A. NO CHANGE
B. would have been cataloged
C. was cataloged
D. were cataloged
This is a VERB TENSE error. The past perfect (had been
placed) is used when you want to indicate that one past
action or state (were cataloged) was completed by the time
another past action or state occurred.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 1
1 If the books have been cataloged last
week, why hadn't they been placed on the
shelf?
A. NO CHANGE
B. that had led eventually
C. that eventually led
D. which led eventually
That introduces essential clauses while which
introduces nonessential clauses. Hint: If there is a
comma before that, change that to which.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 2
2 Jessica Mitford wrote The American Way of
Death, that led eventually to an official
investigation of the funeral industry.
3 In studying an assignment, it is wise to read it
A. NO CHANGE
B. first: then
C. first-then
D. first, then
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 3
over quickly at first, than see the major points,
and finally outline the material.
Than and then are two commonly confused words. Than is
used in a comparison. Then means afterward or at that time.
A. NO CHANGE
B. wandering aimlessly
C. wandering without purpose
D. wandering in an aimless manner
This is an error in ADJECTIVE/ADVERB USAGE. Since
aimless describes how they wandered, that adverb form
aimlessly is the correct form.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 4
4 We spent Sunday afternoon wandering
aimless in the park.
A. NO CHANGE
B. has fascinated the reading
C. fascinate the reading
D. fascinating the reading
This is a SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT error. The subject
of the sentence (lives) is separated from the verb
(fascinate). Make sure the verb agrees with the simple
subject and not with another noun that falls in between.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 5
5 The private lives of politicians, generals,
and other notables fascinates the reading
public.
A. NO CHANGE
B. period is the earlier
C. period is the
D. period is the earliest
The superlative form earliest is required to keep this word
PARALLEL in form with longest.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 6
6 The Paleolithic period is the early period
of human development, as well as the
longest.
A. NO CHANGE
B. verbal communication,
C. verbal communication, or speaking
D. verbal communication or speech,
This is an error in REDUNDANCY. Verbal communication
and speaking mean the same thing, so one of them can be
deleted.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 7
7 Since these acts required little to no verbal
communication or speaking, many of the new
immigrants did not need to speak English to join in
the fun.
8 As the dancers step to the music, they are
A. NO CHANGE
B. they’re
C. it’s
D. its
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 8
also stepping in time to a sound that embodies
their own history and the influence of outside
cultures.
This is a double error question. First, the choice between
their and its is a PRONOUN AGREEMENT situation. Their
refers back to the plural they and the dancers. The choices
between their and they’re and it’s and its are COMMONLY
CONFUSED WORDS situations. Their is the possessive
form; whereas, they’re is a contraction for they are. Its is the
possessive form, and it’s is a contraction for it is.
A. NO CHANGE
B. music in which it is performed
C. music, performing
D. music performed
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 9
It is a social music that performed at
weddings, birthday parties, and feasts.
This is an error in SENTENCE STRUCTURE. The original
sentence is a sentence fragment. Choice B is nonsensical
and too wordy. Choice C also doesn’t make sense; it doesn’t
make sense to think of “social music” as “performing.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. review, of student rights,
C. review of student rights
D. review; of student rights
This is an error in COMMA USE.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 10
10 His challenge initiated a review, of student rights
and administrative responsibility in public education.
No comma is necessary, even between rights and and, as in
D. A comma before and would only be necessary if and
preceded an independent clause.
A. NO CHANGE
B. workers
C. workers:
D. workers,
Hint: There
is not a
capitalization
error.
This is an error in PUNCTUATION. No punctuation is the
best choice.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 11
11 Around this time the polka music and button
accordion played by German immigrant railroad
workers; left their mark on waila.
had just began to toast Lydia’s
marshmallows when the rabbits
stampeded.
A. NO CHANGE
B. had just began toasting
C. had just begun to toast
D. toasting
This is an error in VERB FORMS. Begin (begin,
began, begun) is an irregular verb form. The
past perfect had requires begun.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 12
12 Fritz
don’t know how the college dorm
staff matched Portia and I as
roommates.
