3.4 Common Grammar & Usage Errors

3.4 Common Grammar & Usage Errors

Quick Answer: Entrance-style English papers recycle a short list of usage faults: pronoun agreement and reference, dangling or misplaced modifiers, double negatives, wrong prepositions, faulty parallelism, and comparison errors. Learn the rule, then pick the option that obeys it in formal standard English.

Sections 3.1–3.3 gave you structure, agreement, and tense. This section targets the mixed “identify the error / choose the correct sentence” items that combine those skills with everyday usage.

How Error-Identification Items Work

Typical formats:

1. Four full sentences — choose the grammatically correct one.
2. Four full sentences — choose the incorrect one.
3. One sentence with underlined parts — choose the underlined error (or “no error”).
4. A sentence with a blank — choose the word or phrase that fits formal usage.

Work methodically: check subject–verb pair, then pronouns, then modifiers, then parallel lists, then negatives and prepositions.

Pronoun Agreement

A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number (and, where relevant, person).

Examples:

• Every candidate must bring his or her identification. (formal exam style)
• All candidates must bring their identification.
• The committee has issued its decision. (committee as unit)

Faulty:
Everyone submitted their forms early. — Many modern speakers accept this; traditional MCQ keys may still prefer singular agreement or a rewrite to All candidates submitted their forms.

Strategy: If options include a clean plural rewrite (All applicants… their…) or his or her, prefer the option that matches the paper’s traditional formal standard without awkwardness.

Pronoun Reference (Clarity)

Even when number is right, the pronoun must point to one clear noun.

Unclear:
When the clerk spoke to the applicant, she was annoyed. (Who was annoyed?)

Clear:
When the clerk spoke to the applicant, the applicant was annoyed.
Or: The applicant was annoyed when the clerk spoke to her.

Unclear this/that/which:
The portal closed at noon, which caused confusion. (Acceptable if which clearly means the closing; weak if many ideas precede it.)

Prefer:
The portal’s noon closing caused confusion.

Wrong case:

• The letter was addressed to him and me (not I).
• Who submitted the form? / To whom was the letter sent? (formal)
• Between you and me (not I).

Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes another word. It should sit next to (or clearly attach to) what it describes.

Dangling modifier

The introductory phrase has nothing logical to describe in the main clause.

Dangling:
Having completed the form, the stamp was applied.
(The stamp did not complete the form.)

Repair:
Having completed the form, the clerk applied the stamp.
Or: After the form was completed, the stamp was applied.

Dangling:
To qualify for the post, the age requirement must be met.
Repair:
To qualify for the post, applicants must meet the age requirement.

Misplaced modifier

The phrase is in the sentence but next to the wrong word.

Misplaced:
The officer almost checked all the files. vs The officer checked almost all the files. (meaning changes)

Misplaced:
Candidates were told on Monday to collect letters. (clear)
Candidates were told to collect letters that were printed on Monday. (different meaning — letters printed Monday)

Misplaced:
She handed envelopes to the applicants in plastic covers. (Are the applicants in plastic covers?)
Repair: She handed the applicants the envelopes in plastic covers.

Squinting modifier

A modifier between two phrases that could look either way:

• Officers who work quickly process appeals. vs Officers who work process appeals quickly — place quickly where only one reading works.

Double Negatives

In standard formal English, two negatives in one clause cancel or are non-standard.

Negative words and ideas: no, not, never, none, nothing, nobody, neither, hardly, scarcely, barely, without.

Hardly/scarcely/barely already carry negative force — do not add not.

Parallel Structure

When you list or compare, use the same grammatical form for each element.

Correlative pairs must stay balanced:

• both … and …
• either … or …
• neither … nor …
• not only … but also …
• whether … or …

Faulty: The form is not only long but also it is confusing.
Parallel: The form is not only long but also confusing.

Faulty: Either candidates may apply online or by post.
Parallel: Candidates may apply either online or by post.

Preposition Choice (High-Frequency Pairs)

Prepositions are often idiomatic. Memorise common formal collocations:

Wrong: discuss about the issue → discuss the issue.
Wrong: comprise of three parts → comprise three parts / consist of three parts.

Comparisons

• Use comparative (better, more careful) for two; superlative (best, most careful) for three or more.
• Complete the comparison: She is taller than her brother (not She is taller).
• Compare like with like: The salary of a clerk is lower than that of a supervisor (not lower than a supervisor if you mean salaries).
• Avoid double comparison: more better → better; most tallest → tallest.

Adjective vs Adverb

• Adjectives modify nouns: a careful officer.
• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs: the officer checked carefully.

Faulty: She speaks good. → She speaks well.
Faulty: The form looks well. (if appearance is meant) → The form looks good. (look as linking verb takes adjective)

Linking verbs (be, seem, appear, look, feel, become) often take adjectives as complements: The instructions seem clear.

Fewer vs Less, Number vs Amount

Exam English still rewards fewer candidates rather than less candidates.

Redundancy and Double Subjects

• Advance planning → planning (planning is already advance).
• Past history → history.
• Each applicants they must… → delete the double subject they.

Connecting Back to Sentence Faults

Worked “Choose the Correct Sentence” Set

Study these contrasts:

1. Modifier
   Wrong: Walking into the hall, the clock struck nine.
   Right: Walking into the hall, the candidates heard the clock strike nine.

2. parallelism
   Wrong: The booklet explains how to register, payment of fees, and submitting forms.
   Right: The booklet explains how to register, pay fees, and submit forms.

3. double negative
   Wrong: The office does not accept no late forms.
   Right: The office does not accept any late forms.

4. preposition
   Wrong: She applied to the vacancy yesterday.
   Right: She applied for the vacancy yesterday.

5. pronoun
   Wrong: The notice was clear, but they did not read it carefully. (if they has no plural antecedent)
   Right: The notice was clear, but applicants did not read it carefully.

Exam-Day Checklist (60 Seconds)

1. Subject and verb agree?
2. Pronoun has a clear, matching antecedent?
3. Introductory -ing/-ed/to-phrase matches the subject that follows?
4. Lists and not only…but also structures parallel?
5. Only one negative where standard English wants one?
6. Preposition matches the collocation table?
7. Tense consistent with time words?

Study Routine

1. Keep an error log with seven columns: agreement, pronoun, modifier, negative, parallel, preposition, other — file every missed practice item.
2. Rewrite five dangling sentences from news headlines into correct public-notice style.
3. Build ten parallel lists using not only…but also and either…or.
4. Drill its/it’s, their/there/they’re, and affect/effect until recognition is automatic under time pressure.

Usage items reward calm rule application. If two options both look polished, find the named fault in one of them; the correct choice is the sentence that breaks none of the rules in this chapter.