ENGLISH GRAMMER | If the noun is proper it will take no..?

April 10, 2023 / 04:27 PM IST

3 ఏప్రిల్‌ తరువాయి

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.
Fill in the blanks with an appropriate preposition.
Gossiping is quite different ……(of / from / with) talking. While gossiping is bad, talking ……… (about / off / by) other people isn’t always bad. For example, you might like hanging ……… (off / out / on) with a particular friend, simply because s/he is a cool sport. There is nothing wrong …………….. (to / of / with) telling this to your friends. But when you say mean things ……….. (of / on / about) other people, tell stories that you are not sure are true or reveal information you are supposed to keep secret, you are spreading gossip. Gossips can be quite hurtful and they spread real fast. They often start small and blow …. (off / up / out) into something quite different from the truth.
Sometimes it is possible that you heard something you know is true. Are you supposed to talk about it if it is hurtful or embarrassing ……………… (to / with / for) another person? No, you are not. Try to avoid talking about things that would em barrass or hurt another person. Before you blab, ask yourself if you would like other people to know that kind ………… (of / off / on) stuff about you. Nine …… (out / on / off) of ten times your answer is going to be ‘No’.
Answers
Gossiping is quite different from talking. While gossiping is bad, talking about other people isn’t always bad. For example, you might like hanging out with a particular friend, simply because s/he is a cool sport. There is nothing wrong with telling this to your friends.
But when you say mean things about other people, tell stories that you are not sure are true or reveal information you are supposed to keep secret, you are spreading gossip. Gossips can be quite hurtful and they spread real fast. They often start small and blow up into something quite different from the truth. Sometimes it is possible that you heard some thing you know is true. Are you supposed to talk about it if it is hurtful or embarrassing to another person? No, you are not. Try to avoid talking about things that would embarrass or hurt another person. Before you blab, ask yourself if you would like other people to know that kind of stuff about you. Nine out of ten times your answer is going to be ‘No’.
Rejection is a part of life, and it’s important that children learn how to deal ………….. (with / from / to) setbacks — whether they’re cut ……….. (of / from / by) a sports team or left …………… (of / out of / from) a clique. Here’s some advice …… (on / over / of) how to ease the hurt.
Rejection is an inevitable part ……. (on / of / for) growing up. All children …….. (at / on / in) one time or another feel rejected ……. (by / with / of) their peers. The reasons are often silly. A child’s appearance (weight, race, a disability), manner (such as a stutter or a typical gender behavior), economic or ethnic background, poor social skills, or personality (being aggressive, withdrawn, anxious, overly sensitive, or quick to take offense) can all be the factors leading …. (to / at / in) his/her being rejected ……. (with / by / of) their peers.
Answers
Rejection is a part of life, and it’s important that children learn how to deal with setbacks — whether they’re cut from a sports team or left out of a clique. Here’s some advice on how to ease the hurt.
Rejection is an inevitable part of growing up. All children at one time or another feel rejected by their peers. The reasons are often silly. A child’s appearance (weight, race, a disability), manner (such as a stutter or a typical gender behavior), economic or ethnic background, poor social skills, or personality (being aggressive, withdrawn, anxious, overly sensitive, or quick to take offense) can all be the factors leading to his/her being rejected by their peers.
Common Errors with Prepositions
Incorrect: He is ill since last week.
Correct: He has been ill since last week.
Incorrect: He has been working since two hours.
Correct: He has been working for two hours.
Incorrect: I have not played cricket since a long time.
Correct: I have not played cricket for a long time.
Explanation
When reckoning from a particular date we use ‘since’. Examples are since last Friday, since May, since morning, since July 8th. But note that we always use ‘for’ for a period. Examples are: for a week, for a long time, for two hours etc.
Incorrect: This paper is inferior than that.
Correct: This paper is inferior to that.
Incorrect: He is junior than me.
Correct: He is junior to me.
Incorrect: He is superior than you in strength.
Correct: He is superior to you in strength.
Explanations
The comparatives senior, junior, superior, inferior etc., are followed by to, and not than.
Incorrect: He rides in a cycle.
Correct: He rides on a cycle.
Incorrect: He rides on a car.
Correct: He rides in a car.
Incorrect: He sat in a table.
Correct: He sat on a table.
Incorrect: The cat is in the roof.
Correct: The cat is on the roof.
Explanation
Use ‘on’ when the meaning is clearly ‘on top of’. For example, on a horse, on a bicycle, on a table, on the roof etc. Use in when ‘on top of’ is not appro priate. For example, in a car, in an airplane etc.
Incorrect: There was a match between team A against team B.
Correct: There was a match between team A and team B.
Incorrect: The meeting will be held between 4 pm to 6 pm.
Correct: The meeting will be held between 4 pm and 6 pm.
Explanation
Between is followed by and, not to or against.
Incorrect: The First World War was fought during 1914 – 18.
Correct: The First World War was fought between 1914 and 1918.
Incorrect: There was a fight with John and Peter.
Correct: There was a fight between John and Peter.
Incorrect: England grew prosperous between Queen Victoria’s reign.
Correct: England grew prosperous during Queen Victoria’s reign.
Explanation
Two events or people should be mentioned if you want to use between.
Common Errors in the Use of Verbs – Part I
Incorrect: He told her that he will come.
Correct: He told her that he would come.
Reason
When the principal verb is in the past tense the verb in the subordinate clause should also be in the past tense. When the principal verb is in the present tense, the verb in the subordinate clause can be in any tense.
Incorrect: He told me that honesty was the best policy.
Correct: He told me that honesty is the best policy.
Incorrect: Teacher said that the earth revolved around the sun.
Correct: Teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun.
Reason
To talk about general truths, we always use the present tense.
Incorrect: The cashier-cum- accountant have come.
Correct: The cashier-cum-accoun tant has come.
Reason
Here the nouns cashier and accountant refer to the same person, so we use a singular verb.
Incorrect: The manager and the accountant has come.
Correct: The manager and the accountant have come.
Reason
Two nouns connected by and are followed by a plural verb.
Incorrect: I am so weak that I may not walk.
Correct: I am so weak that I cannot walk.
Reason
To talk about ability we use can, not may.
Incorrect: Tell me why are you abusing him.
Correct: Tell me why you are abusing him.
Incorrect: I wonder why don’t you listen to me.
Correct: I wonder why you don’t listen to me.
Reason
In indirect questions we put the auxiliary verb after the noun. Note that we do not use question mark in indirect questions.
Incorrect: Alice as well as her sisters are beautiful.
Correct: Alice as well as her sisters is beautiful.
Reason
When the noun that precedes as well as is in the singular, the verb should also be in the singular.
Incorrect: I am ill for two weeks.
Correct: I have been ill for two weeks.
Incorrect: I am waiting since morning.
Correct: I have been waiting since morning.
Reason
We use perfect continuous tenses with the prepositions since and for. Here the error lies in using the present continuous instead of the present perfect continuous.
Incorrect: The ship drowned.
Correct: The ship sank.
Incorrect: The passengers aboard the ship sank.
Correct: The passengers aboard the ship were drowned.
Reason
We use drown with people and other animate objects. We use sink with inanimate objects like ship and boat.