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Miscellaneous Eng Errors

These documents focus on English grammar - articles, pronouns and common English errors and correction

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adewaleajani20
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93 views6 pages

Miscellaneous Eng Errors

These documents focus on English grammar - articles, pronouns and common English errors and correction

Uploaded by

adewaleajani20
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES OF COMMON ERRORS IN

ENGLISH

A. CONFUSION OF GENDER.

Don’t say: The door is open, please shut her.

Say: The door is open, please shut it.

In English, only names of people and animals have gender (masculine or feminine). Inanimate things are
neuter, and take the pronoun it in the singular.

Note: It's possible to use masculine or feminine pronouns when inanimate things are personified:
England is proud of her navy.

B. USING THE POSSESSIVE 'S WITH INANIMATE OBJECTS.

Don’t say: Her room’s window is open.

Say: The window of her room is open.

With inanimate objects, we usually use the of structure. The door of the car. 'The leg of the table. The
surface of the water. With the names of places and organizations, we can use either: London's streets =
The streets of London. Italy's climate. = The climate of Italy. The school's main office = The main office
of the school.
Note: However, we do say: a day's work, a night's rest, a week's holiday, a pound's worth, etc.,
especially with similar measures of time.

C. USING THE OBJECTIVE CASE AFTER THE VERB TO BE.

Don’t say: It was him.

Say: It was he.

The pronoun coming after the verb to be must be in the nominative case, and not in the objective in
written composition. However, the objective case is now usually used in conversation: It's me, it was
him/her/them, etc.

D. USING THE OBJECTIVE CASE AFTER THE CONJUNCTION THAN.

Don’t say: My sister is taller than me.

Say: My sister is taller than I (am).


The word than is a conjunction, and can only be followed by a pronoun in the nominative case. The verb
coming after the pronoun is generally omitted.

Note: Use the objective case in spoken English. You’re much taller than me.

E. USING THE SUBJECT PRONOUN AFTER BETWEEN

Don’t say: It's a secret between you and I.

Say: It’s a secret between you and me.

Between is a preposition, and all prepositions take the objective case after them.

F. USING AN OBJECT PRONOUN BEFORE A GERUND.

Don’t say: Him laughing at her was what made her angry.

Say: His laughing at her was what made her angry.


When we use an -ing verb as a noun. the preceding noun or pronoun must be possessive.

G. USING AN OBJECT PRONOUN IN A DOUBLE GENITIVE.

Don’t say: A friend of him told us the news.

Say: A friend of his told us the news.

We use the double genitive (of + name + 's, his, mine etc.) when we won’t to emphasize the person,
who possesses rather than the thing which he possesses. A friend of his is simply another way of saying
one of his friends.

H. MISUSE OF -SELF FORMS.

Don’t say: Michael and myself are here.

Say: Michael and I are here.


Use the s mole personal pronouns I, you, he, etc, if no emphasis is necessary.

Note: Use the -self pronouns in two ways:

1) for emphasis: She herself was hurt.

2) reflexively: She hurt herself.

I. USING HIS SELF OR THEIR SELVES INSTEAD OF


HIMSELF OR THEMSELVES.

Don’t say: They fell down and hurt their selves.

Say: They fell down and hurt themselves.

The reflexive pronouns, third person, are himself and themselves, and not his self and their selves.

J. MISUSE OF NOUN/VERB HOMONYMS.

Don’t say: Becky played a good play of chess.

Say: Becky played a good game of chess.


Some verbs and nouns do have the same form and analogous meaning in English: The police fight a hard
fight. Heather dreams long vivid dreams. If you lie the lie will catch you out!

The company danced an African dance. However, we seldom use the same word like this. Usually, we try
to avoid it in some way: She fought a long battle with them. if you lie you will be caught out. The
company did an African dance.

K. USING THE RELATIVE PRONOUN WHICH FOR PERSONS.

Don’t say: I've a brother which is at school.

Say: I've a brother who is at school.

Only use which as a relative pronoun for animals or things. The right pronoun to use for people is who
(whose, whom).

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