Common English Errors (2019): A Compilation of Tammy's Online English Tutorials

1. The correct idiom is LAST BUT NOT LEAST, not “LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST.” The definite article “the” is not needed. Remember, idioms are fixed expressions.

2. The correct phrase is DREAM COME TRUE, not “DREAM COME THROUGH.” When something which has long been desired or hoped for has finally happened, it becomes a DREAM COME TRUE.

3. The word “far-fetched” does not mean “hard to find.” It simply means “unlikely.”  Therefore, saying “the reason is not far-fetched” is the same thing as “the reason is not unlikely,” which is a meaningless negative.

4. The word “equipment” doesn't accept an ‘s’ because it's an uncountable noun. Thus you should never say/write "equipments."

5. Some of you have ignorantly deviated. Who taught you how to spell STRENGTH as “STRENGHT”?

6. How have you been pronouncing the name FELIX?

/fee-liks/✅

/fe-liks/ ❎

7. Stop using LOOSE (to untie) to mean LOSE! You don't LOOSE your valuables or loved ones except you tied them somewhere. Use ‘lose’ instead.

8.       This is a good news. ❎
This is good news. ✅

"News" is an uncountable noun. Thus it cannot be preceded by “a/an.”

9. When U feel embarrassed for someone's action(s), it is called SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT.

10. The name of the State is KATSINA, not KASTINA.

11. How have you been writing this?

In as much as ❎

Inasmuch as ✅

12.     He/She is a corps member.✅
He/She is a corp member.❎

Don't ever remove the "s" in "corps."

13. POLLING UNIT is pronounced POLE-ING unit, not POOL-ING unit.

14. How do you pronounce 'NAHUM' when reading your bible?

/na-hum/ ❎

/nay-ham/ ✅

15. A close or cherished relation is a LOVED ONE, not a LOVE ONE.

16. It is called BOTTLED WATER, not BOTTLE WATER.

17. How have you been writing this?

Hardwork ❎
Hard work ✅

18. It is MARCH-PAST, not MATCH PAST. I mean a parade or procession, especially of troops past a reviewing stand.

19.     Tammy is a godsent. ❎
Tammy is a godsend. ✅
Tammy is godsent. ✅

“Godsent” shouldn't be preceded by an article because it is an adjective.

20.     I'm following your footsteps...❎
I'm following in your footsteps...✅

You FOLLOW IN one's footsteps; you don't FOLLOW.

21. You know what PTA stands for, but how have you been writing/saying it?

Parent-Teacher Association✅

Parents Teachers Association❎

22.     I (really) appreciate. ❎
I (really) appreciate it. ✅

Here, ‘appreciate’ is a transitive verb. Thus it must take a direct object.

23. Always remember that SILENCE is also a verb. It's the verbal form of SILENCE. As such, you don't SILENT someone; you SILENCE them.

24. How have you been writing this?

Well-being ✅
Wellbeing  ❎
Well being ❎

25.     The rich also cries.❎
The rich also cry.✅

Collective adjectives (adjectives referring to a group of people) take plural verbs.

26. If you are in this type of relationship but don't know how to write it, WHAT DO YOU GAIN?

Long-distance relationship ✅

Long distance relationship ❎

Long distant relationship    ❎

27. If you still say “prospone” instead of POSTPONE, you are not qualified to laugh at an Anambra girl for saying LICE instead of RICE.

28.     To date, you are my best friend. ✅
Till date, you are my best friend. ❎

The correct phrase to use is TO DATE, not TILL DATE.

29. You don't contest FOR an election; you contest an election. When “contest” is used as a verb, you don't need the preposition "for."

30. You don't request FOR something; you request something. When request is used as a verb, you don't need the preposition "FOR."

31. IN ALL RAMIFICATIONS does not mean IN ALL ASPECTS except you are metaphorically extending the literal meaning of ‘ramification’.

32.     The MINUTES of the meeting WAS read by ... ❎

The MINUTES of the meeting WERE read by ...✅

“Minutes” is a plural noun.

33. It is called EGG YOLK, not EGG YOKE.

34. Do I have friends here who pronounce “appetite” as “apartheid”? Come let's take a trip to South Africa.

35. Dear secretaries, avoid the use of double negatives.

In the absence of no other business.❎

In the absence of any other business.✅

36. In case you visit a hospital and the need arises,

SAY: A PINT of blood.✅

DON'T SAY: Pounds of blood.❎

37. ENVELOP (verb) vs ENVELOPE (noun)

HINT: You ENVELOP your letter in an ENVELOPE.

38. “Happy birthday to me in ADDY.” Does “addy” really mean “advance”? To the best of my knowledge, “addy” means ADDRESS.

39. How have you been pronouncing MARIJUANA?

/ma-ri-'wa-na/✅
/ma-ri-'jua-na/❎

40. You don't get A FEEDBACK; you get FEEDBACK. FEEDBACK is an uncountable noun; thus it doesn't accept the indefinite article "a."

41.     Tammy is a green snake in/under a green grass. ❎

Tammy is A SNAKE IN THE GRASS. ✅

This idiom neither has GREEN nor UNDER.

42. Did you know that the correct idiom is HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE, not “Half bread is better than none”?

43. UNKEMPT vs. UNKEPT

HINT: If your hair is not well combed, it is UNKEMPT, not UNKEPT. However, promises can be UNKEPT (broken).

44. CHEER ON vs. CHEER UP

If you CHEER someone ON, you encourage/support them. If you CHEER someone UP, you make them feel less sad.

45.     She is a mother, and a good one AT THAT. ✅

She is a mother, and a good one FOR THAT MATTER.❎

Here, “at that” is more appropriate.

46. ENGLISH IN MATHS

Right angle triangle.❎

Right-angled triangle or right triangle.✅

47. “Who's” does not mean WHOSE. “Who's” is the shortened form of WHO IS.

For example, Who is going home with me? OR Who's going home with me?

48. DID YOU KNOW?
The correct idiom is BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS, not A BEGGAR HAS NO CHOICE?

49. PARK vs. PACK
You PARK your car but PACK your bag by putting clothes into it. We have an amusement PARK, but a PACK of cigarettes.

50.     COUPLE: A husband and a wife.
COUPLES: Husbands and wives.

Don't call two married people ‘COUPLES’.

51.     To be forewarned is to be forearmed ❎
Forewarned is forearmed✅

Remember, idioms are fixed expressions.

52. WAVE vs. WAIVE

You WAVE your hand(s), but a university may decide to WAIVE failed courses for final year students.