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GENERAL APTITUDE

4 VERBAL APTITUDE

1. Basic English Grammar:

1.1. Sentence: A group of words which makes complete sense is a sentence.

For Example:
1. Birds fly.
2. It is a good college.
3. The children of that school wear blue uniform.
4. Mohan is an engineer.
Parts of a sentence:
A sentence can be divided into two parts: I. Subject and II. Predicate
Here are some sentences divided into the two parts:
S.No. Subject Predicate
1. Birds fly.
2. Mohan is an engineer.
3. He teaches Engineering Graphics.
4. This intelligent girl has passed her examination in the
first division.
5. The President of India has awarded him a gold medal.

Important Points to remember:

1. The Subject is a noun or a pronoun with or without other words going with it.
2. The Predicate is a verb with or without other words going with it.
3. The Subject of the sentence usually comes first but in exception cases, the Predicate
precedes.
1.2. Parts of Speech:
English words according to their functions in a sentence can be classified into parts of
speech as follows:
I. Noun: A noun is a word used as the name of a person, place, animal, thing,
etc. For Example: Rajitha, Hyderabad, Lion, Table, etc.
II. Pronoun: A word used instead of a noun. For Example: He, She, It, They,
etc.

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III. Adjective: A word that qualifies or describes a noun or a pronoun. For
Example: Good, Every, etc. Words used with nouns to describe or point
out the person, animal, place, or thing which the nouns name, or to tell
the number or quantity, are called adjectives.
Kinds of Adjectives:
(a) Adjectives of Quality or Descriptive Adjectives: Adjectives of Quality of
Descriptive Adjectives indicate/point out the kind or quality of a person or a
thing. For example: the phrase “large city” indicates the kind of city.
(b) Adjectives of Quantity: Adjectives of Quantity indicate how much of a
thing is meant. For example: the phrase “some rice”, “enough exercise”,
“no sense”, “great care”, “half share”, “whole sum”, etc. are all adjectives
which are indicating the quantity of each case.
(c) Adjectives of Number or Numeral Adjectives: Adjectives of Number
or Numeral Adjectives are ones which indicate how many persons or
things are meant or in what order a person or thing stand. For example:
“five fingers”, “first day of the week”, “some mangoes”, “several mistakes”,
“no pictures”, etc.
(d) Demonstrative Adjectives: Demonstrative Adjectives point out which
person or thing is meant. For example: “this boy”, “that person”, “these
cars”, “such things”, etc.
Formation of Adjective:
Adjectives are usually formed by adding something to nouns, verbs or other
adjectives. In most cases, to make an adjective we add a “suffix”. For
example: to make an adjective from the noun “man”, manly adjective is used.
Noun – Adjective Verb – Adjective Adjectives – Adjectives
• Boy – boyish • Tire – tireless • Tragic – tragical
• Fool – foolish • Talk – talkative • Black – bleakish
• Hope – hopeful • Move – movable • Sick – sickly
• Shame – shameful
• Gold – golden
• Laugh – laughable
• Man – manly
• Gift – gifted
Note: Some words are used either as pronouns or as adjectives.
IV. Verb: A verb expresses what the subject of a sentence is or does, or has,
or what is done to it.
For Example:
1. Dr. Rao teaches English.
2. He has taught the subject for twenty-five years.
3. He is a capable teacher.

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V. Adverb: A word that modifies an adjective or a verb or another adverb.
An adverb is a word which modifies the meaning of a verb, an adjective,
or another adverb. The difference between an adjective and an adverb is
that what while an adjective modifies a noun, an adverb modifies a verb, an
adjective, or another adverb. For example, in the sentence “Sunil runs quickly”
the word “quickly” modifies the verb “run” and therefore it is an adverb.
Kinds of Adverbs:
(a) Adverbs of Time: Adverbs of time shows “when”.
For example:
1. I have heard this before.
2. We shall now begin to work.
3. Waste time never returns.
(b) Adverbs of Frequency: which show how often
For example:
1. I have told you twice.
2. He often makes mistakes.
3. He seldom comes here.
4. he always tries to be best.
(c) Adverbs of Place: which show where.
For example:
1. Stand here.
2. Is he within?
3. Walk backward.
(d) Adverbs of Manner: which show how or in what manner
For example:
1. Govind reads clearly.
2. The Indians fought bravely.
3. I was agreeably disappointed.
(e) Adverbs of Degree or Quantity: which show how much or in what
degree or to what extent.
For example:
1. He was too careless.
2. Is that any better?
3. You are partly right.
(f) Adverbs of Affirmation or Negation:
For example:
1. Surely you are mistaken.
2. He certainly went.

