Writing Sentence Correction Flashcards

Who knows who will be the winner?

Answer: Who knows who

The correct choice uses "who" in both instances because it functions as the subject of a verb in both clauses. In "Who knows...", "who" is the subject of the verb "knows". In the embedded clause "...who will be the winner?", "who" is the subject of the verb phrase "will be". "Whom" is an objective pronoun and would be used when it is the object of a verb or preposition, which is not the case here.

When he emerged from the pool, wondering how good he had done, he immediately looked to the clock.

Answer: wondering how well he had done,

The original sentence incorrectly uses the adjective "good" to modify the verb "done." To describe the manner in which an action was performed, an adverb is required. "Well" is the correct adverb to modify the verb "done," indicating the quality of his performance. Therefore, "wondering how well he had done" is the grammatically correct phrasing.

Until you learn the intricacies of the trade, one cannot be qualified to make a judgment.

Answer: you cannot be qualified

The original sentence contains a pronoun shift, starting with "you" ("Until you learn...") and then switching to "one" ("one cannot be qualified..."). For grammatical consistency, the pronoun should remain the same throughout the sentence. Therefore, "you cannot be qualified" correctly maintains the second-person perspective established at the beginning of the sentence.

Without making a sound Geoffrey crept down the stairs.

Answer: sound, Geoffrey crept

The phrase "Without making a sound" is an introductory adverbial phrase that modifies the main clause "Geoffrey crept down the stairs." According to standard punctuation rules, an introductory phrase of this length should be followed by a comma to separate it from the independent clause that follows. This improves readability and clarifies the sentence structure.

At seventeen he shipped as a cabin boy, bound for Liverpool.

Answer: a cabin boy, bound for"

The phrase "bound for Liverpool" is a non-restrictive participial phrase that provides additional, descriptive information about the "cabin boy." Since this information is not essential to the meaning of the main clause, it should be set off by a comma. The comma correctly separates the descriptive phrase from the rest of the sentence, following standard punctuation rules for non-essential elements.

The story is set in Boston, in colonial times when much of the land was undeveloped.

Answer: Boston, in colonial times, when

The phrase "in colonial times" acts as an adverbial phrase modifying the verb "is set." The subsequent clause, "when much of the land was undeveloped," further describes "colonial times" and functions as a non-restrictive clause, providing additional, non-essential information. Therefore, a comma is needed before "when" to properly set off this descriptive clause, following standard punctuation rules for non-restrictive elements.

Hector was known as "Slim", because of his gaunt appearance.

Answer: known as “Slim” because

The comma after "Slim" is incorrectly placed. When a quoted word or phrase is integrated into a sentence and is not a full quotation, punctuation like commas should typically not be placed inside the closing quotation mark unless it is part of the quoted material itself. Additionally, a comma is generally not used directly before "because" when it introduces a clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence, explaining the reason.

He had just come to the bridge; and not looking where he was going; he tripped over something.

Answer: where he was going, he tripped

The phrase "not looking where he was going" is a participial phrase that describes the subject "he." Such a phrase, when it introduces or interjects into a sentence, should be set off by a comma. The original use of a semicolon is incorrect because a semicolon is used to separate independent clauses or items in a complex list, not to set off a participial phrase.

It went on raining, and every day it got a little higher.

Answer: on raining, and every day

The sentence consists of two independent clauses: "It went on raining" and "every day it got a little higher." These two independent clauses are correctly joined by the coordinating conjunction "and." According to standard punctuation rules, a comma should precede a coordinating conjunction when it connects two independent clauses, making option A the grammatically correct choice.

Suddenly she, laughed as she remembered a story she had been told.

Answer: she laughed as she

The comma placed between the subject "she" and its verb "laughed" is grammatically incorrect. There should be no punctuation separating a subject directly from its verb unless there is an intervening non-essential clause or phrase. Removing the extraneous comma creates a grammatically correct and smoothly flowing sentence.

When began the snow he was asleep.

Answer: the snow began

The original phrasing "When began the snow" uses an inverted subject-verb order, which is grammatically awkward and incorrect for a standard subordinate clause. The correct and natural word order for this clause is subject-verb, meaning "the snow began." This places the subject ("the snow") before its verb ("began"), forming a grammatically sound structure.

There will be a wide path, almost big enough for a car.

Answer: There will be a wide path,

The original sentence is grammatically correct and requires no changes. "There will be" is the proper existential construction to introduce the existence of something. The comma before "almost big enough for a car" correctly sets off a non-restrictive descriptive phrase that provides additional information about the path without being essential to its identification.

Then he dropped them both, and the big one landed first - which he had thought it would do, and the little one landed second, which he had thought it would do.

Answer: one landed first, which

The phrase "which he had thought it would do" is a non-restrictive relative clause that provides additional, non-essential information about the preceding clause. Non-restrictive clauses are correctly set off by a comma. The original use of a hyphen (or an incorrect dash) is inappropriate for this grammatical structure, making the comma the correct punctuation to introduce the descriptive clause.

" I didn't hear you." she exclaimed.

Answer: hear you,” she

When a quotation is followed by a speaker tag (like "she exclaimed") that is part of the same sentence, the punctuation mark ending the quotation should be a comma, placed inside the closing quotation mark. The original sentence incorrectly uses a period, which would indicate the end of the sentence before the tag. Changing the period to a comma correctly integrates the quotation with the speaker tag.

They hopped down off the table; and went to go pick up the napkins.

Answer: off the table and went

The original sentence incorrectly uses a semicolon before the coordinating conjunction "and." When "and" connects two verb phrases that share the same subject ("They hopped... and went..."), no punctuation is needed before the conjunction. A semicolon is used to separate independent clauses or items in a complex list, which is not the case here. Removing the semicolon creates a grammatically correct and concise sentence.

"I'm not sure about that," he said. "I can't really remember."

Answer: about that,” he said. “I can’t

This sentence contains two distinct quoted sentences, each requiring proper punctuation. For the first quotation, "I'm not sure about that," the comma correctly precedes the closing quotation mark because the speaker tag "he said" follows within the same sentence structure. A period then correctly ends the first complete sentence, including the tag. The second quotation, "I can't really remember," begins a new sentence, so it starts with a capital letter and its own opening quotation mark, making option A the grammatically correct choice.

Until you sit down and talk to a person, you don't really know them.

Answer: you don’t really know him or her.

The original sentence uses the plural pronoun "them" to refer to the singular antecedent "a person." To maintain subject-verb agreement and avoid gender bias, the singular, gender-neutral "him or her" is the most appropriate choice. This ensures the pronoun correctly matches the singular noun it replaces.

The final competitors were Susan, that was considered the challenger, and Gail, the defending champion.

Answer: Susan, who was considered the challenger,

The original sentence incorrectly uses "that" to refer to a person (Susan). For people, the relative pronoun "who" is always the correct choice. "Who" properly introduces a non-restrictive clause providing additional information about Susan, making the sentence grammatically sound.

In order a great leader to be, a man must first be able to master himself.

Answer: In order to be a great leader,

The phrase "In order a great leader to be" is grammatically incorrect and awkward. The standard and correct idiomatic expression is "in order to be," which properly introduces a purpose clause. This revision clarifies the intent of the sentence and adheres to conventional English syntax.

In the last fifty years, those who from the ground up built the business have been replaced by a new generation.

Answer: those who built the business from the ground up

The original sentence has an awkward word order, placing the adverbial phrase "from the ground up" between the relative pronoun "who" and the verb "built." The correct placement is after the verb and its object ("built the business"), as "from the ground up" modifies how the business was built. This improves clarity and natural flow.