Common Errors in English – Rules and Corrections
Rule 1: Use "woman" instead of "lady"
• Incorrect: She is a handsome lady.
• Correct: She is a handsome woman.
• Explanation: "Lady" is informal; "woman" is more appropriate in general use.
Rule 2: "Plenty" should not replace "many"
• Incorrect: Plenty of men go abroad every
year.
• Correct: Many men go abroad every year.
• Explanation: "Plenty" refers to an amount, not a countable noun like people.
Rule 3: "Remunerate" vs. "Pay"
• Incorrect: I shall be glad to remunerate you.
• Correct: I shall be glad to pay you.
• Explanation: "Remunerate" is formal and not commonly used in casual speech.
Rule 4: Avoid "Not a particle"
• Incorrect: It does not make a particle of difference to me
• Correct: It makes no difference to me.
• Explanation: "Not a particle" is unnecessarily emphatic.
Rule 5: Avoid unnecessary phrases
• Incorrect: And so forth, and the like, and the rest of it.
• Correct: Avoid such phrases for conciseness.
• Explanation: These expressions add no real value.
Rule 6: Avoid misuse of "got"
• Incorrect: She got here yesterday.
• Correct: She arrived here yesterday.
• Explanation: "Got" is often misused where better verbs exist.
Rule 7: "Come of" vs. "Come off"
• Incorrect: His marriage comes off next Monday.
• Correct: His marriage takes place next Monday.
• Explanation: "Come off" means "fail" or "happen unexpectedly."
Rule 8: "Fruit" not "Fruits"
• Incorrect: We bought some fruits at Murree.
• Correct: We bought some fruit at Murree.
• Explanation: "Fruit" is uncountable unless referring to types of fruits.
Rule 9: "Vegetables" and not "Vegetable"
• Incorrect: He prefers vegetable to beef.
• Correct: He prefers vegetables to beef
• Explanation: "Vegetables" is the correct plural form.
Rule 10: "On the way" not "In the way"
• Incorrect: In the way, I met an old friend.
• Correct: On the way, I met an old friend.
• Explanation: "On the way" means while traveling, "In the way" means blocking.