INTRODUCTION

Depending on whether you are a native speaker or not, the English language can
either be hard or simple to learn. Most non-native speakers consider it hard to
learn especially in situation where they get introduced to the same at a very late
stage in life. In as much as the native English speakers are assumed to have an
easier time with the English language, not everyone can claim to have mastery
on the same. As a matter of fact, most of them speak the language without a
proper consideration on the grammar and words work.
Depending on what are your preferences, you can choose to either learn the
British or the American English versions which are the most popular. Other
versions include: the Canadian version, the Australian and the New Zealand
version to name but a few. All these versions are slightly different from one
another in terms of their grammar rules and in some case the spelling of words.
To a typical non-native, all these can be overwhelming and confusing at the same
time. This makes it hard for anyone who is willing to learn the language. In fact,
some people attribute their countless mistakes to having such disparities in the
versions.
In this piece, we’ll pay much of our attention to the Indian people as we try to
explore some of the common mistakes they make in relation to the English
language

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POSSIBLE REASONS WHY STUDENTS MAKE
MISTAKES
1. They are not ready yet

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that language learners, like native speaker
children, pick up grammar points and stop making mistakes with them in a very
predetermined order. For example, third person s mistakes (I do/ he does) tend
to persist in both. If this is the problem (if indeed you think of it as a problem),
the only solution is patience!

2. They don't realise it's the same grammar

Although you may be surprised when students who have finally stopped saying
"He has to goes" still say "He must goes" because both should be infinitives, it
may be that the students consciously or subconsciously don't put the two pieces
of grammar together as one. The best solution would be to work on making the
points as closely associated in students' heads as possible, e.g. doing a lesson on
all uses of infinitives, teaching a very general rule, or even pairing questions up
where they have to fill the gaps in pairs of sentences with the same word.

3. They are overloaded

If the students are making elementary errors with something they usually don't,
it could be because their brains are busier than usual with other things, e.g.
coping with the rules of the language game, digesting the latest language point,
sorting out a logic or problem solving puzzle, or concentrating on another point
like their pronunciation. Learning to cope with many different demands on the
brain at the same time is a good thing, as it is what you need to do with the
language in real life, but make sure all language input and correction are left to a
time when they can concentrate on the language more.

4. They are overusing one point for good reasons

In both native and non-native speakers, the process of learning a new grammar
point seems to often include a period of overextending its use. For example, even
people who know the Simple Past well will start using the Past Perfect in
situations they would have used (correctly) the Simple Past until the day they
studied the new tense . Apart from understanding that this is part of the process
and being patient, ways to tackle this could be to give them lots of controlled
practice of the new grammar point, come back to the original grammar point
they confuse it with a few weeks or months later, and concentrate on correcting

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one area of confusion at a time.

5. They are having a bad day

Anyone who has ever lived in a foreign country can tell you there are days when
all your language skills seem to disappear. Again, this is something they will need
to be able to cope with eventually. Apart from trying to take away their tiredness
and take their minds of their troubles by giving them something easy to do or
doing a physical warmer, maybe the best approach is just to be less demanding
on that day. This is also a good opportunity to practice your skills in spotting the
difference between little slip ups they would usually get right and are probably
best ignored on "one of those days", and things they really don't know that are
more worth some correction and explanation.

6. They don't think that grammar point is important

Consciously or subconsciously, native and non-native speakers tend to put a low

priority on stopping mistakes with language that does not convey a lot of
information- i.e. if they can make that mistake and still be understood putting
more effort into it can wait until later. This natural reaction can actually be a sign
that they are right and you should move quickly on from the Present Simple to
giving them the stacks of vocabulary they will need to reach the next level. There
is a chance, though, that they are just missing the way in which they could be
misunderstood. The general principle here is to include possible
misunderstandings in all error correction. If you can't do so, maybe that is a sign
that grammar point can wait until later.

7. That point is more difficult for them than it seems

The reason why students pick up some grammar points more quickly than the
teacher expects and others more slowly is often connected to their first language,
e.g. confusions between different uses of similar forms or grammatical forms
that don't have an equivalent in L1. Even teachers who know the language the
students speak can be miss out on particular aspects of this, such as students
who speak a particular dialect or different language at home, or grammatical
forms that only educated speakers of that language would be familiar with.
Responses to this include rearranging the syllabus to leave more difficult points
for particular students until later, concentrating on the particular areas of
difficulty they have when the time comes, and approaching the same grammar
point several different ways with gaps in between to let their subconscious get to
work.

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8. It's an attempt to be informal

It may be that in the student's native language grammatical forms are dropped
when they are speaking informally, in a similar way to "No way!" or "Long time
no see" in English. Common examples that students sometimes reproduce in
English include dropping the subject or using a different tense. Although this is
usually subconscious, it can be reinforced by the language they hear in English
pop music and in certain English dialects. Depending on their level, you might be
able to do a lesson on substituting these with informal forms we really do use or
even doing a whole lesson on the more general grammatical changes between
informal speech and formal speech or writing.

9. Accuracy is not their priority

Again, there is a chance they are right on this one and teaching them how to
express something they couldn't at all with a new grammatical form, new
vocabulary, or new functional language might be better than spending more time
trying to root out basic errors. If, however, you think lack of accuracy is the main
reason they are not being understood, are not ready for the next level, cannot
transfer speaking skills into writing skills or will do badly on a test, it is worth
letting them know. Clearly showing what effect mistakes can have on
communication with dialogues with communication breakdowns etc can also
help.

10. They just have that kind of personality

Just as it is no surprise when some perfectionists become obsessive about getting

their sentences right, there are some people whose outgoing nature, slapdash
character or hyperactive speaking style just seems to make it difficult for them to
stop for a minute and pay attention to what they are saying. Although this is not
the only example of a situation when students' language skills could be best
improved by them changing their personality, this is no easier to do here than in
any other case! Ways to get them to concentrate on accuracy more include
making error correction fun with grammar auctions etc, giving them an easy
speaking task they only need simple language for and can't get distracted from,
and forcing them to slow down to speak to someone who is a lower level (either
in reality or by their partner playing that role).

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 ERRORS DONE WHILE TRANSLATING
Error 1: Use of sentences like “I am from Delhi only.” This is used especially
during interviews – when asked about the place of residence.

This error happens due to literal translation from Hindi sentence “mai delhi se
hi hun” – here “hi” is made into “only” – which is an error. The unnecessary use
of “only” is an error here. Saying, “I am from Delhi” should be sufficient. Or, if
you want to emphasize the origin – you could say, “I’m originally from Delhi”.

Error 2: Another unnecessary insertion of the word “only” is in the sentences

like “It’s like this only” which in hindi means “ye aisa hi hain|”. Here too, a
literal word-to-word translation causes the error.

This can be easily corrected by using a different sentence structure like “That’s
how it is”.

Error 3: A very common error is over-usage of “ing” behind words. For example,
in the sentence “I am living in Delhi”. Generally, “ing” is used to describe an
continuous action like, “Ram is running” – which describes the action of
“running” which is happening presently. In Hindi, it would be, “Ram bhaag
raha hain”. But if you want to merely state a fact, you’d use “Ram runs.” – which
in Hindi means, “Ram bhaagta hain”.

Error 4: Another over-usage is of words like basically, actually etc. Though, it’s
not incorrect grammatically, yet over-usage of such words while speaking
sounds odd and shows that the speaker is not very fluent. Such words are used
as fillers by speakers to borrow more time to finish their sentences.

Error 5: Coming back to the place of residence – I often hear a common usage
when it is asked that “Where do you put up?” – This sentence is completely and
utterly incorrect. This error has passed on as a “sophisticated” way of asking
“Where do you stay?”. I don’t know who started this, but it is incorrect and
should not be used. Either simply ask, “Where do you stay?” or “What’s you
place of residence?”.

Error 6: Use of sentence “Myslelf, Neha.” while introducing ourselves is

incorrect – and is a direct translation from Hindi sentence “mai neha”. Do you
remember a similar usage in the movie ‘Namaste, London’ – when Katrina Kaif
arrives to meet Riteish Deshmukh? She says “Myself, Jasmeet” – this is
scriptwriter’s comical take on this very habit of Indians. The correct usage is
simple, say “Hello, my name is Jasmeet”.

