It has been raining for four hours…

Common mistakes with pronouns

6 ఫిబ్రవరి తరువాయి

The noun information is both singular and uncountable it refers to an idea that cannot be measured.
Almost all of us have to deal with a certain amount of stress.
The word stress refers to an idea that cannot be measured.
A certain amount of confidence is absolutely essential for success in life.
The nouns amount and number are both used to talk about quantities. Amount is used before uncountable nouns. Number is used before plural nouns.

Compare:
That website receives only a small amount of traffic. (Traffic is an uncountable singular noun and hence we use amount of.)
That website receives only a small number of visitors. (Visitors is a plural noun and hence we use number of.)
The words amount and number can be modified by the expressions small and large. Note that big and little are not normally used with amount and number.
A large number of people want to buy cars. (NOT A big number of people want to buy cars.)
You only need to contribute a small amount. (NOT You only need to contribute a little amount.)
Difference between being and been
These words are often confused by ESL students. Although they are both forms of the primary auxiliary verb be, they are used in different grammatical structures. The word been is the past participle form of be. It is used after have.
I have been to Australia.
The postman has already been.
The word being is the present participle form of the verb be. It is not used after have. As a rule, being is used after a form of be (is, am, are, was, were).
He is being sick. (= He is vomiting.) (NOT He has being sick.)
Who is being a silly baby, then?
I was being careful.
Being as a Noun
The word ‘being’ can also be a noun.
The word being can be used as a noun. As a noun being means a person or a living creature. Supernatural beings refer to spirits or gods.
Examples are: human beings, social beings, supernatural beings, living beings etc.
The structure be + being can be followed by an adjective or noun.
He was being careful.
She was being silly.
This structure is used to talk about actions and behaviors. It is not normally used to talk about feelings.
Complete the following sentences using being or been.

1. She has always &&&&.. a very naughty girl. (being / been)
2. You are &&&&& stupid. (being / been)
3. His latest album has &&&& grabbing a lot of headlines since its launch. (being / been)
4. Have they &&&&&&&.. informed? (being / been)
5. An exhibition of her paintings is &&. held next week. (being / been)

Some mistakes in the use of tenses
In this article we will take a look at some of the most common mistakes in the use of tenses.
Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.
Incorrect: I had seen him yesterday.
Correct: I saw him yesterday.

Explanation
The present perfect tense is not used with adverbs of past time. Although past perfect tense can be used with adverbs of past time, it is not used to simply say that something happened some time ago. That meaning is expressed with the simple past tense.
I sent the money yesterday. (NOT I had sent the money yesterday. / NOT I have sent the money yesterday.)
I finished that report last week. (NOT I had finished that report last week. / NOT I have finished that report last week.)
I visited my parents last week. (NOT I had visited my parents last week. / NOT I have visited my parents last week.)
The past perfect tense is only used to talk about the earlier of two past actions.

Using would
Would is used in second condi- tional sentences to talk about unreal or imaginary situations.

Compare:
I would want to buy a car if I got my raise. (Here we are talking about an unreal situation.)
I want to buy a car. (Here we are simply talking about a desire.)
I would want to try those sweets if they weren’t so expensive.
Sentences like ‘I would want to buy a car’ are not normally used without a condition.

Common errors miscellaneous
Incorrect: My hairs are grey.
Correct: My hair is grey.
Hair is an uncountable noun in English and as such it does not have a plural form.
Incorrect: I availed of this opportunity.
Correct: I availed myself of this opportunity.
Incorrect: I enjoyed during the holidays.
Correct: I enjoyed myself during the holidays.
To talk about having a good time, we use enjoy yourself, enjoy myself etc.
Incorrect: He is guilty, isn’t it?
Correct: He is guilty, isn’t he?
Incorrect: The gold is a precious metal.
Correct: Gold is a precious metal.
Material nouns are used without articles.
Incorrect: It is raining for four hours.
Correct: It has been raining for four hours.
To talk about an event that started in the past and has been continuing up to the present, we use a present perfect continuous tense.
Incorrect: Work hard lest you may fail.
Correct: Work hard lest you should fail.
The only auxiliary verb that can be used after lest is should.
Incorrect: Please describe us your wife.
Correct: Please describe your wife to us.
Incorrect: Could you suggest me a good dentist?
Correct: Could you suggest a good dentist to me?
The verbs explain, suggest and describe cannot be used with the structure indirect object + direct object.
Incorrect: He is cleverest of the four brothers.
Correct: He is the cleverest of the four brothers.
We use the article the with superlative adjectives.
Incorrect: Choose the best of the two options.
Correct: Choose the better of the two options.
When a group has just two members, we use the comparative instead of the superlative.

Errors in the use of nouns
Here are some mistakes students often make in the use of nouns.
Incorrect: She likes to feed the poors.
Correct: She likes to feed the poor.
Incorrect: He is working for the blinds.
Correct: He is working for the blind.
Expressions like the poor, the blind, the deaf etc., are always plural. We don’t have to make their plural forms by adding s to them.
Incorrect: I told these news to my father.
Correct: I told this news to my father.
News is a singular uncountable noun. Therefore it has to be used with a singular determiner.
Incorrect: The teacher gave us many advices.
Correct: The teacher gave us some advice.
Advice is an uncountable noun. It does not have a plural form. The determiner many is only used with plural countable nouns.
Incorrect: I have a five dollars note.
Correct: I have a five dollar note.
Incorrect: She has bought two dozens apples.
Correct: She has bought two dozen apples.
Incorrect: I saw many deers in the jungle.
Correct: I saw many deer in the jungle.
The nouns sheep and deer have identical singular and plural forms.
Incorrect: Bring me some bloating.
Correct: Bring me some bloating paper.
Incorrect: The boy is in the boarding.
Correct: The boy is in the boarding house.
Incorrect: Please put your sign here.
Correct: Please put your signature here.
Incorrect: She is my cousin sister.
Correct: She is my cousin.
Expressions like cousin sister and cousin brother are wrong.

Errors in the use of prepositions
Some verbs are directly followed by direct objects without preposi tions. Examples are: discuss, enter, marry, lack, resemble and approach.
Incorrect: My father loves with me.
Correct: My father loves me.
Incorrect: We reached at the airport.
Correct: We reached the airport.
Incorrect: He ordered for my dismissal.
Correct: He ordered my dismissal.
Incorrect: John married with his cousin.
Correct: John married his cousin.
Incorrect: Jane entered into the room.
Correct: Jane entered the room.

B.Vivekananda
Sr. Faculty
Hyderabad, 9912343401