Chapter 5 of 518% of exam
Common Errors
This chapter targets frequent accuracy slips: subject-verb agreement with tricky subjects, prepositions of time, and verb patterns after words like 'suggest'.
Agreement with Tricky Subjects
'The number of students' and 'each of the students' are grammatically singular and take singular verbs ('is', 'has'), even though a plural noun follows. Identify the real head of the subject before choosing the verb.
Prepositions of Time
Use 'for' with a duration ('for five years') and 'since' with a starting point ('since 2019'). Mixing these is one of the most common time-preposition errors.
Verb Patterns
Some verbs are followed by a gerund rather than an infinitive. 'Suggest', 'recommend', and 'avoid' take the -ing form: 'suggested taking a break', not 'suggested to take'.