GRAMMAR & RULES & EXERCISES
COLLECTED BY"GUELLIL MABROUK"
Contents (click below links).................................pro. English/high education
I/exercises
Unit One: articles and NounsII/answers key
Unit One: articles and Nouns
Additional Proofreading Exercises
Essay One
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns, verb forms (including infinitives, gerunds, and present and
past participles), punctuation and sentence structure, and word forms in the following essay (The types and
numbers of errors are indicated at the end of paragraphs):
I am an only child in my family, so I have thought about if I have brother or sister, how my life would
be difference. Maybe I will not feel lonely when my parents go to work; maybe I will not feel helpless when I
suffer from some problems. However, having brothers or sisters are both good and bad.
I remember my friend told me that her older brother took care of her a lot, he would cook for her
when their parents left home, teach her when she had some questions about her homework, and he buy
laptop for her when she attended college. Having an older brother or sister is good in the family, because
they will take care of their younger brothers and sisters and help them solve some problem. Even though
parents have more ideas and experience to help their children. They have less time stay at home
because of their work. So older brother or sister will be a good teacher. They can offer some ideas and
share their experience with their brothers and sisters. According to the play “The Glass Menagerie,” Laura
is Tom’s older sister, she always help Tom when Amanda blame him, and try to convince Tom to listen
when Amanda tells her stories.
(a-3, v-9, p-3, wf-1)
Having brothers or sisters, you will not feel lonely, because they can always cheer family up. I have
a friend who has a sister, she tell me that she had a good relationship with her sister and always felt happy.
They like to shop on weekend, cook dinner and face the problems together. I remember a time when my
friend told me that her sister got in trouble in her class. Her sister felt sad and did not know how to solve
this problem, however, my friend comfort her sister and try to help her. Also, her family has parties for
holidays each year. So they would assign each person work to prepare for party and have fun with the
family.
(a-3, pl-1, v-5, p-2)
On the other hand, having brothers or sisters is not good, because they will make noise, and quarrel
when they have different thinking. One of my high school friends told me that she hated her brother,
because he always like to play games instead of studying and made so much noise when she was study.
She argued with him many times, but he did not want listen to her. Also, her brother did not like his sister
either, because he thought his sister talked too much and always used the computer and television. If
there is only one child in the family, their life will be different, because they can do whatever they like and
will not quarrel about each thing. I read some stories which said that having good friend is better than
having brother or sister sometimes. Sisters and brothers live together all their life, they have to share
everything, especially share their parents’ love. Therefore, some children’s personality will be change by
parents’ different treatment. They feel it is unfair when their parents treat them different from their sisters
and brothers, so they will be anger at their sisters and brothers. For example, in the ancient ages; there
were children of the King who fought and kill their brothers to be the King. However, the friends are different
from brothers and sisters, they do not need to share parents’ love, and good friends usually have the same
opinions about solving problem, so they will not have so many quarrels.
Having brothers or sisters are good or bad, it is depend on what the person who thinks about the
brotherhood and sisterhood. If the person who do not want to learn new things or do anything by himself.
He will like having brothers or sisters, because he can follow the experience that his brothers or sisters had
without thinking. If the person who has ambition and want to pursuer his dream by himself, then he will not
need brothers or sisters to help him.
a.4, pl-1, v-9, p-4, ss-3, wf-3)
Essay Two
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns, verb forms (including infinitives, gerunds, and present and
past participles), punctuation and sentence structure, and word forms in the following essay (The types and
numbers of errors are indicated (The types and numbers of errors are indicated at the end of paragraphs):
I heard people say that mother is a very important person in family because she always does all the
housework and take care of children. Such as washing clothes, cooking food, teaching children to do their
homework, and controlling the behave of children. About this point, I strongly agree, but how about father, I
think fathers were always ignored in families because he likes to keep quiet, and rarely share the feelings
with the children at home, so most children closer to their mothers than to their fathers. However, it doesn’t
means father is not very important. Now, I want to introduce my Chinese father to you.
I am Chinese, so I have the strong feeling about the tradition Chinese father. In my experience,
most Chinese fathers are grave, they don’t like to do the housework because they think the women have to
do housework at home. And also, they prefer the males to females. Thus, males has the special position
and power at home, that is the reason why I don’t like the Chinese style. However, my father is different
from other tradition Chinese fathers. In my mind, he is a good father.
(a-12, pl-2, v-6, p-4, ss-1, wf-3)
The strong reason why I appreciate and respect my father is that he treat my older brother and me
the same. In China, this is a major and sensitive problem in most families, in my neighborhood, many
Chinese girl don’t have any opportunities to study; also, they have lower level at home and have to do all
the housework. But in my family, my father never treat me like that, I have the same position as my brother,
such as the same opportunity to study, the same pocket money, and the same punish when we do wrong.
