Sentences, agreement and editing (Q5 A)

Class 12 English, unit 4

Practise 95 MCQs Take the unit quiz Review 37 cards

This unit teaches the grammar that Q5 A (editing, 6 marks) and several Q1 MCQs test: the kinds of sentences by function and structure, sentence faults, subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, articles, reference words and connectives. It ends with a 100-item error bank and a step-by-step editing method, with every 2026 and model-paper editing paragraph solved.

Learning outcomes (6)

Identify and punctuate declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory sentences.
Identify and write simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences.
Recognise and correct fragments, run-ons, comma splices, dangling and misplaced modifiers, faulty parallelism and double negatives.
Apply every rule of subject-verb agreement and noun-pronoun agreement.
Use articles, reference words and connectives correctly.
Proofread and edit a text for errors of sentence structure, agreement, articles, pronouns, connectives, punctuation and spelling.

Kinds of sentences by functionOften examined

A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense. It has a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a finite verb (a verb that shows tense, such as plays, played, is, will go). It begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark.

By function we mean the job a sentence does: does it tell, ask, order or show strong feeling? There are four kinds. The end mark usually tells you the kind, but not always, so look at the word order too.

Declarative sentence (assertive): Makes a statement: it tells a fact, an opinion or a piece of news. Word order: subject + verb. Ends with a full stop. Example: I enjoy reading novels.
Interrogative sentence: Asks a direct question. Word order: helping verb or question word before the subject (Is this, Where is, Do you). Ends with a question mark. Example: Is this bat for sale?
Imperative sentence: Gives an order, a request, advice, an instruction or an invitation. The subject you is understood, not written. Starts with the base verb (Shut, Please shut, Do not run, Let's go). Ends with a full stop, or an exclamation mark if it is forceful. Example: Please shut the door.
Exclamatory sentence: Shows strong feeling: surprise, joy, sorrow, anger or wonder. Usually begins with What a/an + noun or How + adjective/adverb. Ends with an exclamation mark. Example: What a beautiful view!

The four kinds of sentences by function
Kind	Purpose	Typical pattern	End mark	Examples
Declarative	tells	Subject + verb	full stop (.)	Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan. / He did not come to school.
Interrogative	asks	Helping verb or wh-word + subject + verb	question mark (?)	Where is your book? / Does she like tea? / You are coming, aren't you?
Imperative	orders, requests, advises	(You understood) + base verb	full stop (.) or (!)	Please shut the door. / Don't waste water. / Let's go to the stadium.
Exclamatory	shows strong feeling	What a/an + noun (+ subject + verb) / How + adjective (+ subject + verb)	exclamation mark (!)	What a beautiful scene! / How hot it is today!

Kinds of interrogative sentences

Yes/no question: starts with a helping verb. Is this bat for sale? Did you watch the match?
Wh-question: starts with who, what, where, when, why, which, whose, how. Where is your book?
Choice question: offers options with or. Do you want tea or coffee?
Tag question: a statement with a short question added. It is hot today, isn't it? A positive statement takes a negative tag and a negative statement takes a positive tag.

Kinds of imperative sentences

Command: Sit down. / Stop!
Request: Please lend me your pen.
Advice: Take care of your health.
Prohibition (negative order): Do not park here. / Never tell a lie.
Proposal or suggestion with let: Let's play cricket.
Instruction: Mix the flour and add water.

Exclamatory patterns

What a/an + adjective + singular countable noun: What a clever boy he is!
What + adjective + plural or uncountable noun: What lovely flowers these are! What bad weather!
How + adjective or adverb + subject + verb: How beautiful the valley is! How fast he runs!
Word order after What and How is subject + verb (statement order), not question order: How beautiful the valley is! not How beautiful is the valley!

Name the kind of each sentence

(a) How tall the Margalla Hills look! (b) Kindly send me the notes. (c) Has the result been announced? (d) Pakistan won the match by five wickets. (e) He wanted to know why I was late.

Sentence	Kind	Reason
(a)	Exclamatory	How + adjective + subject + verb; shows wonder; ends with (!)
(b)	Imperative	request; subject you understood; starts with the verb send after Kindly
(c)	Interrogative	helping verb Has before the subject; ends with (?)
(d)	Declarative	states a fact
(e)	Declarative	indirect question inside a statement, so full stop

Kinds of sentences by structureOften examined

By structure we mean how many clauses a sentence has and how they are joined. First learn what a clause is.

Clause: A group of words with its own subject and finite verb. the rain stopped, we went for a walk, who won the race.
Independent (main) clause: A clause that makes complete sense alone. We went for a walk.
Dependent (subordinate) clause: A clause that cannot stand alone because it begins with a subordinating word (because, although, when, after, if, who, which, that). After the rain stopped leaves the reader waiting for more.
Phrase: A group of words without its own subject and finite verb. in the morning, wearing a red shirt, to win the match. A phrase never makes a new clause.
Finite verb: A verb that shows tense and agrees with a subject: goes, went, is playing, has finished, will come. Infinitives (to go), gerunds and participles (going, gone) alone are not finite.

The four kinds of sentences by structure
Structure	Clauses	How they are joined	Example
Simple	1 independent	no joining of clauses (it may have two subjects or two verbs)	She sang loudly. / Ali and Sara sang and danced.
Compound	2 or more independent	coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) with a comma, or a semicolon, or a semicolon + conjunctive adverb (; however,)	I went to the market, and I bought some fruit. / It rained; the match was cancelled.
Complex	1 independent + 1 or more dependent	subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun	She sang because she was happy. / After the rain stopped, we went for a walk.
Compound-complex	2 or more independent + 1 or more dependent	both kinds of joining	Although it was raining, the match continued, and the crowd stayed till the end.

Which joining word gives which structure
Joining word family	Words	Makes the sentence
Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)	for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so	compound (when they join two clauses)
Subordinating conjunctions	because, since, as, although, though, even though, if, unless, when, whenever, while, whereas, after, before, until, till, as soon as, so that, in order that, once, where, wherever, than, as if, provided that	complex
Relative pronouns and adverbs	who, whom, whose, which, that, where, when, why	complex (adjective clause)
Noun-clause words	that, what, whether, if, how, why, who, where	complex (noun clause: I know that he is honest.)
Conjunctive adverbs (after a semicolon)	however, therefore, moreover, otherwise, nevertheless, consequently, besides	compound

The fast test (30 seconds)

Classify any sentence

Underline every finite verb and find its own subject. Each subject + finite verb pair is one clause. Ignore to-infinitives and -ing words used without a helping verb.
One clause only: simple. (Two subjects sharing one verb, or one subject with two verbs, is still one clause.)
Two or more clauses: circle the joining words. Only FANBOYS or a semicolon: compound.
A subordinator or relative pronoun (because, when, after, although, who, which, that): complex.
At least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause: compound-complex.

Classify by structure

(a) The students of Islamabad Model College visited the museum. (b) The bus was late, but we reached the hall on time. (c) When the bell rang, the students left the classroom. (d) My uncle, who lives in Quetta, sent me a gift, and I thanked him. (e) Running every morning keeps him fit. (f) It was raining heavily; therefore, the match was postponed.

Sentence	Clauses (subject + finite verb)	Joiner	Structure
(a)	students ... visited	none	Simple
(b)	bus was / we reached	but	Compound
(c)	bell rang / students left	When	Complex
(d)	uncle ... sent / who lives / I thanked	who + and	Compound-complex
(e)	Running every morning (gerund subject) ... keeps	none	Simple
(f)	It was raining / match was postponed	; therefore,	Compound

Sentence faults and how to fix themOften examined

When Q5 A says "errors of sentence structure", it means one of the faults below. Each one breaks the rule that a sentence must be one complete, clearly built thought. Learn to spot each fault and the standard fix.

1. Fragment (incomplete sentence)

A fragment is a group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a finite verb, or a main clause.

Fragment	What is missing	Fixed sentence
Because the bus was late.	main clause (a dependent clause alone)	We missed the assembly because the bus was late.
Went to the market after school.	subject	She went to the market after school.
The students waiting outside the hall.	finite verb (waiting needs were)	The students were waiting outside the hall.
For example, cricket and hockey.	subject and verb	He plays many games, for example, cricket and hockey.
She also I that education is the key.	a verb (the word I is wrong here)	She also believes that education is the key.

2. Run-on (fused) sentence

A run-on joins two independent clauses with no punctuation and no conjunction: It was very hot we stayed indoors.

3. Comma splice

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma: I missed the bus, I was late for school. A comma alone cannot join two sentences.

Five ways to fix a run-on or comma splice
Fix	Example
Full stop and capital letter	I missed the bus. I was late for school.
Comma + FANBOYS	I missed the bus, so I was late for school.
Semicolon	I missed the bus; I was late for school.
Semicolon + conjunctive adverb + comma	I missed the bus; therefore, I was late for school.
Subordinator (make one clause dependent)	Because I missed the bus, I was late for school.

4. Dangling modifier

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes something. It dangles when the thing it describes is not in the sentence, so it seems to describe the wrong word. An opening -ing or -ed phrase must describe the subject that comes right after the comma.

Dangling (wrong)	Why it is wrong	Fixed
Walking to school, the rain started.	The rain was not walking.	Walking to school, I was caught in the rain. / While I was walking to school, the rain started.
After finishing the homework, the TV was switched on.	The TV did not finish the homework.	After finishing the homework, Sara switched on the TV.
Tired after the match, the bed looked inviting.	The bed was not tired.	Tired after the match, Ahmed found the bed inviting.
To pass the exam, hard work is needed.	Who wants to pass?	To pass the exam, you need to work hard.

5. Misplaced modifier

A misplaced modifier is in the sentence but in the wrong place, so it seems to describe the wrong word. Keep a modifier next to the word it describes. Watch the limiting words only, almost, nearly, just, even, hardly.

Misplaced	Fixed
I saw a dog on my way to college with a long tail.	On my way to college, I saw a dog with a long tail.
She almost scored 80 runs in every match. (She never scored.)	She scored almost 80 runs in every match.
He only ate two samosas. (Meaning unclear)	He ate only two samosas.
The teacher returned the copies to the students checked in red ink.	The teacher returned the copies checked in red ink to the students.

6. Faulty parallelism

Items joined by and, or, but, in a list, or by a correlative pair (both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also) must have the same grammatical form: all nouns, all gerunds, all infinitives, all clauses.

