صفحات ۱۲۱ تا ۱۳۶

508 Cost for Price.

Don’t say: What’s the cost of this watch? Say: What’s the price of this watch?

Price is the amount of money paid by the customer. Cost is the amount paid by the shopkeeper. We can say: How much does it cost?

Note: Value is the usefulness or importance of something: The value of milk as a food, the value of education. Face value is the amount printed on a piece of-paper-money or on a postage stamp.

509 Air for Wind.

Don’t say: The strong air blew her hat away. Say: The strong wind blew her hat away.

Air is what we breathe, and wind is what makes the leaves of the trees move.

510 Ground for Floor.

Don’t say: When I entered the room, I saw a book on the ground.

Say: When I entered the room, I saw a book on the floor.

The floor is the part of the room on which we walk. The ground is outside the house.

511 Place for Room.

Don’t say: Is there place for me on the bus? Say: Is there room for me on the bus?

Don’t use place in the sense of room, which means here unoccupied space.

512 Organ for Instrument.

Don ‘t say: What other organ can you play?

Say: What other instrument can you play?

The organ is a particular musical instrument used in some churches to accompany the singing of hymns. Don’t use organ to denote any other musical instrument

513 Appetite for Desire, etc.

Don’t say: I’ve no appetite at all to study. Say: I’ve no desire at all to study.

Appetite is generally used with food. For study, work, or play we use such words as desire, disposition, and inclination.

Confusion of number

The following; can’t be used in the plural:

514 Advice.

Don’t say: Nick gave me some good advices. Say: Nick gave me some good advice.

Note: When we mean only one thing we say a piece of advice: Let me give you a piece of advice.

515 Information.

Don’t say: Can you give me any informations? Say: Can you give me any information?

Note: When we mean only one thing we say an item or a bit of information: He gave me a useful item of information.

516 Furniture.

Don’t say: Furnitures are often made of wood. Say: Furniture is often made of wood.

Note: Furniture is a singular noun and always takes a singular verb and pronoun. A piece of furniture means one thing only.

517 Luggage.

Don’t say: Her luggages are at the station. Say: Her luggage is at the station.

Note: Baggage, another word for luggage, can’t be used in the plural either: The baggage is ready for the train.

Confused words

518 Damage.

Don’t say: The fire caused many damages. Say; The fire caused much damage.

Note: The plural form damages denotes money paid to make good a loss: The insurance company paid the man damages.

519 Work.

Don’t say: Today I’ve many works to do. Say: Today l’ve a lot of work to do.

Note: The plural form works means a factory or the writings of an author: The works of Shakespeare are many, I visited the steel works.

520 Character.

Don’t say: The school builds good characters. Say: The school builds good character.

Note: The plural form characters denotes the letters of the alphabet or the people in a book or play.

521 Hair.

Don’t say: That man has long hairs. Say: That man has long hair.

Note: When we use hair to denote a single thread, the plural form is hairs: I found two long hairs in my food.

522 Bread.

Don’t say: Breads are sold at the baker’s. Say: Bread is sold at the baker’s.

Note: We can say a loaf of bread and loaves of bread: I bought a loaf (two, three, etc, loaves) of bread.

523 Fish.

Don’t say: Yesterday we had fishes for dinner. Say: Yesterday we had fish for dinner.

Note: Fish as food or in bulk (means large numbers) is always singular. We rarely, use the plural form (fishes) which denotes fish individually: I caught three small fishes.

524 Fruit. Don’t say: We didn’t have many fruits this summer. Say: We didn’t have much fruit this summer.

Note: We rarely use the plural form fruits which means different kinds of fruits: Cyprus produces oranges, apricots, and other fruits.

525 Grass.

Don’t say: The dog lay down on the grasses. Say: The dog lay down on the grass.

526 Dozen.

Don’t say: I want to buy three dozens eggs. Say: I want to buy three dozen eggs.

Note: (A dozen means 12): I’d like to buy a dozen eggs. When dozen isn’t preceded by a numeral (like three) or by a we use the plural form: There were dozens of eggs.

527 Hundred, etc.

Don’t say: The town has fifty thousands people. Say: The town has fifty thousand people.

Note: Hundred, thousand. and million take the plural form if they’re not preceded by a numeral or by a: Thousands of people were present.

528 Sheep.

Don’t say: Ten sheeps are grazing the field. Say: Ten sheep are grazing in the field.

Note: Sheep, deer, salmon, and a few other nouns have the same form for singular and plural. We say one sheep or ten sheep.

529 Knowledge.

Don’t say: Karen has good knowledges of history. Say: Karen has a good knowledge of history.

