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CAT 2025 Lesson : Grammar Rules - Introduction
Most MBA entrance tests such as XAT, NMAT, IIFT, SNAP have questions based on grammar. The types of questions that we have to solve include
(1) Sentence correction (selecting the grammatically correct sentence from 4 or 5 given options)
(2) Selection of correct/incorrect sentences from multiple options
(3) Selection of the part of a sentence which is grammatically incorrect
(4) Sentence replacement (replacement of part of a sentence with a grammatically suitable option)
(5) Fill in the blanks (with options that test grammar through multiple variants of a word)
We need to understand the basic rules of grammar to solve such questions correctly. Thorough understanding of grammar will help you to solve them. These questions are low hanging fruit, because you can solve these quickly and accurately (unlike Reading Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning questions, which can be tricky and open to interpretation).
Grammar rules build upon Parts of Speech, and we will learn the proper usage of different parts of speech, focussing on nouns/pronouns, verbs, articles and prepositions. Please go through the Parts of Speech lesson before this one. There, we have discussed the different parts of speech in detail, specifically:
) Nouns
) Pronouns
) Verbs
) Adjectives
) Adverbs
) Articles
) Determiners
) Prepositions
) Conjunctions
) Interjections
(1) Sentence correction (selecting the grammatically correct sentence from 4 or 5 given options)
(2) Selection of correct/incorrect sentences from multiple options
(3) Selection of the part of a sentence which is grammatically incorrect
(4) Sentence replacement (replacement of part of a sentence with a grammatically suitable option)
(5) Fill in the blanks (with options that test grammar through multiple variants of a word)
We need to understand the basic rules of grammar to solve such questions correctly. Thorough understanding of grammar will help you to solve them. These questions are low hanging fruit, because you can solve these quickly and accurately (unlike Reading Comprehension and Verbal Reasoning questions, which can be tricky and open to interpretation).
Example 1
Which of the following sentences uses a WRONG tag-question?
[XAT 2021]
A. Nobody has called for you, have they?
B. You like to play, don’t you?
C. Moreover, he plays well, isn’t it?
D. There’s little point in doing anything about the match, is there?
E. He has few reasons for saying no to the match, has he?
Statement A is correct, even though nobody is singular. We use have for nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone or everyone even though all these are treated as singular. Here, have they is being used as we do not know the gender of the person who might have called for the listener. Thus, this statement is correct.
Statement B is also correct, as the question is positive whereas the question tag is negative.
Statement C is incorrect as the question tag uses it instead of he.
Statement D is also correct.
Statement E is correct, even though both the question and the question tag seem positive. This is because he has few reasons means that he has practically no reasons. Hence, this is similar in meaning to he has no reason for saying no to the match. This is why has he is okay after this sentence.
Therefore, statement C is the correct choice.
Answer: C. Moreover, he plays well, isn’t it?
[XAT 2021]
A. Nobody has called for you, have they?
B. You like to play, don’t you?
C. Moreover, he plays well, isn’t it?
D. There’s little point in doing anything about the match, is there?
E. He has few reasons for saying no to the match, has he?
Solution
This example is about the tag questions at the end of each sentence (have they, don't you, ...). The tag question should be in the opposite polarity (e.g., if the question is positive, the question tag should be negative). Let us consider all the sentences.Statement A is correct, even though nobody is singular. We use have for nobody, somebody, everybody, no one, someone or everyone even though all these are treated as singular. Here, have they is being used as we do not know the gender of the person who might have called for the listener. Thus, this statement is correct.
Statement B is also correct, as the question is positive whereas the question tag is negative.
Statement C is incorrect as the question tag uses it instead of he.
Statement D is also correct.
Statement E is correct, even though both the question and the question tag seem positive. This is because he has few reasons means that he has practically no reasons. Hence, this is similar in meaning to he has no reason for saying no to the match. This is why has he is okay after this sentence.
Therefore, statement C is the correct choice.
Answer: C. Moreover, he plays well, isn’t it?
Example 2
The question below consists of four sentences. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).
[CAT 2005]
A. Large reductions in the ozone layer, which sits about 15-30 km above the Earth, take place each winter over the Polar regions, especially the Antarctic, as low temperatures allow the formation of stratospheric clouds that assist chemical reactions breaking down ozone.
B. Industrial chemicals containing chlorine and bromine have been blamed for thinning the layer because they attack the ozone molecules, making them to break apart.
C. Many an offending chemicals have now been banned.
D. It will still take several decades before these substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.
(1) D only
(2) B and D
(3) A and D
(4) A and C
Statement B is incorrect, as there is an unnecessary “to” before break apart. The correct usage is making them break apart (please read through Infinitives in the Parts of Speech lesson).
