Sentence Correction

Sentence Correction questions involve identifying and fixing errors in a given sentence to make it grammatically correct, clear, and meaningful. These questions test knowledge of grammar, syntax, and usage rules.


Common Areas Tested in Sentence Correction

AreaDescriptionExample
Subject-Verb AgreementEnsuring verb matches subject in number and person.Incorrect: The list of items are long. <br> Correct: The list of items is long.
Tense ConsistencyMaintaining proper verb tense without illogical shifts.Incorrect: She finished her work and goes home. <br> Correct: She finished her work and went home.
Pronoun UsagePronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender.Incorrect: Every student must bring their book. <br> Correct: Every student must bring his or her book.
ModifiersModifiers should be placed near the words they describe.Incorrect: She almost drove her kids to school every day. <br> Correct: She drove her kids to school almost every day.
ParallelismItems in a list or comparison must be in the same grammatical form.Incorrect: He likes swimming, to jog, and biking. <br> Correct: He likes swimming, jogging, and biking.
Preposition/Article ErrorsMisuse or omission of small but essential words.Incorrect: She is good in math. <br> Correct: She is good at math.
Redundancy/WordinessRemoving unnecessary repetition.Incorrect: He returned back to his home. <br> Correct: He returned to his home.

How to Solve Sentence Correction Questions

  1. Read the whole sentence first: Don’t focus only on the underlined part.
  2. Spot grammatical inconsistencies: Look for agreement, tense, or misplaced words.
  3. Check meaning clarity: Ensure sentence makes logical sense.
  4. Apply elimination: Narrow options by removing obviously wrong structures.
  5. Choose concise and correct: Prefer the version that is grammatically sound and clear.

Conceptual Tips and Common Mistakes

  • Watch for hidden subjects: Long phrases can distract from subject-verb agreement.
  • Don’t rely only on “sounds right”: Stick to grammar rules, not instinct.
  • Check all parts of a compound sentence: Errors may lie outside the highlighted portion.
  • Be alert to common traps: Misplaced modifiers, incorrect comparisons, wrong pronouns.

Examples

Example 1 — Subject-Verb Agreement

Incorrect: The players of the team is practicing.
Correct: The players of the team are practicing.


Example 2 — Parallelism

Incorrect: She enjoys reading, to dance, and swimming.
Correct: She enjoys reading, dancing, and swimming.


Example 3 — Modifier Placement

Incorrect: Running quickly, the book fell from his hands.
Correct: Running quickly, he dropped the book.


Example 4 — Tense Consistency

Incorrect: He completed his assignment and submits it to the teacher.
Correct: He completed his assignment and submitted it to the teacher.