📌 Parts of Speech — Quick Revision
| Part | Function | BCS Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Name of person/place/thing/idea | Dhaka, honesty, childhood |
| Pronoun | Replaces a noun | he, they, whom, whoever |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | beautiful, much, every |
| Verb | Action/state | run, is, have been |
| Adverb | Modifies verb/adj/adv | quickly, very, seldom, hardly |
| Preposition | Shows relation | in, on, at, by, between |
| Conjunction | Joins clauses/words | and, but, although, unless |
| Interjection | Expresses emotion | Alas! Hurrah! Bravo! |
💡 BCS Trap: Confusing Parts of Speech
- "enough" — Adjective before noun (enough money), Adverb after adj (good enough)
- "hard" — Adjective (hard work) AND Adverb (work hard) — "hardly" = scarcely
- "late" — Adverb (came late) — "lately" = recently (different meaning!)
- "fast" — Both adj & adv (a fast car / runs fast) — no "fastly"!
Noun Types — BCS Favourites
| Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Abstract | Cannot be touched/seen | honesty, freedom, childhood |
| Collective | Group as a unit | team, flock, bunch, jury |
| Material | Substance/matter | gold, water, rice, wood |
| Countable | Can be counted | book, pen, idea |
| Uncountable | Cannot be counted | information, furniture, advice |
🧠 Always Uncountable (No Plural!)
Furniture, Information, Advice, News, Luggage, Machinery — মনে রাখুন "FIAN-LM"
✗ furnitures, informations, advices, newses, luggages — এগুলো সব ভুল!
📌 Subject-Verb Agreement — Golden Rules
BCS প্রিলিমিনারিতে প্রতি বছরই Subject-Verb Agreement থেকে ১-২টি প্রশ্ন আসে। নিচের নিয়মগুলো মুখস্থ করুন:
| # | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Two subjects joined by "and" → Plural verb | Rice and fish are available. |
| 2 | "Each/Every" + noun → Singular verb | Each boy is ready. |
| 3 | "One of" + plural noun → Singular verb | One of the boys is absent. |
| 4 | "Either...or / Neither...nor" → Verb agrees with nearest subject | Neither he nor his friends were there. |
| 5 | Collective noun (as unit) → Singular verb | The committee has decided. |
| 6 | "Along with / as well as / together with" → Verb agrees with first subject | The teacher, along with students, was present. |
| 7 | Uncountable noun → Singular verb | The furniture is new. |
| 8 | "A number of" → Plural; "The number of" → Singular | A number of students are absent. / The number is increasing. |
| 9 | "None of" + uncountable → Singular | None of the water is clean. |
| 10 | "Many a" + singular noun → Singular verb | Many a student has failed. |
🧠 "Along with" Rule মনে রাখার Trick
"along with", "as well as", "together with", "in addition to", "besides", "with" — এগুলোর পরের অংশ subject নয়। প্রথম subject-ই আসল।
মনে রাখুন: "along with = লেজ, লেজ দিয়ে verb হয় না!"
📌 Tenses — Most Tested Rules
12 Tenses at a Glance
| Tense | Structure | Signal Words |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | V₁ / V₁+s | always, usually, every day |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + V-ing | now, at the moment |
| Present Perfect | have/has + V₃ | already, just, ever, yet, since, for |
| Present Perfect Cont. | have/has been + V-ing | since, for (ongoing action) |
| Simple Past | V₂ | yesterday, ago, last week |
| Past Continuous | was/were + V-ing | while, when (interrupted) |
| Past Perfect | had + V₃ | before, after, by the time |
| Past Perfect Cont. | had been + V-ing | for, since (before a past event) |
| Simple Future | will/shall + V₁ | tomorrow, next week |
| Future Continuous | will be + V-ing | this time tomorrow |
| Future Perfect | will have + V₃ | by tomorrow, by next year |
| Future Perfect Cont. | will have been + V-ing | by then, for (future duration) |
💡 BCS-এ সবচেয়ে বেশি আসে — Tense Rules
- Since/For: Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous — "I have lived here since 2010" / "....for 14 years"
- If + Present → Future (1st Conditional) — "If it rains, I will stay home"
- If + Past → would + V₁ (2nd Conditional) — "If I were rich, I would help"
- If + Past Perfect → would have + V₃ (3rd Conditional) — "If I had known, I would have told you"
- Wish + Past: I wish I were a bird (subjunctive mood — always "were")
- It is time + Past tense: It is time we left
- It is high time + Past tense: It is high time you changed your habits
- Would rather + Past: I would rather you came tomorrow
- As if / as though + Past: He talks as if he knew everything
Stative Verbs — No Continuous Form!
