صفحات ۵۵ تا ۶۵

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Verb TO BE

Present Tense: I am/’m, you are/’re, he (she, it) is/’s; We, you, they are/’re.

Past Tense: I was, you were, he (she, it) was; We, you, they were.

Future Tense: I, you, he (she, it) will/’ll be; We, you, they will/’ll be.

Present Perfect: I, you, have/’ve been, he (she, it) has/’s been; We, you. they have/’ve been.

Past Perfect: I, you, he (she, it) had/’d been; We, you, they had/’d been.

Future Perfect: I, you, he (she, it) will/’ll have been; We, you, they will/’ll have been.

Uses of the verb TO BE as auxiliary

Use the verb to be:

1 With the Present Participle to form the Continuous Tenses.

To be + Present Participle

Example: The sun was shining in the sky.

2 With the Past Participle to form the Passive Form.

To be + Past Participle

Example: The letter was written by John.

260 Omission of there as an introductory word.

Don’t say: Once lived a great king.

Say: Once there or There once lived a great king.

261 Omission of how after the verb to know.

Don’t say: She knows to play the piano.

Say: She knows how to play the piano.

After the verb to know the adverb how always comes before an infinitive.

262 Omission of other after a comparative.

Don’t say: Homer was greater than all the Greek poets.

Say: Homer was greater than all the other Greek poets.

Since Homer was a Greek poet, the first sentence makes him greater than himself, whic h is illogical.

263 Omission of before in comparisons.

Don’t say: I’d never seen such a thing.

Say: I’d never seen such a thing before.

Don’t leave out the word before in making a comparison between one thing and all others of the same kind.

264 Omission of else after everybody, etc.

Don’t say: She is stronger than everybody.

Say: She is stronger than everybody else.

Use the word else in making a comparison between one person or thing and all others of the same kind after everybody, anybody, anything, etc.

265 Omission of the demonstrative pronoun one.

Don’t say: This is the only that I like.

Say: This is the only one that I like.

Use the demonstrative pronoun one (plural ones* in place of a noun mentioned before.

266 Omission of the personal pronoun before the infinitive.

Don’t say: I want to tell me the truth.

Say: I want you to tell me the truth.

Express the subject of the infinitive after verbs like want, like, wish, etc , if it is different from that of the main verb.

267 Omission of it as subject of an impersonal verb.

Don’t say: Is very hot in the Sudan.

Say: It’s very hot in the Sudan.

Use the pronoun it as the subject of an impersonal verb

268 Omission of the pronoun subject from the principal clause.

Don’t say: When he saw the teacher, stood up.

Say: When he saw the teacher, he stood up.

In a sentence beginning with an adverbial clause, express the personal pronoun as the subject of the main clause.

269 Omission of the personal pronoun after a quotation.

Don’t say: ‘I’m learning English,’ said.

Say: ‘I’m learning English,’ he said.

After a quotation, express the personal pronoun as the subject of the reporting verb

270 The object of the transitive verb omitted.

Don’t say: I asked her for some paper, but she had not.

Say: I asked her for some paper, but she had none or but she didn’t have any.

As a rule, every transitive verb must have an expressed object here, none (equivalent to not any) is the object of had.

271 Omission of the direct object when there are two objects.

Don’t say: I asked him for some ink, and he gave me.

Say: I asked him for some ink, and he gave me some.

Some transitive verbs, like give, bring, send, tell, buy, show, must have two expressed objects, direct and indirect here, some is the direct object of gave.

272 The object of the verb enjoy omitted.

Don’t say: I enjoyed during the holidays.

Say: I enjoyed myself during the holidays.

Or: I enjoyed my holidays.

Don’t follow the verb enjoy by a preposition. It must always have an object, which may either be a reflexive pronoun or a noun.

Note: We say I had a good time, as this is an idiomatic expression, but we can’t say I enjoyed my time. We must specify.I enpyed my time in Greece.

