Error recognition - Paper 1 Practice for CSEC English
- 1. ERROR RECOGNITION English A Paper 1 Practice
- 2. Objectives ◦To help students recognize grammatical errors in sentence structure, subject verb agreement and style
- 3. Objectives (Specific) ◦Take notes about errors in style ◦Observe how to correct these errors ◦Correctly identify the errors in each sentence ◦Orally explain the errors in each sentence ◦Correct them (rewrite them) using knowledge of English grammar
- 4. FAULTS OF STYLE Circumlocution, Redundancy, Cliché, Mixed Metaphors, Ambiguity
- 5. Faults of style ◦ The aim of writing is to always be creative, clear and concise. However, there are times when we are too wordy or repetitive or what we say has mixed messages or confusing images. ◦ These are called faults of style. There are five of these: ◦ Circumlocution ◦ Redundancy ◦ Clichés ◦ Mixed Metaphors ◦ Ambiguity Paper 1 tests your ability to recognize these errors.
- 7. Circumlocution ◦This is a fault of style in which the sentence is too wordy, repetitive and complex. ◦The fault is that these sentences are often very long, so long that the reader loses the main essence. ◦The reader has difficulty following the original train of thought.
- 8. Circumlocution Example ◦In my opinion, those people who wanted CARICOM were right as I think their choice was correct. ◦Correction: In my opinion those people who wanted CARICOM were right.
- 9. Circumlocution Example ◦The detective examined all the clues, discovered the trail of the murderer, followed him for some time, then tracked him for some time and caught him. ◦Correction: The detective examined all the clues, discovered the trail of the murderer, then tracked and caught him.
- 10. Identify and correct the error in these sentences: ◦ I was hungry so I went to the cafeteria to buy something to eat but the line at the cafeteria was so long and I was so very hungry that I gave up and went somewhere else to get something to eat. ◦ Parents sometimes don’t listen to their children because they think they always know more than their children and that their children are inexperienced and just rude for sharing ideas.
- 11. REDUNDANCY
- 12. Redundancy ◦This is a fault of style in speech or writing. It is the unnecessary repetition of an idea, which contributes nothing new to the meaning the writer wishes to convey.
- 13. Redundancy example ◦ You must return back the book when you are finished with it. ◦ Members of staff possessed sole monopoly over the recreation park. ◦ Corrections: ◦ You must return the book when you are finished with it. ◦ Members of staff possessed monopoly over the recreation park.
- 14. Identify the redundancies in the following sentences and correct them: ◦In the end, we eventually agreed to refer the matter to the legal community. ◦Without warning, unexpectedly it began to rain. ◦He was killed in a fatal accident. ◦He has a unique style of writing unlike any other.
- 15. CLICHÉS
- 16. Clichés ◦These are expressions, metaphors, similes and proverbs which have lost their original freshness and power through over-use. ◦Some similes and metaphors which have originally made writing more vivid and picturesque have now, by overuse, become clichés.
- 17. Cliché examples ◦ The principal spoke on discipline to the entire school several times but his speeches fell on deaf ears. ◦ Why are you so silent? Has the cat got your tongue? ◦ We need to read between the lines if we are to fully understand this passage. ◦ There is no use crying over spilled milk. What’s done is done. ◦ He was as brave as a lion.
- 18. Cliché corrections ◦ The principal spoke on discipline to the entire school several times but no one took heed to his speeches. ◦ Why are you so silent? Has your tongue gone for a walk? ◦ We need to read the passage closely and examine the hidden meanings. ◦ There is no sense in crying about things that have already gone wrong. ◦ He was as brave as a stallion charging into battle.
- 19. Identify the clichés in these sentences. ◦ The class decided to pull together in order to bring honour to the school. ◦ In this day and age, one cannot afford to be extravagant. ◦ Krissy is as light as a feather. ◦ He hit the nail on the head with that remark. ◦ The father trembled like a leaf when he heard about his son’s misfortune.
- 20. Write a sentence with a more interesting equivalent right here:
- 21. MIXED METAPHORS
- 22. Mixed Metaphors ◦A mixed metaphor is another fault of style in speech or writing. ◦It is when the writer uses too many metaphors in a sentence but there is no consistency between the metaphors. ◦The error is that the image he started with does not continue to the end. This leads to confusion.
- 23. Examples of Mixed Metaphors ◦ With such a busy helmsman, the team could successfully explore the infinite vastness of space in the troubled waters of this age. ◦ Steer clear of the rocks and shoals of irresponsibility if you wish to climb the ladder of success. ◦ Corrections: ◦ With such a busy helmsman, the team could successfully explore the secrets, despite the storms they may encounter in this time. ◦ Steer clear of the rocks and shoals of irresponsibility if you wish to reach the shining shores of success.
