صفحات ۳۳ تا ۴۳

156 Using more good or more bad instead of better and worse.

Don’t say: This one looks more good than that.

Say: This one looks better than that.

The adjectives good and bad have rregular forms of comparison good: better, best and bad, worse, worst.

157 Using home instead of at home.

Don’t say: In the afternoon I stay home.

Say: In the afternoon I stay at home.

Use the phrase at home to mean in the house. With such verbs as come or go no preposition is necessary: He wants to go home.

158 Using from instead of one of or among.

Don’t, say: She is from the nicest girls I know.

Say: She is one of the nicest girls I know.

Avoid using from in the sense of one o f or among .

159 Using the passive infinitive (to be + past participle) instead of the active (to + infinitive).

Don’t say: English isn’t easy to be learned.

Say: English isn’t easy to learn.

The adjectives easy, difficult, hard, heavy ,good , etc., are generally followed by the active infinitive.

160 Using an intransitive verb in the passive form.

Don’t say: She was disappeared from the house.

Say: She disappeared from the house.

As a rule, don’t use intransitive verbs, like appear, seem, become, consist, in the passive form Intransitive verbs don’t have an object.

161 Mixing up one form of the verb with another.

Don’t say: It’s better to enjoy yourself when you’re young rather than wasting time worrying about the future.

Say: It’s better to enjoy yourself when you’re young than to waste time worrying about the future.

Don’t mix one form of the verb with another If the first verb in a comparison is m the infinitive, the second must also be in the infinitive.

162 Wrong sequence of moods.

Don’t say: If you would/’d do me this favour, I will/’ll be very grateful to you.

Say: If you would/’d do me this favour, I would/’d be very grateful to you.

Or: If you will/’ll do me this favour, I will/’d be very grateful to you.

163 The unrelated participle.

Don’t say: Being in a hurry, the door was left open.

Say: Being in a hurry, he left the door open.

Take care to provide the logical subject relating to the participle phrase In the sentence given, the logical subject to being in haste is he and not the door.

164 The question phrase isn’t it? misused.

Don’t say: He played well yesterday, isn’t it?

Say: He played well yesterday, didn’t he?

Use the question phrase isn’t it only when the preceding statement contains the word is: It is a hot day, isn’t it?

Note In this form of question, use the same tense and person as in the preceding statement and use the correct auxiliary if, however , the preceding statement is in the negative form, the question phrase omits not. We say:

1They are on holiday, aren’t they?

They aren’t on holiday, are they?

2 You speak English, don’t you?

You don’t Speak French; do you?

165 Misuse of the gerund to express purpose.

Don’t say: I come here for learning English.

Say: I come here to learn English.

Express purpose by using the infinitive, not the gerund.

166 Yes or No in answer to negative questions.

Question: Didn’t you see the game?

Answer: Yes, that is, I saw it. No, that is, I didn’t see it.

In answering negative questions, say Yes if the answer is an affirmation, and No if it’s a negative. That is, answer without any regard to the negative form of the question.

167 Using a double negative.

Don’t say: She says she’s not afraid of nobody.

Say: She says she’s not afraid of anybody.

Or: She says she’s afraid of nobody.

In English two negatives are equal to an affirmative statement. You should avoid using two negative words in the same clause when not is used, none change s to any, nothing to anything, nobody to anybody, no one to anyone, nowhere to anywhere, neither… nor to either or.

168 Using one time or two times instead of once or twice.

Don’t say: I was absent one time or two times.

Say: I was absent once or twice.

Use once and twice instead of one time and two times.

169 Using a day, etc., instead of one day, etc.

Don’t say: A day they went sight-seeing in Florence.

Say: One day they went sight-seeing in Florence.

Use one (not a or an) with day, night, morning, afternoon and evening, when the one means on a certain ….

170 Using the other day instead of She next day, etc.

Don’t say: David slept well and was better the other day.

Say: David slept well and was better the next day (or on the following day).

Note: The other day is an idiom meaning a few days ago, I met an old the other day

171 Using one and a half, instead of half past one, etc.

Don’t say: Lessons begin at eight and a half.

Say: Lessons begin at half past eight.

In telling time , say half past on e half past two, half past three, etc., .

172 Using as usually instead of as usual.

Don’t say: As usually, he left his pen at home.