A. NO CHANGE
B. me as for
C. me as
D. I were
This is an error in PRONOUN CASE. Me is used
as a direct object, so the objective form (me) is
used instead of the subjective form (I).
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 13
13 I
courage, as much as his skill, in
meeting an emergency, enabled him. To
save a life and enter medical history.
A. NO CHANGE
B. meeting an emergency enabled
him to
C. meeting an emergency. Enabled
him to,
D. meeting, an emergency, enabled
him to
This is an error in SENTENCE STRUCTURE. The
2nd sentence in the original is a fragment. Choice
C does not correct the fragment, and choice D
contains comma errors.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 14
14 His
advances in cleanliness, most
doctors were still afraid to perform chest
surgery in spite of the risk of infection.
A. NO CHANGE
B. due so greatly to
C. because of
D. because
This is an error in WORD CHOICE. In spite of
does not make sense in the original sentence.
The “risk of infection” would be why they were
afraid to perform surgery. Choice B is too wordy.
Choice D is a non-idiomatic usage.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 15
15 Despite
graduated from Chicago
Medical College in 1883, being a
revolutionary time in medicine.
A. NO CHANGE
B. 1883,
C. 1883, it was
D. 1883. Which was
This is an error in CONCISENESS. If you can say
it without filler words, do it! Get rid of the fluff!
This is a good tip to follow in your own writing.
Don’t let your writing read like this clip sounds.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 16
16 Williams
faced a stark choice. Should
he let a man die; or attempt an operation
on his heart.
A. NO CHANGE
B. choice: either let a man die, or
C. choice, either let a man die? Or
D. choice either let a man die or
This is an error in SENTENCE STRUCTURE and
PUNCTUATION. In the original example, the second
sentence is a fragment. Choice C creates a fragment in a
third sentence. Choice D creates a run-on sentence.
Choice B uses a colon correctly - to join 2 independent
clauses when you wish to emphasize the second clause.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 17
17 Williams
decided to operate. When
he opened the chest cavity, he finds a
cut in the pericardium.
A. NO CHANGE
B. is able to find
C. discovers
D. found
This is an error in VERB USAGE (VERB TENSE
SHIFT). In the original example, finds is in the
present tense, but all other verbs are in past
tense (decided and opened). Choices B and C
do not correct the tense shift.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 18
18 Williams
stitched up the cut and
then began the vigil to see if his
patient would survive.
A. NO CHANGE
B. begun
C. had began
D. had begun
Began is a form of begin, a commonly misused
IRREGULAR VERB (begin, began, begun).
Began is the proper past tense form to keep the
tense consistent with stitched.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 19
19 Williams
to the limitations of medicine
in 1893, his success seemed
amazing.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Given,
C. Given
D. Giving
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUDENTS!
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 20
20 Given
modern advances, he
repaired a beating heart and led
surgery into a new era.
A. NO CHANGE
B. led a new era into surgery and repaired
a beating heart.
C. led surgery into a beating heart and
repaired a new era.
D. repaired a beating heart surgery and led
into a new era.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 21
21 Without
A. NO CHANGE
B. so increased in size and complexity
C. become so excessively monolithic and
circumfused by societal intricacies
whose implications dictated
D. became so large and real hard to figure
out
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 23
22 Sumerian society had become so
increasing in size and complexity that a
new tracking system became necessary.
A. NO CHANGE
B. arrow! The
C. arrow! And the
D. arrow: and the,
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 24
23 TI is the Sumerian word for arrow; the
sign for an arrow could represent both
the object and the sound “TI.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. that they
C. these stylized pictures
D. that using them they
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 25
24 A drawing of an ox followed by two
dots meant oxen. Scribes soon realized
they could also stand for sounds.