273 Omission of the noun after an adjective.

Don’t say: The unfortunate was shot dead.

Say: The unfortunate man was shot dead.

The noun that comes after an adjective can’t be understood; it must be expressed

Note: Omit the noun after an adjective only when the adjective is used as a noun in the plural: The poor envy the rich.

274 Omission of the word and between numbers.

Don’t say: Eight thousand thirty-seven.

Say: Eight thousand and thirty-seven.

Use the conjunction and to connect hundred, thousand, million to a number of tens or units

275 Omission of the word or between numbers.

Don’t say: I’ve only two, three friends.

Say: I’ve only two or three friends.

We must always insert the conjunction or between numbers like this two or three men, five or six pages, eight or ten days.

276 Omission of the word old from age.

Don’t say: My sister is fifteen years.

Say: My sister is fifteen years old.

Note: We can also say My sister is fifteen years of age, or Simply, My sister is fifteen.

277 For this used instead of for this reason.

Don’t say: For this he wants to leave.

Say: For this reason he wants to leave.

The phrase for this is incorrect. Say for this reason or for that reason Also owing to that or because of that

278 Better used instead of had better.

Don’t say: Better go home at once.

Say: You’d better go home at once.

The correct phrase is had better. You had better go means it would be a good thing for you to go.

279 Up and down used instead of upstairs and downstairs.

Don’t say: He’s up, he’s down.

Say: He’s upstairs, he’s downstairs.

He’s up means he’s out of bed. He’s upstairs or (downstairs) means he’s on the upper (lower ) floor of the building.

280 Throw it used instead of throw it away.

Don’t say: It’s dirty, throw it.

Say: It’s dirty, throw it away.

Throw it means to throw a thing at someone or somewhere, such as a ball.

Throw it away means to get rid of it by throwing it aside.

281 I don’t think used instead of I don’t think so.

Don’t say: I don’t think.

Say: I don’t think so.

I don’t think means I don’t use my brains, while I don’t think so means I am not of that opinion.

282 Before yesterday, etc., used instead of the day before yesterday, etc.

Don’t say: Lynne arrived before yesterday.

Say: Lynne arrived the day before yesterday.

The phrases before yesterday after tomorrow, after next week are incorrect. Say instead, the day before yesterday, the day after tomorrow, the week after next.

283 Thank you used instead of No, thank you.

Don’t say: Thank you (if you want to refuse an offer).

Say: No, thank you.

Note Use thank you to accept an offer, it generally mean; Yes, piease.

Part 3

Unnecessary words

Unnecessary prepositions

The words below do not require a preposition to go with them because they have within them the meaning of the preposition.

284 Answer (means reply to).

Don’t say: Please answer to my question.

Say: Please answer my question.

Note: The noun answer takes to. His answer to my question was wrong.

285 Approach (means come near to).

Don’t say: Don’t approach to that house.

Say: Don’t approach that house.

286 Ask (means put a question to).

Don’t say: I asked to the teacher about it.

Say: I asked the teacher about it.

287 Attack (means go and fight against).

Don’t say: They attacked against the enemy.

Say: They attacked the enemy.

Note: We say, to make an attack on: They made an attack on the enemy.

288 Comprise (means consist of).

Don’t say: The book comprises of five chapters.

Say: The book comprises five chapters.

Or: The book is comprised of five chapters.

289 Enter (means go into).

Don’t say: We entered into the classroom.

Say: We entered the classroom.

Note: We enter into a conversation, a debate, or a discussion.

290 Finish (means come to the end of).

Don’t say: I’ve finished from my work.

Say: I’ve finished my work.

291 Leave (means depart from).

Don’t say: Brian left from England last week.

Say: Brian left England last week.

292 Obey (means act according to).

Don’t say: We should obey to our teachers.

Say: We should obey our teachers.

293 Allow (to) or let (means give permission to).

Don’t say: The driver allowed to John (to) sit in the front seat.

Say: The driver allowed John (to) sit in the front seat.

