Speaking and Writing Grammar Errors to Avoid in English - The Short List

However acceptable some English grammar usages have become, synesis (notional concord), split infinitives, ending a sentence in a preposition and the improper use of who and whom will cause problems in some circles. It is always wise to get these right, at least as they are perceived to be correct by many. It never hurts to use acceptable grammar unless you want to give the impression of one whose grammar is lacking.

Commonly condemned usages are:
Synesis defined as "A construction in which a form, such as a pronoun, differs in number but agrees in meaning with the word governing it, as in If the group becomes too large, we can split them in two."
Splitting an infinitive. To boldly go where no man has gone before.
Ending a sentence with a preposition. That is the sort of nonsense I will not put up with.
Using "none" as a plural noun. None of them were quite ready to be displayed in the curling club locker room.
The use of "who" as the object of a verb or preposition where "whom" is correct. Who did the provost direct to remove the badger from the auditorium? Who did you receive the holiday collection of industrial adhesives from?
A pronoun in the objective case after a comparative with "than" or "as" (sometimes called an elliptical reference): He is even more scrofulous than me. She is just as revolting as him.

A learned audience will not be impressed by correct grammar but may well be swayed by errors -- real or perceived -- which are regarded as non-standard. It is far more important to make sure that subjects and verbs agree, that parallel constructs are truly parallel and that all words are correctly used. If one's purpose is to offend and shock, however, the above should be ignored.

Other common errors are:
Verb pair confusion: lie/lay, rise/raise, sit/set and fall/fell.Sentence fragments and run-on sentences.Mass nouns and count nounsSubjunctive usageLists and coordinationMisplaced modifiersDangling participles

The exercises in SAT, ACT, TOEFL College Prep English practice text explains these at length with many examples and quizzes. The examples used are never prosaic or quotidian.

Examples:

1. Would _____ever the statuary director designated, please replace Prometheus' sword and remove the kangaroo?

2. Would _____ever put the Jello on the table of the last supper tableau please return the fish?

SAT ACT TOEFL College Prep English Practice (http://abacus-es.com/cpep/) by K. Titchenell covers the practical aspects of what language to use for a particular audience. Press release page: http://abacus-es.com/cpep/pressrelease.html. The Amazon.com page has the search-inside feature enabled.

About the author:
After ten years as a writer, editor and translator, K. Titchenell taught community college for many years, published several textbooks and edited numerous papers for publication in scholarly journals.

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The Three Most Important Sounds to Master When Speaking French

French has a number of sounds that do not exist in English. Are some more important than others? It's hard to say, but here is a look at three candidates that are both common and troublesome.

1. The u sound

The pronunciation of this common vowel is very different from that of its English counterpart. The lips are rounded into something akin to a pout. It's almost like whistling. Here are some examples of words with this sound:

lu, connu, su, du, pu, rue, bu, plu, truite, mu

This difficult sound is important because when mispronounced it tends to sound like "oo". Here are pairs of words that illustrate the difference:

pu - pou

bu - boue

rue - roue

mue - moue

su - sou

cul - cou

Longer words with u can be challenging, as in:

construire, instruire, l'instruction, l'instrument, la puanteur, la lueur

Here are some phrases using this sound:

Le concert nous a beaucoup plu. (We liked the concert very much.)

J'ai su qu'elle ne viendra pas. (I found out that she will not be coming.)

J'habite la rue Ste-Catherine. (I live on Ste. Catherine Street.)

Elle a bu du vin. (She drank some wine.)

L'homme est bien connu de la police. (The man is well known to the police.)

Je ne comprend plus rien. (I don't understand a thing.)

2. The French r

One of the most challenging sounds of French for English-speakers is the consonant r.

The sound associated with the letter r in French is totally different from the sound of the English letter r. In fact, there are two kinds of r in French. A somewhat archaic pronunciation that you will hear in old French movies and songs, in parts of France, Canada and Africa is a vibrating sound made with the tip of the tongue flapping against the roof of the mouth. This is called a rolled r. In French, this pronunciation is often described as "rouler les r".

