KERALA PSC ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Previous Year Questions with Complete Solutions & Tricks

📚 Kerala PSC English Grammar Complete Package

This note is part of our complete English Grammar study series with video tutorial and 5 detailed guides.

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🎯 COACHING MESSAGE

Master these questions and you’ll never miss an English Grammar question in Kerala PSC exams. These are your guaranteed scoring opportunities!

📚 SECTION 1: SENTENCE TYPES

🔥 PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Question 1 – LDC (Tamil & Malayalam knowing) – 2023

Change the following sentence into assertive sentence. “Can you lift the heavy luggage?”

(a) Please lift the heavy luggage.
(b) How can I lift the heavy luggage!
(c) I can lift the heavy luggage.
(d) None of the above

✅ Answer: (c) I can lift the heavy luggage

🎯 TRICK & EXPLANATION:

  • Interrogative to Assertive Rule: Remove question word/auxiliary verb, rearrange to make statement
  • Pattern: “Can you…?” → “I/You can…”
  • Quick Test: If original asks about ability, answer should state the ability

Question 2 – Inspecting Assistant Mains – 2022

“How old are you?” This sentence is

(a) Imperative
(b) Declarative
(c) Interrogative
(d) Exclamatory

✅ Answer: (c) Interrogative

🎯 LIGHTNING TRICK:

  • 100% Rule: Question mark (?) = Interrogative ALWAYS
  • WH-word starter: How, What, Where, When, Why, Who, Which = Interrogative
  • No need to read the sentence – just spot the punctuation!

Question 3 – LDC (Ex-service), Sergeant – 2023

Find out the correct type of sentence: ‘What a beautiful Scenery!’

(a) Exclamatory sentence
(b) Interrogative sentence
(c) Imperative sentence
(d) Assertive sentence

✅ Answer: (a) Exclamatory sentence

🎯 GUARANTEED TRICK:

  • 100% Rule: Exclamation mark (!) = Exclamatory ALWAYS
  • Pattern Recognition: “What a…” + “!” = Exclamatory
  • Don’t overthink – punctuation tells the story!

Question 4 – Plus Two Level Prelims Stage I – 2022

The following sentence is a _______ sentence. “Owing to laziness, he couldn’t accomplish his dreams.”

(a) Simple
(b) Complex
(c) Compound
(d) Compound-complex

✅ Answer: (a) Simple

🎯 ADVANCED ANALYSIS:

  • “Owing to laziness” = Phrase (no subject + finite verb)
  • “he couldn’t accomplish his dreams” = Main clause
  • Formula: Phrase + 1 Main Clause = Simple Sentence
  • Trick: Count finite verbs. Only 1 = Simple

⚠️ COMMON MISTAKE:

Students think “owing to” makes it complex, but it’s just a phrase!

Question 5 – Women Police Constable – 2023

Convert the Assertive Sentence into its Interrogative form. “Yes, they speak French.”

(a) Do they speak French?
(b) What they speak?
(c) Does they speak French?
(d) How they speak well?

✅ Answer: (a) Do they speak French?

🎯 CONVERSION TRICK:

  • Rule: Assertive with simple verb → Add appropriate auxiliary verb before subject
  • “They speak” = “They do speak” (hidden auxiliary)
  • Conversion: Move “do” before subject → “Do they speak”
  • Subject-Verb Agreement: “They” takes “do” not “does”

Question 6 – Women Civil Excise Officer – 2023

‘No one can live without hope’ – Change this assertive sentence into an interrogative form.

(a) Everyone can live with hope
(b) Live without hope.
(c) Alas! No one can live without hope
(d) Can anyone live without hope?

✅ Answer: (d) Can anyone live without hope?

