English For Indians

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Why This Book?
II. Preface
III. A Story of Three Friends and Their Struggle to Learn

English…
Day 1 - What They Don’t Teach You in Indian Schools
Day 2 - The Best Kept Secret of English Grammar:

the ‘Do-Forms’
Day 3 - The Grand Wedding Between Verb and Subject
Day 4 - The Expansion Principle You Never Learnt in School
Day 5 - The Sign posts Called Prepositions
Day 6 - The Various Avatars of a Subject
Day 7- Be in the Present
Day 8 - Beware of the Passive Voice in Present Tense
Day 9 - Since vs For
Day 10 - Construction Mistakes

INTRODUCTION
Most Indian students and working professionals find themselves

stuck when speaking or writing in English, despite having studied in
English-medium schools and colleges. Blame your English teachers,
for they never made English fun and easy.
Identifying the subject of the sentence is so important that everything

else in the sentence depends on the subject. Your verb depends on
the subject. Your adverb depends on the verb you choose. There is a
whole chain of words that depend on one single word – and that is
the subject.
“It pays to speak English” –A 2006 study by economists Munshi,

Kaivan and Mark found that, in India, speaking English gave
workers a 25 percent premium in wages over non-English speaking
workers.
I. WHY THIS BOOK?
Books on English grammar and usages are aplenty in the market.

Each book claims to be unique in its own way. This book, too, is not
without its own uniqueness. Before I set out to write this book, I
researched almost all the prominent books available in the market,
and I found that not even one revealed the techniques and methods
that are essential to a sentence formation. I made every effort to
unravel mysteries of the English language that so far have been the
forte of writers.
I have always asked these two questions to myself:
1. Why do most Indians find it difficult to grasp the basic

grammar syntaxes?
2. How is it that by learning two or three syntaxes one can talk

and write confidently?
I worked as a journalist for over a decade before switching to

corporate and marketing communications. During my journalism
days, I used to write sentences without fully knowing where to put a
full stop and a comma. It was not until I took up a job as a trainee
subeditor in Andhra Pradesh Times, I learnt the mechanics of
forming sentences. Thanks to my news editor, R V Harnoor Saab,
who helped me understand the nuances of phraseology. If you find
something good in this book, it is all because of him. If you don’t, it is
all because of me!
I have been fortunate enough to train a good number of students

whose medium of instruction in schools and colleges has been
Telugu. I have also trained the judicial staff of the then Andhra
Pradesh High Court (Now Telangana High Court). Every training
session – be it in the high court or at Career Trek, which I co-founded
with my friend D. Sudhakar Reddy in 2003—has been a revelation to
me!
The sessions gave me an insight as to how an adult learner thinks

and frames his sentences. The problem is that the adult learner tends
to think in his/her mother tongue and then write in English. When I
forced them to stop translating every word of their mother tongue to
English, I faced stiff opposition from the whole lot. In one of the
training sessions, a grey-haired man rose up in protest saying, “This
is what we have been doing whenever we draft anything, and now
we cannot change.”
In my struggle to make them understand the mechanics of a
sentence, I came up with several methods that would make writing
and speaking English easier.
I claim the methods in my book are self-developed, and I hope this

book will help you master the fundamentals of the English language.
I thank my wife Chitra Nalini for giving me the push and the much
needed support to complete the book in a stipulated time. I also
thank the editors of this book. And, of course, to the almighty.
Any suggestion or criticism is welcome!
Send your feedback to subdesai@gmail.com. I read each and every

email and respond as quickly as time permits.
II. PREFACE
English, if you understand subject and verb well, is very easy to
grasp, and you can become a master in less than 10 days – yes, ten
days! So where is the problem? The problem is not really knowing
the fundamentals. Without learning fundamentals, you cannot
master complex patterns/syntaxes.
In my 20 plus years of training adults to learn the language, I have

seen that adults usually aren’t sure how to begin a sentence. The
beginning actually determines the pitch, the tone and the emphasis
of the words to follow. Ask any communication expert and she will
tell you that the flow of words comes out quite spontaneously. That’s
because they have consciously trained their minds to catch the first
two-to-three words without thinking. You can also do it too with a
little bit of conscious effort.
The second problem that I see is the ability to use the right words. In
other words, it is the words that you choose which determine your
command over the language. For this, it requires a lot of self-training
and discipline. People who progress fast in their language skills are
good observers. Your ability to observe the play of words determines
the progress. But you should make a start somewhere.
The best start you can make in learning the English language is
understanding the subject of a sentence. Even while you are speaking
or writing, you should consciously know the subject of a sentence.
That is the kernel. Once you know the subject, the second step is to
marry the subject with the right verb. That’s it. Easy, right?
This book is all about how you match the right verb with the right
subject. When I say right verb, you need to understand two variants–
singular and plural. Indians usually get confused with singular verbs
and plural verbs in the present tense. This will give you a clear idea
about the two variants – be it verbs or subjects.
The first step towards learning English writing or speaking is the

understanding of these verb forms and subject forms. Once you
understand, I guarantee you that you will not only excel in your
presentations but also move up your corporate ladder or in your
chosen field.
III. A STORY OF THREE FRIENDS
AND THEIR STRUGGLE TO
LEARN ENGLISH…
The receptionist calls out, “Sangeeta Jayaraman, you are the next
to go. Keep the hardcopy of your resume and other supporting
documents ready.”
Sangeeta’s heartbeat starts racing, and she hears the heartbeat loud
and clear. Infysys Technologies is Sangeeta’s dream company to
work for. She has been waiting for this day since she passed her
B.Tech a couple of years ago. For many freshers, like Sangeeta,
companies like Wipro, TCS, Cognizant, etc., are dream companies.
Sangeeta has prepared well for the interview and covered all the
latest technology, including IoT, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence,
but there is one language she is not so confident in–the English
language!
“Sangeeta, are you ready? Go straight and take a left. You will find
the interview room.” The receptionist ushers her in.
Walking confidently, Sangeeta knocks on the door and sees two

people inside the room.
“May I come in, sir?”
“Come in,” says Deepak Chatopadyay, the HR head in his late

thirties. And the young man next to him introduces, “Hi! I am Tarun
Deshpande. Please take your seat and get comfortable.”
“Okay, Sangeeta. Tell us more about yourself?” asks Deepak.

“Myself Sangeeta and belong to Hyderabad and I work very hardly.
My father he run a business…”
“Hold on, Sangeeta…. Sorry I missed that. Can you please repeat it?”
quips Deepak.
“Myself Sangeeta and belong to Hyderabad. My father he run a

business in Guntur, and I and my brother are the only childrens. I
complete my B.Tech from SKS College with 78% marks. I am good at
both .NET and Java… and I work very hardly. My hobbies includes
watching TV and reading books.”
The HR Head stops her and says, “Sangeeta, you need to improve
your English. I understand you may be good at technical language,
but we need people who are good at computing languages, and of
course, English.”
Sangeeta somehow couldn’t figure out where she had been going
wrong. It’s natural that she is frustrated. Adding insult to injury, all
her friends have become managers and are earning salary at least
two times more than she is.
She is now at a crossroads! Her failed attempts to get a new job or

secure a promotion at the start-up company she has been working at
for a couple of years are leading her nowhere.
The case is the same with Sangeeta’s childhood friend, Rajesh

Kumar, who earned his MBA and has been struggling to get a job for
the last two years.
That evening, Sangeeta and Rajesh meet up and share their anxieties
with each other about the English language. They have attended a lot
of communications programs and read grammar books but to no
avail.
What’s troubling Rajesh is that the 20 top companies in India have

rejected him, and his hope of getting into a big company is
dwindling by the day. He feels despaired and dejected because his
English is failing him. And he believes that, if it were not for his
English, he would have nailed every interview. He’s probably right –
learning English can make a big difference.
“I’m sick of failing at every interview I attend. I don’t know what to

do. The string of failures is giving me sleepless nights. I want to be
successful, and I know if I can get comfortable speaking in English, I
can nail any interview because I’m good at my subject.”
Sangeeta nods her head and moves closer to Rajesh as if to make him
feel good that he has her support.
“Do you know how Archit has learnt to speak so well? I heard that
he was coached by some English guru. Check with him and see if he
has any tips.”
“Oh! Why didn’t I think of this before? I should have checked with
him. I met him this morning, and we had a good chat. Let me call
him right away.”
Rajesh calls up Archit.
“Hey! What’s up Rajesh? Hope all is well,” says Archit over the
phone.
“I want to meet with you right away. In fact, Sangeeta will

accompany me.”
“What’s going on, dude? Are you guys in any relationship, or

what?” “Shut up! Nothing like that. Tell me where we can meet you
right now.” “Okay! Come to my house.”
Rajesh and Sangeeta feel a sense of relief because there is someone

who can guide them.
Without wasting any time, the duo reaches Archit’s home, and when
they enter, they see CDs and English novels strewn across the floor
as if he is vacating his flat!
“What’s all this?” asks Sangeeta!
“Ignore all that…. It’s my newfound pastime of reading books and

watching movies. Why were you guys chasing me? Is everything all
right?” asks Archit.
“Nothing is all right. I’m failing in almost all the interviews that I
attend, and Sangeeta is also in the same boat. The interviewer
showed her the door yesterday.”
“Why? What’s going wrong? How can I help?”
“We all three studied in the same school and college. How come you
picked up English so well, while we are still struggling?”
“Oh! That’s something I credit to my guru, Alok Srivastava, who
helped me get a grip on the language,” says Archit, looking at them
with a big smile on his face.
“Do you mind introducing him to us as well?” asks Sangeeta.
“Of course, I will,” grins Archit.
He dials up Alok to take an appointment the next day at 11:30am.

