85+ English Grammar Shortcuts and Rules for CDS AFCAT NDA

When you are preparing for a defense examination, it is very important to have some English Grammar Shortcuts and Rules to quickly solve the examination. Most people who are planning to serve the nation and preparing for this examination look out for some grammar shortcuts to quickly solve the CDS, AFCAT, and NDA exam questions. To solve this query, we have included a few English Grammar Shortcuts and Rules for the examination in the given blog. Happy Learning!

English Grammar Shortcuts and Rules For CDS AFCAT NDA

Below we have included 40 English grammar shortcuts and Rules for Pronouns, Adjectives, adverbs, verbs, conjunctions, and Prepositions in the given section below. The following shortcuts will assist you to quickly solving the English grammar questions in the examination. Have a look below.

Importance of English Grammar Shortcuts

Below, you can find out the importance of knowing English grammar shortcuts. It helps you in many ways, you can explore some of those reasons below.

• Defense examinations are time-oriented, and knowing shortcuts helps you solve the questions easily.
• Many common grammatical errors can be easily avoided if you know the right rules.
• A strong understanding of grammar can give you confidence in your English.

Articles Shortcuts and Rules 

Shortcut Rule 1: The indefinite article ‘A’ should be used before the word ‘Half’ when it follows a whole number.

I stayed in Madras for one and half years. ☓

I stayed in Madras for one and a half years. ✔

He spent one and half a half rupee. ☓

He spent one and a half rupees. ✔

Shortcut Rule 2: The definite article ‘THE’ should be used with a comparative adjective if the phrase ‘of the two’ is used.

She is better of the two sisters. ☓

She is the better of the two sisters. ✔

This is the best of the two books. ☓

This is the better of the two books. ✔

Shortcut Rule 3: With the names of meals such as Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Supper, no article should be used in a general way except in particular causes.

I have the breakfast at 8 hrs in the morning ☓

I have breakfast at 8 hrs in the morning ✔

Shortcut Rule 4: The + Positive Adjective represent the whole class, and take a plural verb.

The rich is responsible for the lawlessness in the country.☓

The rich are responsible for the lawlessness in the country. ✔

Say ‘The poor are / The young are / The old are’ etc…

Shortcut Rule 5: After Di- Transitive Verbs like Elect / Make / Appoint, articles should not be used except when they are used as Mono transitive verbs.

We appointed him a chairman.☓

We appointed him chairman ✔

We made him a leader ☓

We made him leader. ✔

The Govt. has appointed a Committee (mono transitive) (As a mono transitive verb)

Shortcut Rule 6: After type of / kind of / sort of / post of / title of / rank of / articles are not used.

He is not that sort of a man. ☓

He is not that soft of man. ✔

He was promoted to the rank of a General Manager. ☓

He was promoted to the rank of General Manager. ✔

Prounoun Shortcuts and Rules

Shortcut Rule 7 :

 We should use the personal pronouns in the order of 231 for goodresults ( I mean, Second Person, Third Person, First Person). Have a look at the followingExamples.I,

He and You are to finish it. ☓

 You, He and I are to finish it. ✔

 The order 123 (First Person, Second Person and Third Person) is also possible when weadmit guilt.I,

You and He have committed the Sin. ✔

Shortcut Rule 8 :

A Pronoun in the nominative form should be compared with the sameform of the pronoun.

He is better than I (am) (Two Nominatives are compared) ✔

I respect you more than him (Two objectives are compared) ✔

Shortcut Rule 9 :

 A Pronoun in the objective case is used after “Let / Between / AnyPreposition”

 Let you and me play (You and me are objects) ✔

 There is no dispute between you and me. ✔

Shortcut Rule 10 :

When a pronoun stands for a collective noun, it should be used in thesingular form. 

The army has left its Head Quarters (As a Whole) ✔

The committee were divided in their opinion (Separate Individuals) ✔

 Shortcut Rule 11 :

When two singular nouns are joined by “and”, refer to the same person,the pronoun used in their place should be singular in form. 

