Common mistakes in English (PDF)

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Here is the complete list of the most common errors in English, with all the grammar mistakes to avoid (and how to correct them):

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Whose and whom: what’s the difference?

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WHOSE

• Whose book is on my bed? 
• Whose umbrella is that? 
• Whose pen is it? 

• That’s the boy whose bike is broken. 
• This is Mrs Smith, whose husband died recently. 
• Paul works with that other guy whose name I can’t remember. 

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How to use Would rather in English

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May and might

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How to use May and Might in English ?

May and might are modal verbs. Might is the preterite of may and their use can be classified into two categories:

To express permission

We may use to ask politely:

• May I ask you a question?

One can also use may to grant permission:

• You may stay up late this evening. 

May can also be used to formulate a prohibition:

• You may not smoke here. 

Might only express a permission in reported speech with a subordinate:

• I asked her if I might borrow her car. 

May is only used in the present context. The equivalent in past and future contexts is be allowed to (to be authorized to, to have the right to…)

• She wasn’t allowed to drink sodas. 
• I hope that I’ll be allowed to watch TV tonight. 

To express the hypothesis

We also use may to suggest a probability, an uncertainty or a possibility, when we are not sure of something:

• She may be jealous. 
• You may be right but I’ll have to check. 

With might, the speaker expresses a greater uncertainty than with may:

• He might not live here. 
• It might not rain today. 

⚠️ Do not confuse might + verb and might + be v-ing:

• He might play soccer.  (in general)
• He might be playing soccer.  (right now)

⚠️ Do not confuse can and may:

• This watch can be damaged by misuse. →  This watch may be damaged if it is not used properly.
• This watch may be damaged by misuse. →  This watch may be damaged due to misuse. 

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Compound nouns rules in English

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In English, to form compound names, two or more names are associated, which can be juxtaposed, joined or simply separated by a dash:

• a bookshop 
• a bread knife 
• a beach towel 
• a horse-race 
• the city-centre 

There are also other constructions possible, but they are rarer: with a gerund (ing) + noun, a particle + noun, or a noun + particle:

• a checkout 
• winbdsurfing 

It’ss always the last element that bears the mark of the plural (with some exceptions). It is then necessary to add an -s to the last element:

• a bus driver 
• the bus drivers 
• a toothbrush 
• two toothbrushes 

There are a few exceptions:

• a sports car 
• a savings account 
• a clothes shop 
• a customs officer 

USE

It is always the last noun that is the most important. The one or those which precede it play the role of adjective: they describe the last word.

• a flower garden 
• a garden flower 

A compound noun is used when the relationship between the two nouns is recognized as constant. The meaning of the relationship between nouns is diverse: place, use, material, cause, etc…

• the town centre 
• a stone bridge 

Be careful! We use noun + of + noun, and not a compound noun, to talk about a quantity of something.

• a piece of cheese 
• a slice of ham 
• a box of matches 
• a spoonful of honey 
• a group of tourists 

Be careful to distinguish the container and content:

• a glass of wine 
• a wine glass 
• a tea cup 
• a cup of tea 

Some compound nouns have a particle at the end:

• a take-off 
• a close-up 
• a passer-by 
• a grown-up 
• a breakdown
• a handout 
• a breakthrough 

The plural is formed by adding an -s to the particle:

• breakdowns 
• grown-ups 

The particle can sometimes be at the beginning of the compound noun (in these cases the plural is formed by adding -s to the last word):

• an outbreak 
• an oucast 
• an overdose 
• an income

Compound nouns are widely used in newspaper headlines and technical language. They sometimes have more than two elements:

• An evening dress rental service 

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So and Such in English

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So and such can be used in several different ways in English sentences.

SO and SUCH in exclamations

Both words can add emphasis to your sentences, to make the meaning stronger. In the exclamations, we use the formula so + adjective and such + adjective + noun (singular or plural):

• It’s such a nice day! (noun)
• It’s so beautiful outside…  (adjective)
• He’s such a generous man.  (noun)
• He’s so generous. (adjective)

The meaning is similar to words like ‘very’ or ‘really’:

• The music is very loud! = The music is so loud!
• She’s in a very bad mood today. = She’s in such a bad mood today.

