Grammar and Writing Skills
This unit covers the grammar and writing portion of the Class 10 English course. It reviews the key grammar topics tested in the exam and the main writing formats, with simple rules, examples and practice questions.
Learning objectives
- Revise the key grammar topics for the exam.
- Apply rules of tense, voice and reported speech.
- Use determiners, modals and correct agreement.
- Know the main writing formats.
Key concepts
Tenses and subject–verb agreement
Tenses show the time of an action — present, past or future — each with simple, continuous, perfect and perfect-continuous forms. A common exam task is to fill in the correct verb form. Subject–verb agreement means the verb must match its subject in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb (he goes) and a plural subject takes a plural verb (they go).
Modals and determiners
Modal verbs such as can, could, may, might, must, should, will and would express ideas like ability, permission, possibility, obligation and advice; choosing the right modal for the meaning is often tested. Determiners — words like a, an, the, some, any, much, many, few and little — come before nouns to show quantity or definiteness, and must suit the noun (much for uncountable, many for countable).
Reported speech
Reported (indirect) speech tells what someone said without using their exact words and without quotation marks. Changing direct to reported speech usually means moving the tense one step back, changing pronouns to suit the speaker, and changing words of time and place (for example, 'now' becomes 'then', 'today' becomes 'that day'). Questions, statements and commands each follow their own reporting pattern.
Active and passive voice; writing skills
In the active voice the subject does the action (The boy kicked the ball); in the passive voice the action is done to the subject (The ball was kicked by the boy), formed with a form of 'be' plus the past participle. Writing skills include formal and informal letters, notices, articles, paragraphs and short stories — each with its own format and tone, which must be followed neatly in the exam.
Important formulas
Passive voice
object + correct form of 'be' + past participle (+ by + subject)
Key definitions
- Tense
- The form of a verb showing the time of an action.
- Modal verb
- A helping verb showing ability, possibility, permission or obligation.
- Reported speech
- Telling what someone said without their exact words.
- Passive voice
- A sentence form in which the action is done to the subject.
Solved examples
Q1. Change to passive: 'The teacher praised the student.'
Solution: The student was praised by the teacher.
Q2. Report: She said, 'I am busy now.'
Solution: She said that she was busy then.
Q3. Choose the correct verb: 'One of the boys ___ absent.' (is/are)
Solution: is — the subject 'one' is singular.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting to back-shift the tense in reported speech.
- Making the verb agree with the wrong word in subject–verb agreement.
- Using 'much' with countable nouns or 'many' with uncountable nouns.
- Leaving out the correct form of 'be' when making the passive voice.
Grammar and Writing Skills — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
Choose the correct verb: 'She ___ to school every day.'
Practice questions
Short answer
What is subject–verb agreement?
The rule that the verb must match its subject in number (singular or plural).
How is the passive voice formed?
With the object first, a form of 'be', and the past participle of the verb.
Name two writing formats in the syllabus.
Formal/informal letters and articles (also notices, paragraphs, stories).
Long answer
Explain how to change direct speech into reported (indirect) speech.
To change direct speech into reported speech, we report what a person said without using their exact words or quotation marks. Three main changes are usually needed. First, the tense generally shifts one step back: present tenses become past (am/is becomes was, go becomes went), and 'will' becomes 'would'. Second, pronouns are changed to suit the point of view of the speaker and listener (for example, 'I' may become 'he' or 'she', and 'you' may become 'I' or 'me'). Third, words showing time and place are changed appropriately: 'now' becomes 'then', 'today' becomes 'that day', 'here' becomes 'there', and 'tomorrow' becomes 'the next day'. The reporting verb and structure also change with the type of sentence — statements use 'said that', questions use 'asked' with a change in word order, and commands use 'told' with 'to' before the verb. Following these rules turns a quotation into correct reported speech.
Distinguish between the active and passive voice and explain when the passive is used.
The difference between active and passive voice lies in what the subject of the sentence does. In the active voice, the subject performs the action — for example, 'The boy kicked the ball', where the boy is doing the kicking. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action, and the sentence is rearranged so that the object of the active sentence becomes the subject — 'The ball was kicked by the boy'. The passive is formed using the appropriate form of the verb 'be' followed by the past participle of the main verb, with the doer often introduced by 'by'. The passive voice is preferred when the action or its receiver is more important than the doer, when the doer is unknown or obvious, or when we wish to sound formal or impersonal, as in notices, reports and scientific writing. Knowing how to switch between the two voices accurately is an important grammar skill for the exam.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
Why must the verb form change when the subject changes from singular to plural?
Because subject–verb agreement requires the verb to match the number of its subject, so 'he goes' becomes 'they go' to keep the sentence grammatically correct.
Why might a writer choose the passive voice in a notice or report?
To focus on the action or result rather than the doer, and to sound formal and impersonal, which suits official writing.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Tenses show time; verbs must agree with their subjects in number.
- Modals (can, must, should…) show ability, permission, obligation, etc.
- Reported speech: back-shift tense, change pronouns and time/place words.
- Passive = object + form of 'be' + past participle; know letter/article/notice formats.
Key takeaways
- Match verbs to subjects (agreement).
- Back-shift tenses in reported speech.
- Form the passive with 'be' + past participle.
Frequently asked questions
What does a modal verb do?
It shows ability, possibility, permission, obligation or advice.
How do I form the passive voice?
Put the object first, add a form of 'be', then the past participle of the verb.
What changes in reported speech?
The tense usually shifts back, and pronouns and time/place words change.