WHAT THEY DON’T
TEACH YOU IN INDIAN
SCHOOLS
At 11:30am sharp, the three friends meet at Alok’s place in Hi-Tech
City, Hyderabad.
As they are ushered in by his wife, dressed modestly, Rajesh and

Sangeeta are stymied by the choice of wall colours and decorations
inside the house. Alok’s wife Ranjeeta is dressed just fine to look like
a south Indian, although being a Punjabi herself.
A tall, thin man towering over everyone walks in and introduces

himself as Alok. Rajesh and Sangeeta are of moderate height of five
foot three inches, while Archit is five foot nine. Alok asks them to
follow him to his studio room where he spends most of his time
coaching students. He has a habit of smoking and keeps the balcony
area free from any disturbance. He loves to write as he smokes.
“Okay, I know Archit. Can you two introduce yourselves?” Rajesh

looks at Sangeeta and nods for her to go first.
“Myself Sangeeta and I’m a native of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and

I work very hardly. My father he run a business in Guntur, and I and
my brother are the only childrens. I completed my B.Tech from SKS
College and looking for a job change. My hobbies are watching TV
and reading books.”
Hearing this, Alok doesn’t react much. In his mind, he is trying to

figure out where Sangeeta is going wrong.
“You know, Sangeeta, where you are going wrong?”
Even before Sangeeta utters a word, Alok continues…
“You are going wrong on two counts – one is the sentence structure,
and the second is the usage of words/phrases. The plural form of
child is children. So, you cannot say ‘childrens.’ Also ‘he run a
business’ is gibberish English.”
“Do you know ‘working hardly’ means you are barely working? If I
say, I hardly visit my native place, it means I barely go to my native
place. If I say, I hardly work on my priorities, it means I scarcely
work on my priorities. If I say, he hardly gets up early, it means he
more often than not gets up early. If I say, she hardly takes any
vacation, it means she usually doesn’t take any vacation.”
Sangeeta quips: “No wonder, I’m not being hired. How do we use
hardly in that case, sir?”
“Just say – I work hard, not hardly,” clarifies Alok.
Now, Alok turns to Rajesh and asks him to introduce himself.
“I’m Rajesh and belonging to Guntur. I belongs to a Agriculture

family and we are three brothers. I have done my MBA with 65% of
marks and looking for a job.”
“You also need to understand sentence structures and usages,

Rajesh,” Alok says, adding:
“Sangeeta and Rajesh, you both don’t seem to have an

understanding of subjects and verbs. You cannot say ‘I belongs’…
this is gibberish English.”
For Alok, this brief introduction is enough for him to understand

where his acquaintances stand. Alok has been in language coaching
for more than a decade and has helped many people become masters
of the language.
Test yourself on what you have learnt so far.

1. In which sentence is Ramesh a superstar in the company?
A) Ramesh works so hard that he gets a promotion every year.
B) Ramesh works so hardly that he gets a promotion every year.
2. In which sentence is he dying to have fun?

A) I can hardly wait for the fun to begin.
B) I can wait for the fun to begin.
3. Which sentence indicates that the streets are almost empty?

A) There was hardly anyone in the streets.
B) There was lots of people in the street.
4. Which sentence shows she doesn’t know him?

A) She hardly knows me.
B) She knows me too well.
5. Which sentence states, “I don’t remember numbers and
names”?
A) I hardly remember numbers and names.
B) It is hard for me to remember numbers and names.
Answers: A on all of them.
What makes a sentence?
How to identify the subject of a sentence.
How to match the verb with the subject of the sentence.
“Okay, let’s try to understand what makes a sentence. Remember, I

asked, ‘What makes a sentence?’ not ‘What is a sentence.’ A sentence,
to be grammatically correct, needs to have a sequence. Let me give
you an analogy of making a biryani.
“If I were to ask you, ‘What makes a tasty biryani?’ you would give
me a sequence of steps along with recipes that make a tasty biryani,
right? Writing a sentence is no different – a sequence of steps that
will help you write or speak a grammatically correct sentence.
“Are you still with me?” asks Alok looking into the eyes of Rajesh.
Rajesh nods his head.
“Okay, so now let’s see what those steps are one should follow to
write or speak a sentence correctly. First and foremost, you should
understand the FORMAT of the sequence. And the FORMAT is
this….”
Alok turns to the whiteboard and writes in big letters:
SENTENCE = Complete SUBJECT + Complete

VERB
“Take any sentence written by Shakespeare or any decent writer, you

will unfailingly find this format or sequence, but yes English has
many exceptions. You can learn these exceptions only when you
understand the basic format which is subject plus verb plus or minus
object.”
Alok writes on the board:

Did you know?
90% of Indians do not know the ‘Matching Concept Rule’
in English grammar.
What exactly is ‘Matching Concept Rule’?
Matching Concept Rule applies to only Present Tense
Matching Concept Rule #1:

Singular verb must match with the singular subject
Matching Concept Rule #2:

Plural verb must match with the plural subject
Why didn’t we learn ‘Matching Concept’ rules in schools and

colleges?
It turns out that the majority of our teachers do not know the
Matching Concept.
Sounds strange? It’s true. Ask an English teacher, especially in towns

and villages.
This book is primarily written for English teachers.
Let’s get back to the story.
Alok writes: The ability of the employees is tested during

training sessions.
“What’s the subject of this sentence?” Alok asks.
“Employees,” says Sangeeta.
“Wrong,” says Alok. S

Sangeeta is not alone. Strange as it may sound, thousands of Indians
feel lost when asked to pick the subject of a sentence.
“Identifying the subject is so important that everything else in the

sentence depends on the subject. Your verb depends on the subject.
Your adverb depends on the verb and adjective that you choose.
There is a whole chain of words that depend on one single word–and
that is the subject.”
“A subject is categorized into one of two types– a) complete subject

b) narrow subject.”
Let’s ask two simple questions to this statement.
Two-step subject identification process

Step 1:
What are we talking about?
You might say we are talking about ‘employees’.
Step 2:
But about employees what are we talking about?
We are talking about “The ability”.
“Once you pick the subject, the next step is to match appropriate
verb with the subject. We will learn the matching principles in the
next chapter.”
So, at this stage, it is important to understand singular subject and

plural subject.
Why it is important?
That’s because we need to match singular verb with a singular

subject and plural verb with a plural subject.
Note: Your subject and your verb are always connected in the present tense.
Let’s take one simple sentence which is not complicated at all like the
previous one.
Virat plays cricket.
Let’s apply the “matching concept rule’.
Virat is a singular subject.
Why Virat is singular subject?
Because we are talking about one person only - which is Virat. So,
as per our ‘matching concept rule’, singular subject must match
with singular verb.
Plays is a singular verb. (Tip: add ‘s’ at the end)

Play is a plural verb. (Tip: drop ‘s’ at the end)
Matching Concept Rule #1 :
singular subject + singular verb
Correct: Virat plays (cricket).

Virat and Rohit play cricket.
Let’s apply the “matching concept rule’.
What are we talking about in the sentence? Clearly Virat and Rohit.
So, we have two subjects – Virat and Rohit – which means plural.
Because our subjects are two or more than two in number, we apply
the ‘matching concept rule #2’.
Plays is a singular verb. (Tip: add ‘s’ at the end)

Play is a plural verb. (Tip: drop ‘s’ at the end)
Matching Concept Rule #2 :
Plural subject + plura verb
Correct: Virat and Rohit play (cricket).

The Analogy of a Train
Alok has a knack of making his students understand with a lot of
analogies that connect with them instantly. This time he uses a train
and its bogies!
“Imagine a long train with some 20 plus compartments or bogies.

The engine of this train powers the bogies, right? And where do you
find the engine? It comes right at the beginning, doesn’t it? Just like
how the engine comes at the beginning, the subject of a sentence also
comes at the beginning! It is as simple as that.”
Sangeeta’s mind goes back to summer vacations when she visited

grandparents in Eluru, a town in Andhra Pradesh, and her
grandfather had a fascination for trains. He would take her almost
every day to a nearby railway station and watched the speeding
trains. She remembers that the first day when she saw the trains, she
asked her grandpa, “What pulls the train so fast, and how are they
linked to each other?”
Delighted by her inquisitiveness, her grandpa took her near one of

the stationary trains and showed her the engine, saying, “This is
what pulls the train, and it has the strength of thousands of elephants
to pull the mighty bogies.”
“Is that the reason why the engine comes first, Grandpa?” Seeing
Sangeeta lost in her world, Alok poses a question. “Sangeeta, tell me
the significance of a subject.”
“It comes in the beginning of any sentence, and it is the one that pulls
the rest of the words, like how an engine pulls the rest of the bogies.
Am I right, sir?” Sangeeta confidently answers.
“You are bang on, Sangeeta, says Alok, “but there is more to it. The
subject is the main force or a character around which the rest of the
words are stitched together. So, whenever you see a sentence, try and
locate the main character.”
Observation 1:
Add ‘s’ to singular verbs
Add S to singular verbs in
Observation 2:
Drop ‘s’ to plural verbs
1. Mary and Roma make cookies.
2. Rama and Gopal jump from the 2nd floor.
3. Cheetahs run faster than tigers
4. The sun and the moon rise in the east.
5. Kites fly high.

Simple Present Tense – Habitual Actions or Everyday Actions
Subject Singular Verb Plural Verb Object

I / You / We / play tennis
They
People play tennis
Hari & Krishna play tennis
Sanjana plays tennis
The train leaves every morning
at 8
She forgets her wallet
every day
The earth circles The Sun
The Sun rises In the east
East Coast wake Up early in the

People day
Cats like milk
Dogs are The cutest pets
Birds hate milk
A bird hates milk
Tiger loves meat
Tigers love meat
Now, let’s apply engine-bogie principle to sentences:
1. Rains bring cheers to drought-hit farmers.

Subject: Rains (plural)
Verb: bring
Matching Concept: Rule #2
2. Books are best read when you are alone.