Let’s take a closer look at So and Such:

SO

As an adverb, so is similar to such and expresses an exclamation. It is often associated with an adjective, a quantifier (= a quantity word like many, much…), or a verb, and has different meanings according to the context:

• I’m so glad to see you. 
• I’m not so sure. 
• We had so much work! 
• You mustn’t worry so. 

So is also used to express the consequence:

• I fel tired so I went to bed. 

We use so to express similarity:

• I’m tired – So am I. 
• Sam likes soccer. – So do I. 
• Kevin lives in Germany. → So does Tina. 

So allows you to refer to previous statements or events:

• I think so. 
• Who says so? 
• So… ? 
• So what’s the problem? 
• So we can’t go after all. 

So helps to avoid repetitions:

• We arrived early and so did he. 
• Tonny speaks Spanish and so does his friend. 

So can refer to a size, a length, an unspecified quantity:

• The table is about so high. 
• They pay us so much a week. 

So can also refer to a way of doing things:

• Hold the pen (like) so. 
• The helmet is so constructed as to absorb most of the impact. 

Finally, so can be used with quantifiers: much, many, little, few, often, rarely… This makes it possible to know a quantity, an amount of something:

• Sarah earns so much money! 
• You have had so much to drink! 
• There was so little damage after the storm.
• I’m surprised that so few students turned up today. 

The constructions So… that and such … that are used to express purpose and consequence:

So + adjective + that 

• The hotel was so comfortable that we decided to stay another night.
• Give me some money so (that) I can buy some eggs. 
• I took a taxi so that I could get there on time. 
• His handwriting is so bad (that) it’s illegible. 

The expression so as to, more formal, also expresses the purpose:

• We came back early so as to avoid the bad weather. 

SUCH

We use Such in front of names that can be counted in the singular, and in front of nouns that can be counted in the plural and uncountables nouns.

Such (a/an) expresses an exclamation or admiration and is used differently according to the context:

• It’s such a surprise to see you here. 
• Such situations are common. 
• He’s changed his mind again. Oh well, such is life. 

Idioms with Such

Such … as can be used to make a comparison :

• I’ve never seen such a fast car as yours. 

We use such as to present one or a list of examples of what we mention (it is mainly used in writing):

• How can you forget a movie such as ‘Star Wars’?
• I love action video games, such as Assassin’s Creed, GTA or Resident Evil. 
• There are many ways to do it. – Such as? 

We use as such with a negative to indicate that a word or expression is not a very accurate description of the real situation. It can also be used after a noun to indicate that this thing is being considered alone, separately from other things or factors:

• He’s not an expert as such, but … 
• You’re a member of the staff and as such you can get coffe for free. 

Such and such is used to refer to a particular type of person or similar thing, regardless. Such and such is placed in front of the nouns:

• Then she said the band was coming to Glasgow on such and such a date. 
• If you do such and such a job, you will become rich. 

The constructions So… that and such … that are used to express the purpose and consequence: Such + adjective + noun + that (that is optional):

• It’s such a good film (that) I’m going to see it again. 
• Paul has such a big house (that) I got lost on the way to the kitchen. 

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Countable and uncountable nouns in English

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There are two categories of nouns in English: countable nouns and uncountable nouns in English. They must be distinguished because their use is different.

Countable nouns

Countable nouns refer to distinct elements, things that we can count. In front of a countable noun, we can use a number, the indefinite articles a/an, the defined article the, some (in the plural), or a possessive or demonstrative adjective. They can be used either in the singular or plural, usually with a final -s:

• a car → two cars
• an orange → three oranges
• one girl → two girls
• a friend → four friends

These names can be counted, so they are countable.

However, there are spelling irregularities as well as exceptions and invariable words (which do not change to the plural) – for more details see the lesson on plurals.

• man → men
• woman → women
• baby → babies
• tooth → teeth
• child → children
• kiss → kisses
• knife → knives
• mouse → mice
• tomato → tomatoes
• sheep → sheep
• deer → deer
• aircraft → aircraft

Uncountable nouns

The uncountable nouns represent global things, which cannot be counted. They may not be preceded by a number or a year. They require a verb in the singular. Often, uncountable nouns do not have a plural.

