✐ RULE 1: Singular Subject = Singular Verb, Plural Subject = Plural verb
Exam: Shahin is a meritorious student.
Vehicles create traffic jam.
✐ RULE 2: Preposition: ( in, at, on, of, for, from, by, with, without, before, after, into, across, about ) + noun or Verb + ing.
Exam:Television is an important source of entertainment or entertaining.
Children are fond of using mobile Phone.
✐ RULE 3: To + Verb1 but (Addicted to, Adverse to, Be used to, With a view to, Look forward to, Get used to, Be accustomed to) + Verb + ing.
Exam:Shimu went to London to get a good job.
Shamim tried to join the Navy .
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
I went to the Stage with a view to dancing.
People of Bangladesh are used to eating by their hands.
✐ RULE 04: I = am,
(He, She, It) = is,
(We, They, you) = are
3rd person Singular Sub. = Has;
3rd person Plural Sub. = Have
Exam: I am Sohan.
He is driving a car.
We are going home.
They have won the game.
He has eaten rice.
✐ RULE 5: The + noun or verb + ing + of.
The necessity of learning English is indescribable.
The using of Mobile is available.
A constitution is essential for a nation.
He has an Umbrella.
✐ RULE 6: (Can, could, may, might, Shall, should, will, would, must, used to, have to, need, dare, ought to ) + V1
Example: He can do the Sum.
It may rain today.
Tamim must study tonight.
✐ RULE 7 : While + Verb + ing
Example: While walking in the garden, I saw a snake.
While sleeping I dreamt a good dream.
✐ RULE 8: (have, has, had, get, got, getting, having ) + V3 or Adjective.
Exam:She got married yesterday.
I had my car cleaned.
Having taken the money, the thief ran away.
Our Culture is getting westernized.
✐ RULE 9: Passive Voice : (Can be, could be, may be , might be, Shall be, should be, will be, would be, must be, used to be, have to be, ought to be ) + V3
Exam:The work ought to be done.
He will be helped by me.
✐ RULE 10: I = am ,was, have, shall/will
(He, She, it,the boy, the girl,) = is , does, has, was, will
(We, They, you, the boys, he students ) = are, do, have, were
Exam: I am Sohan.
He is driving a car.
We are going home.
They have won the game.
He has eaten rice.
✐ RULE 11: There + is/was/has + Singular Subject.
There + are/were/have + plural Sub.
Exam: There is a Mosque in our village.
There are two ponds in our Village.
✐ RULE 12: ( Each, every , one, any) + one or more singular Sub. + Singular Verb.
Exam: Each boy and each girl was present there.
Every boy and girl has been given 100 tk.
✐ RULE 13: (Somebody, Someone) + Singular verb, (some boys, Some toys) + plural verb.
Exam: Someone has stolen the pen.
Some boys have failed in the examination.
✐ RULE 14: (any, none, each, every, either, neither, one) + of + plural Sub. + singular Verb.
🕮 Exam: One of the boys is present there.
None of them was present there. Either of them has stolen it.
✐ RULE 15: ( Population, public, crowd, army, congress, committee, team, government, family, pair, dozen, scenery, knowledge, hundred, thousand, furniture, machinery, information, bread, money, advice, poetry, gallows, ethics, mathematics, physics, news, electronics, dynamics) + singular verb.
Exam: Ill news runs a pace.
Physics is a critical subject.
✐ RULE 16 : (people, spectacles, trousers, scissors, benches, cloths, goods, headquarters, vegetables, laws, police, cattle, folk, circumstances, gentry.) + plural verb.
Exam: His circumstances are not good.
People don’t eat the same food.
Vegetables contain vitamin.
✐ RULE 17: (who, whose, whom, which, that) follow only their before subject to choose a verb.
Exam: It is I who am your friend.
It is you who are my friend.
✐ RULE 18: Prefer to + verb + ing
Exam: Lata prefers to reading newspaper.
Joynal prefers to eating betel.
✐ RULE 19: ( Feel, love, hear, like, hate, see, forget, consist, seem, sound, smell, believe, know, wish, doubt, prefer, imagine, fear, taste, astonish, please, understand) they are used in present Indefinite tense not in continuous tense.
Exam: I see the bird.
I hear news.
I forget everything.
✐ RULE 20: Distance/money/time + singular verb
Exam: Thirty miles is a long way.
100 years is a long time.
Money begets money.
✐ RULE 21 : Arithmetical Operations ( singular verb)
Exam: Five plus five is ten.
Ten minus five is five.
Ten divided by two is five.
✐ RULE 22: (Always, regularly, generally, usually, occasionally, normally, naturally, frequently, everyday, daily, often) = Present Indefinite Tense.
Exam: Organizations frequently need employees who speak a standard form of English.
English usually helps to get good job.
He always prays his prayer.
✐ RULE 23: (now, at this/the moment, at present, day by day, increasingly, rapidly.) = Present continuous Tense.
🕮 Exam: Mobile Phone users are increasing day by day.
