HOW TO EXPLAIN ERRORS IN

SENTENCES
 sSE A
SECTION Errors dealing with NOUNS AND VERBS

Look, at the following simple sentence:

“The kind man helped the boy.”

Here, “the man” helped. He did the helping.

All right, then “the man” is the SUBJECT of the verb “helped”.
Now, to revise, briefly, underline the noun (or pronoun) which is the SUBJECT in each
sentence:
1. The greedy girl wants the cake.
2. One of the women helps the girl.
3. A multiple choice of subjects confuses him.
4. Nobody seems to be ready.
5. The results of his effort were encouraging.
6. The cause of our problems lies in our apathy. Now turn over for the answer
Well, here are the answers. See how many you got right!
The noun (or pronoun) which is the SUBJECT in the sentence, is underlined:
1. The greedy girl wants the cake.
2. One (of the women) helps the girl.
3. A multiple choice (of subjects) confuses him.
4. Nobody seems to be ready.
5. The results (of his effort) were encouraging.
6. The cause (of our problems) lies in our apathy.

You will notice that some cases there are TWO nouns before the verb; and the secret is
to discover WHICH of the two is the SUBJECT of the verb.
You will also notice that by drawing a bracket around any phrase in the sentence, that
the SUBJECT stands out more clearly.
Now it is time for us to learn one of the most important rules in language:
THE RULE OF CONCORD…
 A. Learn this RULE OF CONCORD: (Remember, if I am in concord with you, it means I
agree with you.) The Rule of Concord is that the SUBJECT of that sentence must
agree in NUMBER with the finite verb of the sentence.

This means: If a SUBJECT is SINGULAR, then the finite verb must be SINGULAR;
If a SUBJECT IS PLURAL, then the finite verb must be PLURAL.

(Some people think that to add an ‘s’ to a verb makes it plural, like nouns. This, of course is
not so).

B. Another little loose rule to remember (which applies for the 3rd person ONLY – is this
is where the error of concord lies), is that:
o If you can use HE – in front of a verb and it sounds correct, then this verb is
SINGULAR;
o If you can use THEY – in front of a verb and it sounds correct, then this verb
is PLURAL.
In other words:
The verb “sings” is a singular verb because I can say “HE” sings”;
the verb “blame” is a plural verb because I can say “THEY” blame”.
(In the past tense, there is NO problem: “Sang” is singular and plural!
as you can say “HE sang” and “THEY sang”.See?)

So: “Is, was, has” are SINGULAR verbs; “are, were, have” are PLURAL verbs.
a. Sometimes there are plural-sounding nouns which are thought of as a single unit:
 The Rule of Concord still applies:
Look at the following sentence:
.
The government has tried to improve the situation

Now notice:
i) “Government” sounds plural but it is thought of as ONE unit.
Therefore it is considered as a SINGULAR subject.
ii) “government” is SUBJECT of the verb “has tried”.
iii) “has tried” is SINGULAR (as we can try the simple test ‘He has tried’).

So, the above sentence correctly applies the RULE OF CONCORD.

i.e. As the subject is singular, the finite verb is singular.
Now, turn over for other examples where plural-sounding nouns are thought of as
SINGULAR units (therefore as singular subjects) …
 The crowd (as a single unit) is well-
behaved.
So too: The family was happy.
The jury is unanimous.
The team is delighted with its victory.
Mathematics is easy.
The news is good.
Physics is interesting.
The innings delights the crowd.
The series is popular.
Game is plentiful in the Game Reserve.
Fruit is healthy.
Politics is a challenging career.
❖ You will notice that ALL the subjects in the above sentences SOUND plural but they
are thought of as a SINGULAR subject.
❖ Therefore they all take a SINGLULAR finite verb.
❖ Check if this is, in fact, true in the above sentences.
❖ Does this satisfy the Rule of Concord?
❖ Yes!
❖ Good, so far!
 a. Consider the following:

Sometimes one can CONSIDER a plural-sounding noun and THINK of it as consisting of a NUMBER of
SEPARATE UNITS.

Then, of course, the subject IS plural;

AND the finite verb following must then ALSO be PLURAL:
e.g. the team is delighted about its victory.
Nobody seems to be ready for his grand entrance.

A PLURAL subject will also, of course, be followed by a plural verb AND plural adjective:
e.g. The jury were divided in their verdict.

C. The Rule of Concord also applies to PLURAL nouns, which are SUBJECTS: e.g. The girls
dress well. (“Girls” is a plural SUBJECT + “dress” is a plural VERB).

Now let us look at some other, particular PLURAL SUBJECTS which are followed by a PLURAL finite
verb (following perfectly the RULE of Concord!)
scissors sports These PLURAL nouns, if
shears shorts SUBJECTS in a sentence,
tongs pincers are followed by a PLURAL finite
trousers clippers verb. E.g. These scissors are sharp.
thanks riches
compasses pants plural + plural
pliers SUBJECT + verb

BUT one would say, “The pair (of scissors) IS sharp.”

singular + singular
subject verb
 d. Let us consider another aspect of the RULE of CONCORD:
If “nobody” means “not ONE body” then, of course, “nobody” is singular.
And if it is used as a singular SUBJECT then it is followed by a SINGULAR finite verb.

e.g. Nobody disturbs him.

(Remember: “Disturbs” is singular because we can say “he” disturbs,
Singular + Singular acceptably)

Subject finite
verb

The same applies to the following: All these (if subjects) are followed by a singular finite verb.
-body: somebody (some ONE
body)
Anybody (any ONE body)
-one: no-one
someone
everyone
anyone
-thing: nothing (not ONE thing) e.g. 1. Everyone was happy. 2. Each has succeeded.
anything
something singular singular singular singular
each subject + finite verb subject + finite verb
e. One can even go so far as to say that
If TWO nouns are thought of as one, SINGLE idea, because (a) they are very similar, (b) they
go together then this combined SUBJECT is followed by a SINGULAR finite verb…

e.g. His aim and object is to teach me.

Combined singular
Singular + finite
Subject verb

Also:
Bacon and eggs is delicious. Bangers and mash is lovely; ice-cream and chocolate sauce is
delicious. His effort and initiative was rewarded. Fish and chips is popular.

NB: 1. Normally, if one uses “and” it makes the subject plural

e.g. Jack and Jill are here.

they + plural

2. In the following sentence

“As well as” and “with” leads to a singular subject and therefore a singular finite
verb:

e.g. Jill (as well as) her sister is waiting in the lounge
(with)
f.

Now we come to the only compound sentence where the rule of concord varies. This variation
should not confuse you if you understand clearly why it varies.

Look at the following sentence:

Either the girl or the boy lives here.

“Either” and “or” are co-ordinate conjunctions.

Therefore the above sentence is a compound sentence consisting of TWO simple sentences:
Either the girl (lives here);
Or the boy lives here.

Then you see that the Rule of Concord applies:

“The girl” is a singular subject; “the boy” (the other subject ) is also singular.
Therefore the verb (lives) is singular, in both cases.

So; “Either the girl or the boy lives here” is correct

sing. or sing. + sing.

Subject subject verb

Turn over to see what happens if both subjects are plural.

The same, of course, applies when both subjects are plural.
e.g.

Neither the boys nor the girls live here.

This compound sentence can be separated as follows:

1. Neither the boys (live here);

2. or the girls live here.

So the Rule of Concord applies:

“The boys” and “the girls” are BOTH plural SUBJECTS –

Therefore the plural verb (live) is acceptable in both cases.

