Correcting common errors (found in HK learners’ writing) 1
Part 1
Retype the sentences below correcting the mistakes in each one. You may click on ‘See hint’ if you are unsure. Click ‘show answer’ to check your answers and score as you progress.
-
Year One learners need time to adapt university life.
Hint:
missing prepositionExplanation:
Adapt must be followed by the preposition to. - The Staff Association against the president’s proposal.
Hint:
missing verbAnswer:
The Staff Association are against the president’s proposal.
The Staff Association were against the president’s proposal.
The Staff Association went against the president’s proposal.
The Staff Association fought against the president’s proposal.
The Staff Association voted against the president’s proposal.
The Staff Association spoke against the president’s proposal.Explanation:
Against is a preposition, not a verb. A verb must therefore be added before it. - This paper will analysis the problems and suggest some solutions.
Hint:
wrong word formExplanation:
Analysis is a noun not a verb. Analyze is the verb form. Be careful! - Last month he applied a post at HSBC but was unsuccessful.
Hint:
missing prepositionExplanation:
Apply is followed by the preposition for. - People must aware their rights to protect themselves from governments and corporations.Hint:
missing verbAnswer:
People must be aware of their rights to protect themselves from governments and corporations.Explanation:
Aware is an adjective, not a verb. The verb be is therefore needed before it. The preposition of follows aware. - She born a son named Peter two weeks ago.
Hint:
Use noun instead of passive voice form of the verbExplanation:
Give birth is the phrase used for the active form of born. Born is a past participle form of the verb bear, so cannot be used with a subject such as she. (Verb forms: bear, bore, born) - Year One students need to choice their major carefully.
Hint:
wrong word formExplanation:
Choice is a noun. The verb form is choose. The verb form is used in the infinitive. - Many people in Hong Kong concern the issue of National Education.
Hint:
wrong word formExplanation:
Here, an ‘ed’ adjective is needed with the verb be as it is with other participal adjectives to describe people’s feelings. E.g. be ashamed, be tired, be embarrassed, etc. Concerned is followed by about (like in worried about). - Some Hong Kong learners are easy to make mistakes in grammar when they write.
Hint:
Change the subject to It; use the verb is; you will need the preposition for. Rewrite the first part of the sentence completely.Answer:
It is easy for some Hong Kong learners to make mistakes in grammar when they write.Explanation:
The error above is a direct translation from Cantonese but is not appropriate in English. Here, learners are not easy; understanding is easy, so we cannot write Hong Kong learners are easy. Here, you must use the structure It is + adj+ for +noun+ to (infinitive)… - I am difficult to learn English grammar.
Hint:
change the subject to It; use the verb is; you will need the preposition for. Rewrite the first part of the sentence completely.Explanation:
The error above is a direct translation from Cantonese but is not appropriate in English. Here, I am not difficult; learn is difficult, so we cannot write I am difficult to learn English grammar. Here, you must use the structure It is + adj+ for +noun+ to (infinitive)… - In the past, American society seriously discriminated black people.
Hint:
missing prepositionExplanation:
The preposition against must follow discriminate and discrimination. - He did not get the job due to he did not prepare for the interview.
Hint:
due to is followed by a noun phraseAnswer:
He did not get the job due to not preparing for the interview.
He did not get the job due to a lack of preparation for the interview.
He did not get the job due to the fact that he did not prepare for the interview.Explanation:
Due to must be followed by a noun phrase and cannot be followed by a subject and verb such as he did. - Hong Kong becomes a world class financial centre.
Hint:
wrong tenseExplanation:
The present perfect tense is appropriate here to describe recent past events which affect present time. - Some teenagers are lack of study skills.
Hint:
use only one verbExplanation:
Lack is a verb in this sentence. When used as a verb, the preposition of is not needed. Lack of is a noun phrase and can be used as follows: There is a lack of cooperation between the two political parties. - There have been a great deal of researches into the causes of male teenage aggression.
Hint:
countable vs uncountableAnswer:
There has been a great deal of research into the causes of male teenage aggression.Explanation:
Research is always an uncountable noun. ‘es’ is never added to the end of it to make it plural.
Copyright© 2012-2013 UGC ICOSA Project, Hong Kong. All rights reserved.