GRAMMAR: COMMON ERRORS

DIRECTIONS: The following sentences test your ability to recognize grammar and usage errors. If the sentence contains an error,
select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In
choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

The Verb Must Agree with its Subject

1. Careful analysis of pictures of the Moon reveal that parts of the Moon’s surface are markedly similar
A B C
to parts of the Earth’s. No error.
D E

2. Of the two options, neither the system of appointing judges to the bench nor the process of electing
A B C
judges are entirely satisfactory. No error.
D E

3. The professor’s insistence on high standards and rigorous examinations are not, despite what students
A
think, part of a plan to withhold high grades from them. No error.
B C D E

4. During the night, there is usually two German Shepherds at the warehouse to guard against robbery
A B C
attempts. No error.
D E

5. Whatever price the company finally sets for the fuel will probably be determined as much by politics as
A B C
by a realistic appraisal of the market. No error.
D E
A Pronoun Must Agree with its Noun Referent

6. The starling is such a pest in rural areas that it has become necessary to find ways of controlling the
A B C
growth of their population. No error.
D E

7. By virtue of its size and supersensitive electronics, modern radio telescopes are able to gather more
A
waves and discriminate among them with greater precision than earlier versions could. No error.
B C D E

Use the Appropriate Pronoun Case

8. Carlos cherished the memory of the day when him and his sister Rosa were presented with awards
A B
in recognition of meritorious service to the community. No error.
C D E

9. The report Alexander is discussing, a report prepared jointly by he and the committee, does not take into
A B C
account the socioeconomic status of those interviewed. No error.
D E

10. Between the sales manager and I existed an easy, cooperative working relationship; neither of us
A B C D
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 hesitated to discuss problems. No error.
E

11. I would like to meet Mr. Smith, whom I take is the man you mean. No error.
A B C D E
Ensure Pronoun Consistency

12. Even with a calculator you must have a basic understanding of mathematics if one expects to solve
A B C
complex problems correctly. No error.
D E

13. If one is interested in learning even more about Zora Neale Hurston, you should read Robert
A B C D
Hemenway’s biography. No error.
E
Thoughtless Use of Pronouns can lead to Ambiguity

14. The office manager and her coworker, Ms. Andrews, received equal pay from the company until she got
A B C
a raise for helping to increase productivity. No error.
D E

15. Consumers do not always view rising prices as a deterrent to purchasing luxury items; sometimes they
A B C
stimulate consumers to buy before there is yet another increase. No error.
D E

Errors Related to Verb Tenses

16. Because the flood has made the bridge inaccessible to automobiles and pedestrians alike, we had rented
A B C
a small boat to reach the island. No error.
D E

17. In the early days of the steam locomotive, compassionate engineers would sometimes have thrown coal
A B C
overboard in poor neighborhoods. No error.
D E

18. Some of the workers who resent the supervisor’s authority would probably feel uncomfortable
A B

if they were to acquire the independence that they demand. No error.

19. Although born in the Midwest, Langston Hughes lived most of his adult life in Harlem, in New York

City, where, like other writers in the 1930’s, he wrote some of his finest works. No error.
A B C D E

20. The Red Cross workers had not expected the refugees from the flooded plain to be as desperate and as
A B
undernourished as those whom they had seen earlier in the week. No error.
C D E

21. She claimed that the ‘representational’ actor is having to imitate a character’s behaviour, whereas the

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 A B
‘presentational’ actor attempts to reveal human behaviour through self-understanding. No error.
C D E

22. For the past hundred years or more, Yellowstone National Park was a kind of sociological laboratory
A B
in which North Americans have been exploring the meaning of the national-park concept. No error.
C D E
Use of Conjunctions/Prepositions/Adverbs

23. Today a medical doctor must often make a choice between engaging in private practice or engaging in
A B C D
research. No error.
E

24. Far away from having been a diehard conservative Hoover was, some scholars now contend, the lead
A B C
progressive of his day. No error.
D E

25. Though the statistics on their experiment were neither precise or significant, the biochemists still
A B C D
published them. No error.
E

26. Though best known as a jazz vocalist, he also enjoyed gospel music, whereby he told his manager that
A B C
he wanted to make a recording of his favorite gospel songs. No error.
D E

27. No one objects to his company, even though he has made insulting remarks about almost every member
A B C
of the group, when he is a remarkably witty man. No error.
D E

28. The exchange between the teacher and the student promotes learning far different from that which
A B
results as the student listens but does not participate. No error.
C D E