Faulty	Parallel
She likes swimming, reading and to cook.	She likes swimming, reading and cooking.
He is not only good in studies but also plays cricket well.	He is not only good at studies but also good at cricket.
The job needs patience, skill and working hard.	The job needs patience, skill and hard work.
Either you can call me or send a message.	You can either call me or send a message.
Walking is better than to sit all day.	Walking is better than sitting all day.

7. Double negative

Standard English uses one negative word to make a negative. Two negatives cancel each other or sound wrong. Negative words include not (n't), no, never, nothing, nobody, none, nowhere, neither, nor, and the "almost negative" words hardly, scarcely, barely, seldom.

Double negative (wrong)	Correct
I don't know nothing about it.	I don't know anything about it. / I know nothing about it.
He can't hardly walk.	He can hardly walk.
There isn't no water in the tank.	There is no water in the tank. / There isn't any water in the tank.
Nobody never helps me.	Nobody ever helps me.
Unless you don't work hard, you will fail.	Unless you work hard, you will fail. (unless already means if not)

8. Word order errors

Wrong order	Correct order	Rule
Always his mother says that ...	His mother always says that ...	Frequency adverbs (always, usually, often, never) go before the main verb, after be.
I don't know where does he live.	I don't know where he lives.	An indirect question uses statement order.
Why you are late?	Why are you late?	A direct question puts the helping verb before the subject.
He speaks very well English.	He speaks English very well.	Do not put an adverb between a verb and its object.
Not only he is clever but also honest.	He is not only clever but also honest.	Put not only right before the first of the two matching items.

Subject-verb agreement: every ruleOften examined

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match its subject in number (singular or plural) and person (I, you, he/she/it). It matters in the present tense (he plays / they play) and with be (am, is, are, was, were) and has/have, does/do. In the simple past, most verbs have one form (he played / they played), except was/were.

The four-step agreement check

Find the finite verb.
Ask "who or what does this?" to find the true subject. Cross out every phrase between the subject and the verb (of the students, along with his friends, in the box).
Decide: is the subject singular or plural? Use the rules in the table below for the tricky words.
Make the verb match. Then check the tense is right for the time of the sentence.

Subject-verb agreement: the complete rule list
Rule	Explanation	Correct examples	Common wrong form
1. Basic rule	A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb. In the present tense the singular verb usually ends in -s.	The boy plays. The boys play. He doesn't agree.	He don't agree.
2. Find the true subject	Ignore phrases between the subject and the verb (of-phrases, prepositional phrases).	The box of chocolates is on the table. The quality of these mangoes is good.	The box of chocolates are ...
3. as well as, along with, together with, with, in addition to, besides, including, like, and not	These words do not make a plural subject. The verb agrees with the first subject.	The captain, as well as the players, was happy. Ali, along with his friends, has gone.	The captain, as well as the players, were happy.
4. Subjects joined by and	Two or more subjects joined by and take a plural verb.	Ali and Sara are cousins.	Ali and Sara is ...
5. and naming one person, thing or idea	If the two nouns name one thing or one person, use a singular verb. One the = one person.	Bread and butter is my breakfast. Slow and steady wins the race. The poet and philosopher is dead. (one man) / The poet and the philosopher are dead. (two men)	Bread and butter are ...
6. each or every before nouns joined by and	Singular verb.	Every boy and girl was given a prize. Each teacher and student has a card.	Every boy and girl were ...
7. each, every, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, everything, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, nothing	Always singular, even with of + plural noun after them.	Each of the students has passed. Neither of the answers is correct. Everyone was present. Either of the roads leads to Murree.	Each of the students have passed.
8. either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also, or, nor	The verb agrees with the subject nearer to it (proximity rule). Put the plural subject last to sound natural.	Neither the teacher nor the students were ready. Either the students or the teacher is responsible. Neither you nor I am wrong.	Neither the teacher nor the students was ready.
9. one of the + plural noun	The noun after one of is plural, but the verb agrees with one: singular.	One of my friends lives in Karachi. One of the players was injured.	One of my friend lives ... / One of the players were ...
10. one of those + plural noun + who/that	The relative clause agrees with the plural noun, so its verb is plural. But the only one of ... who takes a singular verb.	He is one of those boys who are always late. He is the only one of the boys who has passed.	He is one of those boys who is always late.
11. who, which, that	The verb after a relative pronoun agrees with the pronoun's antecedent (the noun it stands for).	I, who am your friend, will help you. It is I who am to blame. It is you who are wrong. The books which are on the shelf are mine.	It is I who is to blame.
12. Collective nouns	Singular when the group acts as one unit; plural when the members act separately or disagree.	The team has won the trophy. The class is large. The jury were divided in their opinions. The family are arguing among themselves.	The team have won the trophy (FBISE keys prefer singular for a unit).
13. Always plural nouns	police, cattle, people, poultry, clergy, gentry, vermin take a plural verb.	The police are searching the area. The cattle are grazing. People are waiting.	The police is coming.
14. Plural-looking singular nouns	news, physics, mathematics, economics, civics, ethics, statistics (the subject), politics, athletics, measles, mumps, billiards, innings take a singular verb.	The news is good. Mathematics is my favourite subject. Physics was difficult this year. Measles is infectious.	The news are good.
15. Pair nouns	scissors, trousers, jeans, spectacles, glasses, pliers, tongs are plural; with a pair of the verb agrees with pair.	My trousers are new. A pair of scissors is on the desk.	My trousers is new.
16. Amounts as one quantity	Time, money, distance, weight or measure thought of as one amount take a singular verb.	Ten kilometres is a long walk. Five hundred rupees is not enough. Two hours is enough for this paper.	Ten kilometres are a long walk.
17. Titles and names	Titles of books, films, poems and names of countries, companies and organisations are singular.	The Arabian Nights is a famous book. Gulliver's Travels was written by Swift. The United States is a large country.	The Arabian Nights are ...
18. the number of / a number of	The number of (the total) is singular. A number of (= many) is plural.	The number of cars is increasing. A number of students were absent.	The number of cars are increasing.
19. there is / there are, here is / here are	There is not the subject. The verb agrees with the subject that comes after it.	There is a mosque near our house. There are many reasons for his failure. Here are your notes.	There is many reasons ...
20. Inverted order	When the verb comes before the subject, find the subject after the verb.	On the hill stand two old trees. Where are my books?	On the hill stands two old trees.
21. all, some, most, half, part, a lot of, majority, per cent, fractions	Look at the noun after of: uncountable or singular noun, singular verb; plural noun, plural verb.	Half of the cake is eaten. Half of the students are absent. Most of the water is dirty. 40 per cent of the voters were young.	Most of the students is ...
22. many a / more than one	Many a + singular noun + singular verb. More than one + singular noun + singular verb.	Many a student has failed this paper. More than one boy was absent.	Many a student have failed.
23. Gerund, infinitive or clause as subject	A gerund, infinitive or noun clause used as a subject is singular.	Running daily improves health. To err is human. What he says is true.	Running daily improve health.
24. the + adjective (the rich, the poor, the old)	Means a group of people: plural verb.	The poor are helped by the government. The young are full of hope.	The poor is helped ...
25. Uncountable nouns	information, furniture, advice, luggage, equipment, scenery, poetry, machinery, homework, hair (on the head) are singular and have no plural form.	The information is correct. His hair is black. The furniture was expensive.	The informations are correct.
26. Helping verbs do/does, has/have in negatives and questions	Does/doesn't with he, she, it and singular nouns; after does/did the main verb is in the base form, without -s.	She does not like coffee. Does he know you? He doesn't care.	She does not likes coffee. / She do not like coffee. / He don't care.
27. none	With an uncountable noun: singular. With a plural noun both are accepted; the older strict rule (safer in MCQs) is singular.	None of the work is finished. None of the answers is (or are) correct.	None of the work are finished.
28. both, several, few, many, others	Always plural.	Both of them are right. Several students have complained.	Both of them is right.
29. Latin and Greek plurals	criteria, phenomena, media, data are plural (data is also accepted as singular); criterion and phenomenon are singular.	These criteria are fair. This phenomenon is rare.	This criteria is fair.

The rules FBISE tests most

Each/every/either/neither + singular: Each of the students has passed. (2026 Set A MCQ 14)
One of the + plural noun + singular verb: One of my friends is a doctor.
As well as / along with: the verb follows the first subject: The principal, along with the teachers, was present.
Either...or / neither...nor: the nearer subject decides: Neither Ali nor his brothers were at home.
The number of (singular) vs a number of (plural).
Plural-looking singulars: The news is...; Physics is...; Mathematics is...
Amounts: Ten kilometres is a long way.
Titles: The Arabian Nights is...
There is / there are: look after the verb for the subject.
Who-clauses: the verb agrees with the noun before who: He is one of those students who work hard.
Does + base form: She does not like coffee. (2026 Set A MCQ 6)

Choose the correct verb

(a) The news of his success (has/have) made us happy. (b) Neither the principal nor the teachers (was/were) in the office. (c) One of the girls (sing/sings) beautifully. (d) The Prime Minister, with his ministers, (is/are) visiting Gwadar. (e) Twenty rupees (is/are) not much for a cup of tea. (f) There (is/are) a lot of books in the library.

	Answer	Rule
(a)	has	subject is news (plural-looking singular); of his success is only a phrase
(b)	were	neither...nor: the nearer subject teachers is plural
(c)	sings	one of the + plural noun: the verb agrees with one
(d)	is	with his ministers does not change the subject the Prime Minister
(e)	is	an amount of money thought of as one sum
(f)	are	a lot of + plural noun books; there is not the subject

Noun-pronoun agreement and pronoun caseOften examined

A pronoun (he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, its, their) stands in place of a noun. The noun it stands for is its antecedent. Noun-pronoun agreement means the pronoun must match its antecedent in number (singular or plural), gender (he/she/it) and person (I, you, he/she/they).

