COMMON ERRORS

verbs:
state verbs: have , likes
dynamic verbs : play,shout
dont use continuous (ing form) for state verbs
eg : i have a large family(correct)
im having a large family

she likes icecream(correct)

she is liking icecream

regular:same past and past participle form (read)

irregular: different past and past participle form ( went and gone)

transitive: these verbs have object

he climbed and escaped
he climbed over the wall and escaped(correct)
intransitive : dont have object
eg: he laughed
NOUNS: concrete(5 senses),abstract(feeling)common,proper(specific
individual),collective(group)countable (can use a/an,plurals)and
uncountable nouns(NO use of plurals/ a,an)
proper nouns are always written with a capital initial 1st letter
uncountable nouns: measures(glass of...punds...kgs of..etc), use of
MUCH, a little a lot of,some
Countable nouns: use of how MANY, a few,a lot of,some

common mistake:
my neighbourhood: 5 buildings
your neighbourhood: 10 buildings
on comparision.... you have many buildings..i have fewer buildings( for
countable nouns)

for uncountable nouns

eg: you drink more coffee
i drink less coffee

PRONOUNS:personal,reflexive(myself,herself,ourselves,themselves),int
errogative(WHAT, WHICH, WHOM ,WHOM,
WHOSE),indefinite(everybody,either,neither,something,somebody,etc -
dont refer to a particular person or thing)
subject(i,we,he,she,they,it,you)/object(me,us.them,his,her,it,you)/poss
ession(our)
common errors:
(1)no apostrophe for possessive pronouns like hers,theirs,ours (dont
put apostrophe)
(2)corey and paige work together(wrong)
paige and I work together( subject pronoun needs a subject after it)
(3) the boss gave the project tor corey and paige
the boss gave the project to corey and me( objective pronouns- no
subject after objective pronouns)

for reflexive pronounsboth subject and object are same

error:
joey and myself are going to give presentation at the meeting(wrong)
joey and I are going to give presentation at the meeting

if you have doubts,you can write to myself(wrong)

if you have doubts,you can write to me

indefinite pronouns are always SINGULAR

WHAT - MANY OPTIONS

WHICH - LIMITED OPTIONS
WHO - SUBJECT PRONOUN
WHOM - OBJECT PRONOUN

ADJECTIVES :
DETERMINERS(articles,my,our,quantity,what,which,whose,this,that,tho
se) DESCRIPTIVE(tall,short,beautiful)
ing adjectives : show cause (boring)
ed adjectives: show effect (bored)

comparatives: help in comparing nouns (more/less + adj + than as + adj

+ as)
superlatives : (most/least)

common errors:
more tall = taller
dont use more taller

learning korean is less easier than learning spanish(wrong)

learning korean is more difficult than learning spanish (or) learning
korean is not as easy as learning spanish

ORDER OF ADJECTIVES:
1.DETERMINER
2.OPINION
3.SIZE
4.SHAPE
5.AGE
6.COLOR
7.ORIGIN
8.MATERIAL
9.PURPOSE

ADVERBS : info about verbs,nouns or

adjectives(however,when,how,often,quickly,really,tomorrow)
how(adverbs of manner)
how much(adverbs of degree)
where(adverbs of place)
when(adverbs of time)
how often(adverbs of frequency)

comparative and superlative forms of adverbs

more fastly (wrong) comparative
faster(correct)

adverb can be placed at beginning.middle or at ending

rules for adverb positioning:
1. adv of degree + adj
2.adv of degree + main verb
3.adv of manner + transitive verb + direct object
4.intransitive verb + adv of manner
4.adv of freq + main verb
5. be + adv of freq
6.helping verb + adv of freq + main verb
7. adv of freq (definite time..every year) - at beginning or end
8.adv of freq(times) - end

