10 sentences. can YOU identify the error?

evanescenteuphoria · July 20, 2005, 11:30pm

direction: put a X next to the sentence if htere is an error. also, explain why the sentence is wrong.
note: some sentences do not have errors.

___ 1. If the club limited its membership, it will have to raise its dues.

___ 2. While Barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rang.

___ 3. Thousands of people will see the art exhibit by the time it closes.

___ 4. By the time negotiations began, many pessimists have expressed doubt about them.

___ 5. After Capt. James Cook visited Alaska on his third voyage, he is killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.

___ 6. I was terribly disappointed with my grade because I studied very hard.

___ 7. The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker has finished.

___ 8. Everyone hopes the plan would work.

___ 9. Harry wants to show his friends the photos he took last summer.

___ 10. Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.

___ 11. The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars.

___ 12. The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold.

these were taken from the OWL lab at Purdue.

ShadowOfAnEnigma · July 20, 2005, 11:51pm

_X 1. If the club limited its membership, it will have to raise its dues. 
Either change limited to limits or will have to would have.

_X 2. While Barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rang.
Either change puts to was putting or rang to rings.

_X 3. Thousands of people will see the art exhibit by the time it closes.
Change will see to will have seen.

_X 4. By the time negotiations began, many pessimists have expressed doubt about them.
Change have to had.

_X 5. After Capt. James Cook visited Alaska on his third voyage, he is killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.
Change is to was.

_X 6. I was terribly disappointed with my grade because I studied very hard. 
Insert the word had before studied.

_/ 7. The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker has finished.
This is acceptable if it is describing an activity that has been done and will be repeated. Otherwise, change asks to asked and has to had.

_X 8. Everyone hopes the plan would work.
Change hopes to hoped or would to will.

___ 9. Harry wants to show his friends the photos he took last summer.

___ 10. Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.

_X 11. The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars.
Change insisted to insists or has to had.

_/ 12. The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold.
This is acceptable if the cold is ongoing, but if the patient has recovered then suffers should be changed to suffered.

How did I do?
Edit: Eek, three misspells!

lavalita · July 20, 2005, 11:55pm

hmm i'm not all that good at grammar...but i'd like to give it a shot.

X 1. If the club limited its membership, it will have to raise its dues.

it should either be if the club limits its membership
or
if the club limited its membership, it would have to raise its dues.

X 2. While Barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rang.

the tense is messed up here.

while barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rings. or
while barbara put in her contact lenses, the telephone rang.

X 3. Thousands of people will see the art exhibit by the time it closes.

hmm i think in this one the tense is weird too.

thousands of people will have seen the art exhibit by the time it closes.

X 4. By the time negotiations began, many pessimists have expressed doubt about them.

umm tense again?
by the time negotiations began, many pessimists had expressed doubt about them.

X 5. After Capt. James Cook visited Alaska on his third voyage, he is killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.

tense again.
After capt. james cook visited alaska on his third voyage, he was killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.

X 6. I was terribly disappointed with my grade because I studied very hard.

umm hmm i think tense?
I was terribly dissapointed with my grade because i had studied very hard.

X 7. The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker has finished.

The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker finishes. or maybe...
The moderator will ask for questions as soon as the speaker has finished.

X 8. Everyone hopes the plan would work.

Everyone hopes the plan will work.
Everyone hoped the plan would work.

___ 9. Harry wants to show his friends the photos he took last summer.

not sure if there's an error in this one...

___ 10. Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.

don't think there's an error in this one either.

X 11. The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars.

The boy insisted that he had paid for the candy bars.
The boy insists that he has paid for the candy bars.

X 12. The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold.

i think the tense doesn't work here but i'm not sure.

The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffered from a bad cold.
The doctor has suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold.
The doctor suggests bed for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold.

well probably didn't get them right..but thanks for the practice anyway.

GetMeOutOfHere · July 20, 2005, 11:56pm

1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 11,

harry3734 · July 20, 2005, 11:58pm

wrong: 1,2,3,4,5,8,11,12

theStones · July 21, 2005, 12:00am

X 1. If the club limited its membership, it will have to raise its dues.
Clauses dont match

X 2. While Barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rang.
The two tenses don't correspond with each other

X. 3. Thousands of people will see the art exhibit by the time it closes.
Will have seen

X 4. By the time negotiations began, many pessimists have expressed doubt about them.
Poorly written? Just doesnt sound correct clauses dont match

X 5. After Capt. James Cook visited Alaska on his third voyage, he is killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779.
second clause needs to be in the past tense

X 6. I was terribly disappointed with my grade because I studied very hard.
It seems like the second clause needs to be past perfect.. no idea about this one though

X 7. The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker has finished.
Two clauses don't match...

X 8. Everyone hopes the plan would work.
Its either everyone hopes the plan works or everyone hoped the plan would work

No Error.. 9. Harry wants to show his friends the photos he took last summer.

No Error.. 10. Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.

X 11. The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars.
Had paid

No Error 12. The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold.

my score?

mattr · July 21, 2005, 12:33am

I am ambivalent regarding #6.

evanescenteuphoria · July 21, 2005, 12:40am

U: wrong
S: right

the errors are suppposed to be only verbs

U 1. If the club limited its membership, it will have to raise its dues. (change will to would)

U 2. As Barbara puts in her contact lenses, the telephone rang. (change puts to put)

S 3. Thousands of people will see the art exhibit by the time it closes.

U 4. By the time negotiations began, many pessimists have expressed doubt about them. (change have to had)

U 5. After Capt. James Cook visited Alaska on his third voyage, he is killed by Hawaiian islanders in 1779. (change is to was)

U 6. I was terribly disappointed with my grade because I studied very hard. (change studied to had studied)

S 7. The moderator asks for questions as soon as the speaker has finished. (asks as habitual action; will ask is also possible)

U 8. Everyone hopes the plan would work. (change hopes to hoped)

S 9. Harry wants to show his friends the photos he took last summer.

S 10. Scientists predict that the sun will die in the distant future.

U 11. The boy insisted that he has paid for the candy bars. (change has to had)

U 12. The doctor suggested bed rest for the patient, who suffers from a bad cold. (change suffers to was suffering)

harry3734 · July 21, 2005, 1:10am

durn missed 2

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10 sentences. can YOU identify the error?

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