Error Identification & Correction Flashcards

Identify the error: 'He was disinterested in the outcome of the trial, so he made a fair judge.'

Answer: No error; 'disinterested' correctly means impartial here

'Disinterested' correctly means impartial or unbiased, which is exactly the quality needed for a fair judge.

Find the mistake: 'The team of researchers have published their findings in a peer-reviewed journal.'

Answer: Both B and C depending on style

In American English, 'team' is singular, requiring 'has' and 'its,' but both must change together to be consistent.

Which sentence avoids a comma splice?

Answer: She studied all night, so she passed the test.

A coordinating conjunction ('so') correctly joins two independent clauses preceded by a comma, avoiding a comma splice.

Identify the error: 'After he had ran five miles, he felt exhausted.'

Answer: 'had ran' should be 'had run'

The past participle of 'run' is 'run,' not 'ran,' so the past perfect form is 'had run.'

Choose the sentence with the correct use of 'who' or 'whom.'

Answer: To whom should I address this letter?

'Whom' is correct when it functions as the object of a preposition; 'To whom' correctly uses the object pronoun.

Find the error: 'The affect of the new policy on employee productivity was immediate.'

Answer: 'affect' should be 'effect'

'Effect' is the noun meaning result or outcome; 'affect' is typically a verb meaning to influence.

Identify the error: 'Due to the fact that it was raining, the game was postponed.'

Answer: 'Due to the fact that' is wordy and should be 'Because'

'Due to the fact that' is a wordy construction that should be replaced with the simpler 'because' in formal writing.