Intro to Grammar ( ES-1)

​The group of students is going on a trip.

Why?

• Here, the subject is “The group” (singular), not “students.”

• Collective nouns like group, team, and committee are usually considered singular when they act as one unit.

The phrase “at 5 PM in evening” is incorrect because:

• We don’t use "in" with a specific time like 5 PM.

• When you say 5 PM, it already tells us it’s evening, so adding “in evening” is redundant.

Corrected versions:

• “Join us for the Hackathon at 5 PM.” (most natural)

• Or: “Join us for the Hackathon in the evening.” (if you don’t want to mention the exact time).

​Corrected Sentence:
"The list of shortlisted candidates is displayed on the notice board."

Explanation:

• The main subject of this sentence is “The list”, not “candidates.”

• Even though “candidates” is plural, it is part of a prepositional phrase (“of shortlisted candidates”) that only describes the list.

• In Subject–Verb Agreement, the verb agrees with the main noun (head noun), not the noun in the prepositional phrase.

• “List” is singular, so we use the singular verb “is.”

​"You are telling an HR interviewer about your project:"

a) I worked on a project on Machine Learning.

b) I have worked on a project on Machine Learning.

c) I had worked on a project on Machine Learning.

Discuss: Which one sounds best in an interview? Why?

​"Talking to friends about a past event:"

• a) I participated in a national hackathon last year.

• b) I have participated in a national hackathon last year.
  Discuss: Why is one wrong even if it “sounds okay”?

​“Have worked” (Present Perfect) connects past experience to the present, implying it is relevant and adds value now — exactly what you want to convey in an interview.

• “I worked” (Simple Past) only states a past fact, without showing its continuing relevance.

• “I had worked” (Past Perfect) is used when referring to an action completed before another past event — not suitable unless you’re narrating a sequence (e.g., “I had worked on ML before joining this company”).

​"Last year" refers to a specific finished time in the past.

• With specific past time expressions (yesterday, last week, in 2023, etc.), we use Simple Past (participated).

• Present Perfect (have participated) is used for experiences without a specific time or when the time is still ongoing (e.g., I have participated in many hackathons — time is not mentioned).

​Combine:
“I met a man. He is a famous painter.”
Correct the Structure:
"Running fast, the bus was missed by me."
Break It Down:
"The students who had prepared well performed excellently in the exam."

​Sentence:
"The students who had prepared well performed excellently in the exam." (makes it smoother and less repetitive.)

Step 1 – Identify Clauses:

• Main Clause: The students performed excellently in the exam.

• Subordinate (Relative) Clause: who had prepared well (describes "students").

Step 2 – Type of Sentence:

• This is a Complex Sentence (one main clause + one subordinate clause).

Step 3 – Rewrite as Simple Sentences:

• The students had prepared well.

• They performed excellently in the exam.