• I hate milk. 

Milk cannot be counted, so it is an uncountable noun. You can’t say: I hate the milk

The uncountable nouns are generally:

• Materials, substances or food too small or too fluid to be counted one by one (liquid, powder, gas): coffee, flour, butter, blood, gold, cheese, bread, honey, air, milk, rice, sugar, tea, water, soap, jam, paint
• Human feelings or qualities: beauty, fear, anger, love
• Abstract concepts, ideas or qualities: information, knowledge, luck, safety, money, evidence, weather, advice, transport
• Nouns formed from verbs or adjectives: reading, youth 
• colours: red, yellow, etc…
• The names of sports and games: football, billiards, chess, darts…

⚠️ These nouns are invariable and always followed by a verb in the singular:

• Her hair is black. 

How to quantify uncountable nouns

To indicate a quantity of elements, or to isolate a unit from a set represented by an uncountable noun, it is sometimes necessary to use expressions or measures that make it possible to count them more or less precisely (also called “enumerator”): some, a lot of, a bit of, a cup of, a bag of, a handful of, a pinch of…

• a bag of flour 
• a bowl of soup 
• a cup of tea 
• a game of tennis 
• a glimmer of hope 
• a handful of almonds 
• a kilo of rice 
• a loaf of bread 
• a lump of sugar 
• a means of transport 
• a piece of advice 
• a piece of cake 
• a piece of fruit 
• a piece of furniture 
• a pinch of salt 
• a sheet of paper 
• a slice of bread 
• a spoonful of jam 
• some advice 

⚠️ Some singular uncountable nouns are not used with a enumerator. It may be that:

• Some nouns formed from verbs: advertising, skating…
• Some disease names: AIDS, flu, measles…
• Abstract values: business, happiness, justice, poverty, unemployment, weather…
• Names in -ics: athletics, economics, electronics, mathematics, mechanics, physics, politics…

⚠️ The article ‘a’ is sometimes found in front of some uncountable nouns, in some expressions in particular:

• I’m in a hurry 
• What a relief! 
• What a shame! 

An uncountable singular can be replaced by a countable noun, which can be completely different:

Compare:

• He’s looking for work (in general)
• He’s looking for a job (something specific)

⚠️ The word hair is normally uncountable in English, so it is used in the singular. It can also become countable only when it refers to one hair:

• She has long blond hair. 
• I washed my hair yesterday. 
• I found a hair in my soup! 

Plural uncountable nouns 

Some uncountable names are always in the plural:: clothes, contents, customs, goods, looks, morals, oats, stairs, jeans, pyjamas, shorts, trousers, tights, binoculars, glasses, pliers, scales, scissors…

They always match with a plural verb!

• Where are the binoculars? 
• Those stairs don’t look very safe.

If you want to talk about one or more specific objects, you must use a enumerator:

• two flights of stairs 
• I need three pair of jeans 
• a pair of scissors 

Plural uncountable nouns with a collective meaning

Nouns like clergy, police, poultry, cattle… have a collective meaning: contrary to their appearance, they are true plurals and they always require a verb in the plural, with the personal pronoun they:

• Cattle are fed with grass 
• The police are coming 

Category change

Some countable nouns can be used as uncountable nouns: they change their meaning and function:

• Give me a glass of wine.  (the container)
• Look out for broken glass.  (the material)
• I’ve got two chickens in my garden. (birds)
• I’ve had chicken for lunch. (meat)

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How to use the preposition by in english grammar

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We use the preposition by to talk about a means or method used to do something:

• I did it by mistake. 
• Contact me by email. 
• I want to pay by cheque. 

⚠️ It is said to be pay cash or pay in cash (and not by cash)

We also use by to tell by which means of transport someone travels:

• He always goes to work by bus. 
• She likes to travel by plane. 

We can also use by bike, by ship, by train, by road, by air, by rail…

⚠️ We say on foot and not by foot.

By is used to make sentences on the passive:

• He was killed by an elephant.
• They were invited by Paul. 
• She was bitten by a dog.
• The car was fixed by the mechanic.
• This house was built by my father. 

