Beau Peep Notice Board
Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Mince on May 16, 2007, 02:40:42 PM
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SPOT THE MISTAKE
I found this in my archives yesterday. It's a bit of grammar fun that I wrote ages ago. It's for those who are too bored to do anything worthwhile. Each sentence has a mistake. What is it?
Deadline for this homework: Friday.
1. I knew that his noisy music would have an affect on my recording experiment.
2. Andrew was considered as unsuitable for the position.
3. An immense amount of confusion and indifference prevail in these days.
4. What power could or ever has produced such changes?
5. He was young, rich, handsome, and enjoyed life.
6. Having at last entered my home, the fear of open spaces could no longer trouble me.
7. You could do this without us having to help.
8. Gathered altogether again, they continued onwards to the beach.
9. He is neither a fool or a rogue.
10. Will you allow my friend and I to attend the wedding?
11. Their lives, their liberties, and their religion is in danger.
12. On what was once pasture lands now stands vast engineering shops.
13. Everyone is unhappy with their lot in life.
14. I scolded and sent him to bed.
15. You are either joking or have forgotten.
16. Neither of the two children are at home.
17. He is one of the worst kings that has ever lived.
18. Like most cars with four-wheel drive, I find the new Audi handles excellently on rough surfaces.
19. The village has employed three famous actors for their Christmas stage play.
20. He was both deaf to argument and entreaty.
21. Both of them faced each other.
22. Nothing succeeds like success does.
23. He would not have dared to have eaten it.
24. You play the flute better than me.
25. This is the man whom they say inherited a fortune.
26. The reason why so few people are happy is because of today?s lack of morals.
27. The worth of its contents are well known.
28. They can and are at present reducing the damage caused by machinery.
29. The workmen are better housed, better fed, and get a third more in wages.
30. Looking back over its fifty years, the project could justly claim to be succeeding.
31. We did not object to them being allowed to return home.
32. The drawings are excellent and almost everyone of them deserves a medal.
33. I regard it as important as anything.
34. I don?t know who I can trust.
35. A proportion of the map references in the text are inaccurate.
36. They have been ordered to shoot if life or property are in danger.
37. If either of these methods are successful, many people will be saved.
38. With their children?s programme the BBC never puts a foot wrong.
39. Each of the girls went to their separate rooms.
40. Either he did not know or was lying.
41. He explained that the man in the white shirt was the one with who I should work.
42. We regret that assurances given us twelve months ago that sufficient manpower would be made available to meet our requirements has not been fulfilled.
43. He decided to practice his golf in the back garden.
44. Which of these four candidates seems the more promising to you?
45. The twins have a mutual contempt for each other.
46. His new book is equally as interesting.
47. Wide brimmed and furry, the prince raised his hat and waved it at the crowd.
48. She is stubborn, selfish, and has a sharp temper.
49. When he returned, he said there had been clear evidence of sheep rustling on the mountainside.
50. He was sighted in no less than fifteen countries.
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Thank God Mince is not a gym teacher. ;D
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Thank God Mince is not a gym teacher. ;D
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Mincey, I think the mistake was posting it in the first place. I've NEVER been that bored!
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I don't care. Someone, somewhere, will answer it . . . [Cue sad music, and Mince wandering lonely on a moonless night against a backdrop of city lights and people who don't give a monkeys who he is.]
Detentions for those who don't do the work.
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1. I knew that his noisy music would have an
affect on my recording experiment.
Not "affect" -effect
2. Andrew was considered as unsuitable for the position.
Andrew was considered unsuitable
3. An immense amount of confusion and indifference prevail in these days.
Prevails
4. What power could or ever has produced such changes?
What power could, or ever has, produced such changes?
5. He was young, rich, handsome, and enjoyed life.
He was young, rich, handsome and enjoyed life (no comma before "and")
6. Having at last entered my home, the fear of open spaces could no longer trouble me.
Having entered my home at last, the fear of open spaces could no longer trouble me
7. You could do this without us having to help.
You could do this without us having to help (clunky grammar? - don't know this one)
8. Gathered altogether again, they continued onwards to the beach.
Onward, not onwards?
