Sentence Correction

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your NMAT exam.

Sentence Correction — Key Facts

Error Types to Look For

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Singular subject needs singular verb
2. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement: Pronoun must match its noun
3. Verb Tense: Consistent or logically appropriate tense
4. Parallel Structure: Items in a list must match grammatically
5. Modifier Errors: Misplaced or dangling modifiers
6. Wrong Word: Contextually inappropriate word
7. Punctuation: Comma splices, run-on sentences

Correction Approach

1. Read the sentence carefully
2. Identify the error (if any)
3. Look for the answer choice that corrects the error
4. If no error, choose “No error” or the original

⚡ NMAT High-Yield: The sentence WITH NO ERROR is often a trap. If you can’t find an error, re-read more carefully.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Chapter: Sentence Correction

1.1 Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Standard Error

• ✗ “The box of chocolates are on the table.”
• ✓ “The box of chocolates is on the table.”

Neither/Nor Errors

• ✗ “Neither the students nor the teacher are going.”
• ✓ “Neither the students nor the teacher is going.” (verb agrees with “teacher”)

Collective Nouns (American English)

• ✗ “The team are playing well.” (British)
• ✓ “The team is playing well.” (American)

Indefinite Pronouns

• ✗ “Everyone are here.”
• ✓ “Everyone is here.” (everyone = singular)

1.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Basic Rule

Pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number and gender.

• ✗ “Each student must bring their book.”
• ✓ “Each student must bring his or her book.” (American formal)

Problematic Cases

• ✗ “Someone left their umbrella.” (Someone = singular)
• ✓ “Someone left his or her umbrella.”

Collective Nouns

• ✗ “The committee will announce their decision.” (American)
• ✓ “The committee will announce its decision.”

1.3 Verb Tense Errors

Tense Shift

Avoid unnecessary tense shifts within a paragraph:

• ✗ “She walked to school and meets her friends there.”
• ✓ “She walked to school and met her friends there.”

Using Past Instead of Present Perfect

• ✗ “I didn’t see her this week.”
• ✓ “I haven’t seen her this week.” (present relevance)

1.4 Parallel Structure Errors

The “And” Test

Items connected by “and” must be grammatically parallel:

• ✗ “She likes swimming, to run, and bicycle riding.”

• ✓ “She likes swimming, running, and bicycle riding.”

• ✗ “The plan was to discuss the issue, vote on it, and implementation of the decision.”

• ✓ “The plan was to discuss the issue, to vote on it, and to implement the decision.”

Parallel with Correlatives

• ✗ “Neither to accept the offer nor accepting the terms.”
• ✓ “Neither accepting the offer nor accepting the terms.” (both gerunds)
• ✓ “Neither to accept the offer nor to accept the terms.” (both infinitives)

1.5 Modifier Errors

Misplaced Modifiers

The modifier should be close to the word it modifies:

• ✗ “She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.”
• ✓ “She served sandwiches on paper plates to the children.” (if plates were the food)

Dangling Modifiers

The modifier needs something to modify:

• ✗ “Walking to school, the rain started.”

• ✓ “Walking to school, I got caught in the rain.” (I was walking)

• ✗ “After studying, the TV was turned on.”

• ✓ “After studying, I turned on the TV.”

1.6 Wrong Word Errors

Commonly Confused Words

Accept / Except:

• Accept = to receive
• Except = excluding
• “Everyone accepted the invitation except Maria.”

Affect / Effect:

• Affect = to influence (verb) or emotion (noun)
• Effect = result (noun) or to cause (verb)
• “The rain affected my mood.” / “The effect was depression.”

Allude / Elude:

• Allude = to refer to indirectly
• Elude = to escape, to avoid
• “She alluded to the incident.” / “The thief eluded capture.”

Allusion / Illusion:

• Allusion = indirect reference
• Illusion = false perception
• “The poem contains an allusion to Greek mythology.” / “The mirror created an illusion.”

Among / Between:

• Among = more than two
• Between = exactly two
• “The money was divided among the three siblings.” / “The agreement was between two countries.”

