中學生英語學習常見錯誤一覽表4
［析］ 這里的paper作為論文講，是可數名詞。paper的這種用法還可以用于證件、報紙、考卷等。
parent
［誤］ my parents and i are both interested in football.
［正］ my parents and i are all interested in football.
［析］ parents即為父母、雙親，指兩個人，加上自己為三個人，所以只能用all而不能用both.
pass
［誤］ the ship pasted the channel.
［正］ the ship passed the channel.
［析］ pass為動詞，而past則為副詞，不要混淆，如： my father has been ill for the past two weeks. all the students passed the exam.
pay
［誤］ please help me do this job, and i will pay for you later.
［正］ please help me do this job and i will pay you later.
［析］ 為某工作付給工人工資應為pay somebody, 而pay for something是為某物付款，如： you can buy all the things you want. i'll pay for those.
people
［誤］ there are five hundred peoples here.
［正］ there are five hundred people here.
［誤］ there is only one people.
［正］ there is only one person.
［誤］ people there is friendly.
［正］ people there are friendly.
［析］ people作為人講時為復數名詞，如要講一個人應用one person, 而不能用people, 講若干人時用people而不能加s，這樣的用法還有police(警察)等，這些概念用單數時要換其他的詞. 如： people－a person; police－policeman policewoman; youth－a young man/woman.
picture
［誤］ there are some spots in the picture.
［正］ there are some spots on the picture.
［誤］ there is a young woman on the picture.
［正］ there is a young woman in the picture.
［析］ 指濺落在畫面上的灰塵，污物是on the picture，即講與畫面內容無關的東西用on，而in the picture用于講畫面的內容。
pity
［誤］ what pity that her mother must always suffer!
［正］ what a pity that her mother must always suffer!
［析］ pity作為遺憾之事講常加不定冠詞；但要注意作為同情、憐憫講則不加冠詞，為不可數名詞，如： i feel pity for you. 它還可以用作動詞，如： he pitied the poor people.
［誤］ i have pity for you.
［正］ i have pity on you.
［析］ 可憐某人時應用have (take) pity on somebody，這是個慣用法。
place
［誤］ last year he went to america. he travelled from place to another.
［正］ last year he went to america. he travelled from place to place (from one place to another).
［析］ 到處譯為英文時為from place to place請不要在place之前加冠詞。這種用法在有些語法書中叫作零冠詞用法，如：一戶挨一戶為door by door，手拉手為hand in hand.
［誤］ the accident was taken place in that street.
［正］ the accident took place in that street.
［析］ take place為發生，它不能用于被動態，這樣的詞還有happen等。
［誤］ there is no place in the bus.