Statement C is also incorrect, because of singular-plural mismatch – “an” cannot be used before chemicals, as it is in plural. The correct usage is many offending chemicals have not been banned or many an offending chemical has been banned. Note that the latter is more archaic (old-style) in nature.
Statement D is grammatically correct – the tense is consistent throughout the sentence and have has been used for the plural substances. Therefore, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) A and D
[CAT 2005]
A. Large reductions in the ozone layer, which sits about 15-30 km above the Earth, take place each winter over the Polar regions, especially the Antarctic, as low temperatures allow the formation of stratospheric clouds that assist chemical reactions breaking down ozone.
B. Industrial chemicals containing chlorine and bromine have been blamed for thinning the layer because they attack the ozone molecules, making them to break apart.
C. Many an offending chemicals have now been banned.
D. It will still take several decades before these substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.
(1) D only
(2) B and D
(3) A and D
(4) A and C
Solution
To solve this question, we have to select the statements which are grammatically correct. Statement A is correct. Note the correct placement of commas. The author also correctly uses sits to describe the singular ozone layer, take place for the plural reductions and allow for the plural low temperatures.Statement B is incorrect, as there is an unnecessary “to” before break apart. The correct usage is making them break apart (please read through Infinitives in the Parts of Speech lesson).
Statement C is also incorrect, because of singular-plural mismatch – “an” cannot be used before chemicals, as it is in plural. The correct usage is many offending chemicals have not been banned or many an offending chemical has been banned. Note that the latter is more archaic (old-style) in nature.
Statement D is grammatically correct – the tense is consistent throughout the sentence and have has been used for the plural substances. Therefore, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) A and D
Example 3
The options given below combine to form a meaningful sentence. Identify the erroneous statement from among the options:
[SNAP 2018]
(1) I am fully aware that
(2) my wife is one of those
(3) who is totaly committed
(4) to the family and its wellbeing.
Therefore, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) who is totaly committed
[SNAP 2018]
(1) I am fully aware that
(2) my wife is one of those
(3) who is totaly committed
(4) to the family and its wellbeing.
Solution
In this sentence, statement (3) has a spelling as well as grammatical error. The word totally is misspelled, and the clause should say who are totally committed, as it is preceded by those in option (2).Therefore, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) who is totaly committed
Example 4
Choose the appropriate answer for rephrasing the underlined portion of the sentence.
[IIFT 2018]
Sky-Airlines recently announced aggressive cost-cutting measures ranging from a new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks and reductions in the size of its fleet.
(1) such as improvement of airport check-procedures, encouragement of passengers to use self-service kiosks and reducing
(2) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks and to reductions
(3) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks to reductions
(4) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks to reducing
Both of these are corrected in option (3), which is the correct choice.
Option (1) is incorrect, because the option uses reducing. The appropriate word is reduction, similar to the words improvement and encouragement.
Option (2) uses and to, which is incorrect. Hence, this option can be eliminated.
Option (4) uses reducing instead of reduction(s), and hence, can be eliminated.
Thus, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks to reductions
[IIFT 2018]
Sky-Airlines recently announced aggressive cost-cutting measures ranging from a new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks and reductions in the size of its fleet.
(1) such as improvement of airport check-procedures, encouragement of passengers to use self-service kiosks and reducing
(2) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks and to reductions
(3) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks to reductions
(4) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks to reducing
Solution
The given sentence speaks about the new cost-cutting measures which Sky-Airlines has put in place. The underlined part of the sentence has two errors – the use of a ahead of new airport check-in procedures (as this part is in plural), and the use of and instead of to. A range is always shown with the words from...to, in the format “ranging from __________ to ___________”.Both of these are corrected in option (3), which is the correct choice.
Option (1) is incorrect, because the option uses reducing. The appropriate word is reduction, similar to the words improvement and encouragement.
Option (2) uses and to, which is incorrect. Hence, this option can be eliminated.
Option (4) uses reducing instead of reduction(s), and hence, can be eliminated.
Thus, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) ranging from new airport check-in procedures that encourage passengers to use self-service kiosks to reductions
Grammar rules build upon Parts of Speech, and we will learn the proper usage of different parts of speech, focussing on nouns/pronouns, verbs, articles and prepositions. Please go through the Parts of Speech lesson before this one. There, we have discussed the different parts of speech in detail, specifically:
) Nouns
) Pronouns
) Verbs
) Adjectives
) Adverbs
) Articles
) Determiners
) Prepositions
) Conjunctions
) Interjections
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