PREPARE FOR MBA » Sentence Correction

Top 5 Most common English grammar errors

Gaurav — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:30:36 +0000

Hello students! Hope your preparations for your most awaited exams are in full swing! And for those who are not so confident about their preparation should not panic, there is still time, to make the improvements. So in this article I will be discussing the most discussed, and yet always mistaken, subject- the common grammatical errors. It has been observed that even the students who are really good at vocabulary and stuff and consider English their cup of tea, makes these few commonly made grammatical errors in this following article we would discuss the same. So here goes the most made mistakes:

1. Never use two past tenses simultaneously:

It’s the most common error, while in fluency of speaking or even writing for that matter we often use sentences like “ I dint knew you were so good at dancing”. Now over here, we cant use both, “knew” and “dint” together we can only use one of them the correct form of this would be “ I dint know, you were so good at dancing”.

2. Another one major blunder that people often make is “ I will do it”:

Over here “it” can never be used as a matter of fact it’s a rule of English to always use “so” whenever you are treating a line like that.

3. Also you cant use sentences like “ I will go and do so”:

presence of “and” is not required over here, only “I will go do so” would do.

4. Incorrect use of apostrophe:

it should be remembered that apostrophe is used in two cases. One; to show contractions e.g. “ don’t in place of do not.”, second to represent possessions e.g. “ its mark’s pen”. Therefore apart from this it shouldn’t b used where it doesn’t belong.

5. Another confusion that people face is while using i.e. and e.g.:

i.e. is an abbreviation used for “id est.” means that is , which is used to explain things in other words. While e.g. is “exempli gratia” which is used to mention the examples specifically.

So next time when you are writing an essay or enjoying your fluent English conversation make sure that you don’t make the following blunders. I will be coming up with more mistakes that are made commonly in my next article. Till then make a note to remember and revise these. All the best.Similar Posts:

Lets start journey

bhuvanesh09 — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:52:19 +0000

1) Abase : Cause to feel shame or hurt the pride of
Synonym :- Humiliate, mortify
Unique way :- I abased myself, and shifted to the BASEMENT.
See friends abase means to lower your dignity so this sentence is telling I have lowered down myself & shifted to the basement to hide my face. See imagine the situation in your mind, then u will remember the word for long time.

2) Abash :- Cause to be embarrass
Synonym :-Squirm, Mortify
Unique way :- ASH was abashed in front of abhishek bachchan.

3) Abate :- Become less in amount.
Synonym :- Slack, Slake
Unique way :- AB ATE mat kar, ab weight abate kar le.

4) Abdicated :-Give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations.
Synonym :- Renounced
Unique way :- AB DACOIT has abdicated his throne for his son.
5) Aberrant :- Markedly different from an accepted norm.
Synonym :- Deviant, deviate.
Unique way :- Aberrant nature of landlord. He increased the RENT suddenly.

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None Found

One Idiom/Phrase per week

Gaurav — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:37:06 +0000

I have organised a list of 50 idioms/phrases with full meanings and usage, and now I have put it in a newsletter format. You have to subscribe to this newsletter in order to get an Idiom/Phrase per week to your mailbox. Don’t worry this is not any marketing effort to grab your email id; this is to separate the feed of this blog from a very meaningful list of difficult or new idioms/phrases.

You will receive an email on every sunday morning in your mailbox. It will contain a single idiom/phrase with its analysis/meaning so that you can use it in your daily language, and it will help you in your mba exam too. So if you are interested in signing up this newsletter than you have to click the undermentioned link i.e

MBAtutes’ Idiom/Phrase per week Newsletter

Once you click the above link a form will open in a new tab in which you have to enter your email id and your name, thats it. You will start receiving the mail from next sunday. Email service is powered by spamfree mailchimp.

Please Note: Even the subscriber of this blog has to seperately signup this newsletter as I don’t want to hurt anybody’s privacy by giving them what they don’t need, and last but not the least your email id will remain safe with me as I told that my intention is to help others.Similar Posts:

Good Vs Well

Gaurav — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:58:03 +0000

General Rule:

The general rule with good and well is that well is an adverb and good is an adjective. What this means is that well modifies verbs, adjectives and other adverbs and good modifies nouns.

Unfortunately, there are exceptions to this rule just to keep us on our toes. “Well” may be used when describing if something is proper, healthy or suitable. As in, “I am well (healthy) today.”

