CUET UG English (Language) Syllabus

What does the idiom 'once in a blue moon' mean?

Something that happens very rarely.

In 'spotting the error' questions, what are the most common error types tested?

Subject-verb agreement, incorrect tense, wrong preposition, faulty pronoun, misuse of articles, adjective/adverb confusion, and incorrect degree of comparison.

State the basic rule of subject-verb agreement.

A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb (e.g., 'He runs'; 'They run').

What verb form do two singular subjects joined by 'and' usually take?

A plural verb, because together they form a plural subject (e.g., 'Ram and Shyam are friends').

When subjects are joined by 'either...or' / 'neither...nor', which subject decides the verb?

The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it (e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present').

What are the eight parts of speech in English?

Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

What is the function of a preposition? Give examples.

A preposition shows the relationship of a noun/pronoun to another word in the sentence, usually of place, time, or direction. Examples: in, on, at, under, between, before.

What is a conjunction and what are its main types?

A word that joins words, phrases, or clauses. Types: coordinating (and, but, or), subordinating (because, although, if), and correlative (either...or, not only...but also).

Distinguish an adjective from an adverb.

An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun (e.g., 'a quick runner'); an adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., 'runs quickly').

What is an interjection? Give an example.

A word that expresses sudden emotion or feeling, usually followed by an exclamation mark. Example: 'Wow!', 'Alas!', 'Oh!'.

Name the three main tenses and their primary time references.

Present (action happening now/habitual), Past (action completed before now), and Future (action that will happen).

What are the four aspects each tense can take?

Simple (indefinite), Continuous (progressive), Perfect, and Perfect Continuous.

Give the structure of the Present Perfect tense with an example.

has/have + past participle (V3). Example: 'She has finished her homework.'

Give the structure of the Past Continuous tense with an example.

was/were + present participle (V-ing). Example: 'They were playing football.'

What is the difference between Simple Past and Present Perfect?

Simple Past refers to a finished action at a definite past time ('I saw him yesterday'); Present Perfect refers to a past action with relevance to now, at an unspecified time ('I have seen him').

What is voice in grammar, and what are its two types?

Voice shows whether the subject performs or receives the action. Active voice: subject does the action ('Ram wrote a letter'). Passive voice: subject receives the action ('A letter was written by Ram').

What is the general rule to change a sentence from active to passive voice?

The object of the active sentence becomes the subject, the verb changes to 'be + past participle' (matching tense), and the original subject becomes the agent introduced by 'by'.

Convert to passive: 'The chef is cooking the meal.'

'The meal is being cooked by the chef.'

What are the three types of sentences by structure?

Simple (one independent clause), Compound (two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction), and Complex (one independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses).

What is a clause, and how does it differ from a phrase?

A clause contains a subject and a verb; a phrase is a group of words lacking a subject-verb combination. A clause can express a complete or dependent thought; a phrase cannot stand alone.

What is the difference between an independent and a dependent (subordinate) clause?

An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent clause does not express a complete thought and relies on a main clause.

What are the four sentence types by function/purpose?

Declarative (states a fact), Interrogative (asks a question), Imperative (gives a command/request), and Exclamatory (expresses strong emotion).

What is word formation by affixation, with prefix and suffix examples?

Forming new words by adding affixes to a root. A prefix is added before the root (un- + happy = unhappy); a suffix is added after the root (kind + -ness = kindness).

Which suffixes are commonly used to form nouns? Give examples.

-tion (education), -ment (movement), -ness (happiness), -ity (ability), -ship (friendship), -ance/-ence (importance, difference).

Which suffix typically turns an adjective into an adverb? Give an example.

The suffix -ly. Example: quick (adjective) becomes quickly (adverb).

What is the strategy for solving 'fill in the blanks' grammar/vocabulary questions?

Read the full sentence for context, identify the required part of speech and tense, check collocations and prepositions, and choose the option that fits meaning and grammar together.

What is the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'?

'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('Rain affects the crop'); 'effect' is usually a noun meaning result ('The effect was severe').

Distinguish 'stationary' from 'stationery'.

'Stationary' (with an 'a') means not moving / fixed in position; 'stationery' (with an 'e') means writing materials such as paper and pens.

Distinguish the confusable words 'principal' and 'principle'.

'Principal' means the head of a school/college or a chief/main thing; 'principle' means a fundamental rule, belief, or standard of conduct.