Noun-pronoun agreement rules
Rule	Correct example	Wrong form
Singular noun: singular pronoun; plural noun: plural pronoun.	The girl lost her book. The boys did their homework.	The girl lost their book.
A thing or an animal (not a named pet) is it/its; things in the plural are they/them/their.	She saw a butterfly and chased it. He checked the files and put them in the drawer.	She saw a butterfly and chased them. / He put it in the drawer (files).
A person keeps the same gender through the paragraph.	Saleem packs his bag before he leaves.	Saleem packs his bag before she leaves.
each, every, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, someone, no one, nobody: singular pronoun (his, her, or his or her). Modern English also accepts their, but choose the singular in exams when the group is all boys or all girls.	Each of the girls brought her own lunch. Every boy must bring his own bat. Everyone should do his or her best.	Each of the girls brought their own lunch (avoid in MCQs).
Two nouns joined by and: plural pronoun.	Ali and Omar brought their bats.	Ali and Omar brought his bat.
either...or / neither...nor: the pronoun agrees with the nearer noun.	Either Ali or Ahmed will lend his bike. Neither the captain nor the players have lost their confidence.	Either Ali or Ahmed will lend their bike.
Collective noun as one unit: it/its; members acting separately: they/their. Do not mix the two in one sentence.	The committee has submitted its report. The team were arguing among themselves.	The committee has submitted their report.
one as a general pronoun: one's / oneself.	One should do one's duty.	One should do your duty.
Relative pronoun: who for people, which for things and animals, that for both, whose for possession.	The boy who won the race is my friend. The book which I bought is useful.	The boy which won the race ...

Pronoun case: subject form or object form

Subject form (does the action)	Object form (receives the action; after prepositions)	Possessive	Reflexive
I	me	my / mine	myself
we	us	our / ours	ourselves
you	you	your / yours	yourself / yourselves
he	him	his	himself
she	her	her / hers	herself
it	it	its	itself
they	them	their / theirs	themselves
who	whom	whose	(none)

After a preposition use the object form: between you and me, for him and me, with us. Never between you and I.
In a compound, test by removing the other person: My brother and I went (I went); He invited my brother and me (invited me).
After than or as, the formal and exam-safe form is the subject form with its verb understood: He is taller than I (am).
Reflexive pronouns are used only when the subject acts on itself (He hurt himself) or for emphasis (I made it myself). Not Myself Ali or Ali and myself went.
its (possessive, no apostrophe) vs it's (= it is / it has): The dog wagged its tail. It's raining.
who is a subject, whom is an object: the man who called, the man whom I called.

Articles in editingOften examined

The articles are a, an (indefinite: any one, not a particular one) and the (definite: a particular one both of us know). Article errors are the easiest marks in Q5 A: every 2026 paragraph had one (an girl, A dog for a dog already mentioned, A office, a environment).

A or an: go by sound, not spelling

The a/an sound rule
Use	Before	Examples
a	a consonant sound (including the yoo sound and the w sound)	a girl, a boy, a university, a uniform, a European, a useful book, a one-rupee coin, a one-way road
an	a vowel sound (including a silent h and letters said with a vowel sound: F, H, L, M, N, R, S, X)	an office, an environment, an hour, an honest man, an heir, an MBBS doctor, an FIR, an SMS, an X-ray, an umbrella

When to use a or an

Before a singular countable noun mentioned for the first time: He saw a stray dog.
To mean "one of a class" or a job: She is a doctor. Lahore is a big city.
For rate: twice a week, fifty rupees a kilo.
In set phrases: what a view, such a day, half an hour, a lot of, a few, a little.
Never with an uncountable or plural noun: not a good news, an advice, a furnitures.

When to use the

Second mention of the same thing: He saw a stray dog. The dog was very friendly. (2026 Set D)
Something the listener already knows or that is made specific: the book on the table, the report he wrote.
Unique things: the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky, the environment, the world.
Superlatives and ordinals: the best player, the first day, the last chance, the only one.
Rivers, seas, oceans, canals, mountain ranges, deserts, groups of islands: the Indus, the Arabian Sea, the Himalayas, the Thar Desert, the Maldives.
Countries with plural or common-noun names: the USA, the UK, the Netherlands.
Holy books, famous buildings, historical events: the Holy Quran, the Faisal Mosque, the Badshahi Mosque, the Second World War.
Musical instruments and inventions: play the flute; the mobile phone changed our lives.
The + adjective for a group of people: the rich, the poor, the old.
The + comparative ... the + comparative: The more you practise, the better you write.

No article

Names of people, cities, countries (singular), single mountains and lakes: Ali, Karachi, Pakistan, K-2, Mount Everest, Lake Saif-ul-Malook.
Languages, school subjects, games, meals (in general): Urdu, physics, cricket, breakfast. I play cricket. not I play the cricket.
Abstract and uncountable nouns in a general sense: Honesty is the best policy. Nature is beautiful. Water is precious.
Plural nouns in a general sense: Books are our best friends.
school, college, hospital, mosque, church, prison, bed, home, work when used for their main purpose: He goes to school (as a student). She went to bed. He went home. But: His father went to the school to meet the principal.
Transport with by, and days, months, at night: by bus, on Monday, in March, at night.

Article errors seen in editing
Error	Correction	Rule
an girl	a girl	consonant sound
A office manager	An office manager	vowel sound
a honest man	an honest man	silent h
an university	a university	yoo sound is a consonant sound
a MBBS doctor	an MBBS doctor	M is said em
He saw a dog. A dog was friendly.	... The dog was friendly.	second mention
Protecting a environment	Protecting the environment	unique thing (and a before a vowel is wrong anyway)
He is best player of the team.	He is the best player of the team.	superlative
She is doctor.	She is a doctor.	singular countable noun needs an article
The honesty is the best policy.	Honesty is the best policy.	abstract noun in a general sense
I play the cricket.	I play cricket.	no article with games
It was a good news.	It was good news.	uncountable noun
Sun rises in east.	The sun rises in the east.	unique thing; directions

Verb forms, tense and adverbs in editingOften examined

Q5 A paragraphs are usually short stories in the past tense, and most of their errors are in the verbs. Beyond agreement, check three things for every verb: the right form, the right tense, and whether it is described by an adverb (not an adjective).

1. The right form after helping verbs

After	Use	Correct	Wrong
do / does / did (and their negatives)	base form	He did not come. Does she like tea?	He did not came. Does she likes tea?
has / have / had	past participle (3rd form)	He has gone. They had eaten.	He has went. They had ate.
am / is / are / was / were (continuous)	-ing form	A boy was walking to school.	A boy was walk to school.
am / is / are / was / were (passive)	past participle	The report was completed.	The report was complete by him.
modals: can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must	base form	People must act responsibly. He can swim.	He can swims. He can able to swim.
to (infinitive)	base form	He ran to catch it.	He ran to caught it.

2. Irregular verbs students get wrong

The 2026 paragraphs used sawed and He seen for saw. Learn the three forms: base, past, past participle.

Irregular verbs (base, 2nd form, 3rd form)
Base	Past	Past participle
see	saw	seen
go	went	gone
come	came	come
run	ran	run
eat	ate	eaten
write	wrote	written
take	took	taken
begin	began	begun
break	broke	broken
choose	chose	chosen
fly	flew	flown
swim	swam	swum
drink	drank	drunk
sing	sang	sung
ring	rang	rung
give	gave	given
know	knew	known
throw	threw	thrown
wake	woke	woken
forget	forgot	forgotten
fall	fell	fallen
speak	spoke	spoken
teach	taught	taught
buy	bought	bought
bring	brought	brought
think	thought	thought
catch	caught	caught
sit	sat	sat
put	put	put
cut	cut	cut
hurt	hurt	hurt
feel	felt	felt
leave	left	left
lie (rest)	lay	lain
lay (place)	laid	laid
hang (a picture)	hung	hung

3. Keep the tense consistent

A time marker fixes the tense: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2020 take the simple past: An office manager worked hard ... yesterday.
In a story told in the past, keep all the main verbs in the past: A boy was walking ... He saw a stray dog and ran quickly ... Every student watched them. (2026 Set D had were, seen, runs, wag, watches).
Verbs joined by and share the same tense: He checked the files and put them away, not He check the files and put them.
Do not use the present perfect with a finished past time: I saw him yesterday, not I have seen him yesterday.
since + point of time, for + length of time, with the present perfect (continuous): I have lived here for two years / since 2024.
Stative verbs (know, have for possession, like, love, want, believe, understand, belong, seem, contain) are not used in the continuous: I know him, not I am knowing him.

4. Adjective or adverb?

An adverb describes a verb (how the action is done) and usually ends in -ly. An adjective describes a noun. After an action verb, use the adverb: ran happily, finished quickly, act responsibly, speak clearly. After a linking verb (be, seem, look, feel, become, appear, taste, smell, sound, grow), use the adjective: She looks happy. The food tastes good. I feel bad.

Wrong	Correct	Why
the girl ran happy	the girl ran happily	describes how she ran (2026 Set B)
the project finished quick	the project finished quickly	describes how it finished (2026 Set A)
People must act responsible.	People must act responsibly.	describes how they act (2026 old syllabus)
He plays cricket good.	He plays cricket well.	well is the adverb of good
She looks beautifully.	She looks beautiful.	look is a linking verb here

Reference words

Reference words point back (or forward) to a word, phrase or idea already mentioned, so the writer does not have to repeat it. The thing they point to is the referent (or antecedent). They make writing cohesive (linked together).

Common reference words
Reference word	Refers to	Example
he, she, it, they, him, her, them	a person, thing or group already named	Ali bought a bat. He paid 3000 rupees for it.
his, her, its, their	the owner already named	The dog wagged its tail.
this, that	a singular noun or a whole idea	Prices are rising. This worries everyone.
these, those	plural nouns	I bought two books. These are for my sister.
the former / the latter	the first / the second of two things	Ali and Omar are brothers; the former is a doctor and the latter an engineer.
such	things of that kind	He lies and cheats. I dislike such behaviour.
one / ones	a countable noun already named	I lost my pen, so I bought a new one.
so, do so, not	a clause or action	Will it rain? I think so. He promised to help, and he did so.
here, there, then	a place or time already named	We reached Naran in June. It was cool there, and the river was full then.
who, which, that, whose	the noun just before them	The boy who won is my friend.
the same, the above, the following	something mentioned just before or just after	Read the following passage.

Editing rules for reference words

Match number: it/this/that for one thing; they/them/these/those for more than one. These kind of books is wrong: write this kind of book or these kinds of books.
Every reference word must have one clear referent. Ali told Omar that he had failed is unclear (who failed?). Rewrite: Ali told Omar, "I have failed."
The former / the latter are used only for two items. For three or more, write the first and the last.
Do not repeat the noun and the pronoun together: My father he is a teacher is wrong; write My father is a teacher.
Which cannot refer to people: the girl who, not the girl which.

