The document discusses common errors in English grammar, including errors with modifiers, adverbs, pronouns, and commonly confused words. Modifier errors include misplaced modifiers, squinting modifiers, and dangling modifiers. Adverb errors involve incorrectly placing adverbs before verbs or at the end of sentences. Pronoun errors occur with subject and object cases. Commonly confused words are defined, like accept/except, there/their, and discrete/discreet.

1. Common Errors

2. Most common errors
1. Error in using Modifiers
2. Adverb Errors
3. Error in Pronoun cases
4. Commonly confused words

3. What are Modifiers?
Modifiers are a group of words that add
information about a noun or verb.
Eg.:
1. The patients with cough and fever, are placed in isolation.
The phrase, “with cough and fever” specifies the noun “The
patients.” It is a modifier, pin-pointing a certain type of patients.
2. People get infected when they come in contact with a Covid-19 patient.
“Get infected” is a verb. “when…patient” is a modifier, adding
time-information to the verb.

4. Error in Modifier Usage
3 types of modifier-errors:
1. Misplaced Modifier
2. Squinting Modifier
3. Dangling Modifier
The above errors cause Semantic Barrier; i.e.
two different interpretations of a sentence.

5. Type 1. Misplaced Modifier
The error of misplaced modifier means error of not
placing the modifier next to its noun.
Eg.:
1.There was a cow grazing the grass that was white.
Correct: A cow that was white, was grazing the grass.
2. The man picked up the cat with a cigar in his mouth.
Correct: The man with a cigar in his mouth, picked
up the cat.

6. Type 2: Squinting modifier
When one modifier appears to support two verbs, then
we have squinting modifier.
Eg.:
Teacher promised students after the class he will order pizzas.
Here, “After the class” can support
Either “Teachers promised students”
Or “he will order pizzas.

7. Type 2: Squinting modifier
In first case, it means, after the class got over, teacher
made that promise.
The teacher promised after the class, he will order pizzas
(someday).
In second case, it means that once that particular class
gets over, the same day, teacher will order pizzas.
The teacher promised, after the class he will order pizzas.
So, placing a comma helps correct a squinting modifier.

8. Type 3: Dangling Modifier
Sometimes, modifiers are just awkward. They
support no word.
Eg.: When 6 years old, Grandma taught me to paint.
“When 6 years old”—who? Grandma? Me? Not clear.
Correct form:
When I was 6 years old, Grandma taught me to paint.
Modifiers starting with WH- questions, V3 and –ing verbs, are
generally Dangling Modifiers.

9. Dangling modifiers: More Examples
a. While talking to my friend, the cat ran away.
Correct: While I was talking to my friend, the cat ran away.
b. While taking a bath, an idea struck me.
Correct: While I was taking a bath, an idea struck me.
c. Sold all over the country, the ladies became famous for
Lijjat Papad.
Correct: The ladies became famous for Lijjat Papad which was
sold all over the country.
d. Charged of murder, the police arrested the man.
Correct: The police arrested the man who was charged of
murder.

10. Error in Adverbs

11. Error of Adverbs
By placing
Adverbs before
verbs
By placing
adverbs of
frequency in the
end
By placing adverbs
of place in the
beginning
Error in using
‘No sooner’
structure

12. Placing the adverb before the verb
It was heavily raining.
Correct: It was raining heavily.
I quickly crossed the road.
Correct: I crossed the road quickly.

13. ii. Error of placing
Frequency-Adverbs at the end.
Frequency-adverbs answer ‘how often a thing
happens’, like ‘hardly’, ‘never’, ‘often’, etc.]
I miss my home hardly.
I hardly miss my home.
I visit my home frequently.
I frequently visit my home.
Time-Frequency:
Before verb

14. iii. Error of placing Direction-adverbs
in the beginning
When we talk direction, we point a finger.
So, the direction-adverbs should come after the
verb, in the end.
Everywhere there is talk about Pulwama.
There is talk about Pulwama everywhere.
Nowhere you will find a boy like me.
You will find a boy like me nowhere.

15. iv. Error in writing ‘No sooner’ structure.
• ‘No sooner’ is always followed by ‘than’.
• But people often write, ‘when’ or ‘that’ after
it. This is wrong.
Eg.: No sooner had the teacher left, that the students started
shouting.
No sooner had the teacher left than the students started
shouting.