Subject: Books (plural)
Verb: are
3. Problems of poor farmers seem to be never ending.
Subject: Problems (plural)
Verb: seem
4. One of the buildings in our locality was razed to the ground

by GMC.
Subject: One (singular)
Linking Verb: was
5. The most important issue of the debate, participated in by

academia and industry
leaders on Republic TV, is the erosion of the Indian culture.
Subject: Issue (singular)
Verb: is (linking)
Explanation: We don’t consider ‘the most important’ or ‘the

most’ as the subject because these words only go to modify
the noun ‘issue’.
6. ‘The great Abdul Kalam was known for his honesty and
integrity.’
In this sentence, Abdul Kalam is the subject, not ‘the great’

because these words only go to modify Abdul Kalam which is
a proper noun.
So all subjects are nouns, but not all nouns are subjects.
Sometimes adjectives can also be subjects when you write
poetically. But for now we will learn prose writing.”
7. Sridhar jumps off the moving train!

Subject: Sridhar (singular)
Verb: jumps
8. Gopal and Sanjay make a good company.

Subject: Gopal and Sanjay
Verb: make
9. Diamonds are for ever.
Subject: Diamonds
Verb: are (linking)
10. Seema wakes up early in the morning.

Subject: Seema
Verb: wakes
EXERCISE
(Courtesy: owl.Purdue.edu/owl)
1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.
2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.
3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.
4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.
5. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.
6. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer.
7. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.
8. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.
9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two
hours to watch.
10. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.
11. Either answer (is, are) acceptable.
12. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.
13. Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen.
14. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six?
15. Mathematics (is, are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is,
are) Andrea's favorite subject.
16. Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these days.
17. (Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer?
18. Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's.
19. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is,
are) only one left!
20. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.
21. The committee members (leads, lead) very different lives in

private.
22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the
press cordially.
23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.
24. Mussoorie and Shimla (make, makes) the best tourist

destinations.
25. People (needs, need) to understand the importance of green

environment.
ANSWERS:
1. Annie and her brothers are at school.
2. Either my mother or my father is coming to the meeting.
3. The dog or the cats are outside.
4. Either my shoes or your coat is always on the floor.
5. George and Tamara don't want to see that movie.
6. Benito doesn't know the answer.
7. One of my sisters is going on a trip to France.
8. The man with all the birds lives on my street.
9. The movie, including all the previews, takes about two hours
to watch.
10. The players, as well as the captain, want to win.
11. Either answer is acceptable.
12. Every one of those books is fiction. (Subject is everyone)
13. Nobody knows the trouble I've seen.
14. Is the news on at five or six?
15. Mathematics is John's favorite subject, while

Civics is Andrea's favorite subject.
16. Eight dollars is the price of a movie these days. (Money is
singular)
17. Are the tweezers in this drawer?
18. Your pants are at the cleaner's.
19. There were fifteen candies in that bag. Now there is only one
left!
20. The committee debates these questions carefully.
21. The committee members lead very different lives in private.
22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, greets the press
cordially.
23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, are in this case.
24. Mussoorie and Shimla make the best tourist destinations.
25. People need to understand the importance of green

environment.
THE GRAND WEDDING
BETWEEN VERB AND
SUBJECT
The next day, the three friends make it a point to be at Alok’s place at
12:00 noon.
Alok enters the living room with a smile on his face. “You know why
I asked you guys to come for lunch today?”
As the three friends look at each other, Alok announces, “Today is

our fifteenth wedding anniversary. And I’m going to teach the most
important lesson in grammar about marriage.”
“That’s awesome, sir. Congratulations.” Sangeeta goes first to shake
his hand and his wife’s, who is in the kitchen preparing biryani.
Alok continues. “Just like how marriage is important for a man or a

woman to settle down and give meaning to their lives, marriage
between verb and subject in a sentence is that important.
“Look at us today – myself and Neetu – we are happy because there

is perfect chemistry between us. We agree with each other most of
the time, and when we don’t, we have conflicts. For every successful
marriage, you need to agree with the other person’s thoughts. If I
don’t agree with my wife or if my wife doesn’t agree with me, do
you think we can live in peace? No. Not possible.
“Now, how is marriage connected to English grammar? You might

think. Well, in every way! If there is no agreement between subject
and verb, there is no sync; there is no grammar.”
The Grand Wedding Between the Subject and the Verb.
Verb weds Subject

“In every sentence, make sure when you are talking or writing, you
match the subject with the right verb. But there is something more
you should know about subjects and verbs,” says Alok.
All subjects and verbs have singular forms and plural forms.
I. SUBJECT PRINCIPLE
“If you add ‘s’ or ‘es’ to a subject (in most cases) it becomes plural.
For example: bird (singular) add ‘s’ to it, it becomes birds (plural).
There are exceptions! We will discuss this in Advanced Subject
Principles later in this book. And almost all nouns can be made
subjects,” clarifies Alok.
II. VERB PRINCIPLE
This is the reverse of the subject principle. If you add ‘s’ or ‘es’ to a
verb, it becomes singular. For example: the verb ‘sings’ is singular,
and if you remove ‘s’, it becomes plural. This is the reverse to what
we learned in the subject principle. Again, there are exceptions! We
will discuss the exceptions in Advanced Verb Principles later in this
book.
III. Matching Concept #1
Match A SINGULAR SUBJECT (NOUN) with A SINGULAR VERB
Singular Subject = Singular Verb S1 = V1
IV. Matching Principle – 2
Match A PLURAL SUBJECT (NOUNS) with A PLURAL VERB
Plural Subject = Plural Verb S2 = V2
Though “I” and “you” logically denote single person logically, they
are taken as ‘dual form’. So, all you have to do is just match V1 with
S1 and V2 with S2.
For example:
1. I go–“I” is S2 and “go” is V2 (S2 = V2)
2. You are–“you” is S2 and “are” is V2 (S2 = V2)
3. She does–“she” is S1 and “does” is V1 (S1 = V1)
4. A child plays–“child” is S1 and “plays” is V1 (S1 = V1)
5. Children play–“children” is S2 and “play” V2 (S1 = V2)
Exceptions: not all plural nouns end with letter ‘s’.

“Now you know the subject is a noun or pronoun. What you will
have to keep in mind is that both nouns and verbs have plural
forms,” declares Alok.
Sangeeta’s mind goes back to the marriage of her best friend Pushpa
who has been in love with his childhood friend Arjun. Although they
fought every single day before marriage, they exchanged oaths of
living together for many more lives to come! Sounds strange, but
how true it is – we become attracted to people who are poles apart.
She is convinced that subjects and verbs act like couples. They are
different but work in tandem.
Alok again sees Sangeeta lost in her world. He waves his hand to her
and draws her back to the present. “Let’s test the principles,
Sangeeta. Are you with me?”
“Yes sir,” she says.
EXTREMELY BAD ENGLISH

1. He do not know.
2. She do not know.
3. They comes home.
4. They likes cricket.
5. We goes on vacation next summer.
6. Ram know English well.
7. Virat play cricket.
8. She don’t know English.
9. He don’t know French.
10. They has good collection.
CORRECT ENGLISH
1. He does not know.
2. She does not know.
3. They come home.
4. They like cricket.
5. We go on vacation next summer.
6. Ram knows English well.
7. Virat plays cricket.
8. She doesn’t know English.
9. He doesn’t know French.
10. They have good collection.
Let’s take a couple of more examples:
Trees in the Amazon forest (grow, grows) faster.

“Note the verb is grow, not grows, because we are talking about
‘trees,’ which is plural. But if you are talking about one tree, then you
can use grows as a verb. For example: The banyan tree on Ram’s
field grows faster.
A tree in the neighbourhood (gives, give) fresh air.

“Note the verb is gives because we are talking about only one tree.
Got it?”
Exercise:
1 Which sentence has the wrong verb?
A) Rama and Suresh does not try to understand the complexity
of problem.
B) Rama and Suresh do not try to understand the complexity of
problem
2 Which sentence has the correct verb?

A) Joseph makes it clear in the meeting that he don’t need any
help.
B) Joseph makes it clear in the meeting that he doesn’t need any
help.
3 Which sentence has the incorrect verb?

A) His friends makes his day joyful.
B) His friends make his day joyful.
4 Which sentence has the correct verb?
A) Rich people usually finds it easy to get through anything they
want.
B) Rich people usually find it easy to get through anything they
want.
5 Which is correct?
A) Virat and Anushka make a good pair.
B) Virat and Anushka makes a good pair.
Answers: 1A, 2B, 3A, 4B, 5A

THE BEST KEPT SECRET
OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR:
THE ‘DO-FORMS
Many of us make a mistake when we use a ‘do-form.’
“What are ‘do-forms? Do-forms are:

Do
Does
Did
Done
Alok usually has the habit of asking a question and immediately
answering it.
Alok knows where his students are making mistakes. He asks Rajesh,
“Describe in your own words how Virat batted yesterday against Sri
Lanka.”
Enthusiastically, Rajesh moves forward to describe: “Virat’s batting

was world-class yesterday. He hit a century yesterday, and he didn’t
played any bad shots.”
“Okay, here is what you should learn, Rajesh,” says Alok.
“Whenever there is ‘did’, you should take care not to use the verb in
the past tense.”
Rajesh: “So, how should I reframe, sir?”

“He didn’t play well yesterday.”
I didn’t knew about it.
1. I didn’t got any message from the client.
2. I didn’t received any email from my boss.

3. I didn’t took notes.
4. He didn’t worked hard, so he failed.
5. She did not spoke well yesterday.
6. He didn’t ate in the morning.
7. India didn’t made any attempt to win the match.
8. My boss didn’t accepted my leave request.
9. My friend didn’t sent any email.
Right English
1. I didn’t know about it.
2. I didn’t get any message from the client.
3. I didn’t receive any email from my boss.
4. I didn’t take notes.
5. He didn’t work hard, so he failed.
6. She did not speak well yesterday.
7. He didn’t eat in the morning.
8. India didn’t make any attempt to win the match.
9. My boss didn’t accept my leave request.
10. My friend didn’t send any email.

