Common Errors/Mistakes in English
The mistakes which a speaker makes while speaking or writing English are called ‘Common Mistakes’ or ‘Common Errors in English’. The common mistakes often make bad impression of the speaker or the writer on the mind of the listener or the reader. Accuracy is important in speaking and writing.
Common
Errors in the Use of Nouns:
Errors in the Use of Nouns:
Part – 1
Some wrong words are used as nouns, while some others are misspelt as shown in the examples given below.
i) The
teacher is filling the presenty report.
(Incorrect)
teacher is filling the presenty report.
(Incorrect)
The teacher is filling the attendance report.
(Correct)
(Correct)
ii) I am interested in lecturership. (Incorrect)
I am interested in lectureship. (Correct)
iii)You should achieve perfectness in speaking . (Incorrect)
You should achieve perfection in speaking. (Correct)
iv) Thank you for complements.(Incorret)
Thank you for compliments.(correct)
v) There are fourty boys in the class.(Incorrect)
There are forty boys in the class.(correct)
vi) It is his longlife achievement.(Incorrect)
It is his lifelong achievement.(correct)
vii) Mohit is my cousin brother.(Incorrect)
Mohit is my cousin.(correct)
viii) Dividation of society is made on the basis of caste
(Incorrect)
Division of society is made on the basis of caste.
(correct)
ix) He became unconscious due to excessive blooding.
(Incorrect)
He became unconscious due to excessive bleeding.
(Correct)
xi) He is my family member.(Incorrect)
He is a member of my family.(correct)
xii) I want to learn English grammer.(Incorrect)
I want to learn English grammar.(correct)
xiii) I met him today morning.(Incorrect)
I met him this morning.(Incorrect)
(Correct)
xi) He is my family member.(Incorrect)
He is a member of my family.(correct)
xii) I want to learn English grammer.(Incorrect)
I want to learn English grammar.(correct)
xiii) I met him today morning.(Incorrect)
I met him this morning.(Incorrect)
Part-2
i) His economical condition is not sound.(Incorrect)
His economic condition is not sound.(Correct)
ii) The train is running fastly.(Incorrect)
The train is running fast.(Correct)
iii) He studies hardly.(Incorrect)
He studies hard.(Correct)
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| Common Mistakes |
iv) His son lives in foreign.(Incorrect)
His son lives in a foreign.(Correct)
v) Mayur wants to wear black pants for interview.(Incorrect)
Mayur wants to wear black trousers for interview.
(Correct)
vi) Rakesh is our alumni.(Incorrect)
Rakesh is our alumnus.(Correct)
vii) Mohini is our alumni/alumnus.(Incorrect)
Mohini is our alumna.(Correct)
viii) Saloni and Rohini are alumni.(Incorrect)
Saloni and Rohini are alumnae.(Correct)
ix) His answer is uncorrect.(Incorrect)
His answer is incorrect.(Correct)
x) It is not all together bad.(Incorrect)
It is not altogether bad.(Correct)
xi) He is my English teacher.(Incorrect)
He is my teacher of English.(Correct)
xii) Covid-19 has not effected some countries.(Incorrect)
Covid-19 has not affected some countries.(Correct)
xiii)I gave him a piece of advise.(Incorrect)
I gave him a piece of advice.(Correct)
xiv) Shyam and Ram are fast enemies. (Incorrect)
Shyam and Ram are sworn enemies. (Correct)
Part – 3
Some nouns end with the suffix ‘–ry’. They have a plural significance. Yet they are used in singular form only. For Examples: poetry, imagery, etc. Their plural form is never used.
i) She likes poetries. (Incorrect)
She likes poetry. (Correct)
ii) Imageries in the poem are striking. (Incorrect)
Imageries in the poem are striking. (Correct)
iii) The draperies of her house are beautiful. (Incorrect)
The drapery of her house is beautiful. (Correct)
iv) The machineries are out of
order. (Incorrect)
order. (Incorrect)
The
machinery is out of order. (Correct)
machinery is out of order. (Correct)
v) The
sceneries were very beautiful.
(Incorrect)
sceneries were very beautiful.
(Incorrect)
The scenery was very beautiful. (Correct)
iv) He
sales stationeries. (Incorrect)
sales stationeries. (Incorrect)
He sales stationery. (Correct)
The nouns which are always used in
plural only for they go in pairs. For Examples: scissors, pants, etc. Their singular form is never used.
plural only for they go in pairs. For Examples: scissors, pants, etc. Their singular form is never used.
i) The
scissor is made up of steel.
(Incorrect)
scissor is made up of steel.
(Incorrect)
The scissors
are made up of steel. (Correct)
are made up of steel. (Correct)
ii) His
trouser is of black colour.
(Incorrect)
trouser is of black colour.
(Incorrect)
His trousers are of black colour. (Correct)
iii) The
pant is too short. (Incorrect)
pant is too short. (Incorrect)
The
pants are too short. (Correct)
pants are too short. (Correct)
iv) My spectacle is clean. (Incorrect)
My spectacles
are clean. (Correct)
are clean. (Correct)
v) He has a tong. (Incorrect)
He has a pair of tongs. (Correct)
vi) He
bent the rod with a plier.
(Incorrect)
bent the rod with a plier.
(Incorrect)
He bent the rod with pliers. (Correct)
The nouns which are used in the plural only.
i) Mump occurs due to
lack of iodine in body. (Incorrect)
lack of iodine in body. (Incorrect)
Mumps
occur due to lack of iodine in body. (Correct)
occur due to lack of iodine in body. (Correct)
ii) Thank a lot.
(Incorrect)
(Incorrect)
Thanks
a lot. (Correct)
a lot. (Correct)
iii) You
must be in the premise for five
hours. (Incorrect)
must be in the premise for five
hours. (Incorrect)
You must be in the
premises for five hours. (Correct)
premises for five hours. (Correct)
iv) Low
wage is given to the workers.
(Incorrect)
wage is given to the workers.
(Incorrect)
Low wages
are given to the workers. (Correct)
are given to the workers. (Correct)
Common Mistakes In the Use of Pronouns:
Use of
personal pronoun after ‘than’:
personal pronoun after ‘than’:
Objective case of personal pronoun is
wrongly used after ‘than’. The pronoun coming after ‘than’ must be in the
same case as the noun or pronoun preceding it.
wrongly used after ‘than’. The pronoun coming after ‘than’ must be in the
same case as the noun or pronoun preceding it.
i) Mahesh
ran faster than me. (Incorrect)
ran faster than me. (Incorrect)
Mahesh ran faster than I. (Correct)
ii) You
are taller than me. (Incorrect)
are taller than me. (Incorrect)
You are taller than I. (Correct)
iii) Mohini was shorter than them. (Incorrect)
Mohini is shorter than they were. (Correct)
iv) You did better than us. (Incorrect)
You did better than we did. (Correct)
In the above examples the
comparison is made between two subjects. So, nominative case of the personal pronoun
is used after ‘than’.
comparison is made between two subjects. So, nominative case of the personal pronoun
is used after ‘than’.
v) I
love you more than her.
love you more than her.
Here, in this example, the comparison is between two objects. Therefore, objective case of the third person singular feminine pronoun is used after ‘than’. Its meaning is – ‘I love you more than I love her.’
In this example, the comparison is
between two objects. Therefore, objective case of the third person singular
feminine pronoun is used after ‘than’. Its meaning is ‘I love you more than I love her.’
between two objects. Therefore, objective case of the third person singular
feminine pronoun is used after ‘than’. Its meaning is ‘I love you more than I love her.’
