Common Errors with Adverbs

Error 1 (Incorrect): She is very much beautiful. (Correct): She is very beautiful. (Incorrect): I am very much sorry. (Correct): I am very sorry. The expressions very much and very many are uncommon in affirmative sentences, but they are possible in questions and negatives. Error 2 (Incorrect): He was very foolish enough to trust her. (Correct): He was so foolish to trust her. (Correct): He was foolish enough to trust her. Enough cannot be modified by very. Error 3 (Incorrect): I managed to do it anyhow. (Correct): I managed to do it somehow. Anyhow means in disorder. Somehow means by some means. Anyhow can also mean for certain. E.g., He may not win but anyhow I shall. Error 4 (Incorrect): To tell in brief. (Correct): In short Error 5 (Incorrect): He told the story in details. (Correct): He told the story in detail. Error 6 (Incorrect): Before long there was no one there. (Correct): Long ago there was no one there. We use ago to count from now. We use before to count from a past moment. Before long means soon. Error 7 (Incorrect): This story is too interesting. (Correct): This story is very interesting. (Incorrect): She is too beautiful. (Correct): She is very beautiful.

Too means more than it ought to be. It has a negative meaning. E.g., He is too fat. Error 8 (Incorrect): They behaved cowardly. (Correct): They behaved in a cowardly manner. Some words ending in ly are adjectives, and not normally adverbs. Cowardly is one among them. Other common examples are costly, deadly, friendly, likely, lively, miserly, lovely, lonely, silly etc. There are no adverbs like cowardlily or costlily. To modify the verb behave we have to use an adverb, and not an adjective. Since there is no adverb for this meaning, we use the adverb phrase in a cowardly manner. (Incorrect): He lives miserly. (Correct): He lives in a miserly way. Miserly is an adjective. To modify the verb lives, we use the adverb phrase in a miserly way. Error 9 (Incorrect): He sings good. (Correct): He sings well. To modify the verb sings, we have to use an adverb. Good is an adjective. The adverb for this meaning is well. Error 10 (Incorrect): My sister is tall than me. (Correct): My sister is taller than me. We use comparative adjectives and adverbs before than. Error 11 (Incorrect): Never I have seen such a mess. (Correct): Never have I seen such a mess. If a negative word is put at the beginning of a sentence, it is usually followed by auxiliary verb + subject. Note that these structures are rather formal and uncommon. The sentence I have never seen such a mess is also correct and more common. (Incorrect): Hardly I have had any rest for one week. (Correct): Hardly have I had any rest for one week. OR I have hardly had any rest for one week. Error 12

(Incorrect): Really speaking she isnt very brilliant. (Correct): To speak the truth she isnt very brilliant. Other phrases that can be used instead of to speak the truth are as a matter of fact, in truth and in fact. In fact she isnt very brilliant. As a matter of fact she isnt very brilliant.

Common Errors with Conjunctions

Error 1 (Incorrect): Though he is fat, still he runs fast. (Correct): Though he is fat, he runs fast. (Incorrect): As he is fast, so he cant run fast. (Correct): As he is fast, he cant run fast. OR He is fat, so he can't run fast. (Incorrect): As I took aim at that time he shook my arm. (Correct): As I took aim he shook my arm. In English, one conjunction is enough to join two clauses we do not normally use two. Error 2 (Incorrect): Because he was not ready therefore we left without him. (Correct): Because he was not ready we left without him. The conjunction because is enough to join the two clauses. There is no need to use a second conjunction like thereforeor so. Error 3 (Incorrect): She did not come to school. Because she was ill. (Correct): She did not come to school because she was ill. This is a common punctuation mistake. Because is a subordinate conjunction and must never be separated from its main clause by a full stop. Error 4 (Incorrect): No sooner I had reached the station than the train left. (Correct): No sooner had I reached the station than the train left. When no sooner comes at the beginning of a sentence, we use an inverted word order. That means the auxiliary verb comes before the subject. (Incorrect): Neither he comes nor he writes. (Correct): Neither does he come nor does he write.