530 Progress. Don’t say: Tom has made great progresses. Say: Tom has made great progress.

531 Thunder and Lightning.

Don’t say: There were thunders and lightnings. Say: There was thunder and lightning.

Note: When only one thing is meant we say a clap of thunder and a flash or bolt of lightning.

532 Machinery.

Don’t say: They’re now using new machineries. Say: They’re now using new machinery.

Note: Machinery is a singular noun and always takes a singular verb and pronoun. We can say a piece of machinery or pieces of machinery.

533 Mathematics, etc. + singular verb.

Don’t say: Mathematics are not easy to learn. Say: Mathematics is not easy to learn.

Note: The names of sciences and subjects ending in -ics (like mathematics. physics, politics. gymnastics) generally take a singular verb.

534 Money + singular verb.

Don’t say: All her money are kept in the bank. Say: All her money is kept in the bank.

Note: Money is a singular noun and always takes a singular verb and pronoun.

535 News + singular verb.

Don’t say: I’m,g1ad that the news are good. Say: I’m glad that the news is good.

Note: News, though plural in form, always takes a singular verb. If only one thing is meant we say a piece or an item of news: This is a good piece of news.

536 Scissors, etc. + plural verb.

Don’t say: The scissor is lying on the table.

Say: The scissors are lying on the table.

Note: All names of things consisting of two parts (like scissors, trousers, spectacles, shears, pliers) take a plural verb. We can say: a pair of (scissors, etc.) is.

537 People -+ plural verb.

Don’t say: There is lots of people in the cinema. Say: There are lots of people in the cinema.

Note: People, meaning nation, is singular. The plural is peoples: The Greeks are a brave people, The peoples of Europe are often engaged in war.

538 Clothes + plural verb.

Don’t say: Your cloth is very fashionable. Say: Your clothes are very fashionable.

Note: Clotlh, meaning the material of which clothes are made, is singular, and has a plural form cloths (without the e): She cleaned the table with a cloth, Merchants sell different kinds of cloths.

539 Riches -+ plural verb.

Don’t s.ay:All her riches was stolen. Say: All her riches were stolen.

Note: Riches is a plural noun and always takes a plural verb.

540 Wages -+ plural verb.

Don’t say: Keith complains that his wage is low. Say: Keith complains that his wages are low.

Note: Wages is a plural noun and takes a plural verb. We say: a living wage.

541 Billiards.

Don’t say: Billiard is a very difficult game. Say: Billiards is a very difficult game.

Note: Billiards, draughts, darts are always plural, but are followed by verbs in the singular.

Confused words

542 Misuse of the adjective in the plural.

Don’t say: The rich have a duty to help the poors. I Say: The rich have a duty to help the poor.

Note: Adjectives can’t take the plural form, even when they’re used as nouns in the plural.

543 Misuse of as well as with a plural verb.

Don’t say: Tom as well as Mark are coming. Say: Tom as well as Mark is coming.

Two singular nouns Joined by as well as require the verb to be singular.

544 Misuse of all (means everything) with a plural verb.

Don’t say: Nothing’s left; all are lost. Say: Nothing’s left; all is lost.

All meaning everything, takes a singular verb, all meaning everybody, takes a plural verb: All of us are present.

545 Misuse of the plural before kind or sort.

Don’t say: I don’t like these kind of games. Say: I don’t like this kind of game. Or: I don’t like games of this kind.

Note: The demonstrative word (this/that etc.) must agree with its noun. In the example, kind is singular and so this must agree with it.

546 Misuse of the plural with the name of a language.

Don’t say: English are easier than German. Say: English is easier than German.

Names of languages are singular and always take a singular verb.

547 Misuse of one and parts of one with the singular. Don’t say: I read it in one and a half hour. Say: I read it in one and a half hours.

In English, use the plural with anything greater than one, even if it’s less than two.

Have another look at…

Singular and plural

1 We generally form the plural of nouns by adding s. -es or, when the noun ends in consonant y, -ies to the singular: book, books. church, churches. knife, knives. city, cities. journey, journeys.

2 The following nouns have irregular plurals:

Man, men

Woman, women

Child, children

OX, oxen

Tooth, teeth

Foot, feet

Goose, geese

Mouse, mice

3 We don’t use some nouns in the plural: advice, information, knowledge, news, progress, work, money, luggage, furniture, scenery, machinery or item.

Note: When only one thing is meant, we say a piece of advice or information, news, work and so on.

4 We don’t use some nouns in the singular: people, riches, clothes, wages, trousers, scissors, spectacles.

Note: We often use names of things consisting of two parts with the word pair: a pair of trousers (scissors, spectacles, etc.).