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(g) Adverbs of Reason:
For example:
1. He is hence unable to refute the charge.
2. He therefore left the school.
VI. Preposition: A preposition is a word used with a noun or a pronoun to show
how the person or thing denoted by the noun or pro- noun stands in
relation to something else. In other words, a preposition is a word placed
before a noun or pronoun to show what relationship it has with something
else in the sentence.
Here is a list of some prepositions that express certain kinds of relationship:
• Place: as, about, across, against, among, besides, between, under, upon,
etc.
• Time: after, at, before, behind, during, since, from, till, etc.
• Manner: by, with, etc.
• Possession: on, of, etc.
VII. Conjunction (Connector): A Conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases,
or sentences together in a particular order to create a meaningful message. In
other words, a conjunction is a word that joins two words together to
make a phrase or two or more phrase together to make a sentence.
Conjunctions can be divided into two classes depending on the function they
serve in a sentence.
(a) Co-ordinating Conjunction: These are conjunctions that join two
independent statements or two statements that are of equal importance.
The major coordinating conjunctions are and, but, for, or, nor, also, neither,
either, etc. For example: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
(b) Subordinating Conjunction: These are conjunctions join two statements,
one of which depends on the other to complete its meaning. The major
subordinating conjunctions are after, because, if, that, though, although,
till, before, unless, etc. For example: They ran away from the scene of the
crime because they are afraid of being questioned by the police.
VIII. Interjection: A word which expresses a strong or sudden feeling such as
surprise, joy, fear, sorrow, etc. It is not grammatically connected with the rest
of the sentence. Usually, an exclamatory mark is put after it. For example: Ah!,
Hurrah!, Well!, Dear!, Oh!
1.3. Phrases and Clauses:
Phrase: A phrase is a group of words without a finite verb. There are three types of
phrases:
1. Noun Phrase
For example: A fifty-year-old man is seen in the garden.

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2. Adjective Phrase
For example: This chain is made of gold.
3 Adverb Phrase
For example: Please place the chemicals in the storeroom.
Note: A finite verb is a word that denotes tense and a non-finite is a verb
which does not.
Clause: A Clause is a group of words which contains a finite verb. Clauses are
of two types:
1. Main clause: A main clause is also called a principal clause or an independent
clause because it makes complete sense.
2. Subordinate clause: A subordinate clause which can also be called a
dependent clause.
1.4. Types of Sentences:
Based on the meaning i.e., semantic, sentence is categorized into six categories as
follows:
I. Assertive or Declarative sentences: Sentences which state facts, describe
things, or report events are called assertive or declarative sentences.
For example:
1. Dr. Ravi teaches Hindi.
2. Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
II. Imperative Sentences: Sentences that express an order, a request, advice, a
direction, a suggestion, a command, etc. are imperative sentences.
For example:
1. Take these books to the library.
2. Be neither a borrower nor a lender.
III. Interrogative Sentences: Sentences that are used to make enquiries and to
ask questions are interrogative or question sentences.
For example:
1. Can I help you?
2. What shall we have for lunch today?
IV. Exclamatory Sentences: Sentences that express surprise, admiration, pity,
sorrow, and other feelings in an emphatic way are called exclamatory sentences.
For example:
1. How fast time flies?
2. What a tragedy!
V. Affirmative Sentences: Sentences that express something in a positive way
are affirmative sentences.
VI. Negative sentences: Sentences that express negative way are called negative
sentences.