He is eating now.
✐ RULE 24: ( yesterday, one day, ago, once, last, a few days ago , last night, once upon a time, in the past, previously.) = Past Indefinite Tense.
Exam:I received your letter yesterday.
One day I borrowed a book from you.
✐ RULE 25: (Just, just now, already, yet, ever, lately, recently, immediately.) = present Perfect Tense.
Exam: He has transferred from Dhaka recently.
We have shifted to safe place immediately.
✐ RULE 26: (mind/worth/without/get used to/got used to/ be used to/past, can’t help, couldn’t help, would you mind) + verb + ing
Exam: Would you mind having a cup of tea?
He can’t help smoking.
✐ RULE 27: Active voice – ( am, is , are, was, were, have been, has been, had been, shall be, will be, shall have been, will have been) + verb + ing
Exam: Rana is doing the sum.
It has been raining since morning.
Passive Voice ( am, is , are, was, were, have been, has been, had been, shall be, will be, shall have been, will have been) + Past participle form
The thief was arrested yesterday.
The book has been highly praised in the classroom.
A good student must be awarded.
✐ RULE 28: (ask, decide, demand, forget, happen, hope, learn, manage, neglect, offer, plain, prepare, promise, remember, seem, try, want) + to
Exam: Shihab neglects to his friend.
It seems to me false.
We have decided to start a business.
✐ RULE 29: ( had better, had rather, would better, would rather, let, must, need, dare, make, would sooner, had sooner) + verb1
Exam: He had better read newspaper regularly.
I will not let you enter the classroom.
✐ RULE 30: ( It is time, It is high time, wish, fancy) = Past Indefinite
Exam: I fancy I turned a pale.
It is high time we developed our country.
✐ RULE 31: Lest…. Should…
Exam: Walk fast lest you should miss the train.
Read attentively lest you should fail in the exam.
✐ RULE 32 : (if, wish, as if , as though) unreal past = were
Exam:If I were a doctor, I could treat the poor.
I wish I were a king.
✐ RULE 33: If Past Indefinite tense, Sub + would/could/might + verb1
Exam: If I were a doctor, I could treat the poor.
If you came, I would go.
✐ RULE 34: If + Present Indefinite, future Indefinite tense. or
Sub. + may/can/shall/will + v1
Exam:If he runs in the rain, he will catch cold.
If it rains, I will not go out.
✐ RULE 35: If + present perfect tense, Sub.+ might have/could have/ would have + verb 3
Exam:If they had started earlier, they would have reached there in time.
If I had seen him, I might have told him the news.
✐ RULE 36: Present Indefinite or Present perfect tense + since + Past Indefinite tense.
Exam:It is many years since I came to Dhaka.
Many years have passed since I had met her.
✐ RULE 37: Past indefinite tense + since + Past perfect tense.
Exam: Many years passed since I had seen her last.
✐ RULE 38: Past Perfect + before + past Indefinite.
past Indefinite + after + past perfect.
Exam: The patient had died before the doctor came.
The patient died after the doctor had come.
✐ RULE 39: Beginning of the sentence- verb + ing or to + v1 (gerund, infinitive)
Exam: Rising early is a good habit.
Sleeping is necessary to life.
To take drugs leads a man to death.
✐ RULE 40: Verb + (how/what/when/which/why) + to
Exam: He knows what to do.
She taught me how to make a cup of tea.
✐ RULE 41: Things = interesting , person = interested
Exam: History is very interesting subject.
I am very much interested to meet him.
✐ RULE 42: Uncountable noun ( water, air, tea, sugar, environment, furniture, kindness, rainfall, reputation, wood, paper, gum, courtesy, earth, bread, oxygen, smoke, Bangla, English.) + singular verb.
Exam: Air is very important element of the environment.
Water plays a vital role in agriculture.
✐ RULE 43: No sooner had….than,
Scarcely had…..when,
hardly had…before/when.
Exam: No sooner had he seen the police than he ran away.
✐ RULE 44: If Simple Sentence contains two main verbs , It may be 2nd verb with ing or to + 2nd verb with present form.
🕮 Exam: I saw him going.
I am going to open a bank account.
Sub + V1 + Obj/Ext
Sub+V-s/es/ies+Obj/Ext
Sub+am/is/are/was/were/shall be /will be+ V-ing + Obj/Ext
Sub+have/has/had/shall have/will have+V3+ Obj/Ext
Sub+have been/has been/had been/shall have been/will have been+V-ing + Obj/Ext
Sub+V2+ Obj/Ext
Sub+am/is/are/was/were/shall be/will be+ Noun/Adjective
Sub+have/has/had/shall have/will have+ Noun/Adjective
Sub+shall/will/can/could/will/would/may/might/used to/dare to/must/need/ought to
+V1+ Obj/Ext
Sub+(shall/will/can/could/will/would/may/might/must)+be/have + V3 + Obj/Ext
to+V1+other (as infinitive)
V-ing (as gerund)
Md Ershad Alam
Assistant Teacher, English