Sentence correction session 1

CAT @ George Prep
Sentence Correction Session 1
( Intro to SC & Subject-Verb Agreement)
www. georgeprep.com 09985-372-371
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How important is it to prepare for
Grammar based questions in CAT?
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CAT 2008
Directions for the questions below: In each of the following questions there are sentences that form
a paragraph. Identify the sentenced) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of
grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the
most appropriate option.
A. In 1849, a poor Bavarian imigrant named Levi Strauss
B. landed in San Francisco, California,
C. at the invitation of his brother-in-law David Stern
D. owner of dry goods business.
E. This dry goods business would later became known as Levi Strauss & Company.
(1) B only (2)B and C (3) A and B (4) A only (5) A, B and D
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Spelling error
Punctuation error
Article error
Construction error

CAT 2008
A. In response to the allegations and condemnation pouring in,
B. Nike implemented comprehensive changes in their labour policy.
C. Perhaps, sensing the rising tide of global labour concerns,
D. from the public would become a prominent media issue,
E. Nike sought to be a industry leader in employee relations.
(1) D and E (2) D only (3) A and E (4) A and D (5) B, C and E
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Pronoun error
Punctuation error
Article error

CAT 2008
A. Charges and countercharges mean nothing
B. to the few million who have lost their home.
C. The nightmare is far from over, for the government
D. is still unable to reach hundreds who are marooned.
E. The death count have just begun.
(1) A only (2) C only (3) A and C (4) A, C and D (5) D only
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Usage error
Article/Usage error
Subject-Verb Agreement error

CAT 2008
A. I did not know what to make of you.
B. Because you’d lived in India, I associate you more with my parents than
with me.
C. And yet you were unlike my cousins in Calcutta, who seem so innocent and
obedient when I visited them.
D. You were not curious about me in the least.
E. Although you did make effort to meet me.
(1) A only (2) A and B (3) A and E (4) D only (5) A and D
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Parallelism error
Parallelism error
Modifier error
Article error

Standard Errors
1. Subject- Verb Agreement
2. Pronoun Errors
3. Parallelism
4. Modifiers
5. Article errors
6. Punctuation errors
7. Miscellaneous
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Subject Verb Agreement - rules
Basic rule:
Subjects and verbs should agree with one another in number.
Example:
a. The dog runs faster than the cat.
b. The dog run faster than the cat.
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Basic rule:
Pitfalls : verb placed far away from the subject.
Example:
Recent studies indicate that the ability of a soldier to remain calm under attack by
enemies, internal or external, determine whether the soldier will be the victor or the
vanquished.
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Basic rule:
Pitfalls : use of appositives. ( nouns or noun phrases that modify/ add detail to the noun)
Example:
 Nuclear fusion, one of the most effective ways of separating carbon and oxygen
atoms, are being used with deadly intent by some countries.
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Basic rule:
Pitfalls : use of relative clauses ( nouns or noun phrases that modify/ add detail to the noun)
Example:
 M F Husain, who is one of India’s most famous painters renowned for his paintings
of horses, are living in exile.
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Use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected
by and.
Example:
 A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
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The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or
pronoun closest to it.
Example:
 Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.
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Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along
with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of
the subject. Ignore them and keep the verb consistent with the number of
the main noun.
Example:
 The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.
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With words that indicate portions— percent, fraction, majority, some,
all, etc.—we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular,
use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Example:
Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
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Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc.,
when considered as a unit.
Example:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
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Indefinite Pronouns – Singular
If the words each, every, or no come before the subject, the verb is
singular.
Anyone/Everyone/Someone
Anybody/Everybody/Somebody
Anything/Everything/Something
Whoever/Whatever
Nobody/Nothing/No one
Many a
Example:
Each of the students (is/are) in the class.
Every college and university (require/requires) a transcript for admission.
Every man, woman and child (participates/participates) in the drill.
Many a child (dreams/dream) about becoming famous one day.
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Indefinite Pronouns – Plural
Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs
Several, few, both, many
Example:
Both do a good deal of work around the office.
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Indefinite Pronouns – singular/plural
With countable – use plural
With uncountable – use singular
Some, any, all, most
Example:
Some of the sugar is on the floor
Some of the books are on the table
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Some collective nouns, such as family, couple, staff, audience, etc., may
take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on their use in the
sentence.
Example:
The jury has awarded custody to the mother.
The jury members have been arguing for five days.
The couple disagree about disciplining their child.
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The number – Singular
A number - Plural
Example:
The number of students standing outside the office is increasing
A number of students are standing outside the office.
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One of the ‘Noun’ (will always be plural) + that/who + Plural Verb
Example:
He is one of the students who study here.
Any of the members who disagree may leave the committee.
One of the ‘Noun’ (will always be plural) + (without that/who) Singular Verb
Example:
One of the chairs is broken
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The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact
(The subjunctive mood is the verb form used to express a wish, a suggestion, a command, or a
condition that is contrary to fact.)
Example:
If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.
He said it was essential that Johan guard the box.
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Pronoun Errors – Btw, what is it?
The residents’association informed the municipality that it was
getting the park cleaned.
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Plural form subjects
Plural form subjects with singular or plural meaning take a
singular or plural verb, depending on meaning. (e.g. politics,
economics, etc.)
Example:
 Economics is an interesting subject.
In this example, economics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.
 The politics of the situation were complicated
In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the
sentence has a plural verb.
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Plural form subjects
Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are regarded as
plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the
phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes the subject).
Examples
 My glasses were on the bed.
 My pants were torn.
 A pair of trousers is in the closet.
In the last example, the subject is the od the sentence is the ‘pair’ and hence we use a
singular verb.
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Sentence correction session 1

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Sentence correction session 1