Error 7: Now while addressing people, a very common mistake is to us the title
“Mr.” with the first name., for example, Mr. Rahul, Mr. Prakash etc – same is with
Mrs. Seema. These titles should only be used with the last names or full names.

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Though an exception is with the title “Miss” which can be used with the first
name.
So, while addressing a person named Gagan Kapoor, Mr. Kapoor or Mr. Gagan
Kapoor is the correct usage, while Mr. Gagan is incorrect. Same with Madhuri
Kapoor – Mrs Kapoor or Mrs Madhuri Kapoor is correct, whereas Mrs Madhuri is
incorrect.

Error 8: Another very common error is associated with the word “having”.
‘Have’ could means several things in English language – possession, consumption
or for grammatical usage. But ‘having’ is used only with consumption. For
example, “I’m having my food.” here having means “eating”.

Yet, a very common error is in sentences like, “He’s having a car” or “She’s
having a house.” … this usage is incorrect and means that the person is eating
their house or car – which is absurd. The correct versions of above sentences
would be “He has a car” and “She has a house” – or “I have a car.” Here ‘has’
and ‘have’ mean possession.

Error 9 : While asking a question a common mistake is to just use the

‘questioning tone’ with a normal statement. Let me explain with an example, to
ask “kya ye aapka thaila hain?” the correct usage is “Is this your bag?” – but
most people just use “This is your bag?” in a questioning tone. Though, most
times one is able to convey their meaning through the tone alone, but it looks
unpolished. In Hindi, it’s acceptable to ask “tum rahul hon?” instead of “kya tum
rahul hon?” – but in English, it doesn’t work, and “Are you Rahul?” should be
used instead of “You are Rahul?”

Error 10: The use of the American slang “bucks” for money. What everybody
may find interesting that “bucks” mean “Dollars” – and it’s usage for other
currencies is incorrect. When you friend tells you that the he bought that T-shirt
for 800 bucks, he means to say Rs 800 and not 800 Dollars – which frankly would
make the T-shirt really really expensive at Rs 48,000 … :) There’s no similar
slang for Rupees in English – so there can’t be a replacement for “bucks” for INR.

Error 11: Usage of sentences like “I’m telling you na?” … which is a direct
translation from the Hindi sentence “main tujhe keh raha hun na?” – Some
people modify this unnecessary “Na?” to “No?” – and make “I’m telling you, no?”
which too is incorrect usage, and frankly annoying, because some people just use
it way too much out of habit. A simple, “I’m telling you…” is enough.

Error 12: A common error is while we’re using a sentence similar to “Me & Ram
are are going to the market”, or “Me, Ram and Rahul are going to the market”
– both these sentences are wrong. The correct structure is the use “Ram & I …”
or “Ram, Rahul & I …” So, to remember, all the names and then “I” – instead of
“Me” and then all the names.

Error 13: There’s something called “being over-polite” in English, it’s called,
being patronizing – and it’s not a positive trait. This happens when we pack way
too many polite gesture in the same sentence in an attempt to be as polite as

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possible. It can easily be misconstrued as patronizing or even sarcastic
sometimes,
For example, “If you don’t mind, can I please borrow your pen? Thank you so
very much.” Now, some of you may be wondering that what’s wrong in being in
over-polite, at least you’re not being rude right? Patronization appears insincere
instead of polite and it make the other person feel uncomfortable with the
unexpected attention. Instead, just use “Can I get your pen please?” or “Could I
get your pen?”

Error 14: While politely asking people their name a common phrase is “What is
your good name?” which is a direct translation from “aapka shubh naam kya
hain ?” Now, asking people their name upfront like “What is your name?” is
considered impolite in both the cultures. But ‘good name’ doesn’t mean anything
– so shouldn’t be used.

The right way of asking somebody’s name in a polite manner actually depends on
the situation. You could introduce your self by saying, “Hi, my name is Neha,
nice to meet you” and shake hands – and the other person is obligated to
introduce themselves. Or, you could slightly less formal yet polite way would be
to ask “Sorry, didn’t catch your name”.

Error 15: Expressions like “He’s my real brother” too is a direct translation
from Hindi, “vo mera saga bhai hain”. In English “saga” is not really needed.
When you say that he’s my brother, you mean brother. Another expression is
“Cousin Brother” or “Cousin Sister” – in English using the word cousin is
enough, no need to add brother or sister with it. But if you’re referring to a friend
as a brother or sister – there the expression could be that “he’s like my brother”
or “she’s like my sister”.

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 USING THE WRONG PREPOSITION
Using the wrong preposition Mistakes are often made by using the
wrong preposition after certain words. The following list includes the
words which most often give trouble:

1 Absorbed (- very much interested) in, not at.

Don't say: The man was absorbed at his work.
Say: The man was absorbed in his work.

2 Accuse of, not for.

Don't say: She accused the man for stealing.
Say: She accused the man of stealing. Note: Charge takes with 1 The man was
charged with murder.

3 Accustomed to, not with.

Don't say: I'm accustomed with hot weather.
Say: I'm accustomed to hot weather. Note: Also used to: He is used to the heat.

4 Afraid of, not from.

Don't say: Laura is afraid from the dog.
Say: Laura is afraid of the dog.

5 Aim at, not on or against.

Don't say: She aimed on {or against) the target.
Say: She aimed at the target,
Note: Use the preposition at to denote direction, throw at, shout at, fire at, shoot
at. Shoot (without the at) means to kill He shot a bird (= he hit and killed it)

6 Angry with, not against.

Don't say: The teacher was angry against him.
Say: The teacher was angry with him.
Note: I We get angry with a person but at a thing He was angry at The weather
'not with the weather ) Mote 2 Also annoyed with, vexed with, indignant with a
person, but at a thing.

7 Anxious (= troubled) about, not for.

Don't say:'They're anxious for his health.
Say: They're anxious about his health.
Note: Anxious meaning wishing very much lakes for Parents are anxious for their
children's success.

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 8 Arrive at, not to.
Don't say: We arrived to the village at night.
Say: We arrived at the village at night. Note Use arrive in with countries an d
large cities. Mr Smith has arrived in London (or New York. India, etc )

9 Ashamed of, not from.

Don't say: He's now ashamed from his conduct.
Say: He's now ashamed of his conduct.
Note: it isn't correct to use ashamed of meaning shy Ashamed means feeling
shame or guilt about something. Shy means feeling nervous with someone
Instead of saying 1 I'm ashamed (or shamed) of my teacher, say I'm shy of my
teacher.

10 Believe in, not to.

Don't say: We believe to God.
Say: We believe in God.
Note : To believe in means to have faith in. To believe (without the in) means to
regard something as true: / believe everything he says.

11 Boast of or about, not for.

Don't say: James boasted for his strength.
Say: James boasted of (or about) his strength.

12 Careful of, with or about, not for.

Don't say: Elke's very careful for her health.
Say: Elke's very careful of/about her health. Or: You should be more careful with
your money.
Note: Take care of' He takes care of his money.

13 Travel by train, etc., not with the train, etc.

Don't say: He travelled with the train yesterday.
Say: He travelled by train yesterday.
Note : We say: by train, by boat, by plane, by bike; also, by land, by sea, by air, by
bus; in a bus or on a bus; by car or in a car, by taxi or in a taxi; on horse-back, on
a donkey, on a bicycle; on foot.

14 Complain about, not for.

Don't say: Annette complained for the weather.
Say: Annette complained about the weather.
Note: When talking about illness we use complain of. We say She complained of a
sore throat.

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15 Composed of, not from.
Don't say: Our class is composed from thirty students.
Say: Our class is composed of thirty students.

16 Confidence in, not to.

Don't say: I have great confidence to you.
Say: I have great confidence in you.
Note: In confidence: Let me tell you something in confidence {= is a secret)
17 Conform to, not with.
Don't say: 'We must conform with the rules.
Say. We must conform to the rules.
Note: comply takes with. We'll comply with your request.