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1.5. Transformation of Sentences:
Affirmative to Negative Sentence:
Rule 1: Only/ alone/ merely is replaced by none but (person)/ nothing but
(things)/ not more than or not less than (number).
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: Only God can help us.
Negative sentence: None but God can help us.
2. Affirmative sentence: He has only a ball.
Negative sentence: He has nothing but a ball.
3. Affirmative sentence: He has only ten dollars.
Negative sentence: He has not more than ten dollars.

Rule 2: Must is replaced by cannot but/ Cannot help + (V+ ing)

Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: We must obey our parents.
Negative sentence: We cannot but obey our parents.
Rule 3: Both and is replaced by not only but also
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: Both Asha and Yash were excited.
Negative sentence: Not only Asha but also Yash were excited.
Rule 4: and (if join two words) is replaced by not only but also.
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: He was obedient and gentle.
Negative sentence: He was not only obedient but also gentle.
Rule 5: Everyone/ Everybody/ Every person is replaced by there is no +
attached word + but
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: Every mother loves her child.
Negative sentence: There is no mother but loves her child.
Rule 6: As soon as is replaced by no sooner had
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away.
Negative sentence: No sooner had the thief saw the police he ran away.
Rule 7: Absolute superlative degree is replaced by No other + attached word
+ so + positive form + as + subject.
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: Mumbai is the biggest city in India.
Negative sentence: No other city is as big as Mumbai in India.

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Rule 8: Sometimes affirmative sentences are changed into negative by using
opposite words. Before the word, off course ‘not’ is used.
Examples:
1. Affirmative sentence: I shall remember you.
Negative sentence: I shall not forget you.
Rule 9: Always is replaced by never.
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: Nitin always attends the class.
Negative sentence: Nitin never misses the class.
Rule 10: Too ----- to is replaced by so that + cannot/ could not.
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: He is too weak to walk.
Negative sentence: He is so weak that he cannot walk.
Rule 11: As ----- as is replaced by not less --- than.
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: Simi was as wise as Rimi.
Negative sentence: Simi was not less wise than Rimi.
Rule 12: Universal truth are change by making them negative interrogative.
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: The Sun sets in the west.
Negative sentence: Doesn’t the Sun set in the west.
Rule 13: Sometimes is replaced by not + always
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: Aman sometimes visits me.
Negative sentence: Aman doesn’t always visit me.
Rule 14: Many is replaced by not a few
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: I have many friends.
Negative sentence: I do not have few friends.
Rule 15: A few is replaced by not many.
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: Nepal has a few scholars.
Negative sentence: Nepal doesn’t have many scholars.
Rule 16: Much is replaced by a little.
Example:
1. Affirmative sentence: He has much money.
Negative sentence: He doesn’t have a little money.
Rule 17: A little is replaced by not much.
Example:

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1. Affirmative sentence: Madan has a little riches.
Negative sentence: Madan doesn’t have much riches.
Assertive Sentence to Interrogative Sentence:
Rule 1: If the sentence is in the affirmative you must change it into negative
interrogative. If it is in negative, then you must change it into bare
interrogative.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: He was very gentle.
Interrogative sentence: Wasn’t he very gentle?
Rule 2: No auxiliary verb in sentence is change it by using do/does/did or
don’t/doesn’t/didn’t.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: He plays Football.
Interrogative sentence: Does he play Football?
Rule 3: Never is replaced by ever.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: I never drink tea.
Interrogative sentence: Do I ever drink tea?
Rule 4: Everybody/everyone/all is replaced by Who + Don’t/Doesn’t/ Didn’t
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: Everybody wishes to be happy.
Interrogative sentence: Who doesn’t wish to be happy?
Rule 5: Every + noun is replaced by Is there any + noun + Who
don’t/doesn’t/didn’t.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: Every man wishes to be happy.
Interrogative sentence: Is there any man who doesn’t wish to be happy?
Rule 6: No body/no one/ none is replaced by Who.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: Nobody could count my love for you.
Interrogative sentence: Who could ever count my love for you?
Rule 7: There is no replaced by Is there any/who/what.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: There is no use of this law.
Interrogative sentence: What is the use of this law?
Rule 8: It Is no is replaced by Is there any/why.
Example:

