# Top 50+ Most Important English Grammar Rules for Competitive Exams (With Examples)
Are you preparing for SSC, Banking, Railways, NDA, CUET, or any other competitive exam? Then you must master the core English grammar rules that help you score full marks in the English section. In this detailed post, we cover 50+ important English grammar rules with examples. These rules are highly useful for error detection, sentence improvement, and fill-in-the-blank questions.
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## ✅ Rule 1: Subject-Verb Agreement
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
✔️ He plays football.
✔️ They play football.
❌ They plays football.
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## ✅ Rule 2: Use of Articles (A, An, The)
Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds. Use 'the' for something specific or already known.
✔️ An honest man
✔️ A university (because it sounds like "yu-niversity")
✔️ The sun is hot.
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## ✅ Rule 3: Tense Consistency
Keep the tense consistent in a sentence or paragraph.
✔️ She said that she was tired.
❌ She said that she is tired.
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## ✅ Rule 4: Adjective vs Adverb
Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs.
✔️ He is a fast runner.
✔️ He runs fast.
❌ He runs fastly. (wrong word)
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## ✅ Rule 5: Correct Use of Prepositions
Use the right preposition after a verb or adjective.
✔️ Interested in
✔️ Good at
✔️ Afraid of
❌ Good in English (wrong), ✔️ Good at English
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## ✅ Rule 6: Use of 'Few', 'A Few', and 'The Few'
- Few = almost none (negative meaning)
- A few = some (positive)
- The few = limited but all of them (specific)
✔️ A few people came to the meeting.
✔️ Few students passed the exam.
✔️ The few friends he had were loyal.
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## ✅ Rule 7: Either/Neither
Use with two options only. Either means one of the two, neither means none of the two.
✔️ Either Rahul or Ramesh is coming.
✔️ Neither Seema nor Sita was present.
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## ✅ Rule 8: Much vs Many
- Much: for uncountable nouns
- Many: for countable nouns
✔️ Much water
✔️ Many books
❌ Many milk (wrong)
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## ✅ Rule 9: Since vs For
- Since: point of time (e.g., 2010)
- For: period of time (e.g., 5 years)
✔️ I have lived here since 2010.
✔️ I have lived here for 5 years.
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## ✅ Rule 10: Avoid Double Negatives
Don’t use two negative words in the same sentence.
✔️ I didn’t see anyone.
❌ I didn’t see no one.
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## ✅ Rule 11: Each/Every takes singular verb
✔️ Each student was given a book.
✔️ Every boy plays well.
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## ✅ Rule 12: Collective Nouns
Collective nouns take singular or plural verb depending on meaning.
✔️ The team *is* winning. (team as a unit)
✔️ The team *are* fighting among themselves. (members individually)
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## ✅ Rule 13: Use of Gerunds
Use verb + ing form as noun (gerund).
✔️ Swimming is good exercise.
✔️ I enjoy reading books.
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## ✅ Rule 14: Avoid Redundancy
Don't repeat the same idea.
❌ Return back (wrong)
✔️ Return (is enough)
❌ Repeat again (wrong)
✔️ Repeat
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## ✅ Rule 15: Use of 'Too' and 'Enough'
- Too: before adjective
- Enough: after adjective
✔️ She is too weak to walk.
✔️ He is strong enough to lift the box.
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## ✅ Rule 16: So...That / Such...That
✔️ He was so tired that he slept instantly.
✔️ It was such a hot day that we stayed inside.
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## ✅ Rule 17: Use of 'Who', 'Whom', 'Whose'
- Who: subject
- Whom: object
- Whose: possession
✔️ Who is knocking?
✔️ Whom did you call?
✔️ Whose book is this?
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## ✅ Rule 18: Use of ‘Though’, ‘Although’
✔️ Though he is poor, he is honest.
✔️ Although it was raining, we went out.
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## ✅ Rule 19: Use of 'Used to'
✔️ I used to go for a walk daily.
❌ I use to go for a walk. (wrong)
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## ✅ Rule 20: Passive Voice Rule
Use 'be' form + past participle (V3)
✔️ The work was completed.
✔️ The letter is being written.
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## ✅ Rule 21: Conditional Sentences (If Clause)
✔️ If I were rich, I would help the poor.
✔️ If it rains, we will stay home.
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## ✅ Rule 22: Pronoun Agreement
✔️ Everyone should do *his or her* duty.
❌ Everyone should do *their* duty. (formal grammar)
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## ✅ Rule 23: Order of Adjectives
When using multiple adjectives, follow this order:
**Opinion – Size – Age – Shape – Color – Origin – Material – Purpose**
✔️ A beautiful small old round red Indian wooden cooking bowl
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## ✅ Rule 24: Question Tags
✔️ You are coming, aren’t you?
✔️ He didn’t study, did he?
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## ✅ Rule 25: Correct Conjunction Use
✔️ He is poor but honest.
✔️ She was tired, so she slept.
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## ✅ Rule 26: Avoid Confusing Words
✔️ Accept (to receive), Except (excluding)
✔️ Advice (noun), Advise (verb)
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## ✅ Rule 27: Reflexive Pronouns
✔️ He hurt himself.
✔️ They enjoyed themselves.
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## ✅ Rule 28: Infinitives
Use 'to + verb' to express purpose.
✔️ I came here *to learn*.
✔️ She studies *to succeed*.
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## ✅ Rule 29: Reported Speech
✔️ He said, “I am busy.” → He said that he was busy.
✔️ She said, “I will come.” → She said that she would come.
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## ✅ Rule 30: Comparisons
✔️ She is taller than me.
✔️ This is the best book I’ve read.
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## ✅ Rule 31–50 (Short Format)
31. ✔️ No sooner had he arrived than the train left.
32. ✔️ Hardly had I slept when the phone rang.
33. ✔️ Scarcely had she left when he came.
34. ✔️ He is senior to me (not senior than).
35. ✔️ She prefers tea to coffee.
36. ✔️ The scissors are on the table.
37. ✔️ One of the boys is absent.
38. ✔️ Neither of the answers is correct.
39. ✔️ Honesty is the best policy.
40. ✔️ He is known for his honesty.
41. ✔️ I look forward to hearing from you.
42. ✔️ He was born in 2000.
43. ✔️ She has been living here since morning.
44. ✔️ I had gone before he came.
45. ✔️ Let him go.
46. ✔️ Would you mind opening the window?
47. ✔️ I suggest that he go (subjunctive mood).
48. ✔️ It’s high time we left.
49. ✔️ I’d rather stay home.
50. ✔️ He is said to be rich.
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## đ§ Extra Tips for Grammar Success
- Read English newspapers daily.
- Practice grammar MCQs regularly.
- Write one paragraph daily using grammar rules.
- Use apps like Grammarly, Merriam-Webster, or British Council Grammar.
- Make your own grammar rule notebook.
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## đĸ Final Words
Mastering English grammar is not hard if you follow these 50+ rules regularly. These rules appear in almost every competitive exam — so revise them daily, solve questions, and test yourself. Bookmark this post and share it with friends who are also preparing for competitive exams.
**Comment below your doubts or grammar questions — we'll answer every one!**
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