GRAMMAR – INTRODUCTION

Grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases, and
words in any given language.
The grammar is approached in two different ways: Descriptive and Prescriptive. The descriptive
way tries to look at the grammar of any spoken language or dialect as it actually exists and it
judges whether a sentence is grammatically correct or not based on the rules of the speech rather
than on a set of rules. The perspective grammar prescribes rules for the proper usage of language.
For MBA Admission Tests, you need to focus on prescriptive grammar.

Fig: Parts of speech.

PARTS OF SPEECH
All words in English language are divided into eight categories. These categories are called
the Parts of Speech. Grammar classifies words based on eight parts of speech: verbs, nouns,
pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections. Each part of speech
explains not what the word is, but how the word is used. In other words, the category of parts of
speech depends on the function of the word in the sentence. 
Noun
A noun is a word used to name a person, animal, place, thing, and abstract idea. A noun can
function in a sentence as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, a subject complement, an
object complement, an appositive, an adjective or an adverb.
Types of Nouns: Proper Nouns, Common Nouns, Concrete Nouns, Abstract Nouns, Countable,
Non-Countable, Collective Nouns.
Verb
The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb asserts something about the
subject of the sentence and expresses actions, events, or states of being. The verb is the critical
element of the predicate of a sentence. Verbs indicate what is being done in a sentence, and tell
you about the activities of its subjects and about states and conditions.
Pronoun
A pronoun can replace a noun or another pronoun. Pronouns have exactly the same function as
nouns.
Classification of pronouns: personal pronouns, demonstrative pronoun, interrogative pronoun,
indefinite pronoun, relative pronoun, reflexive pronoun, and intensive pronoun.
Adjective
An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An
adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies. Articles (the, a, an) are
also considered to be adjectives.
Adverb
An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause. An adverb
indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as how, when, where,
and how much. Unlike an adjective, an adverb can be found in various places within the
sentence.
Preposition
A preposition links nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. A preposition
usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the
sentence. Prepositions tell you how the noun or pronoun is related to the rest of the sentence in
terms of place, time, reason and so on.
Conjunction
A Conjunction is a joining word that is used to link words, phrases, and clauses. Coordinating
conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions are the types.
Interjection
Interjections are words used to express some sudden feeling or emotion. They are not
grammatically related to the other words in a sentence. For example: Hello!, Alas!, Hurrah!, Ah!,
Oh!, Well!, etc. Interjections are followed by an exclamation mark. They are uncommon in
formal academic writing.
Verbals
Verbals are words formed from verbs but function as a different part of speech. There are three
types of verbal words - gerund, participle, and infinitive.
A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that functions as a noun.
A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective.
An infinitive is a verbal formed by placing in front of the simple present form of a verb.