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English Grammar

Mechanics & Errors

Mechanics covers the visual side of writing — punctuation, capitalisation and the subtle errors educated writers still make. These rules separate a competent answer from a top-scoring one in descriptive papers (essay, letter, précis) and a…
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Why it matters

Punctuation and capitalisation marks are awarded in SSC Tier-II descriptive, Bank PO/Clerk Mains descriptive, RBI Grade B, and UPSC essay papers. Common-error questions appear in every Spotting Errors set in SSC, IBPS, RRB and Insurance exams.
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Punctuation (Comma, Semicolon, Colon, Apostrophe, Hyphen)

Punctuation marks organise written text and clarify meaning.

Exam tip'Its' is possessive (no apostrophe); 'It's' = it is/it has. Confusing the two is one of the most-tested errors.
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Capitalisation

Capitalisation rules govern when a word begins with a capital (uppercase) letter.

Exam tipCapitalise compass directions only when they refer to a specific region: 'I live in the South' (region) but 'Drive south for two kilometres' (direction).
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Common Errors (Modifier Placement, Dangling Participles, Parallel Structure)

Even native speakers slip on these three traps: misplaced modifiers, dangling participles, and breaks in parallel structure.

Exam tipAlways check that words after 'and', 'or', 'than', 'as', 'not only…but also', 'either…or', 'between…and' are in the same grammatical form.
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Frequently Confused Words & Spelling

Pairs and groups of words that look or sound alike but differ in meaning are a regular source of objective-test errors.

Exam tipSpelling and word-choice questions are easy marks — keep a notebook of every confused pair you encounter while practising and revise it weekly.
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Quick Revision Facts

  • Oxford comma is optional in British English but recommended where ambiguity is possible.
  • Use a hyphen in compound adjectives BEFORE the noun ('a well-known writer'), but not after the noun ('the writer is wel…
  • Capitalise 'Government', 'Constitution', 'Parliament' when referring to the specific Indian institution.
  • 'Data' is plural in formal academic writing ('data are…'); singular in everyday usage.
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English Grammar
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