Common mistakes with pronouns

Incorrect: Both did not come.

Correct: ​Neither came.

Incorrect: Both of them did not pass the test.

Correct: ​Neither of them​ passed the test.

In negative clauses, we use ‘neither’ not both.

Incorrect: Each of these girls sing very well.

Correct: Each of these girls sings very well.

After ​each and every​, we use a singular verb.

Incorrect: We all did not go.

Correct: ​None of us went.

Incorrect: We all had not been invited.

Correct:​ None of us had been​ invited.

Incorrect: One should love his country.

Correct: One should love​ one’s country.

Incorrect: ‘Have you got a pencil?’ ‘No, I haven’t got.’

Correct: ‘Have you got a pencil?’ ‘No, I haven’t ​got one.​’ / ‘No, I don’t ​have one’.

Have is a transitive verb. It needs an object to complete its meaning.

Incorrect: ‘Is he at home?’ ‘Yes, I think.’

Correct: ‘Is he at home?’ ‘Yes, ​I think so.’

Incorrect: We enjoyed during the holidays.

Correct: We enjoyed ​ourselves​ during the holidays.

Enjoy​ is a transitive verb. It requires an object.

Incorrect: The boy ​who works hard he​ will get the prize.

Correct: The boy ​who works hard​ will get the prize.

Correct:​ Whoever works hard​ will get the prize.

The relative pronoun serves as the subject of the verb in the relative clause. It is therefore wrong to write another
subject.

Common errors in the use of verbs

In this lesson we will take a closer look at some common mistakes in the use of verbs.

Incorrect: He is waiting for you from 10 o’clock.

Correct: He h​as been waiting​ for you since 10 o’clock.

Incorrect: This man is sitting here for the last two hours.

Correct: This man ​has been sitting​ here for the last two hours.

Incorrect: We ​are staying​ here since 1980.

Correct: We ​have been staying​ here since 1980.

Explanation

To talk about actions and situations that started in the past and have continued up to the present, we use the present
perfect continuous tense.

Incorrect: I am going to school by bus.

Correct: I ​go​ to school by us.

Incorrect: We are playing tennis every day.

Correct: We​ play tennis​ every day.

Explanation

We use the simple present tense to talk about routines and habits. Note that the present continuous tense is used to
talk about actions and situations that are going on at the moment of speaking.

Incorrect: I said him to go.

Correct: I​ told him​ to go.

Incorrect: She told that she would be coming.

Correct: She ​said that​ she would be coming.

Explanation

We use tell with a personal object. We use said when there is no personal object.

Incorrect: They discussed about the whole matter.

Correct: They discussed the whole matter.

Explanation

Discuss​ is one of those verbs that are not followed by a preposition.

Mistakes with conjunctions

Correct the following sentences.

Each sentence given below contains a mistake. The mistake is in the use of the conjunction. Find the mistake and
rewrite the sentence correctly.
An example is given below.

Incorrect: As soon as he got the telegram, at once he started.

Correct: ​As soon as​ he got the telegram, he started.

Correct: He got the telegram and started ​at once.

Exercise

1. Neither Jack is intelligent nor hardworking.

2. Though he is fat but he runs fast.

3. As he is fat so he runs slowly.

4. Unless you do not apologize, you will not be admitted to class.

5. Hardly the sun had risen when we set out.

6. Not only she speaks English but also Chinese.

7. This is my house, I live here.

Answers

1. Jack is neither intelligent nor hardworking.

2. ​Though​ he is fat, he runs fast. OR He is fat, ​but​ he runs fast.

3. ​As​ he is fat he runs slowly. OR He is fast​ so​ he runs slowly.

4. ​Unless​ you apologize, you will not be admitted to class. OR ​If you do not​ apologize you will not be admitted to
class.

5.​ Hardly had​ the sun risen when we set out. OR The sun ​had hardly risen​ when we set out.

6. She speaks ​not only​ English but also Chinese.

7. This is my house ​where I live​. OR This is my house. I live here.

 Common mistakes of ESL students

In this lesson we will take a look at some common mistakes ESL students make when they speak or write English.

Incorrect: I give key to the watch every day.

Correct: I wind the watch every day.

Incorrect: He has not answered to me.

Correct: He has not answered me.

Incorrect: I asked a question to him.

Correct: I asked him a question.

When ​ask​ is followed by two objects, the indirect object (person) usually goes before the direct object.

Incorrect: This is not the way to approach to the problem.

Correct: This is not the way to approach the problem.

The verb ​approach​ can be directly followed by its object.

Incorrect: Let us go by walk.

Correct: Let us walk.

Correct: Let us go on foot.

