Common Errors in English

1. Dr. P.SARAVANAKUMAR
Assistant Professor of English
Madurai.
Topic: Grammar is the Backbone of Speaking Skill
English Grammar

2. General Objectives
• To develop competency in Grammar
• To develop continuous writing
• To facilitate learning English
through Grammar
• To understand the roots of English
Grammar

3. Specific Objectives
• To help the learners understand and
enhance values.
• To train the learners to creatively
respond to grammar works.
• To develop information and
communication technology (ICT) skills
• To develop listening, speaking and
reading skills

4. Specific Objectives
• To make students face competitive
examinations with confidence
• To enable the students to speak clearly in
professional presentations
• To encourage students to think clearly,
and creatively to express themselves
effectively through oral communication

5. Teaching Learning Materials
1. Text Book
2. Chalk and Writing Board
3. Pictures
4. Real Objects
5. ICT Class Room

6. Parts of Speech
1. Noun
2. Pronoun
3. Verb
4. Adverb
5. Adjective
6. Preposition
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection

7. Spotting Errors
Some nouns always take a singular verb.
Scenery
• The scenery of Kashmir are enchanting.
Advice
• He has given advices.
Mathematics
• Mathematics are difficult subject.

8. • My father gave to me a gift.
• The cow gives to us milk.
• who broke to the chair? (change into passive voice)
• Open the door. (passive voice)
Spotting Errors

9. Uncountable Nouns (If you have to
indicate that the number of news, advice, information or
furniture is more than one.)
Information
Some information
Much information
A lot of information
Furniture
Some furniture
A lot of furniture
All the furniture
I have enough furniture
Advice
Some advice
A lot of advice
Plenty of advice
Money
Some money
Much money
A large amount of money
A lot of money
Plenty of money

10. Some nouns are singular in form, but they
are used as plural nouns and always take a
plural verb.
Example:
The cattle is grazing in the ground.
• The clergy is in the church.
• The people is good.
• The company is contributing economic growth
to the nation.

11. Some nouns are always used in
a plural form and always take a
plural verb.
• Trousers
Where is my trousers?
Spectacles
The spectacles is now a costly item.
Scissors
Scissors is the essential tool for tailoring.

12. There are some nouns that indicate length,
measure, money, weight and number. When
they are preceded by a numeral, they remain
unchanged in form.
• It is a three years degree course.
• I have ten dozens of shoes.
• I have eight hundreds in my wallet.

13. Some nouns have one meaning in the
singular and another in the plural.
Advice-counsel Advices- information
Good – wise Goods – property
Iron – metal Irons – chains
Air – atmosphere Airs – proud
Force - strength Forces – Army etc
Physic – medicine Physics – physical science
Work – job Works – factories
Quarter – one forth Quarters – houses
Wood – the hard material Woods – forest

14. There are some foreign plurals’ in
English, plurals of nouns borrowed
from other languages
Singular Plural
Alumnus Alumni
Octopus Octopi
Syllabus Syllabi
Bacterium Bacteria
Curriculum Curricula
Stadium Stadia
Criterion Criteria
Thesis Theses
Synopsis Synopses
Antenna antennae

15. People are often confused or they
commit mistakes in the use of certain
nouns.
• Cousin-brother or sister is wrong; cousin is correct.
Geetha is my cousin-sister.
• English teacher is wrong; the teacher of English is correct.
• Mr.Kumar is my English Teacher.
• Lecturership is wrong; Lectureship is correct
• There are twenty candidates for lecturership.

16. There are certain common errors
which should be avoided
• An infinitive verb should not be split.
• I request you to kindly help me.
• Care should be taken in the use of verbs.
• He told the truth.
• Do not speak a lie.
• I tell my prayers in the morning.

17. Adverb ‘as’ is not used with verbs like
appointed, elected, considered, called but it
is used with regard.
• He was elected as President of our
society.
• I regard Ramesh my friend.

18. Example
He saw that the clock has stopped.
He saw that the clock stopped.
A past tense in the main clause is followed
by a past tense in the subordinate clause.

19. A Future tense in the main clause is
followed by a Present tense in the
subordinate clause.
Example
If you study well, you pass.
If you study well, you will pass.

20. Cent per cent and word by word are
wrong. Hundred per cent and word for
word are correct expressions.
Examples
You are never cent per cent sure of your success in a competitive
examination.
You are never hundred per cent sure of your success in a competitive
examination.
I can reproduce this lesson word by word.
I can reproduce this lesson word for word.

21. The following verbs are always followed by
an infinitive
Decide, Refuse Plan, Expect
Fail, Hope Learn, Want
Agree Promise, Try...
Example
I refuse meeting him.
I refuse to meet him.

22. The following verbs and phrases should be followed
by a gerund which is verbal noun.
Enjoy, Admit, Stop,
Avoid, Help, do not mind,
Appreciate, Consider,. looking forward to,
regret, help, Is used to
Eg. I am looking forward to receive your reply.
I am looking forward to receiving your reply.
He is used to work hard.
He is used to working hard.

23. If two subjects are joined by either...or,
neither ...nor, the verb agrees with the subject
that is near.
Example
Either Ramesh or I are to do this work.
Either Ramesh or I am to do this work
Neither he nor his friends is reading.
Neither he nor his friends are reading.

24. When as well as, along with, togetherr with, in
addition to, and with join two subjects the
verb will be the first subject.
Example
Kumar, as well as his ten friends, are going to temple.
Kumar, as well as his ten friends, is going to temple.
The teacher, along with the students, were going to the historical tour.
The teacher, along with the students, was going to the historical tour.

25. Some is used as affirmative sentence to
express quantity or degree. Any is used in
negative or interrogative sentences.
Example
I shall buy some apples.
I shall not buy any apples.
Have you bought any apples?
but SOME may be correctly used in interrogative sentences which are, in
fact, requests.
Will you please give me some milk?