Common Errors (Syntax)
Rules for Correct Usage of Nouns in English
Mastering nouns is fundamental to understanding English grammar. Below are key rules explained clearly with examples.
Nouns can be singular (one) or plural (more than one). Plural forms are usually created by adding "-s" or "-es." Irregular plurals, however, follow unique patterns.
- Correct: She owns one cat and two dogs.
- Incorrect: She owns one cats and two dog.
Countable nouns can be counted individually (e.g., "apple"), while uncountable nouns refer to substances or concepts that cannot be divided into individual elements (e.g., "water").
- Correct: I have three apples and some milk.
- Incorrect: I have three milk.
Use "a" or "an" with singular, countable nouns. "A" is used before words starting with consonant sounds, and "an" is used before words starting with vowel sounds.
- Correct: I saw a bird flying.
- Correct: She ate an orange.
- Incorrect: I saw bird flying.
To show possession, add "'s" to singular nouns and an apostrophe (') after the "s" for plural nouns.
- Correct: This is Sarah's car.
- Correct: These are the players' uniforms.
- Incorrect: This is Sarah car.
Proper nouns refer to specific people, places, or things. Always capitalize the first letter.
- Correct: He lives in New York.
- Incorrect: He lives in new york.
Common English Grammar Errors (Syntax)
This table explains common grammar mistakes using rules and examples, with contextual teaching in Hindi to help learners understand better.
| # | Error | Rule | Incorrect Example | Correct Example | Explanation (in Hindi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subject-Verb Agreement | The verb must match the subject in number (singular or plural). | She go to school every day. | She goes to school every day. | सिंगुलर सब्जेक्ट के साथ सिंगुलर वर्ब का प्रयोग करें, जैसे "goes"। |
| 2 | Using "its" vs "it's" | "Its" is possessive, whereas "it's" is a contraction of "it is". | The cat wagged it's tail. | The cat wagged its tail. | "It's" का मतलब "it is" होता है, जबकि "its" किसी वस्तु का स्वामित्व दिखाता है। |
| 3 | Confusing "their," "there," and "they're" | "Their" is possessive, "there" refers to a place, and "they're" is a contraction of "they are". | There going to there house. | They're going to their house. | "There" स्थान बताने के लिए है, "their" स्वामित्व के लिए, और "they're" का मतलब "they are" है। |
| 4 | Using "me" vs "I" | Use "I" as the subject and "me" as the object. | Me and John went to the store. | John and I went to the store. | जब आप वाक्य का विषय हों, तो "I" का प्रयोग करें। "Me" का प्रयोग ऑब्जेक्ट के लिए होता है। |
| 5 | Double Negatives | Avoid using two negatives in the same sentence. | I don’t need no help. | I don’t need any help. | दो नेगेटिव शब्द एक साथ वाक्य को गलत बनाते हैं। सही वाक्य बनाएं। |
| 6 | Wrong Word Order in Questions | The verb must come before the subject in questions. | Why you are late? | Why are you late? | प्रश्न पूछने में वर्ब सब्जेक्ट से पहले आता है। |
| 7 | Incorrect Comparative Forms | Use "more" or "-er" for comparisons, but not both. | She is more taller than me. | She is taller than me. | "More" और "-er" का साथ में उपयोग न करें। |
| 8 | Misplaced Modifiers | Place modifiers close to the word they describe. | He almost drove his kids to school every day. | He drove his kids to school almost every day. | मॉडिफायर को हमेशा उस शब्द के पास रखें जिसे वे वर्णित करते हैं। |
| 9 | Using "less" instead of "fewer" | Use "fewer" for countable nouns and "less" for uncountable nouns. | There are less apples in the basket. | There are fewer apples in the basket. | गिनने योग्य संज्ञाओं के लिए "fewer" का प्रयोग करें। |
| 10 | Wrong Prepositions | Use appropriate prepositions based on context. | I am good in math. | I am good at math. | सही प्रीपोज़िशन का प्रयोग करें; "good at" सही है। |
| 11 | Using "who" vs "whom" | "Who" is the subject; "whom" is the object. | Whom is calling? | Who is calling? | "Who" का प्रयोग सब्जेक्ट के लिए करें और "whom" का प्रयोग ऑब्जेक्ट के लिए। |
