Common English Errors – Page 4 – Common Errors/Mistakes in English

For Two Years vs. Since Two Years: Which One is Correct?

Grammatically speaking, For and Since are both prepositions that can be used in a sentence to express a specific time or period of time depending on the context.

Many believe these prepositions can be used interchangeably but as a matter of fact, that’s not true.

In fact, this is one of the common English errors I’ve seen people commit while expressing themselves on social media websites.

So, what’s the difference between For and Since, and how do you use them correctly while talking about time?

Let’s see some examples:

Example #1:

Incorrect: I haven’t seen him for last week.

Correct: I haven’t seen him since last week.

Example #2:

Incorrect: She has been suffering from fever since past two weeks.

Correct: She has been suffering from fever for past two weeks.

Since – a Specific Point of Time

You use Since when you talk about a specific point of time in the past around which an event took place. In Example #1 above, “Last Week” is the specific point of time around which the person was last seen. Remember Whatsapp?

Some more examples:

✅ I’ve been missing you since you were gone.

✅ She’s been feeling a bit dizzy since yesterday.

✅ Have you been behaving this way since childhood?

✅ He’s been much better since he quit smoking.

✅ I’ve never liked her since the first time I saw her.

If you pay attention to the underlined phrases in the examples above, you will realize they are actually a specific of time and not a length or period of time.

Important: Note that we use “Perfect Progressive” tense in all of the above examples. That’s because we mean to talk about something which has been occurring from a specific point of time and hasn’t actually stopped happening as we speak.

Therefore, it’s imperative to use this tense every time you use Since to talk about a period of time.

For – a Period of Time in the Past

You use For when you want to talk about a period of time or length of time in the past from which an event has taken place. In Example #2 above, “Past two weeks” is the period of time for which the person has been suffering.

Some more examples:

✅ India hasn’t conceded a boundary for the last ten overs. (in Cricket)

✅ I’ve been meaning to tell you the truth for the past six months!

✅ The Government has been fooling its people for the past three years.

As you can see, the underlined parts in the above examples indicate a period of time, as against a specific point of time.

Important: Note that we use a “Perfect Progressive” tense in all of the examples above. This is because we talk about an event that has been happening for a period of time and it hasn’t stopped occurring yet.

How to Avoid Mistakes while using For vs Since

The trick is to understand what a particular phrase actually means before using the right preposition.

There are many situations that may confuse some learners, especially those who don’t use English as their first language.

For example, can you say which of the sentences below is correct?

I’ve been working on this task since a long time.

I’ve been working on this task for a long time.

Well, the second example is the right answer. However, if Google it, you will see this actually confuses many learners.

The reason is some “a long time” may appear like a specific point of time to some while many agree it’s only a period of time in the strict sense.

Even some users try to use “a long time ago” to mean a specific point in time. For example:

I’ve been living here since a long time ago.

However, it’s still not acceptable in Standard English because the point of time is not very specific here. Unless you specifically want to be secretive about the specific date, you should use for example, since 2010 (date) or last year to denote the specific time.

The good news is you can alter the sentence structure and use both Since and For as per your convenience depending on the message you want to send.

Sample This:

✅ Example #1: I’ve been standing in line for the past two hours.

✅ Example #2: I’ve been standing in line since it was very cold in the morning and ticket counter wasn’t open.

As you can see the second sentence makes a very strong argument.

Recommended Reading: Past Year vs Last Year: Which One is Correct?

Vocabulary

Past Year vs Last Year vs Passed Year: Which One is Correct?

While talking about past events, many people can be found confused between past and last. Contrary to what many believe, past and last cannot be used interchangeably. They are used to describe different conditions of an event with regard to a particular period or phase of time.

Let’s take a look at the following examples.

I’ve been waiting for you for the last two hours. (incorrect)
I’ve been waiting for you for the past two hours. (correct)

But look at the following examples.

Although he started off really slow, he managed to catch up with the goal in the last three sessions. (not past three sessions)
Although he bowled quite badly at the beginning of the innings, he managed to pick up five wickets in the last two overs. (not past two overs)

The Explanation

Last: We use last when we want to talk about a period of time which is the final phase of a certain activity or event.

Past: We use past when we want to talk about a period of time that has just gone by recently.

So, if you’re talking about waiting for someone (as shown in the examples above), it’s correct to use the past two hours since you mean the period (two hours) that has just gone by.

You cannot use the last two hours since it’s not a phase of any event. In fact, the only event here is waiting for two hours. In other words, those two hours are the period of time which has just gone by waiting for your friend.

Some more examples…
In his last three years, he wrote two biographies. (described to talk about a person who has passed)

Last Year vs Past Year

Last year means the last calendar year, for example, 2015 (if you’re in 2016).

Past year means the 365 days preceding today. For example, if it was 14^th Feb, 2016 today, then the past year would mean the time between 15^th Feb, 2015 and 14^th Feb, 2016.

