Rules of Grammar Rules of Grammar Rules of Grammar Rules of Grammar, Summaries of English Language

Download Rules of Grammar Rules of Grammar Rules of Grammar Rules of Grammar and more Summaries English Language in PDF only on Docsity! GOLDEN GRAMMAR RULES 1. Don’t use an with own. Sue needs her own room. (NOT Sue needs an own room.) I’d like a phone line of my own. (NOT … an own phone line.) 2. Use or rather to correct yourself. She’s German – or rather, Austrian. (NOT She’s German – or better, Austrian.) I’ll see you on Friday – or rather, Saturday. 3. Use the simple present – play(s), rain(s) etc – to talk about habits and repeated actions. I play tennis every Saturday. (NOT I am playing tennis every Saturday.) It usually rains a lot in November. 4. Use will …, not the present, for offers and promises. I’ll cook you supper this evening. (NOT I cook you supper this evening.) I promise I’ll phone you tomorrow. (NOT I promise I phone you tomorrow.) 5. Don’t drop prepositions with passive verbs. I don’t like to be shouted at. (NOT I don’t like to be shouted.) This needs to be thought about some more. (NOT This needs to be thought some more.) 6. Don’t use a present tense after It’s time. It’s time you went home. (NOT It’s time you go home.) It’s time we invited Bill and Sonia. (NOT It’s time we invite Bill and Sonia.) 7. Use was/were born to give dates of birth. I was born in 1975. (NOT I am born in 1975.) Shakespeare was born in 1564. 8. Police is a plural noun. The police are looking for him. (NOT The police is looking for him.) I called the police, but they were too busy to come. 9. Don't use the to talk about things in general. Books are expensive. (NOT The books are expensive.) I love music. (NOT I love the music.) 10. Use had better, not have better. I think you’d better see the doctor. (NOT I think you have better see the doctor.) We’d better ask John to help us. 11. Use the present progressive - am playing, is raining etc - to talk about things that are continuing at the time of speaking. I’m playing very badly today. (NOT I play very badly today.) Look! It's raining! (NOT Look! It rains!) 12. Use for with a period of time. Use since with the beginning of the period. for the last two hours = since 9 o'clock for three days = since Monday for five years = since I left school I’ve been learning English for five years. (NOT I’ve been learning English since three years.) We’ve been waiting for ages, since eight o’clock. 13. Don't separate the verb from the object.   VERB OBJECT She speaks English very well . (NOT She speaks very well English.) Andy likes skiing very much. (NOT Andy likes very much skiing.) 14. Don't use the present perfect - have/has seen, have/has gone etc - with words that name a finished time. I saw him yesterday. (NOT I have seen him yesterday.) They went to Greece last summer. (NOT They have gone … last summer.). 15. English (the language) normally has no article. You speak very good English. (NOT You speak a very good English.) 16. After look forward to, we use -ing, not an infinitive. I look forward to seeing you. (NOT I look forward to see you.) We’re looking forward to going on holiday. (NOT … to go on holiday.) 17. Information is an uncountable noun. Can you give me some information? (NOT Can you give me an information?) I got a lot of information from the Internet. (NOT I got a lot of informations from the Internet.) 18. Use -ing forms after prepositions. I drove there without stopping. (NOT I drove there without to stop.) Wash your hands before eating. (NOT Wash your hands before to eat.) 19. Use this, not that, for things that are close. Come here and look at this paper. (NOT Come here and look at that paper.) How long have you been in this country? (NOT How long have you been in that country?) 20. Use a plural noun after one and a half. I play tennis at weekends. (NOT I use to play tennis at weekends.) Where do you usually have lunch? (NOT Where do you use to have lunch?) 40. Use through, not along, for periods of time. All through the centuries, there have been wars. (NOT All along the centuries, there have been wars.) For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 45. 