Examples

That is a good song. (Good is modifying the noun, song.)

You sang the song very well. (Well is modifying the verb, sang.)

The bike is pedaling well. (Well is modifying the verb, pedaling.

The car is in good shape. (Good is modifying the noun, car.)

Exception

One exception is with the use of verbs of sensation like touch, feel, looks, hears, and smells. It would be proper to say, “The cake smells good.” To say that the cake smells well would imply that the cake has a nose that can smell appropriately. So, to add more confusion, it is also correct to say, “I feel good today.” Good refers to how you are physically and spiritually feeling.

How are you feeling?

I feel good. (Think of James Brown’s “I Feel Good”.)

How are you?

I am well, thank you.

Source: Good vs Well

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Idioms List for Sentence Correction

Gaurav — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:38:48 +0000

A very nice collection of idioms in English language. Though this list is prepared by someone who was preparing for GMAT but it is helpful to other MBA aspirants too. It is freely available on internet so there is no copyright issues involved in it. I know copyright is a big issue for GMAT aspirants especially after the mayhem of Scoretop, but this is free on internet. I have shared the link of the source of this file; see below.

BTW, remember that this list cannot be mugged in one day. You need to learn by rote. Please click the title of the embeded file to download this file directly from SCRIBD.

GMAT Idiom List

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Education idiom list

Source: Beat the GMAT. You need to login at the beat the gmat to download this file from there.

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Usage: Sensual vs Sensuous

Gaurav — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:00:15 +0000

“Sensual” usually relates to physical desires and experiences, and often
means “sexy.” But “sensuous” is more often used for esthetic pleasures,
like “sensuous music.” The two words do overlap a good deal. The leather
seats in your new car may be sensuous; but if they turn you on, they
might be sensual. “Sensual” often has a slightly racy or even judgmental
tone lacking in “sensuous.”

This is a verbatim from the book of Paul Brian. To read more such confusing words click: Common Errors in English. If you haven’t downloaded this book, then do it right now. This is really helpful. This is my personal advice.

BTW, here is one verbatim from merriam dictionary:

sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure sensuous delights of great music>. sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves sensual pleasures>

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Native of Vs Native to

Gaurav — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:45:02 +0000

Do you know the difference between these two idiomatic phrases? Me too was searching for it today, and I got my answer. I am sharing the concept:

Use “a native of” when you’re talking about where a person was born, and is used as noun

for example: I am a native of Detroit.

Use “native to” when you’re talking about a category, characteristic, or species; and is used as adjective.

for example: Tigers are native to India.

Sources: Beat the gmat, Rajat’s SC NotesSimilar Posts:

Difference between transparent translucent and opaque?

Gaurav — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 04:46:51 +0000

A transparent object is something that will allow all of the light rays to pass through it. Things like glass, some kids of plastic and food wrap are transparent because of the density of the molecules inside it.

A translucent object is a material that will only allow some or a little bit oh the light rays to pass through it. Things like wax paper, cloth and paper are translucent because of the density of the molecules inside it.

An opaque object is something that will allow no light to pass through it because the density of the object is too great. Things like wood folders and mirrors are opaque.

The difference between transparent, translucent, and opaque objects is that opaque objects are denser in molecules than translucent objects and that translucent object are denser than transparent objects. Transparent objects let all the light rays pass through. Translucent objects are denser therefore allowing only some light rays to pass through because some are ether being absorbed or reflected. Opaque objects don’t allow any light rays to pass through because all of the light rays are being reflected or absorbed.

Note: this will help you in Sentence Correction.Similar Posts:

Sentence Correction Notes in Brief

Gaurav — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:20:53 +0000

Though there are numerous books on Sentence Correction but the best notes we can have on any topic is which other CAT/GMAT crackers have prepared. So today while surfing the net I found a Sentence Correction notes of Rajat (I don’t know who he is, but he got the score of 740 in GMAT). I have retained the name of the file and would like you to keep it same as we should not take the credit for his work. These notes are brief and contains the real juice. I have uploaded it on scribd. You can also download it from Mbatutes’s Scribd Profile.

Sentence Correction Notes of Rajat

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Colleges and Univers Education sentence correction sc

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WHO/WHOM Dilemma

Gaurav — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:06:06 +0000

Here are some clarifications on the Who Vs. Whom dilemma that most of of us face (I picked this up from somewhere long back, will post the link as well, if I happen to find it):

Which of these sentences are correct?

