Common Faults in Sentences:
Here's a breakdown of common sentence faults, categorized for easier understanding:
1. Grammar & Punctuation:
* Subject-verb agreement: The verb must agree with the subject in number (singular/plural).
* Incorrect: The dogs barks loudly.
* Correct: The dogs bark loudly.
* Pronoun agreement: Pronouns must agree with their antecedent in number and gender.
* Incorrect: Everyone brought their own lunch.
* Correct: Everyone brought his or her own lunch.
* Incorrect tense: Verbs should be in the correct tense for the context.
* Incorrect: I will go to the store tomorrow, and I went yesterday.
* Correct: I will go to the store tomorrow, and I went yesterday.
* Misplaced modifiers: Modifiers should be placed near the words they modify.
* Incorrect: I saw a dog running down the street with a red collar.
* Correct: I saw a dog with a red collar running down the street.
* Dangling modifiers: Modifiers that don't have a clear word to modify.
* Incorrect: Walking down the street, the dog barked at me.
* Correct: While I was walking down the street, the dog barked at me.
* Comma splices: Joining two independent clauses with only a comma.
* Incorrect: The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day.
* Correct: The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day.
* Run-on sentences: Joining two or more independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
* Incorrect: I went to the store I bought some milk I came home.
* Correct: I went to the store, I bought some milk, and I came home.
* Sentence fragments: Incomplete sentences that lack a subject or verb.
* Incorrect: Because I was tired.
* Correct: I was tired.
2. Clarity & Style:
* Wordiness: Using unnecessary words or phrases.
* Incorrect: The reason why I am late is because I missed the bus.
* Correct: I am late because I missed the bus.
* Redundancy: Repeating the same idea in different words.
* Incorrect: She returned back home.
* Correct: She returned home.
* Clichés: Overused expressions that lack originality.
* Incorrect: He was as white as a sheet.
* Correct: His face was pale.
* Weak verbs: Using verbs that don't convey the action effectively.
* Incorrect: The dog was sitting on the porch.
* Correct: The dog lounged on the porch.
* Passive voice: Using the passive voice when the active voice is more concise.
* Incorrect: The ball was thrown by the boy.
* Correct: The boy threw the ball.
3. Logic & Meaning:
* Faulty comparisons: Comparing things that aren't comparable.
* Incorrect: The cat is bigger than the table.
* Correct: The cat is larger than the dog.
* Incorrect pronoun reference: Using a pronoun that doesn't have a clear antecedent.
* Incorrect: John went to the store, and he bought milk. (Who is "he"?)
* Correct: John went to the store, and he bought milk.
* Shift in person: Switching between first, second, and third person unnecessarily.
* Incorrect: You should always be polite, and one should treat others with respect.
* Correct: You should always be polite, and you should treat others with respect.
4. Common Mistakes:
* Using "I" vs. "me": Use "I" as the subject of a verb and "me" as the object.
* Incorrect: It was me who did it.
* Correct: It was I who did it.
* Using "who" vs. "whom": "Who" is the subject and "whom" is the object.
* Incorrect: Whom did you see at the party?
* Correct: Who did you see at the party?
* Using "affect" vs. "effect": "Affect" is a verb and "effect" is a noun.
* Incorrect: The medicine will effect your energy level.
* Correct: The medicine will affect your energy level.
Note: This list isn't exhaustive, but it covers some of the most common sentence faults. You can find more detailed explanations and examples in grammar textbooks and online resources.