Build your English – Introduction
Over the years, I’ve been hearing a lot of phrases used by many of us or our trainers which may not be appropriate or grammatically correct – these phrases don’t conform to the Standard of English (American, British, Canadian, Australian, and South African). Here are a few examples:
- Basis our conversation today, let’s connect tomorrow.
- The meeting has been preponed.
- Login to the system.
In this blog post, I will show you a few examples of incorrectly used phrases that will help you write better emails and talk correct English.
Example 1: Is this sentence correct – Basis our conversation, we’ve come up with the following plan.
No, the sentence is not grammatically correct. “Basis” is not commonly used in this context. The correct word to use would be “based” and it should be used with a preposition like “on” or “upon”
The corrected sentence would be: “Based on our conversation, we’ve come up with the following plan.”
Build your English – Explanation:
- “based” is the correct word to use to indicate that something is done on the grounds of something else.
- “on” is the preposition that should be used after “based” to indicate the relationship between the two actions.
What’s the difference between few, a few, little and a little?
“Few” and “a few” both indicate a small number, but “a few” implies a slightly larger amount than “few.” “Little” and “a little” both indicate a small amount, but “a little” implies a slightly larger amount than “little.” In general, “a” implies a more positive connotation.
Here are some examples (build your English):
I have few friends" implies that the speaker has very few friends.
"I have a few friends" implies that the speaker has some friends, but not a large number.
"I have little money" implies that the speaker has very little money.
"I have a little money" implies that the speaker has some money, but not a large amount.What is the difference between under and below?
“Under” and “below” are both prepositions that indicate a lower position or level.
However, “under” is typically used to indicate a physical position, while “below” is more often used to indicate a level or degree.
Build your English example:
"The cat is under the table." (Indicating physical position)
"The temperature is below freezing." (Indicating level or degree)
"His name is under the list" (indicating physical position)
"His rank is below the top 10" (indicating level or degree)
Sometimes the difference between “under” and “below” is subtle and both can be used interchangeably in some context. Here are a few examples where “under” and “below” can be used interchangeably (Build your English):
Build your English example - "The book is under the couch" / "The book is below the couch" (indicating physical position)
"The water level is under the bridge" / "The water level is below the bridge" (indicating level or degree)
"The price is under/below $10" (indicating level or degree)
In general, both “under” and “below” can be used to indicate a lower position or level, and the choice between the two may depend on the specific context or personal preference.
Build your English example - We can say "the temperature fell today under 10 degrees Celsius" or "the temperature fell today below 10 degrees Celsius" to indicate that the temperature dropped to a level lower than 10 degrees Celsius.Both “under” and “below” can be used to indicate a lower level of temperature. In this context, “under” might be more common as it emphasizes the physical position of temperature, while “below” is more common when talking about level or degree.
How do I use “revert back” in a sentence? What is the meaning of the phrase?
“Revert back” is primarily used in Indian English and it’s usage is not widely accepted in other forms of English. Instead, you can use “get back to” or “respond” which are more commonly used in standard English.
Build your English example -
• "Can you please get back to me with the updated information by the end of the day?"
• "I will respond to you as soon as I have more information on the matter."
• "Please respond to me with your thoughts on the proposal."
• "I will get back to you once I have reviewed the documents."
In short, “revert back” is a way to say “get back to” or “respond” in Indian English, but it’s usage is not widely accepted in other forms of English.
What is wrong with the sentence – I suggest you to try out this product?
The sentence “I suggest you to try out this product” is grammatically incorrect because of the word “to” after “suggest”.
When using the verb “suggest” followed by an infinitive verb, the word “to” should not be included. The correct sentence would be “I suggest you try out this product.”
I suggest that you try out this product. This sentence is grammatically correct.
It’s worth noting that, “I suggest that you try out this product” and “I suggest you try out this product” have the same meaning. The former is more formal than the latter one. (Build Your English)
When do I use “may be” and “Maybe”?
“May be” is used as a verb phrase meaning “possibly is” or “might be the case.” It is often used to express uncertainty or the possibility of something happening.
Build your English Example: "The weather forecast says it may be raining later."“Maybe” is used as an adverb meaning “possibly” or “perhaps.” It can also be used to express uncertainty or the possibility of something happening.