1. We will give the money to the person who needs it most.

2. We filed a complaint against the contractor who we hired last month.

3. No one knows who you are.

4. Who are you calling?

5. Who is at the door?

6. We will be kind to whomever knocks on our door for help.

7. Whomever we elect for president will be in office for four years.

All the odd numbered sentences are correct.

Before we go over the four-step trick for getting “who” and “whom” right every time, let’s look at the grammatical difference between these words, keeping in mind that “whoever” and “whomever” function just as “who” and “whom” do. (All grammarphobes please skip right on down to the trick!)

“Who” and “whoever” will always be either the subject or the predicate pronoun of their own clauses. (A subject and a verb comprise a clause.) Thus, in sentence 1, “who needs it most” is correct because “who” is the subject of the verb “needs.” In sentence 3, “who” is the predicate pronoun of the clause “who you are.” (Because of the linking verb “are,” the clause says “you = who.”) Sentence 5 is correct because “who” is the subject of the verb “is.”

“Whom” and “whomever” will always serve as objects. Sentence 2 is incorrect because in the clause “who we hired last month,” the subject is “we,” the verb is “hired,” and the object of that verb is “whom.” Likewise, in sentence 4, the subject is “you” and the object of the verb “are calling” is “whom.” In normal order, the clause reads “we are calling whom.” Here are corrected versions of sentences 2 and 4:

2. We filed a complaint against the contractor whom we hired last month.

4. Whom are you calling?

Sentence 7 correctly employs “whomever” as the object of its own clause, “Whomever we elect for president.” The subject is “we,” the verb is “elect,” and the direct object is “whomever.” In normal order, the clause reads “we elect whom.”

Here is the four-step trick for getting these words straight every time:

Step 1: Isolate the clause containing the “who(ever)” or “whom(ever).” (Sentences that ask questions, such ase 4 and 5 above, can have only one clause.)

Step 2: Ignore the part of the sentence that is NOT in the “who(ever)” or “whom(ever)” clause.

Step 3: In place of the word “who(ever)” or “whom(ever),” plug in the words “he” or “him” and see which one sounds better. (Sorry, ladies; we can’t use “she” and “her” because “her” doesn’t end with an “m,” and the trick won’t work!)

Step 4: If “he” sounds better, then choose “who(ever).” If “him” sounds better, then choose “whom(ever).” Remember that the “m” words (“him” and “whom”) go together.

Let’s try the trick on sentence 1:

(1) Isolate the “who/whom” clause: We will give the money to the person [who needs it most].

(2) Ignore the rest of the sentence outside the bracketed clause.

(3) Plug in “he” or “him” and see which sounds better: “he needs it most” or “him needs it most”?

(4) Obviously, “he” sounds better, so our choice will be “who.”

Let’s try it on sentence 7:

(1) Isolate the “whoever/whomever” clause: [Whomever we elect for president] will be in office for four years.

(2) Ignore the rest of the sentence outside the bracketed clause.

(3) Plug in “he” or “him” and see which sounds better: “we elect he for president” or “we elect him for president”?

(4) Obviously, “him” sounds better, so our choice will be “whom”–or, in this sentence, “whomever.”

The trick works even when the “who” or “whom” refers to a group of people; simply use “they” and “them” instead of “he” and “him.” The “m” words still go together: “them,” “him,” “whom,” and “whomever.”

We get in trouble when we forget step 2 of the trick and don’t ignore the part of the sentence that is outside the “who/whom” clause. Notice what would have happened if we had made that mistake with sentence 6 and said “we will be kind to him” instead of “he knocks on our door for help.” We would have incorrectly chosen “whomever” instead of “whoever.”

Source: pagalguy. Here is the link Who/Whom.

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Read India Today, Business Today Magazines Online (All Living Media’s magazines)

Gaurav — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:51:06 +0000

Now you can read all the Living Media group’s magazines online, and that too for free. You just have to click any image in this post and you will be directed to the page where you can read the magazine. You cannot copy the text of magazine as it is in image form. There is an option of downloading the issue but whenever I tried to download the magazine, it didn’t work. So you have to depend on your internet connection for reading it. BTW, now you can save your Rs. 10, 20 or whatever you spend on reading your favorite magazine. Some other magazines which are in the list are as follows:

1) Spice

2) Men’s Health

3) Prevention

4) India Today Woman

5) Cosmopolitan

6) India Today Bangla, Malayalam, Telgu, Tamil.

