Competitive exams require strong grammar skills to excel in sections like English comprehension, error detection, and sentence improvement. Mastering key grammar rules improves accuracy and boosts overall scores.
In this guide, we’ll cover the most important topics of grammar for competitive exams, provide examples, and share SEO optimization tips to help this article rank higher on Google.
1. Important Grammar Topics for Competitive Exams
1.1. Parts of Speech
Understanding nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections is essential for sentence correction and error spotting.
✅ Example:
Incorrect: She quick runs in the park.
Correct: She quickly runs in the park. (Adverb ‘quickly’ is needed, not the adjective ‘quick’.)
1.2. Subject-Verb Agreement
A singular subject requires a singular verb, whereas a plural subject requires a plural verb for agreement.
✅ Example:
Incorrect: The team of players are practicing for the match.
Correct: The team of players is practicing for the match.
1.3. Tenses and Their Correct Usage
Competitive exams test knowledge of past, present, and future tenses, including perfect and continuous forms.
✅ Example:
Incorrect: She will goes to school tomorrow.
Correct: She will go to school tomorrow. (The verb after ‘will’ should always be in its base form.)
Understanding voice transformation is crucial in error spotting and sentence improvement.
✅ Example:
Active: The manager approved the project.
Passive: The project was approved by the manager.
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1.5. Direct and Indirect Speech
Knowing how to convert direct speech to indirect speech helps in reported speech questions.
✅ Example:
Direct: He said, “I am happy.”
Indirect: He said that he was happy.
1.6. Modifiers and Sentence Structure
Misplaced or dangling modifiers can change the intended meaning of a sentence.
✅ Example:
Incorrect: Running down the street, the buildings seemed to blur. (Who is running?)
Correct: Running down the street, I saw the buildings blur.
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1.7. Commonly Confused Words
Words like effect vs. affect, its vs. it’s, and who vs. whom are often tested.
✅ Example:
Incorrect: The new law will have a positive affect on students.
Correct: The new law will have a positive effect on students.
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2. Tips to Master Grammar for Competitive Exams
2.1. Read Daily
Reading newspapers like The Hindu, BBC News, and editorials improves grammar and comprehension skills.
2.2. Practice Mock Tests
Regularly solve previous year papers and online quizzes to identify weak areas.
2.3. Learn from Mistakes
Review incorrect answers to understand the logic behind grammar rules.
2.4. Use Grammar Apps
Tools like Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWritingAid help spot mistakes.
Conclusion
Mastering grammar for competitive exams requires a deep understanding of key concepts like tenses, subject-verb agreement, active-passive voice, and sentence structure.
By practicing daily, reading high-quality content, and using grammar tools, aspirants can improve accuracy and score higher in exams like SSC, UPSC, IBPS, and IELTS.
For more grammar tips, check out our Complete Guide to English Grammar