conjunctions:(and,or,but) connects words,phrases or clauses

COORDINATING : and , but, so, yet , or, for, nor
rule: ndependent clause, and/or/but independent clause
eg : im not very hungryso i will just have a milkshake
rule 2 : bread,butter,flour,and/or vanilla extract

common error: no comma for conjunction which connects a

indepedent clause and a phrase
eg : mr.bean made a bad investment and lost all his savings (no comma
before and)
rule : dependent clause . independent clause
independent clause (no comma after conjunction) dependent clause

eg : after lucy gets home from work (dep clause) , she likes to watch TV
lucy likes to watch TV after she gets home from work

conjuctive adv : however,moreover, as a result, otherwise, finally, for

eg, furthermore
rule : indepedent clause/ semicolon or fullstop /adv /comma/ another
independent clause
eg :
Prepositions: at, in, on
Small vehicles : use in
For bigger vehicles : use on

COMMON ERRORS & RULES:

1. SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT
For singular words – add ‘s ‘to the verbs (has,likes,etc)
For plural words, I and we – no ‘s’ to the verb
2. QUESTION FORMATION
Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
Eg: do u know who is that woman?
 Do u know who that woman is?
(do- questioning verb/helping verb;subject;is- main verb)
3. PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE – NO ing form of verb
Eg: Im working as a teacher
I work as a teacher
4. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE – uses ing form of verb
5. Present perfect continuous tense- action happened in past and
still continuing ( sub- has/have been + ing form of verb)
Eg: lucy is working here for 3 years
Lucy has been working here for 3 years

Eg: we have been waiting for you for 2 hrs ( use “for” for amount of
time)
We have been waiting for you since 5 0 clock (use “since” when exact
time is specified)

6.use past simple tense when time/year is specified

Eg: I have graduated in 2014
I graduated in 2014
I have sent you an email yesterday
I sent you an email yesterday (or) I have sent you an email

7.We didn’t receive the package yet

We haven’t received the package yet
Yet – doesn’t specify any time..so use present perfect tense
8.future tense- use will for instant decisions and promises
Use going to for arrangements/plans
Eg: we will get married on the 8th of sept
We are going to get married on the 8th of sept

9. use past simple form for past simple tense i.e second form of verb
Eg: when he took his wallet from his pocket,his keys fell out
When he took his wallet from his pocket, his keys fallen out(wrong)

10.use past participle form of verb with present perfect tense

Eg: have you ever went to see a movie by yourself?
Have you ever gone to see a movie by yourself?

11.use base form of verb for negative sentences

Eg: I didn’t ate anything at the restaurant bcuz I wasn’t hungry
I didn’t eat anything at the restaurant bcoz I wasn’t hungry
12. after modal verbs..use verb in a base form
Eg: he could running fast when he was younger
He could run fast when he was younger
13. when something is not allowed- use musnt or cannot
Eg: smoking is prohibited,you don’t have to smoke here(wrong)
Smoking is prohibited,you musnt/cannot smoke here

14.1st conditional statement: if + sub+

verb(present),sub+will+verb(base)
(Only for real situations we use present form of verb)
Eg:if I will hear about job opening, I will let you know
If I hear about job opening,I will let you know

15.2nd conditional : if + sub + verb(past- for unreal/imaginary

situations),sub+would+verb(base)
Eg:if I have wings,I will fly all over the world
If I had wings,I would fly all over the world

16. 3rd conditional: for past conditionals : if+sub+had+verb(past

participle),sub+would have+verb(past participle)
Eg: if I knew it was ur bday ystrday,I would have bought u a present
If I had known it was ur bday ystrday,I would have bought you a present
17.adjectives- use ing form for those which cause an effect
Use ed form for effect
Eg: lecture was boring so,students were bored

