🔍 Error Spotting - Formula Sheet

🎯 Common Error Categories

Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular subject → Singular verb
Plural subject → Plural verb
Examples:
The list of items ✓is (not are) on the table
Each of the students ✓has (not have) completed

Tense Consistency

Past events → Past tense throughout
Present facts → Present tense throughout
Future events → Future tense throughout

Pronoun Errors

Subject form: I, he, she, we, they
Object form: me, him, her, us, them
Reflexive: myself, himself, herself, ourselves, themselves

📊 Specific Error Patterns

Articles (a/an/the)

a/an → First mention, general
the → Specific, already mentioned, unique
No article → Proper nouns, general concepts

Prepositions

Time: in (months/years), on (days), at (times)
Place: in (enclosed), on (surface), at (point)
Direction: to (destination), from (origin), at (location)

Conjunctions

Coordinating: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet
Correlative: either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also
Subordinating: because, although, since, unless, while

🔢 Word Order Rules

Standard Sentence Structure

Subject → Verb → Object → Adverbial
Examples:
She carefully read the book
The students discussed the topic enthusiastically

Question Formation

Auxiliary verb → Subject → Main verb → Object?
Examples:
Do you understand?
Where are you going?

Adjective Order

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose
Examples: beautiful small old round red Italian wooden dining table

⚡ Common Mistakes

Double Negatives

Incorrect: I don't need no help
Correct: I don't need any help OR I need no help

Dangling Modifiers

Incorrect: Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful
Correct: Walking down the street, I saw beautiful trees

Parallel Structure

Incorrect: She likes reading, to cook, and swim
Correct: She likes reading, cooking, and swimming

📝 Error Detection Strategy

Step-by-Step Analysis

1. Read for overall meaning and flow
2. Check subject-verb agreement
3. Verify tense consistency
4. Examine pronoun usage
5. Review articles and prepositions
6. Check word order and sentence structure
7. Look for parallel structure issues
8. Verify logical connections

Quick Check Areas

1. Beginning of sentence (subject/verb)
2. End of sentence (prepositions/articles)
3. Lists and comparisons (parallel structure)
4. Time references (tense consistency)
5. Quantifiers (much/many, little/few)

🔍 Focus Points by Question Type

Grammar Errors

• Subject-verb agreement
• Tense consistency
• Pronoun reference
• Preposition usage
• Article errors

Structure Errors

• Word order
• Sentence fragments
• Run-on sentences
• Parallel structure
• Dangling modifiers

Master Error Spotting - Read carefully, think systematically! 🔍