Correct Errors Of Usage - 5

Hello Everybody
1. Every person brought their lunch with them. (W)

Every person brought his lunch with him. (R)

Everyone/everybody promised they would keep their word. (W)

Everyone/everybody promised he would keep his word. (R)

Note:- The words ‘every’, everyone’, everybody and everything” are singular. They therefore take a singular verb and must be referred to by singular pronouns and singular possessive adjectives.

In “tag” questions, however, the plural is permissible for “everyone” and “everybody”. When the statement that precedes it has a collective rather than a distributive sense:

e. g: “Everybody can’t be clever, can they?” Correct.

“Everyone present made a wild rush for the door, didn’t they?” Correct.

“Everything has gone wrong today, hasn’t it?” Correct.

Note:- The tag for everything must always be singular.

2. This summer the fine days have been few and far between. Correct.

Now-a-days well qualified science teachers are few and far between. (W)

Now- a- days well qualified science teachers are few. (R)

Note:- “Few and far between” is a meaningless cliché. “Few” above is all that is needed.

3. The scheme has now been finalised. (W)

The scheme has now been completed. (R) (or)

The scheme has now been put into its final form. (R)

Note:- “Finalise” is an ugly word, un-English, and quite unnecessary. Hence the correction.

4. You are kindly requested to close the door behind you. (W)

Kindly close the door behind you. (R) (or)

Please close the door behind you. (R)

Note:- The request is not kind, though compliance with it would be. So, the correct sentences given here are shorter, more courteous and grammatical.

5. She laid down. (W)

She lay down. (R)

Note:- See under Lay, Lie in the coming posts.

6. He has loaned me his typewriter. (W)

He has lent me his typewriter. (R)

This book has been loaned to me by a friend. (W)

Note:- Loan is a noun; the verb is lend. Do not say loaned.

7. He has done the work in a masterful fashion. (W)

He has done the work in a masterly fashion. (R)

Note:- Here “masterly” is required. “Masterly” means “skilful, in the manner of one who is a master of his craft”. Thus “a masterly piece of work”, “a masterly stroke”, “a masterly explosion of subject”, but “a masterful child”. “Masterful” means “assertive, strong-willed, determined to be master”.

8. May be I shall go, and may be I shall not. (W)

Perhaps I shall go, and perhaps I shall not. (R)

Note:- Maybe written as one word and used as a synonym for perhaps, is not a recognised English idiom. Use perhaps.

One the other hand “It maybe” (two words followed by a noun clause is quite good English.

“It maybe that our letter never reached him.” Correct.