COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH

Click to edit Master subtitle style

(RULES WITH EXAMPLES)

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The Omission of a/an/the:

1.

Before a common noun used in its widest sense. Eg.: Man is mortal.

2. Before names of materials. Eg. : Master is a metal. Click to editBronze subtitle style 3. Usually before Proper names. Eg.: Patna is the capital of Bihar.

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Continues..
4.Before abstract nouns used in general sense. (Beauty fascinates people.) 5. Before languages. [English is a very popular language all over the world.] 6. Before names of relations like father, mother, Click touncle,cook,nursestyle [Father is very aunt, edit Master subtitle etc. happy today] 7. Before predicative nouns denoting a unique position that is normally held at one time by one person only. [He was elected Chairman of the Board.]
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CONFUSABLE NOUNS
Click to edit Master subtitle style

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Incorrect

Correct

Lecturership Lectureship Click to edit Master subtitle style 2. Free ship Freestudentship 3. Boarding Boarding house 4/28/12 4. Family members
1.

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Examples:

There are twenty candidates for lectureship. 2. Ramesh has applied for free-studentship. 3. Mohan lives in a boarding house. Click to edit Master subtitle style members of my 4. Vivek and Suresh are the family. 5. Dr,. Raina is our teacher of English. 6. Sudha is my cousin. 7. This lab is ours.
1.

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Some nouns always take a singular verb

(Scenery, advice, mathematics, politics, ethics, athletics, classics, fuel, rice, gram, information, machinery, furniture, news , physics)
Click to edit Master subtitle style

Examples: The scenery of Kashmir is incorrect. 2.He has given advice. (not advices) 3.Mathematics is a difficult subject.
1.

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Some nouns have one meaning in the singular and another in the plural
Air atmosphere Quarter one-fourth

air proud quarters houses

etc.
Examples: 1. Air is necessary for human life 2. It is bad to put on airs. 3. I live in the government quarters.
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Some nouns are singular in form, but they are used in plural form and always take a plural verb
[people, clergy, cattle, gentry, company, police etc.]

Examples: subtitle style Click to edit Master The clergy are in the church. 2.The cattle are grazing in the ground.
1.

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Some plural form nouns always take a plural verb

[Trousers, scissors, spectacles, stockings, Click to edit Master subtitle style

tidings, thanks, annals, measles, premises etc.] Examples:

Where are my trousers? 2.Spectacles are now a costly item.

1.

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Collective Nouns are used both as singular and plural depending on the meaning. [jury, public, team, committee, government,
audience, orchestra, company] ********* Examples:
1. The jury were divided in this case. 2. The team has not come as yet.
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The pronoun one must be followed by ones.

One must finish his task in time. [Incorrect] One must finish ones task in time. [correct] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent Click to edit Master subtitle style in person, number and gender. Examples: Every man must bring his luggage. All students must do their home work. Each of the girls must carry her own bag.
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When Two or more singular nouns are joined together by: 1. either.. Or 2. neither nor
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and

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Examples
Either Ram or Shyam will give their book. [ Incorrect] Either Ram or Shyam will give his book.[correct] Click to edit Master subtitle style Neither Ramesh nor Rajendra has done their work. (IC] Neither Ramesh nor Rajendra has done his work. [C]

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Few, a few, and the few

Few : not many A few : some atleast. [positive] opposite

of none. The few : whatever there is. -----------------------------------------------------------------------Examples

1. Few men are free from fault. (not A

few men) 2. A few boys will pass in the examination. 4/28/12 1515

Use to to compare
like a) superior b) inferior, c) senior, d) junior, Click to edit Master subtitle style e) prior, f) anterior, g) posterior and h) prefer
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with words

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Examples:
1. Shelley is junior than Wordsworth.

(Incorrect)
Shelley is junior to Wordsworth, (Correct)

-------------------------------------------------------------

2. I prefer reading than sleeping. (Incorrect)

I prefer reading to sleeping. (Correct)

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When:
as well as, along with, together with, no less than in addition to, Click to edit Master subtitle style not and with - join TWO SUBJECTS, the verb will be according to the FIRST SUBJECT.

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Examples:
1. Ram, as well as his ten friends, are going. (Incorrect)
Ram, as well as his ten friends, is going.

