In this lesson, we will take a look at some common mistakes in the use of nouns.
- Incorrect: He is leaving his service.
- Correct: He is leaving his job. / He is quitting his job.
The expression ‘leaving one’ service’ isn’t considered correct in Standard English.
- Incorrect: All his relations are poor.
- Correct: All his relatives are poor.
A relative is a person connected by blood or marriage. Relation means connection or relationship.
- Incorrect: We had a good play of tennis.
- Correct: We had a good game of tennis.
- Incorrect: In Africa, there are many poors.
- Correct: In Africa, there are many poor people.
- Incorrect: He provided the poors with food.
- Correct: He provided the poor with food. / He provided poor people with food.
The word ‘poors’ does not even exist. The correct expression is ‘poor people’.
- Incorrect: The government does not do anything for poors.
- Correct: The government does not do anything for the poor.
The expression ‘the poor’ means ‘all poor people’. In the same way, the expression ‘the blind’ means ‘all blind people’. Note that the article ‘the’ cannot be removed from these expressions.
- Incorrect: He took troubles to do his work.
- Correct: He took the trouble to do his work.
- Correct: He took trouble over his work.
- Incorrect: The weather of Kashmir does not suit me.
- Correct: The climate of Kashmir does not suit me.