ERROR SPOTTING

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 1) COMMON MISTAKES: NOUNS

1. Cousin brother – He is my cousin.

2. Cousin Sister – she is my cousin.
3. Raja is one of the cleverest boy in the class.- boys
4. one of the boy is here = boys
5. one of the boys are here
are = is
were = was
have = has
6. Each of the student has participated- students
One of the plural noun + singular verb
None of the are = is
Either of the were = was
Neither of the have = has
Know = knows
7. Deers = Deer
Informations = Information
Sceneries = scenery
Advices = advice
Furnitures = Furniture
Alphabets = alphabet
Staffs = staff
Scissor = scissors
Spectacle = spectacles
Luggages = luggage
8. cattle
People is = are
Police was = were
9. Gymnastic’ = ‘Gymnastics’
10. Meals = meal
Pant = pants
Trouser = trousers
11. News
Economics
Linguistics are = is
Statistics were = was
Semantics have = has
Physics require = requires
Civics
Mathematics
Politics

ARTICLES

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 ‘A’ IS USED
1. before the word with a Consonant sound
2. before the sound of ‘yu’ (yoo)
 a unit
 a university
 a useful book / animal
 a union
 a European
 a European University

3. before the word ‘one’ with the

consonant sound of ‘wa’
 a one-rupee note
 a one-way road
 a one-eyed man
 a one-act play

‘AN’ IS USED-
1. before the word with a Vowel (a, e, i, o, u)
2. before the words beginning with silent ‘h’
 an hour
 an heir
 an heirless
 an honest man
 an honourable man
 an historian
3. before acronyms / abbreviations beginning with
‘F / H / L / M / N / R / S/ X’ these consonants has
initial vowel sound ‘e / a’

F (ef) H (eich) L (el) M (em) N

(en) R (aar) S (es) X (eks)

an M.A. an M.P. an MLA an MBBS an LPG

an FBI an HMT an NCC an SP , an X-ray

‘THE’ IS USED-
 Before names of gulfs, canals, seas, oceans
 Before names of rivers / channels
 Before names of mountain ranges
 Before names of races and people but
not before languages
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 Before names of holy / great books
 Before names of newspapers
 Before names of Inventions
 Before specifying any of the cardinal directions
 Before a common noun considered unique
 Before well known buildings, trains, ships, aeroplanes
 Before adjectives in the Superlative degree.
 Before common nouns denoting musical instruments

SPELLING / SINGULAR AND PLURAL

1. My father gave me a lot of advices.

My father gave me a lot of advice.
2. The luggages are very heavy.
The luggage is very heavy.
3. He sold his furnitures.
He sold his furniture.
4. He has finished his meals.
He has finished his meal.
5. A lots of people go to the hill resorts during the summer vacation
A lot of people go to the hill resorts during the summer vacation
6 .The workers have called of the strike.
The workers have called off the strike.
7. She obviously could not afford to die her hair.
She obviously could not afford to dye her hair.
8. Civics are my favourite subjects.
Civics is my favourite subjects.
9. Mathematics are an interesting subject.
Mathematics is an interesting subject.
10. One basket of apples are kept on the table.
One basket of apples is kept on the table.

NOUN

1 One of the boy looks happy.

One of the boys looks happy.
2 One of the boy has got the first prize.
One of the boys has got the first prize.
3 Each of the student has participated in the competition.
Each of the students has participated in the competition.
4 He is my cousin brother.
He is my cousin.
5 Jim is one of the best student in his class.

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Jim is one of the best students in his class.
6 Gopi is one of the tallest boy.
Gopi is one of the tallest boys.
7 Taj Mahal is one of the greatest wonder of the world.
Taj Mahal is one of the greatest wonders of the world.
13 I and Ram went home together.
Ram and I went home together.
18 I am one of the examiner.
I am one of the examiners.

2) COMMON MISTAKES: ARTICLES

The words ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are called Articles. The choice between a / an is determined by
the initial sound of the word following it and not the letter of the vowel. If the word beings with
a consonant sound, use “A”, use if the word beings with a vowel sound, use ‘AN’.