Connectives: correct pairs and common misuseOften examined

Connectives (conjunctions and transitional devices) join ideas and show how they are related: addition, contrast, cause, effect, time, condition or example. A connective error is one of two kinds: the wrong relationship (using but where there is no contrast) or the wrong form (a doubled connective such as although ... but, or the wrong partner in a pair).

Connectives by relationship
Relationship	Connectives	Example
Addition	and, also, moreover, furthermore, in addition, besides, as well as	She is intelligent; moreover, she works hard.
Contrast	but, yet, however, although, though, even though, whereas, while, nevertheless, on the other hand, in spite of, despite	He is rich, but he is not proud.
Cause	because, since, as, because of, due to, owing to	The match was stopped because of rain.
Effect / result	so, therefore, thus, hence, consequently, as a result	He was ill; therefore, he stayed at home.
Purpose	so that, in order to, in order that, lest	He worked hard so that he could pass.
Condition	if, unless, provided that, in case, otherwise	Hurry up, otherwise you will miss the bus.
Time / sequence	when, while, before, after, until, as soon as, first, then, finally, meanwhile	After the rain stopped, we went out.
Example / emphasis	for example, for instance, such as, indeed, in fact, above all	Some games, for example hockey, need speed.

Correct pairs (correlative conjunctions)

Correct pair	Example	Wrong form
both ... and	Both Ali and Ahmed passed.	Both Ali as well as Ahmed passed.
either ... or	Either you or I must go.	Either you nor I ...
neither ... nor	He neither smokes nor drinks.	He neither smokes or drinks.
not only ... but also	She is not only clever but also kind.	Not only she is clever but also kind.
whether ... or	I do not know whether he will come or not.	whether ... either
no sooner ... than	No sooner had he arrived than it began to rain.	No sooner ... then / when
hardly / scarcely ... when	Hardly had he left when the phone rang.	Hardly ... than
so ... that / such ... that	He was so tired that he slept at once.	He was so tired so he slept.
as ... as / not so ... as	Ali is as tall as Omar.	Ali is as tall like Omar.
between ... and	a match between Pakistan and India	between Pakistan or India / between Pakistan to India
rather ... than, prefer ... to	I would rather walk than wait. I prefer tea to coffee.	I prefer tea than coffee.

Common misuse

Connective errors to correct
Wrong	Correct	Rule
Although he is poor but he is honest.	Although he is poor, he is honest. / He is poor, but he is honest.	one contrast word is enough
Because he was ill so he did not come.	Because he was ill, he did not come. / He was ill, so he did not come.	one cause-effect word is enough
Despite of the rain, we played.	Despite the rain, we played. / In spite of the rain, we played.	despite never takes of; in spite always does
Unless you do not work hard, you will fail.	Unless you work hard, you will fail.	unless already means if not
Wait here until I do not return.	Wait here until I return.	until is not followed by not
Walk carefully lest you should not fall.	Walk carefully lest you should fall.	lest already means so that ... not
The reason why he failed is because he was lazy.	The reason he failed is that he was lazy.	the reason ... is that, not because
It rained, however we played.	It rained; however, we played.	however needs a semicolon or full stop before it
However; he feels tired.	However, he feels tired.	a sentence-opening transition takes a comma
He came late; moreover, he was punished.	He came late; therefore, he was punished.	wrong relationship: this is effect, not addition
She is kind, but she also helps the poor.	She is kind, and she also helps the poor.	no contrast here, so but is wrong
He studied hard so he could pass.	He studied hard so that he could pass.	purpose needs so that
He as well as his friends are coming.	He, as well as his friends, is coming.	as well as does not make a plural subject
Do like I say.	Do as I say.	as before a clause; like before a noun
Beside English, he knows French.	Besides English, he knows French.	besides = in addition to; beside = next to
I have been waiting since two hours.	I have been waiting for two hours.	for + length of time

Punctuation and spelling checksOften examined

Punctuation and spelling errors are the quickest to fix, and they appear in every Q5 A paragraph. Two of the 2026 paragraphs began with a small letter, two missed a full stop, and all of them had a misspelt word.

Punctuation for editing
Mark	Main uses	Correct example	Typical error
Capital letter	first word of a sentence; names of people, places, days, months, languages, religions, titles; the pronoun I	A girl went to the park. We speak Urdu. On Friday I went to Lahore.	an girl went ... / i went
Full stop (.)	end of a statement or command; after some abbreviations	... across the flowers. The butterfly flew high.	... across the flowers The butterfly ...
Question mark (?)	end of a direct question only	Where do you live?	He asked where I lived?
Exclamation mark (!)	end of an exclamation or a forceful command	What a lovely day!	What a lovely day.
Comma (,)	after an opening word, phrase or clause; before FANBOYS joining two clauses; between items in a list; around extra information; before direct speech	Every morning, Saleem wakes up early. However, he feels tired. My uncle, who lives in Quetta, is a doctor.	However; he feels ...
Semicolon (;)	joins two closely linked independent clauses; before a conjunctive adverb in the middle of a sentence	It rained; however, we played.	However; ... (at the start)
Colon (:)	before a list, an explanation or a quotation	Bring three things: a pen, a ruler and an eraser.	Bring: a pen ...
Apostrophe (')	possession (Ali's bat, the students' hall); contractions (don't, it's)	The dog wagged its tail. It's raining.	The dog wagged it's tail. / banana's for sale
Quotation marks	the exact words spoken	He said, "I am tired."	He said I am tired.

Spelling

In Q5 A, one word is usually misspelt badly enough to spot at once (gardun, buldin, cureasety, gernations). Read every word of three or more syllables slowly. FBISE follows British spelling (colour, centre, favourite, programme, practise as a verb, licence as a noun); American spelling is not marked wrong if used consistently, but do not mix the two.

Common misspellings (the first four are from the 2026 papers)
Misspelt	Correct
gardun	garden
buldin	building
cureasety	curiosity
gernations	generations
enviroment	environment
goverment	government
recieve	receive
beleive	believe
acheive	achieve
seperate	separate
neccessary	necessary
definately	definitely
occured	occurred
begining	beginning
untill	until
tommorow	tomorrow
wich	which
writting	writing
comming	coming
studing	studying
knowlege	knowledge
Febuary	February
Wensday	Wednesday
excercise	exercise
sucess	success
arguement	argument
truely	truly
grammer	grammar
dicipline	discipline
responsable	responsible
sincerly	sincerely
commitee	committee
accomodation	accommodation
adress	address
libary	library
intrest	interest
happyness	happiness
sincerety	sincerity
opportunaty	opportunity
peice	piece

Spelling rules that fix most errors
Rule	Examples
i before e except after c (when the sound is ee)	believe, piece, achieve; receive, ceiling, deceive
Drop the silent e before -ing or a vowel suffix	write, writing; come, coming; hope, hoping
Double the final consonant after a short stressed vowel	begin, beginning; occur, occurred; run, running; stop, stopped
y after a consonant becomes i before a suffix (but keep y before -ing)	happy, happiness; study, studied, studying
Keep the final e before a consonant suffix	sincere, sincerely; care, careful (exception: truly, argument)

Common error bank: 100 frequent errorsOften examined

These are the 100 errors that Pakistani students make most often, in speech, essays and Q5 A. Each row gives the wrong form, the correct form and the rule. Cover the middle column and test yourself. Many of these also appear as MCQs ("choose the correct sentence").

Redundant or wrong words (verbs that need no preposition, doubled meanings)
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
1	We discussed about the problem.	We discussed the problem.	discuss takes a direct object; no about
2	He will return back tomorrow.	He will return tomorrow.	return already means come back
3	Please repeat it again.	Please repeat it.	repeat already means say again
4	Kindly revert back to me.	Kindly reply to me.	revert means go back to an earlier state, not reply
5	The teacher emphasized on discipline.	The teacher emphasized discipline.	emphasize takes a direct object (or: laid emphasis on)
6	The book comprises of ten chapters.	The book comprises ten chapters. / consists of ten chapters.	comprise has no of
7	He entered into the room.	He entered the room.	enter a place takes no into
8	He is my cousin sister.	She is my cousin.	cousin covers both; say my cousin (or my female cousin)
9	He is my cousin brother.	He is my cousin.	cousin brother is not English
10	This is more better.	This is better.	better is already comparative
11	She is the most cleverest girl.	She is the cleverest girl.	one superlative marker only
12	Each and every students must come.	Each and every student must come.	each/every + singular noun
13	I can able to do it.	I can do it. / I am able to do it.	can and able to mean the same
14	I am agree with you.	I agree with you.	agree is a verb; no am
15	Myself Ali.	I am Ali. / My name is Ali.	reflexive pronoun cannot be a subject
16	He cope up with the stress.	He copes with the stress.	cope with, not cope up with

Prepositions
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
17	He is angry on me.	He is angry with me.	angry with a person, at/about a thing
18	She is good in English.	She is good at English.	good at a skill
19	He is afraid from dogs.	He is afraid of dogs.	afraid of
20	I like to listen music.	I like to listen to music.	listen to
21	We reached at home late.	We reached home late.	reach takes no at
22	Wait me here.	Wait for me here.	wait for someone
23	Please explain me this rule.	Please explain this rule to me.	explain something to someone
24	I asked to him.	I asked him.	ask takes a direct object
25	She is married with a doctor.	She is married to a doctor.	married to
26	I congratulate you for your success.	I congratulate you on your success.	congratulate on
27	He died from cholera.	He died of cholera.	die of a disease
28	He is senior than me.	He is senior to me.	senior/junior/superior/inferior/prior to
29	I prefer tea than coffee.	I prefer tea to coffee.	prefer A to B
30	He sat opposite to me.	He sat opposite me.	opposite needs no to before an object
31	He is absent in class today.	He is absent from class today.	absent from
32	I am going to my home.	I am going home.	home after a verb of motion takes no preposition
33	He was born on 2008.	He was born in 2008.	in a year or month, on a date or day