Incorrect: We went to Bangkok and enjoyed very much.

Correct: We went to Bangkok and enjoyed our stay very much.

Correct: We went to Bangkok and enjoyed ourselves very much.

The verb ​enjoy​ requires an expressed object. If there is no object, you should use an appropriate emphatic pronoun.

Incorrect: She is thirty-five years.

Correct: She is thirty-five years old.

Correct: She is thirty-five.

Incorrect: He has left smoking.

Correct: He has stopped smoking.

Correct: He has given up smoking.

Incorrect: Write your name with ink.

Correct: Write your name in ink.

We say ​in pen, in pencil, in ink​ etc.

Incorrect: It is high time she improves her behavior.

Correct: It is high time she improved her behavior.

After ​It’s time / It’s high time,​ we use a past tense to refer to the present.

Common mistakes in English

Some common errors in English are listed below.

Incorrect: Have you received any ​informations?

Correct: Have you received any information?

The word ​information​ is uncountable in English. It does not have a plural form.

Incorrect: We have bought new furnitures.

Correct: We have bought new ​furniture.

The word ​furniture ​does not have a plural form in English. To denote the singular aspect of the noun, you can use
‘an article of furniture’ or a ‘piece of furniture’.
Incorrect: The machineries were expensive.

Correct: The machinery was expensive.

The word ​machinery​ does not have a plural form. It is uncountable and takes a singular verb.

Incorrect: The sceneries here are beautiful.

Correct: The ​scenery here is​ beautiful.

Incorrect: Do not carry heavy ​luggages ​during travel.

Correct: Do not carry heavy ​luggage​ during travel.

Incorrect: He conveyed these news to his relatives.

Correct: He conveyed ​this news​ to his relatives.

The words ​scenery, luggage​ and ​news​ are uncountable in English. They do not have a plural form.

Incorrect: There is no place in this compartment.

Correct: There is no ​room​ in this compartment.

Incorrect: Have you read this poetry?

Correct: Have you read ​this poem​?

Incorrect: I went to watch a drama.

Correct: I went to watch ​a play.

Incorrect: He has gone to foreign.

Correct: He has gone ​abroad.

Correct: He has gone to foreign countries.

Incorrect: She is my ​cousin sister.

Correct: She is my ​cousin.

The pronoun ​she​ itself indicates the gender, and hence there is no need to mention the noun sister.

Incorrect: ​All​ he said is true.

Incorrect: ​What all ​he said is true.

Correct: ​All that ​he said is true.

Correct: ​What​ he said is true.

All ​can mean ‘everything’ in the structure ‘all that’.

Incorrect: ​Suppose, if​ you arrive late, you will miss the show.

Correct: ​Suppose ​you arrive late, you will miss the show.

Correct: ​If ​you arrive late, you will miss the show.

8 phrases that you are using incorrectly

1. Good vs. well

These words are not interchangeable.

Incorrect: He did good.

Correct: He did well.

Incorrect: She sings good.

Correct: She sings well.

Incorrect: She speaks English good.

Correct: She speaks good English.

Correct: She speaks English well.

Good​ is an adjective. It goes before a noun. An adjective cannot be used to modify an adverb. ​Well​ is an adverb. It
usually goes after the verb or verb + object.

2. Extract revenge vs. Exact revenge

The correct phrase is ‘exact revenge’. To extract something is to take it out of something else.

They extracted juice from the mangoes.

3. Leadway vs. Leeway

There is no such word as ‘leadway’. Leeway means extra space or freedom. To give somebody leeway is to give
them the extra space they need.

4. Expresso vs. Espresso

Have you ever walked into a coffee shop and ordered an expresso? Well, there is no such drink. You were trying to
order an espresso but ended up saying ‘expresso’.

5. Irregardless vs. Regardless

The word ‘regardless’ itself means ‘without regard’. There is no need to add the prefix ‘ir’. The word ‘irregardless’
seems like a double negative. It doesn’t make any sense.

6. Conversating vs. Conversing

To converse is to engage in conversation.

She was preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn’t converse with him.

Conversating is not a word, although many people use it in place of the correct term, conversing.

7. Scotch free and Scott free vs. Scot free

The correct expression is scot-free. Scot-free means ‘without suffering any punishment or injury’. It is an adverb.

The people who kidnapped the child will not go scot-free.

8. 360 degree change vs. 180 degree change

You have probably heard people saying that they have made a complete 360 degree change in their life. Well, if they
have made a 360 degree change, then they haven’t changed at all. When you go 360 degrees you return to the exact
same place where you used to be. To imply that you have completely changed your life, you have to use the
expression ‘a 180 degree change’.