18 Congratulate on, not for.

Don't say: I congratulate you for your success.
Say: I congratulate you on your success.

19 Consist of, not from.

Don't say: A year consists from twelve months.
Say: A year consists of twelve months.
Note: Take great care never to use consist in the passive form.

20 Covered with, not by.

Don't say: The mountains are covered by snow.
Say: The mountains are covered with/in snow.

21 Cure of, not from.

Don't say: The man was cured from his illness.
Say: The man was cured of his illness.
Note: The noun cure takes for 1 There is no cure for that disease

22 Depend on or upon, not from.

Don't say: It depends from her.
Say: It depends on (or upon) her.
Note: Rely on or upon ' can't rely on (or upon) him.

23 Deprive of, not from.

Don't say: Nelson Mandela was deprived from his freedom. /
Say: Nelson Mandela was deprived of his freedom.

24 Die of an illness, not from an illness.

Don't say: Many people have died from malaria. /
Say: Many people have died of malaria.

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Note: People die of illness, of hunger, of thirst, of or from wounds ; from
overwork ; by violence, fay the sword, by pestilence; in battle; for their country,
for a cause, through neglect; on the scaffold; at the stake.

25 Different from, not than.

Don't say: My book is different than yours. /
Say: My book is different from yours.
26 Disappointed by, about or at, not from.
(a) by/at/about:
Don't say: Phillipa was disappointed from the low mark she got in the test. /
Say: Phillipa was disappointed by/about/at the low mark she got in the test.
(b) with/in:
Don't say: Jane was disappointed from her son.
Say: Jane was disappointed with/in her son.
Note 1. Before a person we use with or in, before a thing we use at, about or by
and before a gerund we use at: Keith is very disappointed at not winning the
prize. We use that (optional before a new clause)' / was disappointed (that) I
didn't get an invitation.

27 Divide into parts, not in parts.

Don't say: I divided the cake in four parts.
Say: I divided the cake into four parts.
Note. A thing may be divided in half or in two Paul divided the apple in half (or in
two).

28 No doubt (n) of or about, not for.

Don't say: I've no doubt for his ability.
Say: I've no doubt of (or about) his ability.
Note- Doubtful of: / am doubtful of his ability to pass

29 Dressed in, not with.

Don't say: The woman was dressed with black.
Say: The woman was dressed in black .The woman was/is in black is also correct

30 Exception to, not of.

Don't say: This is an exception of the rule.
Say: This is an exception to the rule. Note: We say with the exception of: She
liked all her subjects with the exception of physics

31 Exchange for, not by.

Don't say: He exchanged his collection of matchboxes by some foreign stamps.
Say: He exchanged his collection of matchboxes for some foreign stamps.
Note 1. In exchange for He gave them his old car in exchange for a new one.

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32 Fail in, not from.
Don't say: Steven failed from maths last year.
Say: Steven failed in maths last year.

33 Full of, not with or from.

Don't say: The jar was full with (or from) oil.
Say: The jar was full of oil.
Note 1. Fill takes with Jane filled the glass with wat r 6 Misused forms
34 Get rid of, not from.
Don't say: I'll be glad to get rid from him.
Say: I'll be glad to get rid of him.

35 Glad about, not from or with.

Don't say: Francis was glad from (or with) receiving your letter.
Say: Francis was glad about receiving your letter.

36 Good at, not in.

Don't say: My sister's good in maths.
Say: My sister's good at maths.
Note 1 : Bad at, clever at, quick at, slow at, etc. However, weak in: He's weak in
grammar.
Note 2: He's good in class means that his conduct is good.

37 Guard against, not from.

Don't say: You must guard from bad habits.
Say: You must guard against bad habits.

38 Guilty of, not for.

Don't say: He was found guilty for murder.
Say: He was found guilty of murder

39 Independent of, not from.

Don't say: Clare's independent from her parents.
Say: Clare's independent of her parents.
Note: We say dependent on: A child is dependent on its parents.

40 Indifferent to, not for.

Don't say: They're indifferent for politics.
Say: They're indifferent to politics.

41 Insist on, not to.

Don't say: He always insisted to his opinion.

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Say: He always insisted on his opinion.
Note Persist take;, in He persisted in his silly ideas

42 Interested in, not for.

Don't say: She's not interested for her work.
Say: She's not interested in her work.
Note Also take an interest in She takes a great interest in music

43 Jealous of, not from.

Don't say: He's very jealous from his brother.
Say: He's very jealous of his brother.

44 Leave for a place, not to a place.

Don't say: They're leaving to England soon.
Say: They're leaving for England soon.

45 Live on, not from.

Don't say: He lives from his brother's money.
Say: He lives on his brother's money.
.Note Feed on 1 Some birds feed on insects

46 Look at, not to.

Don't say: Look to this beautiful picture.
Say: Look at this beautiful picture.
Also gaze at, stare at, etc look after (= take care of); look for (= to find), look over
(= examine); look into (= examine closely), look on or upon (= consider), look
down on (= have a low opinion of), look up to = respect.( Look out for= expect);
look forward to (= expect with pleasure), look to (= rely on) Misused forms

47. Married to, not with.

Don’t say: Angela was married with a rich man.
Say: Angela was married to a rich man.
Note Also engaged to Sally was engaged to Peter for a year before they got
married.

48 Opposite to, not from

Don't say: Their house is opposite from ours.
Say: Their house is opposite to ours.
Note Opposite ours is also correct

49 Pass by a place, not from a place.

Don't say: Will you pass from the post-office?

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Say: Will you pass by the post-office?
Note Also pass the post-office is correct.

50 Play for a team, not with a team.

Don't say: He plays regularly with that team.
Say: He plays regularly for that team.

51 Pleased with, not from.

Don't say: The teacher is pleased from me.
Say: The teacher is pleased with me.
Note. We say pleased at or pleased with if an abstract noun or a clause follows;
They were pleased at (or with) what he said; They were pleased et (or with) her
results

52 Popular with, not among.

Don't say: John's popular among his friends.
Say: John's popular with his friends.

53 Prefer to, not from.

Don't say: I prefer a blue pen from a red one.
Say: I prefer a blue pen to a red one.
Note Also preferable to This car is preferable to the old one.

54 Preside at or over, not in.

Don't say: Who presided in the last meeting?
Say :Who presided at (or over) the last meeting?

55 Proud of, not for.

Don't say: He's very proud for his promotion.
Say: He's very proud of his promotion.
Note We say take (a) pride in A craftsman takes a pride in his work

56 Rejoice at or in, not for.

Don't say: We rejoiced for her success.
Say: We rejoiced at (or in) her success.

57 Related to, not with.

Don't say: Are you related with Simon in any way?
Say: Are you related to Simon in any way?
Note Also relation to. Is he any relation to you?

58 Repent of, not from.

Don't say: He repented from his crime.

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Say: He repented of his crime.
Note Repentance takes for- . He feels repentance for his sin

59 Satisfied with, not from.

Don't say: Are you satisfied from your marks?
Say: Are you satisfied with your marks?
Note Also content with, delighted with, unhappy with, happy with, displeased
with, dissatisfied with, disgusted with.

60 Similar to, not with.

Don't say: Your house is similar with mine.
Say: Your house is similar to mine.

61 Sit at a desk etc., not on a desk etc.

Don't say: The bank manager was sitting on his desk.
Say: The bank manager was sitting at his desk.
Note Also sit at a table. But on a chair, on a bench, on a sofa, etc ; in an arm-chair,
in a tree or up a tree. A bird sometime s perches (= sits on a tree )

62 Spend on, not for.

Don't say: spend a lot of time for my computer.
Say: I spend a lot of time on my computer.

63 Succeed in, not at.

Don't say: I hope he'll succeed at his work.
Say: I hope he'll succeed in his work.
Note . A person succeeds to a property, a title, or an office: Queen Elizabeth I!
succeeded to the throne in 1952 Also one person Can succeed another.

64 Superior to, not from or than.

Don't say: This is superior from (or than) that.
Say: This is superior to that.
Note Also inferior to, junior to, senior to, subsequent to, prior to.

