Literary Lantern

  Degrees of Comparison Introduction Adjectives are words that tell us more about a noun. They describe its quality, quantity, size, shape, or other features. Sometimes we only want to describe a quality, but at other times we want to compare one thing with another. To show this comparison, adjectives are used in three forms. This is called the Degrees of Comparison . These three degrees are Positive , Comparative , and Superlative . They help us to show whether something is simply described, compared with one, or compared with many. 1. Positive Degree Usage: The positive degree is the base form of the adjective. It only states the quality of a noun without any comparison. However, it is also used in comparisons of equality and inequality . In addition, it is often used with phrases like no other, any other, many other, very few, to make special comparisons. Sentence Types: Simple Description – Only describes quality. Equality – Expressed with as…as . ...

  Direct and Indirect Speech Introduction Direct and Indirect Speech are two ways of expressing what someone has said. In Direct Speech , the speaker’s exact words are quoted and placed within inverted commas. In Indirect Speech , the meaning of the speaker’s words is reported without using the exact words. Changing Direct into Indirect Speech requires careful attention to the type of sentence, the reporting verb, the tense, and the pronouns. Different rules are applied for affirmative statements, imperative sentences, interrogative sentences, exclamatory sentences, and universal truths. 1. Affirmative Sentences Theory: In affirmative (declarative) sentences, the reporting verb is generally changed into said that or told that . The tense of the reported speech usually shifts one step back (Present → Past, Past → Past Perfect), unless the sentence expresses a universal truth. Pronouns are also changed according to sense. Examples: Direct: He said, “I am happy.” Indire...

  Conditionals in English Introduction Conditionals are sentences that describe a condition and its result . They are also known as “if-clauses” , since they often begin with if . They are widely used in English to express facts, possibilities, imaginary situations, and regrets . A correct understanding of conditionals is important because they give our language clarity and logical force. Zero Conditional (General Truths / Facts) Usage and Meaning: The zero conditional is used for facts, universal truths, scientific laws, or things that are always true. It means that whenever the condition happens, the result also happens. The structure is If + Present Simple, Present Simple .   Examples: If you heat water, it boils. If children are hungry, they cry. If you mix blue and yellow, you get green. If people eat too much sugar, they become unhealthy. If the sun sets, it becomes dark.   First Conditional (Real and Possible Future) Usage: The fir...

Introduction: Language works best when its parts are in harmony, and subject-verb agreement is one of the most important aspects of this harmony. Subject-verb agreement means that the verb in a sentence must correspond correctly with its subject in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). We very often make mistakes in using the proper verb with a subject in the sentence. We need to use the verb that agrees with the subject. For example, in the sentence  “The quality of the mangoes was not good,”  the true subject is “quality,” not “mangoes.” Hence, the verb should be singular ( was ). Mastery of this rule ensures both correctness and elegance in English expression. Main Rules of Subject–Verb Agreement 1.     Singular and Plural Subjects with ‘and’ When two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by  and  generally take a plural verb. For Examples: 1.     Gold and silver are preci...

UA05MAENG01: AGE OF ROMANTIC REVIVAL SHORT QUESTIONS   1. The Prelude – William Wordsworth Who wrote The Prelude ? – William Wordsworth In which year was The Prelude published posthumously? – 1850 What type of work is The Prelude ? – Autobiographical poem (blank verse epic) Which literary age does The Prelude belong to? – Romantic Age The Prelude is often called the autobiography of whose mind? – Wordsworth’s poetic mind 2. Biographia Literaria – S. T. Coleridge Who is the author of Biographia Literaria ? – S. T. Coleridge In which year was Biographia Literaria published? – 1817 What type of work is it? – Critical prose/autobiographical criticism Which age does it belong to? – Romantic Age Biographia Literaria contains Coleridge’s theory of what? – Imagination 3. Adonais – P. B. Shelley Who wrote Adonais ? – P. B. Shelley In which year was Adonais published? – 1821 What type of work is...