Download Most Common Errors in English Writing

Common Errors in English Grammar
Most Common Errors in English Writing
1.
Subject and Object: The subject is the person or thing doing something or the
element that agrees with the verb, and the object is having something done to it.
Just remember the sentence I love you.
I is the subject of the sentence. You is the object of the sentence.
2.
Article-usage Error: Most non-native English writers find using articles very
confusing. The problem lies not in which of the three articles (the, a, and an) to use in a
given instance. The real headache is in determining whether an article is needed or not
before a noun in a specific situation.
Example:
 The Food and Drug Administration reveals that according to research, it may take
one to two weeks before an addiction to a substance can be confirmed once a
suspected individual displays any indications of abuse.
In general, mass nouns (e.g., research) do not take an article. On the contrary, government
institutions (e.g., the federal government) and some countries (e.g., the Philippines, the
USA, etc.) require the definite article “the”.
3.
Compound Adjective Hyphenation: A single adjective made up of two or more
words is called a compound adjective. The words in a compound adjective can be linked
together by a hyphen (or hyphens) to show they are part of the same adjective.
- In the UK, your readers will expect you to use hyphens in compound adjectives.
- Americans are more lenient. The US ruling is: Use a hyphen if it eliminates ambiguity or
helps your reader, else don't bother. If you're unsure, use hyphens. You won't be marked
down for using hyphens.
Sometimes a hyphen is essential to avoid ambiguity. Look at these examples:
a heavy-metal detector
a heavy metal detector
Both are correct, but they mean different things. The first device detects heavy metals. The
second detects metal, and it is heavy. If we're talking about a device that detects heavy
metals, then putting heavy metal detector would be wrong in the UK and the US.
Here are a few rules to follow when deciding whether or not to use a hyphen:
a. If two or more words are being used as an adjective unit directly before a noun then
you may need to use a hyphen to combine them. When the same two words appear
after the noun, a hyphen should not be used.
Examples (before noun):
- Brown-eyed girl (Clearly, brown-eyed is a single unit of meaning describing girl.)
- Fur-lined coat (Fur-lined is a single adjective unit modifying coat.)
- Tone-deaf violinist (Tone-deaf is a single adjective unit describing violist.)
Examples (after noun):
- The girl was brown eyed.
- The coat was fur lined.
- The violinist was tone deaf.
b. There are exceptions when a compound adjective appears before a noun.
Exception #1: Do not use a hyphen after an adverb ending in -ly.
Examples:
- Freshly painted wall
- Sickly sweet odor
Exception #2: Do not use a hyphen in a compound using a comparative (-er) or
superlative (-est).
Examples:
- Better sounding speakers
- Oldest surviving member
Exception #3: Do not use a hyphen in a chemical term.
Examples:
- Codeine phosphate solution
- Monomethyl ether compound
Exception #4: Do not use a hyphen in a compound that uses a letter as the second
part of the adjective.
Examples:
- Section 8 discharge
- Type A personality
However, compound adjectives to spot are the ones which include numbers
- Two-seater aircraft.
- 4-bedroom house
4.
Who/Whom Confusion: They are often confused. One way to resolve the
confusion on using who vs. whom is to remember that who is always used for the subject
and whom for the object. In particular, there are two scenarios that lead to a confusion
between who and whom:
Who vs Whom when introducing a question: The rule that who should be used for the
subject and whom for the object also extends to scenarios when the word is being used in
a question. When the answer to the question begins with a subjective pronoun or noun, use
who. For example, Who was the journalist who threw a shoe at George Bush? (The
answer would be Muntadar al-Zeidi was the Iraqi journalist who threw a shoe at him. In the
answer, Muntadar al-Zeidi is the subject so the usage of who is correct.)
On the other hand, if the answer is an objective pronoun (or noun), use whom. For
example, Whom did you support in the presidential election? (The answer would be I
supported Ron Paul. In the answer, Ron Paul is the object and so the usage of whom is
correct.)
