Notes on English grammar, vocabulary and structure

1. Active verb of a subject should always be mentioned in active voice.

Passive voice should be used only where its unavoidable or
indispensable or asked to make.
Incorrect:
Correct:

I have been looked for him for an hour.

I have been looking for him for an hour.

2. When somebody happened to be at some place and went back to the

place of initial departure or some elsewhere, and when something took
place in the past and we want to mention its continuity, occurrence or
happening in the present tense also, we should use present perfect
tense. For, weather, environment etc. to be verb may be written.
Incorrect:
Have you ever gone there?
Correct: Have you ever been there?
Incorrect:
Where have you gone all the day?
Correct: Where have you been all the day?
Other examples:
It has never been to me before.
It has been pleasant all the day.
I have been to the USA thrice.
3. Some verbs are not usually used in the progressive tenses, such as
know, deem, love and feel.
Examples:
Do you know him?
I have known him for some years.
The evening was deemed a great success.
Parents love their children.
He seems a gentleman.
However, the verb feel can be used in continuous tense in some situations.
Example: I am feeling well now. (Means exactly this moment)
The doctor is feeling my pulse now.
4. Its is a contracted form of it is and its is possessive case of it.
Both should be used carefully.
Examples:
Its none of your business.
Put the letter in its proper file.
5. Possessive case of a noun or a pronoun should agree with its
antecedent

He did his best.

She got her due.
They should disclose their identity.
One should do ones duty. (Not one Should to his/her duty)
One should keep ones word. (Not one should keep his/her
word)
6. Some words dont go with (agree) their synonyms because they mean
the same as those placed in the beginning to work as subjects.
Wrong:
Right:

The reason because he failed the test was his lethargy.

The reason why he failed the test was his lethargy.

Wrong:

The reason because I stumbled against the table was power

breakdown/pitch dark.
The reason why I stumbled against the table was power break
down/pitch dark.

Right:

7. Some words used as subjects cannot work on their own or

independently. They can only be made to work, because they are
dependent on our will or discretion. Prepositions are used at the end of
such sentences.
Examples:

The eyes are to see with.

The hands are to work with.
The pen is to write with.
The ears are to hear with.

8. Most verbs may be used both subjectively and objectively, actively and
passively. Rob and steal are two instances.
Example:
The tomb had been robbed of its treasures. (Passive use of
verb)
He had been robbed of his dignity. (Passive use of verb)
A last minute goal robbed the team of victory. (Active use of
verb)
He had been robbed of his name and fame. (Passive use of verb)
Note:
A writer and speaker should carefully use object or thing or a valuable that
has been or was robbed.
Wrong:
Right:

A traveller was robbed

A traveller was robbed of his belongings.
Things can be robbed, but they should not be used as subjects in passive

voice.

Wrong:
Right:

Students bikes were robbed.

Students were robbed of their bikes.

Wrong:
My car was robbed;
Right:
I was robbed of my car.
Use of verb steal may be mentioned as subject of a verb in passive voice.
My wallet was stolen. (Passive use of verb)
I had my wallet stolen. (Active use of verb)
Its a crime to handle/deal in stolen goods. (Adjective)
9. Some verbs dont take adverbs after them in certain structures,
because their subjects are unaware of the manner or way an action is
performed. However, such verbs may be followed by predicative
adjectives.
Wrong:
Right:

The rose smells sweetly.

The rose smells sweet.

Wrong:
Right:

You look happily.

You look happy.

Wrong:
Right:

You look nicely.

You look well.
10. While mentioning two pronouns as subjects or objects, put them in a
proper order-second person first and first person next to it.

Examples:
You and I are friends again. (Pronouns used as subjects)
They helped you and me. (Pronouns used as objects)
11. While mentioning three persons, place the second person first, then
place the third person in the middle and the first person after it. (2, 3, 1)
Example:You, he and I are old business partners.
12. To avoid confusion, subjects and objects should be clearly mentioned.
Wrong:
Right:

He did as he directed.
He did as he was directed.

Wrong:
Right:

She married as she asked by her father in his will.

She married as she was asked by her father in his will.
13. Use passive voice structure only where unavoidable or where you are
asked to.

Faulty:
Improved:

Is he known to you?
Do you know him?

14. Dont use verb smell with a subject indirectly or in passive voice in
progressive tense.
Faulty: Garlic was being smelled by our cook.
Improved: Our cook smelled garlic OR Our cook was smelling garlic.
Wrong:
Right:

Our cook is always smelling tobacco.

Our cook always smells tobacco.

However, verb smell may be used subjectively in progressive tense as

an active verb: She is smelling a black rose.
15. Verb word enjoy should be used with an object (transitively) or with a
reflexive pronoun.
Incorrect:
Correct:

We enjoyed there.
We enjoyed ourselves there.

Incorrect:
Delicious tea and snacks were there, we enjoyed.
Correct: We enjoyed delicious tea and snacks there.
16. Certain collective nouns are usually used as singular nouns such as
scenery, jury, board and team.
Incorrect:
Correct:

The sceneries of Swat are beautiful.

The scenery of Swat is beautiful.

Incorrect:
Correct:

The juries are in session.

The jury is in session.

Even if jury is not unanimous in decision/verdict, subject jury remains

unchanged.
Example:The jury were divided in their verdict.
The members of the jury have arrived in time.
17. A writer and speaker should distinguish between use of adjective and
adverb, verb and adjective and verb and adverb.

Examples:

Fill my glass with milk. (Verb)

A glass full of milk spilt. (Adjective)
A glass half full of juice spilt. (Adjective)
Fill this cup with syrup. (Verb)

18. Most verbs are used as nouns also and most nouns are used as verbs
such as work, write, fill and go.

Work is worship. (Noun)

He works hard. (Verb)
There is a park. (Noun)
You can park your car here. (Verb)
He is on leave. (Noun)
You may leave now. (Verb)
He writes an essay. (Verb)
I need time for write up. (Noun)
We ate to our fill. (Noun)
Lets go. (Verb)
Give me a go. (Noun)
Incorrect:
Correct:

Glass is filled with water.

Glass is full of water.

Incorrect:
A large member of audience filled the auditorium.
Correct: A large number of audience occupied the auditorium.
OR
The auditorium was full of audience.
OR
The auditorium was packed to capacity.
Note:
A room, a hall, an auditorium can be occupied or it may be full of audience
or packed to capacity.
19. Too. to structure should not be used to communicate a good
or advisable sense
Wrong: The film is too good to watch.
Right: The film is so good that one may/can watch it.
Wrong: The opportunity is too good to avail of.
Right: The opportunity is so good that one may avail oneself of it.
Note: However in positive/good sense, use of too..to may be acceptable
and grammatical.
Examples: The film is too good to miss.
She is too honest to commit adultery.
He is too good a man to act cruelly.
20. Some verbs may be used both in simple and progressive tenses to
mention gradual development or completion of something. Such
sentences may communicate imperceptible actions also. It is advisable
to mention such actions in simple present tense.

Acceptable and passable in spoken English: children are growing day by

day.
Improved and grammatical: children grow day by day.
Acceptable and passable spoken in English: We are growing old day by
day.
Improved and grammatical: We grow old day by day.
Other examples:
Informal and spoken: The moon is climbing slow.
Informal: The earth is moving around the sun.
Formal/Standard: The earth moves around the sun.
However, in poetry, poetical prose, drama, and other genres of literature,
such use of words is proper.