Today is our topic of discussion – Common errors
Common errors
Common errors
Except the previously mentioned issues, there are some other kinds of common mistakes students do while making English sentences. Some notes are given below to avoid the mistakes:
1. If ‘either’ and ‘neither’ mean ‘one of many, then ‘anyone’ takes place instead of ‘either’ and ‘no one’ takes place Instead of ‘neither’. As-
Inc. Either of the three boys will do.
Cor: Anyone of the three boys will do.
Inc: Neither of the three things will do.
Cor: None of the three things will do.
2. Some Latin comparative degree do not need ‘more’ before them. They need a ‘to’, not a ‘than” after them. As – junior senior, inferior, superior, etc.
Inc. He is superior than Rahim.
Cor: He is superior to Rahim.
Inc. Alam is junior than him.
Cor: Alam is junior to him.
Inc. Bread is inferior than rice.
Cor: Bread is inferior to rice.
3. If a sentence is made with a Complement, ‘as’ doesn’t take place before it. As –
Inc: Karim was appointed as Headmaster.
Cor: Karim was appointed Headmaster.
Inc: They elected Kader as their captain.
Cor: They elected Kader their captain.
4. When ‘know’ verb has an infinitive object, then a ‘how’ takes place before the infinitive. As –
Inc: I know to swim.
Cor: I know how to swim.
Cor: I know swimming.
Inc: He knows to write.
Cor: He knows how to write.
Cor: He knows writing.
5. If a particular time has been mentioned in Present perfect tense, then it becomes Past perfect tense instead of present perfect tense. As –
Inc: The man has died at 2. p.m.
Cor: The man died at 2. p.m.
Inc: He has come here yesterday.
Cor: He came here yesterday.
6. ‘Other’ takes place instead of a person, not a place or stuff. As-
Inc: We will buy paper, shirt, pen, shoe and others.
Cor: We will buy paper, shirt, pen, shoe and other things.
7. When a particular type of many things are compared, ‘all other’ or ‘any other’ takes place after ‘than’. As-
Inc: Kalidas was greater than all poets.
Cor: Kalidas was greater than all other poets.
8. When ‘full’ is added with a word, then the last ‘T’ should be omitted. As –
Inc: The cow is a usefull animal.
Cor: The cow is a useful animal.
9. According to the rules of English Sentence, one sentence cannot have double negatives. Besides, these adverbs express negative meaning by themselves – never, nobody, hardly. scarcely, no more, nothing, until, unless, nor, neither, seldom. So, they do not need to be made negative. As-
Inc: Don’t never make a noise in the class.
Cor: Never make a noise in the class.
Inc: I did not see nobody in the field.
Cor: I saw nobody in the field.
10. When a sentence has a ‘minute’ mentioned, then “O’ clock” does not need to take place. “O’ clock” takes place when there is no particular minute mentioned. As –
Inc: I shall start by the 6-30 O’clock train.
Cor: I shall start by the 6-30 train.
Inc: I shall start by the 5 train.
Cor: I shall start by the 5 O’clock train.
11. If two subjects are added with a ‘with, the verb is used according to the first subject. As-
Inc: The president with all his advisers were present in the meeting.
Cor: The president with all his advisers was present in the meeting.
12. When more than one nouns or pronouns are added with an ‘and’ the verb takes the singular form. As-
Inc: Slow and steady win the race.
Cor: Slow and steady wins the race.
13. The ‘verb’ of a sentence takes the number and person according to the subject or noun or pronoun. As –
Inc: A large number of boys was present in the class.
Cor: A large number of boys were present in the class.
14. When there is only one subject it needs positive degree, when there are two subjects they need comparative degree and when there are more than two persons they need superlative degree. As-
Inc: He is a better student.
Cor: He is a good student.
Inc: Sumon is good than his brother.
Cor: Sumon is better than his brother.
Inc: He is better boy in this class.
Cor: He is the best boy in this class.
15. When it comes to Comparative Degree the later noun takes an ‘s’ to mean the previous noun. If the noun is not mentioned earlier then it will not take an ‘s’. As –
Inc: His report is better than your.
Cor: His report is better than yours.
16. Usually ‘older’ is used to indicate people who are not siblings and ‘elder’ is used to indicate siblings. Superlative degree ‘eldest’ is used to indicate the eldest among the siblings. ‘Younger’ is used to indicate the lesser aged person among the siblings and ‘youngest’ is used to indicate the least aged sibling. As –
Inc: He is our younger brother.
Cor: He is the youngest brother of us.
17. While using ‘in’ and ‘after’, it should be kept In the mind that ‘in’ must be used in ‘future tense’ and ‘after’ must be used in ‘past tense’. As-
Inc: They will answer after a month.
Cor: They will answer in a month.
18. Same kinds of ‘clause, parts of speech or phrase’ are used to indicate connected conjunction or corelative conjunction. As –
Inc: He is as famous like Browning.
Cor: He is as famous as Browning.
19. When it is about ‘very’ and ‘much’, it should be kept in the mind that ‘very’ takes place before ‘present participle’ and much takes place before ‘past participle’. As —
Inc: The story is much interesting.
Cor: The story is very interesting.