41. Use can’t, not mustn’t, to say that something is logically impossible. It can’t be the postman at the door. It’s only 7 o’clock. (NOT It mustn’t be the postman at the door. It’s only 7 o’clock.) If A is bigger than B, and B is bigger than C, then C can’t be bigger than A. (NOT … then C mustn’t be bigger than A.) 42. Use the present perfect with This is the first time … etc. This is the first time I’ve been here. (NOT This is the first time I’m here.) This is the fifth cup of coffee I’ve drunk today. (NOT This is the fifth cup of coffee I drink today.) 43. Use be, not have, to give people’s ages. My sister is 15 (years old). (NOT My sister has 15 years.) 44. Use between, not among, to talk about position in relation to several clearly separate people or things. Switzerland is between France, Austria, Germany and Italy. (NOT Switzerland is among France, Austria, Germany and Italy.) The bottle rolled between the wheels of the car. 45. We don’t normally use the before abbreviations that are pronounced like words (‘acronyms’). My cousin works for NATO. (NOT My cousin works for the NATO.) The money was given by UNESCO. (NOT … by the UNESCO.) 46. Everybody is a singular word. Everybody was late. (NOT Everybody were late.) Is everybody ready? (NOT Are everybody ready?) 47. Use any, not some, in negative sentences. She hasn’t got any money. (NOT She hasn’t got some money.) I didn’t see anybody. (NOT I didn’t see somebody.) 48. Use interested for feelings; use interesting for the things that interest people. The same goes for bored/boring, excited/exciting etc. I’m interested in history. (NOT I’m interesting in history.) History is interesting. I’m bored in the maths lessons. (NOT I’m boring in the maths lessons.) I think maths is boring. 49. Use by, not until/till, to mean ‘not later than’. Can you mend this by Tuesday? (NOT Can you mend this until Tuesday?) I’ll finish the book by tonight. (NOT I’ll finish the book till tonight.) 50. Use like, not as, to give examples. I prefer warm countries, like Spain. (NOT I prefer warm countries, as Spain.) I eat a lot of meat, like beef or lamb. 51. Use whether, not if, after prepositions. We talked about whether it was ready. (NOT We talked about if it was ready.) It’s a question of whether we have enough time. (NOT It’s a question of if we have enough time.) 52. Use the present progressive passive, not the simple present passive, to talk about things that are going on just around now. Our flat is being decorated this week. (NOT Our flat is decorated this week.) Your bill is just being prepared, sir. (NOT Your bill is just prepared, sir.) 53. We don’t normally use must to talk about the past. I had to see the dentist yesterday. (NOT I must see the dentist yesterday.) When I left school, young men had to do military service. (NOT When I left school, young men must do military service.) 54. When you put two nouns together, be careful to get the right order. I like eating milk chocolate. (NOT I like eating chocolate milk.) What’s your phone number? (NOT What’s your number phone?) 55. Use the whole of, not whole, before the name of a place. The whole of Paris was celebrating. (NOT Whole Paris was celebrating.) He knows the whole of South America very well. (NOT He knows whole South America very well.) 56. We don’t normally use progressive forms of believe. I don’t believe him. (NOT I’m not believing him.) Do you believe what she says? (NOT Are you believing what she says?) For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 471. 57. Don’t use in front of to mean ‘facing’ or ‘opposite’. She sat down facing me and looked into my eyes. (NOT She sat down in front of me and looked into my eyes.) There’s a hotel opposite our house. (NOT There’s a hotel in front of our house.) 58. Use it, not I, he, she etc to identify people. (on the phone): Hello. It’s Alan Williams speaking. ((NOT Hello. I’m Alan Williams.) ‘Who’s that?’ ‘It’s John.’ (NOT Who’s that?’ ‘He’s John.’) 59. People (meaning ‘persons’) is a plural word The people in this town are very friendly. (NOT The people in this town is very friendly.) Who are those people? (NOT Who is that people?) 60. Use although or but, but not both together. Although it was late, she went out. It was late, but she went out. (BUT NOT Although it was late, but she went out.) 61. With if, we normally use the present to talk about the future. If I have time, I’ll phone you. (NOT If I’ll have time, I’ll phone you.) I’ll be surprised if she answers my letter. (NOT I’ll be surprised if she’ll answer my letter.) 