18. use correct forms of comparative and superlative adjectives

More taller – wrong
Taller – right

19. countable noun- use few

Uncountable noun – use less

20. prepositions:
The concert had already started when we arrived in the venue(wrong)
The concert had already started when we arrived at the venue(right)
21.arrive + at – for specific place like venue,party,train station
Arrive + in – for city/country
22.articles- use “a” for singular,common nouns
Eg: im programmer specialising in website development
Im a programmer specializing in website development
Eg: I need an advice from you
I need some advice from you (advice is uncountable noun)
idea-countable but advice is uncountable
IDIOMS:
1. Cut from the same cloth: similarity
2. Dressed to kill: attractively dressed
3. At the drop of a hat: doing immediately without thinking
4. A feather in one’s cap: an achievement
5. Keep your shirt on: keep calm,don’t get excited
6. Roll up one’s sleeves: get ready for the work
7. Have ants in pants: feeling uncomfortable and nervous
8. Bore the pants off someone: make someone bore
9. In someone’s shoes: to understand from their position
10. Fill someone’s shoes: taking up the responsibility
11. Piece of cake: easy thing
12. Couch potato: lazy
13. Not one’s cup of tea: don’t like it or doesn’t enjoy it
14. In a pickle: in a difficulty
15. Take something with a pinch of salt: not believing
completely
16. Cheesy: low quality
17. Bread and butter: source of income
18. Butter someone up: flatter
19. All eggs in a basket: risky
20. Have a finger in every pie: handling many things
21. Give me a hand: asking for help(physical help)
22. Have one’s hands full: very busy
23. Wash one’s hand of something: ending involvement with
something
24. Try one’s hand at something: trying something for the first
time
25. Know something like the back of one’s hand: knowing
something very well
26. In one’s hands: one’s responsibility
27. Free hand: complete control( negatively) eg: I gave a free
hand to my brother to remodel our house(meaning- he did it
terribly)
28. Get out of hand: out of control
29. Sit on one’s hands: do nothing/unable to do anything
30. Change hands: changing ownership
31. To take the cake or biscuit: to be impatient to do
something,curious
32. The cock of the walk: to show himself more important than
others
33. A rap on the knuckles: to rebuke(scolding something)
34. To pull your socks up: make an effort to improve your work
or behavior
35. To make no bones about: to say clearly what you think or
feel
36. Its no picnic: not an easy job
37. To make umbrage(annoyance): to become upset and angry
38. Wild goose chase: futile search(useless effort)
39. To keep someone at bay: stopping someone from coming
too near
40. To be down in the mouth: unhappy and depressed
41. By the skin of one’s teeth: just barely/ with great difficulty
42. To take a leaf out of somebody’s book: to follow someone’s
example and admire them
43. Turn a deaf ear: refuse to listen
44. Mealy mouthed: hesitating/unwilling to tell the truth
45. A moot point: a doubtful/debatable point
46. Give a wide berth: avoid meeting somebody
47. To rest on your laurels: be satisfied with your success you
have already gained
48. To clinch(settle) the issue: to decide the matter
49. In the twinkling of an eye: very rapidly
50. All in all: taking everything into consideration
51. An axe to grind: a personal interest and selfish reason to do
something
52. To bell the cat: to undertake most dangerous part on behalf
of a group
53. Black and blue: beaten badly
54. With open arms: in a friendly way
55. Of no avail: of no use
56. At an arm’s length: avoid familiarity
57. At a stone’s throw: very near
58. To be in good books: to be in favour
59. To bring somebody to book: to punish
60. A bolt from the blue: sudden and unexpected disaster
61. To beat the bush: not saying main point(useless talks)
62. To go at each other hammers and tongs: to argue noisily
63. A jaundiced eye: showing prejudice
64. To leave no stone unturned: do everything possible to
achieve something
65. To go into a huddle(crowd together\nestle closely): to hold a
secret conference
66. God’s ape: a born fool
67. To go the whole hog: to do something completely and
thoroughly
68. Huff and puff: breathe heavily
69. To cross swords: to have an argument
70. To live fast: to use up one’s income as fast as it comes in
71. To hold somebody at ransom: to make one captive and
demand concession
72. Nine days’ wonder
73. Every cloud has a silverlining
74. A bad workman blames his tools
75. To cry for the moon: expecting something impossible
76. Has the cat got ur tongue: when some1 is not speaking
much as expected
77. A leopard cant change his spots: a person cant change his
character, no matter how hard he tries
78. Rome wasn’t built in a day
79. Dig ur own grave
80. To cast pearls before a swine
81. Sit on the fence
82. A drop in the ocean
83. 1nce bitten twice shy
84. As u sow so you reap
85. Between the devil and the deep blue sea
86. Idle brain is a devil’s workshop
87. Catch 22 situation- impossible situation in which u need to
do 1 thing before doing 2nd thing, but cant do 1st thing bcoz u
st

