Some Tips for Common English Mistakes

Well, we are back to work with our first blog of 2015.

We have noticed in a lot of the work that is sent to us for correction, and in everyday conversations, that there are a few common mistakes that are made both in verbal and written English. These mistakes are often understandable but are easily corrected once you know the correct grammar rules. We would like to share a few tips with you, so you never have to make these mistakes again.

1.    I, Me and Myself.

Although all these words refer to the same person, me, they are not interchangeable and should be used in the right context. We use “I” for the subject, the person performing the action, and “me” for the object , the person  something is being done to, in the sentence. Sounds a bit confusing but really it is not. Let’s look at some examples:

a.    I walked the dog.  (Correct).

b.    She gave the shopping bags to me.  (Correct).

So far so good and most people are quite happy with this. The problem seems to arise when another person is included in the sentence. We are told, correctly, that when writing or speaking, it is polite to put the others person’s name first. However this seems to have lead to an assumption that the rule is always  “X” and I. This is not correct. We still follow the same rule as above, “I” for the subject and “me” for the object.

c.    Scott and I walked the dog.  (Correct).

d.    Joanna and I went shopping. (Correct).

e.    She gave the shopping bags to Aisha and me. (Correct).

f.     He wants to talk to Kevin or me. (correct).

As most people are happy with the use of “I” and “me” in simple sentences, here’s a tip to check that you are always using the right pronoun; simply remove the others person name from the sentence.  So, for example in (d) take out the Joanna and ask yourself would you say I went shopping or me went shopping? As it would be correct to say I went shopping, then when you put Joanna back in the sentence you know to use “I”.

  

 Then we come to “myself” a reflective pronoun which should be used with the subject pronoun I, as in I often talk to myself, I bought an ice-cream for Missy and myself etc. It is incorrect to use myself instead of “me” although this is seen and heard again and again. It is only to be used when you are performing an action on yourself.

2.    Borrow and Lend.

There is often confusion over the use of these words but it is actually very simple to make sure you use the correct word. Just remember that you do not borrow something to someone ever, you can only borrow something from someone. Alternatively, lending is something only the giver does.

Just to confirm let’s look at some correct examples:

a.    Kath lends Clare £100.

b.    Clare borrows £100 from Kath.

c.    I will lend you my comb.

d.    Can I borrow your bike?

3.    Uninterested and Disinterested

These two words are often thought to be interchangeable, but they are not. They have very different meanings as I will try and explain.

Someone who is uninterested has no interest at all in the subject. It is the opposite of interested.  So, for example, I may say I have no interest in geography, so I am completely uninterested in his lessons.

However, a person who is disinterested is impartial, unbiased, has no stake in the outcome. So for example we would hope a judge would be disinterested to ensure a fair trial. We may also hope for some disinterested, or impartial advice from our financial advisor.

I hope this has ironed out a few problems with the use of certain words. Next week we will continue on this theme, with more tips and advice to avoid common mistakes.      

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