65 Sure of, not for.

Don't say: I'm quite sure for her honesty.
Say: I'm quite sure of her honesty.
Note: Also certain of I am quite certain of it.

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66 Surprised at or by, not for.
Don't say: Harold was surprised for the loud bang.
Say: Harold was surprised at/by the loud bang.
Note. Also astonished at/by, amazed at/by, alarmed at/by, puzzled at/by,
shocked at/by.

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 USE OF THE WRONG TENSE
1. Using the past tense after did instead of the infinitive without to.
(a) To ask questions:
Don't say: Did you went to school yesterday?
Say. Did you go to school yesterday?

(b) To make negatives:

Don't say: 1 did not went to school yesterday.
Say: I did not go to school yesterday.

Use the present infinitive without to, not the past tense after the auxiliary did. Note : the
answer to a question beginning with did is always in the past tense. Did you see the
picture? -Yes . I saw the picture; or Yes, I did.

2.Using the third person singular after does instead of the infinitive
without to.
(a) To ask questions:
Don't say: Does the gardener waters the flowers?
Say: Does the gardener water the flowers?

(b) To make negatives:

Don't say: The man doesn't waters the flowers.
Say: The man doesn't water the flowers.

After the auxiliary does use the infinitive without to, and not the third person of the
present. Note The answer to a question beginning with Does is always in the present
tense, third person: Does he like the cinema? - Yes, he likes the cinema, or Yes, he does

3. Using the third person singular after can, must, etc., instead 6f the
infinitive without to.
Don't say: Ian can speaks English very well.
Say: Ian can speak English very well.

After the verbs can, must, may, shall, and will, use the infinitive without to, and not the
third person of the present.

17
4.Wrong sequence of tenses.
Don't say: Rachel asked me what I am doing.
Say: Rachel asked me what I was doing.

When the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, use a past tense in subordinate
clauses Note. This rule doesn't apply

(1) to verbs within quotations.

(2) to facts that are true at all times
We say:
1. She said , 'I am waiting for your answer
2. He said that London is a great city

5. Using will/’ll instead of would/'d in a subordinate clause.

Don't say: He said (that) he will/'ll come tomorrow.
Say: He said (that) he would/'d come tomorrow.

Will/'ll change s to would/'d in subordinate causes , when the verb in the main clause: is
in a past tense

6. Using may instead of might in a subordinate clause.

Don't say: Last Sunday Ailsa told me that she may come.
Say: Last Sunday Ailsa told me that she might come.

May changes to might in subordinate clauses, when the verb in the main clause is m the
past simple tense Note The conjunction that is never preceded by a comma

7. Using can instead of could in a subordinate clause.

Don't say: Ben thought he can win the prize.
Say: Ben thought he could win the prize.

Can changes to could in subordinate clauses, when the verb in the main clause is in the
past simple tense

8. Using the past simple tense after an auxiliary verb, instead of the past
participle.
Don't say: I've forgot to bring my book.
Say: I've forgotten to bring my book.

Use the past participle (and not the past tense) with the auxiliary verb have its parts.

18
9. Using must or ought to to express a past obligation.
Don't say: You ought to come yesterday.
Say: You ought to have come yesterday. Or: You should have come yesterday.

Don't use must and ought to as past tenses To express a past duty (which wasn't done)
use the perfect infinitive without to after ought to or should, or expressions such as had
to, was obliged to. Note ' In indirect speech use must and ought to as past tenses: He said
he must do it.

10. Using the present perfect instead of the simple past tense.
Don't say: I have seen a good film yesterday.
Say: I saw a good film yesterday.

Use the simple past tense (and not the present perfect! for an action complete the past at
a stated time. Note ' When a sentence has a word or a phrase denoting past time, like
yesterday, last night, last week, last year, then, ago, etc., always use a simple past tense.

11. Using the simple past tense instead of the present perfect.
Don't say: i saw the Parthenon of Athens.
Say: I have seen the Parthenon of Athens.

If we are speaking of the result of a past action rather than of the action it we must use
the present perfect tense When somebody says, / have seen Parthenon, he or she is not
thinking so much of the past act of seeing it, at the present result of that past action.

12. Using the simple past tense with a recent, action, instead of the present
perfect.
Don't say: The clock struck.
Say: The clock has struck.

If we are speaking of an action just finished, we must use the present perfect instead of
the simple past tense, For example, immediately after the clock strikes, we shouldn't say
The clock struck, say The dock has struck.

13. Using the simple present instead of the present perfect.

Don't say: I'm at this school two years.
Say: I've been at this school two years.

Use the present perfect (and not the simple present) for an action begun in the past and
continuing into the present. I've been at this school two years means I'm stilt here.

19
14 Using the simple present instead of the present perfect after a since
clause of time.
Don't say: Since he came, we're happy.
Say: Since he came, we've been happy.

The verb after a since clause of time is generally in the present perfect tense.

15. Using the simple present instead of the present continuous.

Don't say: Look! Two boys fight.
Say: Look! Two boys are fighting.

Note:We also use the present continuous for the future 'when something is pre-
arranged or expected with some certainly Lorna is arriving tomorrow at six. Tom and I
are eating out tonight.

16. The continuous form of the tense misused.

Don't say: Pm understanding the lesson now.
Say: I understand the lesson now.

As a rule, verbs denoting a state rather than an act have no continuous forms, like
understand, know, believe, like, love, belong, prefer, consist, mean, hear, see. etc

20
 MISPLACED WORDS
1.The adverb of definite time misplaced.
Don't say: I last night went to the cinema.
Say: I went to the cinema last night.

Adverbs or adverbial phrases of definite time, like yesterday, today, tomorrow, last
week, two months ago, are usually placed al the end of the sentence If we want to
emphasise the time, we put the adverb at the beginning Yesterday I was very busy
Note:If there is more than one adverb of definite time in a sentence, put the more exact
expression before the more general (1) He was born at two o'clock in the morning on
April 12th 1942.

2.The adverb of indefinite time misplaced.


Don't say: They come always to school by bus.
Say: They always come to school by bus.

Place adverbs of indefinite time, like ever, never, always, often, seldom, soon, sometimes
and the adverbs almost, scarcely, hardly, nearly, even, before the principal verb
Note With the vero to be place the adverb of indefinite time after the verb1 They are
always beautifully dressed

3.The adverb of time placed before the adverb of place.

Don't say: The builders will be tomorrow here.
Say: The builders will be here tomorrow.

When using an adverb of time and an adverb of place together in a sentence, the
adverb of place must come first

4 The adverb misplaced with a transitive verb.

Don't say: Janet wrote carefully her essay.
Say: Janet wrote her essay carefully.


With a transitive verb, the adverb generally comes after the object. Note. If, however,
theobject is long, the adverb maycome after the transitive verb She wrote carefully all
the essays she had to do.

5 The adverb enough misplaced.


Don't say: Is the room enough large for,you?
Say: Is the room large enough for you?


Place the adverb enough after the word it qualifies and not before. Note. When enough is
an adjective it comes before the noun: We have enough food for six people.

21
6 Not misplaced with a compound verb.
Don't say: I should have not gone ...
Say: I should not have gone ...


Position not in a compound verb after the first auxiliary

Note- With the present or perfect participle, place not at the beginning'
Not having set
the alarm, he was late for work. Not being rich, he couldn't afford it.

7 Not misplaced with the negative infinitive.

Don't say: I told Liz to not come on Monday.
Say: I told Liz not to come on Monday.


Position not in the negative infinitive immediately before the word to, and not
after it.

8.The subject of the sentence misplaced

Don't say: Last week visited our school a man.
Say: A man visited our school last week.
In most English sentences place the subject first, the verb next, then the object with the
rest following

9 The subject misplaced in questions.

Don't say: You were at the cinema yesterday? They'll come with us tomorrow? /
Say: Were you at the cinema yesterday Will they come with us tomorrow?

In interrogative sentences place the subject after the verb If the tense is compound , the
subject comes after the auxiliary, and the rest follows
Note Exception to this rule is occasionally made in spoken English, but students are
advised to follow the rule.