Note that consonant and vowel refer to sound, not to the letters of the alphabet a, e, i, o, u are
letters of the alphabet, not sounds.

THE PHONOLOGICAL USAGE OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE

‘A’ IS USED –
Before the word beginning with a Consonant
Examples :
a kite a monkey a cart a man a book a cat a dog
Before such vowels as to have the sound of ‘yu’ (yoo)
Examples :
a unit a university a useful book a union a European a utensil
a utopia a unicorn a eunuch a ewe a eulogy a euphemism

Before the word ‘one’ which beings with the consonant sound of ‘wa’
Examples :
a one-rupee note a one-way road a one-eyed man a one-act play
Examples :
Incorrect Correct
He gave me an one-rupee coin He gave me a one-rupee coin.
He gave me an one-rupee note. He gave me a one-rupee note.
John is an European. John is a European.
He is an one-eyed person. He is a one-eyed person
This is an one-sided game. This is a one-sided game.
A cow is an useful animal. A cow is a useful animal.
Note the use of ‘a’ in the following phrases :

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 Examples :
to be in a hurry to have a headache in a low voice in a loud voice
a bad cold a noise a pity a nuisance

‘AN’ IS USED-
Before the word beginning with a Vowel (a, e, i, o, u)
Examples : an elephant, an ass, an apple, an enemy, an inkpot, an umbrella, an ox,
an empty tin, an Englishman, an Indian, an ugly woman, an egg, an orange

Before the words beginning with silent ‘h’

Examples : an hour, an heir, an heirless, an honest man, an honourable man, an historian,
(Note : a hotel a historical a habitual a humble)

Before acronyms / abbreviations beginning with ‘F / H / L / M / N / R / S/ X’, because each of

these consonants has an initial vowel sound ‘e / a’

F (ef) H (eich) L (el) M (em) N (en) R (aar) S (es) X (eks)

Examples : an M.A. an M.P. an MLA an MBBS an LG an LPG n FBI an HMT

an LLB an NCC an SOS an S.S.L.C an X-ray (But a Ph.D a B.A.)

Examples :
Incorrect Correct
Mala is a M.A. in English Mala is an M.A. in English
A honest man is always respected. An honest man is always respected
She is a M.P. She is an M.P.
He will get back in a hour He will get back in an hour
He is an humble man He is a humble man.

USAGE OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE

‘THE’ IS USED-
Before names of gulfs, canals, seas, oceans
Examples : the Atlantic (ocean), the pacific (ocean), the Indian ocean, the Persian gulf, the
gulf of Mexico, the Panama canal, the Suez canal, the Bay of Bengal
Before names of rivers / channels
Examples : the Ganga, The Thames, the Mahanadi, the Indus, the Amazon, the Brahmaputra,
the Nile, the Godavari, the Sultej, the English Channel
Before names of mountain ranges
Examples : the Himalayas, the Alps, the Vindhyas, the Satpuras
But ‘the’ is not used before the following peaks or mountains.
Examples : Everest, Kanchenjunga, Olympus, Mount Abu, Snowdon, Parasnath
Before names of races and people