So “Neither the boys nor the girls live here” is correct.

Now turn over to examine a sentence where the co-ordinating conjunctions (Neither…nor;
either…or) introduce TWO subjects DIFFERENT in number

i.e. one SINGULAR; one PLURAL! Now what do we do?...

Look at:
Neither the girl nor her brothers live here.
In the one sentence the SUBJECT is a SINGULAR:
i.e. Neither the girl [live(s) here].
In the other sentence, the SUBJECT is PLURAL:
i.e. Nor her brothers (live here).

Now what?
SIMPLE!
The RULE is that the subject NEARER to the verb decides the NUMBER of the verb (whether it is
singular (lives).

NOW, REVISE the WHOLE of SECTION A and make sure that you understand the work before you go
on to doing the revision exercises.
Once you are SURE that you UNDERSTAND this section, complete the following exercise by
correcting the errors.

1. The hungry boy take the cake.

2. One of the teachers see him taking the cake.
3. A selection of songs interest the boys.
4. Nobody believe the story of the old man.
5. The results of her examination was pleasing.
6. The cause of the troubles lie in their disobedience.
Only when you have satisfied yourself that you have done as much as you can, only then should
you turn over the page for the answers…
Answers:

1. “The boy” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “take” should be singular – “takes” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “The hungry boy takes the cake.”

2. “One” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “see” should be singular – “sees” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “One of the teachers sees him taking the cake.”

3. “A selection” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “interest” should be singular “interests” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “A selection of songs interests the boys.”

4. “Nobody” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “believe” should be singular “believes” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Nobody believes the story of the old man.”

5. “The results” is the subject of the sentence. It is plural.

Therefore the verb “was” should be plural “were” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “The results of her examination were pleasing.”

6. “The cause” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “lie” should be singular – “lies” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “The cause of the troubles lies in their disobedience.
Here are some more exercises:

1. A multiple of subjects confuse him.

2. The government have called a meeting of their members.

3. The innings of the team delight the crowd.

4. Game in the Hhluhluwe Game Park are plentiful.

5. The family is split by the divorce.

6. The shears of the gardener is missing.

Answers

1. “Choice” is the subject of the sentence, It is singular, therefore the verb “confuse”
should be singular – “confuses” (Rule of Concord)
The sentence should read: “A multiple choice of subjects confuses him”.

2. “The government” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular, therefore the verb “have called”
should be singular – “has called (Rule of Concord).
AND “The government” is singular. Therefore the adjective “their” should be singular – “its”.
The sentence should read: “The government has called a meeting of its members.”

3. “The innings” (although plural-sounding) is a singular subject. Therefore the verb “delight”
should be singular – “delights”. (Rule of Concord)
The sentence should read: “The innings of the team delights the crowd.”

4. “Game” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular (although plural sounding). Therefore, the
verb”are” should be singular – “is” (Rule of Concord)
The sentence should read: “Game in the Hhluhluwe Game Park is plentiful.”

5. “The family” is thought of as consisting of separate units here.

Therefore the verb “is” should be plural “are”. (Rule of Concord)
The sentence should read: “The family are split by the divorce.”

6. “Shears” is the subject of the sentence. It is plural.

Therefore the verb “is missing” should be plural – “are missing”.
The sentence should read: “The shears of the gardener are missing.”
Study the following sentences:
● Isolate the error(s);
● Explain the error(s);
● Rewrite each sentence correctly.

1. Everyone at the party are enjoying themselves.

2. Each of the debutantes have reached their target.

3. No-one need to be worried.

4. Her kindness and generosity are much appreciated.

5. Neither the captain nor the officers is aware of the stowaway.

6. Either the criminals or their accomplice are to blame.

Now turn over the page for the answers.

Answers

1. “Everyone” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the plural verb “are” should be singular – “Is” (Rule of Concord).
AND Because “everyone” is singular, the second pronoun should also be singular (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Everyone at the party is enjoying himself.”

2. “Each” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “have” should be singular – “has” (Rule of Concord).
AND Because the subject is singular, the possessive adjective should also be singular (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Each of the debutantes has reached her target.”

3. “No-one” is the subject of the sentence. It is singular.

Therefore the verb “need” should be singular – “needs” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “No-one needs to be worried.”

4. “Her kindness and generosity” are thought of as one COMBINED subject. Therefore the subject is
singular. So the verb “are” should be singular – “is”. (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Her kindness and generosity is much appreciated.”

5. The subject “captain” is singular; the subject “officers” is plural. Therefore the verb should be plural
(Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Neither the captain nor the officers are aware of the stowaway.”

6. The subject “the criminals” is plural; the subject “accomplice” is singular. Therefore the verb “are”
should be singular – “is” (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Either the criminals or their accomplice is to blame.

Now revise the WHOLE of SECTION A. Make sure you understand it BEFORE you go on to Section B…
SECTION B Still dealing with errors dealing with
NOUNS AND VERBS
1. Now, while we are thinking about subjects and verbs, look at the following clumsy sentence.
Decide what is wrong, stylistically.
“I, as Chairperson of the Flower Club, wish to thank the speaker most warmly”
.

As the subject and its verb are too separated, the sentence sounds clumsy.
It should read, “As Chairpesron of the Flower Club, I wish to thank you most warmly.”

2. A malapropism is also a common error. Mrs Malaprop, a character in the play “The Rivals” by
Sheridan, used to make the following type of error – to use the wrong word in the wrong context
(but similar-sounding to the word she wanted to use).
e.g. He disagreed and she also dissected (meant to say “dissented”).

3. Another common error is ignorance of the subjunctive tense. After a wish, a condition, or
doubt, the subjunctive tense is used.
e.g. If I were a rich man, I would help the needy. I wonder whether she should do that.
4. Now let us look at the difference between “been” and “being”. (It is a tense difference)

(i) “being is a present participle therefore it is used as a complement of an incomplete verb

e.g. She is being difficult or = Being ill, she cannot go.
(present)

(ii) “been” is a past participle, therefore it is also used as a complement of an incomplete verb
(iii) E.g. She has been ill.
(iv) Having been ill, she cannot go.
(Past)

5. Let us look at a few common errors to do with verbs:

the following commonly confused words should be sorted out now: The use of “passed” (a verb)
or “past” (a preposition, a noun, adjective or adverb).

In:

I passed the church, “Passed” is the finite verb in the past tense.
I walked past the church. “Past” is a simple preposition introducing a phrase. (past the church)
In the past, it was accepted. Here “past” is a noun.
I walked past. Here “past” is an adverb of place modifying “walked”.
Perhaps an easy way to remember this is to remember that a verb in the past tense often ends in
“ed” e.g. walked, talked, laughed, fetched etc
6. To advise is a verb in the infinitive form; “Advice” is a noun.
And the same applies to:
To practise A practice
To devise A device
To prophesy A prophecy Noun
To license; to counsel A licence; a council (NB. We talk of Counsel for the Defence)
VERB NOUN

e.g. “You must practise with that device” is correct.

7. “He has got a lovely house” is very clumsy because we are repeating unnecessarily.

“To have” and “to get” is the same thing here.

Therefore, “He has a lovely house” is adequate.

One should avoid tautology. (Unnecessary repetition).