10 The subject misplaced in questions beginning with an interrogative

word. Don't say: Why you were absent last Friday?
Say: Why were you absent last Friday?

In questions beginning with an interrogative word like what, when, where, how,
place 'he verb before the subject as in all questions

11 The subject misplaced after never, etc.

Don't say: Never I have heard of such a thing.
Say: Never have I heard of such a thing.

When never, seldom, rarely, neither, nor, not only, no sooner, are placed at the
beginning of a complete clause, the verb must come before me subject as In a question.

22
12 All... not used instead of Not all.
Don't say: All people are not hard-working
Say: Not all people are hard-working.

The first sentence is wrong because it makes all people lazy

Note Similarly, Everybody doesn't like dancing should be Not everybody likes dancing

13 The subject misplaced in indirect questions.

Don't say: The teacher asked me what games did I play
Say: The teacher asked me what games I played.

In indirect questions follow the usual order of words: subject first and then verb

14 The direct object misplaced.

Don't say: He touched with his hand the ball.
Say: He touched the ball with his hand.

The object of a transitive verb generally come s directly after the verb

15 The indirect object misplaced.

Don't say: I showed to her some of my stamps.
Say: I showed some of my stamps to her.

If the indirect object is preceded by a preposition, place it after the direct object
Note The indirect object usually comes first without a preposition / showed her some of
my stamps.

16 The qualifying adjective misplaced.

Don't say: My uncle has a garden very large.
Say: My uncle has a very large garden.

Put the adjective immediately before the noun, it qualifies.

17 The past participle misplaced.

Don't say: The ordered goods haven't arrived.
Say: The goods ordered haven't arrived.
The goods ordered is a shortened form of The goods which have been ordered.

23
18 The relative clause misplaced.
Don't say: A girl has a pony who is in our class.
Say: A girl who is in our class has a pony.

Put the relative clause immediately after the noun to which it refers.
Note Enclose a relative clause that ma y be omitted between commas. My brother
George, who is in another class, has a new bicycle. A relative clause that can't be omitted
is not enclosed within commas: The boy who spoke to me is my brother.

19 The conjunction misplaced in a time clause.

Don't say: Emma when she arrived the boat had already gone.
Say: When Emma arrived the boat had already gone.

Place the conjunction introducing an adverbial clause of time at the beginning of a

clause.

20 Correlative conjunctions misplaced.

Don't say: Paul neither speaks English nor French.
Say: Paul speaks neither English nor French.

Place correlative conjunctions (that is, conjunctions used in pairs, like neither... nor, not
only ... but also) before words of the same part of speech.

21 The ordinal numeral misplaced.

Don't say: I've read the two first chapters.
Say: I've read the first two chapters.

Place ordinal numerals before cardinal numerals There can't be two first chapters, only
one. Similarly, we must say. The last two (three, etc.), and not The two (three, etc.) last.

22 The indefinite article misplaced with such.

Don't say: I never met a such good man before.
Say: I never met such a good man before.

Place the indefinite article a or an after such: such a good man.

23 The definite article misplaced with half.

Don't say: The half year is nearly finished.
Say: Half the year is nearly finished.

Half the year is shortened form of half of the year.

24
24 The most used instead of most of the.
Don't say: The most of girls are not present.
Say: Most of the girls are not present.

25 The apostrophe (') misplaced with contractions.

Don't write: Did'nt, has'nt, is'nt, are'nt, etc.
Write: Didn't, hasn't isn't, aren't, etc.

26 Mentioning oneself first.

Don't say: Only I and my mother are present.
Say: Only my mother and I are present.

English idiom requires that when a person is speaking of himself/herself and others,
he/she must mention the other person or persons first and leave himself/herself last.

25
 FEW COMMON BLUNDERS
The girl next door is as cute as a button, but when she opens her mouth, her
English is bad enough to get her sent back to kindergarten! Well, it's a common
enough problem today -- almost everyone is mourning the lack of fluency in
English among our school and college-going generation, as well as in the new
entrants into the work force.

Let's start off with a few common blunders that most of the reader come across
frequently:

1. I sended that parcel.

This is common mistake. English has many irregular verbs in the past tense. Sent
is the past form of send.
~ I sent that parcel

2: There, their, they're

Many of us use the three interchangeably -- while speaking and/or writing.

Unfortunately they mean totally different things.
'There' often indicates location.
For example: I will be in New Delhi next week. You could meet me there.
'Their' is a possessive pronoun.
For example: Citizens must be aware of their rights.
'They're' is short for 'they are'.
For example: Have you met Rajeshwari and Satyen? They're here to assist you!
Got the difference? :-)

3. X years back

Here's yet another classic English mistake (that isn't necessarily an Indianism)
that can be easily avoided!
Back is used to refer to a specific period in the past.
For example:
Back in my childhood things weren't as expensive.
Or
Back in the 19th century, people rode on horses.
Ago too is used to refer to a specific period in the past... but always in relation
with the present.
For example:
The class started 10 minutes ago.
Or
I graduated from school 15 years ago.
When you use 'ago' the unsaid is always 'from the present moment'.
So, never say:
The class started 10 minutes back.
Or
I graduated from school 15 years back.

26
4. Starting with 'I'
When referring to a group that includes you, list yourself at the end:
For example:
Ramesh, Nitin, Raju, Suneet and I went on a road trip.
Not
I, Ramesh, Nitin, Raju and Suneet went on a road trip.
Nor
Ramesh, I, Nitin, Raju and Suneet went on a road trip.
Actually no other way really! :-)

5. Mr and Mrs...

Although it isn't wrong to say Mr and Mrs, it is politically correct to lead with the
lady.
So while addressing a letter to a couple or introducing them, go with Mrs and Mr
XYZ instead and be a gentleman!

6. Real sister

Again... what on earth is a 'real' sister (or a 'real' brother for that matter)?
This classic Indianism owes its roots to the way we refer to our relations in our
mother tongue.
Unlike in English where a father's sister and a mother's sister are both aunts,
Indians are very specific about our relationships.
While a bua can never be confused for a maasi in Hindi, the English like to keep
things vague.
So a saga bhai is simply 'brother' (not real brother) a sagi behen is just 'sister'
and any cousin from any side of your family irrespective of their gender is just
that 'cousin' (not cousin brother or cousin sister).
Should you feel the need to specify a gender, you will have to do so in a follow up
sentence.
For example: I have a cousin in Rajkot. She topped the university.
Get it? :-)

7. 11 am in the morning

It has to be either 11 in the morning or 11 am not both.

Why? The same reason why it is ATM and not ATM Machine :-)
Also, say noon or midnight rather than 12 noon or 12 midnight simply because
there's just one noon and one midnight in the whole day :-)

8. ~ "It was a blunder mistake."

Correction, people! The word 'blunder' means mistake, so you could say:

~ "It was a blunder," or

~ "It was a big mistake."

27
9. ~ "It would have been more better."

The word 'better' itself implies that the option in question is superior -- the use
of the word 'more' in the sentence is, therefore both inappropriate and
unnecessary. Thus the correct sentence would go as follows:

~ "It would have been better."

10. ~ "Why don't he get married?"

The term 'don't' applies when discussing a plural subject. For instance, "Why
don't they get married?" The right way to phrase that sentence would be:

~ "Why doesn't he get married?"

11. ~ "I want two Xeroxes of this card."

The term 'Xerox' is used in North American English as a verb. Actually, 'Xerox' is
the name of a company that supplies photocopiers! The correct thing to say,
therefore, would be:

~ "I want two photocopies of this card."

12. ~ "Your hairs are looking silky today."

This is one of the most common Indian bloopers! The plural of 'hair' is 'hair'!
Thus:

~ "Your hair is looking silky today."

13. ~ Loose vs lose:

Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words 'loose'
and 'lose' while writing. 'Lose' means to 'suffer a loss or defeat'. Thus, you would
write:

~ 'I don't want to lose you," and not ' don't want to loose you.'

'Loose', on the other hand, means 'not firm' or 'not fitting.' In this context, you
would write,

~ "My shirt is loose," not "My shirt is lose."