A. NO CHANGE
B. using it
C. useful
D. that was used
*The use of “It” is
not the error in
context of the full
article from which
this was pulled.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 26
25 It was adopted by the Akkadians,
Hittites, Persians, and others, and used
for over 3,000 years.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Sumerians scribe’s
C. Sumerian scribes
D. Sumerian scribe’s ,
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 27
26 Sumerian’s scribes, created and
regularly used at least 800 different
cuneiform signs.
A. NO CHANGE
B. smoke, then
C. smoke; if
D. smoke, do
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 28
27 The survey asked if you smoke, if you
play music after midnight; and if you are
very tidy, a little tidy, or an out-and-out slob.
A. NO CHANGE
B. have liked playing
C. like to of played
D. of liked to play
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 29
28 I would of liked playing music after
midnight.
A. NO CHANGE
B. accent but, to Portia’s distress,
C. accent but, to Portia’s distress
D. accent, but to Portia’s distress
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 30
29 I had a Southern accent; but to Portia’s
distress, little interest in the Civil War.
A. NO CHANGE
B. side with pairs of shoes,
C. side, with pairs of shoes,
D. side with pairs of shoes
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 31
30 Her side, with pairs of shoes lined up
neatly on the windowsill, looked like my
grandmother’s apartment.
A. NO CHANGE
B. change he still drives
C. change still driving,
D. change, and still driving
The best answer is A because it provides punctuation that appropriately
separates these two complete thoughts or statements — “My grandfather
is not known for embracing technological change” and “He still drives his
’59 Chevy Impala.” B creates a run-on, or fused, sentence. C would need
to have the comma in front of “still” to work. D is incorrect because the
conjunction and that connects the phrase to the main clause creates
confusion by linking words that are not grammatically parallel.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 31
31 My grandfather is not known for
embracing technological change. He still
drives his ’59 Chevy Impala.
A. NO CHANGE
B. says
C. says, that
D. says, that,
The best answer is B because it correctly
punctuates this sentence, which is actually a fairly
simple subject-verb-direct object sentence except
that the direct object is a noun clause. The
sentence could be written with that introducing the
clause, but no comma(s) would be needed.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 32
32 He says, he can’t imagine needing
frivolous options like automatic
transmission or power steering.
A. NO CHANGE
B. advertisers
C. it
D. its function
This is a pronoun-antecedent situation!
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 33
33 He says that the button that mutes the
sound lets him cut them off in midsentence.
(Previous sentence was about his wife.)
A. NO CHANGE
B. someone
C. a potter
D. OMIT the underlined portion.
This sentence deals with parallelism!
unbricking a kiln
uncovering buried treasure
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 34
34 Unbricking a kiln after a firing is
like a person uncovering buried
treasure.
A. NO CHANGE
B. of many
C. mostly of
D. for most
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 36
35 The process of creating ceramics begins in a
studio. My friend Ellen is typical of many more
potters in that she uses a wheel and works from
slabs.
A. NO CHANGE
B. with the passing of time,
C. gradually,
D. OMIT the underlined portion
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 36
36 Over many weeks, as time goes by,
her collection slowly grows.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the brick structure is
C. a brick structure
D. brick
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 37
37 She then carries the pieces to the kiln,
it is a brick structure for baking pottery.
A. NO CHANGE
B. stoops to carefully
C. bends over to arrange with care
D. carefully stoops over to arrange
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 38
38 She carefully arranges the pieces
inside.
A. NO CHANGE
B. morning, using twigs for kindling,
C. morning, using twigs for kindling;
D. morning using twigs, for kindling,
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 39
39 The next morning, using twigs,
for kindling she starts a small blaze.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Finally it dies
C. With a blaze that dies
D. Once the blaze dies
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 40
40 Having died down, she bricks up
the firebox as well.
A. NO CHANGE
B. having something to do with his job
C. that involved traveling to another city
D. OMIT the underlined portion.
DAILY SENTENCE CORRECTIONS 41
41 Last week, he told me he had to
go on a business trip in connection
with his work.