Grade 10 English: Common Grammatical Errors

Practice flashcards covering common English grammatical errors including syntax mistakes, concord, and word choice issues based on the Grade 10 English Term 3 curriculum.

Misrelated Participle

An error where a phrase containing a participle is separated from the rest of the sentence, making it appear to relate to the wrong noun or pronoun (e.g., "While hanging by his fingertips, the bush broke").

Ambiguity

A sentence structure with two or more possible meanings, usually caused by clumsy sentence construction or the misplacing of a phrase or clause.

Split Infinitive

An error occurring when a word, usually an adverb, is placed between the word "to" and the base form (infinitive) of a verb (e.g., "To boldly go").

Mixed Metaphor

The use of two or more metaphors in a single sentence that do not agree or "clash," often resulting from a lack of knowledge of idioms.

Malapropism

The humorous misuse of a word that sounds similar to another word, such as using "deform" instead of "perform" in a sentence about surgery.

Tautology

The act of saying the same thing twice using different words, making the extra information unnecessary (e.g., "kills bugs dead").

Concord

The grammatical principle that a verb must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, and third).

Indefinite Pronouns (Concord rule)

Pronouns like "anyone", "everyone", "someone", "no one", and "nobody" are always singular and require singular verbs.

As well as / Along with (Concord rule)

Phrases that are not the same as "and"; the verb must agree with the number of the subject that appears before these phrases.

Neither / Either (Concord rule)

Pronouns that are singular and require singular verbs, even though they may appear to refer to two things.

Plural Nouns with 'a pair of'

Words like "glasses", "pants", and "scissors" are plural unless preceded by the phrase "a pair of", in which case the word "pair" becomes the singular subject.

Hanging Preposition

A preposition placed incorrectly at the very end of a sentence without an object (e.g., "I am going with" instead of "I am going with him").

Hyphenated Compound Noun vs. Descriptive Adjective

A punctuation-based distinction where a hyphen creates a specific type of noun (e.g., "stewing-plums") whereas omitting it creates a description of an action (e.g., "stewing plums").

Circumlocution and Verbosity

The use of unnecessary words, talking in circles, or using pretentious language that prevents effective and simple communication.