English for competitive Examinations –II

 (A I Patel)

B.Com. – II , Semester – IV

Sub – English

MODULE – VI

A) English for competitive Examinations –II

 

The competitive examinations are conducted to evaluate the knowledge and skills of person. The syllabi of almost all competitive examinations are more or less same. The comprehension of English language is tested through objective type questions based on grammar and comprehensive writing. The present unit focuses on a certain grammatical and comprehensive elements in the context of competitive examinations. Of course, to consider all components of English grammar of competitive examinations in the present unit is fairly difficult. Hence, the present unit focuses on a certain constituents like transformation of sentences, precis writing and essay writing. The aim of this unit is to help you to study and learn language skills for Competitive Examinations.

 

Transformation of Sentences:

'Transform' means to change from one form into another. Transformation of sentence is a grammatical process in which the sentence is transformed from one form into another form without changing its meaning. Transformation of sentence comprises the different types of changes. However, some essential types of transformation have been considered in the present unit. They are as follows:

•Changing the Simple, Compound and Complex sentences into the other two forms of sentences respectively.

•Affirmative into negative

 

Let us see the above different types of sentences in detail:

•Changing the Simple, Compound and Complex sentences into the other two forms of sentence:

In English, there are mainly three types of sentences;

a) Simple sentence

b) Compound sentence

c) Complex sentence

 

• Simple sentence:

When there is only one finite verb in a sentence, it is considered as simple sentence. Finite verb means a verb which has a connotation of tense and there is subject-verb agreement. A simple sentence has just one clause. We can change a simple sentence into a compound sentence or a complex sentence. Study the examples given below:

•Siddhartha plays cricket every evening.

•Tejaswini talks very fast.

In the above examples, each sentence has only one independent clause and a finite verb. Therefore they are simple sentences. Such types of simple sentences can be changed into a compound or complex sentences.

 

• Compound sentence:

A compound sentence has more than one main clause. It consists of two or more independent clauses. The clauses of a compound sentence are joined together by coordinating conjunctions. Such sentences have two finite verbs and two subjects. Study the examples given below:

•Buy two shirts and get one free.

•I tried to speak English, and my friend tried to speak Hindi. In the above examples, each sentence has two independent clauses joined together by coordinating conjunctions and finite verbs. Therefore, they are compound sentences.

 

• Complex sentence:

Complex sentence consists of at least one main clause and one subordinate clause. Both the clauses have finite verbs and they are connected by subordinating conjunction. Study the following examples:

•The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow, • He worked hard that he might pass the examination.

 

In the above examples. The students are studying and 'He worked hard' are main clauses; and 'because they have a test tomorrow' and that he might pass the examination are subordinate clauses.

 

Combination of Simple Sentences into a single Simple Sentence:

To avoid the repetition and monotonous impression, different simple sentences are combined in a single simple sentence. To combine such different simple sentences, we have to follow some basic changes.

•When two simple sentences have the similar subject, use participle is accepted for transforming them into a single simple sentence.

For example:

Rahul was tired of work. He decided to watch television.

•Tired of work, Rahul decided to watch television.

OR

Having tired of work. Rahul decided to watch television.

•When the information about the subject of first simple sentence is stated in a second sentence, it is combined in a single sentence by placing a comma after a subject.

For example:

Her sister died yesterday. She was a great doctor.

•Her sister, a great doctor died yesterday.

By adding a preposition with a noun or gerund, two different simple sentences are combined in a single sentence.

For example:

His wife heard the news. Her joy knew no bounds.

•On hearing the news, his wife's joy knew no bounds.

 

Two different simple sentences can be combined in a single sentence by using an infinitive verb.

For example:

She is very poor. She can't educate her son.

•She is too poor to educate her son.

 

Transforming Simple Sentences into Compound or Complex Sentences:

•While transforming simple sentences into a compound sentence, we have to use coordinating conjunctions like and/ but/or/and/so/. We also have to maintain the meaning of given sentence.

For example:

Sumit is a poor boy. He is a clever boy.

•Sumit is a poor but he is a clever boy.

Deepika is interested in English. Her friend is interested in Hindi.

•Deepika is interested in English and her friend in Hindi.

 

Similarly, while transforming simple sentence into complex sentence, we have to use subordinating conjunctions like though/since/as/when/ or a relative pronoun. Here also we have to maintain the meaning of given sentence.

For example:

Alka sings a song. Her brother plays a piano.

•Alka sings a song, whereas her brother plays a piano.

 

My friend is Harun. He lives in Pune.

•My friend is Harun who lives in Pune.

 

.

 

Affirmative into negative:

While transforming affirmative sentences into negative sentences, certain rules have to be considered. These rules are given below:

 

Rules of transforming affirmative into negative sentences:

•Sentence with 'only/alone', changes into 'none but/nothing but/not more than/not less than'.

 

Examples:

•Affirmative     : A brave man alone can do this.

•Negative         : None but a brave man can do this.

•Affirmative     : She needs a pen only.

•Negative         : She needs nothing but a pen.

•Affirmative     : They need bread only.

•Negative         : They don't need more than bread.

 

•'Must/have to/can' turns into 'cannot

Example:

Affirmative      : You must study hard.

Negative          : You cannot but study hard.

 

▪ 'And/both' becomes 'not only ... but also':

Example:

Affirmative        : I bought cell phone and memory card.

Negative            : I bought not only cell phone but also        memory card.

 

•'Every' becomes 'there is no ... but':

Example:

Affirmative       : Every mother loves her child.

Negative           : There is no mother but loves her child.

 

▪ 'Always' in affirmative becomes 'never + opposite word' in negative statements:

Example:

Affirmative        : She is always against of smoking.

Negative            : She is never in favour of smoking.

 

▪ Many affirmative sentences can be changed into negative by using negative word 'Not' and an 'opposite word' of the verb:

Example:

Affirmative      : He missed the bus.

Negative         : He could not catch the bus.

 

•Sometimes' in affirmative becomes 'not always' in negative:

Example:

Affirmative       : The poor are sometimes happy.

Negative           : The poor are not always happy.

 

•‘Too...to' in affirmative becomes 'so... that ...+ cannot+verb':

Example:

Affirmative: He is too weak to walk.

Negative : He is so weak that he cannot walk.

 

• 'As soon as' in Affirmative becomes 'No sooner had....than' in Negative:

Example:

Affirmative      : As soon as the teacher came, the students stood up.

Negative          : No sooner had the teacher came than the students stood up

 

• 'As+ adjective + as' in affirmative becomes 'not less + adjective... than' in negative sentence:

Example:

Affirmative       : Harun is as good as Prakash.

Negative           : Harun is not less good than Prakash.