1. I didn’t sent the message yesterday.
2. I send the courier last week.
3. I had send my person to collect the money yesterday.
4. Yesterday I had send the money order.
5. He send his nomination for the award yesterday.
6. He didn’t spoke to me yesterday.
7. He didn’t came home last night.
8. She didn’t smoked last evening.
Right English
1. I didn’t send the message yesterday.
2. I sent the courier last week.
3. I had sent my person to collect the money yesterday.
4. Yesterday I had sent the money order.
5. He sent his nomination for the award yesterday.
6. He didn’t speak to me yesterday.
7. He didn’t come home last night.
8. She didn’t smoke last evening.
Alok: “My friend didn’t speak well in the seminar”, not “My friend
didn’t spoke well in the seminar.”
“Okay, how about this?”
“How many runs did Virat (has, have, had) on the scoreboard
yesterday?”
“Shouldn’t we use ‘had’ here, sir?” asks Sangeeta.
“No,” says Alok. “That’s because we are using ‘did’ here, so the verb
should be in the present tense plus plural which is ‘have’ in this case.
I will explain in detail in my subsequent classes.”
How many runs did Virat (has, have, had) on the scoreboard in
the match against Australia?
Alok elaborates the answer: “If you picked ‘has’ or ‘had’ you are
absolutely wrong.
The correct answer is ‘have’.

Confused?
That’s because of ‘did’! If you see a ‘do-form’, always use a plural

present tense verb, never a past tense verb, even though the action
indicates it took place in the past. Got it?”
How many runs did Sachin Tendulkar (scores, score, scored) in

the match against Australia?
Alok: “Again the correct answer is ‘score’, not ‘scores’.
That’s because of ‘did’!
If you see a ‘do-form’, always use a present-plural verb, which is

‘score’ in this case.”
Ramesh did not (made, make) any attempt to pass the exam, so
he failed.
Right verb is ‘make’, not ‘made’ because we already used ‘did’.

Most of the students do not (understood, understand,
understands) nuts and bolts of English grammar.
Right verb is ‘understand’, not ‘understood’ because we already used

‘do’.
How can he come to my house when he doesn’t (has, have) my

address?
Right verb is have, not has because we already used ‘does’.
Google.com did not (made, make) any profits in the first three
years.
Right verb is ‘make, not made because we already used ‘did’.
Exercise:
1. Which one is correct?
A. He didn’t make any attempt to pass the exam.
B. He didn’t made any attempt to pass the exam.

A. She doesn’t have the requisite skills.
B. She don’t have the requisite skills.

A. When did she came to know about the incident?
B. When did she come to know about the incident?

A. When does he understands the importance of studies?
B. When does he understand the importance of studies?

A. How much money does she have?
B. How much money does she has?
6. Which sentence is correct?
A. He didn’t understand the subject well, so he failed.
B. He didn’t understood the subject well, so he failed.
7. Which is correct?
A. He didn’t speak well at the seminar yesterday?
B. He didn’t spoke well at the seminar yesterday?
A. Sangeeta didn’t practice well, so she got poor marks.
B. Sangeeta didn’t practiced well, so she got poor marks.
A. He made all efforts to get back to his form, but didn’t got
support from the selectors.
B. He made all efforts to get back to his form, but didn’t get
support from the selectors.

A. Ram and Ashok did not knew the address.
B. Ram and Ashok did not know the address.
Answers: 1A, 2A, 3B, 4B, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9B, 10B
Question Tags
Question tags are bit different. When you are using question tags,
you must notice two things: the do form and the verb after the
subject.
EXTREMELY BAD English
1. Does he knows tomorrow is a holiday?
2. Do he knows tomorrow is a holiday?
3. Did he knows the address?
4. Did he knew the address?
5. Do they knows tomorrow is a holiday?
6. Does they know tomorrow is a holiday?
7. Do they knows tomorrow is a holiday?
Right English
1. Does he know tomorrow is a holiday?
2. Does he know tomorrow is a holiday?
3. Did he know the address?
4. Did he know the address?
5. Do they know tomorrow is a holiday?

THE EXPANSION
PRINCIPLE YOU NEVER
LEARNT IN SCHOOL
“As you have learnt, every sentence has three basic parts – subject,
verb and/or object. There is a sequential pattern to it. First, you see
the subject, then the verb and next the object. However, there are
exceptions which we will discuss later.
“What you must keep in mind is that a sentence should consist of

subject + verb + object. This is a basic sentence structure, which we
also call a simple sentence.
“For our analogy, we will call ‘subject + verb’ a skeleton sentence.

Let’s look at some skeleton sentences and add flesh into that skeleton
to show the sentence comes alive!”
“Rama plays.” (Subject + Verb)

or
“Rama plays cricket.” (Subject + Verb + Object)
“Now, let’s add flesh?”
“Rama, a 15-year-old boy, plays international cricket every Sunday at

the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad.”
“Add some more flesh?
“Fifteen-year old Rama, a resident of Toli Chowki, plays domestic

cricket
every Sunday at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad.
“Did you see? No matter how much you expand the sentence, the
basic pattern i.e., Subject + Verb is intact.
“Now let’s take some more skeleton sentences for us to expand:
1 - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who emerged victorious for the

seventh consecutive time, holds the respect and trust of the people of
India.
“‘Narendra Modi’ is the subject.
“‘Who… time’ gives additional information about Modi. “‘Holds’ is
the verb.
“‘The respect and trust’ is the object of the verb ‘holds’.
“‘Of the people of India’ is the prepositional phrase narrowing down
‘trust’.
2 - Schools in most of the villages in India need a lot of improvement

both in terms of quality and quantity.
“‘Schools’ is the subject.

“‘In most of the villages’ is the prepositional phrase narrowing down
‘schools’. ‘In India’ is again a prepositional phrase elaborating on
‘villages’.
“‘Need’ is the verb, which is plural because of plural noun/subject
‘schools’. “‘A lot of improvement’ is a direct object.
“‘In terms of quality and quantity’ is a prepositional phrase
narrowing down improvement.
3 - Rahul Gandhi, for the seventh consecutive time, lost the assembly
elections held in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in December 2017.
“‘Rahul Gandhi’ is the subject.

“‘For the seventh consecutive time’ is a prepositional phrase
narrowing down the subject context.
“‘Lost’ is the verb.
“‘The assembly elections’ is the object.
“‘Held’ is a past participle form with an implied clause ‘which were
held’ .
“‘In Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh’ is the prepositional phrase
narrowing down ‘held’.
4 - The CEOs of Indian IT companies that have a presence in

multiple countries are usually selected for an award.’
“‘The CEOs’ is the subject.

“‘Of Indian IT companies’ is a prepositional phrase. “‘That have
presence’ is an extension of companies. “‘In multiple countries’ is a
prepositional phrase.
“‘Are’ is an auxiliary verb, and ‘selected’ is a past participle.
5 - The team of five people from Germany has made a stellar

presentation.
“‘The team’ is the subject which is singular.

“‘Of five people’ is the prepositional phrase. “‘From Germany’ is
another prepositional phrase. “‘Made’ is the verb.
“‘A stellar presentation’ is the direct object.
Alok now turns to Archit and asks him to pick up Times of India and
write down some sentences on the board:
Bad English
1. Some proposals is underway to make computing language
a must in schools and colleges.
2. All the Project Heads of the company is requested to take
note of the changes.
3. Every new instance are taken note of by the team leader.
4. About 60 software professionals has attended the training
programme.
5. As many as 25 software professionals has fared well in the
training test.
6. High growth rate of the population are still a matter of
concern for India.
7. Heavy winds has swept New Delhi.
8. Extremely high-power station are required to run metro
railways.
Good English
1. Some proposals are underway to make computing
language a must in schools and colleges.
2. All the Project Heads of the company are requested to take
note of the changes.
3. Every new instance is taken note of by the team leader.
4. About 60 software professionals have attended the training
programme.
5. As many as 25 software professionals have fared well in
the training test.
6. High growth rate of the population is still a matter of
concern for India.
7. Heavy winds have swept New Delhi.
8. Extremely high-power station is required to run metro
railways.
THE SIGN POSTS CALLED
PREPOSITIONS
If subject and verb make a skeleton, prepositional phrases make the
flesh!
Alok now wants to get into this skin deep!
“The art of writing and speaking is all about understanding and

using prepositional phrases,” says Alok.
“Now, we will try to add flesh to this skeleton. Let’s take an

example.”
The colour is blue.
“Now, if I read this sentence, I am not too sure whose colour or

which colour the sentence is talking about – is it the colour of a saree
or the color of a shirt or pants? I don’t know… the scope of the
subject ‘colour’ is unlimited – it can be anything, right? See the
beauty of a prepositional phrase? Let’s see what happens if I add ‘of
her eyes’ to narrows down the scope of the subject. It becomes: The
colour of her eyes is blue.
“Now this sentence is actually making sense because we have

narrowed down the scope of the subject from the colour of
everything to the colour of her eyes.”
“Let’s see some more prepositional phrases (see yellow shaded):”
“The technique is simple: just read the sentences without

prepositional phrases, you can easily pick the subject. In other words,
the subject of a sentence will never be found in prepositional
phrases.”
“Now read the sentences ignoring the shaded ones, i.e., removing the
preposition phrase.”
“Think of bricks and cement. When you want to construct a wall,

you need bricks to be cemented, right? Prepositions do exactly the
work of what the cement does to bricks. Prepositions connect two or
more words. They are also called the building blocks. Just like how
between the two bricks, you need cement to make it a strong wall.
Prepositions – the tiny words – will make a sentence strong and
sensible.
“There are a good number of prepositions in the English language,

and you should know these.”
Here is a list of frequently used prepositions.
1. Simple prepositions
At, by, for, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with, onto,
into
2. Compound prepositions
About, above, across, along, amidst, among, amongst, around,
before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond,
inside, outside, underneath, within, without.
3. Prepositional phrases
• Accepted at or by (not ‘to’ a college)

• Accompanied by (preferred to ‘with’, when speaking of
persons) Adapted for (meaning ‘suited to’)
• Adapted from (meaning ‘changed from’) Adapted to
(meaning ‘adjusted to’) Arrive at or in (not ‘to’)
• Coincide with (not ‘on’) Deals with (not ‘about’) Deprived of
(not ‘from’)
• Different from (although ‘than’ is often mistakenly used)
Discourage them from attacking (not to make an attack)
Meanwhile or in the meantime (not ‘in the meanwhile’)
Identical with (not ‘to’)
• In accordance with (not ‘to’) Inferior to (not ‘than’)
• In my opinion (not ‘to) In relation to (not ‘with’) In search of
(not ‘for’)
• Preferable to (not ‘than’) Related to (not ‘with’) Similar to (not
‘with’)
“Prepositions are almost always combined with other words in

structures called prepositional phrases.”
Tip: Prepositions usually come in groups, seldom alone.

