The Do's and Don'ts of English: Right and Wrong Usage
By Author: Su Chung-Lun
Bilingual Bookman Library: Authentic English or Chinglish? Chinese English or Native English?
1. He walked out, took a quick look left and right, and stepped across the road.
χ He walked out, took a quick look left and right, and crossed the street.
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Note: Using commas to connect several verbs or phrases should be done sparingly, using parallel or coordinating structures such as x, y, and z. Using "and" to connect phrases of unequal structure (e.g., x and y, z) may sound awkward.
2. They are aware of their weaknesses and know how to catch up with the other competitors.
χ They see where their weaknesses lie and how to catch up with the competitors.
Note: In English, "and" is used to connect items of equal importance, usually nouns, phrases, or clauses. Here, using "and" misses the mark since "and" connects a subordinate clause (who), while the main clause (they saw) comes afterwards, which makes it easier to pronounce if the order is reversed.
3. She climbed onto the bus and went straight to the airport.
χ She climbed onto the bus and reached the airport.
Note: When using "and", the elements that follow should be logically related or equivalent. Here, "She climbed onto the bus" can be considered a complete action, while "went straight to the airport" is an incomplete action, which feels more appropriate when combined with "reached" or another suitable verb.
4. Despite the message we were given, he plays the piano poorly.
χ Contrary to the message we received, he isn't a good pianist.
Note: Use "what" as, "that which", making logical sense and maintaining the original message. The error occurs when "what" is construed as "that" rather than "that which".
5. The book I read yesterday was fantastic.
χ Yesterday I read a fantastic book.
Note: To maintain the sequential link between the subject and finite verb, position the subject before the limiting adjective followed by a phrase providing additional information.
Exercises
A. Yesterday I went to visit a friend who lent me this book.
- the friend who
- and who
- whose
- who
B. I saw an exciting movie last night.
- The movie I saw last night
- Last night I saw the movie
- I saw the movie last night
- Last night the movie saw I
Answers:
A. 1B. 1
Article Courtesy of:书林出版公司
Ssu Chung-Lun - Former Vice Chairman of the Translation Society, Chinese University of Taiwan; Associate Professor at the Department of Translation, Chinese University of Taiwan; Editor of "Walk and Read Nature: Botanical and Cultural Notes", "Right and Wrong English", "Century Virus: Essential Knowledge and Vocabulary for Prevention" ... etc. Member of the National Education Research Institute's Chinese-English Bilingual Vocabulary Review Committee; research focus includes translation, terminology, and dictionary compilation, with decades of experience in botanical and cultural guiding. A renowned botanist and cultural guide, he has been invited to universities around the world to give lectures.
6. She bought a new fashion-and-beauty item at the mall, but it didn't quite fit her lifestyle.χ She got a new fashion and beauty item at the mall, but it wasn't suitable for her lifestyle.Note: To avoid awkwardness, it's better to use a compound noun or connect phrases of equal importance with a conjunction like "and" when forming two ideas that are logically connected.
7. She decided to stock up on food-and-drink supplies for her upcoming travel.χ She opted to stock food and drink supplies for her impending journey.Note: To unify and flow the sentence better, it's recommended to consider compounding related ideas or connecting them with a suitable conjunction like "on" or "for."
8. Her relationship with her partner hit a rocky road due to some misunderstandings.χ Her relationship with her partner had struggled because of some misunderstandings.Note: To maintain a clear and logical sentence structure, it's essential to put the subject before the past participle followed by a clause providing additional context.
9. She took her car for a long weekend shopping trip in the city.χ She drove her car on a shopping weekend getaway in the city.Note: Using clear and appropriate verbs can help refine a sentence, in this case by replacing "took" with "drove."
10. After a day of home-and-garden work, she went to a local restaurant to enjoy some delicious food.χ Having spent the day doing home and garden chores, she went to a local eatery for a tasty meal.Note: To form a smoother and more logical sentence, it's suggested to maintain the sequential link between the subject and finite verb while adding context before or after the sentence.
