been consuming herself for years. (Not – ….. she has …)
- I had done everything that was compulsory.
- He worked hard so that he might qualify for the exam.
Exceptions:
There are some exceptions to this rule:
Exception-1: If there is a universal truth or habitual fact in the subordinate clause, we keep them in the present tense, even if the main clause in the past tense.
Examples:
- My teacher told me that the sun rises the east. (Universal truth)
- My mother told me that God is one. (Universal truth)
- Anam told me that she gets up early in the morning. (Habitual fact)
Exception-2: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is introduced by the conjunctions of comparison, such as “as well as”, “than”, etc. the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense depending upon the sense.
Examples:
- She loved me more than she loves you.
- She liked you better than she likes me.
Exception-3: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adverb clause, which is expressing “how”, “when”, “where”, and “why” an action happens, the verb in the subordinate clause may be in any tense depending on the sense implied.
Examples:
- My wife and I didn’t go where you guys go daily.
- You could have bought proper shoes to go hiking in the mountain because the ground there is rough and hard.
Exception-4: If the subordinate clause (dependent clause) is an adjective clause/relative clause, the verb in this clause can be in any tense according to the sense implied, even if the main clause is in the past tense.
What is an Adjective Clause?
An adjective clause/relative clause is a type of dependent clause; it, unlike the adverb clause, modifies a noun or a pronoun that comes before it. All adjective clauses start with a relative pronoun: who, whom, which, whose, that, when, why, and where.
Examples:
- I had a friend whose daughter-in-law lives in London.
- I taught many competitive aspirants who are honest and always do justice.
- Competitive students who qualify the CSS exam don’t join an academy and don’t listen to qualifiers.
Exception-5: If the subordinate clause/dependent clause is introduced by the words, such as “As If” or “As Though”, we use the verb “Were” to talk about the present tense; whereas, the verb phrase “Had Been” is used to indicate the past tense.
Examples:
- He laughs as if he were mad.
- He behaves as if he were deaf.
- She talked as though she had been a celebrity.
- Her child cries as though it were hurt.
Thus, the correct answer is:
He said that he was playing chess.
Question# 3:
Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Explanation:
Both conjunctions “Unless”, “Until” are often taken as synonymous to each other; however, their meaning and usage are different.
Unless (means): Except for a specified condition.
The conjunction “Unless” is used to describing/referring to a condition that is not being met. In simple words, we use the conjunction “Unless” to indicate that if something doesn’t happen, something else will happen as a result.
The conjunction “Unless” is considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Thus, we don’t use “Unless” and “Not” together in a clause.
“Unless” isn’t followed by “Will”.
“Unless” is usually used to refer to present and future tense, but it is, sometimes, used with the past, but not frequently.
Until / Till (means): Before the given time (Up to the time of something’s happening)
The conjunction “Until” is used to describing/referring to a time threshold that is not being crossed.
The conjunction “Until” is also considered negative and is not used with another negative word “Not” in a clause/sentence. Therefore, we don’t use “Until” and “Not” in a clause.
Until is more formal than Till.
Examples:
- Miss Sara lived with her parents until she was 29.
- I will not give the CSS exam a try unless my mother asks me for.
- We shall not lend him money unless he gives us gold.
- Until I complete the homework, please don’t start playing cricket.
- You are unlikely to earn decent money until you start working hard.
- We won’t start the project until we hear that all the plans have been approved.
- I resigned in June but continued to draw my salary until the end of August.
- Where are my cricket shoes? They should be in the room unless you’ve left them behind the door.
- Unless you’ve tried it for yourself, you can’t imagine how relaxing it is.
- You never hear her express an opinion in group discussion unless she’s thought very carefully about the topic.
- My wife and I usually walked to work, unless we were going shopping afterwards, in that case, we’d take the car.
- Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed that such a thing could happen.
Thus, the right answer is:
Unless you try, you will never succeed.
Question# 4:
He wrote with ink.
He wrote in ink.
