English Grammer | Articles are not used with ______nouns?

March 6, 2023 / 04:33 PM IST

Common mistakes with pronouns

ఫిబ్రవరి 27 తరువాయి

Common mistakes in the use of punctuation marks

Incorrect: Neither the officer nor his assistants was present at the meeting.
Correct: Neither the officer nor his assistants were present at the meeting.
When the subjects connected by or or nor are of different numbers, the plural subject should be written last and it should be followed by a plural verb.
Incorrect: Neither you nor Tom seem to be capable of doing this.
Correct: Neither you nor Tom seems to be capable of doing this.
When the subjects connected by or nor are of different persons, the verb should agree in person with the subject nearest to it. Note that the subjects should be arranged in the proper order – the person spoken to, first; the person spoken of, second; and the speaker, last.
Common errors in the use of some conjunctions
Incorrect: The car either dashed against a goat or a donkey.
Correct: The car dashed against either a goat or a donkey. (either + noun + or + noun)
Incorrect: Neither he would eat nor allow us to eat.
Correct: He would neither eat nor allow us to eat. (neither + verb + nor + verb)
The correlatives either…or, neither …nor, both…and… not only …but also must be placed immediately before the words which they relate to.
Incorrect: Though he was poor but he was happy.
Correct: Though he was poor he was happy.
Correct: He was poor but he was happy.
One conjunction is enough to join two clauses.
Incorrect: He asked that what was my name.
Correct: He asked what my name was.
Incorrect: He enquired that where was the office.
Correct: He enquired where the office was.
Students often make the mistake of using the relative pronoun that before interrogatives like what, where, when, whether and why.
Incorrect: Do it carefully lest you may not make a mistake.
Correct: Do it carefully lest you make a mistake.
Lest means that…not, and, therefore, it will be wrong to add another not in the following clause. It should also be noted that the only auxiliary verb that can be used after lest is should.
Incorrect: He climbed up a tree such as to get a good view of the procession.
Correct: He climbed up a tree so as to get a good view of the procession.
Such as indicates result. So as indicates purpose.
Common errors in the use of articles
Incorrect: We live in village.
Correct: We live in a village. OR We live in the village.
Incorrect: She works in pub.
Correct: She works in a pub. OR She works in the pub.
A singular common noun (e.g. boy, girl, tree, country, teacher, vill age etc.) must have an article. A plural common noun can be used with or without an article.
Incorrect: He is best player in the team.
Correct: He is the best player in the team.
Incorrect: She is fastest runner.
Correct: She is the fastest runner.
The definite article the must be used with superlative adjectives.
Incorrect: The Paris is big city.
Correct: Paris is a big city.
Incorrect: I live in the Mumbai.
Correct: I live in Mumbai.
If the noun is proper it will take no article. Note that a proper noun is the name of a particular person, place or thing. Examples are: Sam, Mary, India, Paris, London etc.
Incorrect: The iron is a useful metal.
Correct: Iron is a useful metal.
Incorrect: The gold is yellow.
Correct: Gold is yellow.
Articles are not used with material nouns. Examples are: gold, silver, iron, wheat, rice etc.
Incorrect: We should not make noise.
Correct: We should not make a noise.
Incorrect: I have an urgent business.
Correct: I have urgent business. OR I have some urgent business.
Note these fixed expressions.
Incorrect: Do you sell eggs by kilo or by dozen?
Correct: Do you sell eggs by the kilo or by the dozen?
The is used in measuring
expressions beginning with by.

Adverb excercise
Correct the following sentences and state your reasons for doing so.
1. It was bitter cold.
2. I couldn’t help not crying.
3. He will pay dear for this mistake.
4. She is too beautiful.
5. I haven’t got no money.
6. He ate the sweets greedy.
7. I am much happy to see you.
8. No one can write as neat as he does.
9. I can’t by no means allow you to do that.
10. I don’t know nothing about this.
Answers
1. It was bitterly cold. (We use an adverb (bitterly),and not an adjective (bitter) to modify another adjective (cold)).
2. I couldn’t help crying. (Two negatives should not be used in the same sentence because they destroy each other.)
3. He will pay dearly for this mistake. (Adjective wrongly used in the place of adverb)
4. She is very beautiful. (The adverb too means ‘more than enough’. It should not be used instead of very or much.)
5. I have got no money. OR I haven’t got any money. (Two negatives destroy each other.)
6. He ate the sweets greedily. (Adjective wrongly used in the place of adverb)
7. I am very happy to see you. (Much should not be used with adjectives in the positive degree.)
8. No one can write as neatly as he does. (Adjective wrongly used in the place of adverb)
9. I can’t by any means allow you to do it. OR I can by no means allow you to do it. (Double negatives)
10. I don’t know anything about this. OR I know nothing about this. (Double negatives)

Do and Make Differences
The general purpose do has several uses. It is sometimes confused with the verb make. These words have similar meanings, but there are also a few diffe rences.

Uses of do

Do is commonly used with the words thing, something, nothing, any thing, everything etc.
He did something strange.
I like doing nothing.
He did nothing.
We use do when we talk about work and jobs.
Would you like to do this job?
I don’t like to do any work.

Uses of make
Make is used to talk about constructing or creating.
Let me make some food.
I will make you some coffee.
When we want to sound casual about an activity we often use do instead of make.
‘What shall we eat?’ ‘Well, let me just do an omelette.’
Do is used in the following fixed expressions
Do good
Do harm
Do business
Do one’s best
Do a favor
Do one’s hair
Do one’s duty
Make is used in the following fixed expressions:
Make a journey
Make an offer
Make arrangements
Make a suggestion
Make an attempt
Make an excuse
Make a mistake
Make money
Make a phone call
Make peace
Make war
Make a bed
Can and Could: Differences
Both can and could are modal auxi-liary verbs. Can is used to talk about present or general ability. Could is used to talk about ability that existed in the past.
Compare:
She can knit.
He can speak ten languages.
She could write when she was three.
Note that we use will be able to and not can to talk about future ability.
You will be able to speak good English in a few months.
One day scientists will be able to find a cure for cancer.
In reported speech
Could is the past tense form of can in reported speech.
‘Can you help me,’ she said to him. (Direct speech)
She asked him if he could help her. (Indirect speech)
Possibility
Can is used to talk about theoretical possibility.
Glass can be blown.
Accidents can happen any time.
We use may, might or could to talk about the chances that something will actually happen.
It could rain this evening.
We may/might go camping this summer.
Can is used in questions and nega- tives to talk about the logical possibility that something is true.
‘There is the doorbell.’ ‘Who
can it be?’ ‘Well, it can’t be the postman.’
Note that can is not normally used in affirmative sentences with this meaning. Instead we use may, might or could.
‘Where is John?’ ‘He could/may/ might be at the library.’
(NOT He can be at the library.)
Permission
Can is used to ask for and give permission. Can’t is used to refuse permission.
‘Can I have a look at your papers?’ ‘Yes, of course, you can.’
‘Can I have another cup of coffee?’ ‘No, I am afraid, you can’t.’
Could is also used to ask for permission. Note that could is more polite than can.
‘Could I have a look at your papers?’