9. He is neither a fool or a rogue.
Nor
10. Will you allow my friend and I to attend the wedding?
My friend and me
11. Their lives, their liberties, and their religion is in danger.
Are in danger (no comma needed before "and", by the way)
12. On what was once pasture lands now stands vast engineering shops.
Pasture land. Stand vast engineering shops
13. Everyone is unhappy with their lot in life.
Everybody
14. I scolded and sent him to bed.
I scolded him
15. You are either joking or have forgotten.
Present and past tense. Shoud be "you are joking or are forgetting".
16. Neither of the two children are at home.
"two" is redundant. Neither of the children
17. He is one of the worst kings that has ever lived.
Who ever lived or who has ever lived
18. Like most cars with four-wheel drive, I find the new Audi handles excellently on rough surfaces.
The speaker identifies himself as a car
19. The village has employed three famous actors for their Christmas stage play.
its Christmas stage play
20. He was both deaf to argument and entreaty.
He was deaf to both argument and...
21. Both of them faced each other.
"Both" is redundant. They faced each other
22. Nothing succeeds like success does.
"Does" is redundant.
23. He would not have dared to have eaten it.
First "have" cancels the second. He would not have dared to eat it.
24. You play the flute better than me.
Better than I
25. This is the man whom they say inherited a fortune.
who they say, not "whom"
26. The reason why so few people are happy is because of today?s lack of morals.
Apostrophe s ('s) denotes ownership. "Today" cannot own morals.
Possible alternative sentence: "The reason why so few people are happy today is a lack of morals."
27. The worth of its contents are well known.
"is well known"
28. They can and are at present reducing the damage caused by machinery.
Should be "they can reduce" or "they are at present reducing"
29. The workmen are better housed, better fed, and get a third more in wages.
Bad grammar. "receive a third more in wages"
30. Looking back over its fifty years, the project could justly claim to be succeeding.
"can justly claim"
31. We did not object to them being allowed to return home.
to their being allowed to return home
32. The drawings are excellent and almost everyone of them deserves a medal.
"Every one" means "deserves" would be ok, but as it stands the sentence should read "almost all" and "deserve a medal"
33. I regard it as important as anything.
"as anything could be"
34. I don?t know who I can trust.
These days this grammar is ok. "whom I can trust"? Yuck.
35. A proportion of the map references in the text are inaccurate.
"A proportion" -singular. "references" -plural. Possible alternative: "Some of the map references..."
36. They have been ordered to shoot if life or property are in danger.
Life and property are singular, therefore -"is in danger"
37. If either of these methods are successful, many people will be saved.
If either method is successful
38. With their children?s programme the BBC never puts a foot wrong.
Childrens' or childrens.
39. Each of the girls went to their separate rooms.
"separate" is redundant. "Each of the girls went to their rooms"
40. Either he did not know or was lying.
Either he did not know, or he was lying.
41. He explained that the man in the white shirt was the one with who I should work.
With whom
42. We regret that assurances given us twelve months ago that sufficient manpower would be made available to meet our requirements has not been fulfilled.
Two "that"s make for ugly grammar without "namely" or "i.e." before the second "that", and a second and third comma are needed.
"We regret that assurances given us twelve months ago, namely that sufficient manpower would be made available to meet our requirements, has not been fulfilled.
43. He decided to practice his golf in the back garden.
Practise. Unless you're a Yank.
44. Which of these four candidates seems the more promising to you?
seem
45. The twins have a mutual contempt for each other.
"for each other" cancels "mutual" - "The twins have a contempt for each other"
46. His new book is equally as interesting.
Is equally interesting.
47. Wide brimmed and furry, the prince raised his hat and waved it at the crowd.
Is the Prince wide brimmed and furry?
