Common Errors Page - 6

Common Errors in English

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Incorrect	He succeeded to get the prize.
Correct	He succeeded in getting the prize.
Incorrect	The students were busy to prepare their lessons.
Correct	The students were busy preparing their lessons.
Incorrect	Please tell him don't come now.
Correct	Please tell him not to come now.
Incorrect	I saw them to work.
Correct	I saw them work.
Incorrect	You had better to go now.
Correct	You had better go now.
Incorrect	The country is belonged to every citizen.
Correct	The country belongs to every citizen.
	Note : Verbs like belong, happen, occur etc. are not used in the passive voice.
Incorrect	Water composes of hydrogen and oxygen.
Correct	Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
Incorrect	Shelley looks cheerfully.
Correct	Shelley looks cheerful.
Incorrect	I didn't see him too.
Correct	I didn't see him either.
	Note : In English, the adverbs also and too appear in affirmative sentences. The adverb either appears at the end of negative sentences.
Incorrect	She bought a new scissors.
Correct	She bought a new pair of scissors

Incorrect	His room's windows are open.
Correct	The windows of his room are open.
Incorrect	It is everybody's duty to defend their country.
Correct	It is everybody's duty to defend his country.
Incorrect	Either of them are to go.
Correct	Either of them is to go.
Incorrect	More police was sent to the scene of the crime.
Correct	More police were sent to the scene of the crime.
	Note : The noun police is singular in form but plural in sense.
Incorrect	Mary pretended to not recognize me.
Correct	Mary pretended not to recognize me.
Incorrect	She neither speaks English nor Malay.
Correct	She speaks neither English nor Malay.
Incorrect	Only I and my friend were at the concert.
Correct	Only my friend and I were at the concert.
Incorrect	There is a dirty mark on the rug which must be removed.
Correct	On the rug, there is a dirty mark which must be removed.
Incorrect	Lizzie approached me and held my hand, said, "Hello !"
Correct	Lizzie approached me, held my hand, and said, "Hello !"
Incorrect	The climate of Japan is different from Taiwan.
Correct	The climate of Japan is different from that of Taiwan.

Incorrect	We realized where our weak points were and how to get rid of them.
Correct	We realized where our weak points were and how we could get rid of them.
Incorrect	All I know is my friend is right.
Correct	All I know is that my friend is right.
	Note : When the "that clause" is the object of a verb, the subordinating conjunction that may be omitted. When it is a complement of the verb be, that cannot be omitted.
Incorrect	Most of us found difficult to comprehend his speech.
Correct	Most of us found it difficult to comprehend his speech.
Incorrect	Her heart sank and could hardly stand.
Correct	Her heart sank and she could hardly stand.
	Note : Not changing the subject will make "her heart" seem to have "feet" on which it stands.
Incorrect	While doing the work, there are obstacles ahead.
Correct	While doing the work, they met with obstacles.
	Note : A certain action must be attached to the actor; otherwise the action becomes dangling.
Incorrect	Mandy is easy to suffer from cold.
Correct	Mandy suffers from cold easily.
Incorrect	How much is the price of this pen ?
Correct	How much is this pen ? Or How much does this pen cost ? Or What is the price of this pen ?