- 24. Correct these mixed metaphors: ◦At the peak of the quarrel he poured the soothing oil of compassion on the burning flames of anger. ◦You must put on the armour of truth before you launch into the race of life. ◦Production bottle necks must be ironed out as soon as possible to prevent economic stagnation. ◦There is no use crying over spilled milk when the birds have flown.
- 25. Write your corrected metaphors here:
- 26. AMBIGUITY
- 27. Ambiguity ◦This is a fault of style in which the writer’s sentences have double meanings. ◦The reader is left unsure of what is really meant because of the many possibilities. The main aim in writing is to be clear so we should avoid this. ◦In Literature, however, it can be used as a device of style.
- 28. Examples of Ambiguity ◦Well, I've certainly never tasted chicken cooked that way before! ◦There is just insufficient information. Was the chicken good or bad?
- 29. Ambiguity: Two types Structural Ambiguity ◦ Structural ambiguity presents two or more possible meanings within a sentence or phrase. This is also known as semantic ambiguity. When dealing with syntactic ambiguity, it's helpful to use your context clues to uncover the true meaning of the sentence or phrase. Lexical Ambiguity ◦ Lexical ambiguity presents two or more possible meanings within a single word. This is also known as semantic ambiguity. We see a lot of this in puns and other forms of wordplay. ◦ If you do not intend to create puns, then you should try make it clear. Be specific.
- 30. Ambiguity: Two types Structural Ambiguity ◦"I shot an elephant in my pajamas" (Groucho Marx). Lexical Ambiguity ◦“I saw bats.”
- 31. Examples of Lexical Ambiguity ◦I saw bats. ◦ The ambiguity is here is created by the double meaning of the words “saw” and “bats”. Unless we use the context of the sentence, we won’t know what the person really means. Did the person see bats? Or does the person use a sharp thin tool to cut wooden bats in half?
- 32. Structural Ambiguities ◦These can be created by a dangling modifier or a dangling participle. ◦The order of the words in the sentence throws off the reader.
- 33. Dangling Participles/Dangling modifiers ◦ In grammar, this is an adjective (a word, phrase or clause) that is unintentionally modifying the wrong noun a sentence. An example is: “Walking through the kitchen, the smoke alarm was going off”. ◦ This sentence literally means that the stroke alarm was taking a stroll. This was not what was intended, so “walking through the kitchen” was left without a subject to which it should be linked. To correct this, ask “Who was walking through the kitchen?” Then add a noun or pronoun to answer the question.
- 34. Examples of Structural Ambiguity ◦ Marcy got the bath ready for her daughter wearing a pink tutu. ◦ The ambiguity is here is created by an error in grammar called a dangling participle (otherwise called a dangling modifier). “Wearing a pink tutu” seems to modify both the mother and the daughter – which leads to the double meaning. Was Marcy wearing the tutu? Or was her daughter?
- 35. Examples of Structural Ambiguity ◦ I saw someone on the hill with a telescope. ◦ This is an example of a dangling participle or dangling modifier. “With a telescope” seems to modify neither the pronoun ‘I’ nor the pronoun ‘someone’ – or it modifies both. This leads to confusion. Did you use a telescope to see someone on the hill or did you see someone on the hill holding a telescope?
- 36. Corrections to these ambiguities: ◦ Marcy got the bath ready for her daughter, who had been wearing a pink tutu. (Option 1) ◦ Explanation: The relative pronoun “who” has been inserted to create a link between the daughter and the action “wearing a pink tutu”. This helps to remove the confusion. This also has to do with proximity: the relative pronoun “who” has to be placed close to the noun “daughter” to indicate that that is the person we are giving this information about.
- 37. Corrections to these ambiguities: ◦ Marcy, who was wearing a pink tutu, got the bath ready for her daughter. (Option 2) ◦ Explanation: The relative pronoun “who” has been inserted to create a link between the Marcy and the action “wearing a pink tutu”. The dependent clause “who had been wearing a pink tutu” has to be placed beside the noun “Marcy” if you wish to make it clear that the mother was wearing the costume.
- 38. Corrections to these ambiguities: ◦ While using my telescope, I saw someone standing on the hill. OR I saw someone on the hill, who had been using a telescope. ◦ Explanation: For the first sentence, the subordinating conjunction “while” is used to create a dependent clause that explains that the person had a telescope which he/she used to see someone. For the second sentence, the same correction was applied as we see when we corrected the sentence with Marcy and her daughter.
- 39. Corrections to these ambiguities: ◦ I’ve never tasted chicken cooked so well before: it is so tender and juicy. OR I’ve never tasted chicken cooked so terribly before: it is hard to chew and bitter! ◦ Explanation: More details have been added to make clear what exact taste the person is referring to.
- 40. Identify and correct the ambiguities in the following sentences: 1) Pat likes poems in English and novels. 2) The police stopped the man with a gun. 3) They decided on the boat. 4) After drilling my tooth, my cavity stooped aching. 5) Crashing on the shore, I could hear the waves. 6) Arriving a day late, the tickets were worthless.