Common Errors in Usage of Adjectives (1)


 

Common Errors in Usage of Adjectives (1)

 

Common errors in usage of Adjectives (1) is intended to illustrate the sentences and identify errors in sentence and put forward the grammatical reason for correction.


Incorrect

Correct

Grammatical reason

Who is tallest, you or I?

Who is taller, you or I?

When two objects are compared, the comparative degree is used.

I am the most saddest of all.

I am the saddest of all.

Double superlative cannot be used.

He is the tallest boy of the two.

He is the taller boy of the two.

Comparative degree is used when selection of one out of two objects is meant.

He is more cleverer than I.

He is cleverer than I.

Double comparative cannot be used.

He is senior than me.

He is senior to me.

Latin comparative is followed by ‘to’

He is my oldest brother.

He is my eldest brother.

Adjective eldest is used when member of family is meant.

He is elder than I by two years.

He is older than I by two years,

Older is used when member of family is not meant.

Little money is better than not money.

A little money is better than no money.

A little represent some, therefore it is used here.

Rich should not hate poors.

The rich should not hate the poor.

‘The’ being article is also considered adjective as well. Rich and poor are although adjectives, but here both are used as noun and when the adjective is used as noun, it is preceded by definite article ‘the’ and ‘s’ is not attached with noun even though it is plural.

We shall go by the nearest lorry.

We shall go by the next lorry.

Next refers to position and nearest refers distance. So next will be used here for lorry.

He is leaving by 4-15 o’ clock train.

He is leaving by the 4-15 o’ clock train.

Article ‘the’ is placed before specific time as an adjective.

I have no any money to buy books.

I have no money to buy books.

‘Any’ is not required here in this case.

My game is much more superior than yours.

My game is much superior to yours.

Latin comparatives senior, junior, inferior, superior are followed by ‘to’.

Give me a blotting.

Give me a piece of blotting paper.

Paper is used after adjective blotting to develop complete sense.

He lives in the boarding.

He lives in the boarding house.

House is used after adjective boarding to develop complete sense.


I have no rupees with me.

I have no money with me.

Money is appropriate word.

My family members have gone to Murree.

The members of my family have gone to Murree.

Correct way is members of family instead of family members.

Karachi is a worth-seeing place.

Karachi is a place worth seeing.

Adjective worth seeing is correctly placed after noun unlike other adjectives which are placed before noun they qualify.

He is too much tired to attend to some work

He is too tired to attend to any work.

Adverb ‘too’ is used with tired to show statement is negative and thus some is replaced with any.

She is greatest than any poetess.

She is greater than any other poetess.

Two objects are compared in one term of comparison i.e poetess, thus comparative degree is used.

You slept whole the night.

You slept the whole night.

Sequence of adjective ‘whole’ is closed to noun it qualifies.

The rose is a most beautiful flower.

The rose is the most beautiful flower.

‘the’ is used before superlative degree of adjective.

There are no less than sixty boys in this class.

There are no fewer than sixty boys in this class.

Number is meant instead of quantity thus no fewer replaces the no less.

This box is very heavy than that.

This box is heavier than that.

When two objects are compared, comparative degree is used.

He gave me little quantity of milk.

He gave me a small quantity of milk.

Small is used when size is meant, however little describes amount.

My father left by the latest train.

My father left by the last train.

Latest refers to time and last denotes both time and position. Thus the use of ‘last’ is appropriately correct.

Each of us have a pen.

Each of us has a pen.

Each and Every takes singular verb.

This is the eldest tree in my garden.

This is the oldest tree in my garden.

Eldest is only used for family, while oldest is for all except family.

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