Each consecutive underlined section corresponds with an answer choice.

Select the choice that has an error, or

select choice E for no error.

1. A Because of the Internet, B working at jobs C at home D have become much more common. E No error.
A

2. Pull it out A by B its plug, not by the C cord, said D dad. E No error.
A

3. Symptoms of this illness A that warrant a doctor visit B includes fever, C vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as
the D loss of appetite. E No error.
A

4. A Either Lisa or Karen B will always volunteer C their valuable D time to serve on our board. E No error.
A

5. The conversation with her A mother had a more profound B affect on her C than D she expected. E No error.
A

6. The A President and the B Speaker of the House found the C Congressional Republicans filibusters to be D
all together specious. E No error.
A

7. A Professor Lane, our B Computer Science teacher, was excited when he had the opportunity to meet C Bill
Gates, the D president of Microsoft, Inc. E No error.
A

8. Do you think A they B will C except our plan D without an argument? E No error.
A

9. They A had went to the lake B without me C by the time D I got there, said Jacques. E No error.
A

10. Work A as quick B as you C can but D as carefully as possible when you take the test. E No error.
A

Answers - Identifying Sentence Errors

1. D: The error is have become, which should be has become. The plural form of the auxiliary verb
have is incorrect because the subject of the independent clause is working, which is singular and
thus takes a singular verbi.e. working has The other underlined sections are correct.
2. D: Dad is a name or proper noun and should be capitalized. By is a correct preposition to use
here. Its is the correct use of the third-person singular possessive impersonal pronoun. The
punctuation at the end of the quotation is correct.
3. B: Includes is incorrect because it is the singular form of the verb, but the subject, symptoms, is
plural. The verb should be include. The subordinating conjunction that introducing the dependent
clause, and its plural verb warrant, (A) are both correct. vomiting, and (C) is punctuated
correctly as the last in a series of three or more words. The singular noun loss (D) is correct.
4. C: Their is incorrect because it is a plural third-person possessive pronoun, but the use of either
(A)or indicates a singular form. It should be her. Will always volunteer (B) is a singular verb
phrase and is correct. Time (D) is correct regardless of whether it is modified by a singular (her) or
plural (their) possessive pronoun, e.g. They both volunteered their valuable time.
5. B: The correct noun for this meaning is spelled effect. Affect when it is a noun means mood or
emotional state, e.g. The patient presented with a depressed affect. When it is a verb, the meaning of
affect is related to the meaning of the noun effect; e.g. The experience had a harmful effect on her,
but it did not affect her brother the same way. her mother (A) is correctly not capitalized as it is a
noun, not a name/proper noun (e.g. Hello, Mother.) The other underlined parts are correct.
6. D: This is incorrectly spelled as two words. In this sentence, it should be altogether, a one-word
adverb modifying the adjective specious and meaning entirely or completely. All together
would be used for a different meaning, e.g. The family members were all together at the reunion.
The President (A), Speaker of the House (B), and Republicans (C) are all correctly capitalized as they
are titles. The adjective congressional (C) refers to Congress (a proper name and thus capitalized), but
as an adjective it is lower-case unless part of a proper name.
7. E: There is no error in this sentence. Titles and proper names (A) are capitalized. Academic
subjects or departments are lower-case (e.g. department of computer science) unless they are
adjectives (Computer Science teacher) (B) or proper nouns (English, French, etc.) Bill Gates (C) is a
proper noun, i.e. a name, and is always capitalized. the president (D) is correctly lower-case both
because it is used after a name, and because it is a used as a description rather than a title here.
8. C: The verb is misspelled here. For the correct meaning, it should be accept, i.e. to consent or
agree to our plan. Except means other than, besides, but, etc. Used as a verb as in this sentence, it
would mean to make an exception of our plan, which is incorrect as it contradicts the rest of the
sentence (without an argument). They (A) and will (B) are used correctly as subject pronoun and
auxiliary verb. Without (D) is correctly used as a preposition.
9. A: The correct form for the past perfect tense of the irregular verb to go is had gone, not had
went. Went is only used as the past tense, without the auxiliary had. The prepositional phrase (B)
is correct. The two parts of the dependent clause (C and D) by the time I got there are correct.
10. A: The error is quick, which is an adjective; here it should be the adverb quickly instead,
describing manner (how) to modify the verb Work. as carefully (D) is an example of the correct
usage. The other underlined sections are correct.

Each of the following sentences contains at least

o n e p r e p o s i t i o n e r r o r. C o r r e c t t h e e r r o r s a n d r e w r i t e t h e c o r r e c t e d
sentences.
1.

I tried to interrupt into their conversation but was told on.

2.

It is important to take pride of whatever we do on life.

3.

I left home at Sunday morning to catch a flight for England.

4.

He was scolded from the teacher for failing to pass the test.

5.

For all that excitement. I had forgotten to take my present for him.

6.

My parents are not in good terms so we tried to patch things on.

7.

I accused her with stealing my wallet but she insisted about her innocence.

8.

I sympathize for you over your mother's death.

9.

He is one of the best players of Singapore and he takes pride of it.

10.

In ten o'clock in the morning. I went to the beach to catch fish by my net.

Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

I tried to interrupt their conversation but was told off.

It is important to take pride in whatever we do in life.
I left home on Sunday morning to catch a flight to England.
He was scolded by the teacher for failing to pass the test.
In all that excitement, I had forgotten to take my present from him.
My parents are not on good terms so we tried to patch things up.
I accused her of stealing my wallet but she insisted on her innocence.
I sympathize with you over your mother's death.
He is one of the best players in Singapore and he takes pride in it.
At ten o'clock in the morning. I went to the beach to catch fish with my net.

One of these parts contains an error.

1. To who did you pass the message I gave you ?

2. The firemen put off the fire quickly but the house was burnt down.

3. The villagers carried out a through search for the missing child.

4. Please convey my best wish to your mother when you see her.

5. Unless you finish all your homework, you can watch television.

6. The contestant hitted the target with great accuracy.

7. I am sorry to say that your son has been absence from school for a week.

8. Successful applicants will be paid attracting salary, bonus and fringe benefits.

9. Can you borrow me your book for a few days ?

10. My friend asked me to go for shopping with her but I refused.

Answers
1. To w h o m d i d y o u p a s s t h e m e s s a g e I g a v e y o u ?
2. T h e f i r e m e n p u t o u t t h e f i r e q u i c k l y b u t t h e h o u s e w a s b u r n t d o w n .
3. T h e v i l l a g e r s c a r r i e d o u t a t h o r o u g h s e a r c h f o r t h e m i s s i n g c h i l d .
4. P l e a s e c o n v e y m y b e s t w i s h e s t o y o u r m o t h e r w h e n y o u s e e h e r.
5. U n l e s s y o u f i n i s h a l l y o u r h o m e w o r k , y o u c a n ' t w a t c h t e l e v i s i o n .
6. T h e c o n t e s t a n t h i t t h e t a r g e t w i t h g r e a t a c c u r a c y.
7. I a m s o r r y t o s a y t h a t y o u r s o n h a s b e e n a b s e n t f r o m s c h o o l f r o a
week.
8. S u c c e s s f u l a p p l i c a n t s w i l l b e p a i d a t t r a c t i v e s a l a r y, b o n u s a n d
fringe benefits.
9. C a n y o u l e n d m e y o u r b o o k f r o a f e w d a y s ?
10. M y f r i e n d a s k e d m e t o g o s h o p p i n g w i t h h e r b u t I r e f u s e d .