Types of Sentence Correction Errors | Grammar for Digital SAT PDF Download

Introduction

In the Sentence Correction section of the SAT, each question comprises a single complete sentence with four underlined words or phrases labeled A, B, C, and D. The fifth option, E, indicates no error. Unmarked portions of the sentence are accurate and cannot be modified. Each sentence will contain only one error, so once you identify an error, there is no need to continue searching. Just select the letter corresponding to the error. If you cannot detect a clear error, select E (No Error). It is crucial to note that you do not need to rectify the sentence; you only need to identify the error, if there is one.

Subject-verb agreement

An agreement error is the faulty combination of a singular and a plural. For example:

• The short stories of J. California Cooper addresses the black experience with colloquial talk, dialect, dots, dashes, and even musical notes. No Error

The subject stories is plural. To agree, the verb should be the plural address. The correct answer is A.

Pronoun agreement errors

Pronouns can be either singular or plural and must agree with the verb and with the noun that they refer to. For example:

• The greatest strength of the American political system is each voter's right to determine which way they will vote. No Error

The singular is agrees with the singular strength. The plural they, however, does not agree with the singular each voter. The correct answer is C.

Verb tense errors

The tenses (present, past, future) of the verbs in a sentence must be logical and consistent. For example:

• When the bell rang, I grabbed my backpack and run as fast as I could to catch the first bus. No Error

The first two verbs here (rang and grabbed) are in past tense. To be consistent, run should be ran. The correct answer is B.

Case errors

Pronouns in English have three cases: subjective (I, he), possessive (my, his), and objective (me, him). The function of the pronoun in the sentence determines its case. For example:

• According to the surgeon, the diagnosis of illness was not likely to alarm either she or her husband. No Error

The object of the infinitive to alarm is she or her husband. The she should be the objective her. The correct answer is C.

Ambiguous pronoun errors

The antecedent of a pronoun (the word the pronoun refers to) should be clear. For example:

• Many historians believe the Kennedy-Nixon election was decided by the television debate in which he appeared unshaven and humorless. No Error

A reader has no way of knowing whether the antecedent of the pronoun he is Kennedy or Nixon. The correct answer is D.

Parallel construction errors

Parallelism errors arise when two or more connected words or phrases are presented in differing grammatical structures. Such errors may involve unwarranted shifts in verb tenses, such as from past to present, or in voice, such as from active to passive. They may also involve pronoun shifts, such as from "you" to "one." These errors are typically observed in lists or series, so be sure to pay close attention to these structures.

• Miguel enjoyed swimming, weight lifting, and to run. No Error

To run is incorrect; it should be an "-ing" word (running) like the other items. The correct answer is D.

Comparison errors (illogical comparisons)

When drawing a comparison, it is imperative to ensure that the two entities being compared are alike. It is particularly important to pay close attention to this issue when a sentence starts with "Like." Additionally, it is worth noting that illogical comparisons can result from the omission of necessary words. Although wordiness should be avoided, certain structures may require additional words for clarity and logical meaning. For instance, the sentence "I am interested in but uninformed about dinosaurs" would be incorrect without both "in" and "about."

• Because the volcanoes on the island of Hawaii are more active than other islands, it is the center for geological studies. No Error.

The comparison in this sentence is flawed. It is comparing the level of activity in the volcanoes to other islands, rather than to the volcanoes on other islands. To rectify this, the sentence should read "more active than those on other islands." The answer choice that accurately addresses this error is B.