62. Use almost, not nearly, to say that one thing is very like another. She is almost a sister to me. (NOT She is nearly a sister to me.) I almost wish I had stayed at home. (NOT I nearly wish I had stayed at home.) 63. If you don’t do something any more, you stop doing it. The doctor told me to stop smoking. (NOT The doctor told me to stop to smoke.) I’m going to stop working so hard. (NOT I’m going to stop to work so hard.) 64. A singular countable noun must normally have a determiner (e.g. a/an, the, my, that). She broke a/the/that/my window. (NOT She broke window.) Where is the station? (NOT Where is station?) 65. We don’t often use would in subordinate clauses; instead, we use past tenses. Would you follow me wherever I went? (NOT Would you follow me wherever I would go?) I would tell you if I knew. (NOT I would tell you if I would know.) 66. With when, use the past perfect to make it clear that one thing finished before another started. When I had written my letters, I did some gardening. (NOT When I wrote my letters, I did some gardening.) When he had cleaned the windows, he stopped for a cup of tea. (NOT When he cleaned the 85. Only use unless to mean ‘except if’. Compare: I’ll see you tomorrow unless I have to work. I’ll be really upset if I don’t pass the exam. (NOT I’ll be really upset unless I pass the exam.) 86. Use be with adjectives, not have with nouns, to talk about physical sensations like cold, hunger, thirst etc. I am thirsty. (NOT I have thirst.) We are cold in this house. (NOT We have cold in this house.) 87. Don’t use to-infinitives after can, could, will, would, may, might, shall, should or must. I can swim. (NOT I can to swim.) Must you make so much noise? (NOT Must you to make so much noise?) 88. Use not, not no, to make sentences negative. I’m not asleep. (NOT I’m no asleep.) We are open on Saturdays, but not on Sundays. (NOT … but no on Sundays.) 89. We don’t usually use present tenses after past reporting verbs. She told me she had a headache. (NOT She told me she has a headache.) I asked him what he wanted. (NOT | asked him what he wants.) 90. Use to after married, engaged. He’s married to a doctor. (NOT He’s married with a doctor.) My sister is engaged to a computer engineer. (NOT My sister is engaged with a computer engineer.) 91. Use which, not what, to refer back to a whole sentence. She passed her exam, which surprised everybody. (NOT She passed her exam, what surprised everybody.) My father has just climbed Mont Blanc, which is pretty good for a man of 75. (NOT … what is pretty good for a man of 75.) 92. Don’t use the with society when it has a general meaning. We all have to live in society. (NOT We all have to live in the society.) Rousseau said that society makes people evil. (NOT Rousseau said that the society makes people evil.) 93. Use a to-infinitive after want. I want to go home. (NOT I want go home.) The children want to stay up late. (NOT The children want stay up late.) 94. Use make, not do, with mistake. I have made a mistake. (NOT I have done a mistake.) You can’t speak a language without making mistakes. (NOT … without doing mistakes.) 95. Don’t repeat a relative pronoun with another pronoun. There’s the man that I work for. (NOT There’s the man that I work for him.) She saw a doctor who sent her to hospital. (NOT She saw a doctor who he sent her to hospital.) 96. After a superlative, use in with a place expression. Which is the biggest city in the world? (NOT Which is the biggest city of the world?) This is the best restaurant in the city. (NOT This is the best restaurant of the city.) 97. You explain and suggest something to somebody. Please explain to me what you want. (NOT Please explain me what you want.) Can you suggest a good restaurant to us? (NOT Can you suggest us a good restaurant?) 98. Work is an uncountable noun. I’m looking for work. (NOT I’m looking for a work.) My brother has found a new job. (NOT My brother has found a new work.) For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 148. 99. Be careful of the word order in negative infinitives. It’s important not to work too hard. (NOT It’s important to not work too hard.) I asked her not to make so much noise. For more details, see Practical English Usage 3rd Edition section 280. 100. Possessives replace articles. We stayed in John’s house at the weekend. (NOT We stayed in the John’s house at the weekend.) She’s been studying Britain’s foreign policy since 1980. (NOT She’s been studying the Britain’s foreign policy since 1980.)