5 Some nouns have the same form for the singular as for the plural: sheep, deer, salmon.

Confused Words

548 Misuse of the singular with a collective noun of plurality.

Don’t say: The class was divided in its opinion. Say: The class were divided in their opinions.

A collectwe noun usually takes a sungular verb, but when It denotes the IndIvIdual members of the group and not the group as a whole use a plural verb.

549 The number and A number.

(a) The number.

Don’t say: The number of pupils are increasing. Say: The number of pupils is increasing.

(b) A number.

Don’t say: A number of pupils is absent today. Say: A number of pupils are absent today.

When we precede number by the it denotes a unit and is singular. When it’s preceded by a it means several or many and is plural.

550 Misuse of This for These.

Don’t say: This errors are sometimes made by foreigners.

Say: These errors are sometimes made by foreigners,

This changes to these if the noun that follows is in the plural.

Note: Also avord the use of this instead of the personal pronoun John had the book but he gave this to his brother should be John had the book but he nave it to his brother

551 Misuse of There is for There are.

Don’t say: There is some girls waiting outside. Say: There are some girls waiting outside.

There is changes to there are if the noun that follows Is the plural.

552 Misuse of You was for You were.

Don’t say: You was very foolish to do that. Say: You were very foolish to do that.

Was is singular and were is plural, but with the pronoun you, even when it’s singular in meaning, we always use were.

Note: In conditions and wishes we can use were with the singular: If I were you, I’d go, I wish I were rich.

553 Misuse of life, etc., for lives, etc.

Don’t say: Many people lost their life at sea. Say: Many people lost their lives at sea.

In English, we use words like life, heart, soul. body, mind in the plural when they refer to more than one person.

554 Agreement of number between noun and verb.

Don’t say: A large supply of toys are expected. Say: A large supply of toys is expected.

When the subject is singular, the verb must be singular and when the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. Take care when a plural noun comes between a singular subject and its verb, as in the example above.

Confusion of parts of speech

555 As and Like.

Don’t saiy: You don’t look as your mother. Say: You don’t look like your mother.

As is a conjunction, and is usually followed by a noun or pronoun in the nominative case. Like isn’t a conjunction, but an adjective which behaves like a preposition in being followed by a noun or pronoun in the objective case.

556 So and Such.

(a) So.

Don’t say: It’s such small that you can’t see it. Say: It’s so small that you can’t see it.

(b) Such.

Don’t say: I’ve never seen a so large animal before. Say: I’ve never seen such a large animal before.

So is an adverb, and must qualify an adjective or another adverb. Such is an adjective, and must qualify a noun.

557 No and Not.

(a) No.

Don’t say: I’ve not made any mistakes in dictation. Say: I’ve made no mistakes in dictation.

(b) Not.

Don’t say: I have made no any mistakes in dictation. Say: I haven’t or I have not made any mistakes in dictation.

We use no meaning not any, as an adjective to qualify the noun. If the noun is already qualified by an adjective, like any, much, enough, we must use the adverb not.

Note: We only use no as an adverb before a comparative: I have no more to say.

558 Fool and Foolish.

(a) Fool.

Don’t say: Anne said to me, ‘You’re fool.’ Say: Anne said to me, ‘You’re a fool.’

(b) Foolish.

Don’t say: Anne said to me, ‘You’re a foolish. Say: Anne said to me, ‘You’re foolish.

Fool is a noun, and requires the article when we use it with the verb to be. Foolish is an adjective, and can’t be used with the article after the verb to be.

Note: A fool or a foolish person doesn’t mean an insane person, but one who acts thoughtlessly We tend to use silly or stupid instead of foolish in modern usage,

559 Misuse of due to as a preposition.

Don’t say: William came late due to an accident. I Say: William came late because of an accident.

Don’t use due to as a preposition meaning because of. Due, as an adjective here, is used correctly only when it qualifies some noun: His delay was due to an accident.

560 Misuse of rest as an adjective.

Don’t say: I spent the rest day at home. Say: I spent the rest of the day at home.

Here, rest: is a noun, and we can’t use it as an adjective in the meaning of what’s left.

561 Misuse: of miser as an adjective.

Don’t say: Jill loved money; she was miser. Say: Jill loved money; she was a miser.

Miser is a noun, and we can’t use it as an adjective The adjective is miserly: She was miserly.

562 Misuse of opened as an adjective.

Don’t say: I found all the windows opened. Say: I found all the windows open.

The adjective is open: The past participle is opened: Somebody has opened all the windows.

563 Misuse of friendly as an adverb.

Don’t say: Andrew behaves friendly. I Say: Andrew behaves in a friendly way.

The adveirbial form is in a friendly way. Friendly is an adjective: a friendly game, to have friendly relations with one’s neighbours, etc.

