Rules for Common Errors ( English)

8/2/2019 Rules for Common Errors ( English)

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COMMON ERRORS INENGLISH

(RULES WITH EXAMPLES)

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The Omission ofa/an/the:1. Before a common noun used in its widest sense.

Eg.: Manis mortal.

2. Before names of materials.Eg. : Bronzeis a metal.

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 popularlanguage all over the world.]

6. Before names of relations like father, mother,aunt, uncle,cook,nurse etc. [Father is veryhappy today]

7. Before predicative nouns denoting a unique

position that is normally held at one time by oneperson only. [He was elected Chairmanof theBoard.]

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CONFUSABLE NOUNS

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Incorrect Correct

1. Lecturership

Lectureship2. Free ship Free-

studentship3. Boarding Boarding

house4. Famil members 55


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Examples:

1. There are twenty candidates forlectureship.

2. Ramesh has applied for free-studentship.3.

Mohan lives in a boarding house.4. Vivek and Suresh are the members of my

family.5. Dr,. Raina is our teacher of English.

6. Sudha is my cousin.7. This lab is ours.

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Some nouns always take asingular verb

(Scenery, advice, mathematics,politics, ethics, athletics, classics,fuel, rice, gram, information,

machinery, furniture, news , physics)

Examples:

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

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Some nouns have one

meaning in the singularand another in the plural

Air atmosphere air proudQuarter one-fourth 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.88


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Some nouns are singular in form, butthey are used in plural form and

always take a plural verb[people, clergy, cattle, gentry, company, policeetc.]

Examples:

1.The clergy are in the church.

2.The cattle are grazing in theground.

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Some plural form nouns

always take a plural verb[Trousers, scissors, spectacles, stockings,tidings, thanks, annals, measles, premises

etc.]

Examples:

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

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Collective Nouns are

used both as singularand plural depending onthe 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. 1111


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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 antecedentin 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. neithernor

and 1313


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Examples

Either Ram or Shyam will give theirbook. [ Incorrect]

Either Ram or Shyam will give his book.[correct]

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

fewFew : not many

A few : some atleast. [positive] oppositeof none.

The few : whatever there is.

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

Examples

1. Few men are free from fault. (notAfew men)

2. A few boys will pass in the examination.1515


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Use to to compare with wordslike

a) superiorb) inferior,c) senior,

d) junior,e) prior,f) anterior,g) posterior

andh) prefer

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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,not andwith

- joinTWO SUBJECTS, the verb will beaccording to the FIRST SUBJECT.

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Examples:

1. Ram, as well as his ten friends, aregoing. (Incorrect)

Ram, as well as his ten friends, is going.(Correct)

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

2. The teacher, along with the students, weregoing. (Incorrect)

The teacher, along with the students, wasgoing. (Correct)1919


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If the Subject is:

1. a number of the plural verb is used

Eg.: A number ofbooks are missing(Correct)A number ofbooks is missing. (Incorrect)-------------------------------------------------------------

---------2. The number of the singular verb is used.

Eg.:

The number of students are very small.(Incorrect)

The number ofstudents is very small. 2020


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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

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 beavoided

Care should b e taken in the use of VERBS.

An infinitive verb should not be split.

Only should be placed immediately beforethe word it qualifies.

Eg.: Only he lost his ticket in the train.

INCORRECT He only lost his ticket in the

train.) 2222

an o / en


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an, ow/w en .(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 afterknow

Examples:

Correct :I know how to write French.

Incorrect : I know to write French. 2323

S No Word(s)

What


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S.No. Word(s)

FOLLOWEDBY

What

1. Many a Singular verb

2. A great many A plural NOUN

and a pluralVERB

3. Thought Yet

4. Not But

5. No sooner Than6. Lest Should

7. Such As

8. So That

9. Scarcely when

10. Hardly Not by than

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EXAMPLES

Many a man was drowned in the sea. (NotWERE)

A great many students have been declaredsuccessful. (not HAS)

Though he is poor, yet he is honest. (not BUT)

No sooner had I entered the class than thestudents 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 shealways had some people coming to her for advice. (notAS)

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

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Kno these also

1 Who The Subject


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Know these also.1. Who The Subject2. Whom

Denotes

The Object

3. Whose Livingpersons

4. Which LifelessObjects

5. Each other If there are 2Subjects/Objects

6. One another More than 2Subjects/Obj

ects7. Less (Five litres of

water)Quantity

8. Fewer (No fewer

than fifty

Number

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Some & any

Some is used to express QUANTITY/DEGREE(affirmative)

Eg: I shall buy some apples.

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

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/Not

Expresses/never used

with

what?

1. Unless Expresse

s(Negative sense)

A

condition

2. Until Time

3. Not Is neverusedwith

Unless/Until

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Use of not only but also

He not only comes for swimming but also forcoaching the learners. (INCORRECT)

He comes not only for swimming but also forcoaching the learners. (CORRECT)

This expression is meant for swimming and not forcoming.

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One of..

One ofalways takes a plural noun after it

Eg. : It is one ofthe important day in my life. [IC]It is one ofthe important days in my life. [C]

--------------------------------------------------------------------When TWO Singular Nounsjoined by and point

out the same thing or person, the verb will beSINGULAR.

IC: Bread and butter make a good breakfast.C : Bread and butter makes a good breakfast.

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EITHEROR,

NEITHERNORIf two subjects are joined by either.or,

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

Examples:

Either Ramesh or I amto do this work.(not ARE)

Neither he nor his friends are reading.(not IS)

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Assignment: 2 & 32. Write the usage of Singular nouns, plural nouns. Give somerules also pertaining to these.

Write some rules pertaining to pronouns.3. Write some rules related to the usage of Adjectives. Givetwo examples for each.

Write the correct usage ofA, An and The. Give five

examples for each.

Dronacharya College of Engineering, GurgaonDepartment of Applied Sciences and Humanities

Assignment # 2 &3 Maximum Marks: 10

Faculty: Ms.Suchitra DeswalSemester: II Subject: Communications skills in ENGLISHHum-102-f Class: I.T.-i/ii

Submission Date: as per the Instruction to be given during classes

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Rules for Common Errors ( English)