One of the aims of teaching grammar, is to enable the learner to use phrases faultlessly. Errors in the use of words in phrases are called ‘Vazhu’. Only if you know where errors are likely to occur, you can avoid them in your language. This lesson teaches you all about errors in grammar usage.

Errors are likely to occur in seven cases. They are, Thinai, Paal, Idam, Kaalam, Vinaa, Vidai and Marabu.

Writing without such errors is called Vazhaanilai.

Sometimes scholars and people in general, use certain phrases which are against the laws of grammar. But these have been accepted by tradition. Such cases are explained by Vazhuvamaithi.

We shall examine just one example.

Thinai : Living things are classified as human and non - human beings.

Example: Appaa vandathu.

Here, ‘Appa’ is a human being. ‘vandathu’ should be used only for non-human beings. Hence, this is a case of ‘vazhu’.

Such errors can occur due to concord in the usage of subject - predicate, gender, singular - plural, 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person, tense and so on,

Vazhuvamaithi can also occur in all these.

Example:
The sun rises in the East. The sentence is in the eternal present. It holds good for the past, present and the future.

Again, in English we say,
The boy and the dog played together.
The girl and the dog played together.
The dog and the cat played together.

But in Tamil, the difference between human and non-human beings is indicated in the use of the verb.

Payyanum Naayum vilaiyaadinar,
Pennum Naayum vilaiyadinar.
Naayum Poonaiyum vilaiyadinar.

Thus, this lesson teaches you all about errors that can creep in, in the use of words and phrases, and how they can be avoided.