“Let me give you some simple examples to help you understand,”
says Alok.
“Cyber cops are invested with extraordinary powers.”
“Here ‘with’ is linking to ‘powers’, which is a noun; and, what kind

of powers? Extraordinary (modifying powers). So, extraordinary is
an adjective. What you need to understand here is that prepositions
will not come alone in a sentence; they bring a word or words with
them. In the example cited, you see that ‘with’ is bringing with it two
words, i.e., ‘magisterial powers’. If you want to know how to pick
the words that follow prepositions, just ask ‘invested with what’?
You get the answer–‘magisterial powers.’”
“I got it,” says Sangeeta with a glint in her eyes.
Alok reaffirms, “It is very important to understand prepositions

because they help us join words.”
“Let’s do some exercise: Pick prepositions from the following

paragraph.”
You can sit before the desk (or in front of the desk). The professor can sit on
the desk (when he is being informal) or behind the desk, and then his feet are
under the desk or beneath the desk. He can stand beside the desk (meaning
next to the desk), before the desk, between the desk and you, or even on the
desk (if he is really strange). If he is clumsy, he can bump into the desk or
try to walk through the desk. Passing his hands over the desk or resting his
elbows upon the desk, he often looks across the desk and speaks of the desk
concerning the desk as if there were nothing else like the desk. Because he
thinks of nothing except the desk, sometimes you wonder about the desk,
what’s in the desk, what he paid for the desk, and if he could live without the
desk. You can walk toward the desk, to the desk, around the desk, by the
desk, and even past the desk while he sits at the desk or leans against the
desk.
Archit raises his hand and asks, “Sir, do all the prepositions indicate
a location or time?”
Clarifies Alok, “Some prepositions do other things besides indicating
the location of something in space or time.
“The funny case of “To”.
“To” is used both as a preposition and as an “infinitive”. Whenever

“to” is used as a preposition, the following word takes a gerund
form.
Bad English
1. I look forward to hear from you.
2. I am committed to make it happen.
3. The organization is dedicated to help the poor people.
4. He is used to work at night
5. She is accustomed to sleep with her friends.
Good English
1. I look forward to hearing from you.
2. I am committed to making it happen.
3. The organization is dedicated to helping the poor people.
4. He is used to working at night
5. She is accustomed to sleeping with her friends.
THE VARIOUS AVATARS
OF A SUBJECT
Sangeeta, all the while listening to Alok, raises her hand and asks,
“Sir, can the subject be in the ‘-ing’ form?’
“Yes, the subject can be in the ‘-ing’ form too,” says Alok, “and they
are called gerunds.
“Sometimes a subject comes in an ‘-ing’ form, and this is the most
confusing part in English.
I will give you some examples.”
Threatening children all the time is not good.
“Here the subject is NOT children, but threatening. It means that the
parents should not threaten their children. But if I write:
‘Underperforming employees need to be shown the door,’ it means
that those employees who are underperforming need to be sacked.
So, care should be taken to understand the meaning of the sentence.”
“What’s the technique, sir?” asks Sangeeta.
“The technique is simple: If the sentence begins with a word ‘+ing’

form and does not modify the next word (which is usually a noun),
use a singular verb. If the word +‘ing’ modifies the following noun,
use a singular or plural verb as per the number or case of the noun.
“Here are some examples of ‘-ing’ forms.”
1. Bribing is a severe offence

2. Running the company on debts is one of the first things a
CEO should avoid.
3. Training software programmers on a regular basis helps
them perform better.
4. Extracting work from junior programmers is an art that
project leaders should learn.
5. Appointing people on the basis of merit helps the
government compete with private companies.
6. Proving your critics wrong is the best way to lead your life.
7. Bathing before breakfast keeps your agility high.
8. Loving people is key to living a blissful life.
9. Leading a life of celebrity comes with challenges.
10. Eating chapatis and parathas in the morning is good for
one’s health.
“Sir, can subjects come in ‘to’ form?”
“That’s a very good question, Sangeeta. Yes–they do come in ‘to’

form too. In grammar, they are called Infinitives. Here are some
examples:”
1. To live up to one’s promise is not an easy task.

2. To give up midway is the trait of cowards.
3. To take up challenging assignments is what separates you
from others.
4. To keep the junior staff highly motivated all the time requires
tremendous patience from the higher-ups.
5. To live in ignorance is as good as not living.
Note: Infinitive form as a subject always takes a singular verb.
Bad English
1. Believing people blindly lead you to disappointment.
2. Eating fruits every day are good for health.
3. Building houses in the urban locales are turning out to be
expensive.
4. Delivering goods at a right time are the hallmark of a
customer experience.
5. Growing plantations in the backyard are important for
eco-friendly environment.
Good English
1. Believing people blindly leads you to disappointment.
2. Eating fruits every day is good for health.
3. Building houses in the urban locales is turning out to be
expensive.
4. Delivering goods at a right time is the hallmark of a
customer experience.
5. Growing plantations in the backyard is important for eco-
friendly environment.
Let’s Master Present Tense
If you can master the present tense, you have won the battle against
the English language.
The entire juice is present tense. All the intricacies are in the present
tense. And it is not hard to learn those intricacies. Most importantly,
you don’t have to learn all the rules in the present tense. Just learn
how to marry “a singular verb with a singular subject” and “a plural
verb with a plural subject.”
“Why do we say, ‘The earth revolves round the sun,’ and not, ‘The
earth revolved round the sun?’” Alok asks.
Everyone’s face is blank.
Sensing that the team doesn’t have an answer, Alok goes on to

explain.
“Okay – let’s draw up a chart. Verbs come in three forms – present,

past, and past participle.”
Alok writes the chart below:
WHEN TO USE PRESENT TENSE
A simple present tense is used to denote a habitual action or a
universal fact.
Rajesh goes for jogging every day. (habitual)
“It means that Rajesh has the habit of going jogging every day.
However, at the time of speaking, Rajesh might not be jogging at all;
he might even be sleeping. But still you can use a simple present
tense.”
“Ramesh leaves home for the office at 8:00 am sharp.”
“I go for a morning walk.”
“The sun rises in the east.”
All these sentences show habitual actions performed by the subject.
“A simple present tense is also used to give directions to someone.

Let’s look at some examples.”
• (You) get out of this room.

• You sit down quietly.
• (You) walk straight down the road until you reach the
highway crossroads, and then turn left.
• Take the next train to Agra.
• Go straight, and then turn left.
1. The Earth revolves around the sun. Universal truth. “Fact.”

2. The sun rises in the east. Universal truth. “Fact.”
3. Whatever goes up comes down. Universal truth. “Fact.”
4. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. “Fact, universal truth.”
5. We leave for work at 8:00 am every morning. “Routine, Habit.”
6. Sachin goes for cricket practice every single day. “Habit.”
7. They usually play hockey every Monday. “Habit.”
8. He usually tells lies. “Tendencies.”
9. Lazy people live longer. “Tendencies.”
10. He lives in a big house. “Fact.”
Bad English
1. Dhoni drink one litre of milk.
2. He play hockey.
3. Prakash park his vehicle outside his house.
4. He come late to the office every Monday.
5. Virat practice at nets for two hours in the morning.
Bad English
1. Dhoni drinks one litre of milk.
2. He plays hockey.
3. Prakash parks his vehicle outside his house.
4. He comes late to the office every Monday.
5. Virat practices at nets for two hours in the morning.
BEWARE OF THE PASSIVE
VOICE IN PRESENT
TENSE
To understand whether the subject is the receiver of the action or not,
you should know three forms of verbs:
Alok writes on the whiteboard: K L Rahul plays cricket.
“Do you know what it means,” asks Alok and continues in the same
breath: “It means that K L Rahul always plays cricket or his
profession is cricket. You will find him most of the time playing
cricket.”
“Let’s now change it to passive voice. “Cricket is played by K L

Rahul.
“Note the auxiliary verb ‘is’ to denote present tense. As I had
mentioned earlier, don’t look at the word ‘played’ –this is a past
participle, not a past verb.
“So, if you say, ‘The bank is robbed,’ what does it mean?
“It means that every day the bank is robbed. Every morning the bank
officials open the bank only to see that the cash is missing.”
“How can this be true, sir?” asks Sangeeta.
“Exactly! But that is what the sentence means,” says Alok.
Alok writes on the whiteboard:
The bank has been robbed. – Passive voice.
(Some miscreants) have robbed the bank. – Active voice
“Remember, whenever you use ‘has’, never use a timeline like