Bring / Take:

• Bring = toward speaker
• Take = away from speaker
• “Bring the book here.” / “Take the book there.”

Complement / Compliment:

• Complement = to complete, something that completes
• Compliment = praise
• “The wine complements the meal.” / “She received a compliment.”

Farther / Further:

• Farther = physical distance
• Further = additional, figurative distance
• “Walk farther down the road.” / “I have further questions.”

Fewer / Less:

• Fewer = countable nouns
• Less = uncountable nouns
• “Fewer students came.” / “Less water remained.”

Good / Well:

• Good = adjective (modifies noun)
• Well = adverb (modifies verb) or healthy
• “She is a good student.” / “She speaks well.”

Imply / Infer:

• Imply = to suggest (speaker implies)
• Infer = to deduce (listener infers)
• “What are you implying?” / “What can we infer from this?”

Its / It’s:

• Its = possessive
• It’s = it is / it has
• “The cat licked its paw.” / “It’s raining.”

Lay / Lie:

• Lay = to place (takes object): lay something
• Lie = to recline (no object): lie down
• “Lay the book on the table.” / “I need to lie down.”

Leave / Let:

• Leave = to go away from, to allow to remain
• Let = to allow, to permit
• “Leave the room.” / “Let me help you.”

Lend / Borrow / Loan:

• Lend = to give temporarily (lender lends)
• Borrow = to receive temporarily (borrower borrows)
• Loan = to lend (formal)
• “Can you lend me your pen?” / “I need to borrow a pen.” / “The bank loaned money.”

Lie / Sit / Set:

• Lie = to recline (lay, lain) — no object
• Sit = to be seated (sat) — no object
• Set = to place (set) — takes object
• “Lie down.” / “Sit here.” / “Set the table.”

Likely / Probably:

• Likely = adjective
• Probably = adverb
• “It is likely to rain.” / “It will probably rain.”

Lose / Loose:

• Lose = to misplace, to fail
• Loose = not tight
• “Don’t lose your keys.” / “The button is loose.”

Me / Myself:

• Me = object pronoun
• Myself = reflexive (when subject = object)
• “He gave the book to me.” / “I hurt myself.”

Nauseous / Nauseated:

• Nauseous = causing nausea (confusingly used both ways in American English)
• Nauseated = feeling sick
• “The smell made me nauseated.” / “The nauseous smell of rotting food.”

Number / Amount:

• Number = countable
• Amount = uncountable
• “A number of students are here.” / “A large amount of money was spent.”

Principal / Principle:

• Principal = main, or school head, or money owed
• Principle = fundamental rule
• “The principal reason.” / “A matter of principle.”

Set / Sit / Lay (see Lie/Sit/Set above)

Stationary / Stationery:

• Stationary = not moving
• Stationery = writing materials
• “The car was stationary.” / “Buy stationery at the store.”

Than / Then:

• Than = comparison
• Then = time
• “She is taller than me.” / “I studied then I slept.”

Their / There / They’re:

• Their = possessive
• There = place
• They’re = they are
• “Their house is big.” / “It’s over there.” / “They’re coming.”

To / Too / Two:

• To = preposition, or infinitive marker
• Too = also, or excessive
• Two = the number
• “Go to school.” / “I want to come too.” / “It’s too hot.” / “Two is a number.”

Who / Whom (see Pronoun section)

Your / You’re:

• Your = possessive
• You’re = you are
• “Your book is here.” / “You’re welcome.”

1.7 NMAT High-Yield Points

⚡ Commonly Asked:

1. Subject-verb: Verb agrees with subject, not object of preposition
2. Neither/nor: Verb agrees with noun nearest to it
3. Parallel structure: All items must be grammatically parallel
4. Misplaced modifier: Modifier should be close to what it modifies
5. Dangling modifier: Must have clear subject to modify
6. Its/It’s: Its (possessive), It’s (it is/it has)
7. Fewer/Less: Fewer (countable), Less (uncountable)
8. Good/Well: Good (adj), Well (adv or healthy)
9. Who/Whom: Who (subject), Whom (object)
10. Than/Then: Than (comparison), Then (time)