Unnecessary articles

Using the after whose

Note: The definite article should not be used after the relative determiner whose.

Incorrect Usage: The lady, whose the purse was stolen, has gone to the police station.

                                           

Correct Usage: The lady, whose purse was stolen, has gone to the police station.

Wrong Placement of Adverbs

Rule: Adverbs of definite time should generally be placed at the end of a sentence.

Incorrect Usage: I today morning returned from New York.

                                           

Correct Usage: I returned from New York today morning.

Note: In case, the time factor has to be emphasized, the adverb is put in the beginning (Yesterday, I went to watch a movie).

Wrong Placement of Adverbs

Rule: When both adverb of time and adverb of place are to be used in a sentence, adverb of place should come first.

Incorrect Usage: We had a meeting with the client yesterday here.

                                           

Correct Usage: We had a meeting with the client here yesterday.

Wrong Placement of Adverbs

Rule: The adverb enough should be placed after its qualifying word, not before.

Incorrect Usage: The hall was enough big to accommodate 100 persons.

                                           

Correct Usage: The hall was big enough to accommodate 100 persons.

Confused Prepositions

To and At

Rule: to is used to express motion; at is used to denote a position.

Incorrect Usage: (a) We go at church every Sunday.

  (b) The guard was positioned to the gate.                                         

Correct Usage: (a) We go to church every Sunday.

                             (b) The guard was positioned at the gate.

Confused Prepositions

In and At

Rule: in is used to describe the physical location of something; at is used when we refer to an address, place, building, etc. It is also used in cases where the location is not an issue; rather, what we do there is important (school, park, mall, hospital, etc.).

Incorrect Usage: (a) Henry owns a mansion at New York.

  (b) The British Prime Minister stays in 10 Downing Street.                                          

Correct Usage: (a) Henry owns a mansion in New York.

                             (b) The British Prime Minister stays at 10 Downing Street.

Confused Prepositions

On, At, and In (time factor)

Rule: on is used with the days of the week or month (on Sunday, on February 15, etc.); at is used to denote the exact time (at dawn, at 10 o’clock, etc.); and in is used with a period of time (in spring, in the evening, etc.).

Incorrect Usage: (a) The delegates will arrive at Monday.

  (b) He goes to bed on 11 o’clock.

  (c) My mother goes for a walk at the evening.                                

Correct Usage:    (a) The delegates will arrive on Monday.

                                (b) He goes to bed at 11 o’clock.

                                (c) My mother goes for a walk in the evening.

Confused Prepositions

Between and Among

Rule: between is used only for two; among is used for more than two.

Incorrect Usage: (a) A scuffle started among the two gangs.

  (b) The team members started quarrelling between themselves.

                                               

Correct Usage:    (a) A scuffle started between the two gangs.

                                (b) The team members started quarrelling among themselves.

Confused Prepositions

Using by for with

Rule: with is used when we want to indicate the means/mechanism with which an action is done; by implies the doer of the action.

Incorrect Usage: He stabbed his friend by a knife.

Correct Usage: He stabbed his friend with a knife.    

Confused Prepositions

Using for for about

Incorrect Usage: The Minister spoke for corruption.

Correct Usage: The Minister spoke about corruption.

Note: Here, for implies ‘being in favor of’. If we use for, it will denote that, the Minister spoke in favor of corruption.

Confused Prepositions

Using from for since

Rule: proposition since is placed before words denoting a point in time.

Incorrect Usage: Tom’s been absent from last Monday.

Correct Usage: Tom’s been absent since last Monday.

Confused Adverbs

Very and Too

Rule: Very places more emphasis on the adjective or adverb; Too means more than enough, which results in something.

Incorrect Usage: (a) It is too cold in New Delhi in the winter.

                                (b) It is very hot to play outdoors now.

Correct Usage: (a) It is very cold in New Delhi in the winter.

                              (b) It is too hot to play outdoors now.

Confused Adverbs

Very much and Too much

Rule: Very much is used for emphasizing; Too much implies excessive quantity or extent.

Incorrect Usage: (a) The audience liked the play too much.

                                (b) Tom eats very much.

Correct Usage: (a) The audience liked the play very much.

                              (b) Tom eats too much.

Confused Adverbs

Hardly and Hard

Rule: Hardly means scarcely; Hard implies vigorously.

Incorrect Usage: (a) They tried hardly to locate the missing file.

                                (b) He hard ate anything.

Correct Usage: (a) They tried hard to locate the missing file.

                              (b) He hardly ate anything.

Confused Adverbs

Just now and Presently

Rule: Just now refers to past or present time, not future; Presently is used to denote near and immediate future time.

Incorrect Usage: (a) The Chief Guest will arrive just now.

                                (b) He left for office presently.

Correct Usage: (a) The Chief Guest will arrive presently.

                              (b) He left for office just now.

Confused Adverbs

Scarcely and Rarely

Rule: Scarcely implies not quite, hardly; Rarely implies seldom, not often.

Incorrect Usage: (a) Derek scarcely attends parties.

                                (b) I had rarely finished packing when the cab came.

Correct Usage: (a) Derek rarely attends parties.

                              (b) I had scarcely finished packing when the cab came.

Confused Adjectives

Many and Much

Rule: Many is used with plural nouns; Much is used with uncountable nouns.

Incorrect Usage: (a) That poor girl doesn’t have much dresses.

                                (b) There is many corruption in the system.

Correct Usage: (a) That poor girl doesn’t have many dresses.

                              (b) There is much corruption in the system.

Confused Adjectives

Each and Every

Rule: Each is used to denote two or more things or people, regarded separately or one by one; Every is used for two or more things or people, regarded as a group.

Incorrect Usage: (a) Every child was given a prize.

                                (b) There is a bus each twenty minutes.

Correct Usage: (a) Each child was given a prize.

                             (b) There is a bus every twenty minutes.

Confused Adjectives

A and An

Rule: An should be used instead of a before words starting with vowels (a, e, i, o, u) or in case of words with silent h (hour, honest, honor).

Incorrect Usage: (a) That is a apple tree.

                                (b) He is a honest man.

Correct Usage: (a) That is an apple tree.

                             (b) He is an honest man.

Confused Adjectives

Farther and Further

Rule: Further denotes both greater distance and to a greater degree; Farther is used only for distances.

Incorrect Usage: (a) We are not going to tolerate his behavior farther.

                                (b) They could not walk further.

Correct Usage: (a) We are not going to tolerate his behavior further.

                             (b) They could not walk farther.