‘yesterday, today or last month or last year,” says Alok, continuing in
the same tone: “Now, when you are changing a sentence from a
passive voice to an active voice, you should always check the passive
voice’s auxiliary verb.”
“If the auxiliary verb of a passive voice is in present tense, the active
voice must maintain the present tense. In other words, the tense
should not change.”
The bank was robbed last month. – Passive voice.
Some miscreants robbed the bank last month. – Active voice
“Remember, we should maintain the same tense both in the passive

and active voices. So, what’s the difference?
“It’s simple”:
1. “In the active voice – the subject is the doer of the action.”
2. “In the passive voice – the subject is the receiver of the
action.”
Let’s take some examples:
Active Voice:
The election commission has wrongly interpreted the Cable Network
Act.
Passive Voice:
The Cable Network Act has been wrongly interpreted by the election
commission.
Active Voice:
The government is reducing the cost of Dettol, vitamin C and
antibiotic erythromycin.
Passive Voice:
The cost of Dettol, vitamin C and antibiotic erythromycin is being
reduced by the government.
Active Voice:
Employees are asked to produce quality work by the management.
Passive Voice:
The management asks employees to produce quality work.
Active Voice:
The salespersons believe that the management must enhance
incentives.
Passive Voice:
It is believed by the salespersons that incentives must be enhanced
by the management.
Active Voice:
Researchers earlier demonstrated that high stress can cause heart
attacks.
Passive Voice:
It was demonstrated by researchers that heart attacks can be caused
by high stress.
Active Voice:
The dog bit the man. “Active”
Passive Voice:
The man was bitten by the dog. “Passive”
In active voice, the subject and verb relationship

is straight forward:
the subject is a doer, and the verb moves the
sentence along.
In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence
is not a doer but is acted upon by some other
agent or by something unnamed
One caution about passive voice: we should not mix active and
passive constructions in the same sentence:
This is Bad English:

The executive committee approved the new policy, and the calendar for next
year’s meetings was revised.
This is Bad English:

The executive committee approved the new policy and revised the calendar
for next year’s meetings.
When is Passive Voice useful?
“When it is more important to draw our attention to the person or

thing acted upon, for example:
The unidentified victim was apparently struck during the early

morning hours.
Passive voice is especially helpful (and even regarded as mandatory)

in scientific or technical writing or lab reports, where the doer is not
important, but the process or principle being described is of ultimate
importance.
Instead, of writing,
‘I poured 20 cc of acid into the beaker,’

we would write,
‘20 cc of acid is/was poured into the beaker.’

Passive voice is also useful when describing, say, a mechanical
process in which the details of process are much more important
than anyone’s taking responsibility for the action.
We use passive voice to good effect in a paragraph in which we wish

to shift the emphasis from what was the object in a first sentence to
what becomes the subject in subsequent sentences.
The executive committee approved an entirely new policy

for dealing with academic suspension and withdrawal.
The policy had been written by a sub-committee on
student behaviour.
The paragraph is clearly about this new policy, so it is appropriate
that ‘policy’ moves from being the object in the first sentence to being
the subject of the second sentence. The passive voice allows for this
transition.
Exercise:
1. In which case is the subject the receiver of the action?
A. He was slapped by his fiancée.
B. His fiancée slapped him.
2. In which case is the manager at the receiving end?

A. He demands his subordinates to meet unrealistic
deadlines.
B. He was demanded by his subordinates to meet
unrealistic deadlines.
3. In which case did the boy get kicked?

A. The boy was kicked by his coach for missing a simple
catch.
B. The boy kicked his coach for missing a simple catch.
4. In which case is the subject the receiver?
A. Bahubali was killed by Kattappa.
B. Bahubali killed Kattappa.
Answers: 1A, 2B, 3A, 4A

SINCE VS FOR
To understand the usage of ‘SINCE’ and ‘FOR’ you should know the
tenses. Let’s review them quickly:
1) Actions that are routine or represent facts (present

tense)
2) Actions that are happening right now (present
continuous tense)
3) Actions that happened in the past (past tense)
4) Actions that happened in the past and are still fresh in
memory or the time of past action are unknown
(present perfect tense)
5) Actions that began in the past and are continuing till
now (present perfect continuous tense)
6) Sequential actions in the past (past perfect tense)
7) Actions that began in the past and continued till some
point in the past.
‘Since’ and ‘for’ are usually used in the present perfect continuous
tense.
Let’s take some examples.
“Rama has been working since 9:00 am.“
“Present perfect continuous tense is used to link an action that began

in the past and is still continuing to the present. If you look at the
above sentence, the action of ‘working’ began sometime in the
morning and is still continuing till the time of speaking.”
Use ‘since’ when you know the exact start time--date or month or
year.
Use ‘for’ when you are not sure of the start time.
Examples:
Many U.S. companies have been outsourcing most of their work to

Indian companies for a long time.
versus
Many U.S. companies have been outsourcing most of their work to
Indian companies since 2000.
I have been working at Tech Mahindra for five years now.
versus
I have been working at Tech Mahindra since October 2012.
Dhoni has been playing international cricket for 10 years.
versus
Dhoni has been playing international cricket since 2004.
We have been planning to go on a picnic for over a week now.
versus
We have been planning to go on a picnic since last Monday.
For the last two hours I have been trying to get in touch with you.
versus
Since 10:00 am I have been trying to get in touch with you.
RULE:
’For’ is used for a quantity of time.
‘Since’ is used for a specific time.
Bad English
1. Virat is batting since tea time.
2. I am waiting for you for the last three hours.
3. I have been waiting for you since three hours.
4. She is working with the organization since 15 years.
5. He has been living on his parents’ income since a decade.
6. Dhoni has been part of the international cricket team since
10 years now.
Good English
1. Virat has been batting since tea time.
2. I have been waiting for you for the last three hours.
3. She has been working with the organization since 15 years.
4. He has been living on his parents’ income for a decade.
5. Dhoni has been part of the international cricket team since
10 years now.
CONSTRUCTION
MISTAKES
What’s the difference in the two below sentences?
I have met my friend yesterday.

Vs.
I met my friend yesterday.
The first one ‘I have met my friend yesterday’ is BAD ENGLISH.
RULE:
We should never use ‘have’ when you are using some time in the
past tense.
Bad English:
I have met my friend yesterday.
Good English:
I have met my friend.
RULE:
Present perfect tense is also used when the action in the past has an
impact on the present.
EXAMPLE:
I have just washed my car.

“It means right now my car is clean and shining.”
The lift has broken down.

“It means the lift is not working right now, so you have to use the
staircase.”
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
I washed my shirt.
– It means probably that my shirt is dirty NOW.
versus
I have washed my shirt.
– It means undoubtedly my shirt is very clean NOW.
My computer stopped working

–It means that my computer might be working NOW.
versus
My computer has stopped working
–It means undoubtedly I cannot use my computer NOW.
I visited Agra last month.

–It means right now I’m somewhere other than Agra.
versus
I have visited Agra.
–It means the memory is still fresh in my mind.
I played for the full day yesterday

–It means right now I may not be playing.
versus
I have played for the full day
–It means I may be still in the ground.
Note: You can use ‘just’, ’already’ or ‘yet’ with present perfect tense.
Exercise:
1. In which case is the car dirty?

A) I washed my car.
B) I have washed my car.
2. Which woman is presently a queen?

A) She has dressed up like a queen.
B) She dressed up like a queen.
3. In which case is his friend not there at the moment?

A) Your friend came to see you.
B) Your friend has come to see you.
4. In which case are his memories still fresh?

A) I have visited France.
B) I visited France.
5. In which case is the train currently waiting on the platform?

A) The train arrived at the station.
B) The train has arrived at the station.
Answers: 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5B.
BAD ENGLISH:
1. I will revert back to you tomorrow.

2. He is going to revert back on the status by evening today.
3. I have reverted back on the status already.
4. I and Ramesh will come to your place.
5. I and my friends will meet you at the cinema hall.
6. I and my friends are going for dinner today.
7. I, Satish, Ramesh and Arthi have been friends for long.
8. I and my parents went to Tirupati last month.
9. I and Ramesh wanted to become doctors.
10. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the greatest actor Bollywood has
ever produced.
11. One of my book is on the table.
12. One of my friend is a chartered accountant.
13. Sudipta has got one of the rarest liver disease.
14. One of the tiger in the zoo has been infected with a virus.
15. Mr. Deshmukh owns one of the tallest building in Mumbai.
BAD ENGLISH:
1. I will revert to you tomorrow.
2. He is going to revert on the status by evening today.
3. I have reverted on the status already.
4. Ramesh and I will come to your place.
5. My friends and I will meet you at the cinema hall.
6. My friends and I are going for dinner today.
7. Satish, Ramesh, Arthi and I have been friends for long.
8. My parents and I went to Tirupati last month.
9. Ramesh and I wanted to become doctors.
10. Amitabh Bachchan is one of the greatest actors Bollywood has
ever produced.
11. One of my books is on the table.
(Whenever there is ‘one of’… always use plural noun)
12. One of my friends is a chartered accountant.
13. Sudipta has got one of the rarest liver diseases.
14. One of the tigers in the zoo has been infected with a virus.
15. Mr. Deshmukh owns one of the tallest buildings in Mumbai.
Mixing present & past tenses
Bad English
While I was watching TV, I hear somebody knocking at the door.
Good English
While I was watching TV, I heard somebody knocking at the door.
“The writer started the sentence in the past tense (was watching),
and he quickly moved to the present tense (hear). That’s bad English.
The basic rule is that if you start a sentence in the past tense, you
have to stick to it. However, there are exceptions.”
When I was a kid I wanted to become a doctor, but now I want to

become a lawyer.
“Here there is no issue with the verb shift from the past to the
present because the writer is pretty clear that when he was a kid he
wanted to become a doctor, and then he moved to the present tense
saying that now he wants to become a lawyer.”
Rule 1:
A past tense in the main clause is followed by a
past tense in the subordinate clause.
Examples:
He said that he wanted to go home.
He studied hard so that he might succeed.
Exception to the RULE:

