Pronouns, Determiners, Modals, Comparison and Error Spotting

This unit gathers the rest of grammar: pronoun forms, quantifiers, modal verbs, comparison, conjunctions and the "find the error" type.

The Dean's Office model includes "Two ladies had ___ hand bags stolen" (their) and "There is someone in the room ___ I certainly heard a great noise" (for). Five questions in the paper come from here.

6.1 Pronouns and determiners

• Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their (its has no apostrophe; it's = it is). Each of the boys has done his homework. Reflexives end in -self/-selves (himself, themselves). Each other for two, one another for more.
• Few / many (countable) and little / much (uncountable). A few / a little = some (positive); few / little = hardly any (negative). Fewer with countable nouns, less with uncountable.
• Both takes a plural verb; either / neither / each take a singular verb. Information, advice, furniture, news, luggage and equipment are uncountable: some information, never informations.

should have + V3 is criticism of a past act; must have + V3 is a past deduction.

(a) must: strong obligation

(b) mustn't: prohibition

6.3 Degrees of comparison, conjunctions and word order

• Adjectives: tall–taller–tallest; good–better–best; bad–worse–worst; far–farther/further–farthest/furthest. Of two, use the comparative (the taller of the two). Never use a double comparative (more taller). The more you practise, the better you become.
• Senior, junior, superior, inferior, prefer take to, not than.
• Conjunctions: although/though (concession; never with but), because (clause) vs because of (noun), yet/but (contrast), so (result), for (reason, formal), neither … nor, not only … but also, no sooner … than, hardly/scarcely … when.
• Adverb of good is well.

(a) the highest (superlative)

(b) higher than (comparative)

(c) the third highest

6.5 Eight traps in pronouns, modals, comparison and error spotting

Each trap below is a rule that students half remember, so the paper can turn it into a wrong option.

1. Its has no apostrophe. The dog wagged its tail; it's means it is (Fig 6.1). The same holds for hers, ours, yours and theirs. A reflexive never takes hisself or theirselves: use himself and themselves.
2. Few and little are negative; a few and a little are positive. "He has little money" says he is almost broke; "He has a little money" says he can manage (Fig 6.2). The words few/fewer go with countable nouns and little/less/much with uncountable ones.
3. Fewer for numbers, less for amounts. Write fewer people but less water. A shop sign that says "ten items or less" is common, yet the exam expects fewer items. Measures of time, money and distance are treated as one amount: less than ten minutes.
4. Mustn't forbids; needn't does not require. "You mustn't smoke here" is a ban; "You needn't pay now" means you may pay later (Fig 6.3). Don't have to has the same meaning as needn't. Never use must not for lack of need.
5. Choose the modal by the time and the feeling. Must have lost is a sure guess about the past; can't have left is a sure negative guess; should have told is criticism of something that did not happen (Fig 6.3). Use the past participle (V3) after have, never the base form.
6. Two things take the comparative; three or more take the superlative. "K2 is the higher of the two" but "Everest is the highest of the three" (Fig 6.4). Never double a comparison: more taller and most tallest are wrong. Senior, junior, superior and prefer take to, not than.
7. Do not pair although with but. "Although it rained, we played" is correct, and but is added only in "It rained, but we played" (Fig 6.5). Remember the fixed pairs: no sooner ... than, hardly ... when, neither ... nor, not only ... but also.
8. Check the pronoun case. After a preposition use the object form: between you and me. After than the subject form is formal: taller than I (am). With a compound subject put the other person first: My friend and I went. Each, either, neither take a singular verb, both a plural verb.

6.5.1 Worked checks

Q. Fill in the blank: "Two ladies had ____ handbags stolen." (its / their / her)

Answer. Ladies is plural, so the possessive adjective is their (Fig 6.1).

Q. Choose the correct preposition: "He is senior ____ me." (than / to / from)

Answer. Senior is followed by to: "He is senior to me" (Fig 6.4).

Q. Complete: "I cannot find my keys. I ____ have lost them." (can / must / need)

Answer. This is a strong guess about the past, so the answer is must: "I must have lost them" (Fig 6.3).

Q. Correct the sentence: "He gave me many informations."

Answer. Information is uncountable and has no plural, so the sentence becomes "He gave me some information" (Figs 6.2 and 6.5).

Practice questions

Set A — Recall (20 questions)

1. Two ladies had ___ handbags stolen.aitsbtheircherdthey
2. He hurt ___ while playing.ahimbhiscitselfdhimself
3. She is taller ___ her sister.athanbfromctodas
4. This is the ___ book I have read.agoodbbettercbestdwell
5. He has ___ money left; he is almost broke.aa littleblittlecfewda few
6. There are ___ students in the library, so we can sit.alittlebmuchca littleda few
7. You ___ smoke here; it is prohibited.aneedn'tbdon't have tocmustn'tdmay
8. You look ill. You ___ see a doctor.ashouldbcan'tcmustn'tddare
9. The party was cancelled ___ the rain.abecausebalthoughcdespitedbecause of
10. ___ he was tired, he kept working.aBecausebAlthoughcUnlessdSo
11. No sooner had he arrived ___ it began to rain.awhenbthencthandthat
12. Hardly had she left ___ the phone rang.awhenbthancthendas
13. Neither Ram ___ Hari came.aorbnorcanddbut
14. He is the ___ of the two brothers.atallbtallestcmore talldtaller
15. Choose the correct sentence.aHe gave me an information.bHe gave me many informations.cHe gave me some information.dHe gave me informations.
16. ___ the roads lead to Pokhara.aBothbEithercNeitherdEach
17. I would rather ___ at home.ato staybstayingcstayeddstay
18. She sings ___.agoodbwellcgoodlydbest
19. Each of the boys has done ___ homework.atheirbitschisdour
20. The dog wagged ___ tail.aitsbit'sctheirdhis

Set B — Understanding (12 questions)

1. I will go for a walk ___ it rains.aifbbecausecunlessduntil
2. He is junior ___ me.atobthancfromdof
3. My brother is ___ than I.aoldestbmore oldcelderdolder
4. Choose the correct sentence.aHe is more taller than me.bHe is taller than I am.cHe is most tall.dHe taller.
5. You ___ pay now; you can pay later.amustn'tbshouldn'tcneedn'tdcan't
6. She ___ speak four languages.acanbmustcneeddought
7. Choose the incorrect sentence.aHe gave me good advice.bShe is wiser than I.cWe need some furniture.dHe gave me many advices.
8. Choose the correct sentence.aMe and my friend went to the market.bMy friend and I went to the market.cMe and I went to the market.dMyself and friend went to the market.
9. Not only the boy ___ also the girl was late.abutbandcordnor
10. She is ___ intelligent than her sister.amostbmuchcmoredvery
11. He worked hard ___ he failed.asobbecausecthereforedyet
12. There are ___ people in the hall than yesterday.alessbfewerclittledlesser

Set C — Application (8 questions)

1. The more you practise, ___ you become.abetterbmore bettercbestdthe better
2. I would rather you ___ here.astayedbstaycwill staydstaying
3. He ran fast ___ he missed the bus.asobbecausecbutdtherefore
4. Choose the correct sentence.aShe is senior than me.bShe is senior to me.cShe is more senior than me.dShe is senior from me.
5. Scarcely had he reached the station ___ the train left.athanbthencthatdwhen
6. You ___ have told me earlier! (criticism)ashouldbmustcwilldwould
7. I can't find my keys. I ___ have lost them.acanbneedcmustdshall
8. The superlative of "bad" isabadderbworstcworsedmost bad