Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Wrong Placement of Adverbs


Rule: In a compound verb, not should be placed after the first auxiliary.

        Incorrect Usage: He should have not gone to the late night party.
                                           
        Correct Usage: He should not have gone to the late night party.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Wrong Placement of Adverbs


Rule: When used with a transitive verb, the adverb is placed after the object.

     Incorrect Usage: She drove carefully her car.
                                           
      Correct Usage: She drove her car carefully.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Wrong Placement of Adverbs


Rule: Adverbs of indefinite time (always, ever, never, seldom, soon, etc.) should be placed before the principal verb.

      Incorrect Usage: She reaches always office punctually.
                                           
     Correct Usage: She always reaches office punctually.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using a before work, fun, etc.
Note: The indefinite article should not be used before work, fun, etc.

Incorrect Usage: (a) He found a work at a construction site.
                                  (b) The visit to Disneyland was full of a fun and excitement.
                                           
Correct Usage: (a) He found work at a construction site.
                              (b) The visit to Disneyland was full of fun and excitement.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using the with nature
Note: The definite article should not be used before nature.

      Incorrect Usage: Everyone wants to escape into the nature.
                                           
     Correct Usage: Everyone wants to escape into nature.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using the with names of days and months
Note: The definite article should not be used before the names of days and months.
  
    Incorrect Usage: The January is the first month of the year.
                                           
     Correct Usage: January is the first month of the year.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using the with disease names

Note: The definite article cannot be used before disease names.
     
    Incorrect Usage: The measles is a highly contagious disease.
                                           
   Correct Usage: Measles is a highly contagious disease.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using the with meal names

Note: The definite article cannot be used before meal names (breakfast, lunch, dinner/supper), unless it is used in a particular sense.
  
 Incorrect Usage: We were supposed to meet after the dinner.
                                           
   Correct Usage: We were supposed to meet after dinner.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using the with plural nouns
Note: When used in a general sense, article cannot be used before common nouns in the plural.
   
    Incorrect Usage: The camels are called as the ships of the desert.
                                           
    Correct Usage: Camels are called as the ships of the desert.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Unnecessary articles


Using the with abstract nouns

Note: When used in a general sense, article cannot be used with abstract nouns.

     Incorrect Usage: The honesty is the best policy.
                                           
     Correct Usage: Honesty is the best policy.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Round (implies on all sides of)

   Incorrect Usage: The luxury cruise ship travels round of the world.
                                           
   Correct Usage: The luxury cruise ship travels round the world.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Inside (implies the inner side or interior of)

     Incorrect Usage: The patient was taken inside of the operation theatre.
                                           
    Correct Usage: The patient was taken inside the operation theatre.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Tell (implies to say; attain)

    Incorrect Usage: The Manager told to him to cancel the meeting at once.
                                           
    Correct Usage: The Manager told him to cancel the meeting at once.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Reach (implies to arrive at; attain)

    Incorrect Usage: We reached at the mountain peak in the early hours of the morning.
                                           
     Correct Usage: We reached the mountain peak in the early hours of the morning.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Obey (implies to carry out a command or request/act according to)

       Incorrect Usage: We should obey to the traffic rules.
                                           
Correct Usage: We should obey the traffic rules.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Finish (implies to bring to an end; complete)

      Incorrect Usage: She has finished from her household chores.
                                           
Correct Usage: She has finished her household chores.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Comprise (implies be made up of)

Incorrect Usage: The school library comprises of several knowledgeable and entertaining books.
                                           
          Correct Usage: The school library comprises several knowledgeable and entertaining books.

Note: We can also say: The school library is comprised of several knowledgeable and entertaining books.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Unnecessary prepositions


Approach (implies come near to)

        Incorrect Usage: Don’t approach to that building.
                                           
Correct Usage: Don’t approach that building.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Use for this reason instead of for this.

      Incorrect Usage: For this, he wants to leave the country.
                                           
Correct Usage: For this reason, he wants to leave the country.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Omission of the word or between numbers.

Rule: The conjunction or should be used between numbers.

         Incorrect Usage: All of a sudden, five, six men attacked him.
                                           
Correct Usage: All of a sudden, five or six men attacked him.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Omission of the personal pronoun after a quote ends.

  Rule: After the quote ends, mention the personal pronoun as the subject of the reporting verb.

       Incorrect Usage: ‘I am going out for dinner,’ said.
                                           
Correct Usage: ‘I am going out for dinner,’ she said.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Omission of the pronoun subject from the principal clause.

Rule: When the sentence begins with an adverbial clause, use the personal pronoun as the subject of the main clause.

Incorrect Usage: When he saw the ghost, was terrified.
                                           
Correct Usage: When he saw the ghost, he was terrified.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Omission of the personal pronoun before the infinitive.

Rule: Mention the subject of the infinitive after verbs like allow, want, like, etc., if it differs from the main verb.

Incorrect Usage:  (a) I allow to attend the college function.
(b) I want to come with me to the market.                                      

Correct Usage: (a) I allow you to attend the college function.
(b) I want you to come with me to the market.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Omission of else after everybody, etc.

Rule: Use the word else in making a comparison between one person/thing and all others of the same kind after everybody, anybody, anything, nobody, etc.

Don’t say: (a) She is taller than everybody.
(b) Except him, nobody could have done that.

Say: (a) She is taller than everybody else.
(b) Except him, nobody else could have done that.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Incorrect omission of prepositions


Omission of the auxiliary do from questions.

Don’t say: You understand the problem?
                   He understands the problem?
                   She understood the problem?

ü  Say: Do you understand the problem?
   Does he understand the problem?
                     Did she understand the problem?

Place the auxiliary verbs before the subject to ask question in the simple present and simple past tenses.