Question:
Since I have forgotten all the equations I will have to start from the scratch.
Since I have forgotten all the equations I will have to start from the scratch.
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Idioms often have fixed forms — changing even small words like articles can make them sound incorrect. Always check standard usage in reputable sources.
Updated On: Aug 14, 2025
- Since I have forgotten
- all the equations
- I will have to start
- from the scratch
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The expression "from the scratch" is incorrect because in English idioms, "scratch" in this context is uncountable and does not take the definite article "the".
The correct idiomatic phrase is "from scratch", meaning "from the very beginning without using anything that already exists".
Historically, the phrase comes from sporting events like races, where a starting line was literally "scratched" into the ground. Beginning "from scratch" meant starting from the beginning with no advantage.
In the sentence given, "I will have to start from scratch" correctly conveys that the person must start over again without relying on prior progress.
Why the other options are correct:
- Option (A) "Since I have forgotten" — correct use of present perfect tense to describe a state relevant to the present.
- Option (B) "all the equations" — grammatically correct noun phrase.
- Option (C) "I will have to start" — correct future necessity construction using "will have to".
Common mistakes: - Wrong: "from the scratch" - Correct: "from scratch"
Real-life examples: - "After the project failed, they had to start from scratch."
- "The recipe was made entirely from scratch without using pre-made ingredients."
The correct idiomatic phrase is "from scratch", meaning "from the very beginning without using anything that already exists".
Historically, the phrase comes from sporting events like races, where a starting line was literally "scratched" into the ground. Beginning "from scratch" meant starting from the beginning with no advantage.
In the sentence given, "I will have to start from scratch" correctly conveys that the person must start over again without relying on prior progress.
Why the other options are correct:
- Option (A) "Since I have forgotten" — correct use of present perfect tense to describe a state relevant to the present.
- Option (B) "all the equations" — grammatically correct noun phrase.
- Option (C) "I will have to start" — correct future necessity construction using "will have to".
Common mistakes: - Wrong: "from the scratch" - Correct: "from scratch"
Real-life examples: - "After the project failed, they had to start from scratch."
- "The recipe was made entirely from scratch without using pre-made ingredients."
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