Common Errors in Usage of Adjectives (2)

Common errors in usage of Adjectives (2) is intended to illustrate the sentences and identify errors in sentence and put forward the grammatical reason for correction.

This helps memorizing the grammatical rules and their application while usage.

Incorrect	Correct	Grammatical reason
You have been working hardly.	You have been working hard.	Hardly is an adverb. Hard is an adjective.
Your flowers smell sweetly.	Your flowers smell sweet.	Sweetly is an adverb. Sweet is an adjective.
He arrived late as usually.	He arrived late as usual.	Usually is an adverb. Usual is an adjective.
Every people come here for a good bargain.	Everyone comes here for a good bargain.	Adjective ‘every’ represents indefinite number each without exception. It takes singular noun and singular verb with it. People is considered plural noun, thus replaced with ‘one’ and singular verb ‘comes’ is placed according to grammatical rule.
These all men are poor.	All these men are poor.	Adjective ‘all’ is always placed before another adjective. Here ‘these’ is demonstrative adjective thus ‘all’ precedes it.
She held me in the both hands.	She held me in both her hands. Or She held me in both hands.	Article ‘the’ is unnecessarily placed as an adjective, thus removed.
She lives alone; she has no any children.	She lives alone; she has no children.	Adjective ‘any’ is unnecessarily placed, thus removed.
Both servants have not come today.	Neither servant has come today.	Adjective ‘neither’ replaces ‘both’ and neither and either always followed by singular noun.
Don’t sit idle, you must do some or other work.	Don’t sit idle, you must do some work or other.	Adjective ‘some’ is re-arranged with noun work. ‘Other’ is also an adjective.
Shoaib is greater than any other cricketers.	Shoaib is greater than any other cricketer.	Term of comparison is ‘cricketer’ thus it is used in singular sense.
Open your book at ten page.	Open your book at page ten.	Here an adjective ‘ten’ follows the noun ‘page’ unlike the rules which requires adjective before noun.
She is in class fifth.	She is in class five. Or She is in fifth class.	‘Fifth’ is an adjective so as a usual practice precedes the noun ‘class’. Or the other way is putting noun ‘class’ first and then adjective ‘five’.
Farhan is wiser than cunning.	Farhan is more wise than cunning.	When tow qualities of same person are compared the word more is placed with positive degree.
She sings more better than her sister.	She sings better than her sister.	Double comparatives and double superlatives are not allowed in sentence.
The son is worst than his father.	The son is worse than his father.	Comparison is between two so comparative degree is used.
Faisalabad is dirty than Lahore.	Faisalabad is dirtier than Lahore.	Comparison is meant between two cities so comparative degree is used.
He can’t afford a house of his own because he gets less salary.	He can’t afford a house of his own because he gets a small salary.	Amount of salary is meant thus ‘small’ is the right adjective. ‘less’ represents quantity.
Of the two stories this is the best.	This is the better of the two stories. Or of the two stories this is the better.	When selection of one out of two is meant the comparative degree is used instead of superlative. As per rule ‘of’ replaces ‘than’ and comparative degree is preceded by ‘the’.
She is becoming smart.	She is becoming smarter.	Comparison is meant thus comparative degree is used.
She has decided to spend her remaining life here.	She has decided to spend the rest of her life here.	‘remaining’ is used when definite time is known. ‘rest of’ is used when remaining time is unknown.
That was a worth seeing play.	That was a play worth seeing.	‘worth seeing’ is an adjective placed after noun as per grammatical rules.
There was no less than ten ladies here.	There were no fewer than ten ladies here.	Number was meant thus ‘fewer’ is used in place of ‘less’ and plural verb is used with ‘fewer’.
Shazia is most generous and kinder than her sister.	Shazia is more generous and kinder than her sister.	Comparative degree is used as two objects/persons are being compared.
Each participant cannot hope to win a gold medal.	Every participant cannot hope to win a gold medal.	When the number is more than two or indefinite the adjective ‘every’ is used in place of ‘each’. The the number is two or more than two but known than ‘each’ is used.