Know Your English (Sep 2001)

Know your English

Is it OK to say, "Rectify my doubts"?

The word "rectify" means to correct something that is wrong. This is a word, which is normally used in formal contexts. One can talk about rectifying a situation, mistake, or defect. Here are a few examples.
* Santosh did his best to rectify the situation.
* We would like you to rectify the mistakes made by the previous Manager.
* The defects could not be rectified.
One does not `rectify' doubts. One can get them `cleared'. We can for example say, "I would like to have my doubts cleared".

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"The word trousers is an uncommon noun because it is singular at the top and plural at the bottom."
- A student



Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, September 04, 2001