Use these identifying sentence errors practice questions to review common problems involving agreement, pronoun case, verb tense, modifiers, parallel structure, comparisons, punctuation, and sentence construction. For each question, choose the best revision of the underlined section. Select No change when the sentence is already correct.
Topics Covered
- Subject-verb agreement
- Pronoun case
- Verb tense and chronology
- Dangling modifiers
- Parallel structure
- Agreement with each
- Agreement with neither…nor
- Logical comparisons
- Comma splices
- Recognizing sentences with no error
Sample Questions
The list of required materials are posted beside the classroom door.
- A. No change
- B. were posted
- C. is posted
- D. have been posted
Show Answer
The subject is list, which is singular. The phrase of required materials does not change the number of the subject.
The singular subject therefore requires the singular verb phrase is posted.
The coach spoke to Maya and I after practice.
- A. No change
- B. Maya and myself
- C. I and Maya
- D. Maya and me
Show Answer
The pronouns are objects of the preposition to, so the objective form me is required.
Remove the other name to test the sentence: The coach spoke to me is correct, while The coach spoke to I is not.
By the time the guests arrived, the caterer finished setting up the tables.
- A. No change
- B. has finished
- C. had finished
- D. finishes
Show Answer
The setup was completed before another past event—the guests’ arrival.
The past perfect form had finished clearly identifies the earlier of the two past actions.
Walking through the museum, the paintings impressed Lena.
- A. No change
- B. Lena was impressed by the paintings
- C. the paintings were impressive to Lena
- D. Lena, the paintings impressed her
Show Answer
The introductory phrase Walking through the museum must logically modify the person who was walking.
Placing Lena immediately after the introductory phrase removes the dangling modifier.
The position requires organizing records, answering calls, and to schedule appointments.
- A. No change
- B. scheduled appointments
- C. scheduling appointments
- D. appointments that are scheduled
Show Answer
Items in a series should use parallel grammatical forms.
Organizing and answering are gerunds, so the third item should also be a gerund: scheduling appointments.
Each of the reports include a summary and a bibliography.
- A. No change
- B. includes
- C. are including
- D. have included
Show Answer
The subject each is singular, even though the prepositional phrase contains the plural noun reports.
The correct singular verb is includes.
Neither the manager nor the assistants was prepared for the unexpected inspection.
- A. No change
- B. were prepared
- C. has prepared
- D. is preparing
Show Answer
With subjects joined by neither…nor, the verb usually agrees with the subject closest to it.
The nearer subject, assistants, is plural, so the plural verb phrase were prepared is correct.
The novel was more engaging than any book assigned during the course.
- A. No change
- B. all books
- C. any other book
- D. each book was
Show Answer
The novel is itself one of the books assigned during the course.
Using any other book makes it clear that the novel is being compared with the remaining books rather than with itself.
The rain stopped, we resumed the outdoor rehearsal.
- A. No change
- B. ; we resumed
- C. because we resumed
- D. and resuming
Show Answer
The sentence contains two independent clauses: The rain stopped and we resumed the outdoor rehearsal.
Joining independent clauses with only a comma creates a comma splice. A semicolon correctly joins the closely related clauses.
After reviewing the data, the researchers revised their original conclusion.
- A. No change
- B. the original conclusion was revised by the researchers
- C. revising by the researchers
- D. the researchers had revision of
Show Answer
The introductory phrase logically modifies the researchers, the people who reviewed the data.
The sentence is clear, complete, and grammatically correct as written.
How to Use These Questions
Read the complete sentence before focusing on the underlined section. An error may depend on another word elsewhere in the sentence, such as the true subject of a verb or the noun modified by an introductory phrase.
When reviewing an incorrect answer, name the rule involved and rewrite the full sentence correctly. This makes it easier to recognize the same error in a different form.