14. ~ "One of my friend lives in Kolkata."

This is one of the most common Indian English bloopers ever! The correct way of

28
putting that is:

"One of my friends lives in Kolkata."

Why? Because the sentence implies that you have many friends who live in
Kolkata, but you are referring to only one of these friends.

15. ~ Tension-inducing tenses.

People often use the wrong tense in their sentences. For instance, someone
might say:

~ "I didn't cried when I saw the movie."

Unfortunately, the word 'didn't' is never followed by a past tense verb, in this
case 'cried'. The correct way of putting it would be:

~ "I didn't cry when I saw the movie."

16.~ Every Sunday, I take headbath.

The correct version should be:~Every Sunday, I wash my hair.

17.~ I will call you today night.

Just dissecting the word, to-day, shows the origin. It means during the day.
Therefore, you should use to-night.
~ I will call you tonight

18.~ Can I have your name?

~ Can I go to the toilet?
~ Can I hold your hand?

This is one of the most common misuses of a word in the English language. Of
course you *can* have someone's name, just as easily as you *can* go the toilet
or hold someone's hand. Can means whether or not you are able to do it. May
means whether or not you have permission to do it.

~ May I have your name?

~ May I go to the toilet?
~ May I hold your hand?

29
 ERRORS DONE WHILE WRITING
Anyone learning English as a Second Language will make mistakes
along the way. It is inevitable. Don’t worry. We’ve made more than
my share of speaking mistakes while studying foreign languages. The
important thing is to learn from these mistakes so you become a
more capable, confident speaker.Here’s hoping that some of these
suggestions can be helpful to you:

1.Much, more, less (some nouns occur only in the singular form)
Incorrect: There is much dusts. There is more courages. He had less funs.
Correct: There is much dust. There is more courage. He had less fun.

2. Less, fewer (countable nouns)

Incorrect: There were less people.
Correct: There were fewer people.

3. Possession shared by two nouns

Incorrect: It was John’s and Peter’s car.
Correct: It was John and Peter’s car.

4. His/hers/its (If you don’t know an animal’s gender, you use “it”.)
Incorrect: The dog lost his bone. (You don’t know the gender.)
Correct: The dog lost its bone.

5. That/who
Incorrect: I have written to my sister that lives in France.
Correct: I have written to my sister who lives in France.

6. Me/I
Incorrect: Give it to I. Jason and me took the class. He read as well as me.
Correct: Give it to me. Jason and I took the class. He read as well as I.

7. This/that/those/these
Incorrect: These/those is my child. That/this are my children.
Correct: This/that is my child. Those/these are my children.

8. Happy (well/good)
Incorrect: She feels well.
Correct: She feels good.

30
9. Quality (well/good)
Incorrect: She sings good.
Correct: She sings well.

10. Adverbs with “ly”

Incorrect: She spoke to him quiet. He shouted not as loud as the rest of the
group.
Correct: She spoke to him quietly. He shouted not as loudly as the rest of the
group.

11. Linking verbs take the adjective form (bad/badly)

Incorrect: The meat smells badly. I feel badly.
Correct: The meat smells bad. I feel bad.

12. Answering when there is an either/or question

Incorrect: “Either you go home or stay here.” “Yes.”
Correct: “Either you go home or stay here.” (Select one choice)

13. Subject/verb agreement

Incorrect: One of the planes are late. Each of the cars are fast.
Correct: One of the planes is late. Each of the cars is fast.

14. Plurals and Their Correct Verbs

Incorrect: The wages is little. The scissors are broken. The police is coming.
Correct: The wages are little. The scissors is broken. The police are coming.

15. Misplaced verb as modifier (If you put the modifier in a different place in
the sentence, it means something different.)
Incorrect: Josh threatened to divorce her often. (This is not what you intend to
say.)
Correct: Josh often threatened to divorce her.

16. Misplaced noun as modifier

Incorrect: We gave the flowers to the customer in the refrigerator.
Correct: We gave the flowers in the refrigerator to the customer.

17. Misplaced adverbs (Be careful where the adverb is placed in the sentence
as it has a different meaning.)
Incorrect: She almost washed all of the dishes. He offered to paint the fence last
night. (This is not what you intend to say.)
Correct: She washed almost all of the dishes. Last night, he offered to paint the
fence.

31
18. Omission of second part of comparison
Incorrect: Carla ranks Mary higher than Betty.
Correct: Carla ranks Mary higher than she ranks Betty.

19. Any other

Incorrect: Alaska is bigger than any state in the United States.
Correct: Alaska is bigger than any other state in the United States.

20. Parallel verb phrases

Incorrect: She was late for work and fired by her boss.
Correct: She was late for work and was fired by her boss.

21. Old friend/long time

Incorrect: She was my old friend. (You may have known her for a long time, but
she might be offended if you use the word “old” as it implies age.)
Correct: She was a friend who I have known for a long time.

22. Parallelism and verb agreement

Incorrect: He learned to play tennis, to swim and sail.
Correct: He learned to play tennis, to swim and to sail.

23. Avoid lengthy sentence beginnings that offer nothing to the sentence
Incorrect: It goes without saying it is a nice day … With reference to your
question I don’t really know … At this point in time I would like to work for the
bank …
Correct: It is a nice day … I don’t really know … I would like to work for the bank
…

24. Redundant phrases

Incorrect: advanced planning, close proximity, end results, grateful thanks.
Habitual customs, local residents, mutual cooperation, old adage, past history,
self-confessed, successful achievements, true facts, usual customary, young
teenager, absolute truth, redo again
Correct: Use one word or the other not two words that mean nearly the same
thing

25. Circumlocution/talking around the subject

Incorrect/correct: ahead of schedule/early, am in possession/have, at an early
date/soon, at this point in time/now, best of health/well, caused injuries
to/injured, draw attention to/point out, during the time that/while, give rise
to/cause, in advance of/before, in the event that/if, in this day and age/today,
made a statement saying/stated or said, made an escape/escaped, owing to the

32
fact that/because, put in an appearance/appeared, render assistance to/help,
succumbed to injuries/died, take action on the issue/acted, the reason why is
that/because, this is a topic that/topic, was of the opinion that/thought, was
witness to/saw

26. An/a
Incorrect: It is a old television set, but it still works. It is an costly purchase.
Correct: It is an old television set, but it still works. It is a costly purchase.

27. Alternative/alternate
Incorrect: We will alternative playing the video games. The salad is a healthier
alternate.
Correct: We will alternate playing the video games. The salad is a healthier
alternative.

28. Amicable (used to describe arrangements or settlements agreed peacefully

by parties)/ Amiable (used to describe people who are kind, gentle and friendly)
Incorrect: The soccer teams were amicable
Correct: The soccer teams were amiable

29. Among/between
Incorrect: She could not decide among the two guys.
Correct: She could not decide between the two guys.

30. Beside (means “next to”)/besides (means “in addition to”)

Incorrect: Ask him to sit besides me.
Correct: Ask him to sit beside me.

31. Bimonthly (every 2 months)/Semi-monthly (2 times a month)

Incorrect: I get paid bimonthly (every 2 months when you want to say every 2
months).
Correct: I get paid semi-monthly (every 2 months).

32. Bring (action towards)/take (action away)

Incorrect: He will take the book to his friend’s.
Correct: He will bring the book to this friend’s.

33. Can (applies ability)/may (asks permission)

Incorrect: I may drive because I passed the driving test.
Correct: I can drive because I passed the driving test.

34. Deadly (if can cause death)/deathly (like the silence of death but does not
kill)

33
Incorrect: A bee sting can be deathly.
Correct: A bee sting can be deadly.

35. Farther (refers to physical distance)/further (refers to degree or extent)

Incorrect: We will drive no further tonight.
Correct: We will drive no farther tonight.

36. Had ought/ought (ought is not used with helping verb)

Incorrect: They had ought to call the pizza delivery.
Correct: They ought to call the pizza delivery.

