Revision Exercise

Speech
Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
a) The pilot said to the passengers, “The plane will land in Delhi at 9 p.m.”
The pilot told the passengers that the plane would land in Delhi at 9
p.m.
b) The Principal said, “Young students must think about the ways to control the
use of plastic band in the school campus.”
The Principal said that young students had to think about the ways to
control the use of plastic band in the school campus.
c) Gowtham said to me, “I was very ill last week, but I am better now.”
Gowtham told me that he had been ill last week, but he was better then.
d) Priya said, “I want to give my sister a present.”
Priya said that she wanted to give her sister a present.
e) Madhu said to me, “I am so happy you have completed your project.”
Madhu told me that he was happy I had completed my project.
f) The manager said, “I will speak to you on Friday.”
The manager told me that he would speak to me on Friday.
g) Mani said to his coach, “I shall improve, if you guide me.”
Mani told his coach that he would improve if he guided him.
h) My mother said to me, “You can go swimming tomorrow.”
My mother told me that I could go swimming the next day.
i) Sandeep said to John, “Would you like to watch a movie with me?”
Sandeep asked John whether he would like to watch a movie with him.
j) Geetha asked Angel, “Will you help me to pack my bag?”
Geetha asked Angel whether she would help her pack her bag.
k) The librarian said to the students, “You are not allowed to scribble anything on
the library books.”
The librarian told the students that they were not allowed to scribble
anything on the library books.
l) The motorist said to me, “Can you direct me to the post office?”
The motorist asked me if I could direct him to the post office.
m) Umar said to his mother, “Could you make me a cup of coffee?”
Umar asked his mother if she could make her a cup of coffee.
n) The little boy said to me, “Alas! My dog is dead.”
The little boy exclaimed to me sorrowfully that his dog was dead.
o) Grandmother said to her grandson, “May God bless you.”
Grandmother blessed her grandson that God might bless him.

Voice
Change the voice of the following sentences.
1. Gayathri gave a set of pens to Mani. (Active Voice)
A set of pens was given to Mani by Gayathri
2. By whom will the new stadium be built? (Passive Voice)
Who will build the new stadium?
3. Where will the holidays be spent by your family? (Passive Voice)
Where will your family spend the holidays?
4. They offered the job to Sundari. (Active Voice)
The job was offered to Sundari by them.
5. Could some money be lent to me by your father? (Passive Voice)
Could your father lend some money to me?
6. Let the door not be opened. (Passive Voice)
Don’t open the door.
7. Sophia sold her old car to Selvi. (Active Voice)
Sophia’s old car was sold to Selvi by her.
8. Don’t touch the electric wire with bare hands. (Active Voice)
Let the electric wire not be touched with bare hands by you.
9. I cannot agree to your proposal. (Active Voice)
Your proposal cannot be agreed to by me.
10. Kindly complete the assignment in time. (Active Voice)
You are requested to complete the assignment in time.
11. Raman is known to me since childhood. (Passive Vice)
I know Raman since childhood.
12. Don’t insult the poor and weak. (Active Voice)
Let the poor and weak not be insulted by you.
13. Who has broken the chair? (Active Voice)
By whom has the chair been broken?
14. His shoulder was hurt in an accident. (Passive Voice)
He hurt his shoulder in an accident.
15. It is time for the bell to be rung. (Passive Voice)
It is time to ring the bell.
16. We wish you forget this episode. (Active Voice)
It is wished by us that this episode is forgotten by you.
17. They would not have done this shameful act. (Active Voice)
This shameful act would not have been done by them.
18. How do you know my uncle? (Active Voice)
How is my uncle known to you?
19. It is believed that he is an honest man. (Passive Voice)
People believe that he is an honest man.
20. My request was acceded to by the authorities. (Passive Voice)
The authorities acceded to my request.