Another reason for making this mistake is that “has” can be used as an incomplete verb or as a
finite verb. In “I have got a house – “have” is an incomplete verb. In “I have a house” – “have” is
finite.
This is what we want!
8. In the following sentence the underlined words are ALL complements of the incomplete verb:
The girl is lovely. (Descriptive adjective, complement of the incomplete verb).
He is a doctor. (Noun of agent, complement of the incomplete verb).
He is laughing. (Present participle, complement of the incomplete verb).
It is she, who… (Personal Pronoun, complement of the incomplete verb).

Now look at the following sentence

The reason for his success is that he worked very hard.
This underlined CLAUSE is also complement of the incomplete verb.
It is a subordinate NOUN CLAUSE – acceptable structure.

BUT

The reason for his success is because he worked hard - is incorrect. “because he worked hard” is
an ADVERBIAL clause and this cannot be complement of a verb!

So remember the structure:

“The reason for… is that…”
 9. Now let us still think about nouns but go on to something different.
Apostrophes for example can be poorly applied.
Look how.

a) ”The mayor’s brother’s wife” is unnecessarily complicated.

The wife of the mayor’s brother” is in every way less clumsy.
(Remember, the apostrophe can often be converted to “of” – showing possession).

b) ”This is Peter’s and Paul’s house” is also unnecessary.

The following is acceptable.
Either: “This is Peter and Paul’s house.”
Better still “This is the house of Peter and Paul”.
NB: These are Peter’s and Paul’s books = double possession (there are two piles!)

c) “Rustenburg Girls’ High School “is correct because it means the High school for girls
(plural).

Remember: One can always convert the possessive word into a possessive phrase (starting with “of”)
to decide whether the apostrophe comes before or after the s!
10. Let us look at the split infinitive – which is also an error.

An infinitive is the most basic form of a verb. Remember?

It is easily recognised.
Here are some infinitives: to laugh, to sing, to jump etc.
This unit is really inseparable.

So the following sentence is wrong for that reason:

“She decided to busily work”
“She decided to work busily” is better.

Now revise the whole of Section B fully before you go on to doing the revision exercises…
Study the following sentences;
Isolate the errors;
Explain the errors;
Rewrite the sentences correctly.

1) She, as the organizer of the Spring Festival, wishes to invite all who are interested to attend.

2) I past my examination and now have past the worst hurdle.

3) I have got a wonderful chance to go to University.

4) This passed week I have been very excited.

5) I have got my driving license and drive passed your house every day.

6) The reason for my excitement is because I am so happy.

Now turn over for the answers…

1. “She” is the subject of the sentence. It is too far from its finite verb. Stylistically, this is
incorrect. The sentence should read : “As organizer of the Spring Festival, she wishes to invite
all who are interested to attend.”
2. “past” is either a preposition, a noun, an adjective or an adverb. Here it should be the finite verb
.“passed” at first; then the past participle “passed” (still a verb form!)
The sentence should read: “I passed my examination and now have passed the worst hurdle.”
3. “have got” is an example of tautology.
The sentence should read: “I have a wonderful chance to go to University.”
4. “Passed” is a finite verb. It should be an adjective qualifying “week”.
The sentence should read: “This past week I have been very excited.”
5. “have got” is an example of tautology.
AND “license” is the verb form. It should be the noun form
AND “passed” is in the finite verb form. It should be a preposition here.
The sentence should read: “I have my driving licence and drive past your house every day.”
7. “because I am so happy” is an adverbial clause. It should be a noun clause, complement of the
incomplete verb.
The sentence should read: “The reason for my excitement is that I am so happy.”
Now turn over for a few more exercises based on Section B only.
Study the following sentences;
Isolate the error(s);
Explain the error(s);
Rewrite the sentences correctly,

1) My brother’s girlfriend’s dog lovely.

2) That is Jill’s and Geoff’s trophy.

3) I attended the Brickhill Girl’s High School.

4) You must practice with that devise.

5) I, as representative of the Counsel, shall ask the rate-payers for their opinion.

6) The mayor past a resolution proposed by the counsellor.

Now turn over for the answers.

1. There are too many apostrophes; the sentence is clumsy.
The sentence should read: “The dog of my brother’s girlfriend is lovely.”

2. The extra apostrophe is unnecessary.

the sentence should read: “This is the trophy of Jill and Geoff.
Or, better still: “This is Jill and Geoff’s trophy.”

3. The apostrophe indicates a girl (singular). It should be plural – “girls”.

The sentence should read: “I attended the Brickhill Girls’ High School.”

4. “Practice” should be in the verb form. Here it is a noun.

“advise” is in the verb form; it should be a noun.
The sentence should read: “You must practise with that device.”

5.The subject “I” is too far removed from its finite verb; therefore the sentence is clumsy.
AND “Counsel” should be “council” as we are talking about rate-payers.
The sentence should read: “AS representative of the Council, I shall ask the rate-payers for their
opinion.”

6. “past’ is either an adverb, adjective, noun or preposition. Here it should be a in the verb form.
AND as we are talking about the mayor, we can assume fairly safely that we mean to write
“councillor) member of a council) and not “counsellor” (adviser).
The sentence should read: “The mayor passed a resolution proposed by the councillor.”

Now, revise section B, thoroughly before going on to Section C…

 SECTION C
Errors dealing with PRONOUNS
Here are a few rules applying to PRONOUNS:
1. “Each other” is used for TWO; “one another” for more than two.
e.g. Jim and Roger spoke to each other.
The pupils asked one another various questions.

2. “Either” is used for TWO; any” is used for MORE than two.
e.g. I have not seen either of the two boys all day.
He has ten sweets but will not give me any.

3. Do not name yourself first:

e.g. “Peter and I did some shopping” is correct.
“Me and Peter…” is wrong! AND “Peter and myself…” is wrong.

4. Do not use two negatives in a sentence:

“I am not afraid of anybody” is correct.
(not: I am not afraid of nobody).

5. After “but” and “than” (CONJUNCTIONS), use the SUBJECT case: But UNDERSTAND why:
e.g. All passed but he (did not pass) “He” and “I” are SUBJECT of the understood verb! See?
He is older than I (am)

6. After “let” use the object case.

e.g. “Let us do the work now.”
7. Look at the following common incorrect use of the pronoun”
“George and myself were pleased with the result,” is wrong.
“Myself’ is incorrectly used, Let us see why…
If you remember,
“myself” can only be used either as a REFLEXIVE PRONOUN e.g. I dress myself quickly, or an
EMPHATIC PRONOUN e.g. I did the work myself!

In “George and myself were pleased with the result”, “myself” is neither reflexive nor emphatic
Therefore it cannot be used in that form.

Instead, the correct PERSONAL PRONOUN should be used.

e.g. George and I were pleased with the result.

8. In the next sentence, another pronoun is also incorrectly used:

“On behalf of my wife and I, I should like to thank you.”
“On behalf of” is a prepositional unit and is therefore followed by the OBJECT case.
(Remember: All prepositions are followed by the Object case).
Therefore “Me” should be used (not the subject case: I)

So the correct sentence is:

“On behalf of my wife and me, I should like to thank you.”

Prepositional object
phrase case

The same applies to

“Nobody except you and me (not you and I) took much interest.

Preposition object case

9. Look how a repeated pronoun can lead to ambiguity (double meaning):
“When he asked him for the time, he said that he did not have a watch.”

Who did not have a watch?

It is not clear.

And clear use of language is always good.

One will have to supply a noun even just in brackets, to clarify the meaning.
Like this…
When he asked him (his brother) for the time, he (his brother) said that he (he brother) did not
have a watch.

