Hello English Students! The end of the year is fast approaching and I wonder how you have all managed with your English studies. Are you happy with your progress? Perhaps it’s time to test your grammar skills?
I am more than halfway through watching a Turkish TV Series called Magnificent Century. (There are more than 130 episodes!) I am enjoying it immensely; however, I don’t speak Turkish so I have been reading the English sub-titles.
Translating a fast-paced TV Series is a huge undertaking. The people responsible for translating Magnificent Century into English did a remarkable job in limited time. I was impressed with their advanced level of grammar. Nonetheless, I noticed that as with other non-English films, the English sub-titles contain the same familiar errors repeatedly, most of which are lower level grammar and are used in everyday conversation.
If your English level is Pre-intermediate or above, you should be able to find some, or all, of the mistakes in the following quotes from the TV Series. Cambridge students should ace this quiz! Check the answers at the end. Click on the links for grammar explanations.
The main cast of Magnificent Century
Grammar Quiz
Can you find one mistake in each example?
1. The news are not good.
2. Lufti Pasha has the experience for this promotion. He has many services in every government position.
3. Ibrahim Pasha has protected you for many years. (*Note: Ibrahim Pasha is dead.)
4. I want to raise my children in your own home!
5. Get all my stuff out of here and clean them.
6. Now you live in this chambers.
7. I’m working on it since a long time.
8. For a long time, there is a senseless malice between us.
9. I will not let me get rid of them!
10. There will always be people who wants to dig a pit for you.
11. Find her and take her here.
12. The gold were in a purse with Hatice Sultana’s name written on it.
13. The investigation is continuing. If they will be arrested, they’ll pay for it.
14. How dare she wants something from me!
15. These are serious accusations. Does he have a proof?
16. Unfortunately, there are still no news from Cafer Aga.
17. You will be notified of everything that will happen here.
18. Is there a bad news?
19. What are these, Ibrahim’s gold?
20. If the treasure will be found, we’d be blamed.
21. Everything you heard about me are slanders and lies.
22. I should to go.
23. Let’s hope they find him and take him back here.
24. Take my son to me immediately!
25. When the preparations will be finished, he will start the India campaign.
26. Raresh rioted against our Sultan by killing Alvise Gritte who serves the Ottoman Empire.
27. I know her since many years.
28. From what he told me, some of our soldiers harrasses and steals from people.
29. Leave now and bring this letter to his majesty.
30. It is ever a problem in the palace.
Mistakes & Corrections
1. The news are not good.
1. The news is not good. (‘News’ is an uncountable noun.)
2. Lufti Pasha has the experience for this promotion. He has many services in every government position.
2. Lufti Pasha has the experience for this promotion. a) He has provided many services in every government position. b) He has worked (in many services) in every government position.
3. Ibrahim Pasha has protected you for many years. (*Note: Ibrahim Pasha is dead.)
3. Ibrahim Pasha protected you for many years.
4. I want to raise my children in your own home!
4. I want to raise my children in my own home!
5. Get all my stuff out of here and clean them.
5. Get all my stuff out of here and clean it. (‘Stuff’ is an uncountable noun.)
6. Now you live in this chambers.
6. Now you live in these chambers. (this chamber / these chambers)
7. I’m working on it since a long time.
7. I have been working on it for a long time.
8. For a long time, there is a senseless malice between us.
8. For a long time, there has been a senseless malice between us.
9. I will not let me get rid of them!
9. I will not let them get rid of me!
10. There will always be people who wants to dig a pit for you.
10. There will always be people who want to dig a pit for you. (‘People’ is a plural noun.)
11. Find her and take her here.
11. Find her and bring her here. ( Bring here. Take there.)
12. The gold were in a purse with Hatice Sultana’s name written on it.
12. The gold was in a purse with Hatice Sultana’s name written on it. (‘Gold’ is an uncountable noun.)
13. The investigation is continuing. If they will be arrested, they’ll pay for it.
13. The investigation is continuing. If they are arrested, they’ll pay for it.
14. How dare she wants something from me!
14. How dare she want something from me! (In this sentence, ‘dare’ is a finite verb: Present Simple Tense. ‘Want’ is a non-finite verb: Base Infinitive.)
15. These are serious accusations. Does he have a proof?
15. These are serious accusations. a) Does he have any proof?
b) Does he have proof? (‘Proof’ is an uncountable noun.)
16. Unfortunately, there are still no news from Cafer Aga.
16. Unfortunately, there is still no news from Cafer Aga. (‘News’ is an uncountable noun.)
17. You will be notified of everything that will happen here.
17. You will be notified of everything that happens here.
18. Is there a bad news?
18. Is there bad news? (‘News’ is an uncountable noun.)
19. What are these, Ibrahim’s gold?
19. What is this, Ibrahim’s gold? (‘Gold’ is an uncountable noun.)
20. If the treasure will be found, we’d be blamed.
20. If the treasure is found, we’d be blamed.
21. Everything you heard about me are slanders and lies.
21. Everything you heard about me is slanders and lies. (‘Everything’ is a singular noun.)
22. I should to go.
22. I should go.
23. Let’s hope they find him and take him back here.
23. Let’s hope they find him and bring him back here.
24. Take my son to me immediately!
24. a) Bring my son to me immediately! b) Take me to my son immediately!
25. When the preparations will be finished, he will start the India campaign.
25. When the preparations are finished, he will start the India campaign.
26. Raresh rioted against our Sultan by killing Alvise Gritte who serves the Ottoman Empire.
26. Raresh rioted against our Sultan by killing Alvise Gritte who served the Ottoman Empire.
27. I know her since many years.
27. I have known her for many years.
28. From what he told me, some of our soldiers harrasses and steals from people.
28. From what he told me, some of our soldiers harrass and steal from people. (‘Soldiers’ is a plural verb.)
29. Leave now and bring this letter to his majesty.
29. Leave now and take this letter to his majesty.
30. It is ever a problem in the palace.
30. It is always a problem in the palace.