37. Hardly/barely/scarcely
Incorrect: He was not hardly/barely/scarcely finished with the paper.
Correct: He was hardly/barely/scarcely finished with the paper

38. Kind of/sort of/type of/variety of (never use “a” or “an” after these
expressions)
Incorrect: It was kind of a hot day.
Correct: It was kind of hot today.

39. Last (that what comes at the end)/latest (last in time, but not
necessarily the final occurrence)
Incorrect: It is the latest game of the season.
Correct: It is the last game of the season.

40. Lay/lie/laid (to put down) – lie/lay/lain (to recline or repose)

Incorrect: I will lie the paper on the table.
Correct: I will lay the paper on the table.

41. Learn (acquire information)/teach (impart knowledge)

Incorrect: I will learn the English to him.
Correct: I will teach the English to him.

42. Presently (soon or shortly)/at present (now, currently, at this time)

Incorrect: Presently, the boss is in his office.
Correct: At present, the boss is in his office.

43. Regardless (despite)/irregardless (a nonstandard word)

Incorrect: Irregardless of what you want, the restaurant does not have it.
Correct: Regardless of what you want, the restaurant does not have it.

44. Rare (implies value)/scarce (applied to ordinary things that are no

longer in abundant)

34
Incorrect: The painting was very scarce.
Correct: The painting was very rare.

45. Future tense

Incorrect: Tomorrow we go shopping.
Correct: Tomorrow we will go shopping.

46. Since/for
Incorrect: I’ve been in America since 3 months.
Correct: I’ve been in America for 3 months.

47. Adjectives in right order

Incorrect: Have you bought the blue china antique vase? I like ice cream vanilla
the most.
Correct: Have you bought the antique blue china vase? I like vanilla ice cream the
most.

48. Work/job
Incorrect: My boyfriend has a new work.
Correct: My boyfriend has a new job.

49. Misused Irony

Incorrect: It’s a free ride if you pay.
Correct: You need to pay.

50. Couldn’t care less (not care at all)/could care less (care a little but not
much)
Incorrect: I couldn’t care less that it is raining (to mean not to care at all when
you care a little).
Correct: I could care less that it is raining.

51. Literally (event must happen)/figuratively (event could not happen)

Incorrect: He literally flew out the door.
Correct: He figuratively flew out the door.

52. Repeating subject

Incorrect: My English it is improving. My friend Mary she is going out with me.
Correct: My English is improving. My friend Mary is going out with me.

53. Incorrect preposition

Incorrect: In January 13th, I will be twenty.
Correct: On January 13th, I will be twenty.

35
54. Nobody/anybody
Incorrect: At the party, I didn’t meet nobody.
Correct: At the party, I didn’t meet anybody.

55. Possessive
Incorrect: She lives with she’s father.
Correct: She lives with her father.

56. Of come/have come

Incorrect: I would of come if I had a car.
Correct: I would have come if I had a car.

57. Loan/borrow
Incorrect: I loaned the book from the library.
Correct: I borrowed the book from the library.

58. Grade/year
Incorrect: I am in the third grade of college. My little brother is in the third year
of school.
Correct: I am in the third year of college. My little brother is in the third grade of
school.

59. Irregular plurals

Incorrect: I saw two deers in the woods. My foots hurt.
Correct: I saw two deer in the woods. My feet hurt.

60. Confusion over wording of idiom

Incorrect: The boss told me to dot my t’s and cross my i’s.
Correct: The boss told me to dot my i’s and cross my t’s.

61. Was/were after “if” and “wish”

Incorrect: If I was going to the movies … I wish I was seeing an action thriller.
Correct: If I were going to the movies … I wish I were seeing an action thriller.

62. Answering a common expression with a question

Incorrect: “See you later!” “When?”
Correct: “See you later!” “Sure, good bye!”

63. Confusion over gender

Incorrect: My mother will be coming to America. He is excited.
Correct: My mother will be coming to America. She is excited.

64. Themself/themselves

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Incorrect: They cooked dinner by themself.
Correct: They cooked dinner by themselves.

65. Comfortable/convenient
Incorrect: Is that chair convenient for you? Is it comfortable that I come over to
your apartment?
Correct: Is that chair comfortable for you? Is it convenient that I come over to
your apartment?

66. Expressing that you are sorry

Incorrect: I am sorry to her.
Correct: I apologized to her.

67. Look/see/watch verbs

Incorrect: I will see for you. I will look the movie.
Correct: I will look/watch for you. I will see/watch the movie.

68. Differences between want/hope/expect

Incorrect: I want that the store has a funny video.
Correct: I hope/expect that the store has a funny video.

69. Very/really
Incorrect: I felt very fantastic.
Correct: I felt really fantastic.

70. “Played” as in having fun

Incorrect: (If in reference to adults, and if not in a sport or a game) I played with
my friends Friday night.
Correct: I hung out/went out/had fun with my friends Friday night. 71.
Superlatives

Incorrect: It is more hot now.

Correct: It is hotter now.

72. Most/all/some
Incorrect: Most of Koreans like kimchi.
Correct: Most Koreans like kimchi or Most of the Koreans I know like kimchi.

73. Do you? Would you? (asking at the present time)

Incorrect: Do you like a glass of wine?
Correct: Would you like a glass of wine?

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 74. Missing word(s)
Incorrect: My cousin is having 4 cats. Although I wasn’t born, I feel like a real
American. I’m from Italy, but I’ve been living for 4 years. I tried eating American
food at restaurants, but now I cook myself as much as I can.
Correct: My cousin’s cat is having 4 kittens. Although I wasn’t born here, I feel
like a real American. I’m from Italy, but I’ve been living her for 4 years. I tried
eating American food at restaurants, but now I cook it myself as much as I can.

75. Misuse of plural

Incorrect: Someday, I’ll find the men to marry.
Correct: Someday, I’ll find the man to marry.

76. All/over
Incorrect: I want to travel all/over the world.
Correct: I want to travel all over the world (use both words together).

77. Incorrect use of word form

Incorrect: Her father paid for her fly to Canada. He has been eaten at expensive
restaurants.
Correct: Her father paid for her flight to Canada. He has been eating at expensive
restaurants.

78. By my own – on my own/by myself

Incorrect: I got the new job by my own.
Correct: I got the new job on my own/by myself.

79. In my point of view – From …/In my view …

Incorrect: In my point of view, the language learning program really helps.
Correct: From my point of view, the language learning program really helps or In
my view, the language program really helps.

80. Do/make
Incorrect: I need to do my bed. I need to make my makeup. Can you make me a
favor?
Correct: I need to make my bed. I need to do my makeup. Can you do me a favor?

81. I suggested them to/I suggest that they

Incorrect: I suggested them to go swimming.
Correct: I suggested that they go swimming. 82. The/my/his
Incorrect: I go to the house (the house is yours). He drove the car (the car is his).
Correct: I am going to my house. He drove his car.

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83. On/in
Incorrect: I was born on 1988.
Correct: I was born in 1988.

84. Day/date answer to a question

Incorrect: “What day were you born?” “1990”

Correct: “What day were you born?” “The 27th.” 85. Then (reference to
time)/than (reference to comparison)

Incorrect: I can speak much better then before.

Correct: I can speak much better than before.

86. In/at
Incorrect: My flight departs in 5:00 p.m. It is at 15 minutes from now.
Correct: My flight departs at 5:00 p.m. It is in 15 minutes from now.

87. During/for
Incorrect: My sister studied during five hours. She studied for the football game.
Correct: My sister studied for five hours. She studied during the football game.

88. Always go/go always

Incorrect: I go always to school by bus.
Correct: I always go to school by bus.

89. Using a thesaurus so the words are more formal and don’t fit
Incorrect: I was crusading/locomoting home from work.
Correct: I was coming home from work.

90. Late/lately
Incorrect: I always sleep lately. Late, I have been going to the movies.
Correct: I always sleep late. Lately, I have been going to the movies.

91. Who/whom
Incorrect: His boss was the one whom gave him the raise. Who were they talking
about? Please help whomever needs it.
Correct: His boss was the one who gave him a raise. Whom were they talking
about? Please help whoever needs it.

92. Possessive case I

Incorrect: I would like the amount of gas to be $40.00.
Correct: I would like $40 worth of gas.

