Error Spotting

At a glance 9 rules

1. 1Check in orderRead the whole sentence, then test each part in this order: subject and verb, tense against time words, pronoun case, preposition, comparison.
2. 2Strip the middleBefore judging a verb, cross out 'of' phrases, 'along with' add-ons and who or which clauses; the bare sentence shows the true subject and verb.
3. 3Scan for partnersSome words promise a partner: 'prevent' needs 'from', 'superior' needs 'to', and 'if' with 'had' needs 'would have'. Spot the first word, then check its partner.
4. 4No error is realIf every part passes the checks, choose 'No error'. Formal or unusual wording is not a mistake.
5. 5Who follows its noun'Who', 'which' and 'that' take the verb their own noun would take: 'the girls who sing', 'the boy who sings'.
6. 6Enough after the adjective'Enough' follows an adjective or adverb but comes before a noun: 'tall enough', 'fast enough', 'enough chairs'.
7. 7Bored or boringAn '-ing' adjective describes what causes the feeling; an '-ed' adjective describes the person who has it: 'a boring film', 'bored viewers'.
8. 8Compare inside a groupWhen something is compared with its own group, add 'other': 'faster than any other runner in the class', not 'than any runner'.
9. 9No repeated meaningCut a word that repeats a meaning already there: 'revert back', 'repeat again', 'cousin brother', 'free gift'. Say it once.