English

English Correction — Error Identification

A grammar-usage guide covering how to spot and fix common English errors on entry tests — sequence of tenses, agreement, pronoun reference, parallelism, modifiers, diction, wordiness, idioms and double negatives — followed by a 137-item spelling drill.

ENGLISH CORRECTION

ERROR IDENTIFICATION

On entry tests in Pakistan, in this type of questions, you are not being evaluated purely for your understanding of grammar; rather you are tested for the correct usage.

Of course, if you can explain usage in grammatical terms, you will be able to generalize the error and be able to spot it much quicker. Therefore, if you can understand the grammatical reasons, take the some extra time to study and gain this advantageous mastery. I'd like to refer you to the grammar section discussed in sentence completion section of this book.

You can easily learn to identify an error by relating it with one of the examples discussed in the following section. Memorize the name of the error, the example, and the correct form. This method will give you complete examination control of the items being tested.

Sequence Of Tenses

The verb bears the main responsibility of defining time relationship in a sentence. This relationship is fairly simple and definite, when the sentence contains a single action. The verb may be in the present, future, or past. The complications arise when the sentence contains two clauses and the action in one clause relates to a time different from that found in the other clause.

Past and Present

When the actions are in the past and occur at the same or nearly the same time in both clauses, the other verbs should be in the past tense. Example: "When the general visited (past) the camp, the soldiers on duty got (past) alert." "The main thing that uncle Ashfaq proved (past) is (present) that the world is round." Present in the second clause is acceptable as it describes a universal truth.

Present perfect and the past

The past is used to represent a complete action. The present perfect (has/have and a past participle) represents an action which took place in the past but has its results extending right into the present. The present perfect is also used to represent action, which began in the past and continues through the present. Example: We worked/have worked in this company for five years.

Two Pasts (Past perfect and the past)

Two pasts in a sentence are common error asked to identify on the tests. Two pasts can never be in a same time. There must be a time difference between the actions. The first completed action should be in past perfect and the following action should be in past participle. Example: When the manager entered the room, Saleem had already finished the work on annual sales report.

Noun Agreement

Nouns and verbs must agree in number. Example: The cassette is in the box.

Nouns must agree with pronoun in person and number. Example: Abid worked on his assignment. Zahid and Rizwana worked on their Open University assignment.

The pairs of correlatives — not only... but also, neither... nor, either... or — must be placed immediately before the parallel terms. Example: He enjoys not only playing flute but also listening to that Pathaney Khan's folks.

Use of proper Pronoun

For detailed discussion about pronoun, refer to grammar review of sentence completion section of this book. Here, the main and most important problem usually asked on the test is the use of "them or him-her; their or his-hers-its; they or he-she".

Indefinite pronouns

The error most frequently involves the indefinite pronouns each, everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, anyone, anybody, either. Example: Each of the students taking the test attempted the first question. Since each is singular, and since the pronoun (his, their) must refer to each and not to students (which is not the subject), the singular possessive pronoun is required: Each of the students taking the test employed his full potential. ("his" is acceptable here.)

Every one of us in the room is doing his work. Since the subject is everyone, which is singular, the pronoun referring to it should be singular.

Remember it: You can use everybody, someone, nobody, anyone, anybody, either, and neither in a similar fashion.

Pronouns used impersonally

When "you" and "one" are used impersonally, they must be followed by their corresponding pronouns. Example: One must perform his duties honestly. If the sentence begins with "one", then the forms of one must be continued. Remember it: usages allowed are his, him to follow one, but not you.

Parallelism

Different parts of a sentence equal in importance should be expressed by parallel grammatical constructions. Example: He comes here to read and to write. "to read" and "to write" explain his purpose; therefore, they should be in the same grammatical construction — both infinitive, not a mixture of infinitive and continuous form.

The captain was ordered to see the training spot, to write a report on its effectiveness, and that they should discuss it afterwards. Two of the commands are in infinitive form (to see, to write). The third command is a clause (that they should discuss it afterwards). Since all three are commands, they should be in the same construction.

Reference Pronoun

The specific noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to must be clear to the reader. Two common types of errors in usage arise in this area.

Reference causing Dangling

Najam said that he had not met even the ten percent of the assigned target, which annoyed me very much. The relative pronoun "which" should refer to a specific noun or pronoun. Instead, it refers to the entire idea in the preceding clause.

Correct sentence: Najam said that he had not met even the ten percent of the assigned target. His statement annoyed me very much. Or: Najam's statement that he had not met even the ten percent of the assigned target annoyed me very much.

Ambiguous reference

Abid told Fauzia that she did not come to the New Year party at Jahania. In this sentence the reader does not know who "she" is. The correct sentence should be: Abid told Fauzia that Fauzia did not come to the New Year party at Jahania.

Subject-Verb Agreement

If the subject is singular, the verb that follows must be singular. If the subject is plural, then the verb that follows must be plural.

Intervening clause

When a singular subject is separated from its verb by an intervening clause or phrase, the student often tends to make the verb agree with the nearest noun even though it is not the subject of the sentence. Example: Rizwana, as well as her three friends, is working in the Physics lab. The subject of the sentence is Rizwana.

Remember it: When the subject is followed by a group of words introduced by with, together with, or as well as, these words are not part of the subject. Therefore, "three friends" is not part of the subject.

Example: A basket of apples is in the car for all of you. The subject of the sentence is basket.

• A group of soldiers has been fixed at the spot for security reasons.
• A set of eighty books lies on the shelves, waiting for you to catalogue them.

Indefinite pronouns (verb agreement)

Sometimes the sentence may seem to carry a plural sense when certain indefinite pronouns are used; the student must know which of these pronouns are singular, and have them followed by singular verbs. Example: Every one of these five hundred men is in a hurry to reach the stadium.

Remember it: somebody, anybody, nobody, everybody, someone, anyone, and everyone are singular and should be followed by a singular verb.

Some of the boys were ready to leave the office before noon. Remember it: some, few, several are plural in form; they should be followed by plural verbs.

Compound subjects

When "and" joins the elements of the subject, the subject is plural, and the verb must be plural. Example: Elena and Shahbaz are waiting in the office lounge for the director.

Remember it: When a compound subject is connected by the correlative conjunctions (neither... nor, either... or, not only... but also), the verb is determined by the subject word closest to it. If that word is plural, then the verb must be plural; if that word is singular, then the verb must be singular.

• Neither the managing director nor the director marketing was present at the product launch.
• Neither Mr. Khan nor his brothers were present at the panchayat.

Relative pronoun

In ordinary cases, it is an easy task to identify the correct form to follow a relative pronoun. Example: Salman is the one who was to judge the contest.

There and here

When there and, much less frequently, here are used to introduce sentences, the subject follows the verb rather than precedes it. Example: There are several apparent explanations for this event.

Compound subjects as a single unit

The elements of a compound subject lose their individuality when they become a single entity in the mind of the speaker. Example: Bacon and eggs is your favorite winter breakfast. (Bacon and eggs is used as a single unit.) Fifty rupees was too much to pay for that article. (A sum of money is used as a single unit.)

Remember it: Collective nouns like group, army, set, jury, etc., normally use a singular verb, but when the speaker or writer is considering the individuals of the group as separate entities, the verb should be plural. Example: The committee was unable to agree on the decision of road rehabilitation in Bure Wala. When the members of the committee cannot agree, it indicates that more than one person must be involved; the speaker actually means the individual members, so the verb should be plural.

Plural Nouns, singular in meaning

Measles is a common dangerous disease in Africa. Remember it: Some common nouns plural in form but singular in meaning are mumps, economics, civics, molasses, tactics, statistics, physics, aeronautics, politics, news, mathematics, comics. They end in s, but are treated as singular in meaning.

With fractions and percentages

Thirty five percent of the bills are enough to pay the debt of the company. Since individual items (bills) are being represented, the verb should be plural. Three-fourths of the project of the new building is completed now. Since only one project is involved, the verb should be singular.

Commonly mistaken plurals

The following group of nouns is often mistaken as singular: Ashes, clothes, goods, links, nuptials, oats, pliers, proceeds, remains, riches, spectacles, suds, thanks, thongs, victuals, vitals, wages. Example: Thanks are due to you for this real help. The wages of sin are death!

Double subject

Rizwana and I, we will attend the seminar. "Rizwana and I" form the subject. The word "we" is unnecessary and the addition of a second subject is an error. The mobile, it is the necessity of time. Here "it" is completely unnecessary.

Subjects joined by OR

When the conjunction joining a compound subject is "or", the noun or pronoun after the "or" determines the form of the verb. Example: Abid or you have the right to choose the participants in the wedding ceremony of their sister Fauzia. Since "you" is after the "or", the form of the verb must be according to "you".

All, none, any, some as pronouns

The pronouns all, any, none, some may be singular or plural depending upon their meaning in the sentence. Example: Are any of the guests still sleeping in the room? Here "any" refers to individual units and is therefore plural in nature.

Titles

The title of a book is treated as a singular subject even when the title contains a plural idea. Example: Adventures of Opo, bestseller of 1999, is an interesting novel by a woman.

Logical Comparison

Logical comparison is the second important topic that causes problem for students to pick the right choice. Care must be taken in using some comparative forms, to ensure that the comparison is valid and logical. Example: Abid is more experienced than any other doctor in his hospital. Since Abid is himself one of the doctors of the hospital, he cannot be more experienced than all of the doctors in his hospital (which includes himself). Therefore, the word "other" must be included.

The two forms for comparison are "as .... as" and "more.... than". Example: Rizwana is definitely as capable as or more capable than her sister Fauzia is.

The adjective unique means one of a kind. It cannot have comparative or superlative form. Example: The experience I just had was unique. Remember it: Following adjectives should be used in the positive degree — dead, everlasting, final, last, round.

Modifiers

Adjectives and adverbs must have a word in the sentence that they logically modify.

Dangling Modifiers

Walking towards the school, the grassy plots look beautiful. Obviously, there is no subject for walking. Therefore, the phrase dangles without a true noun for it to modify.

Dangling Verb forms

Upon entering the room, the missing ring was soon found on the floor. The gerund phrase "upon entering the room" has no word in the sentence for it to modify. The missing ring could not enter the room. A noun or pronoun must be added for the phrase to modify. Correct form: When I entered the room, I soon found the missing ring on the floor. Or: Upon entering the room, I soon found the missing ring on the floor.

To plan carefully in case of fire, doors must not be kept locked when the auditorium is in use. As the sentence stands, the only word that "To plan carefully" can modify is doors. However, doors cannot plan. Therefore, "To plan" dangles; a satisfying noun or pronoun must be added. Correct sentence: To plan carefully in case of fire, you must make certain that the doors of the auditorium are not locked when it is in use.

Dangling clauses and phrases

When a child, his father took him to Murree. Who was the child is the main question. Correct sentence: When he was a child, his father took him to Murree.

Diction

The English language is a combination of a variety of communication systems. When different systems of communication are used, confusion and misunderstanding result. Standard: use of words to convey the thoughts of one person to another on the widest communication band. Nonstandard: words used by (social, geographical, ethnic, etc.) groups to convey thoughts to a restricted number of people.

Examples of Standard Words

Wordiness

Wordiness (verbosity) is the use of repetitious elements that add nothing to the meaning of the sentence. A concise form of the idea is the acceptable form on the test. A list of some frequently used verbose phrases and their concise forms (as printed in the book):

Idioms

An idiomatic phrase is an expression peculiar to a language and not explainable through rules of logic or grammar. When used in an idiomatic phrase, a word loses its individual meaning; the expression takes on a meaning different from the literal meaning of the words involved. Some standard and nonstandard idioms:

Custom often labels one of a pair of synonymous idioms standard and the other nonstandard:

Double Negative

A double negative is a construction that uses two negative terms when one would be sufficient. Remember it: no, nothing, not, none, nobody should not be used with another negative to convey a denial. Example: I don't want none of it. Correct: I don't want any of it. OR: I want none of it.

Remember it: hardly, barely, and scarcely are negatives; they do not require supporting negatives. Example: He hardly feels the difference in colors.

SPELLINGS

Choose the correctly spelled word. The right answer is given in the last column.

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