But this is too clumsy:

So, better still:

When he asked him (his brother, Jim) for the time, Jim said that he did not have a watch.

10.A mistake often made is to say:

“I, myself, personally feel that it is not right!”

Here again we have unnecessary clumsy repetition: I = myself = personally, here!

“I feel it is not right” suffices!

(Myself – the emphatic pronoun is used incorrectly here too!)

However:
“I, myself, voted against the motion.” is acceptable because I am stressing the point.
11. Now let us clear up the confusion that surrounds the relative pronoun WHO OR whom.
(a) First, remember, that WHO is the SUBJECT form;
WHOM is the OBJECT form.
Now, look at the following COMPLEX sentence:
Here is the girl who won the prize.
“WHO” is a relative pronoun:
I is a RELATIVE because it relates two parts of a sentence (like a conjunction).
It is a PRONOUN because it substitutes for the noun (“girl”) which always precedes it
(called the antecedent).

Now, let us separate the complex sentence into TWO sentences (its two clauses).
Sentence 1 Sentence 2
Here is the girl The girl won the prize.
(who)

In the second sentence, “the girl” is SUBJECT of “won”.

Therefore “WHO” is used!
Look at some other examples…
NB. The RULE is that you use “WHO” or “WHOM”
Depending on its position IN ITS CLAUSE.

If it is SUBJECT of the verb IN ITS CLAUSE, use “WHO”;

If it is OBJECT of the verb IN ITS CLAUSE, use “WHOM”.

Now, look at the following sentence:

“She is the girl who, I think, should attend the course.”

a. “I think” is only an aside so simplify the sentence without it:

“She is the girl who (I think) should attend the course.”

b. Now we separate the sentences (mentally of course) – using the antecedent instead of the
relative pronoun (who, whom):

(who)
She is the girl; the girl should attend the course.

c. “The girl” in sentence 2 is SUBJECT of the verb “should attend;

Therefore “who” (subject form) should be used.
Therefore, “She is the girl, who, I think, should attend the course” is right.
Turn over, and try once more…
Let us try once more – with a difference!

Look at the following sentence:

He is the man whom she trusted.
If we separate the sentences, using the antecedent instead of the rel. pronoun, we have :

Sentence 1 Sentence 2
He is the man She trusted the man.
(whom)
In Sentence 2, “the man” is the OBJECT of the verb “trusted”.
Therefore WHOM (OBJECT form) is correct:
“He is the man WHOM she trusted.” Is correct.
We shall practise this soon…
(b) Let us use this information to eradicate another error.

Is the following sentence correct?

”She is one of the people who dislike lifts.”

Well, “who” is a relative pronoun taking the place of the antecedent “people”.
“People” is plural
Therefore “who” is plural
Therefore the verb “dislike” which is plural, is correct. (Rule of Concord)

It works like his:

She is one of the people, who dislike lifts.
12. Now look how a missing pronoun creates confused language:

“The parks of Cape Town are lovelier than Durban”

Here the comparison is unbalanced.
We cannot compare
“The parks of Cape Town” with Durban”

Therefore we have to supply the noun “parks” again

Or we have to supply a demonstrative pronoun which refers to “parks”.
e.g. “The parks of Cape Town are lovelier than THOSE of Durban”
I’m sure you will agree that the sentence is logically better AND grammatically better!

Now, REVISE Section C thoroughly before going on to the revision exercises…

 Study the following sentences;
Isolate the error(s);
Explain the errors.
Rewrite each sentence correctly.
1. The fifteen pupils in the bus asked each other questions.
2. She bought three cakes but will not give me either.
3. I and John went to the cinema.
4. I never go nowhere!
5. She is wiser than me.
6. Jill and myself enjoyed the film.
7. On behalf of Fred and I, I should like to thank you.

Now turn over for the answers…

1. “Each other” only applies to two pupils. It should be “one another”.
The sentence should read: “The fifteen pupils in the bus asked one another questions.”
2. “Either” only applies to two items; here it should be “any”.
The sentence should read: “She bought three cakes but will not give me any.”
3. “I” is never written first, it should come second here.”
The sentence should read:” John and I went to the cinema.”
4. Two negatives are not used like this. (Never and nowhere).
The sentence should read. “I never go anywhere.”
5. After “than” the subject case is used (as subject of the understood verb).
The sentence should read: She is wiser than I.
6. “Myself” here is neither reflexive nor emphatic. The personal pronoun should
therefore be used.
The sentence should read: “Jill and I enjoyed the film.”
7. “I” is in the wrong case after the prepositional unit “on behalf of”. It should be in the
object case – me”.
The sentence should read: “On behalf of Fred and me, I should like to thank you.”
Now turn over for more revision exercises to do with Section c…
Write down the following sentences;
Isolate the error(s);
Explain the error(s)
Rewrite each sentence correctly.
1. Nobody except you and I saw the film.
2. When she asked her opinion, she said she had not studied the book.
3. I, myself, personally, take exception to the remark.
4. The girl whom so we believe baked the cake, is a good cook.
5. She is the girl who according to rumour he sacked.
6. The fashions of Cape Town are more up-to-date than Johannesburg.

Now turn over for the answers…

1. in the wrong case after the preposition “except”. It should be in the object case.
The sentence should read: “Nobody except you and me saw the film.”
2. This sentence is confusing because the pronouns and adjectives are so similar.
The sentence should read: “When she asked her (Jenny) for her opinion, Jenny said that she had
not read the book.”
3. “I myself, personally” is an example of tautology.
The sentence should read:” I take exception to the remark!”
4. “Whom” is in the wrong case. it should be in the subject form, as subject of “baked”.
“Who” is in the wrong case. It should be in the object case, as object of “sacked”.
The sentence should read: “She is the girl whom (according to rumour) he sacked.”
5. This is an unbalanced comparison. (fashions vs Johannesburg)
The sentence should read: “The fashions of Cape Town are more up-to-date than those of
Johannesburg.”

Now, REVISE the whole of Section C before going on to Section D…

 Errors dealing with PREPOSITIONS, PARTICIPLES,
SECTION D AND GERUNDS
Let us look at some errors involving PREPOSITIONS

1. If you remember, the FUNCTIOM of a preposition is to introduce a phrase.

It must always be followed, in a phrase, by a noun, pronoun or gerund…
Look at the following sentence:
‘I want to go with.’
As the underlined preposition is NOT introducing a phrase, then the sentence is
incorrect, as it is incomplete:

There are, of course, TWO ways to correct this:

Either: “I want to go with you.” (whole phrase),
Or : “I want to go.” (no phrase at all)

“With” left like this is sometimes called “a dangling preposition” and now you can
understand why!
2. Remember, too, the rule about the following prepositions:
BETWEEN is used for two; AMONG is used for more than two.
e.g. I sat between the man and his wife.
I divided the sweets among the six boys.

3. WHEN do you use DUE to and when do you use OWING TO?
They are both DOUBLE PREPOSITIONS; and therefore both introduce a phrase.
(i) Now look at the following sentence:
I recovered from my blisters due to ill-fitting shoes.
The phrase “due to ill-fitting shoes” describes the antecedent noun (blisters) and
THEREFORE the phrase ADJECTIVAL.

