Page 154 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Unit 10: Parts of Speech and Common Errors in English

RIGHT: He does not usually make these kinds or errors. (Plural pronoun modifying notes
plural noun).
(c) WRONG: Neither the manager nor his favourite employee could do their work
alone.
RIGHT: Neither the manager nor his favourite employee could do his work alone.
(Singular pronoun to agree with singular words which are joined by “nor” and to
which the pronoun refers. Same when “or” joins singular words.)

!
Caution If “or” or “nor” joins one singular and one plural word, the pronoun agrees with
the one nearest.

Example: Neither the manager nor the workers were aware of their error.

10.2.1 adjectives and adverbs (confused)

The words ‘Hard’ , ‘Hardly’, ‘Late’, ‘Lately’ ‘Most’, and ‘Mostly’ need careful use. As adjectives
hard, late and most have two adverb forms which should be clearly understood.
‘Hard’ as adjective means ‘strenuously’ or ‘diligently’. It is normally placed after the verb. It is
an adverb of manner.

Example: 1. I worked hard yesterday. (not hardly)
2. She worked hard to pass the examination. (not hardly)
Sometimes, for emphasis hard can be used at the beginning of the sentence:
‘Hard’ as she tried she could not get through. But this use is rare.

‘Hardly’ as adverb means ‘not much’, ‘scarcely’, ‘any’ or ‘at all’. It is an adverb of degree. It is
used before the verb. In case of a verb used with auxiliary it is placed between the auxiliary and
the next part of the verb.

Example: 1. He sang so softly that the audience could hardly hear him.
2. He was so reduced that I hardly recognised him.

adverbs ending in -ly

Consider the adverbs formed by adding ‘ly’ to an adjective:

Example: Gladly, slowly, foolishly, wisely, nicely. These adverbs are usually adverbs of
manner.

But if an adjective itself ends with ‘ly’, we cannot normally change it into an adverb. Such words
belong to two classes.
1. Words which act both as adjectives and adverbs without any change:
cowardly, daily, early, fortnightly, hourly, leisurely, nightly, only, weekly, yearly.

Example: 1. She has arrived by an early flight. (adj)
2. She has come early. (adverb)

lovely Professional university 149