Sentence Correction Rules with practice

Here is a breakdown of the key areas and common rules to keep in mind for effective
sentence correction:

1. Subject-Verb Agreement:

* Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. (The dog barks.
The dogs bark.)

* Compound subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb. (Sarah and John are
coming.)

* Compound subjects joined by "or" or "nor" take a verb that agrees with the subject
closest to the verb. (Either the students or the teacher is responsible. Either the teacher or
the students are responsible.)

* Indefinite pronouns (some, all, none, most, any) can be singular or plural depending on
the noun they refer to. (Some of the cake is gone. Some of the cookies are gone.)

* Collective nouns (team, family, committee) can be singular or plural depending on

whether they are acting as a unit or as individuals. (The team is playing well. The team are
arguing about the strategy.)

2. Pronoun Agreement:

* Pronouns must agree in number (singular/plural) and gender

(masculine/feminine/neuter) with their antecedents (the nouns they refer to). (The student
finished their assignment. The students finished their assignments.)

* Be careful with indefinite pronouns as antecedents. (Everyone should bring their own
lunch. (While "their" is often used informally, "his or her" is grammatically correct but can
sound clunky. Rewording is often best: All students should bring their own lunch.))

* Avoid ambiguous pronoun references. Make sure it's clear which noun the pronoun is
referring to. (John told Michael that he needed to study. (Who is "he"?))

3. Verb Tense Consistency:

* Maintain a consistent verb tense within a sentence and paragraph unless there's a logical
reason to switch tenses. (Incorrect: She walked to the store and then will buy groceries.
Correct: She walked to the store and then bought groceries.)

* Use the correct tense to indicate the timing of actions. (Present, past, future, present
perfect, past perfect, future perfect, and their continuous forms all have specific uses.)
4. Parallel Structure:

* Elements in a list or series should have the same grammatical structure. This applies to
words, phrases, and clauses. (Incorrect: She likes reading, to swim, and hiking. Correct:
She likes reading, swimming, and hiking.)

* Use parallel structure with correlative conjunctions (both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not
only/but also). (Incorrect: He is not only intelligent but also has creativity. Correct: He is not
only intelligent but also creative.)

5. Correct Use of Modifiers:

* Misplaced modifiers: Place modifiers (words, phrases, or clauses that describe other
elements) as close as possible to the words they modify to avoid ambiguity. (Incorrect:
Covered in mud, the child's mother scolded him. Correct: The child's mother scolded him,
covered in mud.)

* Dangling modifiers: Make sure the subject of the sentence is clearly stated and is the one
being modified. (Incorrect: Running down the street, the bus was missed. Correct: Running
down the street, I missed the bus.)

6. Proper Punctuation:

* Commas: Used for lists, separating independent clauses joined by conjunctions, after
introductory phrases, and to set off nonessential information.

* Semicolons: Used to join closely related independent clauses or to separate items in a

list that already contains commas.

* Colons: Used to introduce a list, explanation, or quotation.

* Apostrophes: Used for possessives and contractions.

* Quotation marks: Used to enclose direct quotations.

* Periods: Used to end declarative sentences.

* Question marks: Used to end interrogative sentences.

* Exclamation points: Used to express strong emotion (use sparingly).

7. Word Choice (Diction):

* Use words that accurately convey your intended meaning. Be aware of nuances in word
definitions.

* Avoid clichés and jargon unless appropriate for your audience.

* Ensure your language is clear, concise, and precise.

8. Sentence Structure:

* Avoid sentence fragments (incomplete sentences). Every sentence needs a subject and
a verb (and usually makes a complete thought).

* Avoid run-on sentences (two or more independent clauses joined without proper
punctuation or conjunctions). You can fix them with a period, semicolon, comma and
coordinating conjunction, or by subordinating one of the clauses.

* Vary your sentence structure to make your writing more engaging.

9. Capitalization:

* Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

* Capitalize proper nouns (names of people, places, organizations, etc.).

* Capitalize titles when they precede a name.

* Capitalize the first word and important words in titles of books, articles, and other works.

10. Logical Flow and Clarity:

* Ensure your ideas are presented in a logical order.

* Use transition words and phrases to connect ideas smoothly.

* Make sure your sentences are easy to understand and free from ambiguity.

Absolutely! Let’s put those grammar rules into action with examples.

1. Subject-Verb Agreement:

* Correct: The cat sleeps soundly.

* Correct: The cats sleep soundly.

* Correct: Either the manager or the employees are responsible.

* To be corrected by you: The team are excited about their win.

2. Pronoun Agreement:

* Correct: Each student should bring their textbook. (Using singular “their” informally)

* Correct: All students should bring their textbooks.

* Correct: When the dog chased the ball, it ran quickly.

* To be corrected by you: Every participant needs to submit their form by Friday.

3. Verb Tense Consistency:

* Correct: She went to the market and bought fresh vegetables.

* Correct: He is studying diligently because he will have an exam next week.

* To be corrected by you: Yesterday, I go to the park and see many birds.

4. Parallel Structure:

* Correct: He enjoys swimming, hiking, and reading.

* Correct: The report was both informative and well-written.

* To be corrected by you: She likes to sing, dancing, and acting in plays.

5. Correct Use of Modifiers:

* Correct: Covered in dew, the flowers shimmered in the morning light.

* Correct: Running quickly, the dog caught the ball.

* To be corrected by you: Barking loudly, the neighbor found the lost puppy.

6. Proper Punctuation:

* Correct: The ingredients are flour, sugar, and eggs.

* Correct: It was raining heavily; therefore, we stayed inside.

* To be corrected by you: She asked “Are you coming to the party”.

7. Word Choice (Diction):

* Correct: The effect of the rain was a muddy field.

* Correct: She gave a unique performance.

* To be corrected by you: The principal will infer new rules next week.

8. Sentence Structure:

* Correct: The rain poured down. We stayed inside.

* Correct: Because it was raining heavily, we stayed inside.

* To be corrected by you: Went to the store bought milk.

9. Capitalization:

* Correct: My friend, Sarah, lives in London.

* Correct: We read the article “The History of Science.”

* To be corrected by you: last Tuesday we visited the eiffel tower.

10. Logical Flow and Clarity:

* Correct: First, gather your materials. Then, begin the experiment.

* Correct: Although it was difficult, they eventually succeeded.

* To be corrected by you: The movie was exciting, I was tired.