Tense and verb form
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
34	I have been here since two years.	I have been here for two years.	for + length of time; since + point of time
35	I am here since morning.	I have been here since morning.	since needs the present perfect (continuous)
36	He is working here for five years.	He has been working here for five years.	action continuing up to now
37	I have seen him yesterday.	I saw him yesterday.	finished past time takes the simple past
38	He did not came.	He did not come.	base form after did
39	Did he went?	Did he go?	base form after did
40	He has went home.	He has gone home.	past participle after has
41	She sawed a butterfly.	She saw a butterfly.	see, saw, seen
42	He seen a stray dog.	He saw a stray dog.	seen needs has/had; simple past is saw
43	I am knowing him well.	I know him well.	stative verb, no continuous form
44	I am having a car.	I have a car.	have (possession) is stative
45	She can speaks English.	She can speak English.	base form after a modal
46	If I will see him, I will tell him.	If I see him, I will tell him.	present tense in an if-clause about the future
47	He told that he was ill.	He said that he was ill. / He told me that he was ill.	tell needs a person as object; say does not

Subject-verb agreement
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
48	He don't know.	He doesn't know.	does with he, she, it
49	She do not like coffee.	She does not like coffee.	does with she
50	She does not likes coffee.	She does not like coffee.	base form after does
51	One of my friend is a doctor.	One of my friends is a doctor.	one of + plural noun + singular verb
52	Each of the students have passed.	Each of the students has passed.	each is singular
53	Everyone need to plant trees.	Everyone needs to plant trees.	everyone is singular
54	The news are good.	The news is good.	news is singular
55	Mathematics are difficult.	Mathematics is difficult.	subject names in -ics are singular
56	The number of students are increasing.	The number of students is increasing.	the number of is singular
57	Ten kilometres are a long walk.	Ten kilometres is a long walk.	a distance as one amount
58	The police is coming.	The police are coming.	police is plural
59	There is many books on the shelf.	There are many books on the shelf.	the subject after there is plural
60	Ali, along with his friends, were late.	Ali, along with his friends, was late.	the verb agrees with the first subject

Nouns and articles
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
61	He gave me many informations.	He gave me a lot of information.	information is uncountable
62	We bought new furnitures.	We bought new furniture.	furniture is uncountable
63	She gave me good advices.	She gave me good advice. / some good pieces of advice	advice is uncountable
64	Our luggages were heavy.	Our luggage was heavy.	luggage is uncountable
65	I have done my homeworks.	I have done my homework.	homework is uncountable
66	His hairs are black.	His hair is black.	hair on the head is uncountable
67	It is a good news.	It is good news.	no a with an uncountable noun
68	He is studying in an university.	He is studying at a university.	university begins with a yoo (consonant) sound
69	I waited for a hour.	I waited for an hour.	silent h: vowel sound
70	He is a honest man.	He is an honest man.	silent h: vowel sound
71	He is best player of the team.	He is the best player of the team.	the before a superlative
72	The honesty is the best policy.	Honesty is the best policy.	no article with an abstract noun used generally
73	I play the cricket.	I play cricket.	no article with games
74	I recite Holy Quran daily.	I recite the Holy Quran daily.	the with holy books
75	I bought two dozens eggs.	I bought two dozen eggs.	dozen after a number takes no -s
76	It is a five-years plan.	It is a five-year plan.	a number + noun used as an adjective is singular
77	It costs five hundreds rupees.	It costs five hundred rupees.	hundred after a number takes no -s

Pronouns and word order
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
78	Me and my brother went to Murree.	My brother and I went to Murree.	subject form I; put yourself last
79	This is between you and I.	This is between you and me.	object form after a preposition
80	My father he is a teacher.	My father is a teacher.	do not repeat the subject with a pronoun
81	Why you are late?	Why are you late?	question order: helping verb before subject
82	I don't know where does he live.	I don't know where he lives.	indirect question takes statement order

Connectives and pairs
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
83	Although he is poor but he is honest.	Although he is poor, he is honest.	one contrast word only
84	Because he was ill so he stayed home.	Because he was ill, he stayed home.	one cause-effect word only
85	Despite of the rain, we played.	Despite the rain, we played.	despite has no of
86	Unless you do not work hard, you will fail.	Unless you work hard, you will fail.	unless = if not
87	No sooner did he reach then it rained.	No sooner did he reach than it rained.	no sooner ... than
88	Not only he is clever but also hardworking.	He is not only clever but also hardworking.	not only before the first matching item
89	Both Ali as well as Ahmed passed.	Both Ali and Ahmed passed.	both ... and
90	The reason is because he was late.	The reason is that he was late.	the reason ... is that

Pakistani English word choice
No.	Wrong	Correct	Rule
91	Please off the light.	Please switch off the light.	off is not a verb
92	Open the fan.	Switch on the fan.	switch on/off (or turn on/off) electrical things
93	He cut a joke.	He cracked (told) a joke.	crack/tell a joke
94	I met him yesterday night.	I met him last night.	last night; this morning, not today morning
95	I have headache.	I have a headache.	a headache, a cold, a cough
96	He gave his exam.	He took (sat) his exam.	students take or sit exams; teachers set or give them
97	Too much beautiful.	Very beautiful.	too means more than needed
98	There were less students today.	There were fewer students today.	fewer with countable nouns
99	I have very less time.	I have very little time.	little with uncountable nouns
100	Don't loose hope.	Don't lose hope.	lose = fail to keep; loose = not tight

The editing method for Q5 AOften examined

Q5 A (6 marks): "Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.)" The paragraph is 3 to 5 sentences long. Each correct correction earns 1 mark. The old syllabus paper has a 5-mark version with five errors and asks you to underline the corrected words.

The method: one read for sense, then six scans

Q5 A step by step

Read for sense. Read the whole paragraph once. Decide: Who is it about (one person or many, male or female)? When does it happen (look for yesterday, every evening, last year)? This tells you the correct number, gender and tense for everything that follows.
Scan verb by verb. Put a small tick over every verb. For each: does it agree with its subject? Is the tense right for the time? Is the form right after its helping verb (did go, has gone, was walking)? Is it a real past form (saw, not sawed)? Is the word describing it an adverb (ran happily)?
Scan pronoun by pronoun. Draw a mental arrow from each pronoun (he, she, it, they, him, them, his, its, their) to its noun. Check number and gender. Check the case (my father and I, between you and me).
Scan the articles. Every singular countable noun needs a/an/the or another determiner. Check a/an by sound. A noun mentioned a second time takes the. No a with uncountable nouns.
Scan the connectors. Does each linking word show the right relationship (contrast, addition, cause, result)? Are pairs complete and not doubled (although ... but, despite of, so ... that)? Is every sentence complete (no fragment, no comma splice, no missing verb)? Is the word order right?
Scan the punctuation. Capital letter at the start of each sentence and for names. Full stop at the end of each sentence. Comma after an opening word or phrase (However,). Question mark only for direct questions.
Scan the spelling. Read every long word letter by letter (gardun, buldin, cureasety).

How to present the answer

Rewrite the whole paragraph, neatly, sentence for sentence. Do not answer with a list of corrections only.
Underline every word you corrected (in these notes, corrections are shown in bold). The examiner then finds your six marks in seconds.
Never change the correct parts. Keep the writer's words, order and sentences. Do not rewrite in your own words, add ideas, or "improve" style. A wrong change to a correct word can cost you a mark, and new words bring new chances to make mistakes.
If the paper asks you to underline, also list the corrections under the paragraph, numbered 1 to 6, as wrong : correct. It makes your marks impossible to miss.
Correct every error you find. If the paragraph has more than six errors (most 2026 paragraphs had seven or eight), correct them all: the paper says "any six", and an uncorrected error left in a rewritten paragraph looks careless. Your list of six should be the clearest ones.
One error = one change at one place. the girls runs is one error even though you change two words. A missing full stop that runs two sentences together is one error (and the capital letter that follows it is part of the same fix).

Error types and where they hid in 2026
Error type named in the paper	What to look for	Example from the 2026 papers
Sentence structure	fragment, comma splice, run-on, missing verb, wrong word order, dangling modifier, faulty parallelism	she also I that education ... (model); Always his mother says (model)
Subject-verb agreement	singular subject with plural verb and the reverse; each/every/one of; there is/are	a boy were, the workers was, Everyone need, the teacher explain
Article	a/an by sound; second mention; missing the	an girl, A office, A dog (second mention), a environment
Noun-pronoun agreement	pronoun number and gender	chased them (one butterfly), put it (files), before she leaves (Saleem)
Connectives / transitional devices	wrong relationship, doubled or broken pairs, punctuation with however	but for addition (model); However; (model)
Punctuation	capital at start, full stop at end, commas, semicolons	an girl went (small letter); across the flowers The butterfly (no full stop)
Spelling	misspelt long words	gardun, buldin, cureasety, gernations
etc. (not always named)	verb form and tense, adjective for adverb, prepositions	sawed, He seen, runs, wag; runs happy, finished quick, act responsible; important on our survival

Worked example 1: exactly six errors

Rewrite the paragraph after correcting six errors: "Last Sunday, my father and me went to watch a cricket match at an stadium in Rawalpindi. Every seat in the stands were full. Pakistan batted first, they scored 290 runs. Babar played beautiful and hit a century. Although we reached home late but we enjoyed the day."

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Last Sunday, my father and I went to watch a cricket match at a stadium in Rawalpindi. Every seat in the stands was full. Pakistan batted first, and they scored 290 runs. Babar played beautifully and hit a century. Although we reached home late, we enjoyed the day.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	my father and me went	my father and I went	Pronoun case: I is part of the subject (test: I went)	yes
2	an stadium	a stadium	Article: stadium begins with a consonant sound	yes
3	Every seat ... were	Every seat ... was	Subject-verb agreement: the subject is seat, not stands; every is singular	yes
4	batted first, they scored	batted first, and they scored	Sentence structure: comma splice: two clauses need a conjunction	yes
5	played beautiful	played beautifully	Adverb: describes how he played	yes
6	Although ... late but we	Although ... late, we	Connective: although and but cannot be used together	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

my father and me went : my father and I went
an stadium : a stadium
Every seat ... were : Every seat ... was
batted first, they scored : batted first, and they scored
played beautiful : played beautifully
Although ... late but we : Although ... late, we

Worked example 2: more than six errors

Rewrite the paragraph after correcting any six errors: "my sister studies at an university in Islamabad. Every morning she catch the bus, it take her to the campus in forty minutes. She is one of the best student in her class. Last year she win a gold medal and her teachers was proud of him."