Who vs whom when introducing a dependent clause: The rule that who should be used
for the subject and whom for the object also extends to scenarios when the word is being
used to introduce a dependent clause. When the pronoun is the subject of the dependent
clause being introduced, use who. When the pronoun is the object, use whom. For
example,
 She is the only person in the town who stood up against injustice.
 The winner of the Man Booker prize was not the author whom I expected.
5.
Mistaking One Word for Another: This type of error results from a lack of
knowledge about word usage. Because many words look very similar, some uninitiated
writers suppose one word means the same as another.
Understanding how to use these words correctly undoubtedly requires a separate and
thorough study. The table below shows a few commonly misused words, with slightly
different spellings:
anymore vs. any more
anytime vs. any time
historic vs. historical
sometime vs. some time
alright vs. all right
already vs. all ready
altogether vs. all together
uninterested vs. disinterested
restive vs. restless
6.
Using to before Bare Infinitives: Bare infinitives function the same way as do full
infinitives. The only difference is the omission of the particle to.
The following verbs require the use of bare infinitives:
Make
Bid
Have
See
Hear
Feel
Dare
Help
Example:
 The movie made me cringe.
 I felt our house tremble fiercely.
 Never before did I see her cry that hard.
Let
Watch
Sense
Need
7.
Double Negative: A double negative is usually produced by combining the
negative form of verb (e.g., cannot, did not, have not) with a negative pronoun (e.g.,
nothing, nobody), a negative adverb (e.g., never, hardly) or a negative conjunction (e.g.,
neither/nor).
Examples:
 Behind the loud weaving machine we could not hardly hear each other's voices.
... we could hardly hear each other's voices.
 I cannot help but think that capitalism is about to fall.
…I cannot help thinking that capitalism is about to fall.
 Without hardly a warning, the nobles fenced in their lands for grazing.
…With hardly a warning, the nobles ...
 I didn't see nothing.
 I did not have neither her address nor her phone number.
 It wasn't uninteresting.
 She is not unattractive.
A double negative gives the sentence a positive sense. (e.g., "I didn't see nothing" is similar
in meaning to "I saw something.") A double negative is not always an error. The latter two
examples, meaning "It was interesting." and "She is attractive.", are fine.
Using the rule explained above in the box and the list of negative words given, study the
following examples:
Sentence
Meaning
Positive Construction
negative + negative
I hardly have none.
I have some.
I don't want nothing.
I want something.
Negative Construction
negative + positive
I hardly have any.
I have few.
I don't want anything.
I want nothing.
Note: the usage of double negatives is not considered proper or standard in English. On
some occasions, mostly when speaking, the use of double negatives is accepted; however,
you must remember that the meaning of these expressions will always be positive.
There is one type of double negative that is considered grammatically correct and which
people use to make a statement more subtle. Take a look at the following sentence:
I am not unconvinced by his argument.
The use of not together with unconvinced suggests that the speaker has a few mental
reservations about the argument. The double negative creates a nuance of meaning that
would not be present had the speaker just said: I am convinced by his argument.
8.
Incorrect Case (Noun or Pronoun)
1. before a gerund
Father does not approve of Jack and me joining a labor union.
... of Jack's and my joining a labor union.
2. predicate pronoun after a finite verb (phrase)
The capitalist is him, the man slapping the worker.
... is he, the man slapping the worker.
It certainly must have been her.
... must have been she.
3. subject of an infinitive
I know he to be the landlord.
... him to be the landlord.
4. predicate pronoun after an infinitive
I know the farmer to be he.
... the farmer to be him.
5. object of a preposition
All but Nga and we are going to the protest rally.
... Nga and us are going to the protest rally.
9.
Lack of Agreement (Subject-Predicate)
1. This peasant uprising with its many weapons are easy to fear.
... is easy to fear.
2. Owen's wide interests in health, productivity, and education proves that he was a
good person.
... prove that he was a good person.
3. There seems to be several multinational corporations exploiting the peasants in that
country.
... seem to be several multinational corporations ...
4. Each one of the Utopian Socialists are insane.
... is insane.
5. Neither Malthus nor Ricardo are in favor of birth control.
... is in favor of birth control.