COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH (NOUNS)

Correct the following sentences (Each question carries 1 Mark)

1. We have received no informations.

Ans.We have received no information.
(C)Information is never used in plural

2. He told these news to his mother.

Ans He told his mother this news, or He told this news to his mother.
(C)Since news is singular, it cannot have a plural determiner (i.e. these).

3. I packed my luggages.

Ans. I packed my luggage.
(c)The noun luggage does not have a plural form.

4. The sceneries here are not good.

Ans.The scenery here is not good.
(C)The word scenery is an uncountable noun and has no plural.

5. I have lost my furnitures.

Ans.I have lost my furniture.
(c)Furniture is an uncountable (mass) noun and has no plural.

6. There are no breads in this shop.

Ans.There is no bread in this shop. or There are no loaves in this shop.
(c)Bread is an uncountable noun and has no plural form.

7. Please excuse the troubles.

Ans.Please excuse me for the trouble (I have caused).
C)Trouble is an uncountable (mass) noun and has no plural.

8. He took troubles to do his work.

Ans.He took pains over his work. Or He took trouble over his work.
(c)Trouble is a mass noun.

9. In some parts of the world there are many poors.

Ans-In some parts of the world there are many poor people.
C)Poor as a noun is a collective noun and means the poor people.

10. Scouts wear half pants./ Students should wear white pants.

Ans-Scouts wear shorts / Student; should wear white trousers.
C)In British English pants means ‘underpants’ or ‘knickers’; in American
English they mean trousers. Half pants is an Indian English expression
for shorts in British English. In American English, shorts are
‘underpants’.

11. I spent the holidays with my family members.

I spent the holidays with the members of my family. Or
I spent the holidays with my family.
Since family means ‘a group of people related by blood or marriage’,
family member is a redundant expression.

12. There is no place in this compartment.

There is no room in this compartment.
Place refers to a location whereas room refers to a space that can be
occupied.

13. Write this in your copy.

Ans-Write this in your notebook.
C)As a noun copy means a single specimen of a particular book or
document whereas a copybook means a book containing models of
hand writing to be learnt.

14 I am learning a new poetry.

Ans. I am learning a new poem.
c)When we refer to poetry, we refer to the entire genre and not to a
particular work of a poet.

15. We saw a joker at the circus.

Ans.We saw a clown at the circus.
C)Clown is a comic entertainer especially one in a circus, whereas a
‘joker’ is a person who is foolish or inept. Therefore, it is appropriate
to use clown in this context.

16. We had a good play of football.

Ans.We had a good game of football.
C)‘Play’ is generally used as a verb and game is used is a noun it means
‘sport played’ according to rules.

17. We saw a theatre.

Ans.We saw a play.
C)A theatre is a building in which plays are enacted, not the play itself.

18. The boy was wearing a new dress.

Ans. The boy was wearing a new suit (some new clothes).
C)Dress is generally used with reference to a women’s attire, but we do
say ‘a man in full dress’ or ‘evening dress’.

19. Please put your sign here.

Ans.Please put your signature here.
C)In a sentence where the term ‘sign’ means ‘to write one’s name’, it is a
verb. ‘Signature’ on the other hand is a noun, which means ‘the act of
writing;. ‘Sign when used as a noun, means ‘a symbol’.

20. He is my cousin brother.

Ans.He is my cousin.
C)The English language uses much more loosely terms expressing
relationship than the Indian languages. ‘Aunt’ means the sister of
either father or mother, ‘Uncle’ means the brother of either father or
mother ‘Cousin’ means any child of any aunt or uncle.

21. He had a large number of money.

Ans.He had a large amount of money.
C)Money is an uncountable (mass) noun.

22. Some of my servant tells me.

Ans.Some of my servants tell me.
C)Some means at least more than one and needs a plural verb.

23. The front /back side of the house.

Ans.The front / back of the house.
)CThe terms ‘front’ and ‘back’ refers to different sides; the word side is
redundant here.

24. I have hurt a foot-finger.

Ans. I have hurt a toe.
C)The five digits at the end of the human foot are called toe’s, and not
foot fingers.

25. He is a tall gentleman.

Ans.He is a tall man.
C)‘Gentleman’ is a difficult word to use correctly in colloquial English.
Use ‘gentleman’ when they are referring to a man’s character (he is a
real gentleman e.g.’, while praising him; he is not a gentleman, while
criticizing him), and to use ‘man’ to denote an adult of the male sex.

26. I saw two females.

Ans. I saw two women.
C)Similarly, don’t be self-conscious over the use of ‘lady’ and ‘woman’.
The latter is the usual word and is quite polite. ‘She is a lady’ means
that she is a woman of particularly good birth, breeding and taste.

27. He took insult at this.

He took offence at this.
Offence means ‘annoyance’ or resentment brought about by a
perceived insult. Hence is the expression take offence.

28. The box contains pens, papers and others.

Ans.The box contains pens, papers and such things.
C)Others as a pronoun is used to refer to things different from which is
already mentioned. Such things refer to similar things.

29. In India there are many poors.

Ans. In India there are many poor (people).
C)When the adjective poor is used in place of a noun, it has no plural
form.

30. He provided the blinds with food.

Ans.He provided the blind with food.
C)When the adjective blind is used as a noun, it does not have a plural
form.

Knowledge is power essay