Build your English Example: "Maybe we'll go to the beach tomorrow if the weather is nice."In summary, “maybe” is used in informal writing or spoken language, whereas “may be” is used in formal writing or spoken language.
When do we use “anyone” and “any one”?
“Anyone” is used as a pronoun to refer to any person or people in general, while “any one” is used as an adjective phrase to refer to any single person or thing among a group.
Build your English Example: "Is anyone home?" (referring to any person in general) "I can't decide which shirt to wear, any one will do." (referring to any single shirt among a group).What is the correct usage of “login”, “log in to” and “log on to”?
“Login” is a noun that refers to the process of logging into a system or website.
Build your English Example: “Your login credentials are incorrect.”
“Log in to” is a verb phrase that is used to indicate the specific system or website that you are logging into.
Build your English Example : “Please log in to your email account.”
“Log on to” is another verb phrase that is used to indicate the specific system or website that you are logging into. This phrase is mostly used in American English
Build your English Example: “Please log on to your bank account”
If I’m accessing an application on my device, would I say “log on to” or “log in to”?
It depends on the context and the way the application is designed.
If you are accessing an application on your device, you would usually say “log in to” the application. This phrase emphasizes that you are providing your credentials (username, password, etc.) to access the application.
However, if the application is designed in such a way that it’s more like logging onto a computer or network, you might use the phrase “log on to” the application.
Would I say “click the link for more information” or “click on the link for more information”?
You could say “click the link for more information” or “click on the link for more information” Both are correct.
“Click the link” is a concise and commonly used phrase that means to select or activate the link by clicking on it with a mouse or other input device.
“Click on the link” is also correct and emphasizes the action of clicking on the link with a mouse or other input device.
Which one is correct – I don’t have the time or I don’t have time?
Both “I don’t have the time” and “I don’t have time” are correct and convey the same meaning.
“I don’t have the time” is a more formal way of expressing that you don’t have the necessary time to do something, it implies that the time is specific and already known to the speaker and listener.
“I don’t have time” is a more casual way of expressing that you don’t have the necessary time to do something, it implies that the time is not specified.
When do I use “If I was” and “If I were”?
“If I was” is the past tense form of the verb “to be,” and “if I were” is the past subjunctive form of the verb “to be.” They are used in different situations.
“If I was” is used in a conditional sentence to describe a hypothetical scenario in the past. It is used in situations where you are talking about something that is not true in the present.
Build your English Example: “If I was taller, I would play basketball.”
“If I were” is used in a hypothetical or unreal situation. It is used to describe something that is not true or does not currently exist, and it is often used in situations where you are expressing a wish or a desire.
Build your English Example: “If I were rich, I would travel the world.”
When do I use – “among them” and “amongst them”?
“Among” and “amongst” are both prepositions that indicate a relationship of inclusion within a group or a number of things. They are used to indicate that something or someone is part of a group or is in the midst of a group of things.
“Among” is more commonly used in American English, whereas “amongst” is more common in British English.
Build your English Example: “I found my keys among my belongings” (American English) “I found my keys amongst my belongings” (British English)
Both “among” and “amongst” have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably depending on the speaker’s preference or regional usage.
Why do we say “we watch TV” but “we listen to the radio’?
The reason we say “we watch TV” but “we listen to the radio” is due to the conventions of the English language. The verbs “watch” and “listen” are used differently depending on the type of medium being referred to.
In general, “watch” is used for visual media such as television, movies, and videos, while “listen” is used for audio media such as music, radio, and podcasts.
This is due to the nature of the medium and how it is consumed, when you watch TV or a movie, you visually engage with the content and actively view it, whereas when you listen to the radio or music, you passively listen to it.
Therefore, the choice of verb reflects the way the media is consumed.
Please correct this sentence: I can’t able to help you now.
The sentence should be corrected as: “I am unable to help you now.”
Build your English Explanation:
“can’t” is a contraction of “cannot” and “able to”, But in this context, “can’t” is not appropriate.
“unable” is the correct word to use to indicate that someone is not able to do something.
“to” is also not used with “unable”
Conclusion
I hope this will help you speak and write better English. Please watch out this space for episode 2 of Build Your English. If you would like to learn more about the language proficiency during training, please read the article on training communication.