For example:
He completed his MBA last year (for example 2015) but he’s been looking for a job for the past year. (for example, from 4^th of July, 2015 until 3^rd of July, 2016)

This Passed Year vs This Past Year

One of the most incorrectly used phrases in English is “this passed year”. Many users who commit this error believe “passed” has the same meaning as “past”, but that’s incorrect.

Here are some examples of incorrect usage:

You’re passed your bedtime. (incorrect)
You’re past your bedtime. (correct)
The popular actor past away. (incorrect)
The popular actor passed away. (correct)
He bought these shoes this passed weekend. (incorrect)
I bought these shoes this past weekend. (correct)
He walked passed the danger line. (incorrect)
He walked past the danger line. (correct)
The Uber drove passed its destination. (incorrect)
The Uber drove past its destination. (correct)
Sam got passed the finish line in record time. (incorrect)
Sam got past the finish line in record time. (correct)

Explanation

As you can see “Passed” and “Past” both share the same sound and this is probably why “passed” is often incorrectly used.

Grammatically speaking, ‘pass’ is a verb that has a range of meanings depending on the context. Let’s take a look at a few examples below:

Sandra passed the exam with distinction. (succeed in a test, past tense)
I’ve passed your notes to your friend. (hand over, present perfect)
My boss passed by me without giving me a glance. (go past something)
Sometimes I feel life is passing me by. (leave someone behind)

As you can see in the third example mentioned above, ‘passed’ often can mean to “move past” and indicates the motion of a person or an object.

Similarly, the word “past” has a wide range of meanings including ‘time before the present.

For example:

She has achieved a lot in the past two years. (adjective)
There’s no point in looking at your past. (noun)

However, ‘past’ can also be used as an adverb or a preposition as well.

For example:

He ran past. (beyond, adverb)
Mike walked past the door. (beyond, preposition)

This is exactly where many get confused and end up saying “passed” when they actually mean “past”.

It can be confusing for many since, in some cases, both variations are possible.

Look at the following examples:
You have passed the bedtime = You are past the bedtime.
However, in natural speech or writing, it sounds awkward to say, “you have passed the bedtime”.

What did we learn?

Whenever you’re confused about whether “he walked past or passed the door”, remember “walk past” as a phrasal verb.

Similarly, don’t say “this passed weekend” when you mean to say “this past weekend”.

Confused about whether she will “get past or passed the finish line”? Apply the same logic as advised in the first example.

I hope this post clarifies your doubts. If you find this post useful, share it with your friends.

Grammar

Why “Couldn’t Able to” is Incorrect and What You Should Say Instead

Whenever I read comments on Facebook posts on the newsfeed, I cringe at the silly errors they commit. With the growing internet consumption, people actually grow up reading blogs that are teeming with grammar errors.

One of those glaring examples is “couldn’t able to”.
For Example:

I couldn’t able to sleep last night.
So what’s wrong with the example above?

Let me explain…

To understand the use of ‘could’, one needs to understand the rules of ‘modal verbs’ in English.

Here’s the deal.

Both can and be able to can be used to explain the ability of a person, especially when they try to do something.

For Example:

I can answer that question = I am able to answer that question (sounds a little formal)
Similarly, here are some examples in which the speaker is talking about his/her ability in the past.
I could walk much faster when I was 15 = I was able to walk much faster when I was 15.

Moreover, when you talk about a situation in the past when you tried harder to achieve something and succeeded in it, then you usually use ‘was able to’ or ‘managed to’.

For Example:

The test was very tough; I was able to answer only four out of ten questions. (the speaker tried his/her best and could do only four)

The test was very tough; I managed to answer only four out of ten questions. (managed to = was able to)

Note that you can also use the following sentence:

The test was very tough; I couldn’t do more than four out of the ten questions.

If you are wondering if you could use ‘I could do only four out of ten questions, then the answer is you can but it will explain the situation clearly enough.

In fact, this is the reason why they use ‘managed to’ or ‘was able to’ – it clearly says something was difficult.

Here are some more examples:

I managed to book three tickets for the show. (the speaker indicates difficulty)
She was able to clear the test on her fourth attempt. (the test must have been tough)

Now that the rules are clear to you, take a look at the sentence below:

I couldn’t able to sleep last night.

So, what’s wrong?

Sure, the speaker has mixed up two things here: couldn’t and able to whereas he should have used just one, for example:

Either: I couldn’t sleep last night. (they were partying hard in the neighborhood)

Or: I wasn’t able to sleep last night.

The next time you notice something writing ‘can’t able to’ or couldn’t able to, just share this link with them.

More Resources: Learning English with BBC

Vocabulary

What the Heck is a Flagship Smartphone?

The prevalent misuse of “Flagship” among tech journalists in the context of the release of new smartphones has made it difficult for many English learners to comprehend the actual meaning of the word.

In this post, I will try to clear the confusion surrounding the word once and for all. Take my word for it.

Taylor Martin, a former tech journalist from the popular tech publication, Pocketnow tried to answer one of the most frequently asked questions in the smartphone world.

What does the word “Flagship” really mean?

While I highly recommend the article, I’ll try to briefly rephrase his words for those who are just too lazy to read the post.

