Common Errors with Verbs – Part I

Incorrect: He asked had we taken our food.
Correct: He asked if we had taken our food. OR He asked whether we had taken our food.
Incorrect: I am not sure will I have time.
Correct: I am not sure if I will have time.
Incorrect: I asked whether had she any letters for me.
Correct: I asked whether she had any letters for me.

Explanation

Indirect yes/no questions are usually introduced by if or whether. Note that in an indirect question we put the subject before the verb.

Incorrect: He said that he saw her last year.
Correct: He said that he had seen her last year.
Incorrect: I could not meet him because he went out before I arrived.
Correct: I could not meet him because he had gone out before I arrived.
Incorrect: He got angry even before I said a word.
Correct: He got angry even before I had said a word.
Incorrect: There I met a man who was my classmate ten years ago.
Correct: There I met a man who had been my classmate ten years ago.
Incorrect: This was going on for a long time.
Correct: This had been going on for a long time.

Explanation

These are examples of the failure to use past perfect tense when the time of one past action is more past than that of another.

Incorrect: I will call you when dinner will be ready.
Correct: I will call you when dinner is ready.
Incorrect: I will write after I returned.
Correct: I will write after I return.
Incorrect: When I will go to New York I will meet him.
Correct: When I go to New York, I will meet him.

Explanation

When the principal clause is in the simple future tense, the subordinate clause should be in the simple present tense. Note that when a subordinate adverb clause begins the sentence, we separate it from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

Incorrect: If I would have done this I would have been wrong.
Correct: If I had done this I would have been wrong.

Explanation

In a Type 3 Conditional sentence we use had + past participle in the if clause and would have + past participle in the result clause.

Incorrect: She knows to knit.
Correct: She knows how to knit.

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Comments

  1. lynne.28 on December 7th, 2009:

    Some people, especially those who are new in english language used the had, have and has in a wrong way especially when they meet the tenses of a sentence. For example the past continuous perfect tense. They get confused what verb should be used in that particular sentence.

  2. tyronne on December 8th, 2009:

    Some people often used verbs in the wrong way. They didn’t know or noticed that it didn’t fit to the sentence they made. For instance that the tense of their sentence is in the past tense yet they used the present tense of the verb.

    Also, they didn’t know the uses of the would and should in the sentence. Where and when does it use in the sentence and what subjects does it would be fit.

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