Create a worksheet with 30 questions covering the grammatical errors of misrelated participles, sentence fragmentation, concord errors, ambiguity, malapropism, tautology and split infinitives. The questions should be appropriate for grade 11.
Catherine Baytopp Create a worksheet with 30 questions covering the grammatical errors of misrelated participles, sentence fragmentation, concord errors, ambiguity, malapropism, tautology and split infinitives. The questions should be appropriate for grade 11.
Title: English Language Usage: Common Errors and Ambiguity
Part 1: Explanation of Key Concepts
I. Misrelated Participles
A misrelated participle occurs when a participle is incorrectly attached to a subject other than the one it should modify. This can lead to confusion and ambiguity in the sentence.
Example: Walking to school, the rain began to pour.
(Misrelated Participle: "Walking to school")
Correction: While walking to school, I got caught in the rain.
II. Sentence Fragmentation
Sentence fragmentation refers to the incomplete construction of a sentence. Fragments lack a main subject, predicate, or both, making them grammatically incorrect and unclear.
Example: After the soccer game. (Fragment)
Correction: After the soccer game, we went out for pizza.
III. Concord Error
Concord error, also known as subject-verb disagreement, occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree in number. This error often leads to confusion and incorrect sentence structure.
Example: The dog chases the cats. (Correct)
The dog chase the cats. (Concord Error)
Correction: The dogs chase the cats.
IV. Ambiguity
Ambiguity refers to a situation in which a word, phrase, or sentence has more than one possible meaning. It can occur due to unclear pronoun reference, syntactic structure, or lexical choices.
Example: Mary saw a man with binoculars. (Unclear Pronoun Reference)
Correction: Mary saw a man through her binoculars.
V. Malapropism
Malapropism is the act of using an incorrect word that sounds similar to the intended word but has a different meaning. It often results in humorous or nonsensical sentences.
Example: I'm going to the store to buy some oranges, apples, and pineapples of watermelon.
Correction: I'm going to the store to buy some oranges, apples, and a watermelon.
VI. Tautology
Tautology occurs when unnecessary repetition of words or ideas is used within a sentence or across multiple sentences. It adds no additional meaning and can make the writing redundant.
Example: Repeat again. (Tautology)
Correction: Repeat.
VII. Split Infinitive
A split infinitive occurs when an adverb or adverbial phrase is placed between the "to" and the base form of a verb. Traditional grammar rules suggest avoiding split infinitives, although contemporary usage has become more accepting.
Example: To boldly go where no man has gone before. (Split Infinitive)
Correction: To go boldly where no man has gone before.
Which sentence contains a misrelated participle?
Walking down the street, my phone rang.
The book, written by the famous author, was a bestseller.
I saw a man riding a bike in the park.
She opened the door, surprised to see her friend.
Which sentence is a sentence fragment?
I went to the store to buy some groceries.
Because it was raining.
The cat jumped onto the table.
He studied for the exam all night.
Which sentence has a concord error?
The group of students is going on a field trip.
The team are practicing for the championship.
My family is going on vacation next week.
The company are expanding their operations.
Which sentence is ambiguous?
I saw a man with binoculars.
I saw a man on the street.
I saw a man with a dog.
I saw a man in a hat.
Which sentence contains a malapropism?
The dog chased its tail.
She bought a new pair of shoes.
He likes to play the guitar.
I can't find my glasses, they seem to have evaporated.
Which sentence is a tautology?
The sun rose in the morning.
The cat meowed loudly.
The river flowed downstream.
The tree swayed in the wind.
Which sentence contains a split infinitive?
She decided to carefully read the book.
He wanted to quickly finish his homework.
They were asked to quietly leave the room.
I need to urgently call my boss.
Which sentence contains a misrelated participle?
Running late, the bus was missed by him.
The car, driven by my dad, is very fast.
I saw a bird flying in the sky.
She walked into the room, carrying a tray of cookies.
Which sentence is a sentence fragment?
I enjoy reading books.
After finishing my homework.
The teacher explained the lesson.
He played the guitar at the concert.
Which sentence has a concord error?
The company is launching a new product.
The team is winning the game.
My friends are coming over for dinner.
The committee is meeting tomorrow.
Other worksheets of English language: Grammar