The Collector and Magistrate has done his best. ✔

 But the collector and the Magistrate have done their best. ✔

Shortcut Rule 12 :

A singular pronoun should be used when two singular nouns are joinedby either or / neither norEither

Ravi or Gopal should do his duty ✔

Shortcut Rule 13 :

A pronoun in the plural form should be used when two nouns ofdifferent members are joined by “or” or “nor”.

Either the Principal or his teachers have attended their duty. ✔

 Shortcut Rule 14 :

The distributive pronouns “Either / Neither / None / Any / No one” areused with singular verbs.Either / Neigher ……….Used for two Person / ThingsNone / No one / Any ……….Used for more than two person / things.

Either of the two girls is diligent. ✔

Neither of the brothers is quarrelsome. ✔

None of the four sisters is intelligent. ✔

Any of the four men can do it. ✔

Shortcut Rule 15 :

The Reciprocal pronouns “Each other / One another”Each other – For two personsOne another – For more than two persons. The two sister hate each other. The five brother love one another.

Shortcut Rule 16 :

The indefinite pronoun “One” should be used as “One’s” for itspossessive case.

One should love one’s country. ✔

Shortcut Rule 17:

The verbs such as “Hurt / Cheat / Prostrate / Introduce / Present /Absent / Satisfy / Prepare / Enjoy / Avail of” are followed by either “an” object or “a”reflexive pronoun.

(Myself / Ourselves / Yourself / Yourselves) (Himself / Herself / Itself / Themselves)I introduced her to the Principal (Her………object) ✔

 I introduced myself to the Principal (Myself………Reflexive pronoun) ✔

 He enjoyed the party (Party…………Object) ✔

 He enjoyed himself at the Party (Himself……………..Reflexive Pronoun) ✔

 Shortcut Rule 18 :

 The use of Relative Pronouns :Who…………….. for Persons eg.This is the boy who is diligent.Which ……………..for Things. eg. The book which is in the shelf is mine. That …………….. is used both for persons and things.

 One boy who stole my purse was a student ✔

 The boy that stole my purse was a student. ✔

 As a relative pronoun “That” is used with superlative Adjective / Only / Any / Nothing /Some / All / None” All that glitters is not gold This is the best thing that I can do.

Shortcut Rule 19 :

The word “Who” as a relative pronoun is used in the nominative case,takes a verb. The Principal who came here was Raju’s Brother. The word “Whom”as a relative pronoun is used in the objective case (takes no verb) The doctor whom I met yesterday was Krishna’s Father

Shortcut Rule 20 :

Agreement of the verb with its antecedent in number and personaI

I who is your brother must trust youI who am your brother must trust you. ✔

You who is my friend ☓

You who are my friend ✔

Shortcut Rule 21 :

If a pronoun is to be placed after “to be”, the pronoun in the subjective case is used.

It is Him ☓

It is He ✔

Adjectives Shortcuts and Rules

Examples :Sizes : big, small, large, thin, thick

Shapes : triangular, round, square, circular

Colors : black, blue, white, green, red

Personality : happy, sad, angry, depressed

Time : Yearly , monthly, annually

Ages : new, young, old, brand-new, second-hand

Sounds : Loud, noisy, quiet, silent

Tastes : juicy, sweet

Qualities : good, bad, mediocre

Shortcut Rule 22 :

 In a comparision, the conjunction ‘than’ should be followed by ‘anyother’. If a person / thing is compared with any other person / thing among some / many.

Mumbai is greater than any city in India.☓

Mumbai is greater than any other city in India.✔

Shortcut Rule 23 :

 In comparisons, the monosyllable words like “hot / easy / tall / small”should not be used with more / most. 

