SPOTING MISTAKES IN STUDENTS ´ COMPOSITION

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > SPOTING MISTAKES IN STUDENTS ´ COMPOSITION

SPOTING MISTAKES IN STUDENTS ´ COMPOSITION

marceloenglishteacher

SPOTING MISTAKES IN STUDENTS ´ COMPOSITION

I was checking some students writings when I saw the sentences below. Can you please help me spoting the mistakes? Am I right?

1- Mary moved to England for living with her uncle Archibald.

Mary moved to England to live with her uncle Archibald.

2- She was warned that was forbidden walking through the house.

She was warned that walking through the house was borbidden

Is it OK She was warned that it was forbidden walking through the house?

3- Mary found out that that was the garden gate’s key.

Mary found out that that was the key of the garden gate

4- Collin felt very better and he was able to stand alone.

Collin felt much better and was able to stand alone

5- He was certainly traveling for Europe when he had a strange dream.

He was certainly travelling to Europe when he had a strange dream

6- I’m sorry for still hadn’t written with news, but I’m very busy here.

I ´m sorry for not having written telling you the news, but I ´m very busy here

7- Despite the difficulties, I’m loving this experience in Canada. Only I can put into practice the English that I learned in Brazil probably worth the trip.

Despite the difficulties, I love have loved this experience in Canada. I can practice the Englih I learned in Brazil. It was worth coming here

8- What is more difficult for my adaptation here is the weather where often the temperature reaches below zero.

What is more difficult for my adaptation here is the weather because the temperature often reaches below zero

11- Recently was born a boy, John, who has only five months.

Recently a boy was born, John, who is only five months

Is it OK, Recently a boy has been born, John, who is only five months

10 Nov 2009

sarahgriffin

Hi there

1. Your correction is right.
2. She was warned that it was forbidden to walk through the house
3. Your correction is right
4. Your correction is right
5. He was travelling to Europe when he had a strange dream. ´Certainlty ´ doesn ´t seem to fit in here at all
6. I ´m sorry for not having written with news/written to tell you the news, but I ´m very busy here
7. Despite the difficulties I love (if still in Canada) / have loved (If experience is over) ... the rest of your correction is right
8. This sentence is gramatically correct, although I ´m not sure of the meaning
9. Your first correction sounds more correct to me. Although with this one they may both be okay.

sarah

10 Nov 2009

andressat

Hello,

I have a better suggestion for sentence n. 2:

She was warned that walking through the house was forbidden.

The other forms are grammatically correct as well, but prefer to place the passive form at the end, without "it".

Break a leg ;)

Andressa

10 Nov 2009

volga

Hello,

NUMBER 1, use infinitive of purpose

your sentence is correct

NUMBER 2, you can use gerund walking in the passive construction:

She was warned that walking through the house was forbidden. (your sentence)

or infinitive to walk:

She was warned that it was forbidden to walk through the house. (Sarah ´s)

NUMBER 3, either key to the garden gate, or key for the garden gate

NUMBER 4, I don ´t understand why he was able to stand alone and why he felt so good about it. Out of context, it sounds so awkward.

Possible - Collin felt much better that he was able to ... stand up by himself (without smb ´s help??)

NUMBER 5, what Sarah wrote is good, or

Possible - When he was traveling to Europe he had a strange dream.

NUMBER 6, I agree with Sarah

NUMBER 7, I agree with Sarah, though you can also use I ´m loving for emphasis.

NUMBER 8, your correction sounds ok, but put a comma before because.

NUMBER 11, just put a comma after Recently

Good luck! Hope it helps,
V.

10 Nov 2009

[email protected]

2- She was warned that was forbidden walking through the house.

She was warned that walking through the house was borbidden

Is it OK She was warned that it was forbidden walking through the house?

She was warned that it was forbidden to walk through the house. This sounds the best to me.

The way #3 is written by the student is also correct. The student is showing that the key belongs to the garden gate.

Is wordy...

6- I’m sorry for still hadn’t written with news, but I’m very busy here.

I ´m sorry for not having written telling you the news, but I ´m very busy here

Sarah ´s: I ´m sorry for not having written with news/written to tell you the news, but I ´m very busy here

"[H]aving written" and is not a tense, aspect, or modal which I am familiar other than someone trying to sound pretentious.

I ´m sorry that I hadn ´t written with news, but I ´m very busy here.

Just need to change the "for" for "that"

Despite the difficulties, I’m loving this experience in Canada. Only I can put into practice the English that I learned in Brazil probably worth the trip.

Despite the difficulties, I loved my experience in Canada. Only I can put into practice the English that I had learned in Brazil. It was worth the trip.

Despite the difficulties, I am loving my experience in Canada. I can finally put my English, that I learned in Brazil, to use. It is worth the trip.

Keep the tenses in past throughout the passage.

What is more difficult for my adaptation here is the weather where often the temperature reaches below zero.

What is more difficult for my adaptation here is the weather because the temperature often reaches below zero.

My adaptation to the weather was (is) the most difficult aspect of living there (or here) . In Canada, the temperature often drops below zero.

Temperature doesn ´t reach zero it drops. Reach has an upward connotation.

11.

11- Recently was born a boy, John, who has only five months.

Recently a boy was born, John, who is only five months

Is it OK, Recently a boy has been born, John, who is only five months

This is redundant...Recently and only five months don ´t mesh at all.

The baby, John, was born five months ago.

Hope you don ´t mind more corrections!

13 Nov 2009