Some Grammar lessons we should keep in mind.

 1. According to 

• Incorrect: According to me, she should have resigned earlier. • 

Correct: In my opinion, she should have resigned earlier. We do not give our own opinions with according to. 

2. Across and through 

The difference between across and through is similar to the difference between on and in. We use through to talk about movement in three dimensional spaces with things on all sides. 

• We walked across the field. (= We were on the field.) 

• We walked through the wood. (= We were in the wood.) 

3. Adjectives ending in -ly

• Incorrect: She smiled friendly. 

• Correct: She smiled in a friendly way.

• Incorrect: He laughed silly. • 

Correct: He gave a silly laugh Here the error lies in using an adjective instead of an adverb. 

We use adverbs to modify verbs. Most adverbs end in –ly; there are also a few adjectives that end in – ly. Examples are: costly, friendly, lively, likely, lonely, lovely, silly and ugly. There are no adverbs costly/costlily or friendly/friendlily. 

4. Ago and before • 

Incorrect: His father died three years before. 

• Correct: His father died three years ago. 

Ago is used to count back from the present. It is used with a past tense and a time expression. 

Before is used when you date back from any point of time which is made specific. • I saw him two years before I went to England. 

5. All and every • 

Incorrect: Every children need love. 

• Correct: Every child needs love. 

• Incorrect: All the light was out. 

• Correct: All the lights were out. Every is used with a singular noun. All is used with a plural noun. 

6. All right and alright The standard spelling is all right, but alright is more common although many people consider it incorrect. 

7. Already and all ready 

• Incorrect: We are already for the show. 

• Correct: We are all ready for the show. 

• Incorrect: They have all ready arrived. 

• Correct: They have already arrived. All ready means ‘all are ready’. Already means 'by now' or 'sooner than expected'. 

• The train had already left before we reached the station. 

• The patient had already died before the doctor arrived. 

 8. Alternate and alternative 

Alternative means 'different', 'instead', 'on the other hand'. 

• We will make an alternative arrangement if these plans don't suit you. 

• I had to go. There was no alternative. Alternate means 'every second' or 'in turns'. He only comes to work on alternate days. 

9. Altogether and all together 

Altogether means ‘entirely’ or ‘everything considered’. 

• I don’t altogether agree. 

• It is altogether wrong to ill-treat animals. All together simply means ‘everybody / everything together’.

 • They all went out together. 

• She put the glasses all together in the sink. 

10. Any and some 

Both some and any suggest an indefinite amount or number. Some is more common in affirmative clauses. Any is used in questions and negative clauses. Compare:

 • I need some pencils. (NOT I need any pencils.) 

• Have you got any pencils? • Sorry, I haven't got any pencils.