1. The aim of this activity is to develop your skills in
checking (proof-reading) your written work.
2. Typical errors in written work
Verb consistency
Personal pronouns
Possessives
Articles / nouns
Prepositions
Spelling
3. Verb consistency
There are 7 errors with verb
forms. Can you spot them?
I am write to complain about the
information on your website.
Your website is informing people
that your shop is opening at 8
a.m. in the morning. In fact, your
shop don’t open until 10 a.m.
Last Thursday I will take time off
work to visit your shop.
Unfortunately, your shop were
closed at this time. This have
been a wasted journey for me.
I am writing (you’re doing this now =
present continuous) to complain about the
information on your website.
Your website informs (this is a fact =
present simple, website is 3rd person
singular ____s) people that your shop
opens (this is a habit = present simple) at
8 a.m. in the morning. In fact, your shop
doesn’t open (present simple 3rd person
singular negative) until 10 a.m.
Last Thursday I took time off work (Last
Thursday is a past simple time marker) to
visit your shop. Unfortunately, your shop
were closed (past simple verb form – 3rd
person singular) at this time. This was
(past simple verb form, 3rd person
singular) a wasted journey for me.
4. Lists (bullet points)
Can you see what the
problem is here?
Depending on your text
bullet points should be
consistent and either
expressed in
•______ing forms
•Infintives
•Infinitives without TO*
There will be a meeting at
11 a.m on Monday. Look at
the following points to
prepare for this meeting.
Checking your feedback
sheets
Prepare a graphic
demonstration
Had your figures ready.
Check* your feedback
sheets
Prepare* a graphic
demonstration
Have* your figures ready.
5. Personal pronouns and possessives
There are 3 errors with verb
forms. Can you spot them?
The noun and the pronouns should be
consistent so the reader knows if the
noun is; the writer, a man, a woman or a
group of people.
I was given the information
by the woman on the desk.
He was very impolite and
very rude. His instructions
were false and her was
incorrect.
I was given the information
by the woman on the desk.
She was very impolite and
very rude. Her instructions
were false and she was
incorrect.
6. Personal pronouns and
possessives 2
If the noun is a woman, any pronouns referring back to the
woman must be feminine and singular.
Check what the first noun is. Is it singular or plural?
Check that any possessive adjectives match the noun they
refer to.
my / your / his / her / its / our / your / their
Check that any object pronouns match the noun they refer
to.
me / you / him / her / it / us / you / them
Check that any possessive pronouns match the noun they
refer to.
mine / yours / his / hers / its / ours / yours / theirs
7. Be careful – irregular plural nouns
Person / people
Woman / women
Man / men
Child / children
A person is...
People are ...
A woman is...
Women are…
A man is…
Men are ...
A child is …
Children are…
8. Checking your work and
consistency
Try to have some time between finishing your first
draft and checking it for a final version.
Check your writing for the correct verb forms.
If you have a list in your text, make sure all the main
words are the same grammatical form. For example. –
ing forms, infinitives, infinitives without to.
Check that pronouns match the noun they refer to.
Check that possessive words match the noun they
refer to.
Use the spell check in English on your writing.