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1. Assertive sentence: It is no use of taking unfair means in the exam.
Interrogative sentence: Why take unfair means in the exam? Or Is there
any use of this law?
Rule 9: It doesn’t matter is replaced by what though/Does it matter.
Example:
1. Assertive sentence: It does not matter if you fail in the exam.
Interrogative sentence: What though if you fail in the exam?
Exclamatory Sentence to Assertive Sentence:
Rule 1: Subject and verb of exclamatory sentence are to be used as the subject
and verb of assertive sentence at the outset of the sentence. How/what is
replaced by very (before adjective)/Great (before noun).
Example:
1. Exclamatory sentence: How fortunate you are!
Assertive sentence: You are very fortunate.
Rule 2: Sometimes the subject and verb may be eclipsed.
Example:
1. Exclamatory sentence: What a beautiful scenery!
Assertive sentence: It is a very beautiful scenery.
Rule 3: Hurrah/ Bravo is replaced by I/we rejoice that/ it is matter of joy that.
Example:
1. Exclamatory sentence: Hurrah! We have won the game.
Assertive sentence: It is the matter of joy that we have won the game.
Rule 4: Alas! is replaced by I/we mourn that/ It is a matter of sorrow or grief
that.
Example:
1. Exclamatory sentence: Alas! He has failed.
Assertive sentence: We mourn that he has failed.
Rule 5: Had/were/If/ Would that (at the outset) is replaced by I wish + subject
again + were/had + rest part.
Example:
1. Exclamatory sentence: Had I the wings of a bird!
Assertive sentence: I wish I had the wings of a bird!
Imperative Sentence to Assertive Sentence:
Rule 1: Add subject + should in doing assertive.
Example:
1. Imperative sentence: Do the work.
Assertive sentence: You should do the work.
Rule 2: Please/kindly is replaced by you are requested to.
Example:

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1. Imperative sentence: Please, help me.
Assertive sentence: You are requested to help me.
Rule 3: Do not is replaced by You should not.
Example:
1. Imperative sentence: Do not run in the sun.
Assertive sentence: You should not run in the sun.
Rule 4: Never is replaced by you should never.
Example:
1. Imperative sentence: Never tell a lie.
Assertive sentence: You should never tell a lie.
Rule 5: Let us is replaced by we should.
Example:
1. Imperative sentence: Let us go out for a walk.
Assertive sentence: We should go out for a walk.
Rule 6: Let + noun/pronoun is replaced by Subject might.
Example:
1. Imperative sentence: Let him play Football.
Assertive sentence: He might play Football.
1.6. Correct Use of Articles:
There are two types of articles:
1. The Indefinite Article (A and An)
2. The Definite Article (The)
Note:
1. A or An is used before a singular countable noun.
2. The choice between A and An wholly depends on the pronunciation of the word.
3. In English, the ‘spelling of a word’ is different from its ‘pronunciation’.
4. ‘An’ is used before the word, the pronunciation of which starts with a vowel sound.
5. There are 44 sounds (each is given a symbol from the International Phonetic
Alphabet).
6. Out of the 44 sounds, there are 20 vowels and 24 consonant sounds.
7. Do note, A, E, I, O, U are not vowels but just letters of the English Alphabet
consisting of 26 letters.
8. The indefinite article ‘A’ is used before
a. a word beginning with a letter which has a consonant sound. For example:
a book, a man, a pen, etc.
b. a word that begins with a letter (like O) with the sound like ‘wa’. For
example: a one-rupee note, a one-eyed man, etc.
c. a word beginning with ‘u’ or ‘eu’ giving the consonant sound ‘yu’.
9. The indefinite article ‘an’ is used before

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a. a word beginning with ‘h’ but the pronunciation of which starts with a
vowel sound. For example: an heir, an hour, an honest man, etc.
b. a word beginning with a letter which a vowel sound. For example: an
apple, an egg, an umbrella, etc.
c. an abbreviation, the first letter of which has a vowel sound. For example:
an M.L.A., an M.P., an M.Com, an S.D.O., etc.

1.7. Tenses: The verb is the doing word in a sentence and one of the important indications
required is the time of the action being done and its completeness – whether it is being
done at the time of speaking/writing or has been done or will be done.

