Steps that help in Language Skills

• Grammars and syntax: Grammar refers to combining words into sentences. It avoids communication harrier and you can speak or write grammatically correct sentences. The correct form of verbs are important.

         e.g., Incorrect: Despite the manager’s orders, the employees have not begun the operation.

         Correct: Despite the manager’s orders, the employee has not begun the operations.

• Locate the subjects properly and correctly: prepositional phrases and parenthetic words often disguise the true subject.

         e.g., Incorrect: Either the printer or the software are causing the glitch.

         Correct: Either the printer or the software is causing the glitch.

         So, matching subjects agree with verbs despite intervening phrases and clauses.

• Subject nearer to the verb: Two subjects when joined by corrective conjunction (either-or/neither-nor/not only –but also). Pay special attention while using the correct pronoun. Do not use the plural pronoun there unless the subject and verb are plurals.

          e.g, Either Ramesh or Suresh is at his desk.

            Neither the manager nor the employees were at fault.

• Singular verbs for most indefinite pronouns:

          e.g., Each of the employees is being interviewed.

• Singular or plural verbs for collective nouns:

          Incorrect: The finance committee were divided in their opinion.

         Correct: The Organizing Committee is working effectively.

• Treating company names as singular:

         Incorrect: Mohan & Brothers has paid for its last order. They are ready to order.

          Correct: Mohan & Brothers has paid for its past order. It is now ready to record.

• Expletives: It is an expression- such as there is, there are, here is, and here are – that comes at the beginning of clause or sentence.

         e.g., There is no reason for his behavior.

            There are many reasons for his behavior.

• Intervening words: first determine the subject, then make the verb agree.

           e.g., The appearance of the workers, not their competence, was being questioned.