200 English Grammar Mistakes!: A workbook of Common Grammar and Punctuation Errors with Examples, Exercises and Solutions So You Never Make Them Again

not only 
followed by 
but also
.
Incorrect: She did 
not only
hug him, she kissed him.
Correct: 
Not 
only did
she hug him, 
but
also kissed him.
The use of 
though 
instead of
 although
:
Incorrect: You look as although you have seen a monster!
Correct:
You look as
 though 
you have seen a monster!

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Avoid using 
not
with 
lest
, because 
lest
is a negative word. When used,
should
must follow.
Incorrect: You had better work hard 
lest not
you become poor.
Correct: 
You had better work hard 
lest
you 
should
become poor/lest you
become poor.
In the absence of 
should
or 
shall
, "else" is appropriate. In essence, when you
have will, would, or may instead of should or shall, "else" will replace "
lest
."
Incorrect: Drive fast to the airport 
else
, you will miss your flight.
Correct: 
Drive fast to the airport, 
or else 
you will miss your flight.
Both
must accompany 
and
.
Incorrect: Both Jackson, Julian are together.
Correct: 
Both
Jackson 
and 
Julian are together.
The use of 
other
,
 rather
and
 than
:
Incorrect: I would leave t
han
sit here with you.
Correct: 
I would 
rather
leave 
than
sit here with you.
Incorrect:
Than 
sleeping late, I love studying.
Correct: 
Other than
sleeping late, I love studying.
The use of the conditional 
if
is different from 
whether
. This is because 
if
has
a conditional connotation, while 
whether
connotes uncertainty.
Incorrect: 
He doesn’t come early, he will not be allowed entry.
Correct: 
If
he doesn’t come early, he will not be allowed entry.
(conditional)
Incorrect:
She likes it or not, she will be punished
Correct: 
Whether 
she likes it or not, she will be punished.
(certainty)
Either or
and 
neither nor
:
Incorrect: 
We came to the spa but we didn’t meet Jane and John.
Correct: 
We came to the spa but we met 
neither
Jane nor John/we

---

met 
neither 
of them.
Incorrect: 
My client is not mad and not crazy, the lawyer said.
Correct: 
My client is 
neither 
mad 
nor
crazy, the lawyer said.
Incorrect:
I love pigging out on ice-cream 
or
yogurt.
Correct: 
I love pigging out on 
either
ice-cream 
or
yogurt.
Incorrect: 
It is clear; you are telling a lie 
or 
saying the truth.
Correct: 
It is clear; you are 
either 
telling a lie 
or 
saying the truth. 
Incorrect: 
Neither
would he eat the food or let us eat it.
Correct: 
Neither
would he eat the food 
nor 
let us eat it.
The use of 
such
and
 that
: usually, 
such that
is used when stating the extent
or degree of something.
Incorrect: The rubber stretched that it broke.
Correct: 
The rubber was stretched 
such that
it broke.
Incorrect: The stock market became flooded that it crashed.
Correct: 
The stock market became flooded 
such that
it crashed.
Like is used to explain similarity and should be followed by a pronoun. Using
as
, it should be followed by a clause.
Incorrect: She sang alike 
as
my sister.
Correct: 
She sang 
like
my sister.
Incorrect: He was as bold 
like
a lion.
Correct: 
He was 
as
bold 
as
a lion.
Incorrect: He ate like he was walking.
Correct: 
He ate as he was walking.
One conjoining word is enough to join two clauses successfully.
Incorrect: The director asked 
that
what was his grade.

---

Correct: 
The director asked 
what his grade was.
Incorrect: He’s often scared 
that
he might repeat the course. 
Correct: 
He’s often scared he 
might repeat the course
.
Incorrect: 
Because
he wasn’t quick enough, 
therefore
we finished before
him.
Correct: 
Because
he wasn’t quick enough, we finished before him.
Incorrect: He was angry. He slapped him.
Correct: 
He was angry, 
so 
he slapped him. 
Incorrect: 
Since
he is smart, 
so
he always has his way.
Correct: 
Since 
he is smart, he always has his way / He is smart, so he
always has his way.
The use of 
so as
in a sentence is usually to indicate a purpose. When 
so as
, be
sure of the phrase that follows.
Incorrect: He attended the gathering 
so that
he can catch the perpetrators.
Correct: 
He attended the gathering 
so as
to catch the perpetrators. 
MCQs: Choose the appropriate options from the statements below:
1. He had scarcely eaten__. (A. that his friend came B. when his
friend came)
Answer: B
2. ___ did he help the poor kid, __ he took him home. (A. Not
only/neither B. Neither/nor B. Not only/but also)
Answer: C
3. Read up _____ you should forget. (A. or else B. lest C. else)
Answer: B
4. Bring me the report __ I forget. (A. lest B. else)

---

Answer: A
5. She walked hurriedly ___ she would miss the bus. (A. or else B.
lest C. else)
Answer: B
6. ___ Jude ___ Martin are good English students. (A. either/or B.
both/and C. both/or)
Answer: B
Prepositions
To put in a simple way, propositions serve as links within sentences. A
preposition is used to indicate a relationship between nouns, phrases and/or
pronouns. They are mostly very short words that stand in front of nouns.
Also, they connect time, location, people, and objects when used in a
sentence. Some of the examples are 
of
, 
to
, 
under
, 
in
, 
into
, 
with
, etc.
Prepositions may be cumbersome to deal with in sentences. However, there
are a few highlighted facts applicable that students may study as a guide to
acclimatizing themselves with prepositional words.
-
In the English language, there are more than one hundred prepositions.
-
Prepositions are generally followed by nouns and pronouns.
-
In making clear sentences, specific prepositions are required. this
means some prepositions are not always substitutable. E.g., the use of
the preposition "in" may not work in place of the preposition "on" in all
cases.
Grammatical errors occur in the basic three types of preposition: preposition
of time, place, and direction.