Sentence correction exercise 3
Each sentence given below contains an underlined part which may or may not be grammatically correct. You have to replace that underlined part with one of the suggested alternatives labeled (a), (b), (c). If you feel that no improvement is necessary and the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.
Present continuous and present perfect continuous
1. Since I am living in Mumbai since my childhood, I am reluctant to move into another city.
a) Since I was living
b) Since I have been living
c) Since I had been living
d) No improvement
Solution: Part (b)
Since I have been living in Mumbai since my childhood, I am reluctant to move into another city.
You started living in Mumbai when you were a child. And you have been living in that city ever since. Here we are talking about a situation that started in the past and has continued up to the present. In English, we use the present perfect continuous tense to express this idea.
Note that there is not much difference between the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses. Read the two sentences given below. Basically, they mean the same.
I have lived in Mumbai since my childhood. (Present perfect tense)
I have been living in Mumbai since my childhood. (Present perfect continuous tense)
Dangling modifiers
2. Being too costly for him, he couldn't buy the watch.
a) He being too costly
b) It being too costly
c) Being it too costly
d) No improvement
Solution: Part (b)
It being too costly for him, he couldn't buy the watch.
Take a look at that phrase 'being too costly for him'. This is an example of what we call a dangling participle. Now let's analyze the sentence.
The watch was expensive. He couldn't buy it.
As you can see, the two sentences have two different subjects. When you use a participle to combine two sentences into one, they both need to have the same subject. That is not possible in this case. In such cases, you can use an absolute construction with it.
It being too costly for him, he couldn't buy the watch. OR The watch being too costly for him, he couldn't buy it.
Another example is given below.
The weather was rough. They abandoned the journey.
The weather being rough, they abandoned the journey.
No sooner
3. No sooner has she agreed to sign the contract than she started having terrible doubts.
a) No sooner did she agreed
b) No sooner had she agreed
c) She no sooner had agreed
d) No sooner she had agreed
No sooner had she agreed to sign the contract than she started having terrible doubts.
No sooner is a negative expression. When a negative expression comes at the beginning of a sentence, we use an inverted word order. That means the auxiliary verb goes before the subject. Both did and had are possible in sentences with no sooner. However, the first option is incorrect because after did, we have to use the first form (infinitive) of the verb.
No sooner did she agree to sign the contract than she started having terrible doubts.
OR
No sooner had she agreed to sign the contract than she started having terrible doubts.
Note the use of the conjunction than. No sooner is a comparative expression and therefore it should be followed by than. When and before are not possible in this case.
Passive constructions
4. He complained of having tortured by the police.
a) Been tortured
b) Tortured
c) Having been tortured
d) No improvement
Solution: Part (c)
He complained of having been tortured by the police.
He didn't torture the police. He was tortured by the police. The construction is passive. Look at the sentences given below.
He said, 'I have been tortured by the police.'
We can report this in two different ways:
He said / complained that he had been tortured by the police.
Instead of a that-clause, we can use a participial phrase.
He complained of having been tortured by the police. (NOT He complained of had been tortured by the police.)
Any verb form used after a preposition should be in the -ing form. The -ing form of had is having.
Another example is given below.
'I have been cheated,' said Susie.
We can report this in two ways.
Susie complained that she had been cheated. OR Susie complained of having been cheated.
Since and for
5. The refugees have been clamouring for better food and medicines from the past two weeks.
a) For the past two weeks
b) Since the past two weeks
c) For past two weeks
d) No improvement
Solution: Part (a)
The refugees have been clamouring for better food and medicines for the past two weeks.
The preposition from is not normally used with the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses. Instead, we use since and for. Note that since is used to say when something begins / began. For is used to say how long something lasts / lasted.
Sections in this article
Sentence agreement
Sentence agreement: plural subjects
Sentence agreement: collective nouns
Sentence agreement: indefinite pronouns
See also
Common mistakes in the use of nouns
Common mistakes in the use of nouns | Exercise 1
Common mistakes in the use of nouns | Exercise 2
Common mistakes in the use of nouns | Exercise 3
More CBSE English Grammar worksheets
Passive voice worksheet | Simple past tensePassive voice worksheet | Past continuous tense
Passive voice worksheet | Simple future tense
Passive voice worksheet | Future perfect tense
