Question 1

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He want to write about a forgotten aspect of history, the fact that some pre-Civil War blacks actually owned black slaves.
A) want
B) forgotten
C) War

Accepted Answer

The correct form should be "He wants" to agree with the singular subject "He."

Question 2

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. His father was not involved in his life, and his illiterate mother washed dishes and scrub   floors to support her three children , one of whom was disabled.
A) life, and
B) scrub
C) children

Accepted Answer

The error is in part B) "scrub" because it should be in the past tense "scrubbed" to match the tense of "washed" in the sentence.

Question 3

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. When he was finally ready to write in 2001; he sat down at a loaned computer and finished the entire manuscript of The Known World in just seven months.
A) finally
B) 2001; he
C) finished

Accepted Answer

The error is in part B) "2001; he" because a semicolon is incorrectly used. The correct punctuation should be a comma when introducing a dependent clause after a specific time, so it should be "2001, he".

Question 4

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Unlike material objects, experiences tend to bring us closer to other people, not  separate us, leaving us with good feelings and memorys .
A) Unlike material objects,
B) tend to bring us closer
C) feelings and memorys.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C with the word "memorys," which should be spelled as "memories" to correctly use the plural form of "memory."

Question 5

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He points out that we are living in the most materially rich society in history, but  many people are less happier than before.
A) the most materially rich
B) history, but  many people
C) less happier

Accepted Answer

The error is in the use of "less happier." The correct comparative form should be "less happy" or "happier," not a combination of "less" with the comparative form "happier."

Question 6

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. In 1950, Edward Jones was born poor and had a tough childhood in Washington,  D.C. nevertheless, he grew up to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
A) was born
B) in
C) D.C. nevertheless,

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C because there should be a semicolon or a period before "nevertheless" to properly separate the two independent clauses.

Question 7

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. When most people are ask to visualize what makes them happy , they pick experiences, not things.
A) people are ask to visualize
B) them happy ,
C) experiences, not things.

Accepted Answer

The correct form should be "people are asked to visualize," using the past participle "asked" instead of "ask."

Question 8

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. We can just climb a hill in springtime, go ice skating with friends learn to bake  bread, or get fit for the first time ever .
A) can just climb
B) with friends learn to bake  bread
C) the first time ever

Accepted Answer

The error is in part B because there is a missing comma after "friends" which should separate the activities listed in the series.

Question 9

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Jones believes that while he was born poor , "in a certain sense you do what you  were born to do. And maybe, maybe , I was born to writ e .
A) Jones believes
B) poor, "in
C) I was born to write.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C, where there is an unnecessary space before the period, making it "write ." instead of the correct "write."

Question 10

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. In 2004, the book won the Pulitzer Prize, and critics have call it a masterpiece and a book of "deep human understanding."
A) Prize, and
B) call
C) masterpiece and

Accepted Answer

The correct form should be "have called" to match the present perfect tense used in the sentence.

Question 11

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He do manage to graduate from college, but he found himself homeless for a brief time afterward.
A) do
B) college, but
C) homeless

Accepted Answer

The correct auxiliary verb for "he" in the present simple tense is "does," not "do." The sentence should read "He does manage to graduate from college..."

Question 12

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Many researchers recently have been studying what makes people happy, one of these i s James Wallman, a British trend forecaster.
A) have been studying
B) people happy, one of these
C) British trend forecaster.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part B due to incorrect punctuation. The correct punctuation should involve using a semicolon or starting a new sentence before "one of these" to properly separate the two independent clauses.

Question 13

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Experiences doesn't have to cost a lot of money to be wonderful.
A) doesn't have to cost
B) of money
C) to be wonderful.

Accepted Answer

The subject "Experiences" is plural, so the verb should be "don't" instead of "doesn't."

Question 14

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He took a dull dead-end job summarizing business articles for low pay. Although he kept that job for 19 years. He never gave up on his literary dreams.
A) took
B) kept
C) years. He

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C, where there is an incorrect use of a period after "years," which should instead be a comma to correctly connect the two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Question 15

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. The family moved 18 times in 18 year's .
A) moved
B) in
C) year's

Accepted Answer

The correct form should be "years" without an apostrophe, as it is a plural noun indicating more than one year, not a possessive form.

Question 16

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Then , he beginned thinking about an idea for his first novel.
A) Then
B) beginned
C) an

Accepted Answer

The correct form of the verb is "began," which is the simple past tense of "begin." "Beginned" is not a correct form.

Question 17

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. For ten long  year , Jones thought about his characters and the story he wanted to tell.
A) year
B) thought
C) characters and

Accepted Answer

The correct form should be "years" to agree with the plural context indicated by "ten long."

Question 18

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. As a boy, Jones would go to the Public Library just to get warm next to the radiators.
A) boy,
B) would go
C) Public Library

Accepted Answer

Public Library should be public library

Question 19

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. In 1992, he published a collection of stories called Lost in the City , which won the PEN/Hemingway Award. A major literary prize.
A) Lost in the City
B) which
C) Award. A

Accepted Answer

The error is in part C because "Award. A" incorrectly separates what should be a single sentence into two fragments. The correct punctuation would connect the clause "which won the PEN/Hemingway Award" with the phrase "A major literary prize" without the period after "Award," making it one complete sentence.

Question 20

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. His third book, All Aunt Haggar's children , is a collection of stories that connects to  the people in his first book .
A) All Aunt Haggar's children
B) collection of stories that connects
C) his first book

Accepted Answer

"All Aunt Haggar's children" should be "All of Aunt Haggar's children" to make the sentence grammatically correct.

Quiz 34: Putting Your Proofreading Skills to Work

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He want to write about a forgotten aspect of history, the fact that some pre-Civil War blacks actually owned black slaves.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. His father was not involved in his life, and his illiterate mother washed dishes and scrub floors to support her three children , one of whom was disabled.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. When he was finally ready to write in 2001; he sat down at a loaned computer and finished the entire manuscript of The Known World in just seven months.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Unlike material objects, experiences tend to bring us closer to other people, not separate us, leaving us with good feelings and memorys .

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He points out that we are living in the most materially rich society in history, but many people are less happier than before.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. In 1950, Edward Jones was born poor and had a tough childhood in Washington, D.C. nevertheless, he grew up to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. When most people are ask to visualize what makes them happy , they pick experiences, not things.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. We can just climb a hill in springtime, go ice skating with friends learn to bake bread, or get fit for the first time ever .

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Jones believes that while he was born poor , "in a certain sense you do what you were born to do. And maybe, maybe , I was born to writ e .

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. In 2004, the book won the Pulitzer Prize, and critics have call it a masterpiece and a book of "deep human understanding."

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He do manage to graduate from college, but he found himself homeless for a brief time afterward.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Many researchers recently have been studying what makes people happy, one of these i s James Wallman, a British trend forecaster.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Experiences doesn't have to cost a lot of money to be wonderful.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. He took a dull dead-end job summarizing business articles for low pay. Although he kept that job for 19 years. He never gave up on his literary dreams.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. The family moved 18 times in 18 year's .

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. Then , he beginned thinking about an idea for his first novel.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. For ten long year , Jones thought about his characters and the story he wanted to tell.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. As a boy, Jones would go to the Public Library just to get warm next to the radiators.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. In 1992, he published a collection of stories called Lost in the City , which won the PEN/Hemingway Award. A major literary prize.

For each item, select the underlined part that contains an error. His third book, All Aunt Haggar's children , is a collection of stories that connects to the people in his first book .