This question is more easier than that.✔

This question is easier than that. ✔

He is more taller than Kumar. ☓

 He is taller than Kumar.✔

Shortcut Rule 24 :

 Elder / Eldest should be used with the members of the same family.Older/ Oldest these comparative adjective denote the age of person / thing.Ex : He is elder to me. (He and me belong to one family).Ronald Reagan was the oldest person elected to the Presidency in US history (Not specifyinga family) 

This is the eldest tree in the garden ☓

This is the oldest tree in the garden. ✔

Shortcut Rule 25 :

 While comparing the objects, we should see that a noun is comparedwith another but not with some other word. 

The population of Hyderabad is greater than Nagpur ☓

 The population of Hyderabad is greater than that of Nagpur (OR) ✔

 The population of Hyderabad is greater than the population of Nagpur. ✔

 The climate of Ooty is better than Chennai. ☓

 The climate of Ooty is better than that of Chennai. ✔

Adverb Shortcuts and Rules

Shortcut Rule 26 :

 The adverbs ‘too much’ is used with nouns and ‘much too’ is used with adjectives. Too much pain / Too much insincerity (Nouns)Much too painful / much too careless (Adjectives)Adverbs examples

His failure is too much painful for me ☓

His failure is much too painful for me ✔

 is wife’s rude behavior gives him much too pain ☓

 His wife’s rude behavior gives him too much pain ✔

Shortcut Rule 27 :

 Before the word ‘Enough’ an adjective under positive form should be used.

He is more intelligent enough to follow you. ☓

He is intelligent enough to follow you. ✔

She is enough lucky to get the job. ☓

 She lucky enough to get the job. ✔

Shortcut Rule 28 :

The adverb quite (‘quite means perfectly/ completely) should not be used with theadjective ‘Handsome’.

He is quite handsome. ☓

 He is very handsome. ✔

Verb Shortcuts and Rules

Shortcut Rule 29 :

 If the subject is of the third person, singular number (He, She, It) add ‘S’or ‘es / ies’ to the first form of the verb to make it singular number.She plays the violin every day.He loves his parents. The dog barks at the people. The bird flies in the Sky.He does his duty.

Shortcut Rule 30 :

The following verbs are not usually used in the continuous form. See /Smell / Feel / Hear / Notice / Recognize / See / Think / Agree / Believe / Consider /Remember / Hope / Understand / Mind / Suppose / Hate / Love / Know / Have / Want /Forgive / Keep / Prevent etc. But they may be used in continuous forms in a particularcases.

He is having a telephone connection. ☓

He has a telephone connection ✔

The flower is smelling sweet ☓

The flower smells sweet (you can say I am smelling this flower) ✔

The manager is seeing your application (Seeing – Examining) ✔

(in particular situation)

Shortcut Rule 31 :

The present perfect tense should not be used with adverbs indicatingpast time. Instead the simple past tense should be used.

I have seen a film last night ☓

I saw a film last night. ✔

He has left for Hyderabad last week. ☓

He left for Hyderabad last week. ✔

Conjuctions Shortcuts and Rules

Shortcut Rule 32 :

After the subordinating conjunction ‘lest’ the auxiliary ‘should’ is used. Lest – forfear that / If it is not so.

Work hard lest you fail. ☓

Work hard lest you should fail. ✔

Shortcut Rule 33 :

The connecting word ‘that’ is used with the adjective phrase ‘the same/theonly/superlative adjectives/all 

This is the same book which I wanted. ☓

This is the same book that I wanted. ✔

Shortcut Rule 34 :

The conjunction ‘or’ is used with not / never.

I have never spoken to him nor written to him. ☓

I have never spoken to him or written to him.✔

Prepositions Shortcuts and Rules

Shortcut Rule 35 :

During – denotes duration.

During the war, many people suffered hardship. ✔

We go to Darjeeling during summer every year. ✔

Shortcut Rule 36 :

From – is used with past / future tenses.

I stayed there from Monday to Wednesday. ✔

I will start my preparation from Monday next. ✔

Shortcut Rule 37 :

Of – denotes origin / cause

She comes of a rich family (origin) ✔

He died of Malaria (cause) but she died in an accident. ✔

Off – denotes ‘separation’A button has come off. ✔

He is off duty today. ✔

FAQs

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