Know your English: Common grammatical errors and usage
This "Know your English" segment, an archival piece from 2001, addresses common grammatical errors and nuances in English usage through a dialogue. It clarifies the pronunciation of "heir" as 'air', not 'hair'. The discussion also corrects the incorrect phrasing "inform him your idea" to "inform him of your idea" or "inform him about your idea." Furthermore, it explains that "to downstairs" or "to upstairs" are incorrect, and one should simply say "go downstairs" or "come upstairs," similar to "go there" or "come here." Lastly, it corrects "prevented us to play" to "prevented us from playing."
Key Points
- The word "heir" is pronounced like "air."
- The correct usage for "inform" is "inform someone of something" or "inform someone about something."
- Phrases like "to downstairs" or "to upstairs" are grammatically incorrect; use "go downstairs" or "come upstairs."
- The correct usage for "prevent" is "prevent someone from doing something."
Exam Facts
- This article is from The Hindu, January 16, 2001.
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