89. On time and in time

 • Incorrect: The meeting must start exactly in time. 

• Correct: The meeting must start exactly on time.

 On time = at the planned time; neither late nor early 

In time = before the last moment; with enough time to spare 

 88. Only 

The word only should be written in front of and next to the word or phrase it modifies. 

Compare:

 • Only John may play in the garden. (= John and nobody else may play in the garden.)

 • John may play only in the garden. (= John may play nowhere else.) 

• John may only play in the garden. (= John may play - but do nothing else - in the garden.) 

 87. On and in 

Use on when the meaning is clearly 'on top of'. Example: 'on a table'. Use in when 'on top of' is not appropriate. 

• Incorrect: He rides in a cycle. 

• Correct: He rides on a cycle. 

• Incorrect: He rides on a car. 

• Correct: He rides in a car. 

• Incorrect: He sat on a tree. 

• Correct: He sat in a tree. 

 86. Numbers 

Write the numbers of kings and queens in Roman characters.

 • Elizabeth II • King George VI Write ordinal numbers (first, second, third etc.) up to twelfth in words except in dates. 

• Incorrect: 

He came a 3rd time. 

• Correct: He came a third time. Write dates thus, 'May 12th' or '12th May' and not thus, 'the 12th of May' or 'the twelfth of May'.

 Write cardinal numbers up to twelve in words, except when telling the time.

 Write cardinal and ordinal numbers above twelve and twelfth in either words or figures as seems in each case the more convenient. 

 85. Nouns with identical singular and plural forms 

Some nouns have identical singular and plural forms. 

Examples are: sheep and deer. 

• This deer is hungry.

 • These deer are hungry. 

 84. Nouns with no plural forms 

Some nouns do not have a plural form.

 Examples are: scenery, furniture, wheat, dust, silverware, information, news, luggage, bread, advice, chess, chewing gum, equipment, grass, permission, publicity, rubbish, traffic etc. 

• Switzerland is known for its scenery. (NOT Switzerland is known for its sceneries.)

 • We bought some furniture yesterday. (NOT We bought some furnitures yesterday.)

 • Have you received any information? (NOT Have you received any informations?)

 • I packed my luggage. (NOT I packed my luggages.) 

• There are no loaves in this shop. (NOT There are no breads in this shop.) 

Nouns that do not have a plural form are usually treated as uncountable nouns. Most uncountable nouns have countable equivalents. 

Advice (uncountable) - a piece of advice (countable) Bread (uncountable) - a piece of bread / a loaf / a roll Equipment - a piece of equipment / a tool Baggage - a piece of baggage Furniture - a piece of furniture / an article of furniture Grass - a blade of grass Information - a piece of information Lightning - a flash of lightning Luck - a bit of luck / a stroke of luck News - a piece of news Poetry - a poem Travel - a journey / a trip Work - a piece of work / a job

 • We bought a piece of furniture yesterday. (NOT We bought a furniture yesterday.) 

• We heard a piece of news. (NOT We heard a news.)

 • I need a piece of equipment to fix this. OR I need a tool to fix this. (NOT I need an equipment to fix this.) • I am learning a new poem. (NOT I am learning a new poetry.) 

• He gave me some advice. OR He gave me a piece of advice. (NOT He gave me an advice.) 

 83. Nouns that do not have a singular form 

Some nouns do not have a singular form. Examples are: oats, cattle, pants, scissors, tongs, shears, trousers, binoculars, shorts and tweezers. 

We cannot say a pants or a cattle. 

• The tongs were by the fireplace. (NOT The tong was by the fireplace.)

 • Tweezers are useful when handling stamps. (NOT A tweezer is useful when handling stamps.)

 The singular aspect of the word is usually indicated by using 'a pair of'. 

Compare: 

• The scissors are in the drawer. 

• A pair of scissors is in the drawer.

 • The garden shears were used to clip the hedge. 

• A pair of garden shears was used to clip the hedge. 

• Trousers were hanging in the cupboard. 

• A pair of trousers was hanging in the cupboard.