āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ°āĻ
The basket containing ten apples was made of cane.
This sentence requires correction based on the principle of subject-verb agreement.
The main subject of the sentence is "The basket," which is a singular noun. The phrase "containing ten apples" is a participial phrase acting as an adjective, modifying "basket." It does not alter the number (singularity or plurality) of the main subject.
Since the subject "basket" is singular, the verb must also be singular. The original sentence used "were," which is a plural verb. It should be replaced with the singular past tense verb "was" to agree with the singular subject.
āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ°āĻ
We spent the evening as in the old days.
In formal English, the conjunction "as" is used to introduce a clause or a phrase that indicates a comparison or the manner in which something is done. In this sentence, "as in the old days" describes how the evening was spent, implying "in the way it was done in the old days."
Conversely, "like" is primarily used as a preposition to mean "similar to" or "in the manner of," and is typically followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. While "like" is often used informally in place of "as" or "as if," it is generally considered incorrect in standard written English when introducing a clause or an adverbial phrase of comparison.
For example:
Incorrect: She sings like she is a professional.
Correct: She sings as if she is a professional.
Correct: She sings like a professional. (Here, 'like' is a preposition followed by a noun phrase 'a professional'.)
Therefore, "as in the old days" is the grammatically correct and more formal choice for this context.
āĻāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻ°āĻ
Dhaka University is sometimes called the Oxford of the East.
The definite article "the" is required before "Oxford of the East" because it functions as a specific and unique title or epithet for Dhaka University. When a common noun (like "Oxford" used metaphorically) is made specific by an "of" phrase (like "of the East"), the definite article "the" is typically used to indicate that specificity. In this context, "Oxford of the East" refers to a singular, well-defined entity or comparison, highlighting Dhaka University's reputation and academic standing in the region, analogous to how Oxford University is perceived in the West.
