Mistakes we make while speaking English part-20

English errors: 'Do not rotate in the corridor.'

English is a difficult language to learn. And for most of us, it's not our 'first' language. Therefore, mastering it becomes an even greater challenge.

Like anything in life, however, practice makes perfect. Let's review a few common mistakes.

Meghna Tripathi, a PhD scholar in New Delhi, sent these errors:

Wrong: What is the time in your watch?

The reference to the watch is unnecessary. Just say:

Correct : What is the time?

Wrong: The law comprised of several sections.

Comprises actually means, 'consisting of', so the 'of' is not needed. Make it this:

Correct: The law comprised several sections.

Wrong: I is late.

In the first person singular, 'is' changes to 'am'. It should be:

Correct : I am late.

Wrong: He said that you want it.

There is a disagreement between 'said' and 'want' in this statement. 'Said' is in the past tense while 'want' is in the present. The proper form would be:

Correct : He said that you wanted it.

Anasuya Kalavar, 48 years old, is a professor at an Engineering college in Pune. She often hears lecturers translate Marathi sentences word by word, 'speaking' English.

Wrong: Do not open doors of the window.

This is a direct translation of 'Khdkichi daare ughadu naka'. Instead, it should be:

Correct : Do not open the windows.

Wrong: Do not rotate in the corridor.

Another direct translation, this time of 'phiru naka'. In normal English, it's said:

Correct : Do not loiter in the corridor.

Wrong: I can not teach if student's mob is not there.

Mob has a negative meaning in English. Try this:

Correct : I can not teach if the number of students is insufficient.

Wrong :He hit him soft.

Adverbs end in 'y'. This is an adverb because it qualifies the verb.

Correct : He hit him softly.

Mistakes we make while speaking English part-19

English Bloopers: Tips to ace those tricky adjectives!

Adjectives spice up our speech and enhance our writing. They help us describe the people, places and things around us. Unfortunately, adjectives in English can be quite a challenge. They are full of exceptions and confusion, especially for those not familiar with the language.

Thankfully, 26-year-old Praveen Madhukar Naik from Bangalore, sent us a lengthy list explaining their proper use. He writes:

Every adjective can be written in an absolute (small), comparative (smaller) and superlative form (smallest).

There are four ways in which the comparative form can be used:

1. In some cases, 'more' and 'most' is added before the adjective, for comparative and superlative respectively.

Take a look at the following sentences, where the wrong comparative form of the adjective has been used:

~ This flower is beautifuler than that flower.
~ The tiger is the beautifulest animal in the world!

~ In the future, be honester.
~ My mother is the honestest lady I know.

Instead, use:

Correct : This flower is more beautiful than that flower.

Correct : The tiger is the most beautiful animal in the world!

Correct : In the future, be more honest.

Correct : My mother is the most honest lady I know.

2. In other adjectives, just add 'er' for comparative and 'est' for superlative.

Wrong : He runs more fast than you.

Wrong : He is the most fast boy in my class!

Wrong : Have you ever received a more warm reception?

Wrong : This is the most warm I've ever felt!

Try this:

Correct : He runs faster than you.
Correct : He is the fastest boy in my class!

Correct : Have you ever received a warmer reception?
Correct : This is the warmest I've ever felt!

3. With some adjectives, as in the case of good and bad for example, the whole word changes.

Wrong : She is a gooder student than me.

Wrong : She is the goodest cook in Mumbai.

Wrong : He is a badder chess player than you.

Wrong : He is the baddest author on the planet!

This should be:

Correct : She is a better student than me.
Correct : She is the best cook in Mumbai!

Correct : He is a worse chess player than you.
Correct : He is the worst author on the planet!

4. In some cases, the adjective can be written in comparative and superlative form in more than one way.

Wrong : Be more gentle with the kitten.
Wrong : Your sister is the most gentle person I know!

Wrong : We were more quiet than mice.

Wrong : Is this the most quiet you've ever been?

This is also correct:

Correct : Be gentler with the kitten!

Correct : Your sister is the gentlest person I know!
Correct : We were quieter than mice.