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

My sister studies at a university in Islamabad. Every morning she catches the bus, which takes her to the campus in forty minutes. She is one of the best students in her class. Last year she won a gold medal and her teachers were proud of her.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	my sister	My sister	Punctuation: capital letter at the start of a sentence	extra
2	an university	a university	Article: university begins with a yoo (consonant) sound	yes
3	she catch	she catches	Subject-verb agreement: she takes the -s form	yes
4	the bus, it take her	the bus, which takes her	Sentence structure: comma splice; join with the relative pronoun which (and takes agrees with bus)	extra
5	one of the best student	one of the best students	Noun number: one of the + plural noun	yes
6	she win	she won	Tense: last year needs the simple past	yes
7	her teachers was	her teachers were	Subject-verb agreement: teachers is plural	yes
8	proud of him	proud of her	Noun-pronoun agreement: the pronoun stands for my sister	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

an university : a university
she catch : she catches
one of the best student : one of the best students
she win : she won
her teachers was : her teachers were
proud of him : proud of her

Key terms

Sentence: A group of words with a subject and a finite verb that makes complete sense.
Declarative sentence: A sentence that makes a statement; ends with a full stop.
Interrogative sentence: A sentence that asks a direct question; ends with a question mark.
Imperative sentence: A sentence that gives an order, request, advice or instruction; the subject you is understood.
Exclamatory sentence: A sentence that shows strong feeling, often beginning with What a or How; ends with an exclamation mark.
Clause: A group of words with its own subject and finite verb.
Independent clause: A clause that makes complete sense on its own (main clause).
Dependent clause: A clause that begins with a subordinating word and cannot stand alone (subordinate clause).
Phrase: A group of words without its own subject and finite verb.
Finite verb: A verb that shows tense and agrees with a subject (goes, went, has gone).
Simple sentence: A sentence with one independent clause.
Compound sentence: A sentence with two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
Complex sentence: A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Compound-complex sentence: A sentence with at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Coordinating conjunction: One of for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS), joining equal parts.
Subordinating conjunction: A word such as because, although, when, after, if that begins a dependent clause.
Conjunctive adverb: A linking adverb such as however, therefore, moreover; it needs a semicolon or full stop before it when joining clauses.
Fragment: An incomplete sentence missing a subject, a finite verb or a main clause.
Run-on sentence: Two independent clauses joined with no punctuation and no conjunction.
Comma splice: Two independent clauses joined by only a comma.
Dangling modifier: A describing phrase whose intended word is missing from the sentence.
Misplaced modifier: A describing word or phrase placed next to the wrong word.
Parallelism: Using the same grammatical form for items joined in a list or pair.
Double negative: Two negative words used for one negative meaning (don't know nothing); wrong in standard English.
Subject-verb agreement: The rule that a verb matches its subject in number and person.
Proximity rule: With either...or and neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
Collective noun: A noun for a group (team, jury, family): singular as one unit, plural when members act separately.
Antecedent: The noun that a pronoun stands for.
Noun-pronoun agreement: The rule that a pronoun matches its antecedent in number, gender and person.
Pronoun case: The form of a pronoun by its job: subject (I, he), object (me, him) or possessive (my, his).
Article: a and an (indefinite) and the (definite).
Reference word: A word such as it, this, they, the former that points back to something already mentioned.
Connective: A word or phrase that links ideas and shows their relationship (transitional device).
Correlative conjunctions: Paired connectives such as either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also, no sooner...than.
Stative verb: A verb for a state, not an action (know, have, believe), not used in continuous tenses.
Linking verb: A verb such as be, seem, look, feel that joins the subject to an adjective describing it.
Editing: Correcting errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling without changing the meaning or the correct parts.

Practice MCQs

New MCQs in the FBISE style covering every rule of the unit. Each reason names the rule.

11 mark

Which of the following is an imperative sentence?

AAli is closing the window.
BPlease close the window.Answer
CIs the window closed?
DWhat a large window it is!

Why

It makes a request with the subject you understood and begins with the base verb close after Please.

21 mark

"How hot it is today!" The sentence is:

ADeclarative
BInterrogative
CExclamatoryAnswer
DImperative

Why

How + adjective + subject + verb, showing strong feeling, ending with an exclamation mark.

31 mark

Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

AShe asked me where I lived?
BShe asked me where I lived.Answer
CShe asked me, where did I live.
DShe asked me where did I live?

Why

An indirect question is a declarative sentence: statement word order and a full stop.

41 mark

"Let's go to the Faisal Mosque after lunch." This sentence is:

ADeclarative
BImperativeAnswer
CInterrogative
DExclamatory

Why

A proposal with let is an imperative sentence.

51 mark

Which is an interrogative sentence?

AI wonder where he is.
BTell me where he is.
CWhere is he?Answer
DHow strange he is!

Why

Only (C) asks a direct question with question word order and a question mark. (A) is a statement containing an indirect question.

61 mark

"Ali and Sara sang and danced at the function." The sentence is:

ASimpleAnswer
BCompound
CComplex
DCompound-complex

Why

There is only one clause: a compound subject (Ali and Sara) sharing a compound verb (sang and danced).

71 mark

"The bus was late, but we reached the hall on time." The sentence is:

ASimple
BCompoundAnswer
CComplex
DCompound-complex

Why

Two independent clauses joined by the coordinating conjunction but.

81 mark

Identify the compound-complex sentence.

AWhen the bell rang, the students left.
BThe students left, and the teachers stayed.
CWhen the bell rang, the students left, and the teachers stayed.Answer
DThe students left after the bell.

Why

Two independent clauses (the students left, the teachers stayed) and one dependent clause (When the bell rang).

91 mark

"The boy who won the race is my cousin." The sentence is:

ASimple
BCompound
CComplexAnswer
DCompound-complex

Why

One main clause and one dependent adjective clause (who won the race).

101 mark

"Having finished his homework, Ahmed went out to play." The sentence is:

ASimpleAnswer
BCompound
CComplex
DCompound-complex

Why

Having finished his homework is a participle phrase, not a clause, so there is only one clause.

111 mark

Which sentence is complex?

AHe worked hard, so he passed.
BHe worked hard and passed.
CHe worked hard so that he could pass.Answer
DHe worked hard; therefore, he passed.

Why

so that is a subordinating conjunction, making so that he could pass a dependent clause. so and therefore join independent clauses (compound).

121 mark

Which of the following is a fragment?

AThe bus was late.
BBecause the bus was late.Answer
CWe waited because the bus was late.
DThe bus was late, so we waited.

Why

A dependent clause that begins with because cannot stand alone as a sentence.

131 mark

"I missed the bus, I was late for school." The error in this sentence is a:

AFragment
BComma spliceAnswer
CDangling modifier
DDouble negative

Why

Two independent clauses are joined by only a comma.

141 mark

Which sentence has no dangling modifier?

AWalking to school, the rain started.
BWalking to school, it began to rain.
CWalking to school, I was caught in the rain.Answer
DWalking to school, the umbrella was forgotten.

Why

The phrase Walking to school must describe the subject right after the comma; only I can walk.

151 mark

Choose the sentence with correct parallel structure.

AShe likes swimming, reading and to cook.
BShe likes swimming, reading and cooking.Answer
CShe likes to swim, reading and cooking.
DShe likes swim, read and cooking.

Why

All three items in the list are gerunds.

161 mark

Choose the correct sentence.

AI don't know nothing about it.
BI don't know anything about it.Answer
CI not know anything about it.
DI don't know nothing of it.

Why

One negative only: don't ... anything. don't ... nothing is a double negative.

171 mark

Choose the sentence with correct word order.

AAlways my mother says this.
BMy mother says always this.
CMy mother always says this.Answer
DMy mother says this always is.

Why

Frequency adverbs such as always go before the main verb.

181 mark

Every student and teacher ______ present in the hall.

Awere
BwasAnswer
Care
Dhave been

Why

Every before nouns joined by and takes a singular verb.

191 mark

Neither the teacher nor the students ______ ready.

Awas
Bis
CwereAnswer
Dhas been

Why

With neither ... nor the verb agrees with the nearer subject, students (plural).

201 mark

Either the students or the teacher ______ responsible for the noise.

AisAnswer
Bare
Cwere
Dhave been

Why

The nearer subject the teacher is singular.

211 mark

The number of cars in Islamabad ______ increasing every year.

Aare
Bhave been
Cwere
DisAnswer

Why

The number of refers to one total, so it is singular.

221 mark

A number of students ______ absent yesterday.

Awas
BwereAnswer
Cis
Dhas been

Why

A number of means many, so it is plural; yesterday needs the past.

231 mark

Physics ______ my favourite subject.

Aare
Bwere
CisAnswer
Dhave been

Why

Subject names ending in -ics are singular.

241 mark

Ten kilometres ______ a long distance to walk in the heat.

Aare
BisAnswer
Cwere
Dhave

Why

A distance thought of as one amount takes a singular verb.

251 mark

"The Arabian Nights" ______ a famous collection of stories.

Aare
Bwere
CisAnswer
Dhave been

Why

A title is singular, even when it looks plural.

261 mark

He is one of those boys who ______ always on time.

Ais
BareAnswer
Cwas
Dhas been

Why

who refers to boys (plural), so the verb in the who-clause is plural.

271 mark

One of my friends ______ in Lahore.

Alive
Bare living
ClivesAnswer
Dhave lived

Why

The verb agrees with one, which is singular.

281 mark

The Prime Minister, along with his ministers, ______ arrived.

Ahave
BhasAnswer
Care
Dwere

Why

along with does not make the subject plural; the verb agrees with the Prime Minister.

291 mark

There ______ many reasons for his failure.

Ais
Bwas
CareAnswer
Dhas been

Why

There is not the subject; the subject reasons comes after the verb and is plural.

301 mark

The jury ______ divided in their opinions.

Awas
Bis
CwereAnswer
Dhas

Why

The members of the collective noun are acting separately (disagreeing), so the verb is plural; their confirms it.

311 mark

The news of the victory ______ spread quickly.

Ahave
BhasAnswer
Care
Dwere

Why

news is singular; of the victory is only a phrase.

321 mark

Bread and butter ______ my usual breakfast.

Aare
Bwere
CisAnswer
Dhave been

Why

The two nouns name one dish, so the verb is singular.

331 mark

The poor ______ given free medicine at this hospital.

Ais
BareAnswer
Cwas
Dhas

Why

The + adjective means a group of people and takes a plural verb.

341 mark

Each of the girls brought ______ own lunch.

Atheir
BherAnswer
Cits
Dhis

Why

Each is singular and the group is girls, so her.

351 mark

The committee has submitted ______ report.

Atheir
BitsAnswer
Chis
Dour

Why

The committee acts as one unit (has), so the singular pronoun its.

