Class 10 English Complete Grammar Guide for SEE 2026
Complete English grammar guide for Class 10 SEE exam covering tenses, voice, speech, prepositions, and writing skills with examples and practice exercises.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction to SEE English Grammar#
English grammar forms the backbone of the SEE English exam, contributing approximately 20-25 marks out of 75. A strong grasp of grammar rules not only helps in the grammar section but also improves writing skills across essays, letters, and stories.
Tenses - The Foundation#
Present Tenses#
| Tense | Structure | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | S + V1/V1+s/es | Habits, facts, universal truths | She writes daily. |
| Present Continuous | S + is/am/are + V4 | Action happening now | He is reading a book. |
| Present Perfect | S + has/have + V3 | Completed action with present relevance | They have finished the work. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | S + has/have been + V4 | Action started in past, continuing | I have been studying for 2 hours. |
Past Tenses#
| Tense | Structure | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Past | S + V2 | Completed past action | She went to Pokhara yesterday. |
| Past Continuous | S + was/were + V4 | Ongoing past action | He was sleeping when I called. |
| Past Perfect | S + had + V3 | Past of past | They had left before I arrived. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | S + had been + V4 | Duration of past action | She had been waiting for an hour. |
Future Tenses#
| Tense | Structure | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Future | S + will + V1 | Prediction, promise, instant decision | It will rain tomorrow. |
| Future Continuous | S + will be + V4 | Ongoing future action | At 5 PM, I will be traveling. |
| Future Perfect | S + will have + V3 | Completed before future time | By 2026, she will have graduated. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | S + will have been + V4 | Duration before future time | Next year, I will have been teaching for 10 years. |
SEE exams often test tense transformation: "Change into past tense" or "Put the verb in correct form." Memorize all 12 tense structures with signal words.
Voice Transformation#
Active to Passive Rules#
- Object becomes Subject
- Verb changes to "be" + V3
- Subject becomes "by + object" (optional if obvious)
| Active Tense | Passive Tense |
|---|---|
| Simple Present: She writes letters. | Letters are written by her. |
| Present Continuous: She is writing letters. | Letters are being written by her. |
| Present Perfect: She has written letters. | Letters have been written by her. |
| Simple Past: She wrote letters. | Letters were written by her. |
| Past Continuous: She was writing letters. | Letters were being written by her. |
| Past Perfect: She had written letters. | Letters had been written by her. |
| Simple Future: She will write letters. | Letters will be written by her. |
| Modals: She can write letters. | Letters can be written by her. |
Direct and Indirect Speech#
Reporting Verb Rules#
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| "I am happy," she said. | She said that she was happy. |
| "I will go," he said. | He said that he would go. |
| "Did you eat?" she asked. | She asked if I had eaten. |
| "Where do you live?" he asked. | He asked where I lived. |
Tense Backshifting#
| Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|
| Present Simple → | Past Simple |
| Present Continuous → | Past Continuous |
| Present Perfect → | Past Perfect |
| Past Simple → | Past Perfect |
| will → | would |
| can → | could |
| may → | might |
| must → | had to |
Direct: "I am reading a book," said Ram. Indirect: Ram said that he was reading a book.
Direct: "Have you finished?" she asked. Indirect: She asked if I had finished.
Prepositions - Common Patterns#
Time Prepositions#
| Preposition | Usage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | Specific time | at 5 PM, at noon, at midnight |
| on | Days, dates | on Monday, on July 15, on my birthday |
| in | Months, years, seasons, parts of day | in July, in 2026, in winter, in the morning |
| by | Deadline | by 5 PM, by Friday |
| since | Starting point | since morning, since 2020 |
| for | Duration | for 2 hours, for 3 years |
Place Prepositions#
| Preposition | Usage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | Specific point | at the station, at home, at the door |
| on | Surface | on the table, on the wall, on page 10 |
| in | Enclosed space | in the room, in Kathmandu, in Nepal |
| above/over | Higher position | above the clouds, over the bridge |
| under/below | Lower position | under the tree, below zero |
| between | Two things | between you and me |
| among | More than two | among the students |
Synthesis of Sentences#
Combining Simple Sentences#
- Using Participles: He finished his work. He went home. → Having finished his work, he went home.
- Using Infinitives: He wants to go. He wants to study. → He wants to go and study.
- Using Conjunctions: She is poor. She is honest. → She is poor but honest.
- Using Relative Pronouns: I saw a boy. He was crying. → I saw a boy who was crying.
- Using Adverbial Clauses: He worked hard. He passed. → As he worked hard, he passed.
Simple: The sun rose. The fog disappeared. Complex: When the sun rose, the fog disappeared. Compound: The sun rose and the fog disappeared.
Common Error Correction#
Subject-Verb Agreement#
| Incorrect | Correct | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| The team are playing. | The team is playing. | Collective noun = singular |
| Each of the boys have a pen. | Each of the boys has a pen. | Each/every/neither/either = singular |
| Neither Ram nor Shyam are coming. | Neither Ram nor Shyam is coming. | Verb agrees with nearest subject |
| The news are good. | The news is good. | News, physics, mathematics = singular |
Article Usage#
Practice Exercises#
Exercise 1: Tense Forms
- She usually _____ (go) to school by bus. (goes)
- Look! It _____ (rain). (is raining)
- I _____ (finish) my homework just now. (have finished)
- They _____ (play) football yesterday. (played)
Exercise 2: Voice Change
- Who wrote this book? → By whom was this book written?
- She is cooking dinner. → Dinner is being cooked by her.
- They have completed the project. → The project has been completed by them.
Exercise 3: Direct to Indirect
- "I am tired," she said. → She said that she was tired.
- "Will you help me?" he asked. → He asked if I would help him.
- "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.
Exercise 4: Prepositions
- He has been living here _____ 2010. (since)
- The meeting is _____ 3 PM. (at)
- She is good _____ English. (at)
- He died _____ cancer. (of)
Exercise 5: Error Correction
- The furnitures are expensive. → The furniture is expensive.
- He gave me an advice. → He gave me a piece of advice.
- She is more taller than me. → She is taller than me.
- I prefer tea than coffee. → I prefer tea to coffee.
SEE English Grammar - Quick Revision Checklist#
- All 12 tense forms with signal words
- Active → Passive for all tenses
- Direct → Indirect speech rules
- Prepositions: time, place, movement
- Subject-verb agreement rules
- Article usage (a, an, the, zero)
- Synthesis methods (5 types)
- Common error patterns
- Question tags
- Conditional sentences (Type 0, 1, 2, 3)
"Grammar is not about rules—it's about patterns. See the pattern, apply the pattern, score the marks."
Conclusion#
English grammar in SEE is highly predictable. The same question types repeat every year with minor variations. Master the 12 tenses, voice transformation, reported speech, and prepositions. Practice 10 transformation questions daily. With consistent practice, 20+ marks in grammar are easily achievable.
Good luck with your SEE 2026 preparation!
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