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.
Examples:
Newton discovered that whatever goes up will come down.
Ages ago our seers found out that the Earth revolves round the sun.
Another exception to the RULE

When the subordinate clause is introduced by “than,” even if there is a
past tense in the main clause, it may be followed by any tense required by
the sense in the subordinate clause.
Example:
He helped me more than he usually helps his own children. He
walked faster today than he usually does.
Rule 2:
A present or future tense in the main clause may
be followed by any tense required by the sense:
Examples:
• Mr. Naidu says that he was honest.
• Mr. Naidu says that he will be honest.
• Mr. Naidu will say that he is honest.
• Mr. Naidu will say that he is honest.
• Mr. Naidu will say that he will be honest.
Bad English
1. While I was playing, I see a snake in the park.
2. When I am writing, I didn’t want anybody to disturb me.
3. When I was a kid, I want to become a doctor.
4. He jumped from the second floor so that he can catch the thief.
5. He built a business empire so that his sons will never have to work
for someone.
Good English
1. While I was playing, I saw a snake in the park.
2. When I am writing, I don’t want anybody to disturb me.
3. When I was a kid, I wanted to become a doctor.
4. He jumped from the second floor so that he could catch the thief.
5. He built a business empire so that his sons would never have to
work for someone.
Degrees of comparison
Let’s put some rules in place.
“Here are the rules.”

“Rule No. 1: If you are talking about only one person or thing, use
the first one–good. This is called first degree.”
Example: Sanjana is good at studying.
“Rule No. 2: If you are comparing only two persons or two things,
use the second one–better. This is called second degree.”
Example: Deepa is better than Sanjana at studying.
“Rule No. 3: If you are comparing more than two persons or things,
use the third one–best. This is called third degree.”
Example: Lata is the best of all at studying.
“Got it?”
“Let’s take the example of ‘many’.
“Rule No. 1: If you are talking about only one person or thing, use
the first one–much. This is first degree.”
Example: Mahesh is much more efficient when he works alone.
Rule No. 2: If you are comparing only two persons or two things,
use the second one–more. This is second degree.
Example: Prahlad is more efficient than Rupesh when he is at work.
Rule No. 3: If you are comparing more than two persons or things,
use the third one–most. This is third degree.
Bad English
1. Arjun is most productive than Shyam.
2. Sita is most intelligent than Gita.
3. Agra is more beautiful than any other city in India.
4. My English teacher is more inspiring than anybody in the
world.
5. Of all the people, Arun is more brighter.
Good English
1. Arjun is more productive than Shyam.
2. Sita is more intelligent than Gita.
3. Agra is most beautiful than any other city in India.
4. My English teacher is most inspiring than anybody in the
world.
5. Of all the people, Arun is the brightest.
Comma is all about logic

Let’s take this sentence:
If you want to hit my son will help you.

Where do you put a comma?
You need to understand there are two thoughts – ‘If you want to hit’
and second one is ‘my son will help you”.
Separate these two thoughts with a comma.
If you want to hit, my son will help you.
You can’t put a comma after ‘my son’, unless your intention is to
really ‘hit my son’.
Hang him not leave him.

If you put a comma after the word ‘him’, it means ‘he must be
hanged.’
And if you put a comma after the word ‘not’, it means ‘he must not
be hanged’.
See how one comma can make a huge difference.
a) The comma with participial phrases:

Maxwell Nurnburg in his book Questions You Always
Wanted to Ask About English mentions some interesting
points.
1. Place a comma after an introductory participial phrase.

2. Make sure the next word is the doer or the receiver of the
action of the participle.
3. If a participle phrase comes at the end of the sentence a
comma precedes it if the participle refers to the subject of the
sentence.
“’I left him, convinced he was a fool,’ means that I was convinced he
was a fool. The comma shows that ‘convinced’ and ‘him’ are not to
be read together. The omission of the comma in, ‘I left him convinced
he was a fool’ means that I was able to convince him that he was a
fool. In other words, he became convinced that he was a fool.”
b) “The comma at other slow down points”
“Whenever the relationship of words anywhere in the

sentence can be or needs to be made clearer by a slowdown
signal, use a comma.”
1. “If the sentence adds a concluding question, use a comma.”

You wouldn’t do that, would you?
You’re sure, aren’t you? It’s true, isn’t it?
2. “When a phrase introduced by “not” comes at the end of a

sentence, a comma should precede it to show the break”
The talk of the town these days is tele-serial Jassi jaisi koi nahi,
not movies.
3. When a sentence begins with a subordinate clause, use a

comma to separate it from the main clause.”
4. “When a sentence begins with a prepositional phrase, use a

comma.”
A prepositional phrase at the beginning of a sentence

constitutes an introductory modifier, which is usually a signal
for a comma. Prepositional phrases usually tell when or
where: “in forty minutes”, “in the sun”, “against the side”, etc.
Example: In view of the above, it is clarified that the

programmers are entitled to certain benefits.
5. “Use a comma to separate a quoted sentence from the phrase

“he said” or its equivalent.”
Anurag pleaded, “Give me another chance.” “Please try to be

there,” Sushma begged.
6. “Although various punctuation marks may be used before

expressions like “namely”, “for example”, and “that is”, be
careful to use a comma after them.”
We don’t want to ignore the orders of the Head Office,

namely, to dispose of laidback employees on a priority basis.
It is a work of complexity; you will find, for example, a total of

eight intricate variations on the same theme.
7. “When the month, day, and year are given, the accepted
practice is to put commas after the day and the year.”
On October 2, we celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
When only the month and year are given, generally the
practice is to leave the commas out:
I started the school in September 1958.
8. “In writing addresses, commas are used between each of the

various items in the address.”
Please write to me at 2-2-647/141, Central Excise Colony,
Bagh Amberpet, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Pin: 500013
9. “Commas are placed between numbers in situations like the

following.” I have 1,2,3,4 students in my batch.
As many as 30,400 staff was shown the door as part of a

downsizing strategy.
10. “For convenience in reading, commas are used to separate

hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, etc., as follows.”
c) The commas in the compound sentence:
1. In the evening, Home Minister Rajnath Singh will meet

Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
will call on U.S. President Donald Trump.
2. I went to the theatre with my mother, and my sister went to

the ballet with my father.
Exercise:
1. Which one is wrong?
A) Whenever, he meets his friends, he forgets his wife.
B) Whenever he meets his friends, he forgets his wife.
2. Which one is wrong?

A) Although, he is smart, he is lazy.
B) Although he is smart, he is lazy.
3. Which one is right?

A) If you want Sangeeta will help you.
B) If you want, Sangeeta will help you.
4. Which one is right?

A) Though, he looks dull, he is ingenious.
B) Though he looks dull, he is ingenious.

A) My friend R Srinivas, is a wonderful singer.
B) My friend R Srinivas is a wonderful singer.
Answers: 1A, 2A, 3B, 4B, 5B
Apostrophise
Bad English
We buy new item’s from D-MART.
He buy’s vegetables from D-Mart.
Good English
We buy new items from D-MART.
He buys vegetables from D-Mart.
Rule
VERBS WILL NEVER EVER TAKE ANY APOSTROPHES.
Apostrophe is used only when there is a possessive noun.
Example:
Rama’s book
Rama’s book = book of Rama (correct–makes sense–so you use

apostrophe)
The technique is quite simple: Use an apostrophe when you can

convert the apostrophe (Rama’s book) into a phrase (book of Rama).
Very often you use an apostrophe when a living thing possesses a
non-living thing. Here the living thing is ‘Rama’ and the non-living
thing is ‘book’. Let us look at some more examples.”
1. My son studies in Boys Grammar High School.
“If you put an apostrophe for son’s studies, you are terribly wrong.
Here ‘studies’ is the verb, and a verb is never treated as a possessive.
Again, if you put an apostrophe for boy’s grammar high school, you
are wrong. Let us see how.”
Boy’s grammar high school = grammar high school of boy
“It means the school has only ONE boy which is impossible… right?
Yes. So now the question is where to put the apostrophe?”
Boys’ grammar high school = grammar high school of boys
2. Srinivas bike has no brakes.

“Here I should not write: Sriniva’s bike has no brakes. If you do that,
you are splitting his name and you have no authority whatsoever to
split anybody’s name. again, how should you write?”
“Srinivas’ bike has no brakes.”

Or
“Srinivas’s bike has no brakes.”
“In politics, it’s people’s verdict that matters at the end.” “People’s
verdict = verdict of people”
Exception: “It’s” is short form of “it is” – therefore, it doesn’t fall

under possessive nouns/pronouns. Just like you say – He’s rich or
He is rich.
Remember: Verbs never take apostrophes. You cannot say: Rama
play’s cricket. This is wrong.
Exercise:
A) We need to buy all the item’s in the list.
B) We need to buy all the items in the list.

