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The following are examples from students’ essays. Re-write them correctly. The number in brackets indicates how many mistakes or problem areas there are.
1) It is the danger for old people that they may become deaf. (two)
Please write your answer here:
4) It will make the users to touch the cellphones screen by mistake and not let them to operate successfully. (three)
Do you need some hints and clues (pieces of helpful information)? Then scroll down...................
Hints and clues:
1) It is the danger for old people that they may become deaf. (two)
1) "It" is a "backward reference" and must refer to something we have already talked about. What could be used instead?
Also:There is a definite article ("the") used here in a situation where the indefinite article would probably be more usual.
.
2) I have nearly never seen things of this type advertised on internet. (two)
2) "nearly never" is not an acceptable collocation. Use a suitable collocation with "ever".
Also:
Look for a problem connected with articles.
.
3) The type of features are used by this system are easily described. (one)
3) Note, "subject + are used + are described" is not possible. The first verb needs to be included in a "defining relative clause": that is one which tells us what type of features are being talked about. A defining relative clause needs to start with a "w...." word, and is not marked by any sort of punctuation (unlike a "non-defining relative clause", which gives us extra information and is separated off by commas [, ,] or dashes [- -] or brackets [()].
.
4) It will make the users to touch the cellphone's screen by mistake and not let them to operate successfully. (three)
4) What pattern is usually used with verbs "make" and "let"? Do they go with a gerund or an infinitive? What is unusual about them?
Also:
"operate", as it is used here, is a transitive verb, which needs an object, so.....?
.
5) Most users are preferred this model, as shown in the chapter 2. (two)
5) Who performs the main verb here? If you know this, you know whether the verb should be active or passive voice.
Also:
When you use a number, you generally don't need an article.
When you've rewritten the sentences, check further down the page to see if they're the same as the suggested answers..............
Answers:
1) It is the danger for old people that they may become deaf.
1) There is a danger for old people that they may become deaf.
Note:
"There" acts as an artificial subject for purposes of correct grammar. It does not reference forwards or backwards, unlike "it". Also there are (unfortunately) many dangers for old people, and becoming deaf is only one of them. So use "a", meaning "one".
2) I have nearly never seen things of this type advertised on internet.
2) I have hardly ever seen things of this type advertised on the internet.
Note:
"Hardly ever" is a common collocation. "Almost never" is also possible. Also "internet" for "the internet" is a very common error.
3) The type of features are used by this system are easily described.
3) The type of features which are used by this system are easily described.
Or :
The type of features used by this system are easily described.
Note:
"used" can be substituted for "which are used". The past participle or the present participle can both be used in this way. For examples of the present participles used similarly, see the examples in the gap fill exercise further down the page.
4) It will make the users to touch the cellphone's screen by mistake and not let them to operate successfully.
4) It will make the users touch the screen by mistake and not let them operate it successfully.
Note:
The grammar pattern is "make + object + naked infinitive". The verbs "let" and "help" can be used in the same way. "Help" can sometimes be used with a full infinitive. Also the verb "operate" must have an object. You must operate something.
5) Most users are preferred this model, as shown in the chapter 2.
5) Most users (-) preferred this model, as shown in (-) chapter 2.
Note:
The noun before the verb (most users) performs the verb, so the verb should be in the active voice. See "General Grammar Exercises" for more on active and passive voices. Also "the" isn't needed because we have "2" to identify the chapter.