When the first word of the sentence is negative, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject. Note that the sentence He neither comes nor writes is equally right and probably more common. Error 5 (Incorrect): Their front door was open and there was nobody at home. (Correct): Their front door was open but there was nobody at home. But is the conjunction to use when the second main clause gives unexpected information.

Common Errors with Nouns and Noun Phrases

Wrong: We have decided to buy some furnitures. Right: We have decided to buy some furniture. Wrong: Have you received any informations? Right: Have you received any information? Wrong: He asked her to pack her luggages. Right: He asked her to pack her luggage. Wrong: The sceneries here are not good. Right: The scenery here is not good. Wrong: Did you hear these news? Right: Did you hear this news? Explanation Nouns like furniture, information, advice, news, luggage andscenery normally have only a singular form. Wrong: Students should wear white pants. Right: Students should wear white trousers. Pants means underclothes covering the upper part of the leg. Wrong: I am learning a new poetry. Right: I am learning a new poem. Wrong: He is my cousin brother. Right: He is my cousin. Explanation Cousin means any child of any aunt or uncle. There is no need to say cousin brother since the noun he already reveals the sex of the person.

Wrong: One of my friend has agreed to come with me. Right: One of my friends has agreed to come with me. Wrong: Some of my friends has arrived. Right: Some of my friends have arrived. Explanation The noun following one of, some of, none of and similar expressions must be plural in number, but the verb must agree with the subject in number.

Expressing a Condition
We can express a condition in several ways. For example, we can use if. If you heat ice, it melts. If you give respect, you get respect.

Sometimes if is omitted. Had I been there, there would have been no problems. (= If I had been there, there would have been no problems.) Were I you, I wouldnt refuse this offer. (= If I were you I would not refuse this offer.)

Expressing a condition using unless

We can express a condition using unless. Unless you give me the keys of the safe, you will be shot. Unless you agree to my proposal, you cannot expect any help from me.

By using a conjunctional phrase

A condition can be expressed using a conjunctional phrase likein case or but that. In case it rains, I shall put on my rain coat.

It is also possible to express a condition using a participial phrase. Supposing he does not come, what will you do? I will help you provided that you follow my instructions.

The same conditional sentence or idea may be expressed in a number of ways. Study the following examples carefully. You will win, if you study well. You will not win, unless you study well. You will win, provided that you study well.

In case you study well, you will win. Supposing you study well, you will win.

Indirect Questions
The indirect question is really not a question at all. In adirect question, we put the auxiliary verb before the subject. If there is no auxiliary verb, we put do before the subject. Read the following sentences. They have arrived. (Statement) Have they arrived? (Direct question) It is cold. (Statement) Is it cold? (Direct question) She promised to come. (Statement) (No auxiliary verb, so we have to use a form of do in the corresponding question.) Did she promise to come? (Direct question)

In an indirect question, the auxiliary verb does not come before the subject; nor does it use the auxiliary do. Read the following sentences. Why dont you listen to me? (Direct question) I wonder why you dont listen to me. (Indirect question) Where are you going? (Direct question) I would like to know where you are going. (Indirect question) When does he propose to start? (Direct question) I want to know when he proposes to start. (Indirect question)

We do not use question marks after an indirect question. Indirect questions cannot stand alone. They are always used as part of a bigger sentence.

Parallel construction
Your writing will be clearer if you use parallel construction. By parallel construction, we mean words or expressions of similar form. Consider the sentence given below. Alice likes sewing, painting and to play tennis. The above sentence does not follow parallel construction. To make it parallel, change the infinitive (to play) into ing form. Alice likes sewing, painting and playing tennis. The new player is strong, clever and intelligent. I only eat salads; I rarely eat chips; and I never touch chocolate.

Whoever, whatever etc.

The words whoever, whatever, wherever, whichever, whenever and however have similar meanings to it doesnt matter who, what, which etc., it may be. A word of this kind has a double function: it

acts as a subject, object or adverb in its own clause. It also acts as a conjunction joining its clause to the rest of the sentence. Whatever you may say I am not going to take him back. (= It doesnt

matter what you say, I wont take him back.) Wherever you go, I shall follow you. (It doesnt matter where you go, I shall follow you.) Whoever disobeys the law must be punished. (It doesnt matter who disobeys the law, he/she must be punished.) Keep calm, whatever happens. However much he eats, he never gets fat.
These words are also used to suggest something not definitely known. I shall come whenever I can slip away. We shall send whoever is available. You will have to be content with whatever you can get.