A) All school’s have been given a holiday today.
B) All schools have been given a holiday today.
A) My two daughter’s need a good coaching in badminton.
B) My two daughters need a good coaching in badminton.
Answers: 1B, 2B, 3B
Take a test:
A) My boss accepted to come with us.
B) My boss accepted my invitation and agreed to come with us.
A) You must ask more money to your brother.
B) You must ask your brother for more money.
A) Please consider me as your well-wisher
B) Please consider me your well-wisher
A) He is a coward man
B) He is a cowardly man
A) The committee consists judges and senior advocates
B) The committee consists of judges and senior advocates
A) She denied my proposal
B) She refused my proposal
A) Please explain me this paragraph
B) Please explain this paragraph to me
A) May I lend your book?
B) May I borrow your book?
A) Children should obey to their parents
B) Children should obey their parents

A) They robbed my wallet
B) They stole my wallet

A) She has been sick for three months now
B) She has been ill for three months now

A) He went without telling me goodbye
B) He went without saying goodbye

A) He entered into the room without knocking at the door
B) He entered the room without knocking at the door

A) The justices have been arguing about how the case should be
disposed off
B) The justices have been arguing about how the case should be
disposed of

A) He got the promotion despite of the fact that he had no
experience
B) He got the promotion in spite of the fact that he had no
experience
Answers: All B
When All Three Friends Get

Their Dream Jobs Finally…
The three friends complete the 10-day crash course and are confident
to face the world. They are now ready for any type of interviews, any
debate or any elocution competition for that matter. For so many
years, they deprived themselves of participating in any competitions
for the fear of speaking or writing.
After this crash course, they seem to be beaming with confidence and
are all set to take the world by storm.
Next day
Sangeeta is all set for an interview with Tech Mahindra. She is

confident of nailing it. Dressed up in white trousers and a blue jeans
shirt, she walks tall with her head high up. She gives her resume to
the receptionist and waits for her turn.
Sangeeta becomes a bit nostalgic – she reminiscences about how her

palms were sweating in her earlier interviews and how speaking in
English had become a nightmare. In her mind, she thanks Alok Sir
for making English fun and easy.
“Next turn, Sangeeta. Please keep your hard copy resume ready.”
As Sangeeta walks into the room, she feels an adrenalin rush – but
this time it is positive one. She enters the room and says, “Good
morning,” and quietly pulls a chair out to sit.
The interviewers see a sense of confidence in her and her ability to

call shots. She looks into everyone’s eyes and smiles as if to make a
statement that she is the right candidate they have been looking for.
Her vibrant smile and relaxed body send clear signals that she means
business!
One of the interviewers asks her to introduce herself.
“My name is Sangeeta Jewlikar, and I’m 24 years old. I hold a

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Jawaharlal Nehru
Technology University (JNTU), Hyderabad. I have always been an
earnest learner. In my current company, I have been working for the
last two years as a Technical Associate. I really do enjoy my job, and I
believe in the ‘work hard and play hard’ principle.”
“That’s good, Sangeeta,” says Arvind Sharma, a HR head, adding,

“in fact, we want people who work hard and play hard. Tell me
something about your family.”
“My father is an agriculturist, and I have a younger sibling who is

studying 10th standard. My mother is a homemaker. They live in
Guntur.”
“Okay, why do you want to join our company?”
“Sir, I’m looking for opportunities that can leverage my capabilities

and strengths. The scope of my job is quite limited. Because the
company that I currently work for is small, the projects that tend to
come my way are small. So, I’m looking for something bigger and
more challenging,” says Sangeeta with a smile.
The interview goes on for a full 45 minutes. This is the first time
Sangeeta is in the room for so long. She answers all the technical
questions brilliantly and to the satisfaction of all the interviewers.
“It’s good to meet you, Sangeeta. You have good communication

skills – your technical knowledge is just right for us. You have been
selected for the Technical Lead position, which demands travelling to
the US (customer site) for at least six months,” says Gopal Sundaram,
Delivery Manager.
Sangeeta’s joy knows no bounds after hearing this, but she keeps
herself stoic and doesn’t show off her overenthusiasm. She shakes
hands with each one of them in the room and prepares to leave the
interview room.
Coming out of the room, she goes down to the parking area and
bursts into tears. The security guard watching her enquires if
everything is all right. She says, “Yes, don’t worry… I’m all right.
These are the tears of joy.” Standing there with a pink handkerchief
in her hands, she calls up Alok – her coach who helped her turn
around in less than 10 days.
“Alok Sir, I have nailed my dream interview,” she exclaims. “That’s
great news. Congratulations, Sangeeta.”
“It’s all because of you, sir. I can’t thank you enough.”
Alok interrupts, “No Sangeeta… it’s all your hard work and the
interest you have shown to learn the language. My teaching is
nothing without you showing interest.” Alok can sense Sangeeta is
almost going to breakdown if he continues. “When are you giving us
the sweets?”
“I can give anything to you, sir…. Sweets are a small thing.” “Cool!
See you this evening then,” says Alok.
So, all three friends meet Alok in the evening at Alok’s place. It is a
sort of a celebration for all of them.
It is Rajesh’s turn to appear for an interview the next day. While

Rajesh hides it from Alok that he has got an interview the next day,
Alok could make out Rajesh’s anxious moments.
“Rajesh, you look tense. What happened?”
“Yes, sir, I have an interview tomorrow with L&T.”
“Good… all the best. You should be happy about it. Why feel
nervous?” “I failed at this interview six months back.”
“There is nothing like failure in this world. We all learn our lessons.
You failed because your language was not up to the mark. Now that
you have learnt the language, you should be beaming with
confidence,” says Alok.
“Yes, sir. I am confident. I will nail it.”
Next day
Rajesh is sitting in the interview room with five interviewers. They
ask him to introduce himself.
“I’m Rajesh, and I completed my Masters in Business Management

from Vaishnavi College, Hyderabad, two years ago. In one of my
projects in the final year, I worked on a ‘Cost Analysis Model for a
Large Company,’ for which I was awarded the best project. I’m good
at creating marketing funnels, tracking leads and measuring them.”
“Tell us something about your family.”
“My father is an agriculturist, and I have an elder brother who is

working in an IT company. My mom is a homemaker. All of them
live in Guntur.”
“Good. Tell us more about your project.”

The interview goes on for more than one hour, and Rajesh answers
almost all the questions with ease and confidence.
“My last question, Rajesh,” asks one of the interviewers. “When can
you join?”
“I can join the first of next month, sir.”
“Okay, you have been selected. Welcome aboard.”

Rajesh can’t believe his ears. He gets up from his seat to thank each
and every one.
As soon as he comes out, he calls Alok.
Alok, picking up the call, says, “Congratulations, Rajesh.” “Thank

you, sir, but how do you know that I got selected?”
“Well, I didn’t have any doubt in my mind about your selection. I

expected it.” “It’s all because of you, sir. Thank you very much.”
“Don’t thank me for anything, but my only request is to teach others

what you know,” says Alok. He hangs up the phone and sinks into
the sofa, thinking ‘I still have a lot of work to do.
There are many people like Rajesh and Sangeeta in this world who
need my help.’
He decides to write a book – which is in your hands right now!

English For Indians

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English For Indians

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Why This Book?

III. A Story of Three Friends and Their Struggle to Learn

Day 1 - What They Don’t Teach You in Indian Schools

Day 2 - The Best Kept Secret of English Grammar:

Day 3 - The Grand Wedding Between Verb and Subject

Day 4 - The Expansion Principle You Never Learnt in School

Day 5 - The Sign posts Called Prepositions

Day 6 - The Various Avatars of a Subject

Day 7- Be in the Present

Day 8 - Beware of the Passive Voice in Present Tense

Day 9 - Since vs For

Day 10 - Construction Mistakes

Most Indian students and working professionals find themselves

Identifying the subject of the sentence is so important that everything

“It pays to speak English” –A 2006 study by economists Munshi,

Books on English grammar and usages are aplenty in the market.

I have always asked these two questions to myself:

1. Why do most Indians find it difficult to grasp the basic

2. How is it that by learning two or three syntaxes one can talk

I worked as a journalist for over a decade before switching to

I have been fortunate enough to train a good number of students

The sessions gave me an insight as to how an adult learner thinks

I claim the methods in my book are self-developed, and I hope this

Any suggestion or criticism is welcome!

Send your feedback to subdesai@gmail.com. I read each and every

In my 20 plus years of training adults to learn the language, I have

The first step towards learning English writing or speaking is the

Walking confidently, Sangeeta knocks on the door and sees two

“May I come in, sir?”

“Come in,” says Deepak Chatopadyay, the HR head in his late

“Okay, Sangeeta. Tell us more about yourself?” asks Deepak.

“Myself Sangeeta and belong to Hyderabad. My father he run a

She is now at a crossroads! Her failed attempts to get a new job or

The case is the same with Sangeeta’s childhood friend, Rajesh

What’s troubling Rajesh is that the 20 top companies in India have

“I’m sick of failing at every interview I attend. I don’t know what to

“I want to meet with you right away. In fact, Sangeeta will

“What’s going on, dude? Are you guys in any relationship, or

Rajesh and Sangeeta feel a sense of relief because there is someone

“What’s all this?” asks Sangeeta!

“Ignore all that…. It’s my newfound pastime of reading books and

“Why? What’s going wrong? How can I help?”

“Do you mind introducing him to us as well?” asks Sangeeta.

“Of course, I will,” grins Archit.

He dials up Alok to take an appointment the next day at 11:30am.

As they are ushered in by his wife, dressed modestly, Rajesh and

A tall, thin man towering over everyone walks in and introduces

“Okay, I know Archit. Can you two introduce yourselves?” Rajesh

“Myself Sangeeta and I’m a native of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and

Hearing this, Alok doesn’t react much. In his mind, he is trying to

“You know, Sangeeta, where you are going wrong?”

Even before Sangeeta utters a word, Alok continues…

“Just say – I work hard, not hardly,” clarifies Alok.

Now, Alok turns to Rajesh and asks him to introduce himself.

“I’m Rajesh and belonging to Guntur. I belongs to a Agriculture

“You also need to understand sentence structures and usages,

“Sangeeta and Rajesh, you both don’t seem to have an

For Alok, this brief introduction is enough for him to understand

Test yourself on what you have learnt so far.

2. In which sentence is he dying to have fun?

3. Which sentence indicates that the streets are almost empty?

4. Which sentence shows she doesn’t know him?