Confused Words

Teem and Team

Teem means swarm, abound, pour, etc.

Team means side, gang, squad, group, etc.

The river is teeming with fish.

The hockey team put up an impressive performance in the World Championship.

Confused Nouns

Floor and Ground

Rule: Floor is the surface of a room on which we walk; Ground is the surface of the earth outside a building.

Incorrect Usage: (a) His clothes were scattered on the ground of his room.

                             (b) That floor is not fit for building houses.

Correct Usage: (a) His clothes were scattered on the floor of his room.

                          (b) That ground is not fit for building houses.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Unnecessary prepositions

Approach (implies come near to)

        Incorrect Usage: Don’t approach to that building.

                                           

Correct Usage: Don’t approach that building.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Incorrect omission of prepositions

Omission of the verb to be from the passive.

Don’t say: Charles Dickens born in 1812.

ü  Say: Charles Dickens was born in 1812.

Incorrect omission of prepositions

Omission of the before names of musical instruments.

Don’t say: I play violin, but not piano.

ü  Say: I play the violin, but not the piano.

Incorrect omission of prepositions

Omission of a or an from make a noise, etc.

Don’t say: I told them not to make noise.

ü  Say: I told them not to make a noise.