Exercise 5

Identifying Errors

For the following questions, choose the underlined part of the sentence that contains a
grammatical error, if there are no errors choose e.

1. The purpose of the Career Night on our campus is illustrating the many professions
a b
that students might pursue, and to give local businesses and companies an opportunity
c
to recruit possible new employees. No error.
d e

2. According to the real estate agent, neither the empty building next to the strip mall nor
a b c
the vacant lot next to the park provide a good location for my new shop. No error.
d e

3. Tomas and Jose went on their annual biking trip even though he was suffering from a
a b
sprained ankle and they had to stop often to rest. No error.
c d e

4. Abraham and Ruth Ann offered their old roller blades to my sister and I, but we politely
a b
refused their charity, and we decided to earn money to buy new ones. No error.
c d e

5. Worried over getting his research paper done on time, in addition to studying for his
a b
AP Exam, and having to memorize his lines for the school play, Ernesto nearly had a
c d
nervous breakdown. No error.
e

6. After having failed her driver’s test three times, Marti learned the hard way that
a b
both steady concentration on her driving or paying attention to the road are
c d
critical to passing. No error.
e
7. Whomever is responsible for the accident is not important; what is important is that
a b
everyone has learned a lesson from this experience. No error.
c d e

8. When she was little, Sara loved to go to sleep away camp mostly because she
a
would be able to experience horseback riding, hiking nature trails, and swim
b c d
in the lake. No error.
e

9. Her favourite activities, however, was at the day’s end, after dinner, when she and
a b
her friends were allowed to find long sticks and to toast marshmallows over the fire.
c d
No error.
e

10. Now that the end-of-season sale is over, I could kick myself; I should of bought the
a b c
sundress when it was half price and kept it for next year. No error.
d e

11. Because an entirely new world opens up to you, SCUBA diving is a fantastic sport,
a
but you must always remain conscience of your air supply, the position of your diving
b c
buddy, and your diving time and depth. No error.
d e

12. Despite the principal consistent responding “No” to the requests from the Student
a b
Council, the students were still expected to carry on their duties successfully. No error.
c d e

13. Having performed well on the PSAT, Henri was confident that with a bit of studying
a
and refreshing his writing skills, he would perform strongly on the SAT as well. No error.
b c d e

14. The homeless, shabby dressed man shuffled along with his frowzy dog, both of them
a b c
looking hungry and dispirited. No error.
d e
15. Sasha and Suzie, the fourth-graders who love to work with clay, dream of becoming
a b
a famous sculptor one day and having their work displayed at the Museum of Art, which
c d
they recently visited on a school field trip. No error.
e

16. Thomas Jefferson invented the dumbwaiter in 1795, and they have been used ever since
a b c
as a valuable labor-saving device. No error
d e

17. The sudden rush of investors to withdraw their money from their accounts caused many
a b c
banks to have closed their doors for several weeks. No error
d e

18. Charles Evans Hughes was not only an exemplary Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
a b
and also was a governor of New York and the Republican candidate for president in
c d
1916. No error
e

19. The dramatic geometric design of the arboretum, which was a stark departure from
a b c
the naturalism of traditional English gardens, attest to Colcott’s love of order and
d
beauty. No error
e

20. Although the delay in the deployment of troops was a tactful blunder, it did not
a b c
diminish the effectiveness of the general’s overall strategy. No error
d e

21. The conference delegates were astonished not only by the sheer number of protestors,
a b
but also by the smooth coordination of the many simultaneous demonstrations.
c d
No error
e
22. The professors usually never cancel classes, even when there is a snowstorm, because
a b
they believe that knowledge is too important to compromise for anything but the most
c d
dire circumstances. No error
e

23. Helene found it hard to believe that a student as diligent as her could ever be
a b
singled out as an example of laziness. No error
c d e

24. Because it is abundant and burns clean, hydrogen is likely to become the preferred
a b c
energy source of the future. No error
d e

25. Although it is approximately 5 percent more likely that a child will be born male than
a b
female, the higher mortality rate of males ensures that the number of adult men and
c
women will be about the same at reproductive age. No error
d e

26. Only in the last several years has the economic ministers of the neighbouring countries
a b
come to realize that punitive tariffs have hurt the overall economy of the region.
c d
No error
e

27. Although it was first used by news organizations to transmit photographs for publication
a b
in the 1920s, fax machines did not come into widespread use until nearly 60 years later.
c d
No error
e

28. Since the itinerary allotted very little time for unexpected delays, our tour guide insisted
a
that we be at least 30 minutes early for any scheduled train departure. No error
b c d e
 29. There is at least two oxygen tanks for each climber at the base camp, although rarely
a b c
does anyone need more than one. No error
d e

30. In the basket was several savoury treats that Helene knew her friends would enjoy.
a b c d
No error
e

Sources:
1-15:
http://www.hannasd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=8916&dataid=14658&File
Name=Mastering%20the%20SAT%20Writing%20Test.pdf

15-30: http://www.mhpracticeplus.com/tests/PSAT/0874Ch14a.pdf