R&W 11: SENTENCE ERROR IDENTIFICATION PART 1

SENTENCE ERROR IDENTIFICATION PART 1

Reading and Writing 11

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: She recommended me that I take a few days off from work.  

• recommended

• me

• few

• from

• no error

​She recommended me that I take a few days off from work.

​We need to use the subjunctive in this example. The subjunctive form in this example is the infinitive without “to” (go, eat, do, run, etc.).

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Common expressions followed by the subjunctive:

recommend that

insist that

demand that

request that

asked that

suggest that

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: I tried to explain him the problem, but he had difficulty understanding me.

• tried

• to explain

• him

• understanding

• no error

I tried to explain him the problem the problem to him, but he had difficulty understanding me.

Some verbs can be followed by the indirect object and then the direct object. For example, we can say I gave John the book. John is the indirect object and book is the direct object. However, not all verbs follow this pattern. Recommend, explain, and describe are three common verbs that take the following form:recommend/explain/describe + what + to whom

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​Could you describe the problem to our IT manager?Could you describe our IT manager the problem?

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: I don’t know why you didn’t go. If I were you, I should have gone.

• If

• were

• should

• gone

• no error

I don’t know why you didn’t go. If I were you, I should would have gone.

To talk about a hypothetical past, we can use would/might/could + have + participle. We do not use should to talk about a hypothetical past. We use should to criticize past actions or express regret.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: Kevin says he stopped to travel internationally because of his family.

• stopped

• to travel

• because

• his

• no error

Kevin says he stopped to travel traveling internationally because of his family.

We can use the verb stop with both the gerund and the infinitive. When we use stop with the gerund, it means that someone was doing something and then stopped. When we use stop with the infinitive, it means that someone stopped an action in order to start doing something else.

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​Kevin stopped working at 6 p.m. last night.

Kevin stopped to work at 6 p.m. last night.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: We regret informing you that your application has been denied.

• regret

• informing

• that

• been

• no error

We regret informing to inform you that your application has been denied.

Regret is normally used with the gerund. However, to communicate bad news (usually in writing) we use regret + infinitive. For more verbs that can be used with both the infinitive and the gerund.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: The interview was broadcasted live over the internet.

• the

• was

• over

• broadcasted

• no error

The interview was broadcasted live over the internet.

Broadcast is an irregular verbs. It doesn’t change in the simple past and participle form, just like the verbs let, bet, set, put, cut, and shut.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: I’m so glad that he spoke in my behalf because I felt awful that I couldn’t make it to the event.

• in

• felt

• couldn't

• to

• no error

I’m so glad that he spoke in on my behalf because I felt awful that I couldn’t make it to the event.

In behalf, they argue, is used when the meaning is in the interest of someone else, but on behalf is used when speaking for someone.

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For example, a medical decision would be made in behalf of the patient, and you would speak on behalf of your family.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: When the check came, I tried to pay but John told me to put away my wallet and insisted that he paid for dinner.

• came

• away

• insisted

• paid

• no error

When the check came, I tried to pay but John told me to put away my wallet and insisted that he paid pay for dinner.

The subjunctive form in this example is the infinitive without “to” (go, eat, do, run, etc.).

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​advise, ask, command, demand, desire, insist, order, prefer, propose, recommend, request, suggest

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: The four participants discussed it between themselves.

• participants

• it

• between

• themselves

• no error

The four participants discussed it between among themselves.

We need to use among here because we are talking about more than two things that are not distinct items.

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​Note that amongst would also be correct, but it is not as commonly used as among.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: We thought we were going to expand this year, but we actually have less people now than we did two years ago.

• were going

• but

• less

• ago

• no error

We thought we were going to expand this year, but we actually have less fewer people now than we did two years ago.

Although using less before count nouns (cars, people, resources, etc.) is becoming more acceptable, the rule is that we use fewer before count nouns and less before non-count nouns (time, patience, determination, etc.).

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​Examples:We have fewer candidates for this position than we expected.

We have less candidates for this position than we expected.

Carl has less stress now that he has started working out after work.

Carl has fewer stress now that he has started working out after work.

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: He told me that he had never been in that restaurant before.

• me

• had

• in

• that

• no error

He told me that he had never been in to that restaurant before.

We say been to, not been in to communicate places that we have visited (countries, cities, towns, restaurants, stores, etc.). Note that If we are talking about a specific room, we would use in.

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Example:

Have you been to Italy?

Have you been in Italy?

Multiple Choice

Identify the error in the sentence: Never before I had seen something quite like that.

• never

• I had

• quite

• that

• no error

Never before I had had I seen something quite like that.

We use subject-verb inversion when we start a sentence with a negative adverb (never, hardly, seldom, etc.).