📚 English — English Language and Competitive English
16. Sentence Correction
Exam-oriented Sentence Correction notes, rules and revision facts
Quick Reference
Common Sentence Correction Rules and Patterns
16. Sentence Correction
| Error Pattern | Rule | Correct Form |
|---|---|---|
The quality of mangoes were poor | उत्तर देखें Subject 'quality' is singular; ignores prepositional modifier | उत्तर देखें The quality of mangoes was poor. |
He as well as they are guilty | उत्तर देखें Connector 'as well as' governs verb with first subject | उत्तर देखें He as well as they is guilty. |
Neither he nor his friends was present | उत्तर देखें Nearest subject determines verb number in either/neither pairs | उत्तर देखें Neither he nor his friends were present. |
If he will come, I will help | उत्तर देखें Conditional if-clauses cannot take modal auxiliary will | उत्तर देखें If he comes, I will help. |
Had I known, I would inform you | उत्तर देखें Past unreal third conditional requires would have + V3 | उत्तर देखें Had I known, I would have informed. |
She is married with a doctor | उत्तर देखें Passive voice of marry governs preposition to | उत्तर देखें She is married to a doctor. |
He is senior than me | उत्तर देखें Latin comparative adjectives govern preposition to, never than | उत्तर देखें He is senior to me. |
Scarcely had he left than it rained | उत्तर देखें Correlative connector scarcely strictly pairs with when | उत्तर देखें Scarcely had he left when it rained. |
No sooner did he arrive when bells rang | उत्तर देखें Correlative connector no sooner strictly pairs with than | उत्तर देखें No sooner did he arrive than bells rang. |
He gave me many advices | उत्तर देखें Advice is uncountable mass noun; cannot take plural -s | उत्तर देखें He gave me pieces of advice. |
A five-hundred-rupees note was found | उत्तर देखें Hyphenated compound modifying adjective must remain singular | उत्तर देखें A five-hundred-rupee note was found. |
Being a cold day, I stayed home | उत्तर देखें Dangling participle requires explicit dummy subject 'It' | उत्तर देखें It being a cold day, I stayed. |
Quick Reference
Frequently Tested Grammar Error Traps and Corrections
16. Sentence Correction
| Error Pattern | Rule | Correct Form |
|---|---|---|
The reason why he failed is because... | उत्तर देखें Phrase 'the reason why' governs that, not because | उत्तर देखें The reason why he failed is that... |
Unless you do not work hard, you fail | उत्तर देखें Unless inherently contains negation; rejects not | उत्तर देखें Unless you work hard, you fail. |
He discussed about the proposal | उत्तर देखें Transitive verb discuss takes direct object without preposition | उत्तर देखें He discussed the proposal thoroughly. |
She ordered for two cups of tea | उत्तर देखें Transitive verb order takes direct object without preposition | उत्तर देखें She ordered two cups of tea. |
He entered into the lecture hall | उत्तर देखें Physical entry with enter excludes preposition into | उत्तर देखें He entered the lecture hall. |
She is good in English | उत्तर देखें Aptitude or proficiency governs preposition at | उत्तर देखें She is good at English. |
He died from malaria yesterday | उत्तर देखें Death resulting from disease governs preposition of | उत्तर देखें He died of malaria yesterday. |
I look forward to meet you | उत्तर देखें Fixed prepositional phrase look forward to takes gerund | उत्तर देखें I look forward to meeting you. |
He made me to do the entire work | उत्तर देखें Causative verb make takes bare infinitive in active | उत्तर देखें He made me do the entire work. |
Walk carefully lest you will fall | उत्तर देखें Negative conjunction lest strictly governs modal should | उत्तर देखें Walk carefully lest you should fall. |
Between 2 PM to 4 PM | उत्तर देखें Preposition between pairs with and, never to | उत्तर देखें Between 2 PM and 4 PM. |
From 9 AM and 5 PM | उत्तर देखें Preposition from pairs with to, never and | उत्तर देखें From 9 AM to 5 PM. |
Subject-Verb Agreement & Noun-Pronoun Harmony
Subject-verb agreement rule for intervening prepositional phrases
Verb agrees with primary subject noun.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Subject-verb agreement rule for subjects joined by 'as well as'
Verb agrees with the first subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Subject-verb agreement rule for 'together with' and 'along with'
Verb agrees with the first subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Subject-verb agreement rule for 'either...or' and 'neither...nor'
Verb agrees with the nearest subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Subject-verb agreement rule for 'not only...but also'
Verb agrees with the nearest subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by distributive pronouns (each, every, neither)
Always takes a singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'one of the + plural noun'
Singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form when relative pronoun follows 'one of the + plural noun'
Plural verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form when 'the only one of the + plural noun' precedes relative pronoun
Singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'a number of + plural noun'
Plural verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'the number of + plural noun'
Singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form for two nouns expressing a single unified concept
Singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Example of unified pair taking singular verb
Bread and butter is wholesome.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form for collective noun acting in complete unison
Singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form for collective noun with divided individual members
Plural verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form for academic subjects ending in -s (physics, mathematics)
Singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form for academic subjects modified by possessive adjectives
Plural verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Plural nouns denoting singular measurement, time, or money unit
Take a singular verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Ten miles are a long distance to walk'
Ten miles is a long distance.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Neither of the boys were present'
Neither of the boys was present.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Each of the participants were given medals'
Each of the participants was given.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The police has arrested the criminal'
The police have arrested the criminal.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The cattle is grazing in the valley'
The cattle are grazing in valley.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'One must do his duty honestly'
One must do one's duty honestly.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Order of personal pronouns for pleasant or polite events
Second, third, first person (231).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense Consistency, Time Sequence & Conditional Clauses
Sequence of tenses rule when principal clause is in past tense
Subordinate clause must be in past.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Exception to sequence of tenses rule for past principal clause
Universal truths retain simple present tense.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He said that the earth moved round the sun'
Said that the earth moves.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense required when action is accompanied by past time adverbial (yesterday, ago)
Simple past tense.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'I have seen him yesterday evening'