The word “Flagship” originated as a naval term to denote the most prominent or important vessel in a fleet or ship carrying the commander. In the tech media world, the word is supposed to be used for the most expensive and high-end smartphone from a company.

Wikipedia defines the term “flagship” as the best or most important things owned or produced by a particular organization.

So typically, a flagship is almost unanimously considered the biggest product, largest, and most important single item in a group of products from a company.

However, the word has been tossed around so carelessly that it has come to lose its meaning altogether, confusing many learners that follow tech publications regularly.

Consider the following examples:

What’s the best flagship of 2016?

The first affordable flagship from Samsung.

In the above examples, the term flagship is simply used as a synonym for “smartphone”, which is confusing and misleading in the strict sense of vocabulary.

Similarly, many tech journalists and bloggers tend to mention, “Flagship Smartphone” in their reviews. Basically, they simply mean “high-end” or “premium” smartphones. However, by their very definition and context, both are very different from each other.

For this very reason, one cannot just use the word “flagship” to describe smartphones that are considered “budget” or “affordable” by the company.

For example, Apple released two smartphones – iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus – in 2015. Going by the semantics, you can describe the iPhone 6s to be Apple’s flagship smartphone because it’s projected as a more visible and popular model from Apple.

In short, a “flagship smartphone” is supposed to be the one that commands the line of smartphones released by any manufacturer in a year.

When the term is used in a rather lenient way, it can also mean a particular smartphone model that a company intends to promote and sell more than any other models within its line-up, whether or not it’s the most expensive of the lot.

Note: If you want to learn more about the phrase, follow this discussion on Quora.

Grammar

Why You Should Avoid “According to Me” Expression

It’s quite common to come across a lot of people use “According to me” when they simply want to say “In my view/opinion”.

So is the usage grammatically incorrect?

No, but it’s kind of funny. And, here’s why.

“According to” is usually used as a reporting device. It is used to attribute statements or thoughts to other sources/people, usually when you’re referring to a second or third person.

For example,

So, according to you, John was responsible for the fight, right?

According to John, you were the one who said it first.

Logically speaking, we don’t refer to others the say way as we refer to ourselves. When you’re the one speaking, you don’t have to treat yourself like a second or third person.

Therefore, it’d be appropriate to say “In my opinion/view” or “If you ask me/my opinion”, instead of invoking yourself as a second or third person.

According to some grammarians, “According to me” can carry a completely different context in certain situations. In fact, it can be used to imply oneself as an authority in the field of one’s practice. When used in this particular context, it can, however, be very different from “In my opinion”.

At least, it’s not advisable to say “According to me” in a formal conversation.

Note: “According to me” is one of the common usage errors that are particularly found in India since many people tend to learn English as a second language without grasping the nuances of the language. You wouldn’t find native speakers saying, “According to me”.

However, you can use “According to” in the following ways:

According to my counting, there were ten books on the shelf.

So the next time you hear someone say “According to me”, be sure to tell them what they actually mean or point them to this post. Just kidding!

Grammar

How to Use Quantifiers with Uncountable Nouns

Blame it on the learning process and the social dynamics, many people tend to mix up countable nouns and uncountable nouns in their daily communications. If you frequent social media on a daily basis, you would see many examples of such mix-up.

Here are some examples:

They have a lot of furnitures in their house.

Where are your luggages?

The website doesn’t have enough contents.

You need to understand the context of nouns in order to avoid these mistakes. It will also help you use right quantifiers before the nouns.

Let’s understand the difference between countable nouns and uncountable nouns beyond text book definitions.

Traffic, Water, Feedback, Hair, Content

What is the most common attribute among the above words?

You’re right – we can’t count or quantify these nouns.

For example, we can’t use them in the following ways:

The website doesn’t get many traffics.

A few hairs on your head have grown grey.

In a given context, the word ‘traffic’ is synonymous with ‘visitors’. However, they don’t always carry the same quantifiers before them.

For example:

How many visitors does your website get in a month?

How much traffic does your website get in a month?

Similarly,

I used to get a large number of visitors to my site.

I used to get a lot of traffic to my site.

You need to understand the context of new words in order to use them with correct quantifiers. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you look up their meaning and usage in a dictionary.

Once you’re able tell whether a word is countable or uncountable noun, use the following list from Edufind to use the right quantifier:

Quantifiers used only with uncountable nouns:

A little, a bit of, a great deal of, a large amount of.

Quantifiers used with all types of nouns:

No, none, not any, some, any, a lot of, lots of, plenty of.

Quantifiers used only with countable nouns:

A few, a number of, several, a great number of, a large number of.

The Take Away

#1: You can’t make some uncountable nouns plural by adding “s” after them. For example, feedback. You should never say, “feedbacks”. If you want to quantify feedback, say, “some feedback, any feedback, much feedback, lots of feedback”.

#2: You should use correct quantifiers before uncountable nouns for them to make sense. For example, you should never say, “a large amount of feedback, a number of feedback, several feedback, a few feedback”. Say, “lots of feedback, little feedback, no feedback.”

Recommended Reading:

# Many a Time or Many a Times?

# Content vs Contents