By allows you to talk about an action with a goal (with a verb + ing):

• You can stay healthy by drinking a lot of water. 
• By pressing this button, you turn off the computer.

To talk about the author of a work:

• I’m reading a book by Stephen King. 
• It’s a film by James Cameron.
• That’s a nice song by Bruno Mars. 

To describe a person:

• He’s an engineer by trade.
• By nature, she’s very nervous.

To express a difference, a deviation:

• She won by five points.
• The bullet missed me by inches.

To indicate the times of day:

• We travelled by night and rested by day.

By is sometimes used to indicate proximity:

• The bank is by the bakery. 
• There’s a good restaurant by the lake. 
• My parents live by the sea.
• She was standing by me. 

By indicates a time limit:

• My son must be in bed by 10 o’clock. 
• I’ll be there by nine. 
• The letter must be sent by September 15. 

By indicates a conformity with something:

• He must play by the rules.
• The elephant is an animal protected by law.
• By my watch it’s 9 o’clock.
• By my calculations, it’s too late. 

By is used in calculation, measurement and quantity expressions:

• Divide/ multiply 10 by 2.
• My bed is 2 metres by 4.
• This fabric is sold by the meter. 
• She’s selling cakes by the thousands.
• The company decided to cut prices by 50%.

To give his opinion:

• If that’s okay by you, I’d like to leave now.
• That’s fine by me.

To say ‘next to another thing’:

• The two girls were sitting side by side on a bench. 

To say that we did something on our own:

• The dog opened the door by itself.
• I stayed at home by myself. 

By the way:

• By the way, are you coming tonight?

We use by to express the frequency:

• The babysitter is usually paid by the hour.
• Climate change is deteriorating by the day. 

To indicate a gradual process:

• He ate all the cakes one by one. 
• House prices are climbing day by day.
• The instruction manual details the process step by step. 

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Wishes and regrets with ‘I wish‘ and ‘If only…‘

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To express wishes and regrets in English, you can use the wish + preterite or if only + preterite formulas:

1 – Wish

Wish is used to express wish or regret in the present or past. Wish is followed by a preposition with a subject and a verb.

The verb wish is used to express wish or regret in the present or past tense. Wish is followed by a proposal with a subject and a verb:

• I wish I knew the truth.

To express regret in the present

Wish + prerrit (modal) expresses a regret about the present. The desired thing has no chance of being realized. It may concern the speaker or another person:

• I wish I was rich. 
• I wish you didn’t get so upset about her. 

⚠️ If we use the verb be, we can use was or were, were being of a more sustained register:

• I wish I was rich. /I wish I were rich.
• I wish he wasn’t so bossy. 

To express regret in the past

Finally, we can also express regret about an event in the past. In this case, we use wish + past perfect:

• I wish we had never come here. 
• I wish he had told me the truth. 
• I wish you hadn’t done that. 

To express a request or irritation

To express a request indirectly, to express a feeling of irritation or to talk about an event that has a chance of being realized, we use wish + would:

• I wish you would taik to me more often. 
• I wish somebody would answer the phone. 

To express a forecast or a wish:

Wish followed by the verb + to is similar to the verb ‘to want’ or ‘would like’, with an idea of forecasting in the future:

• They wish to have five children. 
• We wish to stay for four nights. 

You can also use ‘wish’ with a name to wish for an event:

⚠️ ‘I wish to‘ can have the meaning of ‘ I want to‘ but it’s very formal and not used very often:

2 – If only

If only + preterite allows you to express wishes in relation to an unreal situation:

• If only I had a car. 
• If only you came to see me more often. 
• If only I could speak Spanish! 
• If only you had told me before! 

With the verb be, we sometimes use the form were to all persons (mainly in writing):

• If only I were / was richer. 
• If only I weren’t / wasn’t so tall. 

To express regrets about a past situation, it’s necessary to use the perfect past instead of the priest:

• If only they had come. 

3 – Little tip !

One can also express regret or reproach with should have + past participle:

• We should have taken the bus.

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Indefinite pronouns

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English indefinite pronouns (somebody, something…)

Indefinite pronouns are used in English to refer to unspecified objects, places or people (hence the term “indefinite”), whether in the plural or singular.

Here is the list of indefinite pronouns in English :