⚠️ These verbs are NEVER used in continuous tense
- Mental: know, believe, understand, remember, forget, think (opinion), realize
- Emotional: love, hate, like, prefer, want, wish, need
- Possession: have (possess), own, belong, possess, contain
- Senses: see, hear, smell, taste, feel (involuntary perception)
- Others: seem, appear, cost, mean, consist, involve
✗ "I am knowing him" → ✓ "I know him"
✗ "This is costing ৳500" → ✓ "This costs ৳500"
📌 Common Errors in BCS — Expanded List
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| He | He is a doctor | Subject-verb agreement |
| One of the boys | One of the boys is | "One of" + plural noun + singular verb |
| He is senior | He is senior to me | senior/junior/prefer → to |
| I | I know him | Stative verbs: no continuous |
| He | He explained to me | explain/describe/suggest → to |
| I | I saw him yesterday | "Yesterday" → Simple Past |
| He | He did not come | did + V₁ (base form) |
| She | She entered the room | enter = transitive (no "into") |
| He | He discussed it | discuss = transitive (no "about") |
| I | I availed myself of the chance | avail is reflexive |
| He is | He is better | Double comparative error |
| Seldom if ever | Correct phrase | |
| I | I prefer tea to coffee | prefer A to B (never "than") |
| The | The information is | Uncountable: no plural, singular verb |
📌 Right Prepositions — BCS Must-Know
BCS-এ প্রতি বছর ২-৩টি Appropriate Preposition থেকে প্রশ্ন আসে। নিচের তালিকাটি গুরুত্বপূর্ণ:
| Expression | Correct Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Agree with (person) | with | I agree with you. |
| Agree to (proposal) | to | He agreed to my plan. |
| Angry with (person) | with | She is angry with me. |
| Angry at (thing) | at | He was angry at the result. |
| Consist of | of | Water consists of H₂O. |
| Depend on/upon | on | It depends on you. |
| Die of (disease) | of | He died of cholera. |
| Die from (cause) | from | He died from overwork. |
| Good at (skill) | at | She is good at maths. |
| Interested in | in | I am interested in cricket. |
| Jealous of | of | He is jealous of my success. |
| Keen on | on | She is keen on painting. |
| Preside over | over | He presided over the meeting. |
| Refrain from | from | Refrain from smoking. |
| Superior to | to | This is superior to that. |
🧠 "To" না "Than"? — সহজ Trick
Latin-origin comparatives সব "to" নেয়: senior, junior, superior, inferior, prefer, prior, anterior, posterior
মনে রাখুন: "Latin তো 'to' চায়!" — than কখনোই না!
📌 Voice Change — Active ↔ Passive
Basic Formula
📐 Active → Passive Conversion
Active: Subject + Verb + Object
Passive: Object + be (tense) + V₃ + by + Subject
| Tense | Active Voice | Passive Voice |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | He writes a letter. | A letter is written by him. |
| Simple Past | He wrote a letter. | A letter was written by him. |
| Present Continuous | He is writing a letter. | A letter is being written by him. |
| Past Continuous | He was writing a letter. | A letter was being written by him. |
| Present Perfect | He has written a letter. | A letter has been written by him. |
| Past Perfect | He had written a letter. | A letter had been written by him. |
| Simple Future | He will write a letter. | A letter will be written by him. |
| Modals | He can write a letter. | A letter can be written by him. |
⚡ BCS Special Cases
- Imperative: "Open the door." → "Let the door be opened."
- Quasi-passive: "The book reads well." / "Rice sells cheap." — active form, passive meaning!
- Double object: "He gave me a pen." → "I was given a pen by him." OR "A pen was given to me by him."
📌 Narration Change — Direct ↔ Indirect Speech
| Direct (Present) | Indirect (Past) |
|---|---|
| say / say to | tell |
| am/is/are | was/were |
| do/does | did |
| have/has | had |
| will | would |
| shall | should |
| can | could |
| may | might |
| this / these | that / those |
| here | there |
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the next day |
| yesterday | the previous day |
| ago | before |
💡 Narration — Sentence Type Rules
- Assertive: He said, "I am happy." → He said that he was happy.
- Interrogative (Yes/No): He said, "Are you happy?" → He asked if/whether I was happy.
- Interrogative (Wh-): He said, "Where do you live?" → He asked where I lived.
- Imperative: He said, "Open the door." → He ordered me to open the door.