have not done 2nd thing(jobs-experience)

88. Poles apart-very different,completely opposite
89. All’s well that ends well
90. Don’t cry over spilled milk
91. At daggers drawn: unfriendly to each other
92. Twist of fate: happening of unexpected thing,by chance
93. Bone of contention-issue of argument
94. Blow one’s own trumpet: talk boastfully of one’s self
95. Ball is in ur court- decision is urs
96. Hard nut to crack:-difficult person/difficult to solve
97. Blessing in disguise-smthng that seems bad at 1st but results
in smthng good later
98. Get on ur nerves- make u feel annoyed,nervous and
irritated(pls don’t get on my nerves..i’ll do ur work)
99. Have a whale of time-to njoy in the best way possible
100. Count on some1-to have faith in some1 for smthng
101. Might is right-people who have power can do whatever they
want
102. Dark horse-a person who keeps his interest,skills,ideas
secret but unexpectedly wins or succeeds
103. Hard of hearing-unable to hear or partially deaf(don’t speak
so loud.we are not hard of hearing)
104. Two of a trade seldom agree-2 ppl having sqame intrsts are
both too envious,each showing that he is more clever than
other(they both are national level debaters. Every tym we c have
a clash in them. It is rightly said-2 of a trade seldom agree)
105. Its never too late to mend-its ok if u have not said sry to him
till now. U shud do it ryt nw-its never too late to mend
106. A lie has no legs to stand upon-lie is unsustainable
107. Sell like hot cakes
108. Don’t believe in hearsay-don’t believe in rumours
109. To kick the bucket-to die(informally)
110. Walk on air-to feel very happy
111. A different ball game- totally different situation from what
one is used to
112. Break the bank- to use all the money available
113. Eat like a bird/horse- eating little/large quantities of food
114. Take the bull by its horns-deal with a problem in a brave and
determined way
115. To bite the bullet-doing something unpleasant after a
certain period of hesitation(I hate going to doctor but this time I
will just have to bite the bullet
116. To put something on back burner-give something less
attention
117. Press the panic button-do something quickly/negatively with
an unusual amount of fear
118. Throw cautions to winds-do something without worrying
about results(u have to throw cautions to the winds in ur life if u
want to make trillions)
119. Not care two hoot- don’t care (let her do whatever she
wants to, I don’t care two hoot)
120. On the cards-likely to happen
121. Let the cat out of the bag- disclose a secret by mistake
122. Keep one’s chin up-be courageous in a difficult situation
123. Fall flat on one’s face- to fail in a ridiculous / embarrassing
way
124. Archille’s heel- weakness/vulnerablility that could lead to
failure
 125. Fly off the handle-lose temper and behave in a very angry
manner
126. Win hands down-win very easily
127. To bury the hatchet- stop the fight/argument and become
friends

ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICES:

(1)TENSES: S M.V O --> O V3 S
(2)MODAL VERBS: 1st form of modal verb-> be; 3rd form of verb->
been
(3)LET
(4) IMPERATIVE SENTENCES- ORDER/REQUEST/ADVICE
(5)INFINITIVES