صفحات ۴۴ تا ۵۴

211 Set a watch by, not put a watch with.

Don’t say: I put my watch with the radio news.

Say: I set my watch by the radio news.

212 A watch is slow or fast, not goes behind or in front.

Don’t say: My watch goes two minutes behind.

Say: My watch is two minutes slow.

Note: We can also say My watch loses or gains

213 Show a film, not play a film.

Don’t say: This film will be played shortly.

Say: This film will be shown shortly.

214 Have one’s hair cut, not cut one’s hair.

Don’t say: I’m going to cut my hair.

Say: I’m going to have my hair cut.

Note: Avoid I’ll make a pair of (shoes or a suit of clothes). Say instead: I’ll have a pair of shoes (or a suit of clothes) made.

215 Learn by heart, not learn from out.

Don’t say: We have a poem to learn from out.

Say: We have a poem to learn by heart.

216 Put on weight, not put weight.

Don’t say: I’ve put at least three kilos.

Say: I’ve put on at least three kilos.

Note: The opposite of to put on weight is to lose weight: She has lost five kilos

217 It works miracles, not it makes miracles.

Don’t Soy: That medicine makes miracles.

Say: That medicine works miracles.

218 Getting on with, not going with.

Don’t say: How is Susan going with her work?

Say: How is Susan getting on with her work?

219 This morning, etc., not today morning, etc.

Don’t say: I haven’t seen him today morning.

Say: I haven’t seen him this morning.

Note: Avoid today morning, today afferncon, today evening, yesterday night, this night. Say: this morning , this afternoon , this evening , last night, tonight.

220 Quietly, not slowly, slowly.

Don’t say: The boy came in slowly, slowly.

Say: The boy came in quietly.

221 What’s the matter not What have you?

Don’t say: What have you today?

Say: What’s the matter with you today?

Note What’s wrong (with you)?, What’s the trouble (with you) ? and What’s the problem? are also correct.

222 What do you call …? not How do you call.

Don’t say: How do you call this in English?

Say: What do you call this in English?

Note: If the question isn’t about a thing, but about some expression, we’d say. How do you say this in English ?

Incorrect omissions

Omission of prepositions

The following are examples of mistakes made through the omission of the preposition after certain words:

223 Ask for a thing, not ask a thing.

Don’t say: She came and asked my book.

Say: She came and asked for my book.

224 Dispose or get rid of a thing, not dispose or get rid a thing.

Don’t say: He will dispose all his property.

Say: He’ll dispose rid of all his property.

225 Dream of a thing, not dream a thing.

Don’t say: Young men dream glory and riches.

Say: Young men dream of glory and riches.

226 Explain to a person, not explain a person.

Don’t say: She explained me the matter.

Say: She explained the matter to me.

227 Knock at the door, not knock the door.

Don’t say: Who is knocking the door?

Say: Who is knocking at the door?

228 Listen to a person or thing, not listen a person or thing.

Don’t say: They were listening the music.

Say: They were listening to the music.

229 Pay for a thing, not pay a thing.

Don’t say: How much did you pay the book?

Say: How much did you pay for the book?

Note. A person can pay another person: He or She can also pay a bill, an account, or a subscription: He or She pays for a thing that he or she buys 230 Point to or at a person or thing, not point a person or thing.

Don’t say: He pointed the map on the wall.

Say: He pointed to the map on the wall.

Or: He pointed at the map on the wall.

Note: Also point out: He pointed out the boy who did it. To point (without any preposition) means to direct: Don’t point the gun this way.

231 Remind a person of something, not remind a person something.

Don’t say: Please remind me that later.

Say: Please remind me of that later.

232 Reply to a person, not reply a person.

Don’t say: She’s not replied me yet,

Say: She’s not replied to me yet.

233 Say to a person, not say a person.

Don’t say: Kevin said me, Come tomorrow.

Say: Kevin said to me, ‘Come tomorrow.’

