Error Detection - (2) Sentence Structure : Parallelism , Incomplete Split Construction

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(2) Sentence Structure

The error detection tests also test our ability to distinguish correct and incorrect sentence structure. In analyzing the structure of a sentence, ask four things:

( i ) Are the elements of the sentence parallel?

( ii ) Do the verb tenses correctly reflect the action?

( iii ) Are any split constructions correctly completed?

( iv ) Does the sentence say what it means to say?

Parallelism

In a correctly written sentence, similar elements must have a similar form. For example,

( a ) To abandon their home, leave behind 1)/ their families and travelling 2)/ across the ocean required great courage on the part of 3)/ the immigrants who moved to America. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above question is (2). The three verb forms ‘ abandon ’, ‘ leave ’ and ‘ travel ’ should be parallel. The sentence is corrected by changing ‘ travelling’ to ‘travel ’.

( b ) The r evi ew pr aised t he wi t , char m , and interpreting 1)/ of the recitalist 2)/ but never once mentioned 3)/ her voice. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (1). ‘ Wit ’ and ‘ charm ’ are nouns, therefore ‘ interpreting ’ too, should be a noun. The sentence is corrected by changing ‘ interpreting ’ to ‘ interpretation ’.

( c ) To acknowledge that one has 1)/ something to learn is taking 2)/ the first step on the road 3)/ to true wisdom. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (2). The sentence has a structure similar to a mathematical equation: ‘ This ’ is the same as ‘ that ’. Both parts of the “ equation ” must have the same form. The sentence is corrected by changing ‘ taking ’ to ‘ to take ’.

Incomplete Split Construction

A split construction is a sentence structure in which two otherwise separate ideas are joined together by a later element. For example,

The mayor knew or should have known about the corruption.

This is a perfectly acceptable split construction in which the ideas ‘ knew ’ and ‘ should have known ’ are joined together by the single object ‘ corruption ’. In some split constructions, one half or the other never gets completed. For example,

( a ) The students are critical of 1)/ the dean because he is either unfamiliar 2)/ or doesn’t care about the urgent need for 3)/ new student housing on campus. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (2). The split construction ‘ is either unfamiliar or doesn’t care ’ never gets completed. Leave out the idea following the ‘ or ’ and the sentence reads in ‘ unfamiliar the urgent need ’. It sounds ridiculous. The sentence should read ‘ is either unfamiliar with or doesn’t care about ’.

( b ) Baseball has and 1)/ probably always will be 2)/ the sport that symbolizes for people 3)/ in other countries the American way of life. 4)/ No error 5)

Explanation :

The answer to the above example is (1). The first half of the split verb construction is never completed. Leave out the second idea and the sentence reads Baseball has been the sport..... The sentence should read Baseball has been and probably always will be......