Learn grammar mistakes in the use of NOUNS while using them in sentences. In this lesson, you are going to learn some common mistakes in the use of NOUNS in English grammar. Mistakes in the use of NOUNS in English grammar may affect badly on your conversation when you’ll speak with your belongings or friends. This article or lesson is going to help you to enhance your English conversation. It is going to be helpful for you at a basic or advanced level.
The usage of NOUNS in English grammar is very common. If you are using the correct NOUNS in the correct place then it will improve your English grammar conversation, but it will be affected your conversation and communication skills. So, let’s get started with our today’s lesson:
Wrong: The fields were full of cattles.
Right:The fields were full of cattle.
Wrong: Ten sheepsare grazing in the field.
Right:Ten sheepare grazing in the field.
Reason:‘Sheep’, ‘deer’, ‘salmon’ and a few other nouns have the same form for singular and plural. Thus, we say ‘one sheep’ or ‘ten sheep’.
Wrong: The furnituresof the cottage were very poor.
Right: The furnitureof the cottage was very poor.
Reason:‘Furniture’ is a singular noun and always takes a singular verb and pronoun. “A piece of furniture” means one thing only.
Wrong: A series of lecturehas been arranged.
Right: A series of lectureshave been arranged.
Reason:“Series”, the subject, is singular, and the verb ‘have’ is plural which is the fault.
Wrong: The racer means to win the 500-kilometer race at all hazard.
Right: The racer means to win the 500 kilometers race at all hazards.
Wrong: The savingbond had a face value of Rs 500.
Right: The savings bond had a face value of Rs 500.
Reason: The correct phrase is ‘savings’ bond, and not ‘saving bond’.
Wrong: If you keep money in the savingbank, interest accrues.
Right: If you keep money in the savings bank, interest accrues.
Wrong: I was deceived by his look.
Right: I was deceived by his looks.
Wrong: We mustn’t judge by appearance.
Right: We mustn’t judge by appearances.
Wrong: The sceneries around here arevery beautiful.
Right: The scenery around here is very beautiful.
Reason: ‘Scenery’ around here is very beautiful.
Wrong: Do you know the English alphabets?
Right: Do you know the English alphabet?
Reason: ‘Alphabet’ means letters used in writing a language arranged in order.
Wrong: He hired a porter to carry his luggages.
Right: He hired a porter to carry his luggage.
Reason: ‘Baggage’ another word for ‘luggage’ cannot be used in the plural either.
Wrong: The informationsgiven by him are wrong.
Right: The all information given by him is wrong.
Wrong: The teacher gave him many good advices.
Right: The teacher gave him a lot of good advice.
Reason: ‘Advice’ is uncountable except in very technical meanings.
Wrong: I don’t like household works.
Right: I don’t like household work.
Reason: The plural form ‘works’ means a factory or the writings of an author as “The man visited the iron works”, or “The works of Shakespeare are many”.
Wrong: I went to the pictureto see ‘Sholay’.
Right: I went to the pictures to see ‘Sholay’.
Wrong: The magistrate issued orderfor his release.
Right: The magistrate issued orders for his release.
Reason: ‘Order’ in this sense should always be used in the plural, e.g. ‘orders for arrest’, ‘orders for execution’, ‘orders for promotion’, ‘orders for transfer’, ‘orders for dismissal’, etc.
Wrong: My circumstancewill not allow me to pursue my studies.
Right: My circumstances will not allow me to pursue my studies.
Wrong: All my family memberhave arrived.
Right: All the members of my family have arrived.
Reason: The correct usage is a member of the family and not a family member.
Wrong: The three first installments of the rent will be paid in advance.
Right: The first three installments of the rent will be paid in advance.
Reason: Ordinal numerals should come before the cardinal, obviously there cannot be three first installments.
Wrong: He is going by the 9.30 o’clock train.
Right: He is going by the 9.30 train.
Reason: We don’t use o’clock when minutes are also mentioned, e.g. ‘by the 12.45 train but we can say ‘by the 12 o’clock train.
Wrong: Noor’s house is different from Javed.
Right: Noor’s house is different from Javed’s.
Reason: In a such comparative statement, if the first noun must also be in the possessive case the second noun must also be in the possessive case.
Wrong: That boy is my cousinbrother.
Right: That boy is my cousin.
Wrong: My brother has a new dress.
Right: My brother has a new suit.
Reason: Girls and women wear ‘dresses’, boys and men wear ‘suits’ (of clothes). Note. But we say “a man in full dress”- evening dress, morning dress.
Wrong: Is there a placefor me on this bus?
Right: Is there room for me on this bus?
Reason: ‘Place’ cannot be used in the sense of ‘room’ which here means ‘unoccupied place’.
Wrong: It is a nice poetry.
Right: It is a nice poem. Or, it is a nice piece of poetry.
