NaukariGuide English Mastery · Module 5
Grammar & Sentence Structure
Fix the grammar mistakes that make you sound unprofessional — once and for all
📖 This Week You Will Learn
01
Articles — A, An, The
The three small words that cause the most grammar errors
Articles are the words a, an, and the. They are the most common words in English — and the most commonly misused by Indian students. Hindi does not have articles, which is why this feels unnatural at first. But once you understand the 3 rules, you will rarely make mistakes again.
🇮🇳 Why This Is Hard for Indian Students
Hindi mein "a," "an," ya "the" jaisi koi cheez nahi hoti. Isliye jab hum English bolte hain toh hum aksar likhte hain: "I am engineer" (galat) ya "I went to market" (galat). English mein yeh articles zaroori hain — inhe skip nahi kar sakte.
Rule 1 — Use "A" Before Consonant Sounds
Use a when the next word starts with a consonant sound (b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z).
A — Examples
✓a manager, a company, a job, a project, a decision
✓"I am a fresher." | "She is a dedicated employee."
Rule 2 — Use "An" Before Vowel Sounds
Use an when the next word starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u). Note: It's about the sound, not just the letter.
An — Examples
✓an engineer, an update, an important email, an hour (h is silent!)
✗"I am a engineer." → Should be: "I am an engineer."
✗"She gave a update." → Should be: "She gave an update."
Rule 3 — Use "The" for Specific / Already Known Things
Use the when you are referring to something specific that both you and the listener already know about — or something unique (there is only one of it).
The — When to Use
Specific"Please send me the report." (a specific report you both know about)
Unique"The CEO announced a new policy." (only one CEO)
Second mention"I met a manager yesterday. The manager was very helpful." (first = a, second = the)
✗"I went to the market yesterday." (if it's just any market, say "a market" or just "market")
When to Use NO Article
Some words take no article at all — especially proper nouns (names of people, cities, companies) and general concepts.
No Article Needed
✓"I work in Delhi." (not "the Delhi")
✓"I studied at IIT Kanpur." (not "the IIT Kanpur")
✓"Honesty is important." (abstract noun — no article)
✓"I go to office every day." (common Indian phrase — accepted)
Exercise 1A — Fill in: A, An, The, or Nothing (—)
1. She is _____ engineer at _____ large IT company.
2. I sent _____ email to _____ HR manager this morning.
3. _____ CEO of our company announced _____ new policy.
4. This is _____ important update for _____ team.
5. He is _____ honest person and _____ hard worker.
6. I am looking for _____ job in _____ marketing industry.
1. an engineer / a large IT company
2. an email / the HR manager
3. The CEO / a new policy
4. an important update / the team
5. an honest person / a hard worker
6. a job / the marketing industry
02
Prepositions — In, On, At, For, Since, By
Small words, huge impact on how natural your English sounds
Prepositions are words that show relationships between things — especially time, place, and direction. Indian students make many preposition errors because Hindi prepositions work differently. The good news: there are patterns you can learn and remember.
Prepositions of Time — In, On, At
The IN / ON / AT Time Rule
AT — exact times: at 9 AM, at noon, at midnight, at 3:30 PMON — days and dates: on Monday, on 15 March, on my birthday, on weekends
IN — months, years, seasons, longer periods: in June, in 2022, in the morning, in winter, in the evening
Time Prepositions — Correct Usage
AT"The meeting is at 10 AM." | "I'll call you at noon."
ON"The interview is on Monday." | "Submit the report on 20 March."
IN"I graduated in 2023." | "I'll join in June." | "Send it in the morning."