Note: Just click on the buttons to the left of the magazine page. You can also read the magazine in single or double page. I won’t give further details, go and see for yourself what thay have to offer.Similar Posts:

Books for RC Preparation ……..

Subject Verb Agreement:

Gaurav — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:26:57 +0000

Main Proposal: Let plural subjects take plural verbs and singular subjects roam about with singular verbs.

Proposal 1:- When two or more nouns are present, ask the verb to agree with its proper subject instead of the noun near it.

The quality of language in British books is outstanding.

All the books on the rack are the law books.

Proposal 2:- Some nouns are plural by nature and like to be with plural verbs. Following are the names of these famous nouns-

Savings, thanks, surroundings, riches, goods, outskirts, belongings, particulars, premises, clothes, earnings, congratulations, people, police and staff.

Proposal 3:- When the verb is holding hands with two or more subjects and wearing either…or or neither…nor, use a singular verb if the last subject is singular and a plural verb if the last subject is plural.

Neither Levin nor Kitty wants to live in a city.

Either John Galt or his representatives are to stop the motor of the world.

Either nurses or the doctor is responsible for the wrong operation.

Proposal 4:- When two bachelor (singular) subjects are joined by spinster ‘and’, they form a pair (plural)

Dolly and Doll were t he first one to arrive.

Bob and Roger are playing a guitar.

Proposal 5:- Listen to what nouns suggest, if they suggest one idea to the mind, or refer to same person or thing, then the verb would rather stay single.

Bread and butter is kept in the refrigerator.

Time and tide waits for none.

Proposal 6:- Be cautious with the following-

Everyone, no one, anybody, somebody, everything, each and every, each of, neither of, the majority of, all of, some of and uncountable nouns.

All of food is stolen.

Knock! Knock! Is anybody there?

Proposal 7:- Economics, civics, statistics, news, mathematics, wages, linguistics, phonetics, politics etc are plural in form but singular in meaning and take a singular verb.

Mathematics is TG’s passion.

Politics is the major part of the corporate world.

Subject Verb Agreement contd….PART 2;

Proposal 8:- When there is a group of nouns (Collective nouns), a singular verb should be brought into action. When the individuals of this group are addressed, we would like to use plural verbs.

The crowd is maddening.

The population of Japan is on its life time low this year.

Proposal 9:- When noun denotes some specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, we should agree on a singular verb.

One-fourth of the work is completed by William.

The five thousand yen that he gave me was spent in a single day.

Proposal 10:- There are outsiders (words and phrases) besides ‘and’ that attach themselves to the subject and make it look plural but the subject still stays the same. These are the famous intruders -as well as, accompanied by, including, along with, in addition to and together with. So verbs, be careful!

Leonidas, along with his 300 Spartans, is going to fight against the Persian army.

Books, as well as music, are my passion.

Proposal 11:- When the subject is commanding, ordering, or suggesting — ‘you’, the person being directed by the subject has to disappear. (Subject expects itself to be understood)

(You) Listen to the sound of the music!

(You) Suggest a plan for the month.

Proposal 12:- Both subject and verb give special preference to ‘None’. None can be treated as both singular and plural until someone else in the crowd doesn’t recognize its number.

None of the men are ready for the war,

None of the men is ready for the war.

None of the dancers have given their best. (Here you can’t use singular because the word ‘their’ precludes the use of the singular verb.)

Proposal 13:- Sometimes nouns are playing tricks with you. They can beguile you into thinking they are plural when they are not. Nouns such as pants, pliers, glasses and scissors are regarded as plural (and prefer being with plural verbs) unless they’re preceded by the phrase pair of, so be careful!

The scissors are lying on the table.

A pair of scissors is lying on the table.

Proposal 14:- If the sentence is giving both positive and negative vibes, the verb will respond only to the subject giving positive vibes..

It is not Carol but her sisters who are married.

It was the subject of the movie, not the actors, that has charmed the audience.