NB. As due to always qualifies its antecedent, a sentence cannot START with “DUE TO”:
(ii) Now look at another sentence:
I recovered from my blisters owing to a good medical check-up.
The phrase “owing to a good medical check-up” tells us WHY he recovered and THEREFORE the
phrase is ADVERBIAL.
So, DUE TO” introduces an adjectival phrase/ OWING TO introduces an adverbial phrase.
 (One can also substitute CAUSED BY for DUE TO/BECAUSE OF for OWING TO – perhaps a simpler
method but this is not an explanation!)
4. In the following sentence, the understood preposition may be left out because it is the same IN
BOTH CASES:
He walked from the car-park – and her life.
What is understood is: He walked from the car-park – and (from) her life.
As FROM has already been used, it is not necessary to repeat it…
BUT
In the following sentence the participle cannot be left out:
This fact did not add nor detract from the case.
If ‘to’ is not added then we understand: This fact did not add from the case (which is incorrect).
Let us look overleaf at other examples of this error…
In a similar way, study the following sentences:
1. “He never had and never would commit such an offence”
should become
“He never had committed and never would commit such an
offence.”
2. “He ought and I’m sure sill make an apology.”
should become
“He ought to (make) and I’m sure sill make an apology.

3. “The summer was dry and hot and the fields parched”
should become
“The summer was dry and hot and the fields were parched”

MAKE SURE that you understand the above before you go on to the next error…
(Understand that these could be grouped under Nouns and Verbs (Section B).
5. The following words are commonly confused. Please learn the difference now:
(a) To be uninterested means not to be interested.
e.g. the bored spectator was uninterested in the match.
(b) To be disinterested means to be impartial; to be interested but not to take sides.
e.g. The disinterested judge judged the case fairly.

6. A finite verb can easily consist of three words

e.g. I must have forgotten the date.

incomplete incomplete past

verb verb participle

Now, some people pronounce this, “I must’v forgotten”, and then they write this:”I must of
forgotten”, and you can plainly see that the preposition “of” cannot take the place of the
incomplete verb “have”.
7. Now let us understand the difference between
1. I admire your helping at the fête.
2. I admire you, helping at the fête.

1. In sentence 1, “helping” is the DIRECT OBJECT of the verb “admire” and as it

ends in –ing
comes from a verb (to help)
acts like a NOUN
THEN ‘helping’ is a GERUND here. Remember?
AND therefore we have a possessive ADJECTIVE before it: his (not the personal pronoun:
him).
2. In sentence 2, “you” is the direct object of the verb “admire” and now, as “helping”
ends in –ing
comes from a verb (to help)
acts like an ADJECTIVE
THEN ‘helping’ is a PRESENT PARTICIPLE here. See?
So remember, before all gerunds we use the possessive ADJECTIVE and no comma; and if
we have a comma then the word ending in – ing is a PRESENT PARTICIPLE
8. Now, let us look at another present participle that causes trouble.
First of all, let us revise the two functions of a present particple:
(a)It acts like an ADJECIVE (it qualifies a noun, pronoun or gerund) e.g. The laughing girl is sweet
OR
(b)It is COMPLEMENT of an incomplete verb e.g. (she was running.)
Now look at the following sentence:
“Driving too fast, the motorist risks his life.”
Here “driving” is a present participle because it qualifies “motorist” (like and adjective). All ight?

We can say that “DRIVING” is a related participle because it relates to the noun”MOTORIST”,
directly.
Now – look at the following sentence and NOTICE the DIFERENCE!
Standing on the hill, the view is magnificent.
Here STANDING is clearly an UNrelated participle as it is NOT the VIEW which is STANDING on the
hill!
Turn over to practise the work learnt in SECTION D…
Write down the following sentences;
Isolate the error(s);
Explain the errors;
Rewrite the sentences correctly.
1. Please, let me go with.
2. I sat between the Chairman, his wife and their Guests-of Honour.
3. Share the sweets among the two members of the team.
4. Due to poor eye-sight, he failed the driving test.
5. The riot was controlled due to quick thinking.
6. I cannot agree and then vote against your proposal.
7. The vote was taken and the members thus satisfied.
8. I do not like you playing tennis when your are still ill.
Now turn over for the answers…
1. “With” is a dangling preposition.
The sentence should read: “Please, let me go with you” OR “Please, let me go.”
2. “Between” can only be used for TWO.
The sentence should read: “I sat among the Chairman, his wife and their Guests-of-Honour.”
3. “Among” is used for more than two.
The sentence should read: “Share the sweets between the two members of the team.”
4. “Due to” must have an antecedent. The phrase modifes he verb “failed”.
Therefore it is an adverbial phrase. Therefore “owing to “ should be used.
The sentence should read: “Owing to poor eye-sight, he failed the driving test.”
5. The phrase “due to quick thinking” modifies the verb, “was controlled”.
Therefore it should be an adverbial phrase. Therefore “owing to” should be used.
The sentence should read: “The riot was controlled owing to quick thinking.”
6. If you do not write “agree with’ then it sounds as if you are saying, “agree against” and “vote
against”.
The sentence should read: “I cannot agree with and then vote against your proposal.
7. If the word “were” is not inserted, then “was” would be understood.
This is singular and does not agree with the subject “members”.
The sentence should thus read: “The vote was taken and the members were thus satisfied.”
8. “Playing” is a gerund. Therefore it is qualified by an adjective (possessive).
 The sentence should read: “I do not like your playing tennis when you are still ill.”
Write down the following sentences;
Isolate the errors;
Explain the errors;
Rewrite each sentence correctly.

1. Looking closely, the lion was spotted.

2. It is you driving which I object to.
3. I can neither decide nor agree with the choice of paint.
4. He passed his examination due to hard work.
5. I do not think you will be allowed to go with as you are too young.

Now turn over for the answers…

1. “Looking” is an unrelated participle.
The sentence should read: “Looking closely, the tourist
spotted the lion.
2. “Driving” is a gerund. Therefore it is qualified by a POSSESSIVE
ADJECTIVE.
The sentence should read: “It is your driving to which I
object .”
3. As it stands, the sentence implies “decide with” which is
incorrect.
Therefore “on” must be supplied.
The sentence should read: “I can neither decide on nor agree with the choice of paint.”
4. The phrase “due to hard work” modifies the verb “passed”.
Therefore it should be an adverbial phrase. Therefore “owing to” should be used.
The sentence should read: “He passed his examination owing to hard work.”
5. “with” is a dangling preposition.
The sentence should read: “I do not think you will be allowed to go with us as you are too young.”

Now revise Section D thoroughly before going on to Section E.

 Errors dealing with ADJECTI VES
SECTION D
AND ADVERBS:

1. Please LEARN the following and then use them correctly:

(i) MUCH/LITTLE are ADJECTIVES of QUANTITY (referring to MASS)

e.g. That is too much butter. You have given me too little cheese.

(ii) MANY/FEW are ADJECTIVES of NUMBER (that is: referring to items that can be COUNTED)

e.g. The few people present pleased her. She thought there would be many guests and that she
would not cope.

Note: In Gouda, how many cheeses did you buy? (they can be counted – see?)

2. Another rule to remember:

Use the COMPARATIVE adjective for 2.
Use the SUPERLATIVE adjective for more than 2.
She is the elder of the two girls and he is the eldest in the family.
She is older than her sister and her mother is the oldest van der Merwe present.
3. Now look at the following poor sentence and let us see if you can UNDERSTAND the error:
John speaks more clearer than Jill.

First of all “Clearer” is a comparative adjective and as the word is telling us about the verb (i.e.
HOW John speaks) we must use the Comparative ADVERB instead.

Clearly is the simple adverb.

More clearly is the comparative adverb.

So we should write: “John speaks more clearly than Jill.”

