صفحات ۶۶ تا ۷۶

312 Wrong use of the with names of days and months.

Don ‘t say: The Sunday can be a day of prayer. The December is the last month.

Say: Sunday can be a day of prayer. December is the last month.

Don’t use the definite article before the names of days and months.

Note: We say the Sunday before last, the December of 1940, etc.

313 Wrong use of the with man denoting the human race.

Don’t say: The man is born a sinner.

Say: Man is born a sinner.

Use man, denoting the human race, without the definite article. Also, mankind requires no article: Disease is the enemy of mankind.

314 Wrong use of the with school.

Don’t say: My sister goes to the school.

Say: My sister goes to school.

To go to school means to be a student, while to go to the school, means to visit the school.

Note: Similarly, to leave school means to stop being a student and to leave the schooll means to go away from the school premises.

315 Wrong use of the with church. Don’t say: On Sunday I go to the church. Say: On Sunday I go to church.

To go to clhurch means to go and pray; while to go to the church means to go and visit the church.

Note: Similarly, distinguish between go to bed and go to the bed, go to prison and go to the prison, go to market and go to the market, go to hospital and go to the hospital, sit at table and sit at the table.

316 Wrong use of the with nature. Don’t say: The nature is beautiful in spring. Say: Nature is beautiful in spring.

Note: Use the definite article if nature is used in other meanings: It is in the nature of a dog to be faithful.

317 Wrong use of the with society.

Don’t say: A thief is a danger to the society. Say: A thief is a danger to society.

Note: Use the definite article if society is used (1) in a particular sense: The society of the Greeks was based on freedom,’ (2) in the sense of companionship: I enjoy the society of my friends.

318 Wrong use of the in the phrase in future (from now on).

Don’t say: You must be careful in the future. Say: You must be careful in future.

Note: In the future means in the time to come: Nobody knows what will happen in the future.

319 Wrong use of the after Whose. Don’t say: The boy whose the father is ill has left. Say: The boy whose father is ill has left.

Don’t use the article after the relative determiner whose, because it takes the place of the article.

320 Wrong use of the indefinite article before work, etc.

Don’t say: Gillian has found a work at the bank. Say: Gillian has found work at the bank.

Don’t use the indefinite article before such words as work, fun, health, permission.

Have anotlher look at …

Definite article

As a rule, nouns in English take no article when used in a general sense, but if they’re used in a particular sense the articie is needed. Note the difference in the use or omission of the article:

1 With plural nouns: Horses are strong animals. The horses: in the field belong to the farmer.

2 With abstract nouns: Wisdom is a great virtue. The wisdom of Solomon was famous.

3 With material nouns: Water is necessary to life. The water in the kitchen is hot.

4 With days, months, and seasons: Summer is: a hot season. The summer of ‘99 was very hot.

5 With names of languages: English is spoken all over the world. The English she speaks is not correct.

6 With names of meals; Breakfast is at eight o’clock. The breakfast I had this morning was delicious.

7 With names of colours: Blue is my favourfie colour. The blue in that picture has faded.

Use of the infinitive

Mistakes are frequently made by using the infinitive without to after the following verbs, which do not require it.

321 Can + infinitive without to. Don’t say: My mother can to swim very well. Say: My mother can swim very well.

Note: Always write the negative form cannot as one word Alternatively, the short form can’t: Can be used informally.

322 Could + infinitive without to. Don’t say: I could not to see you yesterday. Say: I could not see you yesterday or I couldn’t see you yesterday.

323 May + infinitive without to. Don’t say: May I to visit you next weekend? Say: May I visit you next weekend?

324 Might + infinitive without to. Don’t say: He might to come in the morning. Say: He might come in the morning.

325 Must + infinitive without to. Don’t say: I must to see her at her office. Say: I must see her at her office.

326 Let + infinitive without to. Don’t say: Tom’s father would not let him to go out. Say: Tom’s father would not let him go out.

327 Make (means to force) + infinitive without to.

Don’t say: You can’t make Emma to understand. Say: You can’t make Emma understand.

328 See + infinitive without to. Don’t say: They saw him to leave the house. Say: They saw him leave the house.

Note: They saw him leaving the house is also correct.

329 Watch + infinitive -without to. Don’t say: I watched the girls to play hockey. Say: I watched the girls play hockey.

Note: I watched the girls playing hockey is also correct.

330 Hear + infinitive without to.

Don’t say: We heard him to speak in English. Say: We heard him speak in English.

Note: We heard him speaking in English is also correct.

331 Feel + infinitive without to.

Don’t say: I could feel her heart to beat. Say: I could feel her heart beat or I could feel her heart beating.

Note: If the verbs make, see, watch, hear, feel. are used in the passive, to must be used. He was seen to leave the house. He was heard to speak in English

Miscellaneous examples

332 Wrong repetition of subject.

Don’t say: My little brother he is at school.

Say: My little brother is at school.

Never repeat the subiect by using a pronoun atter the noun. My little brother and he denote the same person. Therefore, use one or the other as subject, but not both.

333 Wrong repetition of subject in a compound sentence.

Don’t say: I went to the market and I bought fruit. Say: I went to the market and bought fruit.

In a compound sentence, express the same subject once only and don’t repeat it before each verb, unless the sentence is long and complicated.

334 Wrong repetition of subject after an adjectival clause.

Don’t: say: David, who is a careless pupil, he lost his book. Say: David, who is a careless pupil, lost his book.

335 Wrong repetition of subject after a non—finite verb phrase.

Don’t say: Karen and Tom, having signed the register, they left the church.

Say: Karen and Tom, having signed the register, left the church.

336 Wrong use of personal pronoun in a relative clause.

Don’t say: The book which I lost it was new.

Say: The book which I lost was new.