Correct : Is this the quietest you've ever been?

R S Swaminathan from Mumbai shows what happens when we misplace adjectives. The 50-year-old was attending a function and the speaker presented an award to someone. He said, 'As a token of our small appreciation, we present...'

Obviously, Correct : he meant to say, 'As a small token of our appreciation, we present..'

As you can see, adjectives have many rules and exceptions in the English language. Don't despair; with practice and constant usage, you'll soon be a master.

And if you make the occasional mistake, don't worry!

Even native English speakers sometimes slip when dealing with these pesky adjectives.

Mistakes we make while speaking English part-18

English Bloopers: Everyone is working very hardly!

Learning a new language means learning not only its vocabulary and grammar but also all its peculiarities and complexities.

Even simple grammar items like articles and prepositions confuse many of us, even though who studied in English medium schools.

Today, we'll look at how small changes can make a big difference when it comes to accuracy.

Manoj Chhaya, a 25 year old English lecturer from Gujarat, shows how pesky articles can be with this list:

~It's a NIIT initiative.
~My brother is a MBA student.
~He is a honest man.

~This is an university.
~Postment must wear an uniform.
~This is an unique opportunity.


The errors are not so apparent. They may look correct to those who learned articles by the 'vowel letters' rule. This rule explains that articles are decided by the first letter of a word. Only if it is one of the five vowels (a, e, i, o u), the word takes the article 'an'. However, what is decisive is not the letter but the sound.

In 'a NIIT initiative', the sound of the letter 'N' is -- en -- and so the correct sentence is 'an NIIT initiative'. On the other hand, in 'an university', the sound of the letter 'U' is -- yoo -- and so the correct sentence is 'a university'.

Correct : It's an NIIT initiative.
Correct : My brother is an MBA student.
Correct : He is an honest man.

Correct : This is a university.
Correct : Postment must wear a uniform.
Correct : This is a unique opportunity.


Shitanshu S., 28 from Mumbai, pointed out a common mistake while using 'since' and 'for'.

~ I have been living in Mumbai since last 10 years.
~ I have been waiting for you since 2 hours.

"Since" is used with a specific event(e.g. a particular time, particular date or event).
"For" is used with a period of time (e.g. no. of hours, days, weeks, years). Therefore, it should be:

Correct : I have been living in Mumbai for the last 10 years.

Correct : I have been waiting for you for the last 2 hours.

Kishor Arur, 48, in corporate management and from Chennai, sent these two hilarious anectdotes:

1. Yesterday, a supervisor in our factory came up to me and said "Sir, everyone on the shop floor is working very hardly".

What he probably meant to say was "Sir, everyone on the shop floor is working very hard.", It's also possible he meant "Sir, everyone on the shop floor is hardly working."

2. A panda walks into a restaurant and orders a sandwich. Upon finishing his snack, he pulls out a gun, fires two shots into the air, and heads for the door. "Why did you do that?" asks the startled waiter. "I'm a panda; look it up!" says the panda, tossing a badly punctuated copy of a wildlife manual over his shoulder.

The waiter finds his answer on reading the entry in the manual, "Panda: large bear-like animal found mainly in China. Eats, shoots, and leaves."

The correct entry, in case you haven't worked it out, should not have any commas.

Mistakes we make while speaking English part-17

English bloopers: 'I come to office by walk'

Communication skills play an important role in determining your career path. While speaking English fluently and confidently can help you make a good impression on the people that matter, speaking or writing incorrect English, can make it difficult for superiors or even colleagues to take you seriously no matter how well-informed you may be.

If your English-speaking skills are letting you down, don't lose hope just yet. Remember, practice is key to perfecting your command over the language.

In this edition of our bloopers series, we look at some commonly misspelt words and some easily avoidable errors.

Director of a London-based software firm, Vincent Naveen Morris (30) sends in a few English bloopers he's noticed at work and on television.

~ WRONG: The council library was quiet noisy.

Correct : The council library was quite noisy.

The term 'quiet' is the opposite of noisy. The correct word for emphasising a point is 'quite'.