Note: Permit has a similar meaning to let, Though it’s used in more formal situations: The teacher doesn’t permit us to talk in class.

294 Reach (means arrive at).

Don’t say: We reached at the’school early.

Say: We reached the school early.

295 Resemble (means be similar to).

Don’t say: Does she resemble to her father?

Say: Does she resemble her father?

Note: resemblance takes to or between. She bears no resemblance to her father: There is no resemblance between them.

296 Tell (means say to).

Don’t say: I told to him to come at once.

Say: I told him to come at once.

297 Behind (means at the back of).

Don’t say: Edward hid behind of a large tree.

Say: Edward hid behind a large tree.

298 Inside (means in the interior of).

Don’t say: The boys went inside of the room.

Say: The boys went inside the room.

299 Outside (means on the exterior of).

Don’t say:They stood outside of the door.

Say: They stood outside the door.

300 Round (means on all sides of).

Don’t say: The earth goes round of the sun.

Say: The earth goes round the sun.

Note: Around is similar in meaning and use to round

Unnecessary articles

301 Wrong use of the with proper nouns.

Don’t say: The Sarah will go to the England.

Say: Sarah will go to England.

Don’t use the definite article with proper nouns .

Note: Generally place the before the name s of rivers, seas, oceans , bays, gulfs, mountain ranges , groups of islands, and countries or provinces consisting of an adjective and a noun. We say: the Nile, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay, the Persian Gulf, the Alps, the Dodecanese, the United States, the Central Provinces of India.

302 Wrong use of the with proper nouns in the possessive.

Don’t say: The Euripides’ tragedies are famous.

Say: Euripides’ tragedies are famous.

Don’t use the definite article with proper nouns in the possessive case.

Note: If the name ends in an or x or is difficult to pronounce with the extra syllable’s we omit the final s: Maria Callas’ voice is divine.

303 Wrong use of the with abstract nouns.

Don’t say: The bravery is a great virtue.

Say: Bravery is a great virtue.

Abstract nouns, if used in a general sense, can’t take the article.

Note: Abstract nouns, used in a particular sense, use the article: The bravery of the Spartans was renowned.

304 Wrong use of the with material nouns.

Don’t say: The gold is a precious metal.

Say: Gold is a precious metal.

Don’t use any article with material nouns, if used in a general sense.

Note: Material nouns , used in a particular sense, require the definite article: The coal from the Midlands is exported to many countries.

305 Wrong use of the with plural nouns used in a general sense.

Don’t say: The dogs are faithful animals.

Say: Dogs are faithful animals.

Omit the definite article before common nouns in the plural if used in a general sense.

306 Wrong use of the with names of languages.

Don’t use: Tim speaks the English very well.

Say: Tim speaks English very well.

Never use the definite article before the names of languages.

Note: We can say: He speaks the English language very well.

307 Wrong use of the with names of meals.

Don’t say: We’ll start after the breakfast.

Say: We’ll start after breakfast.

Don’t use the definite article before the name s of meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper unless you are referring to a particular meal: The lunch they provided was excellent.

308 Wrong use of the with names of games.

Don’t say: My favourite game is the football.

Say: My favourite game is football.

Don’t use an article before the names of games like football, hockey, tennis, cricket, volley-ball, basketball.

309 Wrong use of the with names of diseases.

Don’t say: The cholera is a dreadful disease.

Say: Cholera is a dreadful disease.

As a rule, don’t use the definite article before the name s of diseases.

Note: The indefinite article is needed with common names of illnesses: I was suffering from a cold (a fever, a cough, a headache).

310 Wrong use of the with names of colours.

Don’t say: The green is a beautiful colour.

Say: Green is a beautiful colour.

Don’t use the definite article before the names of colours when used as nouns.

311 Wrong use of the with the names of the senses.

Don’t say: The sight is one of the five senses.

Say: Sight is one of the five senses.

Don’t use an article before the name s of the five senses: sight, smeil, hearing, taste and touch.