✗"The meeting is on 10 AM." → Should be: "at 10 AM"
✗"I joined at 2022." → Should be: "in 2022"
For vs Since — Duration vs Starting Point
FOR vs SINCE Rule
FOR — duration (how long): for 2 years, for 3 months, for a weekSINCE — starting point (from when): since 2021, since Monday, since last month
For vs Since — Examples
FOR"I have been working here for 6 months." (duration = 6 months)
SINCE"I have been working here since January." (starting point = January)
✗"I am working here since 6 months." → "for 6 months"
✗"I am working here for 2021." → "since 2021"
Common Preposition Errors — Quick Fix Table
| Wrong (Common Error) | Correct | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| "interested on this job" | "interested in this job" | interested in (not on) |
| "working in a project" | "working on a project" | work on (not in) |
| "good in communication" | "good at communication" | good at (not in) |
| "discuss about the plan" | "discuss the plan" | discuss = no preposition needed |
| "reached to office" | "reached office" / "arrived at office" | reach = no 'to' needed |
| "married with someone" | "married to someone" | married to (not with) |
| "cope up with" | "cope with" | no "up" in cope with |
Exercise 2A — Choose the Correct Preposition
1. I have been working in this company _____ two years. (for / since)
2. She joined the company _____ March 2022. (in / on / at)
3. The meeting is scheduled _____ 3 PM _____ Monday. (at/on | in/at)
4. I am very interested _____ this opportunity. (in / on / at)
5. We are currently working _____ a new product launch. (in / on / at)
6. He is very good _____ handling pressure. (in / at / on)
1. for (duration)
2. in (month + year)
3. at 3 PM / on Monday
4. in (interested in)
5. on (working on)
6. at (good at)
03
10 Most Common Grammar Errors by Indian Students
Fix these and your English will immediately sound more professional
These are the grammar errors that appear most frequently in interviews, emails, and conversations from Indian freshers. Study each one carefully — many of these are errors you may be making right now without realizing it.
Error 1 — Using "myself" instead of "I" or "me"
WRONG"Myself Rahul Sharma, and I am from Delhi."
RIGHT"My name is Rahul Sharma, and I am from Delhi." / "I am Rahul."
Error 2 — Saying "I am having" for possessions
WRONG"I am having a degree in Commerce." / "I am having 2 years of experience."
RIGHT"I have a degree in Commerce." / "I have 2 years of experience."
Error 3 — "Passed out" instead of "graduated"
WRONG"I passed out from BHU in 2023." (In global English, "passed out" means fainted!)
RIGHT"I graduated from BHU in 2023." / "I completed my degree from BHU in 2023."
Error 4 — Double negatives
WRONG"I don't know nothing about it."
RIGHT"I don't know anything about it." / "I know nothing about it."
Error 5 — "Do the needful"
WRONG"Please do the needful." (This phrase is only used in India — it confuses international readers)
RIGHT"Please take the necessary action." / "Please proceed as required." / "Kindly complete the required steps."
Error 6 — Forgetting plural "s" on nouns
WRONG"I have 5 year of experience." / "She has 3 skill that are very relevant."
RIGHT"I have 5 years of experience." / "She has 3 skills that are very relevant."
Error 7 — "Revert back" — a common Indian English error
WRONG"Please revert back to me." ("Revert" already means to come back — "back" is redundant)
RIGHT"Please revert to me." / "Please reply to me." / "Please respond at your earliest convenience."
Error 8 — "We are from same college"
WRONG"We are from same college." / "Both are engineer."
RIGHT"We are from the same college." / "Both of them are engineers."
Error 9 — "Since" with simple past (instead of present perfect)
WRONG"I worked here since 2021."
RIGHT"I have been working here since 2021." (since = use present perfect tense)
Error 10 — "I will revert you" / "I will call you back"
WRONG"I will revert you." (revert is not a transitive verb used this way)
RIGHT"I will get back to you." / "I will reply to you shortly." / "I will follow up with you."
Exercise 3A — Find and Fix the Error
1. "Myself Sunita and I am doing MBA from Pune."
2. "I am having 3 year of experience in sales."
3. "I passed out from Delhi University last year."
4. "Please do the needful and send me the document."
5. "I don't know nothing about Python programming."
1. "My name is Sunita and I am pursuing an MBA from Pune."
2. "I have 3 years of experience in sales."
3. "I graduated from Delhi University last year."
4. "Please take the necessary action and send me the document."
5. "I don't know anything about Python programming."
04
Sentence Expansion — Write Richer Sentences
Turn simple sentences into professional, detailed ones
Many beginners write very short, choppy sentences: "I work. I am good. I like sales." These are not wrong, but they sound basic. Professional English uses expanded sentences that include more detail, context, and connection. Here is how to do it.
3 Ways to Expand a Sentence
Method 1 — Add a "Why" or "How" Clause
Basic → Expanded
BASIC"I like sales."
EXPANDED"I like sales because I enjoy building relationships with customers and helping them find the right solution."
BASIC"I completed the project."
EXPANDED"I completed the project by coordinating with three teams and managing a tight deadline of two weeks."