- Optative: He said, "May you live long." → He wished/prayed that I might live long.
- Exclamatory: He said, "What a beautiful day!" → He exclaimed that it was a very beautiful day.
📌 Vocabulary — Synonyms & Antonyms
BCS প্রিলিমিনারিতে Synonym ও Antonym থেকে প্রায় ২-৩টি প্রশ্ন আসে।
Important Synonyms
| Word | Synonym | Word | Synonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abandon | Forsake, Desert | Benevolent | Kind, Charitable |
| Authentic | Genuine, Real | Eloquent | Fluent, Articulate |
| Ominous | Threatening, Sinister | Prudent | Cautious, Wise |
| Lethargic | Sluggish, Drowsy | Sporadic | Irregular, Occasional |
| Inevitable | Unavoidable | Verbose | Wordy, Long-winded |
| Lucrative | Profitable | Notorious | Infamous |
| Amiable | Friendly, Genial | Obscure | Vague, Unclear |
| Magnanimous | Generous, Noble | Futile | Useless, Vain |
Important Antonyms
| Word | Antonym | Word | Antonym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benign | Malignant | Affluent | Destitute |
| Conceal | Reveal | Optimistic | Pessimistic |
| Diligent | Lazy, Negligent | Permanent | Temporary |
| Extravagant | Frugal, Thrifty | Trivial | Significant |
| Harmony | Discord | Voluntary | Compulsory |
| Hostile | Friendly | Exodus | Influx |
One-Word Substitution — BCS Repeated
| Phrase | One Word |
|---|---|
| One who knows many languages | Polyglot |
| One who hates mankind | Misanthrope |
| One who loves mankind | Philanthropist |
| Government by the rich | Plutocracy |
| Government by the people | Democracy |
| Killing of one's own father | Patricide |
| Killing of one's own brother | Fratricide |
| That which cannot be read | Illegible |
| That which cannot be heard | Inaudible |
| A speech delivered without preparation | Extempore |
| One who walks in sleep | Somnambulist |
| A person who is present everywhere | Omnipresent |
📌 Idioms & Phrases
BCS-এ প্রতিবারই ২-৩টি Idioms & Phrases আসে। নিচের তালিকা অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ:
| Idiom/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A bed of roses | A comfortable/easy situation |
| A blessing in disguise | An apparent misfortune that results in something good |
| At daggers drawn | In open enmity |
| At the eleventh hour | At the last moment |
| Bad blood | Enmity, hostility |
| Beat around the bush | Avoid the main topic |
| Bone of contention | Cause of quarrel |
| Burning question | A hotly debated issue |
| Cock and bull story | An absurd, improbable story |
| Crocodile tears | False tears/hypocritical sorrow |
| French leave | Absence without permission |
| Gift of the gab | Talent for speaking |
| In black and white | In writing |
| Hue and cry | Loud public outcry |
| Null and void | Invalid, not binding |
| Red tape | Official formalities causing delay |
| White elephant | A costly but useless possession |
| Yeoman's service | Excellent service/great help |
📌 English Literature — Literary Periods
BCS-এ Literary Period ও যুগ সম্পর্কিত প্রশ্ন আসে। নিচে সবগুলো যুগ সংক্ষেপে দেওয়া হলো:
| Period | Time | Key Authors |
|---|---|---|
| Old English | 450–1066 | Beowulf (anonymous) |
| Medieval/Middle English | 1066–1500 | Chaucer (Canterbury Tales) |
| Renaissance/Elizabethan | 1500–1660 | Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spenser |
| Neoclassical/Augustan | 1660–1785 | Dryden, Pope, Swift, Dr. Johnson |
| Romantic | 1785–1832 | Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Byron |
| Victorian | 1832–1901 | Dickens, Tennyson, Browning, Hardy |
| Modern | 1901–1960 | T.S. Eliot, Yeats, Joyce, Woolf |
| Postmodern | 1960–present | Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison |
🧠 Literary Periods মনে রাখার Trick
Old → Medieval → Renaissance → Neoclassical → Romantic → Victorian → Modern → Postmodern
মনে রাখুন: "OMR-NR-VMP" — "OMR Niye ROBI VoMPire!"
