Agreement & Tense
Correct the subject-verb agreement error:
A series of unexpected events were affecting the schedule.
A: A series of unexpected events was affecting the schedule.
Q: Fix pronoun agreement (don’t pluralize the sentence):
Everyone must show their ID card at the entrance.
A: Everyone must show his or her ID card at the entrance.
Q: Identify and fix the fragment:
While reviewing the rubric for the assignment.
A: While reviewing the rubric for the assignment, I realized I missed a requirement.
Q: Fix the misplaced modifier:
After finishing the draft, the feedback from the teacher surprised Mia.
A: After finishing the draft, Mia was surprised by the teacher’s feedback.
Add a contrast transition:
__________, the project was complex, the team finished ahead of schedule.
A: However, the project was complex, the team finished ahead of schedule.
She practices every day, but yesterday she decides to skip rehearsal.
A: She practices every day, but yesterday she decided to skip rehearsal.
Q: Add apostrophes correctly:
The womens lockers were filled with the athletes gear.
A: The women’s lockers were filled with the athletes’ gear.
Q: Use a semicolon + conjunctive adverb(transition):
The device malfunctioned. The team had to start over.
A: The device malfunctioned; therefore, the team had to start over.
Q: Fix the dangling modifier:
Walking through the museum, several artifacts caught my attention.
A: Walking through the museum, I noticed several artifacts.
Q: Add a cause-and-effect transition:
The team ignored the early warnings; __________, the system failed unexpectedly.
A: As a result, the system failed unexpectedly.
Q: Fix tense + agreement:
Neither the coach nor the players was planning to attend the meeting that happen last week.
A: Neither the coach nor the players were planning to attend the meeting that happened last week.
Q: Fix the ambiguous pronoun reference:
When Liza met with her sister, she said the feedback was helpful.
Option 1 → Liza said the feedback was helpful.
Option 2 → Her sister said the feedback was helpful.
Q: Fix the comma splice in two ways:
The lecture ran long, many students left early.
A:
The lecture ran long, so many students left early.
The lecture ran long; many students left early.
Q: Fix parallel structure:
The committee agreed to revise the policy, improving transparency, and that it should promote fairness.
A:
The committee agreed to revise the policy, improve transparency, and promote fairness.
Q: Add a transition showing example:
Many cultural traditions have been preserved; __________, the annual lunar ceremonies continue today.
A: For example, the annual lunar ceremonies continue today.
Q: Correct the indefinite-pronoun agreement:
Someone left their jackets in the classroom.
A: Someone left his or her jacket in the classroom.
Q: Fix pronoun + apostrophes:
Each participant presented their groups findings at the judges table.
A: Each participant presented his or her group’s findings at the judges’ table.
Q: Fix the incorrectly attached fragment:
We canceled the field trip. Because the weather forecast predicted a severe storm.
A: We canceled the field trip because the weather forecast predicted a severe storm.
Q: Fix the comparison error:
My research results were more consistent than the other students.
A:
My research results were more consistent than those of the other students.
Q: Add refinement/clarification: The proposal seemed promising. It required several revisions to meet the guidelines.
A: The proposal seemed promising; however, it required several revisions to meet the guidelines.
Q: Fix all tense + agreement errors:
By the time the interview starts, the applicants complete their portfolios and was waiting outside.
A: By the time the interview started, the applicants had completed their portfolios and were waiting outside.
Q: Fix the unclear pronoun + apostrophes:
When Noor emailed Amina about her recommendations, she said they werent specific enough.
A: When Noor emailed Amina about Amina’s recommendations, Noor said they weren’t specific enough.
Q: Fix punctuation + explain list:
The novel was beautifully written it explored loss identity and resilience.
A: The novel was beautifully written; it explored loss, identity, and resilience.
Q: Fix both modifier and parallelism:
Reading the report, the confusing charts and to interpret the data took longer than expected.
A:
Reading the report, I found that interpreting the data and understanding the confusing charts took longer than expected.
What is the strategy of doing a transition question. Give me all the steps.
Reread both sentences or parts of the sentence.
Determine the relationship between them, and try to predict the answer.
Check the answers, and pick the option that matches.
If the sentences express similar ideas, you can eliminate contradictors, e.g., but or however.
If they express different ideas, you can eliminate both continuers and cause-and-effect words, e.g., for example or therefore.