"The prince raised his wide brimmed, furry hat and waved it at the crowd"
48. She is stubborn, selfish, and has a sharp temper.
No need for the second comma before "and"
49. When he returned, he said there had been clear evidence of sheep rustling on the mountainside.
"He had seen clear evidence" or "there was clear evidence"
50. He was sighted in no less than fifteen countries.
He had been sighted.
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SPOT THE MISTAKE
I found this in my archives yesterday. It's a bit of grammar fun that I wrote ages ago. It's for those who are too bored to do anything worthwhile. Each sentence has a mistake. What is it?
Deadline for this homework: Friday.
1. I knew that his noisy music would have an affect on my recording experiment.
2. Andrew was considered as unsuitable for the position.
3. An immense amount of confusion and indifference prevail in these days.
4. What power could or ever has produced such changes?
5. He was young, rich, handsome, and enjoyed life.
6. Having at last entered my home, the fear of open spaces could no longer trouble me.
7. You could do this without us having to help.
8. Gathered altogether again, they continued onwards to the beach.
9. He is neither a fool or a rogue.
10. Will you allow my friend and I to attend the wedding?
11. Their lives, their liberties, and their religion is in danger.
12. On what was once pasture lands now stands vast engineering shops.
13. Everyone is unhappy with their lot in life.
14. I scolded and sent him to bed.
15. You are either joking or have forgotten.
16. Neither of the two children are at home.
17. He is one of the worst kings that has ever lived.
18. Like most cars with four-wheel drive, I find the new Audi handles excellently on rough surfaces.
19. The village has employed three famous actors for their Christmas stage play.
20. He was both deaf to argument and entreaty.
21. Both of them faced each other.
22. Nothing succeeds like success does.
23. He would not have dared to have eaten it.
24. You play the flute better than me.
25. This is the man whom they say inherited a fortune.
26. The reason why so few people are happy is because of today?s lack of morals.
27. The worth of its contents are well known.
28. They can and are at present reducing the damage caused by machinery.
29. The workmen are better housed, better fed, and get a third more in wages.
30. Looking back over its fifty years, the project could justly claim to be succeeding.
31. We did not object to them being allowed to return home.
32. The drawings are excellent and almost everyone of them deserves a medal.
33. I regard it as important as anything.
34. I don?t know who I can trust.
35. A proportion of the map references in the text are inaccurate.
36. They have been ordered to shoot if life or property are in danger.
37. If either of these methods are successful, many people will be saved.
38. With their children?s programme the BBC never puts a foot wrong.
39. Each of the girls went to their separate rooms.
40. Either he did not know or was lying.
41. He explained that the man in the white shirt was the one with who I should work.
42. We regret that assurances given us twelve months ago that sufficient manpower would be made available to meet our requirements has not been fulfilled.