(Correct) --------------------------------------------------------------------2. The teacher, along with the students, were going. (Incorrect)
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The teacher, along with the students, was

going. (Correct)

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If the Subject is: 1. a number of the plural verb is used Eg.: A number of books are missing

(Correct)

A number of books is missing. (Incorrect)

--------------------------------------------------------------------2. The number of the singular verb is used. Eg.: The number of students are very small. (Incorrect) 4/28/12 2020 The number of students is very small.

INCORRECT CORRECT (EXPRESSIONS) What to speak of 1. Not to speak of

Cent per cent 2. Hundred percent Word by word 3. Word for word Click to edit Master subtitle style The two first 4. The first two Examples: Not to speak of running, he cannot even walk. You are never hundred per cent sure of your success in a competitive examination.

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COMMON ERRORS to be avoided

Care should b e taken in the use of VERBS. An infinitive verb should not be split. Only should be placed immediately before

the word it qualifies.

Eg.: Only he lost his ticket in the train. INCORRECT He only lost his ticket in the
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Than, how/when . (usage)

THAN should be used after no other. Example: I met no other man than Mr. Raju. (not BUT) HOW (or) WHEN should be used after

know Examples:

Correct :I know how to write French. 4/28/12 2323 Incorrect : I know to write French.

S.No.
1. 2.

Word(s)
Many a A great many

What

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Singular verb A plural NOUN and a plural FOLLOWED VERB BY Thought Yet Not But No sooner Than Click to edit Master subtitle style Lest Should Such As So That Scarcely when Hardly
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Not by than
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EXAMPLES
Many a man was drowned in the sea. (Not

WERE)
A great many students have been declared

successful. (not HAS)

Though he is poor, yet he is honest. (not BUT) No sooner had I entered the class than the

students stood up. (not WHEN)

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Continues
He is such a writer as everybody should read his books. (not THAT)

Sarita was so popular with her classmates that she Click to some people coming to her for advice. (not always had edit Master subtitle style AS)

I had scarcely entered the room when the phone rang. (not THAN)

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Know these also.

Who
Whom Whose Which Each other

Denotes

The Subject The Object Living persons Lifeless Objects If there are 2 Subjects/Obj ects

6.

One another

7. 8.

Less Fewer
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More than 2 Subjects/Obj ects (Five litres of Quantity water) (No fewer Number than fifty 2727

Some & any

Some is used to express QUANTITY/DEGREE (affirmative) Eg: I shall buy some apples. --------------------------------------Click to edit Master subtitle style

Any is used in NEGATIVE/INTERROGTATIVE Sense. Examples: 1.I shall not buy any apples. 2.Have you bought any apples?

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S.No.

UNLESS/UNTIL/ Expresses/ Not never used with

what?

1.

Unless

2. 3.
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Until Not

Expresse A s condition (Negativ e sense) Time Is never Unless/ used Until with
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Use of not only but also

He not only comes for swimming but also for coaching the learners. (INCORRECT) He comes not only for swimming but also for coaching the learners. (CORRECT) Click to edit Master subtitle style This expression is meant for swimming and not for coming.

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One of..
One of always takes a plural noun after it
Eg. : It is one of the important day in my life. [IC] It is one of the important days in my life. [C] -------------------------------------------------------------------When TWO Singular Nouns joined by and point out the same thing or person, the verb will be SINGULAR. IC: Bread and butter make a good breakfast. C : Bread and butter makes a good breakfast.

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EITHEROR, NEITHERNOR
If two subjects are joined by either.or,

neithernor,, the VERB agrees with the SUBJECT that is near.

Examples: Either Ramesh or I am to do this work.

(not ARE) Neither he nor his friends are reading. (not IS)
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Dronacharya College of Engineering, Gurgaon

Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities
Assignment # 2 &3 Maximum Marks: 10 Faculty: Ms.Suchitra Deswal Semester: II Subject: Communications skills in ENGLISH Hum-102-f Class: I.T.-i/ii Submission Date: as per the Instruction to be given during classes

Assignment: 2 & 3 2. Write the usage of Singular nouns, plural nouns. Give some rules also pertaining to these. Write some rules pertaining to pronouns. 3. Write some rules related to the usage of Adjectives. Give two examples for each. Write the correct usage of A, An and The. Give five examples for each.

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