The other more contemporary sound, very typical of the city of Paris, is produced way at the back of the mouth and is a rasping sound akin to what is made when coughing. The rolled r sound is probably easier to learn, but this guttural r is what you want to master.

The sound of the r will vary slightly if it is at the beginning, middle or end of a sequence of sounds. It is strongest at the beginning of a word and weakest at the end.

Beware of a special complication when reading aloud written French. The r is not pronounced at all at the end of French verbs ending in -er. This includes the largest group of verbs such as: aller, louer, noter, parler, manger, etc. In words other than these verbs, the final r is pronounced. (Remember that in the vast majority of French words the final written letter, except for r, is not pronounced). Here are groups of words that sound the same despite differences in spelling:

paire, pair

par, part

cher, chair, chaire

ver, vers, verre, vert

bonheur, bonne heure

serre, sert

beur, beurre

Here are verbs ending in pronounced r:

voir, boire, avoir, faire, construire, maintenir, prendre, tendre

3. The sound of eu.

Although it is written with two letters, eu, this is actually one sound. Something like the articulation of the u sound, the lips are not as rounded and extended. This sound is found in words like:

deux, peu, peux, peut, feu, pleut

Note that the eu spelling is also used for a different but similar sound in words like:

oeuf, coeur, gueule, neuf, meuble

The real challenge of pronouncing French is to articulate these sounds in sentences. This is where those mouth muscles get the workout. Here are some examples.

Je n'en peux plus. (I can't take it anymore)

Le barrage est construit en pierre. (The dam is built of stone.)

Il pleut aujourd'hui. (It is raining today.)

Stanley Aleong specializes in methods for learning foreign languages at the advanced level. He believes that an excellent strategy for achieving advanced proficiency in French or Spanish is to work with many carefully selected authentic examples. To learn more about some very effective learning tools based on this principle, visit Advanced French / Spanish.

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How To Improve Your English Speaking Skills?

Do you want to improve your English speaking skills? My first piece of advice is to stop trying to sound like a native speaker. Instead, try to speak clearly and concisely. People living in different parts of the world speak English in their own style and that is perfectly acceptable. It is estimated that over a billion people speak English as a second language. Only a few among them manage to speak English like native speakers do. On the flip side, there are only around 380 million native speakers out there. That means you are in the majority.

Learn idioms, but don't use them

Try to avoid using idioms and slang. Learn idioms, but don't use them in your speech. Although idioms are common in all kinds of English, they just don't come naturally to a non-native English speaker. If students try consciously to fill their speech and writing with idioms, the result will probably be strange.

Use non-idiomatic ways of expressing ideas, and you will normally be understood. What's more, English speakers do not expect foreigners to speak perfectly idiomatically or correctly.

Don't fill your speech with long, complicated words when there are shorter alternatives. Keep it short and simple. Remember that most speakers (and that includes native speakers) have a small vocabulary. Very few words are used in everyday speech. Learn those words and you should do fine.

Be patient

You can't learn a new language in two months. Learning a new language is a time-consuming process, so be patient with yourself.

Grab every opportunity to speak English. You can't improve your English skills if you don't practice. Grab every opportunity you have to speak with people in English. The more you speak English, the more fluent you become. Can't find English speaking people in your locality? Try to find them on the web. Search ESL forums on the internet and you will find plenty of people interested in practicing their English skills with you.

Use internet based voice chat programs like MSN Web Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk. If you can travel to an English speaking country, do it. It is one of the best ways of improving your English. When you are in an English speaking country, you will be surrounded by people speaking the language. Needless to say, your English speaking skills will improve automatically.

Pronunciation skills

Don't worry about your accent. A lot of students try too hard to get rid of their accent. This is hardly worth the effort. Accents no longer matter. That said, you need to work on your pronunciation skills because people need to be able to understand you.

Manjusha Nambiar is an ESL tutor and content developer. Her site PerfectYourEnglish gives English Grammar and English speaking lessons. Subscribe to her feed and you will win a free Grammar eBook titled '120 Grammar and Vocabulary Mistakes to Avoid'.

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