Question Tags
1. These children look very weak and tired, don’t they?
2. Nobody can resolve this issue, can they?
3. We seldom speak to our neighbours, do we?
4. The old woman sells dolls made of sea-shells, doesn’t she?
5. I have captured some beautiful moments in my camera, haven’t I?
6. Pragathi put the bunch of flowers in the vase, didn’t she?
7. Arun was in a great dilemma at that time, wasn’t he?
8. I am an expert in cooking, aren’t I? / ain’t I?
9. Let’s take this matter to court, shall we?
10. Don’t forget to hand over this file to my manager, will you?
11. The pair of shoes near the door is not yours, is it?
12. They have a resort in Yercaud, don’t they?
13. Our dog scarcely sleeps at night, does it?
14. You do a lot of social service, don’t you?
15. There is a stadium near your office, isn’t there?

Error Spotting
I. Spot the errors in the following sentences. Correct and rewrite them.
a) Neither Ramya is a singer nor a dancer.
Ramya is neither a singer nor a dancer.
b) Scarcely had the workers stepped out, than the building collapsed.
Scarcely had the workers stepped out when the building collapsed.
c) No sooner did the power resume, when the children screamed in joy.
No sooner did the power resume than the children screamed in joy.
d) My friend can type so fast as I.
My friend can type as fast as I.
e) Sitha had no other assignment, but that of collecting the data.
Sitha had no other assignment than that of collecting the data.
f) Rekha cooks like her mother does.
Rekha cooks as her mother does.
g) Professor Usha is not only a writer but an orator.
Professor Usha is not only a writer but also an orator.
h) Your neighbours are not so wicked like you think.
Your neighbours are not so wicked as you think.
i) The girl both won an award and a scholarship.
The girl won both an award and a scholarship.
j) Three years have passed when my cousin resigned his job.
Three years have passed since my cousin resigned his job.
k) She wants to continuing her studies abroad.
She wants to continue her studies abroad.
II. l) It was a shame breaking up.
It was a shame to break up
m) It will be a waste throwing the food away.
It will be a waste to throw the food away.
n) She made me to cry.
She made me cry.
o) My company has delayed to give pay rise due to economic problems.
My company has delayed giving pay rise due to economic problem.
p) There’s someone to talk on the phone, but they cannot hear me.
There’s someone talking on the phone, but they cannot hear me.
q) My friends and I were sitting in a cafe and to talk.
My friends and I were sitting in a café talking.
r) To carry a heavy pile of books, she tripped and fell.
Carrying a heavy pile of books, she tripped and fell.