In fact it is a good time to remember when one uses MRE and MOST:

One-syllabled words take –er, -est. Three or more syllabled words take ‘more’, ‘most’ AND two-
syllabled words ending in –y, -ie, -re, -ow; take –er, -est.
 3. Look at the following sentences and try to explain why they are both so silly.
a. Six judges sit on maid’s case
b. She only ate three apples.

Can you see what is wrong?

(i) Well, sentence a is an ambiguous sentence: i.e. there are two meanings here:
Either we have the ridiculous picture of six judges sitting on a maid’s suitcase!
OR the sentence means that six judges presided over the courtcase concerning a maid.
The sentence should be changed, to be clear.

(ii) In sentence b: we wonder what she did to the other apples? After all, she only ATE three.
The adverb ONLY is in the wrong place. It should be before the word it modifies:

She ate ONLY three apples. (Here ONLY is an adverb modifying the numbered adjective three)
4. What about the following sentence: What is wrong do you think. Why is it clumsy?
“I reversed backwards.”
Well, obviously “to reverse” is “to go backwards!”
This unnecessary repetition is called TAUTOLOGY or REDUNDANCY and clearly leaves a clumsy
impression.
Here are other examples of the same error:
“I, myself, personally feel strongly about the issue. Yes, me.”
“This tiny, small little kitten is so cute!”
In the following two sentences, identify the part of speech of the underlined words:
5. “I went to town yesterday; did she go too?”
To is the preposition as it starts a phrase
Too is the adverb.
AND NOW?
She is too stupid to know the difference between right and wrong,
Too is the adverb because it modifies the adjective stupid;
To is art of the infinitive unit TO KNOW.
AND NOW?
6. Their boat sank there.
 There is the adverb because it tells us WHERE the boat sank. (also there or here helps you to
remember how to spell the word.)
7. Look at the following common errors – CLOSELY, and learn the correction NOW!
“All right” is TWO WORDS. (After all, you do not write alleft!)
8. “Quiet” means a bit of shush! It is a command or an adjective.
“Quite” is the adverb meaning “exactly” or “rather”.
(Perhaps a way to remember the difference is to remember that in the Emergency Ward one has to
be quiet!)
9. “Where” is the adverb.
“were” is an incomplete verb.
(Perhaps one way to remember the difference is to answer the question “Where?” with “here”
which is part of the word “where”!)
10.Notice the spelling of “separate”! Perhaps one way to remember the spelling is to think of a father
rat! Se PA RATe!
Notice the spelling of “definite”! Remember that it comes from “define”.
“Never” means “not ever”! So it is incorrect to say: “I never saw him at the show.” The correct
expression would be: “I did not see him at the show.”
12. What do you think is wrong with the following sentence? Look at the possessive adjective!
“One should do your best.”
The ONE and the YOUR are two different persons: The one is impersonal; the other personal.
“One shoud do ONE’S best when ONE…” is acceptable.
But
To use the NOUN of AGENT is still better:
e.g. “A pupil should do his best when he…” (Notice the concord!)
Now revise Section E thoroughly. Then go on to the revision exercises for Section E…

Write down the following sentences;

Isolate the errors;
Explain the errors;
Rewrite each sentence correctly.
1. There were on a little people at the party.
2. You are too generous. You have given me too much sweets.
3. Jill and Caroline are sisters. Caroline is the oldest.
4. Harry plays more fiercer than John.
5. He only bought a camera yesterday.
6. The clever, intelligent pupil deserved the prize.
1. “Little’ is an adjective of quantity (referring to mass). Here we are dealing with items that can be
counted.
2. The sentence should read: “There were only a few people at the party.”
“much” is an adjective of quantity (referring to mass). Here we are dealing with items that can be
counted.
The sentence should read; “You are too generous. You have given me too may sweets.”
3. “oldest” is used for more than two.
The sentence should read: “Jill and and Caroline are sisters. Caroline is the elder.”
4. “fiercer” is a comparative adjective, But as it modifies the verb “plays”, the adverb should be used.
The sentence should read: “Harry plays more fiercely than John.”
5. “Only” is modifying the wrong word. It should modify EITHER the article “a” (meaning one here)
OR the adverb “yesterday”.
So, the sentence could read either: “He bought only a camera yesterday.” OR “He bought a camera
only yesterday.”
6. “Clever” and “intelligent” mean practically the same thing here. So here we have an error of
tautology.
The sentence should read: “The clever (OR intelligent, but not both) pupil deserved the prize.”
Now turn over to do a few more exercises on Section E…
Write down the following sentences;
Isolate the errors;
Explain the errors;
Rewrite the sentences correctly.

1. I went too the village yesterday. Do you want to go to?

2. He is to clever too make such a mistake!
3. There house was built their
4. They where quiet surprised that the animals were defenitely seperated. They never knew that
before.
5. Once can only do your best in the examinations!

Now turn over for the answers…

1. “Too” is an adverb and should be a preposition.
AND “to” is a preposition and should be the adverb.
The sentence should read: “ I went to the village yesterday. Did you want to go too?”
2. “To” is a preposition here and should be an adverb (too). “Too” is incorrectly used as part of the
infinitive form of the verb. (to make)
The sentence should read: “He is too clever to make such a mistake.”
3. “There” is an adverb and should be the adjective (their) qualifying “house”
AND “their” is an adjective and should be the adverb (there) modifying the verb “was built”.
The sentence should read: “Their house was built there.”
4. “Where” is an adverb and should be the incomplete verb (were);
AND “quiet” is an adjective and should be the adverb “quite” modifying the past participle
“surprised”.
AND “definitely” is misspelt;
AND “separately” is misspelt;
AND “never” means “not ever”. Here it does not mean that.
The sentence should read: “The were quite surprised that the animals were definitely separated.
They had not known that before.”
5. “One” and “your” are different persons.
 The sentence should read: “Once can only do one’s best in the examinations”. OR “A pupil can only
do his best in the examinations.”
Now for the final practice session!
DO first go over ALL THE SECTIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU do UNDERSTAND THE EXPLANATIONS.
This is important. You must ask if you are unsure.

As many errors as possible have been covered. There are many others to avoid but this booklet will
help you make a start.

Do try to see if YOU can isolate the error(s) and explain them.
In this way, your speech and writing MUST improve…

Identify the errors in the following passage and explain each. Give the correction.

Earlier forms of travel, of course, were tiring and exhausting. Remembering the days when travelling was slow, the
jets please tourists now. The man whom we realize is happy sits in a comfortable chair, and not even one of the
other passengers feel the need for anything extra. Its reassuring to know that Jill and myself are safe.

Perhaps next time you will fly with. Due to modern technology, flying is popular. It is definitely more easier to travel
by air.
1. “Tiring” and “exhausting” are practically the same thing. This is tautology.
The sentence should read: “Earlier forms of travel, of course, were tiring.”
2. “Remembering” is an unrelated participle.
Correction: “Now the jets please tourists, who remember the days when travel was slow.”
3. “Whom” should be the subject of “is” (“we realise” is an aside).
So the sentence should read: “The man who (we realize) is happy…”
4. “feel” should be feels” as the subject (one) is singular (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “Not even one (if the passengers) feels the need…”
5. “It’s” should have an apostrophe as it means “it is”.
6. “Myself” is neither an emphatic nor reflexive pronoun here.
Therefore the personal pronoun in the subject case (subject of “re”) should be used.
The sentence should read: “It’s reassuring to know that Jill and I are safe.”
7. “with” is a dangling preposition.
The sentence should read: “Perhaps next time you will travel with him.”
8. “Due to” should have an antecedent. Therefore it cannot start a sentence.
The sentence should start: “Owing to…”
9. “Easier” is already comparative. Therefore to include “more” is tautology.
The sentence should read: “It is definitely easier to travel by air.”
Find EIGHT errors in the following passage; explain and correct each.

