Study Notes | Rules Of Grammar | Part - 8

1. The relative pronoun ‘that’ is used in preference to ‘who’ or ‘which’ after adjectives in the superlative degree.

Ex -
The wisest man who ever lived made mistakes. (Incorrect)
The wisest man that ever lived made mistakes. (Correct)

This is the best which we can do. (Incorrect)
This is the best that we can do. (Correct)

2. The relative pronoun ‘that’ is also used in preference to ‘who’ and ‘which’ after the words ‘all’, ‘same’, ‘none’, ‘nothing’ and (the) ‘only’.

Ex -
He is the same man who he has seen. (Incorrect)
He is the same man that he has seen. (Correct)

Man is the only animal who can talk. (Incorrect)
Man is the only animal that can talk. (Correct)

3. The same rule applies after the interrogative pronoun ‘who’ and ‘what’.

Ex -
What is there which I do not know? (Incorrect)
What is there that I do not know? (Correct)

4. When there are two antecedents, a man and an animal or two things before the 
relative pronoun, we should use ‘that’.

Ex -
The man and his dog which passed through this road were killed. (incorrect)

The man and his dog passed through this road were killed. (Correct)

5. The case of the noun or pronoun preceding or succeeding the verb ‘to be’ should be the same.

Ex -
It is him who came to see us. (Incorrect)
It is he who came to see us. (Correct)

It is me who caught the thief. (Incorrect)
It is I who caught the thief. (Correct)

6. when two qualities of a person or thing compared ‘ more’ or ‘less’ is used before the adjective and the adjective following them take positive degree.

Ex -
Suman is better than brave. (Incorrect)
Suman is more good than brave. (Correct)

7. When two or more adjectives are used to show the qualities of the same man or thing, al the adjectives must be in the same degree.

Ex -
Sita is more intelligent and wise than Rita. (Incorrect)
Sita is more intelligent and wiser than Rita. (Correct)

8. ‘Very’ is used with adjectives in the positive degree and with present participles.

Ex -
He is much stronger man. (Incorrect)
He is a very strong man. (Correct)

It is a man interesting book. (Incorrect)
It is very interesting book. (Correct)

‘Much’ is used with adjectives in the comparative degree and with past participles.

He is very stronger than I am. (Incorrect)
He is much stronger than I am. (Correct)

I am very obliged to my friend. (Incorrect)
I am much obliged to my friend. (Correct)

9. To show equality ‘as’ is used before and after the adjective.

Ex -
I can run as fast, if not faster, than you. (Incorrect)
I can run as fast as, if not faster, than you. (Correct)

10. Certain adjectives do not admit of comparison and thus they always remain in the ‘positive degree’.

‘Absolute’, ‘annual’, ‘chief’, ‘circular’, ‘complete’, ‘entire’, ‘extreme’, ‘excellent’, ‘full’, ‘impossible’ ‘perfect’, ‘right’, ‘round’, ‘unique’, ‘universal’, ‘whole’, etc.

11. ‘More than one’ indicates a plural sense, but it is treated as a sort of compound of one. Thus it agrees with a singular noun and takes a singular verb.

Ex -
More than one employees were killed in the accident. (Incorrect)
More than one employees was killed in the accident. (Correct)

12. A verb must agree with its subject and not with the complement.

Ex -
Our only guide at night were the stars. (Incorrect)
Our only guide at night w as the s tars. (Correct)