361 mark

This matter is strictly between you and ______.

AI
BmeAnswer
Cmyself
Dmine

Why

After the preposition between, use the object form me.

371 mark

He is ______ honest man.

Aa
BanAnswer
Cthe
Dno article

Why

The h in honest is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound.

381 mark

She studies at ______ university in Karachi.

AaAnswer
Ban
Cthe
Dno article

Why

University begins with a yoo sound, which is a consonant sound.

391 mark

______ Indus is the longest river in Pakistan.

AA
BAn
CTheAnswer
DNo article

Why

Names of rivers take the.

401 mark

Which sentence is correct?

AAlthough he worked hard but he failed.
BAlthough he worked hard, he failed.Answer
CAlthough he worked hard, but he failed.
DThough he worked hard but he failed.

Why

Although and but both show contrast; use only one.

411 mark

No sooner had he arrived ______ it began to rain.

Athen
Bwhen
CthanAnswer
Dthat

Why

The correct pair is no sooner ... than.

421 mark

______ the rain, the match continued.

ADespite of
BIn spite
CDespiteAnswer
DAlthough

Why

Despite is followed directly by a noun; in spite needs of; although needs a clause.

431 mark

"Ali and Omar are brothers; the former is a doctor and the latter is an engineer." "The latter" refers to:

AAli
BOmarAnswer
Cboth brothers
Dthe doctor

Why

The latter means the second of two things named: Omar.

441 mark

Which sentence is correct?

AWe discussed about the problem.
BWe discussed on the problem.
CWe discussed the problem.Answer
DWe discussed over the problem.

Why

Discuss takes a direct object with no preposition.

451 mark

I have been living in Islamabad ______ two years.

Asince
BforAnswer
Cfrom
Dby

Why

for + a length of time; since + a point of time.

461 mark

Choose the correct spelling.

AEnviroment
BEnvironmentAnswer
CEnvirnment
DEnvironmant

Why

environ + ment: the n before -ment is often dropped by mistake.

471 mark

The dog wagged ______ tail happily.

Ait's
BitsAnswer
Cits'
Dit

Why

its (no apostrophe) is the possessive; it's means it is or it has.

Q5 A editing practice: paper-style paragraphs solved

Five paragraphs in the exact FBISE Q5 A format. Use the seven-step method: read for sense, then scan verbs, pronouns, articles, connectors, punctuation and spelling. Cover the solution and write your own answer first.

16 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "On 14 August, the whole nation celebrate Independence Day. People decorates their houses with green flags and lights. In the morning, a flag-hoisting ceremony are held in every school. Children sings national songs and wear badges on there shirts. It is a day of joy, however, it also reminds us of the sacrifices of our elders."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

On 14 August, the whole nation celebrates Independence Day. People decorate their houses with green flags and lights. In the morning, a flag-hoisting ceremony is held in every school. Children sing national songs and wear badges on their shirts. It is a day of joy; however, it also reminds us of the sacrifices of our elders.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	the whole nation celebrate	the whole nation celebrates	Subject-verb agreement: nation is one unit, singular	yes
2	People decorates	People decorate	Subject-verb agreement: people is plural	yes
3	a flag-hoisting ceremony are held	a flag-hoisting ceremony is held	Subject-verb agreement: ceremony is singular	yes
4	Children sings	Children sing	Subject-verb agreement: children is plural	yes
5	on there shirts	on their shirts	Spelling (homophone): their = belonging to them	yes
6	joy, however, it	joy; however, it	Punctuation / connective: however joining two clauses needs a semicolon before it (comma splice)	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

the whole nation celebrate : the whole nation celebrates
People decorates : People decorate
a flag-hoisting ceremony are held : a flag-hoisting ceremony is held
Children sings : Children sing
on there shirts : on their shirts
joy, however, it : joy; however, it

26 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "Our college library is one of the biggest library in the city. It has more than ten thousand books, and every book are labelled carefully. Students come here to read quietly and to borrow books. Neither the librarian nor his assistants allows noise. Last week I borrowed an novel, I finished it in two days. The novel was so interesting so I recommended it to my friends."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Our college library is one of the biggest libraries in the city. It has more than ten thousand books, and every book is labelled carefully. Students come here to read quietly and to borrow books. Neither the librarian nor his assistants allow noise. Last week I borrowed a novel, and I finished it in two days. The novel was so interesting that I recommended it to my friends.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	one of the biggest library	one of the biggest libraries	Noun number: one of the + plural noun	yes
2	every book are	every book is	Subject-verb agreement: every + singular noun + singular verb	yes
3	Neither the librarian nor his assistants allows	... his assistants allow	Subject-verb agreement: neither ... nor: the nearer subject assistants is plural	yes
4	an novel	a novel	Article: novel begins with a consonant sound	yes
5	a novel, I finished	a novel, and I finished	Sentence structure: comma splice: add a conjunction	yes
6	so interesting so I	so interesting that I	Connective: the pair is so ... that	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

one of the biggest library : one of the biggest libraries
every book are : every book is
Neither the librarian nor his assistants allows : ... his assistants allow
an novel : a novel
a novel, I finished : a novel, and I finished
so interesting so I : so interesting that I

36 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "Pakistan faced terrible floods in 2022. The heavy rains destroyed crops, homes and roads. Thousands of people lost there homes. The government, along with many volunteers, were busy in helping the victims. Despite of the difficulties, the people showed great courage. We must plant more trees, because trees protects the enviroment from floods."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Pakistan faced terrible floods in 2022. The heavy rains destroyed crops, homes and roads. Thousands of people lost their homes. The government, along with many volunteers, was busy helping the victims. Despite the difficulties, the people showed great courage. We must plant more trees, because trees protect the environment from floods.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	lost there homes	lost their homes	Spelling (homophone) / pronoun: possessive their	yes
2	The government, along with many volunteers, were	... was	Subject-verb agreement: along with does not change the singular subject government	yes
3	busy in helping	busy helping	Preposition: busy + -ing form, no in	yes
4	Despite of	Despite	Connective: despite is never followed by of	yes
5	trees protects	trees protect	Subject-verb agreement: trees is plural	yes
6	enviroment	environment	Spelling: environ + ment	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

lost there homes : lost their homes
The government, along with many volunteers, were : ... was
busy in helping : busy helping
Despite of : Despite
trees protects : trees protect
enviroment : environment

46 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "Walking in the Margalla Hills, a snake crossed our path. My friend screamed and ran back, but I didn't say nothing. The guide told us to stay calm, to keep quiet and moving slowly. Each of the boys were frightened. After some time the snake disappear into the bushes. What a lucky escape it was."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Walking in the Margalla Hills, we saw a snake cross our path. My friend screamed and ran back, but I didn't say anything. The guide told us to stay calm, to keep quiet and to move slowly. Each of the boys was frightened. After some time the snake disappeared into the bushes. What a lucky escape it was!

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	Walking in the Margalla Hills, a snake crossed our path.	Walking in the Margalla Hills, we saw a snake cross our path.	Sentence structure: dangling modifier: the snake was not walking in the hills; the subject after the comma must be the walker	yes
2	didn't say nothing	didn't say anything	Sentence structure: double negative	yes
3	to stay calm, to keep quiet and moving slowly	... and to move slowly	Sentence structure: faulty parallelism: all three items are infinitives	yes
4	Each of the boys were	Each of the boys was	Subject-verb agreement: each is singular	yes
5	the snake disappear	the snake disappeared	Tense: the story is in the past	yes
6	What a lucky escape it was.	What a lucky escape it was!	Punctuation: an exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation mark	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

Walking in the Margalla Hills, a snake crossed our path. : Walking in the Margalla Hills, we saw a snake cross our path.
didn't say nothing : didn't say anything
to stay calm, to keep quiet and moving slowly : ... and to move slowly
Each of the boys were : Each of the boys was
the snake disappear : the snake disappeared
What a lucky escape it was. : What a lucky escape it was!

56 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "Hina is a student of class 12. Every day she help her mother in the kitchen before she goes to college. Her mother always tell her that a good education is important, but Hina also believe it. She wants to become an doctor. However; her father thinks that she should become a engineer. Hina respect her father's advice, and she has not decided yet."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Hina is a student of class 12. Every day she helps her mother in the kitchen before she goes to college. Her mother always tells her that a good education is important, and Hina also believes it. She wants to become a doctor. However, her father thinks that she should become an engineer. Hina respects her father's advice, and she has not decided yet.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	she help	she helps	Subject-verb agreement: she takes the -s form	yes
2	Her mother always tell	Her mother always tells	Subject-verb agreement: mother is singular	yes
3	but Hina also	and Hina also	Connective: no contrast: Hina agrees with her mother, so the relationship is addition	extra
4	Hina also believe	Hina also believes	Subject-verb agreement: Hina is singular	yes
5	an doctor	a doctor	Article: consonant sound	yes
6	However;	However,	Punctuation: an opening transition is followed by a comma	extra
7	a engineer	an engineer	Article: vowel sound	yes
8	Hina respect	Hina respects	Subject-verb agreement: Hina is singular	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

she help : she helps
Her mother always tell : Her mother always tells
Hina also believe : Hina also believes
an doctor : a doctor
a engineer : an engineer
Hina respect : Hina respects

FBISE paper questions

Questions from the FBISE HSSC-II 2026 (1st Annual) papers, the old-syllabus paper and FBISE model papers that belong to this unit, answered the way an examiner expects.

2026 Annual I, Set B, Q.5 A6 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "an girl went to the park every evening. She sawed a butterfly and chased them across the flowers The butterfly flew high in the sky and the girls runs happy to follow it. Everyone on the gardun watched them with interest."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

A girl went to the park every evening. She saw a butterfly and chased it across the flowers. The butterfly flew high in the sky, and the girl ran happily to follow it. Everyone in the garden watched them with interest.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	an girl	A girl	Article and capital letter: girl begins with a consonant sound; a sentence begins with a capital	yes
2	She sawed	She saw	Verb form: past of see is saw; sawed is the past of saw (to cut with a saw)	yes
3	chased them	chased it	Noun-pronoun agreement: one butterfly: singular it	yes
4	across the flowers The butterfly	across the flowers. The butterfly	Punctuation (sentence structure): a full stop must end the first sentence (run-on)	yes
5	the girls runs	the girl ran	Subject-verb agreement and tense: there is one girl; the story is in the past; girls runs also breaks agreement	yes
6	gardun	garden	Spelling: garden	yes
7	runs happy	ran happily	Adverb: happily describes how she ran	extra
8	on the garden	in the garden	Preposition: people are in a garden or park	extra

Corrections to list under the paragraph

an girl : A girl
She sawed : She saw
chased them : chased it
across the flowers The butterfly : across the flowers. The butterfly
the girls runs : the girl ran
gardun : garden

Note. The paragraph says park in the first sentence and garden in the last. Only the spelling of gardun is an error; do not change garden to park.