| 12 | Incorrect Plural Forms | Irregular nouns have unique plural forms. | She bought two childs a gift. | She bought two children a gift. | "Child" का बहुवचन "children" होता है, "childs" नहीं। |
| 13 | Using "a" vs "an" | Use "a" before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds. | I saw an dog. | I saw a dog. | वर्णमाला की ध्वनि के अनुसार सही "a" या "an" का प्रयोग करें। |
| 14 | Unnecessary Apostrophes | Apostrophes should not be used to form plurals. | She has many book's on her shelf. | She has many books on her shelf. | Plural nouns के लिए apostrophe का प्रयोग न करें। |
| 15 | Using "that" instead of "who" | Use "who" to refer to people. | The boy that is playing is my brother. | The boy who is playing is my brother. | लोगों के लिए "who" का प्रयोग करें। |
| 16 | Using "affect" vs "effect" | "Affect" is usually a verb, "effect" is a noun. | The movie had a great affect on me. | The movie had a great effect on me. | "Affect" क्रिया है और "effect" संज्ञा। |
| 17 | Using "amount" instead of "number" | Use "number" for countable nouns, "amount" for uncountable nouns. | The amount of people in the room was shocking. | The number of people in the room was shocking. | गिनने योग्य वस्तुओं के लिए "number" और गिनने में असमर्थ वस्तुओं के लिए "amount"। |
| 18 | Using "since" instead of "because" | "Since" refers to time, "because" shows cause. | He stayed home since he was sick. | He stayed home because he was sick. | "Since" समय दर्शाने के लिए और "because" कारण के लिए उपयोग करें। |
| 19 | Incorrect Pronoun Usage | Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender. | Each student must bring their book. | Each student must bring his or her book. | सर्वनाम का संख्या और लिंग से मेल होना चाहिए। |
| 20 | Using "lie" vs "lay" | "Lie" means to recline; "lay" means to put something down. | I will lay down for a while. | I will lie down for a while. | "Lie" का मतलब लेटना है और "lay" का मतलब रखना। |
| 21 | Using "can" instead of "may" | "Can" refers to ability, while "may" refers to permission. | Can I leave early today? | May I leave early today? | "Can" क्षमता के लिए और "may" अनुमति के लिए उपयोग करें। |
| 22 | Using "who's" vs "whose" | "Who's" is a contraction of "who is"; "whose" shows possession. | Who's book is this? | Whose book is this? | "Who's" का मतलब "who is" है, जबकि "whose" स्वामित्व दिखाता है। |
| 23 | Using "good" vs "well" | "Good" is an adjective; "well" is an adverb. | She sings good. | She sings well. | "Good" संज्ञा को वर्णित करता है और "well" क्रिया को। |
| 24 | Improper Placement of "only" | Place "only" before the word it modifies. | She only drinks water in the morning. | She drinks only water in the morning. | "Only" को सही शब्द के पास रखें। |
| 25 | Using "your" vs "you're" | "Your" is possessive; "you're" means "you are". | Your right about that. | You're right about that. | "Your" स्वामित्व और "you're" का मतलब "you are" होता है। |
| 26 | Using "then" vs "than" | "Then" refers to time; "than" is used for comparisons. | She is taller then me. | She is taller than me. | "Then" समय के लिए और "than" तुलना के लिए। |
| 27 | Run-on Sentences | Separate two independent clauses with a conjunction or period. | I love pizza I eat it every day. | I love pizza, and I eat it every day. | दो स्वतंत्र वाक्यों को सही से जोड़ें। |
| 28 | Wrong Verb Tense | Use consistent verb tense within a sentence. | She was running and eats lunch. | She was running and eating lunch. | वाक्य में क्रिया काल (verb tense) एक समान रखें। |
| 29 | Using "each other" vs "one another" | Use "each other" for two people, "one another" for more than two. | The three friends helped each other. | The three friends helped one another. | दो लोगों के लिए "each other" और दो से अधिक के लिए "one another"। |
| 30 | Incorrect Conditional Sentences | Use the correct tense in conditional clauses. | If I will go, I will see him. | If I go, I will see him. | कंडीशनल वाक्यों में सही टेंस का प्रयोग करें। |