Errors in the use of nouns
May 2nd, 2012 in Common Mistakes
Here are some mistakes students often make in the use of nouns.
Incorrect: She likes to feed the poors.
Correct: She likes to feed the poor.
Incorrect: He is working for the blinds.
Correct: He is working for the blind.
Expressions like the poor, the blind, the deaf etc., are always plural. We don’t have to make their plural forms by adding –s to them.
Incorrect: I told these news to my father.
Correct: I told this news to my father.
News is a singular uncountable noun. Therefore it has to be used with a singular determiner.
Incorrect: The teacher gave us many advices.
Correct: The teacher gave us some advice.
Advice is an uncountable noun. It does not have a plural form. The determiner many is only used with plural countable nouns.
Incorrect: I have a five dollars note.
Correct: I have a five dollar note.
Incorrect: She has bought two dozens apples.
Correct: She has bought two dozen apples.
Incorrect: I saw many deers in the jungle.
Correct: I saw many deer in the jungle.
The nouns sheep and deer have identical singular and plural forms.
Incorrect: Bring me some bloating.
Correct: Bring me some bloating paper.
Incorrect: The boy is in the boarding.
Correct: The boy is in the boarding house.
Incorrect: Please put your sign here.
Correct: Please put your signature here.
Incorrect: She is my cousin sister.
Correct: She is my cousin.
Expressions like cousin sister and cousin brother are wrong.