Common Mistake: Numeral without a Determiner or a Number

One of the most common mistakes in English grammar is the misuse of numerals like 'dozen', 'hundred', 'thousand', and 'million'. People often forget to include a determiner or a number before these words, which can result in confusing or incorrect sentences.

The Mistake:

When using numerals like 'dozen', 'hundred', 'thousand', or 'million', it is important to remember to include either a determiner (such as 'a', 'an', 'the') or a number before these words. Leaving them without any supporting words can lead to ambiguity and incorrect sentence structures.

• Incorrect: I saw dozen flowers at the park.
• Incorrect: She needs hundred dollars to buy a new phone.

In both of these examples, the word 'dozen' and 'hundred' are used without any determiner or number. This leads to confusion and makes the sentences grammatically incorrect.

The Correction:

To correct this mistake, simply add a determiner or a number before the numeral:

• Correct: I saw a dozen flowers at the park.
• Correct: She needs a hundred dollars to buy a new phone.

By adding the determiner 'a' before 'dozen' and 'hundred', the sentences become clear and grammatically correct. In the first example, we now know that the speaker saw 'a dozen' flowers, which specifies a particular quantity.

It's important to note that when using 'thousand' and 'million', a comma is also used before these numerals when they are written in full:

• Correct: The company made a profit of $1,000,000 last year.
• Correct: The population of the city is over 100,000.

In these examples, the addition of the comma before '1,000,000' and '100,000' helps to separate the numerals and make the sentences clearer and easier to understand.

With all these rules to remember, it's easy to make mistakes. That's why it's helpful to use tools like the Linguix grammar checker, which can quickly identify and correct these types of errors in your writing.