29. Employers remain ignorant or uninterested in the abilities of graduates from private universities.
A B C D
No error.
E
Logical Presentation of Ideas: Using Conjunctions & Negatives

30. Although the party’s political machine did produce the crucial Dalit votes, but the candidate
A B
was defeated by the alliance formed by independents and reformers. No error.
C D E

31. One can’t hardly determine which contributes more to the success of a violinist—innate skill or regular
A B C D
practice. No error.
E

32. In spite of all his faults, I cannot help but like him. No error.
A B C D E

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33. No judge but the most stony-hearted could have given the gymnasts anything less than full marks.
A B C D
No error.
E

34. To be accurately called ‘culture-bound,’ a person must doggedly believe that hardly nothing of
A B C
importance has been achieved by cultures other than his or her own. No error.
D E
Misplaced Participles

35. A brilliant but outrageous comedian, Lenny Bruce’s sketches both amused and unsettled his audience.
A B C D
No error.
E

36. Being that Colette’s first novel was so wildly successful, her husband locked her in their Paris flat with
A B C D
orders to produce more. No error.
E

37. Hearing these strange noises above, the thought at once occurred to me that thieves had entered the
A B C D
house. No error.
E

38. On entering the garret, Ralph Nickleby was found hanging from the ceiling. No error.
A B C D E

39. I maintain that by accepting this situation it will never be over. No error.
A B C D E

40. On attempting to restore the picture to its original condition, almost irreparable damage was discovered.
A B C D
No error.
E
Sentence Structure: Parallelism

41. Each time Caroline turns on her computer, she has to enter a company code, then her initials, and then
A
enters a password before she can begin working. No error.
B C D E

42. A talented and versatile artist, Twyla Tharp has been a dancer, choreographer, and collaborated on
A B C D
various productions. No error.
E

43. Social scientists agree that a system for exchanging goods and services is not only present but also
A B C
of necessity in all societies. No error.
D E

44. The tribal council’s program familiarized young people with Cherokee history, taught them tribal
A B
tradition and they had the opportunity to learn skills used by ancient artists. No error.
C D E

45. It is far easier to ride a bicycle than explaining in words exactly how a bicycle is ridden. No error.

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 A B C D E

46. Driving less frequently is one way to save energy; to turn off all appliances when they are not being
A B C
used is another. No error.
D E
Comparative Structures: Parallelism

47. Delgado’s dilemma was like many other young writers: he had to choose between assured publication in
A B
a student magazine and probable rejection by a popular magazine. No error.
C D E

48. Because they painted scenes of life as ordinary people lived it, rather than scenes from myths, many
A B C
nineteenth-century American artists differed from earlier times. No error.
D E

49. In the United States, the industrial use of plastics is greater than steel, aluminium, and copper combined.
A B C D
No error.
E
Comparisons & Use of Comparative Structures

50. The architect’s research shows that even when builders construct houses of stone, they still use the
A B C
hammer more than any tool. No error.
D E

51. Norwegian writer Sigrid Undset is like the novelist Sir Walter Scott in her use of historical backgrounds,
A B
but unlike his books, she dwells on the psychological aspects of her characters. No error.
C D E

52. The survey showed that most shoppers who drive prefer the mall more than downtown stores
A B
simply because finding parking is less difficult at the mall. No error.
C D E

53. People who wish to be a model should remember that not all modeling is glamorous and that a great deal
A B
of it is simply tiring. No error.
C D E

54. Brand-name prescription drugs are often more familiar to consumers than generic drugs, but the latter
A B
are not nearly as expensive than brand-name drugs. No error.
C D E

Idiomatic Usage: Use of Prepositions & Verb Patterns

55. London differs than other cities, such as Paris and New York, in that its shopping areas are so widely
A B C D
spread out. No error.
E

56. The famous filmmaker had a tendency of changing his recollections, perhaps out of boredom at having
A B C D
to tell interviewers the same story over and over. No error.

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 E

57. The television station has received many complaints about the clothing advertisements, which some
A B C
viewers condemn to be tasteless. No error.
D E

58. For people in many ancient societies, work was only a means of survival rather than a way
A B C
to improve your standard of living. No error.
D E

59. Given her strong sense of social justice, Burns vehemently protested over her party’s failure to support a
A B C D
tax decrease for senior citizens. No error.
E

60. Alerted by the nervousness and evasiveness of the witness, the jurors were quick to perceive that his
A B
statements were inconsistent to those he had made earlier. No error.
C D E

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