When John arrived home, his mother opened the door and smiled to her./ to/ at/ circumspect

"English Word & Grammar" has been initiated to enrich English in the word and in the grammar front.

WORD OF THE DAY:

circumspect

–adjective

1. watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent: circumspect behavior.
2. well-considered: circumspect ambition.

You are very dear to me, as you know, but I must be circumspect.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: When John arrived home, his mother opened the door and smiled to her. Correct: When John arrived home, his mother opened the door and smiled at her.
GRAMMAR: We smile at someone.

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The amount of tourists increases every year./ amount of/ number of/ sombre

"English Word & Grammar" has been initiated to enrich English in the word and in the grammar front.

WORD OF THE DAY:

sombre
–adjective

1. gloomily dark; shadowy; dimly lighted: a somber passageway.
2. dark and dull, as color, or as things in respect to color: a somber dress.
3. gloomy, depressing, or dismal: a somber mood.
4. extremely serious; grave: a somber expression on his face.

December 2 seems to be a particularly sombre day.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: The amount of tourists increases every year.
Correct: The number of tourists increases every year.

GRAMMAR: Before the plural form of a countable noun [tourists], we use number of . We use amount of before uncountable nouns.

The amount of traffic has been increasing, especially the number of cars.

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At half-time, the score was 3-1 for Brazil./to/for/ eschew

"English Word & Grammar" has been initiated to enrich English in the word and in the grammar front.

WORD OF THE DAY:

eschew

–verb (used with object)
to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid: to eschew evil.

Men eschew the doctor's surgery for the chatroom.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: At half-time, the score was 3-1 for Brazil.

Correct: At half-time, the score was 3-1 to Brazil.

GRAMMAR: Before the name of the player or team that is winning, we use to.

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trounce, or, singular verb

"English Word & Grammar" has been initiated to enrich English in the word and in the grammar front.

WORD OF THE DAY:

trounce

–verb (used with object)

1. to beat severely; thrash.
2. to punish.
3. to defeat decisively.

Police trounced the agitators very badly.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: For most writers, a typewriter or a word processor are indispensable.

Correct: For most writers, a typewriter or a word processor is indispensable.

GRAMMAR: When the subject consists of two single count nouns is linked by "or", the verb is singular.

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In a hospital everything have to be very clean/ ignoramus/ everything (singular verb)

"English Word & Grammar" is an initiative taken by me to enrich our English in the word and in the grammar front.

WORD OF THE DAY:

ignoramus

–noun, plural -mus·es.
an extremely ignorant person.

You have already remarked that I am an ignoramus in mathematical subjects, so there is nothing I could contribute.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: In a hospital everything have to be very clean.

Correct: In a hospital everything has to be very clean.

GRAMMAR: "Everything" takes a singular verb.

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aggrandize, uncountable noun, nature

WORD OF THE DAY:

aggrandize

–verb (used with object)

1. to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend.
2. to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor.
3. to make (something) appear greater.

The electronic media take every efort to aggrandize any issue be it a petty offence or political twists and turns.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: We must try harder to stop these people from destroying the nature.

Correct: We must try harder to stop these people from destroying nature.

GRAMMAR: Some uncountable nouns [here nature]are never used with the.

"English Word & Grammar" is an initiative taken by me to enrich our English in the word and in the grammar front.

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megalomania, inform, to

WORD OF THE DAY:

megalomania - meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a

–noun

Psychiatry. a symptom of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc.
an obsession with doing extravagant or grand things.

Doctors are saying that Rahul is suffering from megalomania.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: She informed to her immediate boss that she needed a larger office.

Correct: She informed her immediate boss that she needed a larger office.

GRAMMAR: In indirect/ reported speech: after the word "inform", "to" is not used before the hearer.

"English Word & Grammar" is an initiative taken by me to enrich our English in the word and in the grammar front.

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complacent, discuss

WORD OF THE DAY:

com·pla·cent
–adjective

pleased, esp. with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied

The voters are too complacent to change the government.


GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: Cabinet ministers discussed about the recent developments taking place in Nandigram.

Correct: Cabinet ministers discussed the recent developments taking place in Nandigram.

GRAMMAR: The verb "discuss" do not take a preposition "about".

"English Word & Grammar" is an initiative taken by me to enrich our English in the word and in the grammar front.

vagrant, inform

WORD OF THE DAY:

vagrant - (noun) One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
Synonyms: drifter, vagabond, floater

When things started disappearing from their backyard, they began to suspect the vagrant who had recently been roaming the streets.


GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT :

Incorrect: He informed to his boss that he needed a larger office.

