ERROR ANALYSIS EXERCISES GRAMMAR 3 – KEY P. 3
(1)
The location of the house is perfect: near the city centre and only a ten-minutes-walk from the university.
a.
a ten-minutes-walk
b.
386.5: numeral + hyphen + singular noun functioning as an adjective, or:
440.4: measurement of time expressed by the genitive (s’ because minutes is plural)
c.
a ten-minute walk /
a ten minutes’ walk
(2)
My first impression of her reading was good, but I know that when I would have to analyse it further, I will come across a few mistakes.
a.
when
would have to
b.
618: if is used to refer to the future when you are unsure whether something will happen (when expresses certainty)
256.3 / 257: the first conditional consists of if + present simple in the subclause, and will + infinitive in the main clause.
In this case, in order to express uncertainty, using the second conditional would be even better; if + past simple in the subclause, and
would + infinitive in the main clause
c.
if
have to /
had to …, I would come
across …
(3)
How did the scandal that Beckham had an affair with Rebecca Loos erupted?
a.
did … erupted
b.
421.1: in interrogative sentences (questions), the past simple tense consists of did + bare infinitive
159.1: the auxiliary do should be followed by the (bare) infinitive
c.
did … erupt
(4)
Actually, I am not sure why this fact happens. Is there anyone who can explain this phenomena? If there was someone, would you mind to tell me, please?
a.
phenomena
to tell
b.
524.4: phenomena is a foreign plural (Greek); its singular form is phenomenon
296.1: the ing-form should be used after several verbs, one of which is mind
351.1: after mind, we use an ing-form (or object + ing-form)
c.
phenomenon
telling
(5)
Fans want to have everything that had belonged to their favourites because this is a way to feel themselves closer to them.
a.
had belonged
to feel themselves
b.
421.4 / 423.3 / 455.3: we use a regular past simple instead of a past perfect to refer to the past (there is no such thing as an ‘earlier
event’ in the past in this sentence); alternatively, you could opt for the present perfect to link the past event to the present
493.9: to feel is not a reflexive verb in English, so the reflexive pronoun should be omitted
c.
(has) belonged
to feel
(6)
The woman in this picture has brown eyes, wears hardly no lipstick, and is probably royal.
a.
hardly no
b.
43.3 / 55.1 / 381 / 547.4: any suggests an indefinite amount or number and is often used in (questions and) negative clauses, and in
other cases where there is an idea of (doubt or) negation; it is a ‘non-affirmative (or non-assertive) word’ used together with adverbs
that have a negative kind of meaning
c.
hardly any
(7)
Don’t keep us waiting. We are already sweating for half an hour.
a.
are already sweating
b.
455.7 / 458.7 / 460.1: the present perfect continuous (progressive) should be used to express a continuing action or situation that
started in the past and continues up to the present, especially with an indication of how long (half an hour)
566.4: already usually goes with the verb, in mid-position, but can also go at the end of a clause for emphasis
c.
have (already) been
sweating … (already)
(8)
Although not completely finished, I am handing in my portfolio covering assignments from the book.
a.
although … finished
b.
411.4: the subclause is a misrelated participle; it requires its own subject (and finite verb)
c.
although it is not
completely finished, …
(9)
In the article is a company described which has made a shameless copy of Lego.
a.
is a company
described
b.
509.1: in an affirmative sentence, the subject normally comes before the verb / 302: (no reason for inversion)
c.
a company is described
(10)
Her mother tongue is Dutch because she is constant into contact with Dutch people.
a.
constant
b.
26.1: the adverb should be used to modify the verb ‘to be / (to come) in(to) contact with’
c.
constantly
(11)
Mr and Mrs Stephens enjoy to have some fish and chips every now and then.
a.
to have
b.
296.1: the ing-form should be used after several verbs, one of which is enjoy
186: enjoy can be followed by the ing-form
c.
having
(12)
About the stability of the pronunciation of Standard English at present can be said that the pronunciation of a language will keep on changing although the speed of it may be low.
a.
can be said
the speed of it
b.
446.2: preparatory (provisional) it is used when the subject of a clause is itself a clause (that … low)
417: passive structures (can be said) are possible with preparatory it
428.7: it can refer to an event or situation (the changing of the pronunciation); here, the antecedent is quite unclear – different
solutions possible
c.
it can be said
e.g. …changing, albeit
slowly.
(13)
The Renaissance period saw the first dictionary of “hard” words. This dictionary contained 12,000 words of which half of them remained. The other half was lost.
a.
of which half of them
b.
494.7 / 498.8: (of) which replaces the subject words in the relative clause; we don’t need another subject (of them). In non-restrictive
relative clauses, quantifying determiners (e.g. half) can be used with of which – the determiner most often comes before of which, but
can sometimes come after it in a very formal style
495.2: non-restrictive relative clauses are normally separated by commas
c.
…, half of which… /
…, of which half…
(14)
It is very nice to learn that the ancient Egyptians used methods to build ancient temples which are unknown to us.
a.
methods … which are
b.
498.11: relative pronouns should follow their nouns (antecedents) directly; here, the relative clause gives us information about
methods instead of temples
c.
methods which are…
(15)
With a serious crime as murder, the man or woman has to do a psychological test in the Pieter Baan centre to see what personality you have.
a.
as murder
you have
b.
568.6: such as is used to introduce examples
(Note that the preposition at is normally used before the name of a building when we think about the activity that happens there;
81.1)
222.3 / 528: we can use the personal pronoun (unisex) they to refer to a singular indefinite person
c.
such as / like murder
they have /
he or she has
(16)
Well, I read a lot. And I play guitar, and I do that for about four years now.
a.
guitar
do
b.
68.2 / 70.10: we can use the definite pronoun to talk about things in general before a singular countable noun, especially with the
names of (scientific instruments and inventions, and) musical instruments
455.7 / 460.1: the present perfect should be used to refer to actions which started in the past and continue now; the continuous
(progressive) form is used for more temporary actions, especially with an indication of how long (for about four years)
c.
the guitar
have been doing /
have done
(17)
Many young animals learn complex behaviour through observation of its mother.
a.
its mother
b.
523 / 441.1: we use the plural form of the noun and the corresponding modifying possessive pronoun when we talk about the plural
(young animals)
c.
their mothers
(18)
I still remember perfectly clear that it were always the boys in our class that made the most noise.
a.
clear
it were
b.
26.1: the adverb should be used to modify the verb ‘to remember’
131 / 429.3 / 446.6: it takes a singular verb (this is a cleft sentence; read more about those in the entries in Swan)
(Note that most is normally used with the before nouns, but the can be left out in an informal style; 356)
c.
clearly
it was