This page covers the three grammar areas Punjab Police asks again and again: articles (a, an, the), prepositions (the small fixed words like of, on, before), and parts of speech, especially spotting an adjective and putting adjectives in the right order. These are rule-based, so once you know the rule you rarely guess. Read each question line to see what is wanted — fill the blank, identify a word, or improve a sentence. Every quiz below is a real Punjab Police SI or Constable question.
Articles: a, an, the
Use sound (not spelling) for a/an, and 'the' for something specific.
Use a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound — it is the sound that counts, not the letter (a European, because 'European' starts with a 'y' sound; an hour, because 'h' is silent). Use the for something specific or already known (the water in that jug), for a family name as a group (the Nehrus), and before superlatives. Many proper nouns take no article (India, Europe as a continent).
Prepositions
Learn the fixed word that follows a verb; don't translate from Punjabi/Hindi.
Many verbs and nouns take a fixed preposition that you simply learn: accused of, afraid of, good at, married to, before/after for time order. A common trap is translating word-for-word from your mother tongue, which gives the wrong preposition. Also note phrasal verbs: 'catch a fever', 'turn off the lamp' — the particle changes the meaning.
Parts of speech and adjective order
An adjective describes a noun; multiple adjectives follow a fixed order.
An adjective describes a noun — it tells which, what kind, or how many (that boy, a healthy exercise, the next house). When several adjectives stack up, English uses a fixed order: opinion → size → shape → age → colour → origin → material. So 'small, round, creamy' feels right and 'creamy, round, small' feels wrong.
- a / an is decided by the SOUND, not the first letter (a European, an hour).
- Use 'the' for something specific or already known; most country names take no article.
- Verbs carry fixed prepositions (accused of, afraid of) — don't translate from your mother tongue.
- 'Catch'/'turn off' are phrasal — the particle changes the meaning.
- For exactly TWO things use the comparative (better), not the superlative (best).
- Adjective order: opinion → size → shape → age → colour → origin → material.
Fill the blank: 'She is the ______ of the two sisters.' (a) tallest (b) taller (c) tall (d) more tall
Show answer
(b) taller. With only two people you use the comparative (-er) form, so 'the taller of the two'. 'Tallest' would be right only for three or more; 'more tall' is never correct for a short adjective.