16. Error in Pronoun Cases

17. Error on pronoun cases
We often make errors in using correct pronouns in
sentences. This happens when”
1. We have sentences starting with ‘it was’ or ‘it is’
Eg.:
It is me who faced the angry mob.
It is I who face the angry mob.
It was him who answered the phone.
It was he who answered the phone.

18. 2. There is ‘I’ in the list of people, and we put ‘I’ in the
beginning.
Eg.:
A. I and you make a wonderful couple.
Correct: You and I make a wonderful couple.
[First You, Last I]
B. I, you and Dad will go for the party.
Correct: You, Dad, and I will go for the party
tonight. [first, You, last I]

19. Confusion between Who / whom
There are two question-pronouns: who; whom.
Who is for subject-position noun; whom is for
object-position noun.
Eg.:
Patients need a doctor who can treat the illness.
Patients need a doctor on whom they can rely.
Remember: We always get a preposition (on; for;
to; by) before WHOM

20. Commonly Confused Words

21. Commonly Confused words
Accept—To take a thing from someone
Except—to be separated out from a list.
There—A pronoun of place. “keep the book there.”
Their—A possessive pronoun involving humans.
Their culture is different from ours.
To/too ‘To’ means a target-direction. “Give the
chocolate to the child.”
Too means, ‘also’. “We too donated money to the
Pulwama soldiers’ fund.”
Hint: Ex- means
someone with whom
you have separated.

22. Commonly confused words
Stationary: Station + ary. Meaning: ‘Not moving
at all”.
Stationery: meaning, ‘pen, pencils, erasers, etc.
Principal—the head of a college.
Principle—values and ethics. Rules.
Loose—something that is not tight.
Lose—when we do not find a thing
Hint:
Principle: ethics

23. Commonly confused words
Farther: far> farther. Means: increase in distance
Eg.: With every terror attack, peace between
Indian and Pakistan gets farther and farther
away.
Further: means more; additional.
Eg.: For further details, visit this website.
Hint:
Fur = Extra hair to
your skin.
Further = extra

24. Commonly confused words
Complement: Something that completes a thing.
Compliment: note—it has I in it. When someone
praises me, I get happy.
Assure: Promise someone of getting a job done.
Ensure: To make sure that the job is really done.
Insure means giving protection to an asset.
Ah! Sure! I will buy you a diamond ring!
End result of a promise-kept. En-Sure
Insurance >Insure

25. Commonly confused words
Discrete : separate; distinct
Eg.:Doctors are holding trials for coronavirus
medicines, to note every single, discrete reaction and
side-effect in a patient.
Discreet: Subtle; Unnotice-able
Smugglers often succeed because of the discreet
packaging of the smuggled goods.
Accomplish: Achieve something in life.
Accomplice: Partner in a crime.
Hint: Accomplish =
Polish
It polishes your image
Hint:
Accomplice = Police arrests
both you and your partner
Hint: Discrete E-T-E
Every E is separated. So you can
notice them well.

26. Commonly Confused words
Disinterested: Un-biased in view. Judges have a
disinterested view towards a case.
Uninterested: Bored. A student uninterested in
maths cannot study science.
Hint: Dis – interested
Dis-tance yourself from other’s emotions

27. Commonly Confused words
Everyday: Meaning all days. Used for habitual action.
Ex: Everyday, Mr. Chopra goes for a morning walk.
Every day: Meaning counted days for a particular,
temporary situation.
Ex.: Mr. Chopra slipped on a banana peel and fractured
his leg. Now, he has to do physio-therapy every day, for
one month.
Hint: Everyday > Dairy-whitener> Habit of my morning tea

28. Commonly Confused words
Everyone: Means ALL. General reference to
people.
Ex. Everyone needs a family.
Every one: Specific people in a specific place and
time.
Ex. Every one of the students were checked for
admit card in the exam hall.
Hint: EVERY; One. [two times One]
MEANING—ONE-BY ONE, every student is checked.

29. Commonly Confused Words
Affect: Negatively influence someone /
something.
Eg.: Old age affected the survival chance of
coronavirus victims in Italy.
Effect: Result.
Eg.: The effect of this lockdown is control is
disease transmission.
Hint:
Affect = Ahh!!! Painful effect.