Proofreading for Type I Errors: Practice 1 Answer Key
Read the following paragraph and determine whether each sentence is correct, is a fragment, has a subject/verb agreement error, includes a comma splice, or is a fused sentence. No sentence includes more than one error.
1. When I was younger, I had a
number of "accidents" with my cars. Correct
2. Not accidents in the
traditional sense. Fragment
3. For example, as I was driving home from work
one day, I smelled smoke.
Correct
4. I pulled over to the side of the road then I
looked under the hood. Fused
5. Seeing nothing alarming, I got back into
my car and continued driving,
however, the scent of smoke became even
stronger. Comma Splice
6. So strong that I pulled over to the side of the road
again. Fragment
7. Still seeing nothing unusual, I got back into my car this time
it filled up with
smoke. Fused
8. A passing motorist stopped to offer his
help. Correct
9. He pulled back the carpet from under the accelerator, the carpet
burst into
flames. Comma Splice
10. Noticing a jug on my front seat, he asked what were
in it. Subject/Verb
Agreement Error
11. When I told him it was iced tea, he poured the tea onto
the fire. Correct
12. Putting out the fire before it could do more
damage. Fragment
13. Another incident happened several years later. Correct
14.
My sister and I was driving to the beach. Subject/Verb Agreement Error
15. Smoke started coming
from the cassette player, quickly the smoke filled the
car. Comma Splice
16.
Forcing us out of the car. Fragment
17. It seems my husband had wired the
cassette player incorrectly. Correct
18. A fact that is not particularly
surprising. Fragment
19. I no longer have either car, I no longer have that
husband. Comma Splice