Sentence Correction questions with answers and concepts
Learn sentence correction with concept notes and worked examples, then practise focused questions with explained answers. Build accuracy for placement and competitive aptitude tests before trying timed mode.
Sentence correction questions ask you to replace an incorrect sentence with the version that is grammatically correct and closest to the intended meaning. Correct the sentence systematically: identify the subject and verb, check tense and agreement, inspect articles and prepositions, then verify pronouns, word order, modifiers and parallel structure.
Key formulas and rules
5 rulesSubject-Verb Number Agreement: ; intervening prepositional phrases () do not alter subject number
Partitive Construction Rules: ; but
Temporal Aspect Alignment: ;
Embedded Question Word Order: (e.g., asked where he was going, not where was he going)
Parallelism Invariant: Elements joined by coordinating conjunctions () or correlatives () must have identical grammatical form
Key concepts
Use a fixed correction order
Read the complete sentence first. Find the main subject and finite verb, identify the tense and clause structure, then check smaller details such as articles, prepositions, pronouns and word choice. This order prevents a distracting nearby noun or familiar phrase from hiding the actual error.
Subject and verb agreement
The main subject controls the verb. In 'The box of chocolates is heavy', box is the subject and chocolates is part of a prepositional phrase. Indefinite pronouns such as each, every and neither are normally singular. With neither...nor or either...or, standard exam questions usually make the verb agree with the nearer subject.
Tense and time expressions
Match the verb form to the time reference and whether the action is complete or continuing. Use simple past with a finished time such as yesterday. Use present perfect or present perfect continuous for an action that began in the past and continues to the present when the sentence provides since or for. Keep the sequence of tenses consistent across clauses.
Articles and countability
Use a or an according to sound, not spelling, and use the for a specific or previously identified noun. Uncountable nouns such as advice, information, furniture and scenery do not normally take a plural ending or a/an. Use some advice, a piece of information or items of furniture when a countable expression is needed.
Pronouns and determiners
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent and have the correct case. Check whether the sentence needs I or me, who or whom, its or it's, and a singular or plural determiner. Words such as each, every, either and neither can change both the verb and the pronoun that follows.
Prepositions and verb patterns
Many errors come from adding a preposition that the verb does not take or choosing an unnatural combination. Use discuss a problem, enter a room and comprise five chapters in standard formal usage. Learn common verb patterns such as prefer X to Y, depend on and insist on.
Word order and clause structure
Direct questions invert the subject and auxiliary: Where are you going? In an indirect question, use statement order: He asked where I was going. Keep modifiers near the words they describe, and check that conjunctions connect clauses with the intended relationship.
Parallelism and comparison
Items joined by and, or, either...or and neither...nor should use matching grammatical forms. Avoid double comparatives such as more taller and make sure the comparison has a clear basis. Read the corrected sentence aloud to catch an uneven series or a missing part of the comparison.
Worked examples
Example 1
The team have finished their project. Choose the correct version.
A) The team are finishing their project.
B) The team has finished its project.
C) The team has finished their project.
D) The team have finished its project.
Solution
Step 1: In this sentence, team is treated as one unit.
Step 2: A singular collective noun takes has.
Step 3: The singular pronoun referring to the unit is its.
Answer: B) The team has finished its project.
Example 2
Neither the students nor the teacher were present. Choose the correct version.
A) Neither the students nor the teacher were present.
B) Neither the student nor the teacher were present.
C) Neither the students nor the teacher was present.
D) Neither the students or the teacher was present.
Solution
Step 1: The construction is neither...nor, not neither...or.
Step 2: In the standard exam rule, the verb agrees with the nearer subject, teacher.
Step 3: Teacher is singular, so use was.
Answer: C) Neither the students nor the teacher was present.
Example 3
Each of the boys have their own room. Choose the correct version.
A) Each of the boys have their own room.
B) Each of the boy has his own room.
C) Each of the boys has their own room.
D) Each of the boys has his own room.
Solution
Step 1: Each is the subject and is singular.
Step 2: The verb must therefore be has.
Step 3: In the traditional formal exam convention used here, the pronoun is singular his.
Answer: D) Each of the boys has his own room.
Example 4
He gave me an useful advice. Choose the correct version.
A) He gave me useful advices.
B) He gave me an useful advice.
C) He gave me some useful advice.
D) He gave me a useful advice.
Solution
Step 1: Advice is normally uncountable, so it does not take a/an or a plural ending.
Step 2: Useful begins with a consonant sound, but an article is still unnecessary because advice is uncountable here.