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93. Making one syllable words that end in “ed” into two syllable words
Incorrect: I chang–ged my mind.
Correct: I changed my mind.

94. Having difficulty pronouncing certain vowel sounds and letter sounds
(th, ch, j, ld, rd) and leaving off endings completely
Incorrect: I would like to go to the batroom (bathroom). It is a hard wod (word)
to say. The weather is very cod (cold). I see the ba (bear).
Correct: bathroom, word, cold, bear

95. Saying impolite expression(s)

Incorrect: Can I have more (when eating at someone’s house and the person is
not your very closest friend)? You sure goofed up or that’s not very organized (to
your boss). I have to go to the bathroom (have to use the restroom).
Correct: Wait to be asked for seconds and then say Yes, I really like … or Yes,
please. To your boss say, Do you need any help or Perhaps it could be organized
this way … Say, I have to use the restroom or where is the restroom?

96. Ending sentences with the word “but”

Incorrect: I would like to go, but.
Correct: I would like to go, but (finish the sentence or don’t use the connecting
word). I would like to go, but I can’t.

97. Accurate word choice

Incorrect: She was boring in class (the teacher or the student?).
Correct: Mrs. Jones (the teacher) was boring in class. I was bored with the class
(student).

98. Could be better than that/Couldn’t be better than that

Incorrect: It could be better than that (when it is the best)! It couldn’t be better
than that (when there is need for improvement)!
Correct: It couldn’t be better than that (when it is the best)! It could be better
than that (when there is room for improvement)!

99. Using double negatives

Incorrect: I don’t need not to be upset. I don’t want no coffee.
Correct: I don’t need to be upset. I don’t want any coffee.

100. Stumbling for word choice

Incorrect: I am all wet (hot). I can’t read (implying you don’t know how to read
as in a menu but you really can’t see to read the menu).
Correct: I am all sweaty. I can’t see to read the menu.

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 MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES
Get vs. Gets
A very common mistake made by the Indians which sees them adding the
word ”s” to words unnecessarily.

Example: Unless you gets your act right

This is wrong. Unless the words ”you” is replaced by ”he” and ”your” replaced
by ”his”. Better yet you cab drop the letter ”s” from ”gets”.
Their vs. There
More often than not, these words are misused. ”Their” refers to people
whereas ”there” is used to refer to places.

Example: I have been there.

They came with their goods.
Misuse of a comma
The main purpose of a comma in a sentence should be to indicate a pause in a
long sentence or split a list of items mentioned. When a sentence is split, it
accounts to the misuse of a comma.

Example: It takes him all day, to drive home.

This is referred to as sentence splitting and is in fact wrong. The comma
basically confuses the sentence and creates what is commonly referred to as
sentence fragments.

Blunder vs. Mistake

These two words basically mean the same thing and can never be used in a
sentence at the same time.

Example: You have made a blunder mistake

This is wrong because the sentence actually means, ”You have made
a mistake mistake.” It can either be ”You have made a mistake” or ”You
have made a blunder”.
More vs. Better
At no point should they be used together in a sentence.

Example: This could never have turned out to be more better.

The word better in itself implies superiority hence the use of the word ”more”
in the sentence is seen as being unnecessary.

Does vs. Do
”Does” is used in singular form while ”Do” indicates the plural nature of the
subject.

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Example: Why does he bother you a lot?
Why do they bother you a lot?
Which vs. That
One of the most popular mistakes that cuts across all nationalities. ”That”
should be used as a restrictive pronoun while ”Which” should be used as a
relative pronoun to imply the available options. In a nutshell, ”Which” defines
and ”That” limits.

Example: I never watch movies that are not HD. This means that you limit
yourself to HD movies.
I only watch HD movies which are available on DVD. It means that you can
watch HD movies available on DVD and do not have to download them.
Who vs. Whom
As a subjective pronoun, ”Who” is used in situations where a pronoun acts as
the subject of a particular sentence. On the other hand, ”Whom” is used as an
objective pronoun and used whenever a pronoun acts as an object in a
sentence.

Example: Who is she?

To whom was the assignment given?
Putting a comma before the word ”that”
This is a very common grammar mistake made by Indians. There is a school of
thought of the opinion that, ”that” should never have a comma before it while
other provide for some discretion in certain scenarios.

Example: I did not think, that they were wrong.

This is wrong.

Un-capitalized words at the beginning of a quotation

mark
Every time you start a quotation mark, it must be followed by a capital letter.

Example: He said, ”Get up and head to school.”

Forgetting to put a question mark
This mostly happens in sentences that do not begin with ”Why”, ”What”,
”How”, ”Who”, and ”When”.

Example: Are they not going to come back.

That is wrong. The sentence needs to end with a question mark.

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 Place vs. Plaice
This is a very common spelling mistake. ”Place” refers to a certain location or
position while ”Plaice” is some type of fish.

Example: He took the first place.

Who needs a plaice?
Accept vs. Except
When spoken, these words sound almost the same and can be confusing to
non-natives. ”Accept” means to agree to take something that’s being offered
while ”Except” means with the exclusion of something.

Example: Kindly accept this as a token of appreciation.

The book is new except the cover.
Its and it’s
”Its” is used to show possession while ”it’s” is the short version of ”it is”.

Example: It’s broken.

The vehicle broke its windscreen.
Envy vs. Jealousy
”Envy” is used to imply the pursuit to someone else’s success whereas
”Jealousy” has a much more negative meaning implying a fear of competition.

Example: I envy you with all your success.

His jealous nature contributed to his poor judgement.
May vs. Might
”May” is normally used to imply a possibility while ”Might” refers to
uncertainty.

Example: Two shots may get you drunk.

It might rain today.
Fewer vs. Less
”Fewer” is mostly used on items that can be counted while ”Less” is used for
hypothetical quantities.

Example: Today, the market has fewer people.

Last year the company was less successful.
Since vs. Because
”Since” refers to time while ”Because” is used to refer to causality.

Example: Since I started drinking, I’ve lost around 10 cell phones.

Because I’m highly intoxicated, I’ll not drive.

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 Bring vs. Take
The use of these two words basically depends on whether the object is moving
towards or away from you.

Example: Take this to your mother.

Bring it to me.
Averse vs. Adverse
”Adverse” is used to refer to unfavourable while ”Averse” refers to the state of
being reluctant.

Example: The adverse effects of tobacco.

A good number of people are averse to sleep at work.

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 WORKSITED
www.englishharmony.com
www.indianexponent.com
www.rediff.com
www.citehr.com
www.usingenglish.com
Common Mistakes In English by T.J. Fitikides(Book)

Correcting people’s language in India isn’t an easy task,

wouldn’t suggest you to do it outside a classroom :). There’s
a good chance that you may end up sounding like a snob.
Especially with English – people tend to get a little touchy.
You may have heard of the north-Indian expression –Angreji
nahi aati kya ?hindi main samjhau?” (Don’t you
understand English? Should I explain in Hindi?) … this is
supposed to be an insult. In my opinion, people should keep
their pride aside and see the language like a language. An
open attitude towards learning to speak the language of the
world has the potential of connecting us better with the
world and its culture. Good luck

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TEACHERS EVALUATION SHEET
ANNEXURE- II
Evaluation Sheet for the Micro Project

Academic Year: _____________ Name of Faculty: ________________________________

Course: _______________ Course Code: ___________ Semester: ______________
Title of the Project: _____________________________________________________________________

Cos addressed by the Micro Project:

A.__________________________________________________________________________________________
B.__________________________________________________________________________________________
C.__________________________________________________________________________________________
D.__________________________________________________________________________________________
Major Learning Outcome achieved by students by doing the
a) Practical outcome _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
b) Unit Outcome in Cognitive Domain _________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
c) Outcomes in Affective Domain _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Comments/ Suggestions about teamwork/leadership/inner-personal
communication (if any)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mark out of 6 Marks out of

for 4 for
Roll Student Name performance in Performance Total out
No. group activity In oral/ Of 10
(D5 CoL.8) presentation
(D5 CoL.9)

(Name & Signature of Faculty)

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