Say: As usual, he left his pen at home.

173 Using according to my opinion instead of in my opinion.

Don’t say: According to my opinion, she’s right.

Say: In my opmion, she’s right.

Note: Avoid using the phrase as I think instead of I think Say: He’s lazy and I think he’ll fail, not as I think.

174 Using at the end instead of in the end.

Don’t say: At the end they reached the city.

Say: In the end they reached the city.

In the end means finally or at last at the end means at the farthest point or part: There’s an index at the end of this book. There’s a holiday at the end of this month.

175 Using under the rain instead of in the rain.

Don’t say: They played football under the rain.

Say: They played football in the rain.

Note: Also in the sun and in the shade: He ivas sitting in the sun or in the shade.

Have another look at …

Negatives

Express the negative in the present + past simple in one of two ways:

1 By putting not (n’t) after the verb. Use this method with the following twenty-one verbs.

am, is, are, was, were: have, has, had; shall, should; will, would, can, could; may, might; must; need; dare; ought … to; used … to.

Examples: I’m not ready. You mustn’t do that. He can’t write well. He oughtn’t to go.

In conversation, not is often shortened to n’t. We say don’t for do not, doesn’t for does not, didn’t for did not, hadn’t for had not, wouldn’t for would not, etc. (But we say shan’t for shall not, won’t for will not, can’t for cannot.)

2 Use do, does, did, with not and the present infinitive (without to). Use this method with all verbs except those twenty-one given above.

The word order is:

Subject + do (does, did) + not + infinitive.

Examples: I don’t go there very often. He doesn’t teach English.They didn’t see the game.

3 Use other words of negative meaning to express negatives: no, nobody, no one, nothing, nowhere.

Example: They know nothing or They do not (don’t) know anything.

176 Using the reason is because instead of the reason is that.

Don’t say: The reason is because I believe it.

Say: The reason is that I believe it.

The word reason denotes cause, therefore the reason is because is repetition: The correct idiorn is the reason is that …

177 Using a country instead of the country.

Don’t say: I spend my holidays in a country.

Say: I spend my holidays in the country.

A country is a place like France, India, or Egypt. The country is a rural area where there are no towns or cities.

178 Using if instead of whether.

Don’t say: I asked Paul if he was going.

Say: I asked Paul whether he was going.

Where or not is implied, use whether, not if. Unlike whether, if does not expect a Yes or No reply: I shall speake to him if he comes.

179 Using any for two, instead of either.

Don’t say: Any of these two books is good.

Say: Either of these two books is good.

Either means one or the other of two , any means one of three or more, Any of these books will do.

180 Using likes me instead of I like.

Don’t say: The cinema likes me very much.

Say: I like the cinema very much.

Note: The cinema appeals to me is correct , and means I like the cinema very much.

181 Using neither …or instead of neither … nor.

Don’t say: Sara speaks neither English or French.

Say: Sara speaks neither English nor French.

Remember Neither must be followed by nor and not by or. Either is followed by or: She drinks either orange juice or apple juice.

182 Using both in a negative sentence instead of neither.

Don’t nay: Both of them didn’t go to school today.

Say: Neither of them went to school today.

Remember Change both into neither in a negative sentence and use a positive verb.

183 Using also or too in a negative sentence instead of either.

Don’t say: Joe hasn’t come also or Joe hasn’t come too.

Say: Joe hasn’t come either.

Remember Change also or too into either in a negative sentence.

184 Using and in a negative sentence instead of or.

Don’t say: I don’t like red and orange. I want the blue one.

Say: I don’t like red or orange. I want the blue one.

The meaning of the first sentence is that you don’t like the two colours together. The intended meaning is that you don’t like either of them, even separately.

Note: If we Join clauses with different subjects we use and even after a negative: He didn’t write to me and I was worried.

185 Using still Using till instead of before or when.

Don’t say: I’d reached the school till the rain started.

Say: I’d reached the school before the rain started.

Or I’d reached the school when the rain started.

Before or when introduces a clause of time, if the verb of the main clause denotes an action completed before that of the time clause.

Un-English expressions

Mistakes often result from too close a translation into English of foreign idiomatic expressions. The following are examples of such mistakes:

186 Take an exam, not give an exam.

Don’t say: The pupil gave his exam. I Say: The pupil took his exam.