Proposal 15:

Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

Proposal 16:

Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

Sources: Pagalguy, Total Gadha, some online portals (don’t remember), some books (don’t remember the names)

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Difference Between Childish And Child-Like

Gaurav — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:14:56 +0000

Childish is used negatively to criticize behavior that one does not want to see in adults. Childlike, on the other hand, is used either as a positive or neutral evaluation. Here’s a quote from somewhere that may help to explain:

“To advertising writers, connotation is a matter of life or death. There isn’t an ad agency in the world that would hire a copywriter who couldn’t tell the difference between “childlike” and “childish”—two words with the same denotation. The difference—connotatively—is huge. “Childlike” implies innocence and naturalness; childlike people are free of cynicism and corruption; in a world marred by vice and vanity and villainy, they’ve managed to remain guileless and trusting. They’re often thought of as “saints.” “Childish” people are something else: they’re arrested adolescents at best, and bigmouthed brats at worst; they make juvenile demands, they throw tantrums, and they know only one pronoun: “me.” Nobody has ever mistaken a childish man or woman for a saint. Two words: one denotation…vastly different connotations.”

To read more click: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=15915

http://www.goingthewongway.com/2008/06/18/difference-between-childish-and-child-like/Similar Posts:

Difference between “Flammable” and “Inflammable”

Gaurav — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:34:15 +0000

flammable or inflammable? Although inflammable looks like the opposite of flammable, the two words actually have the same meaning, both describing something that is easily set on fire. The in- prefix of inflammable means “into,” rather than “not,” and the adjective is ultimately derived from the same Latin word as the verb inflame. In view of the potentially disastrous consequences of such misinterpretation, flammable has become the word of choice, especially in the labeling of commercial and industrial products. The word most frequently used to convey the opposite meaning is nonflammable.

This is a verbatim from encarta dictionary (a product of Microsoft)Similar Posts:

A Basic English Grammar

Gaurav — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:02:29 +0000

A very interactive e-book on english grammar with solved exercises by John Eastwood. For downloading this e-book click : English Grammar. This book is really very creative and interactive. This won’t let you getting bored.

A Basic English Grammar Exercises by J Eastwood Romty – Upload a Document to Scribd

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Difference between EMPATHY/SYMPATHY

Gaurav — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:22:12 +0000

If you think you feel just like another person, you are feeling empathy. If you just feel sorry for another person, you’re feeling sympathy.

Sometimes people say they “emphasize” with someone when they mean they “empathize” with him or her.

Thanks Paul.Similar Posts:

Confusing words in English

Gaurav — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:32:12 +0000

Click the image

I have found a list of confusing words which make us confuse while solving the verbal questions. List is in two parts. All words in the list looks similar but in meaning they are far dissimilar. Their dictionary meanings are not given but they are used in sentence according to their dictionary meanings. You have to use dictionary to see the meaning of words. Click the image to go to the site.

Note: CAT has last time played with similar kind of confusing words. for e.g, a question of CAT 2007

51. The cricket council that was[A]/were[B] elected last March is[A]/are[B] at sixes and sevens over new rules.
The critics censored[A]/censured[B] the new movie because of its social inaccessibility. Amit’s explanation for missing the meeting was credulous[A]/credible[B]. She coughed discreetly[A]/discretely[B] to announce her presence.
1) BBAAA
2) AAABA
3) BBBBA
4) AABBA
5) BBBAA

Thanks Grammar.cccSimilar Posts:

Some Confusing Spellings – Orthography

Gaurav — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:51:54 +0000

Orthography

These spellings will help you in not getting caught in the trap of sentence correction questions where examiner changes the spelling in order to confuse.

Dual/Duel- They are different

Gaurav — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:53:22 +0000

Got one more interested couple. They look so similar that you need to concentrate on them for atleast 2 seconds to know where they differ. Yes, they differ at ‘a’ and ‘e’.

BTW,

DUAL: connotated two, twice etc.

whereas

DUEL: is a formal battle intended to settle a dispute.

Click them to see the dictionary meaning.Similar Posts:

DO’S AND DON’TS/DOS AND DON’TS

Gaurav — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:15:24 +0000

Is this correct?

First of all guess which is right? I too marked the first one as right but that is the wrong version. Did you know this? Me wasn’t but as usual Mr. Paul helped me knowing it. I am again be giving you the verbatim of his version i.e

“One unusual use of apostrophes is to mark plurals of words when they are being treated as words, as in “pro’s and con’s,” although plain old “pros and cons” without apostrophes is fine. But “don’t” already has one apostrophe in it, and adding another looks awkward in the phrase “do’s and don’t’s,” so people wind up being inconsistent and writing “do’s and don’ts.” This makes no logical sense. You can also skip the extra apostrophes and write “dos and don’ts,” unless you’re afraid that “dos” will remind your readers of MS-DOS (but that unlamented operating system is fast becoming a distant memory).”

