High difficulty WR questions for experts.

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1

<p>Spot the error:
1. Not very particular in nesting sites, house werns may nest in birdhouses, mailboxes, building crevices --even in the pockets of hanging laundry.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Because his experience in the naval medical crops had been rewarding, Bob applied to medical school after he was discharged from the navy.</p></li>
<li><p>At the reception were the chattering guests, the three-tiered cake, and the lively music that have become characteristic of many wedding celebrations.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Improve the sentence:
1. Bertha Lamme received her engineering degree in 1893, which she then specialized professionally in the design of motors and generators.</p>

<p>(A) 1893, which she then specialized professionally
(B) 1893, specializing as her profession
(C) 1893 and, as a professional, specialized
(D) 1893, then, for a profession, specializes
(E) 1893, she has specialized as a professional.</p>

<ol>
<li>The name "transferware" comes from a nineteenth-century technique for which a pattern is engraved onto a copper roll, printed on tissue paper, and transferred onto earthenware dishes.</li>
</ol>

<p>(A) comes from a nineteenth-century technique for which
(B) comes from a nineteenth-century technique according to which
(C) comes from a nineteenth-century technique whereby
(D) is a nineteenth-century technique wherein
(E) means it is a nineteenth-century technique by which</p>

<p>Give it your best shot! :D</p>

2

<p>Spot the Error:

  1. A “In”: should be “about”
  2. E
  3. E
    ^Not really sure about those last two. I can’t seem to spot any errors though.</p>

<p>Improving Sentences:

  1. C
  2. C</p>

<p>Let me know if I got any of them right.</p>

3

<p>Correct on all answers.</p>

<p>Could you please elaborate on your reasoning behind numbers 2 and 3 in spot the error, and both the improving sentences questions?</p>

4

<p>Spot the error

  1. should be particular “about”
    [particular</a> - definition of particular by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.](<a href=“Particular]particular - definition of particular]particular by The Free Dictionary”>Particular - definition of particular by The Free Dictionary)
    A.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>At first glance, you might think that you need the past perfect tense for the verb discharge because the discharge occurs before his application to medical school. However, the past perfect tense is not needed if the word “before” or “after” is used in the sentence.<br>
[ENGLISH</a> PAGE - Past Perfect](<a href=“http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfect.html]ENGLISH”>Past Perfect Tense | ENGLISH PAGE)
E.</p></li>
<li><p>E.<br>
What do you think needs a change?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Improve the sentence.
1.<br>
a) For time periods, “which” should have a preposition before that word; could be corrected with “after which” she specialized professionally
b) Based on the position, the participial phrase, “specializing as…”, appears to modify the year 1893 or even degree, instead of Bertha Lamme.
c) Correct
d) incorrect verb tense
e) Even without the period, the sentence would be a run-on because there is no conjunction after the comma. </p>

<p>2.
a) The technique should not be “for” the list of steps that are described.
b) The technique should not be “according to” the list of steps that are described.
c) Correct
d) The subject-linking verb-subject complement of “The name is a technique” is awkward and changes what the statement conveys.
e) “it is” should not be needed after “means”; the intended statement should not try to convey a definition.</p>

5

<p>I marked 2 for C, because I thought it should be “applied for”. Since when does “apply to” work?</p>

<p>And I marked 3 for “at”, shouldn’t it be “in”?</p>

<p>Thanks for all the other explanations!</p>

6

<p>“Apply to” is perfectly fine, e.g. “applying to universities”.</p>

<p>“At” works. “At the gym”, “at the park”. Remember, if it’s grammatically correct, you don’t need to change it!</p>

7

<p>“Apply for” and “apply to” college are both listed here as acceptable.
[apply</a> - definition of apply by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.](<a href=“Apply]apply - definition of apply]apply by The Free Dictionary”>Apply - definition of apply by The Free Dictionary)</p>

8

<p>Thank you everyone for your contributions!</p>

9

<p>(1) Not very particular [in] nesting sites, house wrens may nest in birdhouses, mailboxes, building crevices --even in the pockets of hanging laundry.</p>

<p>I agree that the error is [in]. However I don’t think that [about] is any better.</p>

<p>Perhaps [in their choice of] or [in choosing] or something similar.</p>

10

<p>Just to add some things:</p>

<p>“particular about” is a common way of phrasing that idea. In this context, “particular” means “picky.” The birds are very picky about nesting sites.</p>

<p>For #3, “characteristic” means “typical.” Those things have become typical of many wedding celebrations.</p>

<p>“apply for medical school” and “apply to medical school” both work. However, they mean different things. When you apply for medical school, you are applying in order to obtain, gain, or acquire: *a suit for alimony; to work for wages<a href=“%5Burl=For]Dictionary.com[ Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com”>/i</a>. In this case you are applying in order to obtain (entry into) medical school. When you apply to medical school, since “apply” means “to make an application” ([url=&lt;a href=“Apply]Dictionary.com[ Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com”&gt;Apply Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com]Dictionary.com[/url</a>], entry #12), you are making an application to the school, where “to” denotes direction (where the application is headed).</p>

11

<p>Thank you for your elaboration, forgcity, crazybandit. I don’t know what this forum would do without the two of you! Thanks! :)</p>