Talk To Me In English

Apostrophes aren’t difficult to use once you know how, but putting them in the wrong place is one of the most common grammar mistakes in the English language. Many people use an apostrophe to form the plural of a word, particularly if the word in question ends in a vowel, which might make the word look strange with an S added to make it plural. The rules : Apostrophes indicate possession – something belonging to something or someone else. To indicate something belonging to one person, the apostrophe goes before the ‘s’. For instance, “The girl’s horse.” To indicate something belonging to more than one person, put the apostrophe after the ‘s’. For example, “The girls’ horse.” Apostrophes are also used to indicate a contracted word. For example, “don’t” uses an apostrophe to indicate that the word is missing the “o” from “do not”. Apostrophes are  never  used to make a word plural, even when a word is in number form, as in a date. How  not  to do it: ...

..............Prepositions often confused............ In and Into. In. ！ Don't say: Lucy spent all the day into her room. √   Say: Lucy spent all the day in her room. Into. ！   Don't say: Raymond came in the room and sat down. √   Say: Raymond came into the room and sat down. "In" denotes position inside something, while "into" denotes motion or direction towards the inside of something. Note: Always write preposition "into" as one word. ..............Miscellaneous examples............ The apostrophe (') misplaced with contractions. ！ Don't write: Did'nt, has'nt, is'nt, are'nt, etc. √  Write : Didn't, hasn't, isn't, aren't, etc.

..............Prepositions often confused............ On, At, In. (Time) On. ！ Don't say: My uncle will arrive at Saturday. √ Say: My uncle will arrive on Saturday. At. ！   Don't say: I usually get up on seven o'clock. √   Say: I usually get up at seven o'clock. In. ！   Don't say: She goes for a walk at the afternoon. √   Say: She goes for a walk in the afternoon. (1). Use "on" with the days of the week or month:on Friday, on March 25, on New Year's Day. (2). Use "at" with the exact time: at four o'clock, at dawn, at noon, at sunset, at midnight. (3). Use"in" with a period of time: in April, in winter, in 1945, in the morning. Also: at night and by day.

.......The subject of the sentence misplaced....... ！ Don't say: Last week visited our school a man. √    Say: A man visited our school last week. ..........The subject misplaced in questions....... ！ Don't say: You were at the cinema yesterday? They'll come with us tomorrow? √    Say: Were you at the cinema yesterday? Will they come with us tomorrow? ..........The subject misplaced in questions beginning with an interrogative word....... ！ Don't say: Why you were absent last Friday? √    Say: Why were you absent last Friday?

---------Using the wrong preposition-------- Accustomed to, not with. ！ Don't say: I'm accustomed with hot weather. √  Say: I'm accustomed to hot weather. Note: Also used to: He is used to the heat. ------------Using the wrong preposition---------- Travel by train, etc., not with the train, etc. ！ Don't say : He/She traveled with the train yesterday. √  Say: He/She traveled by train yesterday. Note: We say by train, by boat, by plane, by bike; also, by land, by sea, by air, by bus; on a bus or in a bus; by car or in a car, by taxi or in a taxi; on a horseback, on a donkey, on a bicycle; on foot. *The next question is: Is it  travelled  or  traveled ?*