I saw him yesterday evening.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense structure following conjunction 'since' denoting point of time
Takes simple past clause.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense structure in principal clause preceding 'since'
Requires present perfect tense.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Two years passed since he has left'
Two years have passed since he left.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Rule for earlier of two completed past actions
Takes past perfect tense (had + V3).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The train departed before I reached station'
The train had departed before I reached.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can modal auxiliary 'will' appear inside a conditional if-clause?
Never in standard conditional statements.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'If it will rain, the match will stop'
If it rains, the match will stop.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form in if-clause of hypothetical second conditional
Simple past subjunctive 'were'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'If I was a bird, I would fly'
If I were a bird, I would fly.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Main clause structure in past unreal third conditional
Would have + past participle (V3).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'If he had worked hard, he would pass'
Would have passed.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Had he invited me, I would attend'
Would have attended.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense structure governed by 'It is high time'
Takes simple past tense verb.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'It is high time we start studying'
It is high time we started studying.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can stative verbs (know, believe, understand) take continuous form?
No, avoid progressive continuous tenses.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'I am knowing the answer thoroughly'
I know the answer thoroughly.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense used for habitual actions occurring continuously
Simple present tense.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is going for morning walk daily'
He goes for a morning walk daily.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Tense used with present perfect progressive marker 'for five years'
Has been / have been living.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'I am living in Delhi for five years'
Have been living in Delhi.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Articles, Prepositions & Conjunctions Correction
Article required before singular countable noun beginning with vowel sound
Indefinite article 'an'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is a honest civil servant'
He is an honest civil servant.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'She is an European citizen'
She is a European citizen.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Article required before superlative degree adjectives
Definite article 'the'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Article required before parallel comparative clauses
The (e.g. the higher, the cooler).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Article omission rule before abstract and material nouns in general sense
Zero article.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The gold is a precious metal'
Gold is a precious metal.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Article required when material noun is particularized with 'of'
Takes 'the' (the gold of Kolar).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He went to the hospital to undergo surgery'
Went to hospital for primary purpose.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Fixed preposition governed by 'abstain' and 'refrain'
From.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He abstained to vote in elections'
Abstained from voting in elections.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Fixed preposition governed by 'accused' and 'acquitted'
Of.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He was accused for committing murder'
Accused of committing murder.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He could not cope up with the workload'
Cope with the workload.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Latin comparative adjectives requiring preposition 'to'
Senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'This model is superior than that one'
Superior to that one.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correlative conjunction partner required for 'scarcely' and 'hardly'
When.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Hardly had he arrived than it started raining'
Hardly had he arrived when it started.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correlative conjunction partner required for 'no sooner'
Than.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'No sooner did he leave when the bell rang'
No sooner did he leave than.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Modal auxiliary strictly governed by negative conjunction 'lest'
Should.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can negative word 'not' follow 'lest' in a clause?
Never, lest inherently expresses negation.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Walk carefully lest you should not stumble'
Walk carefully lest you should stumble.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Between 10 AM to 5 PM'
Between 10 AM and 5 PM.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'From 10 AM and 5 PM'
From 10 AM to 5 PM.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Modifiers, Parallelism & Dangling Participles
Definition of a dangling modifier in sentence structure
Participial phrase lacking clear logical subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Walking in the garden, a snake bit him'
While he was walking, a snake bit him.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Being a stormy night, we remained indoors'
It being a stormy night.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Rule of grammatical parallelism across coordinating conjunctions
Connected items must share identical grammatical form.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'She likes swimming, dancing, and to sing'
Swimming, dancing, and singing.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Placement rule for correlative pair 'not only...but also'
Must precede identical parts of speech.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He not only lost his coat but also his wallet'
Lost not only his coat but also.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Placement rule for limiting adverb 'only'
Place immediately before the word it modifies.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Meaning change in: 'Only he died' vs 'He only died'
Alters who died versus what happened.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The climate of Shimla is cooler than Delhi'
Cooler than that of Delhi.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The streets of Mumbai are wider than Pune'
Wider than those of Pune.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Rule for comparative degree when comparing within the same group
Use 'any other' to exclude the subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Iron is more useful than any metal'
More useful than any other metal.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can double comparative forms (more taller) be used together?
