Q4: Sentence correction

Understanding the topic

Two sentences in this set test the same rule, that a phrase sitting between subject and verb does not change the verb, and spotting the pattern makes both of them free marks.

(i)

Printed: His knowledge of languages and international relations aid him in his work.

Corrected: His knowledge of languages and international relations aids him in his work.

Rule: The subject is "knowledge", which is singular. The plural nouns in the phrase that follows do not govern the verb.

(ii)

Printed: The ambassador, with his family and staff, invite you to a reception at the embassy on Tuesday afternoon.

Corrected: The ambassador, with his family and staff, invites you to a reception at the embassy on Tuesday afternoon.

Rule: The same rule again. "With his family and staff" is a parenthetical addition, not part of a compound subject, so the verb agrees with "ambassador" alone.

(v)

Printed: When he came back from vacation, Aslam and me plan to look for another apartment.

Corrected: When he comes back from vacation, Aslam and I plan to look for another apartment.

Rule: Two errors. The main clause is in the present, so the time clause cannot be in the past, and the pronoun is part of the subject, so it takes the subjective form.

(vii)

Printed: He came to me to enquire what is the salary attached to the appointment.

Corrected: He came to me to enquire what the salary attached to the appointment was.

Rule: An indirect question keeps statement word order, not question word order, and its tense shifts back to match the reporting verb.

(viii)

Printed: I am too tired that I do not hunt words and idioms in my English book.

Corrected: I am so tired that I do not hunt words and idioms in my English book.

Rule: "Too" pairs with an infinitive; "so" pairs with a "that" clause. The sentence used one half of each pattern.

The three not attempted

Sentence (iii) needs "sit for" rather than "sit in" an examination. Sentence (iv) is already correct as printed. Sentence (vi) mismatches "some of you" with "they", where the pronoun should be "you".