Some commonly confused verbs and prepositions

Prepositions cause a great deal of confusion for ESL students.

In this lesson we will explain the correct usage of some common prepositions.

EXCEPT AND ACCEPT

The words ​except​ and ​accept​ are often confused.

Except​ is a preposition. It means ‘not including’.

Everybody came ​except​ John. (John didn’t come.)

Accept​, on the other hand, is a verb.

I ​accept​ this award with great pleasure.

A preposition should be followed by a noun that acts as its object. A verb, too, can be followed by a noun or noun
phrase that acts as its object. However, verbs and prepositions have very different grammatical properties. Note that
a verb does not have to take an object all the time. Verbs that do not take objects are called ​intransitive verbs​. A
preposition, on the other hand, needs an object.

PAST AND PASSED

The word​ past​ can be used as a preposition. ​Passed​, on the other hand, is a verb.

He passed his test.

The word passed can also be used to refer to the act of distributing an item.

She passed the salt.

The word ​past​ can be used as a preposition, and an adverb.

As a preposition

It is past your bedtime.

I went past his house.

Note that when past is used as a preposition, it will be followed by a noun.

As an adverb

An old man walked past.

When ​past​ is used as an adverb, it is not followed by a noun.

INTO

Into is a preposition. It is usually written as one word.

King Midas could turn everything he touched into gold.

Some commonly misspelled phrases

When you replace a vital word in a standard phrase with another word or expression that has very similar
pronunciation, what you get is an altogether new phrase that is either unintelligible or has an altogether different
meaning. There are several such phrases in English.

Here is an overview.

That peaked my curiosity

The correct phrase is ‘that piqued my curiosity’.

The words peak and pique have more or less the same pronunciation. However, they have very different meanings.
To peak is to reach the highest standard of performance. To pique someone’s curiosity is to arouse their curiosity.

With baited breath

The proper phrase is ​‘with bated breath’.

Bait is food used for catching birds or fish. To bait is to put food on a trap to attract fish.

Bated means ‘reduced in force’.

If you wait with bated breath you are worried or excited that you pay a lot of attention because you want to know what
will happen.

‘A Fragrant Error’

Correct phrase: a flagrant error

A flagrant error is a horrendous error that cannot or will not be ignored easily.

He showed a flagrant disregard for the law. Fragrant means ‘with a pleasant smell’.

‘Low and Behold’

Correct phrase: lo and behold

This expression is used to suggest that something that you are going to tell is quite surprising.

He had almost forgotten her. Then, lo and behold, several months later, she turned up again.

The word ‘low’ can be used to refer to the sound a cow makes. It can also refer to the state of being small in quantity
or amount.

Commonly confused prepositions

Among / between
The words ​among​ and ​between​ are often confused. They have very similar meanings, but they are not usually
interchangeable.

Between ​is used to show position between two or more well-defined objects.

Mary sat ​between​ Peter and Alice.

The boy sat ​between​ his dad and mom.

Among​ shows position among an indefinite number of objects. It is not exactly clear how many people or things are
there in the group.

I found an envelope​ among ​the papers on the table.

Beside / besides
Beside​ and ​besides​ have very different meanings. ​Beside​ shows position. It means next to.

She sat ​beside​ her husband. (= She sat next to her husband.)

Besides ​means ‘in addition’.

Besides the violin​, she can play the piano.

Besides eggs​, we need some sugar.

I didn’t talk to anybody else ​besides Jane​.

Note

It is wrong to use ​also​ in the clause following ​besides.

Besides​ algebra, we learn physics and chemistry. (NOT Besides algebra, we also learn physics and chemistry.)

Around / about
Both ​around​ and ​about​ can be used to talk about position or movements that are not very clear or definite.

We wandered ​around / about​ the old town.

He hates doing odd jobs ​about / around​ the house.

Both ​around​ and ​about​ can mean approximately.

Around / about​ fifty people participated in the competition.

To show position or movement in a circle, we use ​around​ or ​round. About​ is not used with this meaning.

We sat ​around​ the dining table.

From / of
From ​indicates the origin of someone or something. ​Of​ indicates possession.

Susie hails ​from​ Belgium.

She is the daughter ​of​ a famous social activist.

 Difference between amount of and number of

The phrases ​amount of​ and ​number of​ have slightly different meanings.

Amount of​ is used with uncountable singular nouns. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that refer to things you
cannot measure or count. Examples are: ​hate, beauty, respect, information​ etc.

● A computer can store a vast​ amount of information.

The noun information is both singular and uncountable – it refers to an idea that cannot be measured.

● Almost all of us have to deal with a ​certain amount of stress.

The word stress refers to an idea that cannot be measured.

