Common Errors With Nouns And Noun Phrases

Expressions that take singular verbs

Some common expressions take singular verbs even though they may contain a plural noun. Examples are: bacon and eggs; cheese and biscuits; fish and chips etc.

Furnitures

Bacon and eggs was served for breakfast.

Common Errors With Nouns And Noun Phrases

Where is the cheese and biscuits?

Fish and chips is popular in England.

Nouns that do not have a plural form

Not all nouns have a plural form: for example, furniture, wheat, dust, news, advice, information, luggage, bread, trouble and scenery normally have only a singular form.

The scenery here is good. (NOT The sceneries here are good.)

I have lost my furniture. (NOT ... my furnitures.)

We have received no information. (NOT ... no informations)

He told his mother this news. (NOT ... these news)

There is no bread in this shop. OR There are no loaves in this shop. (NOT There are no breads in this shop.)

Please excuse me for the trouble I have caused. (NOT ... for the troubles I have caused.)

I am learning a new poem. (NOT ... a new poetry)

A plural noun that names a single subject

When a group of words containing a plural noun represents a single subject, you must use a singular verb.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is my favourite novel.

The Crusades is a book that comes in two volumes.

Memories of the War is worth reading.

Robert Louis Stevenson's books are always exciting.

Collective nouns

Collective nouns take a singular verb if you are talking of the group as a whole. They take a plural verb if you are talking about individuals within the group.

Compare:

The team is on the field.

The team are changing.

The class is a bright one.

The class are a mixed lot.

His family is living in that house.

His family are living in various parts of Sydney.

The jury is in the courtroom.

The jury are still debating the case.

Pants and trousers

Pants means underclothes covering the upper part of the leg. Trousers means outer garment for the legs, reaching from waist to ankles.

Students should wear white trousers. (NOT ... white pants)

Theatre, play and drama

A theatre is a building in which plays are acted, not the play itself. Drama is rarely used nowadays in the sense in which foreign students are likely to use it, that is to say to mean a play, whether acted by professionals or amateurs.

We saw a play. (NOT We saw a theatre.)

We like acting plays. (NOT we like taking part in drama)

Man and gentleman

Gentleman is a difficult word to use correctly in colloquial English. Use the term when you are referring to a man's character.

He is a real gentleman. (Praising him)

He is not a gentleman. (Criticizing him)

Use man to denote an adult of the male sex.

He is a tall man.

Lady and woman

Woman is the usual word to denote an adult of the female sex. It is quite polite. 'She is a lady' means that she is a woman of particularly good birth, breeding and taste.

I saw two women. (NOT I saw two females)

Dress

The word dress is generally used with reference to women's attire.

He was wearing a new suit. (NOT He was wearing a new dress)

But note that we do say 'a man in full dress' or 'evening dress'.

Relations

The English language uses relatively loose terms to express relationships. Aunt means the sister of either father or mother. Uncle means the brother of either father or mother. Cousin means any child of any aunt or uncle.

He is my cousin. (NOT He is my cousin brother)

Common Errors With Nouns And Noun Phrases

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Most Common Office Stationery Items and Their Importance

Office stationery items are the must have accessories for significant office operations. Even the workplaces with computers depend upon various stationery items with very important roles to perform. These items help in carrying out some important workspace functions in an efficient and effective manner.

As a business owner, you must survey and learn about the most commonly used stationery items in workspaces. Obviously, you would like to purchase more quantity of those items from office stationery suppliers that are in great demand. So, here is a list of items that a working environment requires the most.

Furnishings

Office Papers

Papers are required in the offices for printing purposes, for taking notes, to prepare documents and many other important functions. Papers are required to send proposals as well as invoices. So, you must offer office stationery items like A4 sized papers, paper notebooks and notepads, photo paper and so on.

Items to Write

Pens are among the most required items in a workplace. Apart from ball pens and fountain pens, the office owners require markers and highlighters as the useful writing items. Pencils and erasers are other items of great interest for the office owners. Going ahead, items like whiteboards are of importance for many workplaces. You must consider these items among the most purchased stationery items for the offices.

Diaries and Calendars

Other useful office stationery items include the things that help the office owners to prepare their schedules and remember the important dates. Desk calendars are the items that can be easily found on the working tables of the office owners. For this purpose, you must supply office diaries and calendars to the office owners.

Files and Folders

Every office owner likes the office to look organized. So, an important category of office stationery is that of files and folders. Paper folders and card holders are the common items purchased in this category. Report covers and document binders are other items of interest for the office owners. All these items should be included in the product base of your office stationery business.

Various Office Equipments

A modern office setup requires variety of equipments to work smoothly. Here are some important items that you must sell as office stationery:

Calculators and scientific calculators are required at offices for easy calculations.
Imaging equipments like computer printers, fax machines and photocopiers are among the most desired office items.
Presentation equipments like screens and projectors are other frequently used items in an office.

Paper weights and paper clips are other things that are required in offices to keep everything in place. Paper cutters and sticky notes are other useful items that maintain the interest in working efficiently. Staplers and envelopes are other such items that you must supply as office stationery. Finally, adhesives and shredders are items that add usefulness to the working environment at offices.

You can find office stationery suppliers at business directories on the web. Make sure that you obtain the above-mentioned items to make your business a one-stop destination for the office owners.

Most Common Office Stationery Items and Their Importance

Author has wide knowledge of B2B Marketplace and Business industries. For latest updates on office stationery items business opportunities, visit business directory Dir.indiaMART.com

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