English Grammer | In Indirect question we put the subject before..?

April 24, 2023 / 04:23 PM IST

17 ఏప్రిల్‌ తరువాయి
Common Errors in the Use of Verbs Part II

Explanation

Adjectives in the superlative degree takes the article the before them.
Incorrect: The London is big city.
Correct: London is a big city.
Incorrect: I live in the Mumbai.
Correct: I live in Mumbai.
Explanation
Both London and Mumbai are proper nouns because they are the names of particular cities. Proper nouns do not take articles before them.
Remember that a noun can be proper in one sentence and common in another sentence; so it is useless to label a particular noun as proper or common.
Incorrect: The gold is yellow.
Correct: Gold is yellow.
Explanation
Material nouns (gold, rice, silver, iron, wood, marble etc.) do not take articles before them.
Incorrect: Himalayas are mountains.
Correct: The Himalayas are mountains.
Incorrect: We should love the God.
Correct: We should love God.
Incorrect: The man is a member of society.
Correct: Man is a member of society.
Explanation
Here the noun man refers to the whole of mankind. We do not use articles before a noun used to refer to the whole of its kind.
Incorrect: We had a picnics nearly everyday.
Correct: We had picnics nearly everyday.
Articles are not normally used before plural common nouns that do not refer to a particular person or thing.
Incorrect: Each of us loves our country.
Correct: Each of us loves his/her country.
Incorrect: None of the boys had brought their books.
Correct: None of the boys had brought his books.
Explanation
The pronoun referring back to singular words like each, every and none should be singular in number. Note that this rule is no longer strictly followed. Sentences like ‘Each of us loves our country’ and ‘None of the boys had brought their books’ are now considered correct in informal speech and writing. However, in a formal style you must stick to the rules and use the correct pronoun.
Common Errors with Verbs:
Incorrect: He asked had we taken our food.
Correct: He asked if we had taken our food. (OR) He asked whether we had taken our food.
Incorrect: I am not sure will I have time.
Correct: I am not sure if I will have time.
Incorrect: I asked whether had she any letters for me.
Correct: I asked whether she had any letters for me.
Explanation
Indirect yes/no questions are usually introduced by if or whether. Note that in an indirect question we put the subject before the verb.
Incorrect: He said that he saw her last year.
Correct: He said that he had seen her last year.
Incorrect: I could not meet him because he went out before I arrived.
Correct: I could not meet him
because he had gone out before I arrived.
Incorrect: He got angry even before I said a word.
Correct: He got angry even before I had said a word.
Incorrect: There I met a man who was my classmate ten years ago.
Correct: There I met a man who had been my classmate ten years ago.
Incorrect: This was going on for a long time.
Correct: This had been going on for a long time.
Explanation
These are examples of the failure to use past perfect tense when the time of one past action is more past than that of another.
Incorrect: I will call you when dinner will be ready.
Correct: I will call you when dinner is ready.
Incorrect: I will write after I returned.
Correct: I will write after I return.
Incorrect: When I will go to New York I will meet him.
Correct: When I go to New York, I will meet him.
Explanation
When the principal clause is in the simple future tense, the subordinate clause should be in the simple present tense. Note that when a subordinate adverb clause begins the sentence, we separate it from the rest of the sentence by a comma.
Incorrect: If I would have done this I would have been wrong.
Correct: If I had done this I would have been wrong.
Explanation
In a Type 3 Conditional sentence we use had + past participle in the if clause and would have + past participle in the result clause.
Incorrect: She knows to knit.
Correct: She knows how to knit.
Incorrect: He said to me to go.
Correct: He told me to go.
Incorrect: She said to me that she would be late.
Correct: She told me that she would be late.
Explanation
We use tell when there is a personal object; we use say when there is no personal object.
Compare:
She said that she would be late. (No personal object)
She told me that she would be late. (Personal object me)
Incorrect: I asked my maid to bring water.
Correct: I told my maid to bring water.
Incorrect: I told the master to excuse me.
Correct: I asked the master to excuse me.
Explanation
Use ‘I told him to&’ towards a person to whom you have a right to give an order.
Examples
I told my servant to prepare dinner.
I told the peon to bring me the file.
I told my subordinates to work hard.
Use ‘I asked him to&’ towards a person of whom you can or want to make a request only.
Examples
I asked my boss to let me go. (I requested my boss to let me go.)
I asked the hostess to bring me a glass of water. ( I requested the hostess to bring&)
Incorrect: My foot is paining.
Correct: My foot is hurting.
Incorrect: My tooth is paining.
Correct: My tooth is aching.
Explanation
The verb pain is transitive. It must have an object.
Incorrect: She gave a speech.
Correct: She made a speech.
Incorrect: She made a lecture.
Correct: She gave a speech.
Incorrect: She gave her examination.
Correct: She sat for her examination. OR She did her examination. OR She took her examination.
Explanation
These are fixed expressions and should be used like that.
Incorrect: He puts his money in a silver box.
Correct: He keeps his money in a silver box.
Explanation
Keep refers to a more or less permanent resting place. Put refers to a temporary resting place.
Compare:
He put the money in his pocket. (Temporary)
He kept the money in a wooden case. (More or less permanent)
He put the book on the table. (The book won’t remain there for long.)
Incorrect: He denied to go.
Correct: He refused to go.
Explanation
‘To deny’ is to say that something is not true. ‘To refuse’ is to show unwillingness.
Incorrect: All day I was putting on a sweater.
Correct: All day I was wearing a sweater.
Explanation
‘To put on clothes’ refers to the act of dressing. Example: He is putting on his shoes. Once the act of dressing is over we use ‘to wear’ to express the act of carrying clothes on the body.
He wore a black shirt.
She always wears expensive clothes.
It took me ten minutes to put on the socks.
Incorrect: I shot the deer but missed.
Correct: I shot at the deer but missed.
Correct: I missed the deer.
Explanation
The sentence ‘I shot the deer’ means that I hit the deer and probably killed it.
Incorrect: He stood first in his class.
Correct: He was first in his class.
Explanation
‘He stood first in his class’ is ofcourse correct English, but Englishmen rarely use this expression.
Incorrect: Columbus invented America.
Correct: Columbus discovered America.
Incorrect: James Watt discovered the steam engine.
Correct: James Watt invented the steam engine.
Explanation
‘To invent’ is to create something which did not exist before. Examples : computer, TV, telephone etc. ‘To discover’ is to find something which existed without man’s knowledge. For example, people can discover countries, new stars, galaxies, mineral deposits etc.
Who discovered Antarctica?
Who invented the computer?
Incorrect: He prevented him from harm.
Correct: He protected him from harm.
Explanation
‘To prevent’ is to stop something from happening.
Rain prevented them from going out.
‘To protect‘ is to keep somebody or something safe.
An umbrella protects us from the sun and the rain.
Incorrect: Open the light.
Correct: Turn on the light.
Incorrect: Shut/close the light.
Correct: Turn off the light.
Incorrect: My leg has been operated.
Correct: I have had an operation on my leg.
Explanation
In a surgical sense, the verb operate is only used in the active voice followed by on.
The doctor operated on the patient.
The patient has had an operation. (BUT NOT The patient has been operated.)