So now you know the difference. Do take care of such nitty gritties of our very own “The English”.Similar Posts:

Enquire/Inquire

Gaurav — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:02:44 +0000

“The traditional distinction between enquire and inquire is that enquire is to be used for general senses of ‘ask’, while inquire is reserved for uses meaning ‘make a formal investigation’. In practice, however, enquire (and enquiry) is more common in British English while inquire (and inquiry) is more common in US English, but otherwise there is little discernible distinction in the way the words are used.”

This is a verbatim from AskOxford.com. Last line shows that in usage they can be interchanged but don’t know whether CAT can play on such things. Still it is important to know that subtle difference. Who knows what will help on 16th, The D Day.

BTW, Mr. Paul Brian too said that the only difference is of British and US English. They can be used interchangeably. Click Paul to see his version.Similar Posts:

CRISPY/CHRISPY

Gaurav — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:43:07 +0000

There is no word such as “chrispy”. It’s always crispy when you are trying to mean crispy and crunchy. So this is a small spelling mistake which should be avoided.

So whenever next time you go to a restaurant, check for the spelling of “Crispy Chicken”; Chrispy Chicken is wrong.Similar Posts:

CENSOR/CENSURE/SENSOR/CENSER

Gaurav — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:34:18 +0000

To censor somebody’s speech or writing is to try to suppress it by preventing it from reaching the public. When guests on network TV utter obscenities, broadcasters practice censorship by bleeping them.

To censure someone, however, is to officially denounce an offender. You can be censured as much for actions as for words. A lawyer who destroyed evidence which would have been unfavorable to his client might be censured by the bar association.

A device which senses any change like changes in light or electrical output is a sensor. You car and your digital camera contain sensors.

A censer is a church incense burner.

This clarification will help you in those questions in which two similar words are given and you have to chose the write one according to correct usage.Similar Posts:

How to distinguish BELIEF & BELIEVE

Gaurav — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:27:42 +0000

If you have it, it’s a belief; if you do it, you believe. People can’t have religious “believes”; they have religious beliefs. If you have it, it’s a belief; if you do it, you believe.

Were you knowing this? I always had this cofusion while writing, but now I am clear with the usage of belief and believe.

Again thanks Pual Brian for creating such a sexy list.Similar Posts:

Difference between Backslash and Slash

Gaurav — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:10:50 +0000

This is a slash: /. Because the top of it leans forward, it is sometimes called a “forward slash.”

This is a backslash: \. Notice the way it leans back, distinguishing it from the regular slash.

Slashes are often used to indicate directories and subdirectories in computer systems such as Unix and in World Wide Web addresses. Unfortunately, many people, assuming “backslash” is some sort of technical term for the regular slash, use the term incorrectly, which risks confusing those who know enough to distinguish between the two but not enough to realize that Web addresses rarely contain backslashes.

Me too wasn’t knowing this. These are so small things which we generally ignore but now while preparing for CAT, this is the best time to make note of them.

Thanks Paul Brian.Similar Posts:

Usage of “A WHILE/AWHILE”

Gaurav — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:01:41 +0000

When “awhile” is spelled as a single word, it is an adverb meaning “for a time” (“stay awhile”); but when “while” is the object of a prepositional phrase, like “Lend me your monkey wrench for a while” the “while” must be separated from the “a.” (But if the preposition “for” were lacking in this sentence, “awhile” could be used in this way: “Lend me your monkey wrench awhile.”)

Thanks Paul BriansSimilar Posts:

Sometime, Some time, & Sometimes

Gaurav — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 06:06:31 +0000

Sometime means “at an indefinite or unstated time in the future.”

Some time means “a period of time.”

Sometimes means “occasionally, now and then.”

Examples:

“Why don’t you come up sometime and see me?”
(Mae West in She Done Him Wrong, 1933)
“You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it’s a little thing, do something for others–something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.”
(Albert Schweitzer)
“I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.”
(Oscar Wilde)

If you want to research more on these words then click this !Similar Posts:

Difference & Usage of ‘Anxious/Eager’

Gaurav — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:10:30 +0000

Is there a difference between being anxious to do something and being eager to do something?

Yes. To be anxious is to be nervous, worried, or concerned about something; to be eager is to look forward to something.