Note. The teacher gives or sets the exam. The student takes the exam or sits the exam.

187 To be right or wrong, not to have right or wrong.

Don’t say: You have right or You have wrong.

Say: You’re right or You’re wrong.

188 To be busy, not to have work.

Don’t say: I have much work this morning.

Say: I’m very busy this morning.

Note: We can say I have a lot of work to do this morning.

189 It’s cold, etc., not it has cold, etc.

Don’t say: It has cold this winter.

Say: It’s cold this winter.

190 Go for a walk, not make a walk.

Don’t say: We made a walk along the river.

Say; We went for a walk along the river.

Note: We can also say: We had a walk or We took a walk along the over.

191 Go for a ride on a bicycle, etc., not go for a walk on a bicycle, etc.

Don’t say: We went for a walk on our bicycles.

Say: We went for a ride on our bicycles.

Note: We ride on a bicycle, on horseback, etc., but we ride in a bus, train, or other public vehicle.

192 Mount or get on a horse, etc. not ride a horse, etc.

Don’t say: Peter rode his horse and went home.

Say: Peter got on his horse and rode home.

Note: To ride denotes a continuous action. To mount or to get on denotes a simple action.

193 Dismount or get off a horse, etc., not come down from a horse, etc.

Don’t say: They came down from their horses.

Say: They got off their horses.

Note We get out of a taxi oi a car: We get on or off the train, the bus, etc.

194 Go on foot, not go with the feet.

Don’t say: Shall we go there with the feet?

Say: Shall we go there on foot?

195 Take or have a shower, not make a shower.

Don’t say: I make a shower every morning.

Say: I take a shower every morning.

Or: I have a shower every morning.

Note: When speaking of the sea or the river, say to bathe, to have a bathe, to go for a bathe, to go bathing, to go for a swim or to go swimming.

196 Ask a question, not make a question.

Don’t say: Naomi made me several questions.

Say: Naomi asked me several questions.

197 Take an hour, not need an hour, etc.

Don’t say: I’ll need an hour to do that.

Say: It’ll take me an hour to do that.

198 Give a discount, not make a discount.

Don’t say: He made me a small discount.

Say: He gave me a small discount.

199 Take exercise, not make exercise.

Don’t say: You ought to make more exercise.

Say: You ought to take more exercise.

200 Give or deliver a lecture, not make a lecture.

Don’t say: He made an interesting lecture.

Say: He gave an interesting lecture.

Or: He delivered an interesting lecture.

Note: We say He made an interesting speech.

201 Say one’s prayers, not make or do one’s prayer.

Don’t say: I make my prayer before I go to bed.

Say: I say my prayers before 1 go to bed.

Note: To say grace is to ask God’s blessing before beginning a meal

202 Pretend, not make oneself that.

Don’t say: She makes herself that she knows.

Say: She pretends to know.

203 Have a dream, not see a dream.

Don’t say: I saw a strange dream last night.

Say: I had a strange dream last night.

I dreamt a strange dream last night.

204 Smoke a cigarette, etc., not drink a cigarette, etc.

Don’t say: He drinks too many cigarettes.

Say: He smokes too many cigarettes.

205 Make a mistake, not do a mistake.

Don’t say: I did one mistake in dictation.

Say: I made one mistake in dictation.

206 Tell or speak the truth, not say the truth.

Don’t say: Fiona always says the truth.

Say: Fiona always tells the truth.

Or: Fiona always speaks the truth.

Note: Also to tell a lie (no! to say a lie): He told me a lie.

207 See or watch a game, not to follow a game.

Don’t say: Did you follow the game?

Say: Did you see the game or watch the game?

Note: Avoid saying to follow the lesson when you mean to attend the class.

208 Turn (switch) the light on or off, not open or shut the light.

Don’t say: Please open the light(or shut) the light.

Say: Please turn on the light or turn off the light.

Or: Please switch on the light or switch off the light.

Note: We light, blow out or put out a lamp, a candle, or a fire.

209 Give an example, not bring an example.

Don’t say: Can you bring a better example?

Say: Can you give a better example?

210 Give a mark, not put a mark.

Don’t say: The teacher put me a good mark.

Say: The teacher gave me a good mark.

Note: Avoid to put a lesson, to put a goal. Say instead, to give a lesson , to scor e a goal .