234 Search for a lost thing, not search a lost thing.

Don’t say: They’re searching the ball.

Say: They’re searching for the ball.

Note: In search of: The wolf goes in search of sheep. To search someone or something (without the for ) means to look in one’s pockets or house: The policeman searched the man and his house.

235 Share with a person, not share a person.

Don’t say: My friend shared me his book.

Say: My friend shared his book with me.

236 Speak to a person, not speak a person.

Don’t say: I’ll speak him about that.

Say: I’ll speak to him about that.

Note : I’ll speak to him means I’ll do all the speaking; I’ll speak with him means I’ll have a conversation with him.

237 Supply a person with something, not supply a person something.

Don’t say: Can you supply me all I need?

Say: Can you supply me with all I need?

Note : Also provide a person with: She provided her son with all he needed.

238 Think of a person or thing, not think a person or thing.

Don’t say: Think a number and then double it.

Say: Think of a number and then double it.

239 Wait for a person or thing, not wait a person or thing.

Don’t say: I’ll wait you at the cinema.

Say: I’ll wait for you at the cinema.

Note. Await takes no preposition: I’m awaiting your reply.

240 Wish for a thing, not wish a thing.

Don’t say: He doesn’t wish any reward.

Say: He doesn’t wish for any reward.

241 Write to a person, not write a person.

Don’t say: I’ll write her tomorrow.

Say: I’ll write to her tomorrow.

Note: When the direct object of write is expressed, omit the preposition I’ll write him a letter.

Miscellaneous examples:

242 The -s or -es of the third person singular omitted.

Don’t say: He speak English very well.

Say: He speaks English very well.

Take great care not to leave out the -s or -es from the present tense, when the subject is he, she, it, or a noun in the singular.

243 Using don’t instead of doesn’t.

Don’t say: He don’t care what he says.

Say: He doesn’t care what he says.

Use don’t (means do not) with I, we , you, they, and with plural nouns. Use doesn’t (means does not) with he, she, it, and with singular nouns.

244 The -d or -ed of the past tense omitted.

Don’t say: I receive a letter yesterday.

Say: I received a letter yesterday.

Take care not to leave out the -d or -ed from the past tense of regular verbs.

When speaking, pronounce the ending of the past tense clearly.

have another look at …

Third person singular, simple present

1 With the pronouns he, she, it, or any singular noun, the verb in the present tense takes a special ending, -s, -es or -ies: he works, it catches, the sun rises, she worries.

2 When the first person of the verb ends in s, x, ch, sh, or o, the third person singular takes -es: I watch, he watches. I finish, he finishes. I fix, he fixes. I go, he goes.

3 When the first person of the verb ends in -y with a consonant before it, form the third person singular by changing y into ies:

I carry. he carries. I study. he studies. I fly. he flies

Note : If ther e is a vowe l before the -y, we only adds for the third person singular : he plays, he enjoys, he obeys.

4 A few verbs are irregular in the third person singular: I am. he is. I have. he has

5 Modal verbs such as will, can, may, must, and ought do notchange their form in the third person singular: I will. he will. I can. he can. I may. he may. I must. he must

Remember: The third person singular of verbs in the present tense takes -s, -es or -ies.

245 The -s, -es or -ies of the plural form omitted.

Don’t say: I paid six pound for the book.

Say: I paid six pounds for the book.

Take care not to leave out the -s, -es or -ies of the plural number.

Note: the following nouns have irregular plurals, man, men; woman, women; child, children; ox, oxen; foot, feet; tooth, teeth; goose, geese; mouse, mice.

246 The possessive ending omitted.

Don’t say: A hen’s egg is different from a pigeon.

Say: A hen’s egg is different from a pigeon’s.

If the first noun in a comparison is in the possessive case, the second must also be in the possessive: My mother’s nose is bigger than my father’s.

247 Omission of the article before a countable noun in the singular.

Don’t say: I’ve no money to buy car.