Generally meaning is clear to many, In addition, anxious is usually followed by about, whereas eager is usually followed by to.

The most common mistake here is to say something such as, “I am anxious to go on vacation.” If you are nervous, worried, or concerned about going on vacation, you might be anxious about going on vacation; however, if you are looking forward to going on vacation, as is probably the case, you want to say that you are eager to go on vacation.

Note: Take care about these idiomatic usage of anxious and eager as examiners play game in these area while making SC (Sentence Correction) questions.

Thanks Grammarmudge.
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Difference of ‘Pedal’ and ‘Peddle’

Gaurav — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:06:34 +0000

If you are delivering newspapers from a bike you can pedal it around the neighborhood (perhaps wearing “pedal-pushers”), but when you sell them from a newsstand you peddle them.

Did you know this?

I will wait for your response in comment form.

Thanks Paul BrianSimilar Posts:

CARROT/CARAT/KARAT/CARET

Gaurav — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:52:39 +0000

“Carrots” are those crunchy orange vegetables Bugs Bunny is so fond of, but this spelling gets misused for the less familiar words which are pronounced the same but have very different meanings.

Precious stones like diamonds are weighed in carats. The same word is used to express the proportion of pure gold in an alloy, though in this usage it is sometimes spelled “karat” (hence the abbreviation “20K gold”).

A caret is a proofreader’s mark showing where something needs to be inserted, shaped like a tiny pitched roof. It looks rather like a French circumflex, but is usually distinct from it on modern computer keyboards. Carets are extensively used in computer programming.

Just remember, if you can’t eat it, it’s not a carrot.Similar Posts:

Usage of ‘Good’ and ‘Well’

Gaurav — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:44:43 +0000

You do something well, but a thing is good. The exception is verbs of sensation in phrases such as “the pie smells good,” or “I feel good.” Despite the arguments of nigglers, this is standard usage. Saying “the pie smells well” would imply that the pastry in question had a nose. Similarly, “I feel well” is also acceptable, especially when discussing health; but it is not the only correct usage.

Thanks Paul BrianSimilar Posts:

Usage of Apostrophe

Gaurav — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:06:37 +0000

In English, you can use an apostophe to:

indicate that one or more letters were dropped in a contraction:
it is > it’s
we are > we’re
does not > doesn’t
of the clock > o’clock
indicate possession:
a) singular with ’s
Anuj’s post
Sumit’s reply
the tute’s queries (only one tute has the query here)
b) plural with s’
the books’ covers
my brothers’ jobs
the tutes’ queries(multiple tutes have queries)

The apostrophe should never be used when you are just talking about something that is plural, with no possession.

The girl’s walked by > The girls walked by

My brother’s are tall > My brothers are tall

Welcome traveler’s > Welcome travelers

Conclusion

Just remember that the apostrophe has a purpose: to indicate a contraction or possession. It does not indicate a plural – the letter s does a fine job of that all by itself. So remember this while you are attempting the sentence correction questions as examiner plays with these small issues to confuse you.

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Comma and Semicolon Usage

Gaurav — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:37:36 +0000

Coordinating conjunction

1. Independent clause , {for and or so but nor yet} Independent clause.

Ex: The building is finished, but it has not tenants

2. Introductory element, Independent clause.

Ex: Unfortunately, the only tenant pulled out.

3. Independent clause, nonessential element.

Ex: The empty building symbolizes a weak local economy, which affects everyone.

4. Beginning of independent clause, nonessential element , end of independent.

Ex: The primary clause, the decline of local industry, is not news.

5. . . . item 1 , item 2 , {and / or} item 3 . . .

Ex: The city needs healthier businesses, new schools, and improved housing.

6. . . first adjective , second adjective word modified . . .

Ex: A tall, sleek skyscraper is not needed.

7. Independent clause ; Independent clause

Ex: The side effects are not minor; some leave the patient quite uncomfortable or even ill.

Conjunctive

Adverb

8. Independent clause ; however , Independent clause

Anyway Meanwhile

Besides Moreover

Consequently Namely

Finally Otherwise

Furthermore Still

Hence Then

Indeed Therefore

Instead Thus

Ex: An American immigrant, Levi Strauss, invented blue jeans in the 1860s; eventually, his product clothed working men throughout the West.

This colourful text will make you understand it better. I don’t remember the source as this was in my notes which I collected last year. Now you too copy it in your notes so that you don’t have to come online to revise these.

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