Sentence Correction: Concepts & Rules

Writing clear and error-free sentences is essential for effective communication. Whether you are a student, a professional, or an aspiring writer, understanding the concepts and rules of sentence correction is crucial to enhance your writing skills. In this article, we will explore some of the fundamental aspects of sentence correction, including modifier errors, subject-verb agreement, parallelism errors, redundancy errors, and subject-pronoun agreement.

Basics of Sentence Correction

Before delving into specific error types, it’s important to grasp the basic principles of sentence correction. A sentence should have a subject (the doer of the action) and a predicate (the action or description). It should express a complete thought and be structurally sound.

Modifier Errors

Modifiers are words or phrases that provide additional information about other words in a sentence. A modifier should be placed close to the word it modifies to avoid confusion or ambiguity. One common error is a misplaced modifier, where the modifier is not positioned properly, leading to a misinterpretation of the intended meaning.

Example 1: Incorrect: “I only ate two slices of pizza.”

Correct: “I ate only two slices of pizza.”

In the incorrect sentence, the modifier “only” is placed before the verb “ate,” suggesting that the action of eating was limited to two slices of pizza. However, the intended meaning is that the person ate two slices exclusively, emphasizing the quantity rather than any limitation.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical concord between the subject and the verb in a sentence. A singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. Failure to maintain subject-verb agreement can result in sentences that sound awkward or grammatically incorrect.

Example 2: Incorrect: “The group of students were studying.”

Correct: “The group of students was studying.”

In the incorrect sentence, the plural verb “were” is used with the singular subject “group.” The correct form should use the singular verb “was” to match the subject.

Parallelism Error

Parallelism is the principle of maintaining consistent grammatical structure in a sentence. It involves using the same grammatical form for items in a series, items joined by coordinating conjunctions, or elements that are being compared. Lack of parallelism can create confusion or disrupt the flow of a sentence.

Example 3: Incorrect: “She enjoys swimming, hiking, and to ride a bicycle.”

Correct: “She enjoys swimming, hiking, and riding a bicycle.”

The incorrect sentence fails to maintain parallelism by using the infinitive “to ride” instead of the gerund “riding.” To correct the error, all items in the series should be in the same form.

Redundancy Error

Redundancy occurs when unnecessary or repetitive words or phrases are used in a sentence, adding no additional meaning or value. Redundant expressions can make writing wordy and less concise.

Example 4: Incorrect: “He is a beginner at the very basic level.”

Correct: “He is a beginner at the basic level.”

The word “very” in the incorrect sentence is redundant because the adjective “basic” already conveys the intended meaning. Removing the redundant word improves the clarity and conciseness of the sentence.

Subject-Pronoun Agreement

Subject-pronoun agreement refers to using the appropriate pronoun that matches the subject in terms of number (singular or plural) and gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter). Failing to maintain subject-pronoun agreement can lead to grammatical errors or confusion.

Example 5: Incorrect: “Each of the students should submit their assignments.”

Correct: “Each of the students should submit his or her assignment.”

In the incorrect sentence, the plural pronoun “their” is incorrectly used to refer to the singular subject “each student.” To maintain subject-pronoun agreement, a singular pronoun “his or her” should be used instead.