Being a fine day, I decided to go for a quite morning stroll. As I walked along, I was struck by the
atmosphere of peace that one always experiences when you are in the country. I thought of the old
couple who had told Tom and I about this spot with all it’s beauty and character. When they heard
that more houses might be built in the valley, they decided to immediately sell their land. Upset at
the thought of them leaving. Tom and I tried to persuade them otherwise, but neither of them were
prepared to reconsider.

Now try these sentences:

9. All the children have got mumps.

10. He only gave me fifty cents when I asked for one rand.
11. I am going to town; are you coming with?
12. He is the boy whom we consider should be elected leader.
1. “Being is an unrelated participle.
The sentence should read: “As it was a fine day, I decided…”
2. “quite” should be “quiet” as it is the adjective used here qualifying “stroll”.
The sentence should read: “I decided to go for a quiet morning stroll.
3. “One” and “you” are two different persons.
The sentence should read: “…that one always experiences when one is in the…”
4. “I “ should be “me” as the personal pronoun is OBJECT of the verb “had told”
The sentence should read:” I thought of the old couple who had told Tom and me…”
5. “It’s” does not mean “It is” here but is the possessive adjective (its).
The sentence should read: “ …with all its beauty and character.”
6. “to immediately sell” is a split infinitive.
The sentence should read: “They decided to sell their land immediately.”
7. “Leaving” is a gerund and therefore there must be a possessive adjective qualifying it: “Upset a t
the thought of their leaving.”
8. “were” should be “was” as the subject “neither” is singular (Rule of Concord):= “Neither of them was
prepared to reconsider.”
9. All the children have mumps (“Has got” is an example of tautology)
10.“only” is modifying the wrong word. The sentence should read “He gave me only fifty cents…”
“with” is a dangling preposition. The sentence should read:”…are you coming with me.”
 “whom” should be in the subject form (“who”) as it is subject of “should be elected.”
Now for more exercises…
First find the errors in the following passage, explain and correct each.

S.A. Culture is sometimes regarded as ‘Blik’ Culture. But, singing a song, the music is indigenous after all. The
public, who this directed at, feel the beat, but fail to recognise the pulse. We have not taken root. The reason for
these misconceptions are easy to understand. We have not accepted our growth here. We cling to much to our
overseas ties, and this knot binds us.

Then do the same with the following sentences:

6. Either you or Tom has to go.

7. He runs faster than me.
8. If everyone tried his best, they would make less mistakes.
9. I must of forgotten it at home.
10. The girl who I saw was the one you spoke about
11. The teacher as well as the children are in the classroom.
1. “singing” is an unrelated participle. The sentence should read: “When one sings a song, one realizes that
the music is indigenous after all.”
2. “who” should be in the object case as it is object of the preposition “at”.
The sentence should read: “The public, at whom this is directed…”
3. “feel” should be “feels” and “fall” should be “falls” as the subject “public” (although it sounds plural) is
thought of as a single unit and is therefore singular (Rule of Concord).
Correction: “The public, at whom this is directed, feels the best, but fails to recognize the pulse.”
4. “are” should be “is” (singular verb) as he subject (the reason) is singular. Rule of Concord.
The sentence should read: “The reason for these misconceptions is easy to understand.”
5. “to much” should be “too much” as we need the adverb here modifying the adverb “much”.
6. “have” should be “has” as “Tom” is nearer the subject than “you”. Concord Rule)
The sentence should read: “Either you or Tom has to go.”
7. “me” should be “I”. After “than” one uses the subject case, subject of the understood verb.
The sentence should read: “He runs faster than I.”
8. “they” should be “he”, in line with “everyone” and “his” (Rule of Concord).
AND “less” should be “fewer” (as we are using an adjective of NUMBER here).
The sentence should read: : If everyone tried his best, he would make fewer mistakes.
9. The preposition “of” should be the incomplete verb “have” to complete the verb.
The sentence should read: “I must have forgotten it at home.”
10. “Who” should be “whom”, object of the verb “saw”. = “The girl whom I saw…”
11. “As well as” leaves a previous subject. So here the verb must be singular (Rule of Concord) = The teacher
as well as the children is in the classroom.”
Find the errors in the following passage, explain and correct each.

Dear Valerie
This is just a note to let you know that the chap who you introduced me to has just phoned. Sitting at home
all day, the call
was just what I needed. The anxiety of my parents were unnecessary. The too could not accept me wanting to
remain
indoors!
Now do the sameYours
withaffectionately
the following sentences:
Jennifer
4. I do not want to take the little boy with.
5. My husband made a living travelling in ladies’ underwear.
6. I never want to travel on the sea: I prefer terra cotta.
7. I am more short than her.
8. The cause of him failing the tests lie in his laziness.
9. One should always do your duty.
10. It’s a woollen dress that she is wearing.
1. “who “ should be “whom” as object of the preposition “to”.
The sentence should read:”…to let you know that the chap to
whom…”
2. “Sitting” is an unrelated participle.
The sentence should read: “As I have been sitting at home all
day,…”
3. “Were” (plural) should be singular (was) as the subject is
singular (the anxiety). (Concord rule).
The sentence should read: “The anxiety of my parents was
unnecessary.”
4. “wanting” is a gerund and therefore is qualified by a possessive adjective.
The sentence should read: “…they could not accept my wanting to remain indoors.”
5. “With” is a dangling preposition.
The sentence should read: “I do not want to take the little boy with me.”
6. This sentence is ambiguous. It could be that he sold ladies’ underwear OR he
travelled about in ladies’ underwear! Should be: “My husband made a living selling
ladies’ underwear.”
7. “Tierra cotta” is a malaprop.
The sentence should read: “…I prefer terra firma.”
8. “More” is used with words of two syllables or more. “more short” is wrong.
AND after “than” use the subject of the understood verb. Correct: “I am shorter than
she.”
9. “failing” is a gerund and therefore has a possessive adjective qualifying it.
AND “lie” (plural) should be “lies” (singular); the subject is singular (Rule of Concord).
The sentence should read: “The cause of his failing the test lies in his laziness.
10. “One” and “your” are two different persons. “One should always do One’s duty.”
11. “It’s” should have an apostrophe as it means “it is”.
Go on practising:

1. The trains in Germany are usually good, if not better than France.

2. Thinking now about the examination, the answer to the questions are easy. The

moderator whom I feel helped and assisted the examiner, can be slapped on the back for

their effort.

3. I want to meet the leading singer in that new radio programme, and whom, I believe, has

just brought out a best-selling record.

4. The British have never, are not now, and never will be a gay and reckless people.
1. Here there is an unbalanced comparison: “trains in Germany” are compared with
“France”.
The sentence should read: “The trains in Germany are usually good, if not better than
those in France.”

2. “Thinking” is an unrelated participle.

AND “are” should be “is” (singular) because the subject (answer) is singular-Rule of
Concord.
AND “whom” should be “who” as subject of “helped”;
AND “helped” and “assisted” is tautology;
The passage should read: “When I think about the examination, I realize the answer to
the questions is easy. The moderator who (I feel) helped the examiner, can be
slapped on the back fir his effort.”