Agreement of the verb with the subject

Rule 1
The verb must agree in number and person with its real subject and not with any other noun that may immediately precede it. Read the following sentences. One of my friends has gone to Beijing. Each of the boys was given a pen. Every one of us was given a prize. Neither of the combatants was able to win a decisive victory.

In the sentences given above, the verbs are all in thesingular although the nouns immediately before them are all in the plural. This is because the real subjects of these verbs are not the plural verbs immediately before them, but the singular nouns at the beginning of each sentence.

Rule 2
Two or more singular nouns connected by and are normally followed by a plural verb. Tobacco and alcohol are injurious to health. Oil and water do not mix. He and I were at Oxford together.

Note that when two singular nouns connected by andtogether express one idea, they are followed by a singular verb. Slow and steady wins the race. Age and experience brings wisdom.

Rule 3
When singular nouns connected by and are preceded byeach or every, they are followed by a singular verb. Each man and each woman has a vote. The ship was wrecked and every man, woman andchild was drowned.

Rule 4
Singular nouns connected by or, eitheror, neithernorare followed by a singular verb. Neither John nor Peter has any right to the property. Either John or Mark has done this mischief. No prize or medal was given to the boy, though he stood first in the examination.

Rule 5
When the subjects connected by or or nor are of different numbers, the plural subject should be written last and it should be followed by a plural verb. Neither the Principal nor the lecturers were present at the meeting. Either John or his brothers are responsible for this. Neither the Chief Minister nor his colleagues havegiven any explanation for this.

Rule 6
When the subjects connected by or or nor are of different persons, the verb should agree in person with the subject nearest to it. The subjects should be arranged in the proper order the person spoken to, first; the person spoken of, second; and the speaker last. Either you or John has to take the lead in this matter. Neither he nor I have money to spare for this. Neither you nor Alice seems to be capable of doing this.

Rule 7
Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning. They should be followed by singular verbs. The news is too good to be true. The wages of sin is death. Politics is a dirty game.

Countable and Uncountable nouns

Countable nouns are the names of separate objects, people, ideas etc which can be counted. They have plurals.

Examples are: dog, tree, girl, book, occasion and link We can use numbers and the article a/an with countable nouns. a dog two books three girls

Uncountable nouns
Uncountable or mass nouns are the names of materials, liquids, abstract qualities, collections and other things which we do not see as separate objects. Most uncountable nouns are singular with no plurals. Examples are: wheat, sand, weather, water, wool, milk We cannot use numbers with uncountable nouns. They are also not normally used with the article a/an. Here is a list of common words which are usually uncountable in English. Corresponding countable expressions are given in brackets. accommodation (countable - a place to live) advice (a piece of advice) baggage (a piece of baggage; a bag, a case) bread (a piece of bread; a loaf; a roll) chess (a game of chess) chewing gum (a piece of chewing gum) equipment (a piece of equipment; a tool) furniture (a piece/article of furniture) grass (a blade of grass) information (a piece of information) knowledge (a fact) lightning (a flash of lightning) luck (a bit/stroke of luck) luggage (a piece of luggage; a bag) money (a note; a coin; a sum) news (a piece of news) poetry (a poem) thunder (a clap of thunder) travel (a journey/trip) work (a job; a piece of work)

Countable or uncountable
Sometimes it is not easy to see whether a noun is countable or uncountable. For instance, travel is normally uncountable, while journey is countable. It is impossible to give complete details. The following rules, however, should help.

Illnesses
The names of illnesses are usually uncountable in English. Examples are: chickenpox, measles, cancer, diabetes, flu etc. If you have had chickenpox, you cant get it again.

But note that the words for some minor ailments are uncountable. Examples are: a cold, a headache I have a bad headache.