~ WRONG: A friendly remainder: Please do not forget to remain in your seats after the speech.

Correct : A friendly reminder: Please do not forget to remain in your seats after the speech.

'Remainder' is something that is left behind. The correct word to use when asking someone not to forget something is

Correct :'reminder'.

~ WRONG: I want to learn piano.

Correct :I want to learn to play the piano.

~ WRONG: I like listening music.

Correct : I like listening to music.

~ WRONG: He comes to office by bus, but I come to office by walk.

Correct : I walk to the office.

'By' is a used only if you use a vehicle for transport.

Raghunathan N, an engineer from Ernakulam, Kerala shares some oft-misused words he's come across.

1. A word that is often used incorrectly is 'advance'.

My daughter received a birthday card, much ahead of the actual date, with the message, "Advanced birthday wishes from...". The sender intended to state that the card arrived a bit early, and in no way has any advanced features, right?

The correct way to state that then would be:

Correct : "Birthday wishes, in advance".

In another case, a number of websites carry an 'Advance search' option.

The purpose is to offer users a more specialised search option.

In this context, the correct term would be 'Advanced', which means superior in some way.

2. Using the word 'entitled' in the context of 'having a title of' is wrong. Many articles misuse the word, saying "...in his book entitled...".

Simply replacing 'entitled' with a comma will correct the sentence.

Mistakes we make while speaking English part-16

English bloopers: 'She is very proudy!'

English can be a tricky language to master. There are a number of words that sound the same but mean different things or that are spelled differently, and it's easy to get confused.

Another problem area is when people translate sentences from Hindi to English. Sentences in English are structured differently and a direct translation is often incorrect and can even be misleading.

To help you improve your English-speaking skills, we invited GA readers to send in bloopers they've heard or read in their everyday lives.

Praveen Madhukar Naik, from Bangalore, sends us some examples of bloopers he has heard.

1. Order of words

WRONG: My all relatives are coming.

CORRECT: All my relatives are coming.

WRONG: She is absent always.

CORRECT: She is always absent.

WRONG: What I can do for you?

CORRECT: What can I do for you?

WRONG: Where you are going?

CORRECT: Where are you going?

WRONG: There is anything left?

CORRECT: Is there anything left?

WRONG: These all are mine.

CORRECT: All these are mine.

2. Repeating certain words for emphasis

WRONG: Morning morning jogging is a good habit.

CORRECT: Jogging early in the morning is a good habit.

WRONG: The flowers are of different different colors

CORRECT: The flowers are of many different colors.

WRONG: Small small mistakes are forgivable, not big big blunders.

CORRECT: Small mistakes are forgivable, not big blunders.

Sanjeev Bedi, a 37-year-old chartered accountant based in Ludhiana, shares some bloopers he has come across.

1. I have given the exams.

This is one of the most common mistakes people commit. This is translated from Hindi: ' Maine exams diye hain.'

~ The correct usage is: "I have taken the exams."

2. He was both his father as well as his mentor.

This is another very common error. When you use 'both', the 'as well as' is unnecessary or redundant. Use either of the two.

CORRECT: He was both his father and his mentor

CORRECT: He was his father as well as his mentor.

Krishna Chandra Tripathi, a 28-year-old from Allahabad, sends in these examples.

1. She is very proudy.

The dictionary does not have a listing for the word 'proudy'. The correct usage is:

CORRECT: She is very proud. (This can be both negative and/ or positive.)

CORRECT: She is arrogant. (If intended to be used in a negative sense.)

2. Often 'advice' and 'advise' are confused and misused by people. 'Advice' is a noun, while 'advise' is a verb.

WRONG: Please advice me on the issue

CORRECT:Please advise me on the issue

WRONG: What is your advise?

CORRECT: What is your advice?

Mistakes we make while speaking English part-15

English bloopers: Those pesky prepositions.

Have your friends and colleagues been giving you a hard time about your English speaking skills? Don't fret, help is at hand!

We asked readers to send in English bloopers they've come across in their everyday life and how to avoid them. And in response a number of you have sent in oft-heard errors that people make in written or spoken English.