📌 Key Authors & Works — Expanded
| Author | Famous Works | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Geoffrey Chaucer | The Canterbury Tales | Father of English Literature/Poetry |
| William Shakespeare | Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, The Tempest | Bard of Avon, 37 plays, 154 sonnets |
| Christopher Marlowe | Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine | Pioneer of blank verse in drama |
| John Milton | Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained | Epic poet, blind when writing PL |
| Alexander Pope | The Rape of the Lock | Master of heroic couplet |
| Jonathan Swift | Gulliver's Travels | Greatest satirist in English |
| William Wordsworth | Daffodils, Tintern Abbey, The Prelude | Poet of Nature, Lake Poet |
| S.T. Coleridge | The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan | Co-author of Lyrical Ballads |
| P.B. Shelley | Ode to the West Wind, To a Skylark | Revolutionary Romantic poet |
| John Keats | Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn | "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" |
| Lord Byron | Don Juan, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage | Byronic hero concept |
| Charles Dickens | Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield | Greatest Victorian novelist |
| Jane Austen | Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility | Novel of manners |
| Thomas Hardy | Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Far from the Madding Crowd | Pessimistic Victorian novelist |
| T.S. Eliot | The Waste Land, Murder in the Cathedral | Nobel 1948, modernist poet |
| W.B. Yeats | The Second Coming, Easter 1916 | Nobel 1923, Irish poet |
| Robert Frost | The Road Not Taken, Stopping by Woods | American poet, 4× Pulitzer |
| Ernest Hemingway | The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms | Nobel 1954, Iceberg theory |
| George Bernard Shaw | Pygmalion, Arms and the Man | Nobel 1925, Irish dramatist |
🧠 Shakespeare's 4 Great Tragedies
Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth — মনে রাখুন "HOKM"
🧠 Shakespeare's Famous Comedies
A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Twelfth Night — মনে রাখুন "ATAT"
📌 Literary Terms — BCS Must-Know
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | Comparison using "like" or "as" | "Life is like a box of chocolates" |
| Metaphor | Direct comparison (no like/as) | "Life is a journey" |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human | "The wind whispered" |
| Hyperbole | Extreme exaggeration | "I've told you a million times" |
| Irony | Opposite of literal meaning | A fire station burns down |
| Allegory | Extended metaphor (whole story) | Orwell's Animal Farm |
| Sonnet | 14-line poem in iambic pentameter | Shakespeare's 154 sonnets |
| Soliloquy | Character speaks thoughts alone on stage | "To be, or not to be" (Hamlet) |
| Elegy | Poem mourning the dead | Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" |
| Epic | Long narrative poem about heroic deeds | Milton's Paradise Lost |
| Satire | Use of humor/irony to criticize | Swift's Gulliver's Travels |
| Oxymoron | Contradictory terms together | "Bittersweet", "Living dead" |
| Alliteration | Repetition of initial consonant sounds | "Peter Piper picked..." |
| Onomatopoeia | Words that imitate sounds | buzz, hiss, splash, bang |
💡 BCS-এ ঘুরে ঘুরে আসা Quotations
- "To be, or not to be" — Hamlet (Shakespeare)
- "To err is human, to forgive divine" — An Essay on Criticism (Alexander Pope)
- "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" — Endymion (John Keats)
- "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" — Ode to the West Wind (P.B. Shelley)
- "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink" — The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Coleridge)
- "The child is father of the man" — My Heart Leaps Up (Wordsworth)
- "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others" — Animal Farm (Orwell)
- "Frailty, thy name is woman" — Hamlet (Shakespeare)
📌 "Father/Mother of..." — Quick List
| Title | Person |
|---|---|
| Father of English Literature / Poetry | Geoffrey Chaucer |
| Father of English Novel | Henry Fielding (also Daniel Defoe for some) |
| Father of English Essay | Francis Bacon |
| Father of English Drama | Shakespeare (some say Marlowe) |
| Father of the English Dictionary | Samuel Johnson |
| Father of English Prose | Alfred the Great / Wycliffe |
| Father of Modern English Poetry | T.S. Eliot / W.B. Yeats |
| Father of Science Fiction | H.G. Wells |
| Father of the Detective Story | Edgar Allan Poe |
| Mother of the English Novel | Aphra Behn |
📌 Phrasal Verbs — BCS Favourites
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break down | Stop working / collapse | Carry on | Continue |
| Bring up | Raise (a child) | Come across | Find by chance |
| Call off | Cancel | Do away with | Abolish |
| Fall out | Quarrel | Get along | Have good relations |
| Give in | Surrender / yield | Give up | Abandon / stop trying |
| Hold on | Wait | Look after | Take care of |
| Look for | Search | Look into | Investigate |
| Make up | Invent / compensate | Put off | Postpone |
| Put up with | Tolerate | Run out of | Have no more left |
| Set up | Establish | Turn down | Reject / refuse |