Grammar (Tense, Voice, Narration, Transformation, Prepositions, Articles)
Grammar questions are mechanical: each item has one correct transformation, and the marks come from applying the rule step by step rather than from writing fluently. The recurring items are tense sequence, active-passive, direct-indirect speech, sentence transformation, prepositions and articles.
Voice
Going from active to passive: the object becomes the subject, the verb becomes a form of be + past participle, and the doer moves to a "by" phrase (drop it when the doer is unknown). Keep the original tense and match the number of the new subject.
Narration
Statements take that after the reporting verb. If the reporting verb is past, shift the tense back one step. Pronouns change to the reporter's viewpoint, and time/place words shift: now becomes then, today becomes that day, here becomes there, tomorrow becomes the next day. Questions take asked if/whether, lose the inversion and lose the question mark. Imperatives take told/requested + to + verb.
Worked example
"The teacher has corrected the copies." (change the voice) Reasoning: present perfect becomes has/have been + past participle; the object "the copies" is plural, so the auxiliary must be "have"; the doer is known, so it stays. Answer: The copies have been corrected by the teacher.
Transformation and articles
- A simple sentence joins to a compound one with and/but/so; to a complex one with because/although/who/which.
- Positive to comparative to superlative must preserve meaning: "No other boy in the class is as tall as Rahul" becomes "Rahul is taller than any other boy in the class".
- Use a before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds (an hour, a university), and the for something already specified or unique.
Traps that cost marks
- Double past forms: "he said that he had went".
- Retaining "this", "here" or "ago" in reported speech.
- Leaving the question mark in an indirect question.
- Changing the voice but forgetting to keep the tense.