How many marks does each grammar item carry?

Grammar items — gap-fills, editing/error-correction and transformation — generally carry one mark each, so accuracy on every single item matters.

What are the most important grammar topics for Class 10?

Tenses, modals, determiners, subject-verb concord, prepositions and reported speech are the high-frequency areas in the gap-fill, editing and transformation questions.

What changes when I convert direct speech to reported speech?

Shift the tense one step back, change the pronouns to suit the reporter, and adjust time/place words such as 'now' to 'then' and 'today' to 'that day'.

How do I decide between 'a' and 'an'?

Go by sound, not spelling: use 'an' before a vowel sound ('an hour', 'an MLA') and 'a' before a consonant sound ('a university', 'a one-rupee coin').

CBSE Class 10 English Language · Chapter 4

Grammar — Tenses, Modals, Determiners, Concord & Reported Speech

Small marks, big totals — grammar is decided one rule at a time

Summary

The grammar section tests applied rules through gap-filling, editing/error-correction, and sentence transformation (including reported speech). Each item usually carries one mark, so the section rewards precision: there are no part-marks for being 'nearly right' on a single blank.

The high-frequency areas are tenses, modals, determiners, subject-verb concord (agreement), prepositions and reported speech. The questions are objective and rule-based, which means a student who has drilled the core rules can score almost the full section without any guesswork.

Because every item is independent, careless slips — a missing article, a wrong tense, a singular verb with a plural subject — are the main reason marks leak here. Knowing the rule and reading the whole sentence before answering is what separates full marks from a scattered score.

Key points to remember

Tenses: match the verb form to the time clue in the sentence (e.g. 'since/for' often signals the present perfect; 'yesterday' signals the simple past).
Modals: choose the modal by function — 'must/have to' for obligation, 'should/ought to' for advice, 'can/could' for ability, 'may/might' for possibility or permission.
Determiners: use 'a/an/the' and quantifiers correctly — 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds, 'the' for something specific; 'much/little' with uncountables, 'many/few' with countables.
Subject-verb concord: a singular subject takes a singular verb; watch tricky cases like 'each/every/one of', collective nouns, and 'neither...nor' (verb agrees with the nearer subject).
Reported speech: change the tense back one step, adjust pronouns, and shift time/place words ('now' to 'then', 'today' to 'that day', 'here' to 'there').
Reported questions: use 'asked/enquired', keep statement word order (no question mark), and use 'if/whether' for yes-no questions.
Editing/error correction: read each line, spot the wrong word, and write both the incorrect and the correct word exactly as instructed.
Always read the full sentence before filling a blank — the answer often depends on a clue elsewhere in the sentence.

Important questions (board pattern)

1 markFill in the blank: She ______ (live) in Delhi since 2015.
How to answer: The time marker 'since' signals the present perfect/present perfect continuous — write 'has been living' (or 'has lived'); match the tense to the clue.
1 markFill the blank using the correct modal: You ______ wear a helmet while riding a bike (obligation).
How to answer: Obligation calls for 'must' (or 'have to'); pick the modal by its function, not by sound.
1 markFill in the blank with the correct determiner: He is ______ honest man, so everyone trusts him.
How to answer: 'Honest' begins with a vowel sound (the 'h' is silent), so the article is 'an' — judge by sound, not spelling.
1 markReport the following: Rahul said to me, 'I am writing a letter now.'
How to answer: Reported speech: 'Rahul told me that he was writing a letter then.' — shift the tense back, change the pronoun, and 'now' to 'then'.
1 markCorrect the concord error: One of the students have not submitted the assignment.
How to answer: 'One of the...' takes a singular verb, so 'have' becomes 'has'; the subject is 'one', not 'students'.
1 markTransform into reported speech: She asked, 'Are you coming to the party?'
How to answer: Use 'asked if/whether', keep statement word order and drop the question mark: 'She asked whether I was coming to the party.'

Common exam traps

Choosing 'an' or 'a' by spelling instead of by sound (e.g. 'an hour', 'a university').
Forgetting to shift the tense back, or leaving a question mark, in reported speech.
Using a plural verb after 'each/every/one of', or making the verb agree with the nearest noun instead of the real subject.
In editing tasks, correcting the wrong word or not writing both the incorrect and corrected word as the format requires.

Frequently asked questions

How many marks does each grammar item carry?: Grammar items — gap-fills, editing/error-correction and transformation — generally carry one mark each, so accuracy on every single item matters.
What are the most important grammar topics for Class 10?: Tenses, modals, determiners, subject-verb concord, prepositions and reported speech are the high-frequency areas in the gap-fill, editing and transformation questions.
What changes when I convert direct speech to reported speech?: Shift the tense one step back, change the pronouns to suit the reporter, and adjust time/place words such as 'now' to 'then' and 'today' to 'that day'.
How do I decide between 'a' and 'an'?: Go by sound, not spelling: use 'an' before a vowel sound ('an hour', 'an MLA') and 'a' before a consonant sound ('a university', 'a one-rupee coin').