3. “whom” should be “who” as subject of “has…brought out”.

4. “The word “been” is missing and the existing word “be” is incorrectly understood.
The sentence should read: “The British have never been, are not now and never will be
a gay and reckless people.”
Correct the errors in the following letter:

Sir

I personally myself am sick and tired of old people who complain about us making too much
noise on the weekend of the Buffalo Rally. The reason I’m writing to you is because I’m a biker
myself. I just want to respectfully point out that for my boyfriend and I the Buffalo Rally is the
highlight of our year.
It is one of the best things that has ever been organised by this backward town. If I was running
this town, I would of arranged for two Rallies per year at least. I enjoy the Rally. In fact, due to
the Buffalo Rally I stay in Port Elizabeth, which has always and will always be a boring place for
youngsters. The unanimous opinion of all bikers is that the Rally must go on, as it is more unique
than the public realises.

Yours faithfully

Mean-Machine Chick
“I personally myself” is tautology;
AND “making” is a gerund. Therefore needs a possessive adjective qualifying it;
AND “because” is incorrect. It introduces and adverbial clause not a noun clause starting with “that”;
AND “to respectfully point out” is a split infinitive; “me’ not “I” object of the preposition “for”;
AND “that” is a relative pronoun referring to its antecedent “things” (plural) so the verb should be
(have) – Rule of Concord;
AND “was” should be “were” after “if” – subjunctive tense;
AND “of” (preposition) should be “have” incomplete verb as part of the verb “would have arranged”;
AND “due to” should be “owing to” as the phrase is adverbial; explaining WHY I stayed.
AND “been” must be provided in “has always been” otherwise the “be” will be assumed – incorrectly;
AND “unique” cannot have degrees e.g. “more unique”.
 The passage should read: “Sir, I am sick and tired of old people who complain about our making too much noise on
the weekend of the Buffalo Rally. The reason I’m writing to you is that I’m a biker myself. I just want to point out
respectfully that for my boyfriend and me, the Buffalo Rally is the highlight of our year. It is one of the best things
that have been organised by this backward town. If I were running this town, I would have arranged two Rallies per
year at least. I really enjoy the Rally. In fact, owing to the Buffalo rally, I stay in Port Elizabeth which has always
been and will always be a boring place for youngsters. The unanimous decision of all bikers here is that the Rally
must go on, as it is unique.
Yours faithfully, Mean-Machine Chick
Read the following passage and then answer the following questions:

Hearing the news of Helena Fouche, the shock was terrible. If I would of let it get worser, I would
have fainted. Neither Tom nor his sisters knows what happened or what transpired. I only know her
accident was due to the negligence off the bus-driver.

1. Find the following errors and explain WHY they are incorrect and then correct the error:
(a) an unrelated participle
(b) an incorrect comparative adjective
(c) the rule of concord ignored
(d) tautology

2. (a) Is the word “terrible” correctly used in this context?

What does it mean?
(b) Explain why “would of”. Why do you think this mistake is so often made?
(c) Why is “off” (last line) incorrectly used?
1. (a) “hearing” is an unrelated participle. (qualifying the wrong noun).
(b) “worse” is already comparative so “worser” is incorrect.
(c) “knows” (singular) should be “know” in line with the nearest subject, “sisters” (plural).
(d) “what happened and what transpired” is the example of tautology.

2. (a) “terrible” means “causing terror”. It is incorrectly used here.

(b) “of” (the preposition) should be the incomplete verb “have” to complete the whole verb
“would have let”.The mistake is phonetic too because one SAYS “would’v” which SOUNDS
like “would of”.
(c) “Off” (the adverb) should be the preposition “of” introducing the phrase.

The passage should read: When I heard the news of Helena Fouche, I was terribly
shocked. If I
would have let it get worse, I would have fainted. Neither Tom nor his sisters know
what
happened. I only know her accident was due to the negligence of the bus-driver.
Find the errors in the following sentences, explain and correct each:

1. They hated each other, but neither of them was brave enough to openly attack the other.
2. He watched ships going and coming from many countries.
3. Excuse me reading whole you are eating.
4. The lady from Canada said that she had never and would never visit Equador.
5. Harry approached Devin and myself for financial support.
6. He went out yesterday and, believe it or not, he only killed three birds.
7. I wonder how old Margaret is.
8. He’ll be waiting at the Ride Safe sign.
1. “to openly attack” is a split infinitive.
The sentence should read: “They hated each other, but neither of them was brave enough
to attack the other openly.

2. “from” cannot be used for “coming” and “going”. “To” must be provided.
The sentence should read: “He watched ships going to and coming from many countries.”

3. “Reading” is a gerund and must be followed by a possessive adjective (my).

The sentence should read: “Excuse my reading while you are eating.”

4. “Visited” must be provided, otherwise “visit” will be incorrectly understood.

Correction: “The lady from Canada said that she had never visited and would never visit
Equador”.

5. “myself” is neither an emphatic nor a reflexive pronoun here. Therefore the personal
pronoun, object case after “approached” should be used.
The sentence should read: “Harry approached Devin and me for financial support.

6. “Only” is in the wrong position. It should modify the numerical adjective.

The sentence should read: “He went out yesterday and, believe it or not, he killed only
three birds”.

7. This sentence is ambiguous: He wonders how old she is OR how she is.
The sentence should read EITHER: I wonder how old Margaret is in years OR I wonder how
my friend, old Margaret, is.”
8. “Safe” is an adjective and should be an adverb here modifying the verb “ride”
Correction: “he’ll be waiting at the RIDE SAFELY sign” OR “He’ll be waiting at the SAFE RIDE
sign.”
Go on practising – LAST TRY!

1. Returning home late once night, the lights of the oncoming cars almost blinded us.
2. Coming out of the cinema last night, a bus nearly hit me.
3. I would of enjoyed the film if it had had more action.
4. I asked a friend of mine to come with.
5. If the baby will not eat the banana, mash it to a pulp.
6. When I took my son to the doctor, he told him that he looked very healthy.
7. If one works hard, you will not find the exams difficult.
8. Who has got a pen to lend me?
1. “Returning” is an unrelated participle.
The sentence should read: “When we returned home late one night, the lights…”

2. “Coming” is an unrelated participle.

The sentence should read: “When I came out of the cinema last night, a bus…”

3. The preposition “of” should be “have” to completed the verb “would have enjoyed”.

4. “with” is a dangling preposition.

The sentence should read: “I asked a friend to come with me.”

5. This sentence is ambiguous. Either mash the banana or the baby?!

This sentence should read: “Mash the banana if the baby will not eat it.”

6. There are too many “he’s” in this sentence.

Correction: “When I took my son to the doctor, the doctor told my son that he looked very
healthy.”

7. “One” and “you” are two different persons.

The sentence should read: “If one works hard, one will not find the exams difficult.

8. “has got” is an example of tautology.

The sentence should read: “Who has a pen to lend me?”

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

I DO HOPE THAT YOU HAVE LEARNT SOMETHING AND THAT YOU CAN NOW ENJOY (AND
EMPLOY) YOUR KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORK!
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY:
MRS CHARMAIN PLUMMER
HOTTENTOTS-HOLLAND HIGH SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 358
SOMERSET WEST
7130

PROJECT SPONSORED BY
STRAND ROTARY ANNS
P.O. BOX 174
STRAND
7140
(A long time ago…)