LanguageTeach

San Jose City College

Page: 1 2 [ 3 ] 4 5

Error Analysis
Sentences hold your thoughts. Craft them with care.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF SENTENCE ERRORS:
Sentence Order | Filler Subjects and Repeated Subjects | Adjective Clauses | Omitted and Unnecessary Words | Joining Ideas

	Error Type 3: Problems with Adjective Clauses Problems with adjective clauses include the following: • repeated subjects • repeated objects or unnecessary prepositional phrase • missing clause elements (relative pronoun, verb, or preposition) • unclear modification. Click for exampleI lent the truck to my brother that I brought from Mexico. What did the writer bring from Mexico? His brother? (Possibly) The truck? This is more likely the correct referent; he's lending it. Click for revision: I lent my brother the truck that I brought from Mexico. The choice of an incorrect relative pronoun is coded as a word choice error. Incorrect punctuation with adjective clauses is coded as a punctuation error. ← Click Click the icon and scroll to the end of each window under comments.	Comments
1.	Immigrants settle in San Jose have good opportunity to get professional job.	What is the verb for the subject immigrants? settle have What two relative pronouns could be added? who which that Two general nouns should be plural. Write them and hit enter. and Click for revision. Immigrants who settle in San Jose have good opportunities to get professional jobs. The sentence problem was an omitted subject relative pronoun.
2.	Studies have shown that people who scare and nervous cannot concentrate or think clearly.	Are scare and nervous parallel forms? yes no Write the adjective form of scare. Write the adjective clause using the pattern S+LV+C. The complement will be compound adjectives. people The problems with the adjective clause are that it lacks a verb and has an incorrect word form.
3.	Thanks to my cousin, I got a job which I don't want to lose it.	What relative pronoun is used more frequently in restrictive clauses than which? that who That or which means . What is the function of the relative pronoun? subject object So the relative pronoun should replace the object pronoun . Click for possible revisions. Thanks to my cousin, I got a job that I don't want to lose. Thanks to my cousin, I got a job and I don't want to lose it. The problem in the adjective clause was a repeated object.
4.	The second value that I think it is also very important is respect, for respect relates to honesty.	Does the adjective clause, that I think it is also very important, have unnecessary words? yes no What does the relative pronoun that mean? value respect What is the sentence function of the relative pronoun that? subject object What is the verb for this relative pronoun? Write the adjective clause omitting all words between its subject and verb. Don't use capital letters! The problem with this adjective clause was unnecessary words and... a repeated subject a repeated object Revision: The second value that is very important is respect, for respect relates to honesty.
5.	There are many things in life to study in order to become a good person, but the most significant values which can teach their children are the honesty and the respect.	What is missing in the adjective clause? a subject an object What other relative pronoun could be used? who that Does this sentence have unnecessary words? yes no Revision: There are many things to learn in order to become a good person, but the most significant values that parents can teach their children are honesty and respect.
6.	Another event that stress me out happens right now in my life because I'm waiting for a response from the universities my daughter applied.	This sentence has many unnecessary words. What verb tense is used with "right now"? present present progressive The progressive form of stress is me out... Omit the unnecessary verb happens and write the adjective clause. Use the relative pronoun that. Another event right now is... The event = waiting for a response. Is the reason clause correct? yes no Could a noun clause be used instead...[that I am waiting for]? yes no The adjective clause has a missing preposition. One applies a university. Click for revision. Click all subjects and verbs to see clause structure. Another event subject that subject is stressing me out verb phrase right now is linking verb that Isubject am waitingverb for responses from the universities (that optional object) my daughter subject applied toverb . How many dependent clauses are there? two three How many are adjective clauses? one two A more formal alternative would be ...universities to which my daughter applied. The preposition cannot be omitted either way.
7.	The story tells about a man, Charlie Gordon, a mentally retarded adult who has an IQ of only sixty-eight, becomes a genius after undergoing a brain operation.	This sentence has a lot of unnecessary words. true false "Who has an IQ of only sixty-eight" could become "with an IQ of sixty-eight." true false Does the verb becomes have a subject? yes no Could its subject be a relative pronoun? yes no Revision: The story tells about Charlie Gordon, a mentally retarded adult with an IQ of sixty-eight who becomes a genius after undergoing a brain operation. Note that the adjective phrase precedes the adjective clause.