Correct: He informed his boss that he needed a larger office.

GRAMMAR: After ask, assure, convince, persuade, promise, remind and tell, DO NOT use to before the 'hearer'.

likes, to, infinitive, prudent, adjective

WORD OF THE DAY:

pru·dent
–adjective
wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober.
careful in providing for the future; provident: a prudent decision.

Mr Davis is a prudent teacher.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: Rahul doesn't likes electronic gadgets like mobiles.

Correct: Rahul doesn't like electronic gadgets like mobiles.

GRAMMAR: After don't, didn't, does not, the main verb is always a bare infinitive (like, receive, cook, etc)

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connoisseur, relative clause, your, possessive determiner, determiner

WORD OF THE DAY:

connoisseur - con·nois·seur

–noun

a person who is especially competent to pass critical judgments in an art, particularly one of the fine arts, or in matters of taste: a connoisseur of modern art.
a discerning judge of the best in any field: a connoisseur of horses.

He admires as a lover, not as a connoisseur.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT:

Incorrect: Thank you for all your help that you have given me with my studies.

Correct: Thank you for all the help that you have given me with my studies.

GRAMMAR: We often use a relative clause to define a previous noun: Have you seen the car (that)she drives.

In such cases, the previous noun cannot be used with a possessive determiner (e.g your). A possessive determiner defines a noun and we cannot define a noun which has already been defined.

Their house that they live in has five bedrooms. [incorrect]

The house that they live in has five bedrooms. [correct]

Determiner: A word that is frequently used at the beginning of a noun phrase.
Demonstrative [this, that, these, those]
Adjective [some,any, each, every]
Possessive [my, your, our, his, her, its, their]
Article [a, an, the]
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ignoble, mention about

WORD OF THE DAY

ignoble:

adjective

1. of low character, aims, etc.; mean
2. of low grade or quality; inferior

For his ignoble acts he was sacked from the company.

GRAMMAR INCORRECT TO CORRECT

Incorrect: The newspaper report didn't mention about the number of casualties.

Correct: The newspaper report didn't mention the number of casualties.

GRAMMAR: We mention something (NOT about something).

scuttle, yesterday

WORD OF THE DAY:

scuttle

verb (used without object)

1. to run with quick, hasty steps; scurry.

–noun

2. a quick pace.

3. a short, hurried run.

Students scuttled to catch the bus when they saw it approaching.


WRONG TO CORRECT:

WRONG: The meeting was held on yesterday afternoon.

CORRECT: The meeting was held yesterday afternoon.

GRAMMAR: Do not use a preposition before yesterday or phrases begining with yesterday.

trample, as many as / as few as, as much as / as little as

WORD OF THE DAY:

trample - to tread heavily, roughly, or crushingly (usually followed by on, upon, or over)

The bed of roses were trampled upon by the children.

WRONG TO CORRECT:

WRONG: They have as much children as us.

CORRECT: They have as many children as us.

GRAMMAR: “as many as / as few as”, it is used with countable nouns. And “as much as / as little as” it is used with uncountable nouns.

boisterous, bad

WORD OF THE DAY:

boisterous - wild and noisy

The dressing room atmosphere became boisterous with the arrival of the team manager.

WRONG TO CORRECT:

WRONG: I don't understand how she could treat him so bad.

CORRECT: I don't understand how she could treat him so badly.

GRAMMAR: When we want to say “how”, we normally use an adverb. Most adverbs end in “ly”.

proponent/ had

WORD OF THE DAY:

pro·po·nent - noun

One who argues in support of something

In a big boost to proponents of video-conferencing in such cases, the girl stood up to the questioning - helped by the fact that she did not have to endure a face-to-face encounter with her tormentor.


WRONG TO CORRECT:

WRONG: My friend had been to London before, but, I didn't.
CORRECT:
My friend had been to London before, but, I hadn't.

GRAMMAR: When there is an auxiliary verb in the first clause (had), use the auxiliary in the second clause.

Rahul is arriving on Monday and so is Mona.

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"English Word & Grammar" is an initiative taken by me to enrich our
English in the word and in the grammar front.

purvey / ago

WORD OF THE DAY:

purvey

To advertise or circulate.

The Government has taken a massive plan to purvey the status of women in the country.

____________________

WRONG TO CORRECT:

WRONG: I have seen her in the lawn about ten minutes ago.

CORRECT: I saw her in the lawn about ten minutes ago.

GRAMMAR: With ago phrases, we use the past tense. (NOT the present perfect)

"English Word & Grammar" is an initiative taken by me to enrich our English in the word and in the grammar front.