Say: I’ve no money to buy a car.

As a rule, use either the or a or an before a countable noun in the singular.

248 Omission of a or an after the verb to be.

Don’t say: I’m not teacher, I’m student.

Say: I’m not a teacher, I’m a student.

Use the indefinite article a or an to express a singular noun-complement of the verb to be: There’s an animal in there. It’s a mouse.

249 Omission of a or an after the word half.

Don’t say: He drank half glass of milk.

Say: He drank half a glass of milk.

Note: Half a glas s (an hour , a day , a mile , etc.) is the shortened form of half o f a glass (of an hour , of a day , of a mile , etc ).

250 Omission of a or one before hundred, etc.

Don’t say: Hundred years make a century.

Say: A hundred years make a century.

Or: One hundred years make a century.

Use the indefinite article a or the numeral one before hundred and thousand.

See also Section 527.

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

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

Say: I told them not to make a noise.

Note: Also to make a mistake, to make a fortune, to make a will, to make an impression, to make an experiment, to make an attempt.

252 Omission of the before names of nationalities.

Don’t say: English are fond of sports.

Say: The English are fond of sports.

Place the definite article before the names of nationalities, describing a people collectively the British, the French, the Dutch, the Swiss, the Chinese, the Sudanese, etc.

253 Omission of the before names of musical instruments.

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

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

Use the definite article before the names of musical instruments.

254 Omission of the before the word cinema, etc.

Don’t say: On Saturday I go to cinema.

Say: On Saturday I go to the cinema.

Use definite article before the words cinema, theatre, concert, etc.

255 Omission of the verb to be from the passive.

Don’t say: Charles Dickens born in 1812.

Say: Charles Dickens was born in 1812.

Form the passive form by using the verb to be, combined with the past participle of the verb required (to be + past participle).

Have another look at…

Indefinite article

Use the indefinite article:

1 Before every common noun in the singular, if it isn’t preceded by the or some word such as this, that, my, his: I bought a new book (not: I bought new book).

2 Before the words hundred and thousand: A hundred soldiers were in the camp.

3 After the verb to be when a countable noun in the singular follows; Mary’s father is a lawyer.

4 In certain phrases: to make a noise, a mistake, a fortune, an impression; to have a headache, a pain, a cold, a cough.

Don’t use the indefinite article:

1 Before singular nouns that aren’t used in the plural, such as advice, information, work, furniture, bread.

Example: He gave me good advice (not: a good advice).

2 After the phrase kind of or sort of: What kind of pen do you want?

a, an or one

Many languages use the numeral one instead of the indefinite article a or an. This is not so in English.

One man went into one shop ought to be A man went into a shop. One is used only when the number is emphatic: One swallow does not make a summer.

256 Omission of the auxiliary do from questions.

Don’t say: You understand the problem?

He understands the problem?

She understood the problem?

Say: Do you understand the problem?

Does he understand the problem?

Did she understand the problem?

Place the auxiliary verb do (does, did) before the subject to ask questions in the simple present and simple past tenses.

Note: Don’t use the auxiliary do with modal verbs, like can, may, must: Can you meet me tomorrow?

257 Omission of auxiliary do when do is a principal verb.

Don’t say: Do pupils their work carefully?

Say: Do pupils do their work carefully?

In the correct form of the sentence, the first do means nothing on its ow n and only helps to make the question. The second do is the principal verb of the sentence, and has the meaning of perform.

258 Omission of the preposition indicating time.

Don’t say: I was born the third of December.

Say: I was born on the third of December.

As a rule, don’t use a noun without a preposition to show the time of some action.

Note: Don’t use a preposition with last year, next year, some day, one day, this afternoon, etc.

259 Omission of the preposition after the infinitive.

Don’t say: They’ve no houses to live.

Say: They’ve no houses to live in.

The infinitive of an intransitive verb (like live, etc.): it must have a preposition after it.