No, double comparatives are strictly ungrammatical.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is more cleverer than his brother'
He is cleverer than his brother.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can double superlative forms (most greatest) be used together?
No, double superlatives are strictly ungrammatical.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'She is the most best student in class'
She is the best student.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Adjective versus adverb rule with action verbs
Action verbs are modified by adverbs.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He ran very quick to catch the bus'
He ran very quickly.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Adjective versus adverb rule with verbs of sensation (smell, taste, feel)
Modified by adjectives, not adverbs.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The food tastes deliciously'
The food tastes delicious.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The rose smells sweetly'
The rose smells sweet.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Inversion rule when sentence begins with negative adverb
Auxiliary verb precedes grammatical subject.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Seldom I have seen such magnificent art'
Seldom have I seen such magnificent art.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Never he had experienced such warmth'
Never had he experienced such warmth.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Non-Finite Verbs: Infinitives, Gerunds & Participles
Definition of a bare infinitive
Base form of verb without 'to'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by causative verb 'make' in active voice
Bare infinitive.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The officer made him to sign the document'
Made him sign the document.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by causative verb 'make' in passive voice
To-infinitive.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He was made sign the confession'
He was made to sign the confession.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by causative verb 'let'
Bare infinitive in active and passive.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Let him to enter the examination hall'
Let him enter the examination hall.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by idioms 'had better' and 'would rather'
Bare base infinitive (V1).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'You had better to leave immediately'
You had better leave immediately.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Case of noun or pronoun modifying a gerund
Requires possessive case.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'I disliked him coming late to class'
I disliked his coming late.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'She was pleased at me winning the contest'
Pleased at my winning the contest.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'look forward to'
Gerund (V-ing).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'We look forward to meet our new mentor'
Look forward to meeting our new mentor.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'used to' expressing past habit
Base verb form (V1).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'be used to' meaning accustomed
Gerund (V-ing).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is used to wake up at dawn'
Used to waking up at dawn.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'with a view to'
Gerund (V-ing).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He studied hard with a view to pass'
With a view to passing.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'would you mind'
Gerund (V-ing).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Would you mind to close the window?'
Would you mind closing the window?
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Verb form governed by 'it is no use'
Gerund (V-ing).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'It is no use to cry over spilt milk'
It is no use crying over spilt.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Difference between 'stop to talk' and 'stop talking'
Pause to speak versus cease speaking.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Difference between 'remember to post' and 'remember posting'
Perform duty versus recall past act.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Redundancy, Double Negatives & Logical Consistency
Definition of redundancy (superfluous usage) in syntax
Using unnecessary words that repeat meaning.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He returned back from London yesterday'
Delete redundant word 'back'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Please repeat this lesson again'
Delete redundant word 'again'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He retreated back when attacked'
Delete redundant word 'back'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is my cousin brother'
Delete redundant word 'brother'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The reason why he resigned is because he was sick'
Replace 'because' with 'that'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Suppose if you miss the train, what then?'
Delete either 'suppose' or 'if'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can negative words accompany 'unless' inside its clause?
Never, creates an ungrammatical double negative.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Unless you do not hurry, you will miss'
Unless you hurry, you will miss.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can negative words accompany 'until' inside its clause?
Never, until inherently expresses negative time.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Wait here until the doctor does not arrive'
Wait here until the doctor arrives.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He denied that he had not stolen'
Delete redundant negative word 'not'.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He prevented me to go there'
Prevented me from going there.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Can negative words accompany 'forbade'?
Never, forbade inherently contains negative meaning.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'The mother forbade her son not to go'
Forbade her son to go.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Both did not attend the meeting'
Neither attended the meeting.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Why 'both...not' is replaced by 'neither'
Standard English uses neither for negative pairs.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'Divide this property between the four brothers'
Divide this property among the four.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is suffering with fever'
He is suffering from fever.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He told to me that he was tired'
He told me that he was tired.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He asked me that what my name was'
Asked me what my name was.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'She was very pleased with the news'
Very pleased (correct usage).
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Correction for: 'He is comparatively better today'
Comparatively good today.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Why 'comparatively better' is ungrammatical
Comparatively already denotes comparison; requires positive degree.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
Master rule for sentence correction in competitive exams
Check subject-verb agreement, modifiers, and parallelism.
उत्तर देखने के लिए टैप करें
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