Explanation:
We always “Write In” ink; whereas, we always “Write With” an instrument. In simple words, always use “Write In” when referring to the final work, but use “Write With” when referring to the use of instruments.
Examples:
- She has written a letter in ink.
- He wrote in ink.
- My son is learning to write with a pen.
- He always prefers to write with a pencil.
Thus, the correct sentence is:
He wrote in ink.
Question# 5:
What country he belongs to?
What country does he belong to?
Explanation:
“What”, “Which”, and “Whose” are the words that are known as interrogative adjectives. They always come with nouns, pronouns, pronouns, or noun like things to ask questions.
Nouns: Ali, Ayesha, William, Multan, Lahore, Pakistan, America, Courage, Curiosity, Democracy, etc.
Pronouns: He, she, it, I, we, you, they, all, both, many, few, several, some, none, everyone, nobody, either, neither, who, whom, what, which, etc.
Noun like things: The girl in black, The cars of the rich and handsome boy, Only one person in billions, etc.
Structure:
What/Which/Whose + Noun/Pronoun + Helping Verb + Subject + Verb + Object?
Examples:
- What car will you buy?
- What country does he belong to?
- Which mobile phone will they give me?
- Which address did she mail the letter to?
- Whose horse is Nimra riding?
- Whose friend did your father help?
Thus, the correct sentence is:
What country does he belong to?
Question# 6:
When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Explanation:
The sentence has two grammatical errors. To write the sentence grammatically correct, we have to correct both of the errors. Let’s identify errors one by one.
Reach (Something or Somebody) vs Reach To (Something or Somebody)
As a verb “Reach” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Reach” takes the preposition “To”.
Examples:
- I didn’t reach Lahore until seven or eight o’clock. (Verb)
- News of his death has just reached us. (Verb)
- The CSS aspirants have reached the conclusion that they now have to prefer expert teachers to qualifiers. (Verb)
- The jury took ten days to reach a verdict. (Verb)
- Social media always support inept mentors’ reach to the aspirants. (Noun)
- Sir Syed Kazim Ali’s creative English writing program extends global reach to 15 countries. (Noun)
- His lectures help you increase your reach to English-speaking populations. (Noun)
Visit (Someone or Something) vs Visit To (Someone or Something)
As a verb “Visit” doesn’t take a preposition; however, as a noun “Visit” takes the preposition “To” and “Of”.
Examples:
- I often visit my relatives. (Verb)
- I have visited Karachi thrice. (Verb)
- When did she last visit the psychiatrist? (Verb)
- Modi was carrying Covid-19 when he was visiting Delhi. (Verb)
- I would love to pay a visit to the new library. (Noun)
- Her visit to Europe last year was great. (Noun)
- My visit to the Prime Minister of Pakistan was about academy mafia. (Noun)
Thus, the correct sentence is:
When he reaches manhood, he will visit England.
Question# 7:
The new session commences from February 1st, 2020.
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Explanation:
Commence (V) means: To begin something. As a verb “Commence” takes different prepositions to show different meanings.
Things commence/begin “ON” a particular day or date.
Things commence/begin “AT” a particular time (Given point in time).
Things commence/begin “IN” a month or a year.
Things commence/begin “From” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they begin – “To” the exact date, day, time, month, year – when they end.
The admissions will commence on 14 August 2022. (Particular day or date)
The admissions will commence on Friday. (Particular day or date)
The proceeding commenced in 2010. (Month or year)
The proceeding commenced in June. (Month or year)
The proceeding will commence at 8 a.m. (Given a point in time)
The proceeding will commence from Friday and continue to Monday.
Thus, the right answer is:
The new session commences on February 1st, 2020.
Question# 8:
Please send this letter on my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Explanation:
We “Send” things “To” someone or somewhere
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something, so that they can deliver things.
We “Send” things “With / By” someone or something “To” someone or somewhere, so they can receive things.
Examples:
- Please send this letter to my address.
- Where shall I send this letter to?
- She can send this letter by post.
- I can send this letter by post to my mother.
Thus, the right answer is:
Please send this letter to my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Please send this letter to my address.
Please send this letter to my address.