Mixed uses
Many nouns have both countable and uncountable uses, sometimes with a difference of meaning. Words for materials are usually uncountable. But note that the same word is often used as countable noun to refer to something made of the material. Have you got some typing paper? (uncountable) I want a paper. (countable) Have you got any coffee? Could I have two coffees? (= two cups of coffee)

Many abstract nouns are uncountable when used in a general sense. The same noun can be countable in a particular sense. She hasnt got enough experience for the job. (uncountable) It was a strange experience. (countable) Take your own time. (uncountable) Have a good time. (countable)

Plural uncountable nouns

Some uncountable nouns are plural. They have no singular forms with the same meaning, and cannot be used with numbers. Examples are: trousers, jeans, pyjamas, pants, scissors, spectacles, glasses, arms, goods, customs, groceries, clothes and thanks Have you bought the groceries? Many thanks for your help.

Other plural uncountable nouns include the expressions the British, the Dutch, the English, the French, the Irish, the Spanish and the Welsh.

Agreement of the verb with the subject

A verb must agree with its subject in number and person. He is my friend. (Here the singular verb is agrees with the singular subject he.) We are waiting to hear from you. (Here the plural verb are agrees with the plural subject we.)

Sometimes due to what is called the error of proximity a verb is made to agree with the nearest noun, and not its proper subject. This practice should be avoided. Consider the examples given below:

The quality of the apples wasnt very good. (NOT The quality of the apples werent very good. Here the proper subject is the abstract noun quality and not apples.) His proficiency in Indian languages is remarkable. (Here the proper subject is the singular abstract noun proficiency and not languages.)

as well as
We use singular verbs with a singular subject followed bywith or as well as. The manager, with his subordinates, is to be present at the venue. (NOT The manager with his subordinates are ) Alice, as well as her sisters, has been invited. (NOT Alice as well as her sisters have been invited.) Sanskrit, as well as Arabic, is taught here.

When one of the subjects joined by or or nor is plural, the verb must be plural in number, and the plural subject should be placed nearest to the verb. Neither the officer nor his subordinates were present at the meeting.

When the subjects joined by or or nor are of different persons, the verb agrees with the nearest noun. Either he or you are mistaken. (Here the verb are agrees with the nearest pronoun you.) Neither he nor I am interested. (Here the verb am agrees with the nearest pronoun I.)

It is better to avoid these constructions and to write: He is mistaken, or else you are. He is not interested, nor am I.

Either, neither etc.

Either, neither, each, everyone and many a must be followed by a singular verb. Neither of the applicants is suitable for the job. Many a man has succumbed to this temptation. Everyone of us loves riding.

Collective nouns
A collective noun can take either a singular or a plural verb. Note that collective nouns are always singular in American English. The committee has submitted its report. The committee are still discussing the matter.

Difference between look forward to and looking forward to

There is little difference between I look forward to and I am looking forward to. I look forward to the day when he comes back. OR I am looking forward to the day when he comes back.

Look forward means think about a future event with pleasure. We look forward to something that is certain to happen, and that we are glad about. I look forward to the holidays. OR I am looking forward to the holidays.

Look forward to can be followed by an ing form, but not by an infinitive. I look forward to hearing from you. OR I am looking forward to hearing from you. (NOT I look forward to hear from you.)

Who and Whom

Whom is the object form of who. Whom is not common in informal English. We prefer to use who as an object. Do you know whom you are speaking to? (Formal) Do you know who you are speaking to? (Informal) To whom did you give it? (Formal) Who did you give it to? (Informal)

After a preposition, we must use whom. Who is not possible in this case. With whom did you go? (NOT With who did you go?)

In identifying or restrictive relative clauses we do not usually use whom. Either we leave out the object pronoun, or we usethat or who. Isnt this the woman we met in the pub last night? OR Isnt this the woman who / that we met in the pub last night? (More natural than Isnt this the woman whom we met in the pub last night?)

In non-identifying relative clauses whom can be used. My son, whom you met last week, wants to see you again.

Both who and whom can be used in sentences like He was trying to find an old friend who/whom he had known since childhood. He has a daughter who / whom I believe is destined to be famous.