ELSA Error Identification & Correction 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Identify the error: 'Neither the manager nor the employees was informed about the policy change.'
- 'manager' should be 'managers'
- 'was' should be 'were' (Correct answer)
- 'informed' should be 'informing'
- 'about' should be 'of'
Correct answer: 'was' should be 'were'
With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the closest subject ('employees'), which is plural, requiring 'were.'
Question 2: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running through the park, she spotted a deer.
- After finishing the report, the project was submitted. (Correct answer)
- Having studied hard, Marcus passed the exam.
- Exhausted from the hike, they rested at the cabin.
Correct answer: After finishing the report, the project was submitted.
'After finishing the report' dangles because the subject of the main clause ('the project') cannot finish a report.
Question 3: Find the error in: 'The data shows that employee moral has declined over the past year.'
- 'data' should be 'datas'
- 'shows' should be 'show'
- 'moral' should be 'morale' (Correct answer)
- 'declined' should be 'declines'
Correct answer: 'moral' should be 'morale'
'Moral' refers to ethics or principles, while 'morale' refers to the confidence and enthusiasm of a group.
Question 4: Choose the correction for: 'Between you and I, the meeting was unnecessary.'
- Change 'Between' to 'Among'
- Change 'I' to 'me' (Correct answer)
- Change 'was' to 'were'
- Change 'unnecessary' to 'unnecesary'
Correct answer: Change 'I' to 'me'
Prepositions like 'between' require object pronouns, so 'I' should be 'me.'
Question 5: Which sentence uses the colon correctly?
- She needed: milk, eggs, and butter.
- The winner is: John.
- He had one goal: to win the championship. (Correct answer)
- They visited: Paris, Rome, and Madrid.
Correct answer: He had one goal: to win the championship.
A colon is correctly used when what follows it directly explains or elaborates on what came before a complete clause.
Question 6: Identify the error: 'Less students attended the seminar this year than last year.'
- 'Less' should be 'Fewer' (Correct answer)
- 'attended' should be 'attend'
- 'seminar' should be 'seminars'
- 'than' should be 'then'
Correct answer: 'Less' should be 'Fewer'
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns like 'students,' while 'less' is used with uncountable nouns.
Question 7: Find the mistake: 'The committee have reached their decision unanimously.'
- 'committee' should be 'committees'
- 'have' should be 'has' (Correct answer)
- 'their' should be 'its'
- Both B and C are correct
Correct answer: 'have' should be 'has'
In American English, collective nouns like 'committee' take singular verbs, so 'have' should be 'has' (with 'its' also preferred).
ELSA Error Identification & Correction 2
Identify the error: 'Neither the manager nor the employees was informed about the policy change.'