Step 3: Some useful advice is the natural corrected phrase.
Answer: C) He gave me some useful advice.
Example 5
I have seen him yesterday. Choose the correct version.
A) I have seen him yesterday.
B) I see him yesterday.
C) I saw him yesterday.
D) I had seen him yesterday.
Solution
Step 1: Yesterday identifies a finished time in the past.
Step 2: Finished past time normally takes the simple past, saw.
Step 3: The present perfect form have seen does not normally combine with a finished time such as yesterday.
Answer: C) I saw him yesterday.
Example 6
He asked me where was I going. Choose the correct version.
A) He asked me where I am going.
B) He asked me where I went.
C) He asked me where was I going.
D) He asked me where I was going.
Solution
Step 1: The phrase is an indirect question inside a larger sentence.
Step 2: Indirect questions use statement order: subject before verb.
Step 3: I comes before was, giving where I was going.
Answer: D) He asked me where I was going.
Example 7
The book comprises of five chapters. Choose the correct version.
A) The book comprises of five chapters.
B) The book is comprising of five chapters.
C) The book comprised of five chapters.
D) The book comprises five chapters.
Solution
Step 1: Comprise already means consist of or include in this construction.
Step 2: In standard formal usage, do not add of after comprises.
Step 3: The present-tense subject book takes comprises.
Answer: D) The book comprises five chapters.
Example 8
Choose the correct version: She enjoys reading, writing and to swim.
A) She enjoys reading, writing and swimming.
B) She enjoys to read, writing and swimming.
C) She enjoys reading, to write and swimming.
D) She enjoys read, write and swim.
Solution
Step 1: The verb enjoys is followed by a series of activities.
Step 2: The first two items use the -ing form: reading and writing.
Step 3: Make the third item parallel by using swimming.
Answer: A) She enjoys reading, writing and swimming.
Representative solved questions
See the kind of question in this topic before opening the full practice set.
Question 1
The manager, along with his assistants, were present at the meeting. (Choose the correct version)
Answer: D. The manager, along with his assistants, was present at the meeting.
ExplanationPhrases like 'along with', 'together with' do not change the subject.
The subject is 'manager' (singular), so use 'was'.
Sources and review notes
This is an AISEA-authored practice question.
Review status: accepted · Reviewed 2026-08-13 · structure and answer-key checks, editorial quality checks, duplicate screening
Question 2
She is the most tallest girl in the class. (Choose the correct version)
Answer: A. She is the tallest girl in the class.
ExplanationNever use 'most' with superlative forms ending in '-est'.
'Tallest' alone is the correct superlative form.
Sources and review notes
This is an AISEA-authored practice question.
Review status: accepted · Reviewed 2026-08-13 · structure and answer-key checks, editorial quality checks, duplicate screening
Question 3
The teacher told us that the Earth was round. (Choose the correct version)
Answer: B. The teacher told us that the Earth is round.
ExplanationUniversal truths remain in present tense even in reported speech.
'The Earth is round' stays in present tense.
Sources and review notes
This is an AISEA-authored practice question.
Review status: accepted · Reviewed 2026-08-13 · structure and answer-key checks, editorial quality checks, duplicate screening
Common mistakes and useful habits
- Read the entire sentence before comparing the answer choices.
- Find the true subject and ignore intervening phrases such as of the students or with several examples.
- Circle time markers such as yesterday, since, for, already and yet before choosing a tense.
- Check whether a noun is countable before adding a/an, a plural ending or a number.
- In indirect questions, use statement word order after the question word.
- Test common verb and preposition combinations instead of translating them word for word.
- When a sentence contains a list or comparison, check that every item has the same grammatical form.
Sources and review notes
Reviewed by AISEA Editorial Desk on 1 Sep 2026.
- Agreement, tense, countability, word order, verb patterns and parallelism were checked against the cited grammar references.
- Worked examples were reviewed for one best correction under the stated standard exam conventions.
- Collective-noun and pronoun guidance notes the convention used in the exercises rather than presenting dialect variation as an error in every context.
- Subject–verb agreementCambridge Dictionary · Checked 1 Sep 2026Supports: agreement between the person and number of a subject and its verb
- Word order: whatCambridge Dictionary · Checked 1 Sep 2026Supports: the difference between direct question inversion and indirect question word order
- Verb patterns: with and without objectsCambridge Dictionary · Checked 1 Sep 2026Supports: verb patterns, objects and the grammatical structure of clauses
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