In this edition of our blooper series, Praveen Madhukar Naik, a software engineer from Bangalore, shares some valuable advice on the correct use of prepositions and how to avoid some very common mistakes.

1. Using prepositions where not required.

WRONG: Please don't make me to do it.
CORRECT: Please don't make me do it.

WRONG: Don't let him to go.
CORRECT: Don't let him go.

WRONG: There is so much of noise in this room.
CORRECT: There is so much noise in this room.

WRONG: Let's go for shopping.
CORRECT: Let's go shopping.

WRONG: I am hungry. Please order for some food.
CORRECT: I am hungry. Please order some food.

2. Omitting prepositions where they are required.

WRONG: Please convey her my condolences.
CORRECT: Please convey my condolences to her.

WRONG: Can you drop me at Pizza Hut?
CORRECT: Can you drop me off at Pizza Hut?

3. Other instances of prepositions being used incorrectly.

~ WRONG: I have been working in this company since three years.

CORRECT: I have been working in this company for three years.
CORRECT: I have been working in this company since 2004.

When 'since' is used as a time preposition, it is used only with reference to a specific point of time (eg: since 1995, since last Christmas, since yesterday) or with reference to a period of time that has already elapsed (eg: since childhood, since the probation period).

~ WRONG: Please pay attention on this topic.
CORRECT: Please pay attention to this topic.

~ WRONG: I travel on bus.
WRONG: I came in bus.
CORRECT: I travel by bus.
CORRECT: I came by bus.

Mistakes we make while speaking English part-14

Mind your language: 'That person is very kiddish'

If English has you down, don't get discouraged!

The important thing is to practice every day. With time and effort, you'll soon become an English pro.

Our blooper series, observed and submitted by readers, highlights common mistakes that can easily trip you.

So, keep reading these articles, and keep an eye out for your own bloopers and the bloopers of others.

Remember, a firm grasp of English is a valued skill for youngsters hoping to study abroad and to follow the most sought after careers.

V D Manigandan, 27, a software engineer in London, remembers a blooper he heard his entire childhood.

1. That person is very kiddish; he doesn't know how to behave in the office.

Kiddish is not a word in the English dictionary. The correct word is 'childish.'

Correct: That person is very childish; he doesn't know how to behave in the office.

Anand Karve, 33 years, a government servant based in Pune, says that direct translations of Hindi sound funny in English.

2. What is your good name?

3. May I know your good name?

This is a literal translation of the Hindi version, 'Aapka shub naam kya hai?' In English, we do not have any 'bad names'.

Correct: What is your name?

Correct: May I know your name?

4. She is my real sister.

This is also the result of direct mother tongue to English translations. In English, you only call your biological sister, 'sister'. Therefore, it's not necessary to add 'real'.

Correct: She is my sister.

Two words often confused with one another:

5. 'stationary' (not in motion)

Correct: 'stationery' (writing material)

A Matin, a 50 year old businessman in Mumbai, has decades of bloopers under his belt. Here are some of his best:

6. Have you catched a cold?

The past tense of the verb 'to catch' is 'caught'. English has many irregular verbs in the past tense.

Correct: Have you caught a cold?

7. Yes, he come yesterday.

8. He did not came yesterday.

This can be confusing. In the first example, it is necessary to use the past tense of the verb 'to come'; it is 'came'. In the second example, the 'did not' shifts the sentence to the past, and therefore, 'came' is no longer needed. It should be:

Correct: Yes, he came yesterday.

Correct: He did not come yesterday.

Another common mistake is the inappropriate use of colour to describe people:

9. He was a black man.

The description is a direct translation of the word kaala. It should be:

Correct: He was dark-complexioned.

Vijay Jangam, working with Deloitte Consulting, sent this reminder: 'Making mistakes is pardonable. Trying to sound 'hip' by deliberately talking rubbish has become a trend.'

Incorrect:

10. 'Any which ways you look at it, it's the same'.

Proper:

Correct: 'Any way you look at it, it's the same' OR

Correct: 'Whichever way you look at it, it's the same'."