Method 2 — Add a Result or Outcome
Adding Outcomes
BASIC"I called the customers."
EXPANDED"I called the customers daily, which resulted in a 25% increase in satisfaction scores."
Method 3 — Add Context (When/Where/Who)
Adding Context
BASIC"I gave a presentation."
EXPANDED"During my internship at ABC Company, I gave a presentation on consumer behavior trends to a team of 15 managers."
Exercise 4A — Expand These Sentences
Expand each basic sentence into a rich, professional one using the methods above.
1. "I am a hard worker." → Expanded: ___________________________________
2. "I managed a team." → Expanded: ___________________________________
3. "I learned a lot at my internship." → Expanded: ___________________________________
1. "I am a hard worker who consistently meets deadlines and goes beyond what is expected, because I believe that the quality of my work reflects my professionalism."
2. "During my final year project, I managed a team of 4 students, delegating tasks based on individual strengths and ensuring we delivered the project two days before the deadline."
3. "During my 2-month internship at XYZ Solutions in Lucknow, I learned how to handle real customer objections, which significantly improved my communication and problem-solving skills."
05
Punctuation Basics for Professional Writing
Commas, full stops, apostrophes — used correctly
Poor punctuation makes even a grammatically correct sentence look unprofessional. These are the 5 most important punctuation rules for emails, reports, and professional writing.
| Punctuation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Full Stop (.) | End every complete sentence. One space after. | "I completed the report. It is attached." |
| Comma (,) | Pause between ideas. After introductory phrases. | "As discussed, I am sending the document." |
| Apostrophe (') | For contractions (I'm, don't) and possession (company's, manager's) | "The company's policy is very clear." |
| Colon (:) | Before a list or an explanation | "Please bring the following: ID, documents, and photos." |
| No punctuation | Never use !!! in professional writing. Max 1 exclamation mark per email. | ✓ "Thank you!" ✗ "Thank you!!!" |
The Grammarly Trick
Download the free Grammarly extension for Chrome. It checks grammar and punctuation in real-time as you type — in Gmail, LinkedIn, and websites. It's free and it will catch the errors covered in this week's lesson automatically. Use it every time you write a professional email.
06
Week 5 Full Exercises
Fill in blanks · Error correction · Sentence expansion · Role-play
Exercise A — Correct ALL Errors in This Paragraph
"Myself Vikram Yadav. I am having 2 year experience in sales. I passed out from Agra University in 2022. Since then, I worked at ABC company since 3 years. I am having good knowledge about computer and communication. I am good in teamwork and I don't know nothing about giving up. Please do the needful and call me for interview."
"My name is Vikram Yadav. I have 2 years of experience in sales. I graduated from Agra University in 2022. Since then, I have been working at ABC Company for 3 years. I have good knowledge of computers and communication. I am good at teamwork and I never give up. Please feel free to call me for an interview."
Errors fixed: myself → my name, am having → have, 2 year → 2 years, passed out → graduated, worked since → have been working for, knowledge about → knowledge of, good in → good at, don't know nothing → never give up, do the needful → feel free to call
Exercise B — Role-Play: Phone Conversation at Work
🎭 Scenario: You are calling a client to confirm a meeting
You:
"Good morning. May I speak with Mr. [Name], please?"
Client:
"Speaking. Who is this?"
You:
"Good morning, Mr. [Name]. This is [Your Name] calling from [Company]. I am calling to confirm our meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 11 AM. Is that still convenient for you?"
Client:
"Yes, that works. Can we make it 11:30 instead?"
You:
"Of course, 11:30 AM works perfectly. I have noted that. I will send you a calendar confirmation shortly. Thank you, Mr. [Name]. Have a great day."
Practice this dialogue by substituting real names and times. Record yourself and check: Did you use the correct prepositions? Did you say "at 11 AM" or "on 11 AM"?
✅ Week 5 — What You Have Learned
- The 3 rules of articles: A (consonant sound), An (vowel sound), The (specific/unique)
- Prepositions of time: AT for exact times, ON for days/dates, IN for months/years
- FOR (duration) vs SINCE (starting point) — no more confusion
- 7 common preposition errors fixed: interested in, good at, work on, discuss (no preposition)
- The 10 most common grammar errors by Indian students — identified and corrected
- 3 methods to expand basic sentences into professional, detailed ones
- 5 punctuation rules for professional writing