20. Past tense always takes place after fancy, wish, as though, as if, high time’. As –
Inc: I fancy that the tempest stops soon.
Cor: I fancy that the tempest would stop soon.
21. If a ‘noun’ is qualified with aeach’ or ‘every’ then the verb takes singular number. As –
Inc: Every gentleman and every lady are given prize.
Cor: Every gentleman and every lady is given a prize.
22. There are some differences in the usage of ‘same’ and ‘such’. After ‘same’ ‘as’ and sometimes ‘that’ take place. However, after “such’ alwayss ‘as’ takes place. As-
Inc: You lost the same book which I lost.
Cor: You lost the same book as I lost.
23. The adjective’ or ‘participle’ used in a sentence should not be kept different or unrelated. As —
Inc: Though much depressed, there is still hope for her.
Cor: Though she is much depressed, there is still hope for her.
24. Some verbs like see, feel, mind, love, hate, like, hope, resemble, cost, forget, consist, suffice, sound, sum, believe, smell, wish, know. prefer, doubt, possess, imagine, taste, fear, please, astonish, understand, belong etc never take an ‘ing’ form. As-
Inc: I am seeing a bird.
Cor: I see a bird.
25. ‘Fewer’ is used to indicate numbers in comparative and ‘less’ is used to indicate quantity. As-
Inc: No less than four eggs were broken.
Cor: No fewer than four eggs were broken
Some examples have been given below
Inc: She loves flowers.
Cor: She likes flowers.
Inc: She prides on her beauty.
Cor: She prides herself on her beauty.
Inc: The standard of their life is very high.
Cor: The standard of their living is very high.
Inc: She is neither seen to act or sing.
Cor: She is neither seen to act nor heard to sing.
Inc: She has given birth to a child.
Cor: She has begot a child.
Inc: Completing my work, I went out,
Cor: Having completed my work, I went out.
Inc: She is one of those who is not able to say no.
Cor: She cannot refuse.
Inc: One of our family members is invited there.
Cor: One of the members of our family is invited there..
Inc My son is ill this week.
Cor: My son has been ill all this week.
Inc: She will combat with my view.
Cor: She will oppose my view.
Inc: She is comparatively better today.
Cor: She is better today.
Inc: He will come just now.
Cor: He has come just now.
Inc: I have read a poetry.
Cor: I have read a piece of poetry.
Inc: Kamal is deaf of hearing.
Cor: Kamal is short of hearing or hard of hearing.
Inc: Bread and butter are my breakfast.
Cor: Bread and butter is my breakfast.
Inc: He takes his meal there.
Cor: He takes his meals there.
Inc: Don’t loose your heart.
Cor: Don’t loose heart.
Inc: He is selected as chairman.
Cor: He is selected chairman.
Inc: Shortly this is what happened.
Cor: In short this is what happened.
Inc: Describe the incident in short.
Cor: Describe the incident in brief.
Inc: He is too strong to do this.
Cor: He is strong enough to do this.
Inc: I feel somewhat well.
Cor: I am pretty well.
Inc: Karim is somewhat tall for this age.
Cor: Karim is rather tall for this age.
Inc: You are hearing the sound.
Cor: You hear the sound.
Inc: He is waiting for a week.
Cor: He has been waiting for a week.
Inc: The party is comprised of ten man.
Cor: The party comprises ten man.
Inc: It is a true fact.
Cor: It is a fact.
Inc: So far I know he is an innocent.
Cor: So far as I know he is innocent.
Inc: The food was very tasteful.
Cor: The food was very tasty.
Inc: What name shall I call you?
Cor: By what name shall I call you?
Inc: None of us are perfect.
Cor: None of us is perfect.
Inc: Our teacher will not take the class today.
Cor: Our teacher will not hold the class today.
Inc: Airport is busy place.
Cor: Airport is a busy place.
Inc: Taking our seats, the game started.
Cor: While we were taking our seats, the game started.
Inc: When four years old, Paul’s father died.
Cor: While four years old. Paul’s father died.
Inc: Each of the actors made their entrance on time.
Cor: Each of the actors made his entrance in time.
Inc: Sitting on the top of the pyramid, the camels look very tiny.
Cor: While I was sitting on the top of the pyramid, the camel looked small.
Inc: Before I arrived, they had a serious quarrel.
Cor: Before I reached, they had a serious quarrel.
Inc: The cost of food, clothing and house hold goods have risen considerably.
Cor: The cost of food, clothing and household goods has risen considerably.
Inc: If you work hard, you will success in life.
Cor: If you work hard, you will succeed in life.
Inc: His hairs are grey.
Cor: His hair is grey.
Inc: Gold is brighter and precious than most other metals.
Cor: Gold is brighter and more precious than any other metal.
Inc: The man was arrested by the police who was innocent.
Cor: The man who was arrested by the police is innocent.
Inc: He is suffering from fever for a week.
Cor: He has been suffering from fever for a week.
Inc: Being very tired, the alarm was not heard.
Cor: As he was tired, he could not hear the alarm.
Inc: Eating out often pacifies her.
Cor: Eating out can often pacify her.
Inc: Playing with fire can get a person into deep water.
Cor: Playing with fire can result in burned fingers.
Inc: A sonnet is when a poem has fourteen lines.
Cor: A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines.