Correct The Following Sentences With Answers

Correcting Grammatical Errors: A Comprehensive Guide with Examples

Many people struggle with grammar, and even minor errors can significantly impact the clarity and professionalism of your writing. This comprehensive guide will address various grammatical issues, providing corrected sentences and explanations to enhance your understanding and writing skills. Mastering grammar is crucial for effective communication, whether you're crafting a professional email, writing an academic paper, or simply engaging in casual conversation.

Common Grammatical Errors and Their Corrections

This section dives into common grammatical errors, providing corrected sentences and explanations to improve your understanding. We'll cover a wide range of mistakes, from subject-verb agreement issues to punctuation problems. Remember, consistency in grammar and style is key to effective communication.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammatical concept. The verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject.

Incorrect: The dog chases squirrels in the park, but it barks at the mailman too.

Correct: The dog chases squirrels in the park, but it barks at the mailman too.

Explanation: While the first part of the sentence is correct, the second part shows a subject-verb disagreement. "It" is singular, so the verb should be "barks" (singular), not "bark" (plural).

Incorrect: My friends and I is going to the cinema tonight.

Correct: My friends and I are going to the cinema tonight.

Explanation: The subject is plural ("My friends and I"), so the verb must be plural ("are").

Incorrect: Neither the cat nor the dogs were sleeping.

Correct: Neither the cat nor the dogs was sleeping.

Explanation: With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the closest subject. In this case, "cat" is singular, so the verb should be "was."

Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns must agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace.

Incorrect: Every student should bring their own lunch.

Correct: Every student should bring his or her own lunch. or Their own lunch. (Note the ongoing debate regarding the use of "their" as a singular gender-neutral pronoun.)

Explanation: "Every student" is singular, so the pronoun should be singular as well. Using "his or her" is grammatically correct but can sound cumbersome. Using "their" is increasingly common in informal and some formal contexts, though still considered grammatically incorrect by some style guides.

Incorrect: The team celebrated their victory.

Correct: The team celebrated its victory.

Explanation: The collective noun "team" is singular, requiring the singular possessive pronoun "its."

Tense Consistency

Maintaining consistent verb tense throughout your writing is essential for clarity.

Incorrect: I went to the store, and then I buy milk.

Correct: I went to the store, and then I bought milk.

Explanation: Both actions happened in the past, so the past tense ("bought") should be used consistently.

Incorrect: She will go to the library, and she reads a book.

Correct: She will go to the library, and she will read a book.

Explanation: Both actions are future actions, thus the future tense ("will read") should be employed.

Modifiers

Misplaced or dangling modifiers can lead to confusion.

Incorrect: Running down the street, the dog barked fiercely.

Correct: Running down the street, the dog barked fiercely. or The dog barked fiercely while running down the street.

Explanation: The original sentence implies the street was running. The corrected sentence clearly indicates that the dog was running.

Incorrect: Almost frozen, I quickly put the turkey in the oven.

Correct: Almost frozen, I quickly put the turkey in the oven. or Because it was almost frozen, I quickly put the turkey in the oven.

Explanation: The original sentence is grammatically correct but the phrasing isn't clear. The adjective clause "Almost frozen" doesn't directly connect to the subject. Using a clearer causal sentence is a much better alternative.

Parallel Structure

Items in a list or series should be grammatically parallel.

Incorrect: She likes to swim, hiking, and to bike.

Correct: She likes to swim, hike, and bike.

Explanation: All items in the list should maintain the same grammatical structure (verb + gerund).

Incorrect: He is intelligent, hardworking, and has a good attitude.

Correct: He is intelligent, hardworking, and has a positive attitude. (Or rephrase to all adjectives: He is intelligent, hardworking, and positive.)

Explanation: Maintaining parallelism involves maintaining similar grammatical structure.

Punctuation

Proper punctuation is crucial for clear communication.

Incorrect: I went to the store I bought milk.

Correct: I went to the store, and I bought milk. or I went to the store; I bought milk.

Explanation: A comma or semicolon is needed to join the two independent clauses.

Incorrect: Its a beautiful day.

Correct: It's a beautiful day.

Explanation: "It's" is a contraction of "it is."

Incorrect: Lets go to the beach.

Correct: Let's go to the beach.

Explanation: "Let's" is a contraction of "let us."

Word Choice (Diction)

Careful word choice avoids ambiguity and strengthens your writing.

Incorrect: He felt bad about the situation.

Correct: He felt sorry about the situation. or He felt terrible about the situation. (Depending on the intended meaning)

Explanation: "Bad" can be ambiguous. "Sorry" or "terrible" provides a more precise expression of emotion.

Incorrect: The meeting was effected by the snowstorm.

Correct: The meeting was affected by the snowstorm.

Explanation: "Affected" means "influenced," while "effected" means "brought about."

Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences

Sentence fragments are incomplete sentences, while run-on sentences combine multiple independent clauses without proper punctuation.

Incorrect: Because it was raining.

Correct: Because it was raining, we stayed inside.

Explanation: The original is a dependent clause needing an independent clause to form a complete sentence.

Incorrect: The sun was shining the birds were singing the flowers were blooming.

Correct: The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the flowers were blooming. or The sun was shining; the birds were singing; the flowers were blooming.

Explanation: The original is a run-on sentence. The corrected version uses commas or semicolons to separate the independent clauses.

Advanced Grammatical Concepts and Corrections

Relative Clauses and Subordinate Clauses

These clauses add detail to your sentences. Incorrect usage leads to ambiguity or grammatical errors.

Incorrect: The house which I bought is very old. (Incorrect if referring to a single house)

Correct: The house that I bought is very old. or The houses which I bought are very old.

Explanation: "Which" refers to nonrestrictive clauses (clauses that provide extra, nonessential information), whereas "that" is typically used for restrictive clauses (clauses that define the noun they modify). The grammar depends on if multiple houses were bought.

Incorrect: Although it was late, but I continued working.

Correct: Although it was late, I continued working.

Explanation: "Although" already introduces a subordinate clause, making "but" redundant.

Participle Phrases and Gerunds

These verb forms can be misused, leading to unclear or grammatically incorrect sentences.

Incorrect: Having finished the assignment, a feeling of relief washed over me.

Correct: Having finished the assignment, I felt a sense of relief.

Explanation: The participle phrase "Having finished the assignment" needs a clear subject to modify.

Incorrect: By studying hard, success is guaranteed.

Correct: By studying hard, you can achieve success.

Explanation: The gerund phrase "By studying hard" needs a subject to perform the action.

Passive and Active Voice

While passive voice is sometimes appropriate, overuse weakens writing.

Incorrect: The ball was thrown by the boy.

Correct: The boy threw the ball.

Explanation: The active voice ("The boy threw the ball") is generally preferred for its conciseness and clarity.

Strategies for Improving Your Grammar

Beyond correcting individual sentences, consider these broader strategies to enhance your overall grammar skills:

• Read Widely: Immerse yourself in well-written materials. Pay attention to sentence structure, punctuation, and word choice.
• Practice Regularly: The more you write, the better your grammar will become.
• Use Grammar Resources: Consult style guides, grammar handbooks, and online resources.
• Seek Feedback: Ask others to review your writing for grammatical errors.
• Learn from Your Mistakes: When you identify an error, take time to understand why it's incorrect and how to avoid it in the future.
• Utilize Grammar-Checking Tools: While not a replacement for human editing, tools can help identify potential errors.

By understanding common grammatical errors, practicing consistently, and utilizing available resources, you can significantly improve your writing skills and communicate more effectively. Remember that mastering grammar is an ongoing process, but with dedication and effort, you can achieve significant progress.