🎯 NEGATIVE TO INTERROGATIVE TRICK:

  • “No one” in assertive becomes “anyone” in interrogative
  • Pattern: “No one can…” → “Can anyone…?”
  • Logic: Questioning the negative statement
  • Formula: Negative assertion → Positive question form

📚 SECTION 2: SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

🔥 PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS WITH EXPERT SOLUTIONS

Question 7 – Subject Identification

“The first three chapters of the book are written in a beautiful style.” Identify the subject:

(a) The first
(b) The first three
(c) The first three chapters
(d) The first three chapters of the book

✅ Answer: (d) The first three chapters of the book

🎯 COMPLETE SUBJECT TRICK:

  • Ask: “What are written?”
  • Answer: The first three chapters OF THE BOOK
  • Rule: Include ALL modifying words with the subject
  • “Of the book” specifies WHICH chapters – must be included

Question 8 – Compound Subject

“My friend and I went shopping.” Identify the subject:

(a) My friend
(b) My friend and I
(c) My friend and I went
(d) shopping

✅ Answer: (b) My friend and I

🎯 COMPOUND SUBJECT RULE:

  • “And” joins two subjects = Compound subject
  • Both parts must be included
  • Don’t include verb (“went”) in subject

Question 9 – Time Expression Trap

“Next week my grandmother is coming from Delhi.” Identify the subject:

(a) Next week
(b) Next week my grandmother
(c) my grandmother
(d) coming from Delhi

✅ Answer: (c) my grandmother

🎯 AVOID TIME TRAP:

  • “Next week” = Time expression (tells WHEN)
  • Subject = WHO is coming = “my grandmother”
  • Quick Test: Ask “WHO is coming?” not “WHEN?”

Question 10 – Inverted Order Predicate

“Sitting on the roof of my house was a huge black bird.” Identify the predicate:

(a) Sitting on the roof
(b) Sitting on the roof of my house
(c) Sitting on the roof of my house was
(d) a huge black bird

✅ Answer: (c) Sitting on the roof of my house was

🎯 INVERTED ORDER TRICK:

  • Normal Order: Subject + Predicate
  • Inverted Order: Predicate + Subject
  • Subject = “a huge black bird” (comes last)
  • Predicate = Everything else including verb “was”

📚 SECTION 3: SENTENCE STRUCTURE

🔥 PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Question 11 – Structure Practice

“He practice cricket and football regularly” is a:

(a) simple sentence
(b) complex sentence
(c) compound sentence
(d) compound complex

✅ Answer: (c) compound sentence

🎯 STRUCTURE ANALYSIS:

  • “He practice cricket” = Main clause 1
  • “football regularly” = Main clause 2 (understood verb)
  • “and” = Coordinating conjunction
  • Formula: 2+ Main clauses + Coordinating conjunction = Compound

Question 12 – Sentence Type

“It is a lovely scene” is an example for:

(a) Exclamatory sentence
(b) Assertive sentence
(c) Imperative sentence
(d) Interrogative sentence

✅ Answer: (b) Assertive sentence

🎯 IDENTIFICATION TRICK:

  • Ends with period (.) = Check further
  • Makes a statement = Assertive
  • No command, question, or strong emotion = Assertive
  • Simple fact statement = Assertive

Question 13 – Complex Sentence

Identify the complex sentence:

(a) Oven’s piano plays well
(b) Oven has a piano and it plays well
(c) Oven has a piano which plays well
(d) Oven has a piano but doesn’t play well

✅ Answer: (c) Oven has a piano which plays well

🎯 COMPLEX SENTENCE TRICK:

  • “which plays well” = Subordinate clause (relative clause)
  • “Oven has a piano” = Main clause
  • Formula: 1 Main + 1+ Subordinate = Complex
  • “which” = Subordinating word (relative pronoun)

Question 14 – Compound Sentence

‘I like playing basketball, and my brother likes playing tennis’. Identify the sentence:

(a) Simple
(b) Compound
(c) Complex
(d) Compound-complex

✅ Answer: (b) Compound

🎯 COMPOUND IDENTIFICATION:

  • Clause 1: “I like playing basketball”
  • Clause 2: “my brother likes playing tennis”
  • Connector: “and” (FANBOYS member)
  • Both clauses can stand alone = Independent = Main clauses

Question 15 – Complex Structure

‘I’ll help you if you help me’. Identify the sentence:

