11. A verb is missing from the
sentence:
a)
I just spoken to Emma and she really busy.
b)
My boss leaving next week to start a new job.
Advice: Don’t miss out verbs – even little ones!
a)
I have just spoken to Emma and she’s really busy.
b)
My boss is leaving next week to start a new job.
12. A preposition is missing from a
sentence:
a)
Bill Clinton was the 42nd President the
b)
I put my bag the table.
Advice: Don’t miss out prepositions, no matter how unimportant they look:
a)
Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the
b)
I put my bag on the table.
13. The meaning isn’t clear or the
sentence doesn’t make sense:
a)
I got the train at six thirty and arrived when I got
to work early.
b)
My favourite food is Chinese because I can’t go out
and get it very often.
Advice: Does your sentence make sense? Make sure the reader can understand what you are trying to say:
a)
I got the train at six thirty and arrived at work
early.
b)
My favourite food is Chinese, but I don’t go out and
get it very often.
14. The infinitive is used incorrectly:
a)
I’m going talk about my country.
b)
Kevin wanted to going to the museum with his class.
Advice: Use the infinitive correctly – ‘to’ + infinitive, rather than mixed
tenses:
a)
I’m going to talk about my country.
b)
Kevin wanted to go to the museum with his class.
15. There are incomplete sentences,
e.g. a sentence that doesn’t contain a subject-verb-object:
a)
Not good.
b)
We’re going to.
Advice: Try not to use very short, incomplete sentences, e.g. a
sentence that doesn’t contain a subject-verb-object:
a)
That was not good.
b)
We’re going to eat out later.