564 Misuse of truth as an adjective.

Don’t say: Is it truth that Diana’s very ill? Say: Is it true that Diana’s very ill?

Truth isn’t an adjective but a noun. The adjective is true, and we use it with no article between it and the verb to be.

565 Misuse of plenty as an adjective.

Don’t say: Mike had plenty work to do. Say: Mike had plenty of work to do.

Plenty isn’t an adjective, but a noun meaning a large number or amount. The adjective is plentiful: Oranges are cheap now because they are plentiful.

566 Misuse of coward as an adjective.

Don’t say: She said, ‘You are a coward boy.’ Say: She said, ‘You are a coward.’

Coward (means one without courage) is the noun. The adjective is cowardly.

567 Misuse of others as an adjective.

Don’t say: The others boys aren’t here. Say: The other boys aren’t here.

Others isn’t an adjective but a pronoun. The adjective is other (without the s). We can say: The others aren’t here, omitting the noun boys.

568 Misuse of died for dead.

Don’t say: I think his grandfather is died. Say: I think his grandfather is dead.

Died is the past tense of die. The adjective is dead.

S69 Misuse of shoot for shot.

Don’t say: I had a good shoot at the goal. Say: I had a good shot at the goal.

Shoot (in footbali) is the verb. The noun is shot.

570 Misuse of it’s for its.

Don’t write: The bird was feeding it’s young. Write: The bird was feeding its young.

The possessive adjective its is correctly written without the apostrophe. So also hers, ours, yours, theirs, take no apostrophe.

571 Misuse of hot as a noun.

Don’t say: There’s much hot this summer. Say: It’s very hot this summer.

Hot is an adjective only, and we can’t use it as a noun. The noun is heat.

572 Misuse of pain as a verb.

Don’t say: I pain my leg or My leg is paining. Say: There’s (or I’ve got) a pain in my leg.

We generally use pain as a noun, and precede it by have or feel.

573 Misuse «of worth as a verb.

Don’t say: My bicycle worths £150. Say: My bicycle is worth £150.

Worth isn’t a verb, but an adjective.

574 Misuse of able as a verb.

Don’t say: The poor man doesn’t able to pay. Say: The poor man isn’t able to pay.

Able is an adjective, and we can’t use it as a verb

575 Misuse of afraid as a verb.

Don’t say: John doesn’t afraid of anybody. Say: John’s not afraid of anybody.

Afraid isn’t a verb but an adjective, and we generally use it with the verb to be.

576 Misuse of weight as a verb.

Don’t say: Have you weighted the letter? Say: Have you weighed the letter?

Weight is a noun and we can’t use it as a verb. The verb is weigh (without the t).

577 Misuse of good for well.

Don’t say: The goalkeeper plays very good. Say: The goalkeeper plays very well.

Good is an adjective only, and we can’t use it as an adverb.

578 Misuse of adjective for adverb.

Don’t say: The little girl sang beautiful. Say: The little girl sang beautifully.

We use an adverb, and not an adjective, to qualify a verb.

Note: After verbs such as look, feel, sound, taste, smell use an adjective instead of an adverb: Sugar tastes sweet (not sweetly).

579 Misuse of after for afterwards, etc.

Don’t say: After we went home for dinner. Say: Afterwards we went home for dinner.

After is a preposition and we must use it with an object. Aftenrvards, then, after that are adverbs of time and we can use them alone.

580 And the two, etc., used for both, etc.

Don’t say: I’ve seen and the two of them. Say: I’ve seen both of them.

Never say and the two instead of both. Also avoid and the three. four, etc. Say, all three, four. etc.

581 Misuse of and for also or too.

Don’t say: Let me do and the next exercise. Say: Let’s also do the next exercise.

Or: Let me do the next exercise too.

And is a coniunction, and can only join similar forms of speech: He came and sat down. We can’t use it instead of the adverbs also and too.

582 Misuse of and for even.

Don’t say: She doesn’t trust and her friends. Say: She doesn’t trust even her friends.

And is a conjunction only, and we can’t use it instead of the adverb even.

583 Misuse: of loose for lose.

Don’t say: Be careful not to loose your money.

Say: Be careful not to lose your money.

Lose (with one o) is the common verb meaning not to be able to find. Loose (with double o) is an adjective meaning unfastened. free: The horse was loose in the field.

584 Misuse of past for passed.

Don’t say: I past by your house yesterday. Say: I passed by your house yesterday.

Past isn’t a verb. The past tense and past participle of the verb to pass is passed.

Note: We can use past as a noun, Don’t think of the past an adjective, The past week was warm: a preposition, We walked past the church: an adverb, The train went past.