SENTENCE CORRECTION

PART - 1
 Sentence Correction Questions Format

The format of Sentence Correction questions goes like this:

• Candidates are given a sentence, a part of which is highlighted in bold.

• 3 or 4 options are given from which candidates need to select the option
that best goes with the sentence, in place of the highlighted text.

• There might be questions when sentences have no error or require no

correction; in that case, candidates need to select the option that says ‘No
error’ ‘no improvement required’.
EIGHT ERROR TYPES

a. Subject-Verb Agreement
b. Pronoun reference
c. Modifiers
d. Parallelism
e. Comparisons
f. Redundancy / Repetition
g. Verb Tenses
h. Diction- Correct choice of words
 2A. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

A verb must agree in PERSON as well as NUMBER

with its subject.
 RULES
RULE 1: When two subjects are joined by ‘and’, the verb is plural.
• My friend and his mother are in town.

RULE 2: When two singular nouns joined by ‘and’ refer to the same
person or thing, the verb is singular.
• The captain and goalkeeper of the team has been sacked.
In case these were two different individuals, two articles need to be
used:
• The captain and the goalkeeper of the team have been sacked.
 RULES
RULE 3: Indefinite pronouns (someone, somebody, anyone, anybody,
no one, nobody, everyone, each one etc. SANE) are always singular.

• Everyone in this world is always somewhat selfish about his/her

own welfare.

RULE 4: When the percentage or a part of something is mentioned

with plural meaning, the plural verb is used.
• 40 of every 100 children are malnourished.
• 40% of the Somalian population is malnourished.
 POLL QUESTION
Identify the correct sentence

a) My aunt and her mother-in-law are in town.

b) The captain and the goalkeeper of the team has
been sacked.
c) 40 of every 100 children is malnourished.
 SOLUTION
Identify the correct sentence

a) My aunt and her mother-in-law are in town.

b) The captain and the goalkeeper of the team has
been sacked.
c) 40 of every 100 children is malnourished.
 RULE 5: When the subjects joined by ‘either or’ or ‘neither nor’
are of different persons, the verb will agree in person and
number with the noun nearest to it.

• Neither you nor all your kids know how to behave with elders.
• Either of the books is fine for MAT preparation.
 RULE 6: If connectives or appositives like- along with,
together with, as well as, accompanied by etc. are used to
combine two subjects, the verb agrees with the subject
mentioned first.
• Lord Rama, accompanied by his wife Sita and his
brother,
was banished to the forest.

RULE 7: The singular verb form is usually used for units of

measurement or time.
• Five gallons of oil was required to get the engine running.
 RULE 8: When any of these words as part of subject- “few,
many, several, both, all, some”
is used with a countable noun, the verb is plural.
• Some men are needed for the battle.

RULE 9: When any of these words as part of subject- “few,

many, several, both, all, some’
is used with an uncountable noun, the verb is singular.
• Some milk is spoilt.
 POLL QUESTION

Identify the correct one:

A. Either of the books are fine for MAT preparation.

B. Some horses are required in the battle field.
 SOLUTION

Identify the correct one:

A. Either of the books are fine for MAT preparation.

B. Some horses are required in the battle field.
RULE 10: After these words as part of subject- “Many… / A
great many… / A good many…, etc., the noun is always
plural, which is followed by a plural verb.
• A great many girls are following fashion trends these
days.

RULE 11: After these words as part of subject- “A number

of… / A large number of…”
the noun and verb in the sentence are always plural.
• A number of soldiers have lost their lives on the border.
RULE 12: After these words as part of subject- “The
number of…” the noun is plural but

the verb is singular.

• The number of soldiers at the border is large.

RULE 13: Collective nouns may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on
their use in the sentence.

If collective nouns are acting as a unit, use a singular verb. If the sentence implies
that the individual members are taking up different actions, we use a plural verb.

• The committee is discussing the issue of safety in the neighborhood.

• The committee are disagreeing on the issue on the installing street lamps.

In the first sentence, the collective action of the collective noun is the same; there is
no division among the members of the collective noun. In the second case, this is not
so. There is lot of division and the members of the collective noun have different
opinions.
RULES 14: Some words, such as news, measles, mumps,
physics, etc. are extremely deceptive. They end in -s
and appear to be plural but are really singular and
require singular verbs.

• The news from across the border is not encouraging.

• Physics is a fascinating subject.
 RULES 15: The verb in the subjunctive mood always takes the plural verb,
even if the subject is singular in nature.

The plural verb 'were' replaces 'was' in sentences that express an unfulfilled
wish, desire or condition. These sentences are framed using if, as if, as
though, I wish, etc.

• If I were the mayor of the city, I would have done so much for the poor.

• I wish I were a king I would …

 RULES 16: Words which come in between the subject and the verb do not affect the
S-V agreement

• My wife’s jewelry box lies in the bank locker.

• My wife’s jewelry box full of all different kinds of ornaments lies in the bank
locker.

See this sentence as: My wife’s jewelry (full of all different kinds of ornaments) lies in
the bank locker.

• One of my sister's friends is a pilot.

See this sentence as: One (of my sister's friends) is a pilot.

• A boy chasing pigeons is on the terrace.

See this sentence as: A boy (chasing pigeons) is on the terrace.