1.8. Subject-Verb Agreement:

Both the subject and the verb must co-operate in the communication of meaning. A sentence
depends on the agreement between subject and verb. This agreement between subject and
verb must be on two counts: number and person.
Some useful rules to keep in mind while using Subject-Verb agreement:
1. Two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by the conjunction and will be
accompanied by a plural verb.
2. Two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by the conjunction or/nor will be
accompanied by a singular verb.
3. Two nouns if qualified by each/every even when joined by the conjunction and will take
a singular verb.
4. Some nouns which are plural in form but singular in meaning, take a singular verb.
5. Some nouns which are singular in form but plural in meaning, take a plural verb.

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6. A collective noun takes a singular verb when the collection is thought of as one whole;
a plural verb when the members of the collective are considered as individuals.
7. When the plural noun is a proper name for some single object or collective unit, it must
be accompanied by a singular verb.
1.9. Direct/ Indirect Speech:
In a Direct speech, the actual words of the speaker are reproduced, whereas in an
indirect speech, the main idea of the speaker is reported by another person. Note that
whereas quotation marks or inverted commas are used for direct speech, it is not done
for the indirect speech.
For example:
Direct Speech: Yash said, “I wanted to go to a mall”.
Indirect Speech: Yash said that he wanted to go to a mall.
Following are some points while converting Direct speech to Indirect speech.
• Question marks or exclamation marks are used in direct speech, but not in
reported or indirect speech.
• In indirect speech, the reporting verbs such as asked/enquired, commanded,
ordered, requested, exclaimed, shouted, etc. are often used to state the mood of
the spoken words, in place of the word “said” or “told” in the direct speech.
• The tense of the verb in the indirect speech is always in past tense. While
converting direct speech into indirect speech, the tense of the verb must change
accordingly as follows:
➢ Simple present – simple past
➢ Simple past – past perfect
➢ Present continuous – past continuous
➢ Present perfect – past perfect
➢ Can – could
➢ Will – would
➢ Shall – would
➢ May – might
• In indirect speech, the auxiliary verb “do” is not used.
• Pronouns of first person are changed in the reported speech from ‘I’ to ‘He’ or
‘She’; ‘We’ to ‘They’, ‘My’ to ‘his’ or ‘her’.
• Words indicating ‘nearness’ of time and place are changed to words indicating
‘distance’ of time and place. Examples are:
➢ This – That
➢ These – Those
➢ Here – There
➢ Now – Then
➢ Today – That day

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➢ Tomorrow – The next day
➢ Yesterday – The day before
• When reporting a question, an order or a request, the connector ‘that’ is used.
• In reported speech, the word/words or the sound used by the speaker to express
an emotion is usually omitted.

2. Basic Vocabulary:

2.1. Synonyms: Words that are similar in meaning to each other are called synonyms.
Here are some examples:
• Beautiful: Attractive, Pretty, Lovely, Stunning
• Introverted: Shy, Bashful, Quiet, Withdrawn
• Recalcitrant: Obstinate, stubborn
2.2. Antonyms: An antonym is the opposite of a synonym – that is, a word that is exact
opposite in meaning of a given word.
2.3. Homophones: Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelt differently.
Some of the common examples are See/Sea, Write/Right, There/Their, Which/Witch,
Steel/Steal, etc.
2.4. Idioms & Phrases: An idiom relies completely on connotative value and each language
has its own idioms that are very difficult to translate.
Here are some examples of Idioms and Phrases:
1. A bird of passage - one that stays for a short time
2. A blind date - meeting with someone you don’t know
3. A cold reception - a welcome-lacking affection
4. A man of straw - a man of no substance
5. A swan song - statement made just before death
6. A white elephant - unprofitable possession
7. An olive branch - an offer to peace
8. Bad blood - a feeling of enmity
9. Blind alley - unprofitable action
10. Donkey’s years - after a long time
11. Fabian’s policy - policy of cautious persistence
12. Jack of all trades - one who knows a little about all things
13. In sackcloth and ashes - in a state of great mourning
14. Mother wit - common sense
15. Nail to the counter - to expose publicly as fake
16. Spick and span - neat and clean

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