● A ​certain amount of confidence​ is absolutely essential for success in life.

The nouns ​amount​ and ​number​ are both used to talk about quantities. Amount is used before uncountable nouns.
Number is used before plural nouns.

Compare:

● That website receives only a ​small amount of traffic​. (Traffic is an uncountable singular noun and hence
we use amount of.)
● That website receives only​ a small number of visitors.​ (Visitors is a plural noun and hence we use
number of.)

The words ​amount​ and ​number​ can be modified by the expressions ​small​ and ​large​. Note that ​big​ and ​little​ are not
normally used with amount and number.

● A ​large number of people​ want to buy cars. (NOT A big number of people want to buy cars.)
● You only need to contribute ​a small amount.​ (NOT You only need to contribute a little amount.)

Difference between being and been

These words are often confused by ESL students. Although they are both forms of the primary auxiliary verb ​be​, they
are used in different grammatical structures. The word ​been​ is the past participle form of ​be​. It is used after​ have.

● I have been to Australia.

● The postman has already been.
The word ​being ​is the present participle form of the verb ​be​. It is not used after ​have​. As a rule, being is used after a
form of be (is, am, are, was, were).

● He is being sick. (= He is vomiting.) (NOT He has being sick.)

● Who is being a silly baby, then?
● I was being careful.

Being as a Noun

The word ‘being’ can also be a noun.

The word ​being​ can be used as a noun. As a noun being means a person or a living creature. Supernatural beings
refer to spirits or gods.

Examples are​: human beings, social beings, supernatural beings, living beings ​etc.

The structure ​be + being​ can be followed by an adjective or noun.

● He was being careful.

● She was being silly.

This structure is used to talk about actions and behaviors. It is not normally used to talk about feelings.

Complete the following sentences using being or been.

1. She has always ………………….. a very naughty girl. (being / been)

2. You are …………………… stupid. (being / been)

3. His latest album has …………………. grabbing a lot of headlines since its launch. (being / been)

4. Have they ………………….. informed? (being / been)

5. An exhibition of her paintings is ………………….. held next week. (being / been)

Some mistakes in the use of tenses

ESL students often find it difficult to use tenses correctly. The present perfect and past perfect tenses are particularly
confusing.
In this article we will take a look at some of the most common mistakes in the use of tenses.

● Incorrect: I ​have seen​ him yesterday.

● Incorrect: I ​had seen​ him yesterday.
● Correct: I ​saw​ him yesterday.

Explanation

The ​present perfect tense​ is not used with adverbs of past time. Although ​past perfect tense​ can be used with
adverbs of past time, it is not used to simply say that something happened some time ago. That meaning is
expressed with the​ simple past tense.

● I ​sent ​the money yesterday. (NOT I had sent the money yesterday. / NOT I have sent the money
yesterday.)
● I ​finished ​that report last week. (NOT I had finished that report last week. / NOT I have finished that
report last week.)
● I ​visited​ my parents last week. (NOT I had visited my parents last week. / NOT I have visited my parents
last week.)

The ​past perfect tense​ is only used to talk about the earlier of two past actions.

Using would

Would is used in second conditional sentences to talk about unreal or imaginary situations.

Compare:

● I ​would want​ to buy a car if I got my raise. (Here we are talking about an unreal situation.)
● I ​want​ to buy a car. (Here we are simply talking about a desire.)
● I ​would want​ to try those sweets if they weren’t so expensive.

Sentences like ‘I would want to buy a car’ are not normally used without a condition.

Some common errors found in ESL English

ESL learners have invented many words and expressions that native speakers of the language are unlikely to
understand. In this article we will take a look at some of these curious expressions that are quite popular among ESL
learners in Asia and Latin America.

Head-bath
This is an expression that most native English speakers do not use or understand. Few dictionaries mention the
phrase ​‘head-bath’​ – the few that do state that this expression is mainly used in Indian English.

When an Indian speaker says that he has a​ head-bath every day​, what he means is that he washes his head or hair
every day. To express the same idea, a native English speaker would say, ​‘I wash my hair every day’.

What does the word ‘ranker’ mean?

A ​ranker​ is a commissioned officer who has been promoted from the enlisted status. This word cannot be used to
refer to a person who performs well in an examination. To express that idea you can use the expression ‘rank holder’.

However, in India it is not uncommon for parents and teachers to label every student who has secured decent marks
a ‘ranker’. Remember that native English speakers do not use the word ranker to refer to a brilliant student who
scores good marks or secures a rank.

Office hours or office timings

The word ‘office timings’ doesn’t exist in native English. Instead, native speakers use an expression like ‘office hours’
or ‘working hours’.

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