43. He decided to practice his golf in the back garden.
44. Which of these four candidates seems the more promising to you?
45. The twins have a mutual contempt for each other.
46. His new book is equally as interesting.
47. Wide brimmed and furry, the prince raised his hat and waved it at the crowd.
48. She is stubborn, selfish, and has a sharp temper.
49. When he returned, he said there had been clear evidence of sheep rustling on the mountainside.
50. He was sighted in no less than fifteen countries.
1. I knew that his noisy music would have an effect on my recording experiment.
2. Andrew was considered unsuitable for the position.
3. An immense amount of confusion and indifference prevails these days.
4. What power could, or ever has, produced such changes?
5. He was young, rich, handsome and enjoyed life.
6. Having at last entered my home, the fear of open spaces no longer troubled me.
7. You could do this without help from us.
8. Gathered together again, they continued onwards to the beach.
9. He is neither a fool nor a rogue.
10. Will you allow my friend and myself to attend the wedding?
11. Their lives, liberties, and religion is in danger.
12. On what was once pasture land now stands vast engineering shops.
13. Everyone is unhappy with his lot in life.
14. I scolded, and sent him to bed.
15. Either you are joking, or have forgotten.
16. Neither of the two children is at home.
17. He is one of the worst kings to have ever lived.
18. I find the new Audi, like most cars with four-wheel drive, handles excellently on rough surfaces.
19. The village has employed three famous actors for its Christmas stage play.
20. He was deaf to both argument and entreaty.
21. Both faced each other.
22. Nothing succeeds like success.
23. He would not have dared eat it.
24. You play the flute better than I.
25. This is the man they say inherited a fortune.
26. The reason so few people are happy is because of today?s lack of morals.
27. The value of its contents are well known.
28. They can, and are, at present reducing the damage caused by machinery.
29. The workmen are better-housed, better-fed, and get a third more in wages.
30. Looking back, over its fifty years, the project could justly claim to be succeeding.
31. We did not object to their being allowed to return home.
32. The drawings are excellent, and almost everyone of them deserves a medal.
33. I regard it to be as important as anything.
34. I know not who I can trust.
35. A proportion of map references in the text is inaccurate.
36. They have been ordered to shoot if life, or property, is in danger.
37. If either of these methods succeed, many people will be saved.
38. With its children?s programme the BBC never puts a foot wrong.
39. Each of the girls went to her separate room.
40. Either he did not know, or was lying.
41. He explained that the man in the white shirt was the one I should work with.
42. We regret that assurances given twelve months ago, that sufficient manpower would be made available, have not been fulfilled.
43. He decided to practice golf in the back garden.
44. Which of these four candidates seems the more promising?
45. Each twin has a mutual contempt for the other.
46. His new book is as equally interesting.
47. The prince raised his wide-brimmed, furry hat, and waved it to the crowd.
48. Stubborn and selfish, she has a sharp temper.
49. On returning, he said there had been clear evidence of sheep rustling on the mountainside.
50. He was seen in no less than fifteen countries.
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Someone's made a rod for his own back with this "homework".
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Malc's Score: 27/50
RIGHT: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 43, 45, 46, 47, 49
WRONG: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16*, 17, 22, 26*, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 38, 39, 42, 44, 48, 50
* still something wrong
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Peepmaster's Score: 23/50
RIGHT: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 42, 45, 47*, 49
WRONG: 4, 5, 6, 7*, 8*, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18*, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 37, 40, 41*, 43, 44, 46, 48*, 50
* did not fully show that the mistake was noticed
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Peepmaster's Score: 23/50
RIGHT: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 35, 36, 38, 39, 42, 45, 47*, 49
WRONG: 4, 5, 6, 7*, 8*, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18*, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 37, 40, 41*, 43, 44, 46, 48*, 50
* did not fully show that the mistake was noticed
Whatever. (How do we know you are right? You've just started a sentence with a lower-case letter, and missed the full stop!)
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Yeah, you thick thicko, thick....thick plank.
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Whatever.
Jealous.
How do we know you are right?
Stupid question.
You've just started a sentence with a lower-case letter, and missed the full stop!
I have a badge saying that I can.
Actually, I had to think hard about the answers: it was so long ago that I wrote this. And one of them I can't remember or I wrote incorrectly, but I'm not saying which one.
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Yeah, you thick thicko, thick....thick plank.
Shouldn't there be a space between the dots, and the last "thick", Malcolm? ;D
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It's a rubbish test anyway. No way did I only get 27 out of 50. Where's your badge? You could be anybody.
I mean anyone.
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Shouldn't there be a space between the dots, and the last "thick", Malcolm?
There are spaces between the dots. Otherwise they would be a line.
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Where's your badge? You could be anybody.
Ask me about any you don't understand. Just don't pick the one I don't know.
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... Just don't pick the one I don't know.
Don't worry - you can ask me about that one. ;D
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I have this strange image of me being teacher to a lot of naughty and cheeky ten-year-olds.
Let's start talking about football again.
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I have this strange image of me being teacher to a lot of naughty and cheeky ten-year-olds.
Let's start talking about football again.
I am so nervous. Wolves go into the second-leg of the play-offs a goal down. They're away at local rivals, West Brom.
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I wasn't serious.
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Why is "second-leg" hyphenated?
