PSAT

In the present tense, subjects and verbs must agree in number. That is, a singular subject requires a singular form of the verb, and a plural subject requires a plural form of the verb.




Agreement error:Correct:

The instructions is confusing.The instructions are confusing.



Agreement error:Correct:

One of these orchids bloom at night.One of these orchids blooms a night.

Regular past tense verbs end in –ed (smiled, developed), while irregular past tense verbs change form (freeze/froze, catch/caught). Be especially careful not to omit the –ed ending on a regular verb.




Past tense error:Correct:

During the lecture, she ask many questions.During the lecture, she asked many questions.

Past tense error:Correct:

When he propose, Carla say no.When he proposed, Carla said no

The past participle form of a verb combines with helping verbs like has or have; it can also be used as an adjective. The past participles of regular verbs end in –ed, just like the past tense (smiled/has smiled, developed/has developed). The past participles of irregular verbs-like the past tense-often change form (froze/has frozen, ran/has run).




Past participle error:Correct:

Ivan is a qualify paramedic.Ivan is a qualified paramedic.

Past participle error:Correct:

The dogs have drank all their water.The dogs have drunk all their water.

A run-on sentence incorrectly runs together two independent clauses without a conjunction or punctuation. A comma splice incorrectly joins two independent clauses with a comma but no conjunction

A sentence fragment lacks a subject, a verb, or both. It cannot stand alone as a sentence

• Sentence fragment: The dance troupe that visited our campus.
• Correct:The dance troupe that visited our campus was inspiring.

• Sentence fragment: Studying all night long.
• Correct: We stayed up studying all night long.

The most common pronoun errors are pronoun/antecedent agreement errors and case errors. Pronouns must agree in number with the noun (the antecedent) to which they refer. If that noun is singular, the pronoun must be singular; if that noun is plural, the pronoun must be plural

• Pronoun error: Everybody needs to bring their own canteen
• Correct: Everybody needs to bring his or her own canteen.

Use apostrophes to show possession: add 's after a singular noun or plural noun not ending in –s ; add ' after a plural noun ending in –s. Do not use an apostrophe after a possessive pronoun (my, mine, our, ours, his, hers, its, their, theirs).

• Apostrophe error: His parent's cabin is in Utah. (two parents)
• Correct: His parents' cabin is in Utah.

• Apostrophe error: The company is moving it's headquarters.
• Correct: The company is moving its headquarters.

• Missing commas in a series of items:
• I ordered a salad hamburger and French fries.
• I ordered a salad, hamburger, and French fries

• A missing comma after an introductory dependent clause:
• Because he is ill he will not golf today.
• Because he is ill, he will not golf today.

• A missing comma between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction:
• Stars and planets fascinate her so she wants to be an astronomer.
• Stars and planets fascinate her, so she wants to be an astronomer.

• Missing commas in nonrestrictive clauses:
• My car which is a Volkswagen gets good gas mileage.
• My car, which is a Volkswagen, gets good gas mileage