III. 1. Oxygen is more heavier than hydrogen.

 Oxygen is heavier than hydrogen.
2. Very few indoor games are more interesting than chess.
Very few indoor games are as interesting as chess.
3. Henry is the most strongest of all the players in the team.
Henry is the strongest of all the players in the team.
4. Faster you run, sooner you get tired.
The faster you run, the sooner you get tired.
5. Diamond is more precious than any gem.
Diamond is more precious than any other gem.
6. Mr. Sridhar is wiser than all men in our family.
Mr. Sridhar is wiser than all other men in our family.
7. The Biology lab in our school is spacious than the Chemistry lab.
The Biology lab in our school is more spacious than the Chemistry lab.
8. This is one of the busier streets in our town.
This is one of the busiest streets in our town.
9. The sparrow is the most unique bird.
The sparrow is a unique bird.
10. Beema is stronger among the five Pandava brothers.
Beema is the strongest among the five Pandava brothers.
11. An ounce is lesser than a gallon.
An ounce is less than a gallon.
12. Let me introduce my oldest daughter to you all.
Let me introduce my eldest daughter to you all.
13. Of the two sisters, Helen is the prettiest.
Of the two sisters, Helen is the prettier.
14. This is the most least mark I have ever scored.
This is the least mark I have ever scored.
Kinds of Sentences
I. Do as directed.
a) Besides being a singer, she is also a dancer. (Rewrite as a compound
sentence) She is not only a singer but also a dancer. / She is both a
singer and a dancer.
b) Praveen ran into the field so that he might congratulate the winners. (Rewrite
as a simple sentence)
Praveen ran into the field to congratulate the winners.
c) The mountain was steep but he was able to climb it. (Rewrite as a complex
sentence)
Though the mountain was steep he was able to climb it.
d) Smita carried out the survey and presented her report. (Rewrite as a simple
sentence)
Having carried out the survey, Smita presented her report.
e) Unless you have a valid passport you cannot leave the country. (Rewrite as a
compound sentence)
Have a valid passport or you cannot leave the country.
f) This is not the way to answer. (Rewrite as a complex sentence)
This is not the way one should answer.
II. Combine each of the following pairs of sentences into a single
sentence.
a) I met a man at the party. He is the Chairman of a computer firm.
I met the Chairman of a computer firm at the party. (Simple)
I met a man who is the Chairman of a computer firm at the party.
(Complex)
I met a man at the party and he is the chairman of a computer firm.
(Compound)
b) Mahatma Gandhi stood for Ahimsa. The whole world knows it.
The whole world knows that Mahatma Gandhi stood for Ahimsa.
(Complex)
Mahatma Gandhi stood for Ahimsa and the whole world knows it.
(Compound)
c) Concentrate on your strengths. You will reap success in your life,
Concentrate on your strength to reap success in your life. (Simple)
If you concentrate on your strength, you will reap success in your life.
(Complex)
Concentrate on our strength and then you will reap success in your life.
(Compound)
d) Consider all the facts once again. Then make your decision.
Make your decision after considering all the facts once again. (Simple)
After you had considered all the facts, make your decision. (Complex)
Consider all the facts once again and then make your decision.
(Compound)
e) A number of books are missing from the library. Measures should be taken to
retrieve them.
As a number of books are missing from the library measures should be
taken to retrieve them. (Complex)
A number of books are missing from the library and so measures should
be taken to retrieve them. (Compound)
Measures should be taken to retrieve a number of books missing from
the library. (Simple)
Articles and Determiners

Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles or determiners.

1. We met some/few/many Americans at the restaurant.
2. Monisha has some/few/many films in her hands.
3. I am the eldest in my family.
4. There are only few chocolates left for you.
5. Can you get me some butter?
6. They haven’t got many roses in their garden.
7. Samuel hasn’t got any homework today, so he is playing cricket.
8. Please give me a/the hammer and a/the nail.
9. My mother is an honest woman.
10. She bought a useful gadget.
11. Please give me an ice cube.
12. We need some light in the room.
13. Why are you reading this book?
14. My boss wanted the draft of the report in a day.
15. The hand-out is available online.
Spelling
The word that has been spelt correctly, in each pair below:
beleive – believe secretary – secretery
separate – seperate buoyantly – bouyantly
assistant – asisstant necessary – neccesary
hippocrites – hypocrites evolution – evolusion
athletics – atheletics indispensible – indispensable
warehouse – wearhouse tommorrow – tomorrow
contemtuously – contemptuously foriegn – foreign
dysentery – dysentry concience – conscience
lieing – lying competent – competant
pleasant – plaesant chocolate – choclate
awfully – awefully amatuer – amateur

II. beggar, burglar, circular, grammar, particular, popular, regular, scholar,

secular adviser, beginner, courier, deliver, explorer, gardener, lecturer, manager,
observer, promoter
ancestor, bachelor, corridor, director, equator, governor, instructor, monitor,
operator, traitor
behaviour, endeavour, flavour, rumour, splendour
agriculture, atmosphere, literature, millionaire, pressure, temperature,
questionnaire
acceptable, bearable, comfortable, durable, profitable, respectable, valuable,
workable
audible, compatible, divisible, eligible, horrible, possible, responsible, sensible,
terrible
adjacent, confident, different, excellent, obedient, intelligent, permanent,
resident, sufficient
assistant, brilliant, dominant, elegant, ignorant, important, pleasant, reluctant,
triumphant
exceed, proceed, succeed -cede accede, concede, precede, recede, supersede