No, forget that. What is a "second leg"?
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I've decided to ignore this. I've also decided to ignore the Kafka thing.
This sentence says I've decided to ignore both of them.
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Why is "second-leg" hyphenated?
No, forget that. What is a "second leg"?
It's the one before the third leg, and it's hyphenated to help him walk straight. Where have you been all of your life?
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We had our dog hyphenated. She didn't walk straight after that.
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We had our dog hyphenated. She didn't walk straight after that.
You wouldn't expect her to, poor thing - she'd need a good half hour at least.
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Fnar. ::)
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Derby v West Brom Final.
Hope Derby win. ;D
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Derby v West Brom Final.
Hope Derby win. ;D
I'm with you there, Colin! :'(
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4. What power could produce, or ever has produced such changes?
50. He was seen in no fewer than fifteen countries.
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Both correct.
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7. You could do this without our help.
12. On what was once pasture land now stand vast engineering shops.
27. The value of its contents is well known.
28. They can reduce and are, at present, reducing the damage caused by machinery.
34. I know not whom I can trust.
37. If either of these methods succeeds, many people will be saved.
41. He explained that I should work with the man in the white shirt.
43. He decided to practise golf in the back garden.
44. Which of these four candidates seems the most promising?
46. His new book is equally interesting.
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All correct.
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41. He explained that the man in the white shirt was the one with whom I should work.
"I should work with him" gives "whom I should work with".
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I would not have put commas in 28.
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Fair point.
My favourite was, "Running round the corner, the church came into sight."
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Yes, the church does not run round corners. It's an unattached participle, the same as 6 and 30 (and 18 and 47).
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My favourite is a newspaper headline that read "Prostitutes appeal to Pope".
Here are some from this website (http://funnies.paco.to/Headlines.html).
Some are just slips of the tongue
* Grandmother of eight makes hole in one
* Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing
* Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers
* House passes gas tax onto senate
* Stiff opposition expected to casketless funeral plan
* Two convicts evade noose, jury hung
* William Kelly was fed secretary
* Milk drinkers are turning to powder
* Safety experts say school bus passengers should be belted
* Quarter of a million Chinese live on water
* Farmer bill dies in house
* Iraqi head seeks arms
Some become unintentionally suggestive
* Queen Mary having bottom scraped
* Is there a ring of debris around Uranus?
* Prostitutes appeal to Pope
* Panda mating fails - veterinarian takes over
* NJ judge to rule on nude beach
* Child's stool great for use in garden
* Dr. Ruth to talk about sex with newspaper editors
* Soviet virgin lands short of goal again
* Organ festival ends in smashing climax
Grammar often botches other headlines
* Eye drops off shelf
* Squad helps dog bite victim
* Dealers will hear car talk at noon
* Enraged cow injures farmer with ax
* Lawmen from Mexico barbecue guests
* Miners refuse to work after death
* Two Soviet ships collide - one dies
* Two sisters reunite after eighteen years at checkout counter
Once in a while, a botched headline takes on a meaning opposite from the one intended:
* Never withhold herpes from loved one
* Nicaragua sets goal to wipe out literacy
* Drunk drivers paid $1,000 in 1984
* Autos killing 110 a day, let's resolve to do better
Sometimes newspaper editors state the obvious
* If strike isn't settled quickly it may last a while
* War dims hope for peace
* Smokers are productive, but death cuts efficiency
* Cold wave linked to temperatures
* Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she hasn't seen in years
* Man is fatally slain
* Something went wrong in jet crash, experts say
* Death causes loneliness, feeling of isolation
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Yes, the church does not run round corners..
A church does run round corners. I was looking at one just yesterday, and was studying the outer fabric of its construction. It certainly did run round corners.
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Just out of curiosity - has anyone every told you that sometimes you can be utterly annoying?
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It takes practise. ;D
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No, it takes "practice".
That's me being utterly annoying.
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No, it takes "practice".
That's me being utterly annoying.
I knew I'd spelt that wrong.