(a) Simple
(b) Compound
(c) Complex
(d) Compound-complex

✅ Answer: (c) Complex

🎯 COMPLEX RECOGNITION:

  • Main clause: “I’ll help you” (complete meaning)
  • Subordinate clause: “if you help me” (incomplete meaning)
  • “if” = Subordinating conjunction (conditional)
  • Test: Can “if you help me” stand alone? NO = Subordinate

🚀 UNIVERSAL TRICKS & FORMULAS

⚡ 3-SECOND SENTENCE TYPE RECOGNITION

Step 1: Check Punctuation (1 second)

  • ? = Interrogative (100% guaranteed)
  • ! = Exclamatory (100% guaranteed)
  • . = Go to Step 2

Step 2: Check Beginning (1 second)

  • WH-words (What, Where, When, Who, Why, Which, How) = Interrogative
  • Auxiliary verbs (Am, Is, Are, Do, Does, Did, Can, Could, Will, Would) = Interrogative
  • Command words (Please, Don’t, Let’s, Never + Verb) = Imperative
  • Simple statement = Assertive

Step 3: Confirm (1 second)

  • Apply elimination method if confused

⚡ SENTENCE STRUCTURE FORMULA

The Clause Counter Method:

  1. Count Main Clauses (independent thoughts)
  2. Count Subordinate Clauses (dependent thoughts)
  3. Apply Formula:
Main ClausesSubordinate ClausesResult
10Simple
2+0Compound
11+Complex
2+1+Compound-Complex

⚡ SUBJECT-PREDICATE MAGIC TRICK

The “WHO/WHAT + VERB” Method:

  1. Find the main verb (action word)
  2. Ask “Who or What” is doing that action
  3. Include ALL describing words with your answer
  4. Everything else = Predicate

Common Traps to Avoid:

  • ❌ Time expressions (next week, yesterday)
  • ❌ Place expressions (in the house, on the table)
  • ❌ Incomplete subjects (missing modifying words)
  • ❌ Confusing object with subject in inverted sentences

⚡ CONVERSION SHORTCUTS

Assertive ↔ Interrogative:

  • “You can…” ↔ “Can you…?”
  • “He is…” ↔ “Is he…?”
  • “No one can…” ↔ “Can anyone…?”

Simple ↔ Complex:

  • “Being tired” ↔ “As he was tired”
  • “On seeing” ↔ “When he saw”
  • “Too…to” ↔ “So…that”

Simple ↔ Compound:

  • “Being poor, he…” ↔ “He was poor, so he…”
  • “After eating, we…” ↔ “We ate and then…”

🎯 EXAM SUCCESS STRATEGY

⏰ Time Management

  • Sentence Type Questions: 2-3 seconds each
  • Subject/Predicate Questions: 5-8 seconds each
  • Structure Questions: 8-10 seconds each
  • Conversion Questions: 10-15 seconds each

✅ Golden Rules

  1. Punctuation First – Saves 80% of time
  2. Trust the Patterns – They work 95%+ of the time
  3. Don’t Overthink – First instinct is usually correct
  4. Practice Speed – Aim for instant recognition

🏆 Scoring Targets

  • Sentence Types: 100% accuracy (easiest marks)
  • Subject/Predicate: 95%+ accuracy
  • Sentence Structure: 90%+ accuracy
  • Conversions: 85%+ accuracy

📋 QUICK REFERENCE CARD

Sentence Types:

  • ? = Interrogative (100% rule)
  • ! = Exclamatory (100% rule)
  • Command/Request = Imperative
  • Statement = Assertive

Structure Recognition:

  • FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) = Compound
  • Subordinating words (when, because, that, which, if) = Complex
  • Both types = Compound-Complex
  • One main clause only = Simple

Subject Finding:

  • Ask “Who/What” + verb
  • Include ALL modifying words
  • Avoid time/place expressions
  • Watch for inverted order

Master these previous year patterns and guaranteed tricks to achieve 95%+ accuracy in Kerala PSC English Grammar sections. These questions repeat in similar patterns across all PSC exams.

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