2026 Annual I, Set D, Q.1 (5)1 mark

Which of the following is a declarative sentence?

AWhere is your book?
BI enjoy reading novels.Answer
CWhat a beautiful scene!
DPlease shut the door.

Why

A declarative sentence makes a statement and ends with a full stop: I enjoy reading novels.

(A) asks a question (interrogative), (C) shows strong feeling (exclamatory) and (D) makes a request (imperative).

2026 Annual I, Set D, Q.5 A6 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "a boy were walking to school yesterday morning. He seen a stray dog and runs quickly to catch it. A dog was very friendly and wag its tail happily. Every student in the street watches them with cureasety."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

A boy was walking to school yesterday morning. He saw a stray dog and ran quickly to catch it. The dog was very friendly and wagged its tail happily. Every student in the street watched them with curiosity.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	a boy (small letter)	A boy	Punctuation: capital letter at the start of a sentence	extra
2	a boy were walking	a boy was walking	Subject-verb agreement: boy is singular: was	yes
3	He seen	He saw	Verb form: seen needs has/had; the simple past is saw	yes
4	runs quickly	ran quickly	Tense: yesterday: the whole story is in the past; saw and ran must match	yes
5	A dog was very friendly	The dog was very friendly	Article: second mention of the same dog takes the	yes
6	wag its tail	wagged its tail	Tense: past tense to match was	yes
7	watches them	watched them	Tense: past tense	extra
8	cureasety	curiosity	Spelling: curiosity	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

a boy were walking : a boy was walking
He seen : He saw
runs quickly : ran quickly
A dog was very friendly : The dog was very friendly
wag its tail : wagged its tail
cureasety : curiosity

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.1 (5)1 mark

"What a beautiful view!" The sentence is an example of:

AInterrogative sentence
BExclamatory sentenceAnswer
CImperative sentence
DDeclarative sentence

Why

The pattern What a + adjective + noun, ending with an exclamation mark, shows strong feeling (wonder), so it is exclamatory.

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.1 (6)1 mark

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

AShe does not like coffee.Answer
BShe not like coffee.
CShe do not like coffee.
DShe does not likes coffee.

Why

With a singular subject (she) the negative helping verb is does not, and after does the main verb is in the base form (like).

(B) has no helping verb, (C) uses do with she, and (D) adds -s to the verb after does.

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.1 (7)1 mark

Identify the complex sentence:

AShe sang and danced.
BShe sang loudly.
CShe sang beautifully.
DShe sang because she was happy.Answer

Why

A complex sentence has one main clause and at least one dependent clause. because she was happy is a dependent (adverb) clause attached to She sang.

(A) has a compound verb but only one clause, so it is simple; (B) and (C) are simple.

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.1 (14)1 mark

Choose the correct sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

AEach of the students passing.
BEach of the students pass.
CEach of the students has passed.Answer
DEach of the students have passed.

Why

Each is singular even when it is followed by of + a plural noun, so it takes the singular verb has passed.

(A) has no finite verb (a fragment); (B) and (D) use plural verb forms.

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.5 A6 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting any six errors. (These errors can be of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, article, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling etc.) "A office manager work hard to complete the report yesterday. He check all the files and put it in the desk drawer. The workers was very happy because the project finished quick. Everyone in the buldin celebrated the success"

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

An office manager worked hard to complete the report yesterday. He checked all the files and put them in the desk drawer. The workers were very happy because the project finished quickly. Everyone in the building celebrated the success.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	A office manager	An office manager	Article: office begins with a vowel sound	yes
2	work hard ... yesterday	worked hard ... yesterday	Tense: yesterday needs the simple past	yes
3	He check	He checked	Tense: past tense (and put here is also past)	yes
4	put it	put them	Noun-pronoun agreement: files is plural: them	yes
5	The workers was	The workers were	Subject-verb agreement: workers is plural	yes
6	finished quick	finished quickly	Adverb: describes how the project finished	extra
7	buldin	building	Spelling: building	yes
8	the success (no full stop)	the success.	Punctuation: a sentence ends with a full stop	extra

Corrections to list under the paragraph

A office manager : An office manager
work hard ... yesterday : worked hard ... yesterday
He check : He checked
put it : put them
The workers was : The workers were
buldin : building

2026 Annual I, Old syllabus (Curriculum 2006), Q.1 (5), old syllabus1 mark

After the rain stopped, we went for a walk. The given sentence is an example of:

ASimple sentence
BComplex sentenceAnswer
CComplex-compound sentence
DCompound sentence

Why

we went for a walk is the main clause; After the rain stopped is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction after. One main + one dependent clause = complex.

It is not compound, because after is not a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

2026 Annual I, Old syllabus (Curriculum 2006), Q.1 (19), old syllabus1 mark

Is this bat for sale? It is an example of:

ADeclarative sentence
BImperative sentence
CExclamatory sentence
DInterrogative sentenceAnswer

Why

The helping verb Is comes before the subject this bat, and the sentence asks a direct question ending with a question mark: interrogative.

2026 Annual I, Old syllabus (Curriculum 2006), Q.5 (a), old syllabus5 marks

There are five errors of article, preposition, adverb, spelling mistake and subject verb agreement in the given paragraph. Rewrite the paragraph after correcting any five errors. Underline the corrected words: "Protecting a environment is important on our survival. Everyone need to plant trees and reduce pollution. People must act responsible and avoid wasting water. If we don't, climate change will worsen and affect future gernations greatly."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Protecting the environment is important for our survival. Everyone needs to plant trees and reduce pollution. People must act responsibly and avoid wasting water. If we don't, climate change will worsen and affect future generations greatly.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	a environment	the environment	Article: the natural world is one unique thing, so the (and a before a vowel sound is wrong anyway)	yes
2	important on	important for	Preposition: important for something or someone	yes
3	Everyone need	Everyone needs	Subject-verb agreement: everyone is singular	yes
4	act responsible	act responsibly	Adverb: describes how people act	yes
5	gernations	generations	Spelling: gene-ra-tions	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph (the paper asks you to underline them)

a environment : the environment
important on : important for
Everyone need : Everyone needs
act responsible : act responsibly
gernations : generations

Note. an environment would fix only the a/an sound; the environment is the expected answer because the paragraph means the natural world.

Model paper, Q.1 (x)1 mark

What type of sentence is this? "I went to the market, and I bought some fruit." (underlined)

Asimple
BcompoundAnswer
Ccomplex
Dcompound complex

Why

There are two independent clauses (I went to the market, I bought some fruit), joined by a comma and the coordinating conjunction and. No dependent clause, so the sentence is compound.

Model paper, Q.5 A6 marks

Rewrite the following paragraph after correcting the errors. There are SIX errors of sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, noun-pronoun agreement, connectives/transitional devices, punctuation and spelling. "Every morning, Saleem wakes up early to go to school. He quickly brushes his teeth and packs his bag before she leaves. Always his mother says that it is important for him to do his best in studies, but she also I that education is the key to success. However; he feels that it is difficult at times to concentrate during class because the teacher explain things too fast. He needs to be more focused if he wants to achieve his goals."

Solution

Corrected paragraph (corrections in bold; underline them on the answer sheet)

Every morning, Saleem wakes up early to go to school. He quickly brushes his teeth and packs his bag before he leaves. His mother always says that it is important for him to do his best in studies, and she also believes that education is the key to success. However, he feels that it is difficult at times to concentrate during class because the teacher explains things too fast. He needs to be more focused if he wants to achieve his goals.

Every error in the paragraph
No.	Error	Correction	Type and rule	Counted
1	before she leaves	before he leaves	Noun-pronoun agreement: the pronoun stands for Saleem, so he	yes
2	Always his mother says	His mother always says	Sentence structure (word order): a frequency adverb goes before the main verb	yes
3	but she also	and she also	Connective: both ideas are the mother's advice (addition, not contrast), so and	yes
4	she also I that	she also believes that	Sentence structure: the clause has no verb; I must be replaced by a verb such as believes (or says, knows)	yes
5	However;	However,	Punctuation: a sentence-opening transition is followed by a comma	yes
6	the teacher explain	the teacher explains	Subject-verb agreement: teacher is singular	yes

Corrections to list under the paragraph

before she leaves : before he leaves
Always his mother says : His mother always says
but she also : and she also
she also I that : she also believes that
However; : However,
the teacher explain : the teacher explains

Note. The word I in she also I that is probably a printing slip for a verb; whatever it was meant to be, the clause needs a verb, so writing believes (or says) earns the mark. The paper names spelling as a type but no word is misspelt, so the but to and change is the sixth error. Some teachers accept Always, his mother says as a style choice; correcting the word order is the safe answer.

Exam focus

Rewrite a paragraph correcting six errors (Q5 A). (short)
Six marks every year; every 2026 set had a paragraph with 7 or 8 errors.
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Subject-verb agreement with each/every/either/neither, one of the, as well as, either-or/neither-nor. (mcq)
Named in every Q5 A and tested as an MCQ (2026 Set A MCQ 14).
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Identify a sentence as declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamatory. (mcq)
Asked in Set A, Set D and the old syllabus paper in 2026.
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Identify a sentence as simple, compound, complex or compound-complex. (mcq)
Asked in Set A, the old syllabus paper and the model paper.
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Correct the articles: a/an by sound, the on second mention. (short)
An article error was in every 2026 paragraph.
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Match each pronoun to its noun (it/them, he/she). (short)
A pronoun error was in every 2026 paragraph and the model paper.
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Fix past-tense verb forms and adverbs (saw, ran, wagged; happily, quickly). (short)
The largest group of errors in the 2026 paragraphs.
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Fix comma splices, fragments, However; and doubled connectives (although...but). (short)
Sentence structure and connectives are named in every Q5 A.
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Learn the 100-error bank. (mcq)
The source of most "choose the correct sentence" MCQs and Q5 A errors.
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