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 Examples : the Muslims, the Hindus, the English, the Chinese
But when we mean the language and not the people, ‘the’ is not used.
English, Chinese, French are languages.
Before names of holy / great books
Examples : the Bible, the Gita, the Koran, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Iliad [Note :
‘The’ is not used before the name of a book when it appears before the name of the author in
the possessive case i.e. before name + ‘s
Example : I have read Tulsi Dasa’s Ramayan. (not, the Tulsi Dasa’s Ramayan)]
Before names of groups of Islands
Examples : the Andamans, the Nicobar, the Maldives, the West Indies
(Note : ‘The’ is not used before individual Islands E.g., SriLanka, Sicily, Malta)
Before names of newspapers
Examples : the Indian Express, the Hindu, the Times of India, the Statesman
Before names of Inventions
Examples : the telephone, the microscope, the steam engine, the wheel
Before specifying any of the cardinal directions
Examples : the east, the west, the north, the south
Before a common noun considered unique
Examples : the sun, the moon, the sky, the earth, the world, the universe, the sea
Before a person’s title, rank, or profession, etc.,
Examples : the President, the Prime Minister, the Principal, the postman
Before well known buildings, trains, ships, aeroplanes
Examples : The Taj Mahal, the Gateway of India, the Taj Express, the Rajdhani Express
Before names of these particular countries / states
Examples : the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Sudan, the Transval, the Congo, the UK (the
United Kingdom), the USA (the United States of America), the Pujab, the GDR (the German
Democratic Republic)
Before adjectives in the Superlative degree
Examples : the best book, the most beautiful flower, one of the tallest boys
Before common nouns denoting musical instruments
Examples : the violin, the piano, the drum, the table
Before the expression parallel increase / decrease
Examples : The older you grow the wiser you become.
The more you have the more you want.
When we refer to some, particular person or thing
Example :I have seen the movie you are talking of. (not any movie but the movie you are talking of)

OMISSION OF ARTICLE

NO ARTICLE IS USED
 before names of person
Examples : Gandhi, Shok, Lal Bahadur (not the Gandhi)
 before names of continents
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 Examples : Australia, Asia, Europe
 before names of countries
Examples : India, Pakistan, Nepal, China
 before names of states / cities / towns
Examples : Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Rampur, Trichy
 before names of days / months / festivals
Examples : Sunday, Monday, January, February, Deepavali, Pongal
 before names of languages
Examples : English (not the English), Tamil, Hindi
 before names of subjects of study
Examples : Law, Science, Mathematics
 before names of meals, games / sports, diseases
Examples : breakfast, lunch, cricket, diabetes, flu, measles
 before names of Material and Abstract Nouns
Examples : Iron, gold, Virtue, Honesty, Wisdom
 before School, college, church, bed, table, hospital, market, prison, when these
places are visited or used for their primary purpose.
Examples : Barath Kumar goes to school every morning. (to study)
She has broken her leg, so she is in hospital (for medical treatment)
He was sent to prison for theft. (as a punishment)
She goes to bed at about ten (to sleep)
If these places are used for any other purpose or in any other way, an article is used
before them.
Examples : The Minister went to the hospital to see the wounded.
The visitors came out of
...............
Do not use THE before:
 Continents, countries, cities: Europe, Africa, Italy, France, Mexico, Bolivia, London,
Miami;
 Exceptions: the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines
 Names of streets: Fifth Avenue, Washington Blvd., Main St., Sheppard Rd., Broadway
 Names of lakes, bays and falls: Lake Titicaca, Lake Macbride, Lake Geneva, Niagara
Falls
 Exception: a group of lakes like the Great Lakes, and the Lake of Constance, the Lake
of Lucerne
 Names of single mountains: Mount Everest, Bear Mountain
 Exception: ranges of mountains like the Andes or the Rockies or unusual names like
the Matterhorn
 Names of islands: Coney Island, Key West, Long Island
 Exception: island chains like the Hawaiian Islands, the Hebrides, or the Canary
Islands
 Names of languages and nationalities: Chinese, English, Spanish, Russian
 Names of academic subjects: mathematics, biology, history, computer science
 Names of Universities: Yale University, Columbia University, Oxford University

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  Exception: of-forms the University of Michigan, the University of Hawaii
Articles
1 He joined an European University last year.
He joined a European University last year.
2 He gave me an one-rupee note.
He gave me a one-rupee note.
3 We speak the English.
We speak English.
4 Guilty must be punished.
The Guilty must be punished.
5 John is best student in the class.
John is the best student in the class.
6 A honest man is always respected.
An honest man is always respected.
7 Sun rises in the east.
The Sun rises in the east.
8 He wears a HMT watch presented by his uncle.
He wears an HMT watch presented by his uncle.
9 I bought a HMT watch.
I bought an HMT watch.
10 The cow is an useful animal.
The cow is a useful animal.
11 He gave me an one rupee coin.
He gave me a one rupee coin.
12 The man is social animal
The man is a social animal