8.	The advantage of Charlie acquired from his experience of being smart was increase intelligence.	The idea is "Charlie acquired an advantage from his experience of being smart." What relative pronoun can replace the word "advantage"? that who Fill in the adjective clause and also select the right verbal modifier (adjective). The advantage was increase increase / increased increased intelligence. What is the function of the relative pronoun in this adjective clause? subject object The sentence structure problem was a missing relative pronoun.
9.	To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in 1930 in Maycomb, a small town in the American south, where racism was cultural and run very deep in it.	Does this sentence have an adjective clause? yes no The relative adverb is . What two words should the relative adverb replace? Which verb in the adjective clause is the wrong tense? Revision: To kill a Mockingbird takes place in 1930 in Maycomb, a small Alabama town where racism was cultural and ran very deep. A better option would be: ...where racism ran deep in the culture. The adjective clause had an unnecessary prepositional phrase (in it), the meaning of which is in the adverb where.
10.	Atticus was against the prejudice of most people in Maycomb to defend Tom Robinson, a young black man, was accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, an ignorant young white woman.	This sentence has two major errors that involve joining ideas. Atticus did two things: he stood against the prejudice of most people in Maycomb, and he Tom Robinson, a young black man. The next clause is missing a subject. The subject should be the relative pronoun . What type of adjective clause is needed here? restrictive nonrestrictive Revision: Atticus stood against the prejudice of most people in Maycomb and defended Tom Robinson, a young black man who was accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, an ignorant young white woman. Note that the sentence has two appositives, a young black man and an ignorant young white woman. The shorter phrase [a young black man] always precedes the longer clause [who was accused of rape by Mayella Ewell].
11.	Atticus realizes that he is one of the few people in Maycomb does not have a prejudice against black people.	What kind of clause does the subordinator that introduce? an adjective clause a noun clause What is the subject of does not have? Maycomb a missing subject What relative pronoun is needed for subject position? whose who Is the article a necessary? yes no Revision: Atticus realizes that he is one of the few people in Maycomb who does not have prejudice against black people. Alternative: ...who is not prejudiced against black people.
12.	Many companies are moving their manufacturing companies to other countries where pay very low salaries.	What is the problem with this adjective clause? missing subject missing preposition Which word could be the subject? low salaries. Could the adjective clause be revised with S+LV+Adj order? yes no Could the clause be revised with S+V+O order? yes no Click for possible revisions. Many compaines are moving their manufacturing companies to other countries where salaries are very low. [S+LV+C] Many compaines are moving their manufacturing companies to other countries where they pay low salaries. [S+V+O] The first revision is preferable as there is no clear pronoun referent for "they."
13.	Community college should be free and open some classes, such as construction, landscaping, plumbing for low income residents in short time to replace the old work force that low income residents can attend at community college in short time and get the jobs after they finish at school.	This sentence has far too many unnecessary words and the adjective clause has unclear modification. The sentence needs to be rewritten as two sentences, and the repeated words should be edited out. What should "that low income residents can attend" modify? classes work force To see the adjective clause used correctly, click here.Community colleges should offer some classes that low income students could attend free of charge. A second sentence would follow: Click here.These classes would include construction technology,landscaping, and plumbing so that low-income residents could enter the workforce quickly.
14.	None of the soldiers around even bothered to talk to me except one soldier, his name was Ivgee, and the first thing he said, that changed my life was "don't worry, we have three years to spend here, and you and I are going to make the best of it."	What relative pronoun could replace the possessive adjective his? What kind of a clause is "he said"? adjective clause noun clause Should a comma follow the verb said? yes no What is the verb for the first thing? Click the phrase that changed my lifeto cheer me up to see a better word choice for the context. Click for a revision: None of the soldiers around even bothered to talk to me except one whose name was Ivgee, and the first thing he said to cheer me up was, "Don't worry. We have three years to spend here, and you and I are going to make the best of it."

Next