English Grammar Common errors in Use of  Adverb| Exercises | Notes

Adverbs are words that add information about the verb.
1. Adverbs of manner, place and time are usually placed after the verb or object.
e.g. He was running slowly.
Reena does her work carefully.
I met him yesterday.
They followed Rachna everywhere.

2. Adverbs of frequency
(e.g. never, often, usually, always, rarely, etc.) and other adverbs (like already, almost, just, quite, nearly, hardly) are normally put between subject and verb. If there is more than one word in the verb, they are put after first word. e.g. He often goes to Delhi.
I quite agree with you.
But if verb is ‘am’, ‘is’ and ‘are’, adverb is placed after the verb.
e.g. I am never late for school.

3. The adverb enough is placed after the adjective.
e.g. She is cunning enough to tackle him.

4. ‘Ever’ is sometimes incorrectly used for ‘never’.
e.g. He seldom or ever tells a lie. (X)
He seldom or never tells a lie. (√)

5. Adverb ‘not’ shouldn’t be used with words having negative meaning.
e.g. The teacher forbade me not to go. (X)
The teacher forbade me to go. (√)

6.The word ‘only’ should be placed immediately before the word it modifies.
e.g. Hari answered only two questions.

7. An adverb should not be used before an infinitive.
e.g. He quickly did the job. (X)
He did the job quickly. (√)

8. The auxiliaries have to and used to come after the adverb.
e.g. He often used to go to cinema.

SOME MORE TIPS OF USAGE

1. Avoid the use of lots, a lot and a whole lot in the sense of much or a great deal.
e.g. He expects to earn a lot of money on his sale of farm products. (X)
He expects to earn a great deal of money on his sale of farm products. (√)

2. Plenty is a noun and is always followed by of.
e.g. He has plenty of room in his old house.

3. Due to always modifies a noun and not a verb. Hence, no sentence should begin with due to, it must be used only after some form of the verb to be.
e.g. His death was due to natural causes.

4. Alright is incorrect, use all right.
e.g. 1 think it is a quite alright if you stay. (X)
I think it is quite all right if you stay. (√)

5. If the gender is not determined, use the pronoun of the masculine gender.
e.g. If anybody has got the book let her return it(X) If anybody has got the book let him return it (/)

6. When two nouns are closely connected, apostrophe —’s will be written after second only.
e.g. Ravi’s and Shikha’s mother is ill. (X)
Ravi and Shikha’s mother is ill. (√)

7. Both and as well as cannot be used together in the same sentence because both convey the same sense.
e.g. Both Pinki as well as Pooja are beautiful (X)

Both Pinki and Pooja are beautiful. (√)

8. Supposing and if cannot be used together in the same sentence.
e.g. Supposing if he fails, what will he do ? (X)
If he fails, what will he do ? (√)

9. Endure suggests suffering, usually in silence and tolerate, means to allow it with some degree of approval.
e.g. He endured the pain without complaint.
He will not tolerate laziness.

10. Avoid the use of had with ought.
e.g. You had not ougth to do it. (X)
You ought not do it. (√)

11. As is used when one compares things or persons of equal or about equal size or quality, so is used when one compares things or persons which are unequal.
e.g. He weighs as much as his father.
He does not weigh so much as his father.

12. Avoid using the double comparative and double superlative.
e.g. This pen is the most costliest in this store. (X)
This pen is the costliest in this store. (√)

13. Cent per cent and word by word are wrong uses. The real terms are hundred percent and word for word.

14. When two comparatives are used in a sentence for proportion, the is used before both of them.
e.g. The higher we go, the cooler it is.

15. Do the needful is incorrect, write do what is necessary.

16. Never say family members, say members of the family.
e.g. His family members have gone to Mumbai. (X)
The members of his family have gone to Mumbai(√)

17. Else is always followed by but and never by than.
e.g. It is nothing else but your pride which makes you say such a thing.

18. All of is used in conversation, not in standard written English.
e.g. She gave all of her antiques to the museum (X)
She gave all her antiques to the museum (√)

19. Talking terms is wrong, use speaking terms.
e.g. He is not on talking terms with his brother (X)
He is not on speaking terms with his brother (√)

20. Verbs like resemble, recommend, comprise, order, accompany, reach, join, shirk, attack, emphasise, discuss, fear, succeed, resist, request, assist, benefit, afford etc. are not followed by any preposition when used in the active voice.
e.g. He emphasised on the need for discipline. (X)
He emphasised the need for discipline. (√)
She will accompany with you to Chennai. (X)
She will accompany you to Chennai. (√)

21. The phrase type of, sort of and kind of do not follow a or an.
e.g. What kind of a friend are you ? (X)
What kind of friend are you ? (√)

22. A full hour huriiber follows o’clock, but in fraction it does not follow
e.g. He left this place by 10.40 o’clock. (X)

He left this place by 10.40. (√)

23. Yet means up to the present time something that has not happened.
e.g. His brothers are not married even yet.