Don’t use a personal pronoun as well as a relative in the relative clause if they both refer to the same noun. In the first sentence both which and it refer to book.

337 Wrong repetition of object.

Don’t say: The doctor I know him Very well. Say: I know the doctor very well.

In the sentence given, the words doctor and him denote one and the same object. Therefore, use either doctor or him, but not both in the same sentence.

In general we don’t put the object before the verb so the word order in the doctor I know him very well is also wrong.

338 Wrong repetition of object with infinitive. Don’t say: I bought an English book to read it. Say: I bought an English book to read.

Don’t repeat an object with an infinitive of purpose if the verb takes an object.

339 Wrong; use of that in direct speech.

Don’t say: She said that, ‘I’m sure to pass.’ Say: She said, ‘I’m sure to pass.’

We can’t use that in direct speech, ie. when we repeat the words that some other person has spoken without any change.

Note: In indirect speech we say: He said that he was sure to pass.

340 Using a double comparative.

Don’t say: He’s more stronger than John. Say: He’s stronger than John.

Double comparatives are incorrect: more stronger ought to be only stronger. However, we can say much stronger.

341 Misuse of adjectivesthat can’t be compared. Don’t say: My work is more perfect than his. Say: My work is superior to his.

Or: My work is better than his.

Certain adjectives can’t be compared: perfect, unique. preferable. supreme, right. correct. etc.

342 Return back used instead of return. Don’t say: She has returned back to school. Say: She has returned to school

Don’t use the word back with return. because return means to come back.

343 Begin from used instead of begin.

Don’t say: Exams begin from Thursday. Say: Exams begin on Thursday.

A thing can begin only at a point of time. The word can’t be, The word can’t be used to apply to the whole time during which a thing is being done.

344 Consider as used instead of consider.

Don’t say: Robert considers me as his best friend. Say: Robert considers me his best friend.

Don’t use as after the word consider, We say: He regards me as his best friend or Robert considers me to be his best friend.

345 For to used instead of to.

Don’t say: I came here for to learn English. Say: I came here to learn English.

346 From where used instead of where.

Don’t say: From where can I buy a good watch? Say: Where can I buy a good watch?

Where means at what place, while from where denotes the point of origin: From where do tourists come?

347 And etc. used instead of etc.

Don’t say: I, you, we, and etc. are pronouns. Say: I, you, we, etc., are pronouns.

Etc. is the short form of et cetera, a Latin phrase meaning and other things. The combination and etc. is wrong because it would mean and and other things.

Note: However, students are advised to avoid using etc. in an essay and to use phrases such as and other things, and so on instead.

348 So … so that instead of so that.

Don’t say: I’m so tired so that I can’t go.

Say: I’m so tired that I can’t go.

When so or such is completed by a clause of result, introduce the clause by that and not by so that.

349 From now and on used instead of from now on.

Don’t say: From now and on I’ll study hard. Say: From now on I’ll study hard.

The phrase from now and on is incorrect. Say, from now on.

350 Although yet used instead of although.

Don’t sazy: Although it’s raining, yet he’ll go. Say: Although it’s raining, he’ll go.

Although is the conjunction introducing the subordinate clause, and a second one (yet or still) isn’t required.

351 Go to home used instead of go home.

Don’t say: When school is over I go to home. Say: When school is over I go home.

The expression go home, The expressiongo to home is wrong. Say, l go home.

352 Using far with a phrase of definite distance.

Don’t say: Mary lives two miles far from here. Say: Mary lives two miles from here.

When we use a phrase of definite distance (like two miles) in a sentence, don’t use the word far. We can say, Mary lives two miles away.

Part 4

Misplaced words

Wrong position of adverbs

353 The adverb of definite time misplaced.

Don’t say: I last night went to the cinema.

Say: I went to the cinema last night.

Adverbs or adverbial phrases of definite time, like yesterday, today, tomorrow, last week, two months ago, are usually placed at the end of the sentence. If we want to emphasise the time, we put the adverb at the beginning: Yesterday I was very busy

Note: If there is more than one adverb of definite time in a sentence, put the more exact expression before the more general: He was born at two o’clock in the morning on April 12th 1942.

354 The adverb of indefinite time misplaced.

Don’t say: They come always to school by bus. Say: They always come to school by bus.

Place adverbs of indefinite time, like ever, never, always, often, seldom. soon, sometimes and the adverbs almost, scarcely, hardly, nearly, even, before the principal verb.

Note: With the verb to be place the adverb of indefinite time after the verb: They are always beautifully dressed.

355 The adverb of time placed before the adverb of place.

Don’t say: The builders will be tomorrow here. Say: The builders will be here tomorrow.

When using an adverb of time and an adverb of place together in a sentence, the adverb of place must come first.

356 The adverb misplaced with a transitive verb.

Don’t say: Janet wrote carefully her essay. Say: Janet wrote her essay carefully.

With a transitive verb, the adverb generally comes after the object.

Note: If, however, the object is long, the adverb may come after the transitive verb: She wrote carefully all the essays she had to do.

357 The adverb enough misplaced.

Don’t say: Is the room enough large for,you? Say: Is the room large enough for you?

Place the adverb enough after the word it qualities and not before.

Note: When enough is an adjective it comes before the noun. We have enough food for six people.

358 Not misplaced with a compound Verb.

Don’t say: I should have not gone. Say: I should not have gone.

Position not in a compound verb after the first auxiliary.

Note: With the present or perfect participle, place not at the beginning: Not having set the alarm, he was late for work. Not being rich, he couldn’t afford it.

359 Not misplaced with the negative infinitive.

Don’t say: I told Liz to not come on Monday. Say: I tolld Liz not to come on Monday.

Position not in the negative infinitive immediately before the word to, and nc after it.