My mother is different. She treat me better than my brother. I remember when I was twelve years old, my
mother went shopping with me and bought me many clothes, but she didn’t give money to my brother. My
father knew about this thing later. He gave some money to my brother for shopping. At that time, my father
was established the great and special pictures in my mind.
In addition, my father is a good cook. At home, my mother almost does all the housework, so my
father rarely to cook, but he always enjoys cooking food. Usually, my father always complains about my
mother making the same food every day, and also that the food styles are not good. In his mind, he
concerns about the food cutting and styles, he thinks the good appearance of food can increase the enjoy,
therefore, when he wants to cook, he would like to do special food cutting, such as cutting radishes like
flowers, and cutting the green onions like the small leaves. When he done, he would put the food on a
beautiful plate. He makes the food deliciously too, not only as an ornament. All the time, I am enjoying his
cooking, maybe because he always to make a new style or he rarely to cook. I am not sure what a reason
is, but I understand that when he cooks something, I feel warm in my heart.
(a-9, sg-1, pl-2, v-10, p-4, wf-2)
Moreover, my father has many different ability, such as healing, repairing, and accounting. When I
was five years old, he work in small clinic, after that job, my family open a store, and then my father
became an accountant. Furthermore, when my family has trouble with electronic equipment, he was able
to fix it. Thus, I am proud of him, on the other hand, he has many defects. For example, he always keep
quiet at home, so sometimes, I think he doesn’t concern about me very much. And also, he likes to use the
physical punish when I do something wrong, so he is a violence man. Thus, sometimes, I have the conflict
with him in my heart, although he is good.
I usually hear people talk about how good father they have, but I rarely to concern about it because I
know my father is the best. This is my father.
(a-4, pl-1, v-6, p-2, wf-2)
Essay Three
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns, verb forms (including infinitives, gerunds, and present and
past participles), punctuation and sentence structure, and word forms in the following essay (The types and
numbers of errors are indicated at (The types and numbers of errors are indicated at the end of
paragraphs):
During my short life, I can say that I have been happiness most of the time. When I was child, I was
surround by people that love me a lot. My family was composed of my father Luis, my mother Maria, and
my sisters Marta, Rosa, and Yvonne. Like every other family, we had our argument and different situations
in the house, but nothing out of control, the relationship between all of us is amaze. Even now is stronger
than ever. This family is what make me be person that I am today. Is true that jealousy between siblings
does exist, but what would have been my life without my fabulous sisters?
When we were children, we used to go every summer vacation to my grandmother’s house. There
we don’t even have to call anybody to entertain us. Because we were enough to do it ourselves. Many
times I was in trouble in school but didn’t have to fight any of the girls, because they knew that we were four
and nobody want to have that kind of problem.
(a-2, pl-1, v-5, ss-2, wf-2)
My oldest sister Marta, was the one in control of the whole situation, in school she was the mother,
the person in charge and responsible for all of us. Now as an adult, she work driving trucks between New
York and New Jersey. She is single mother.
Rosa, she was quiet but dynamite at the same time, she was the kind of girl you think you can mess
with, and then you realize you were completely wrong judging her. Nowadays, she is nurse. Ready to help
everybody that need her. She is married, mother of three.
Yvonne, she is the crazy one and baby of the house, she was terrible child. She is the one that I’m
more close to. Probably because we are closer in age. She recent marry her fiancé in August.
(a-4, v-4, p-4, wf-1)
The best time that we all enjoying being together is during Christmas, we all get together in Rosa’s
house in New Jersey and we all have fun. We dance with each other, eat, drink and play Bingo. Every day I
thank God for the great opportunity of been part of the Hernandez family.
I had had a few different situation where I felt bad and in certain way even lost, but they give me
positive thoughts and strength necessarily to keep going. I remember not that long ago, I was dating
Miguel. Things between us didn’t work out, and I felt bad about it. When they find out what just had happen
between him and me, they came out with fantastic idea of a women’s getaway. That weekend we departure
for Cancun, and it was awesome, we had so much fun, that I complete forgot reason why we were there.
Definitely, my life wouldn’t be the same without my sisters, they are the backbone of my entire life.
(a-4, pl-1, v-8, p-2, wf-2)
Essay Four
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns, verb forms (including infinitives, gerunds, and present and
past participles), punctuation and sentence structure, and word forms in the following essay (The types and
numbers of errors are indicated (The types and numbers of errors are indicated at the end of paragraphs):
My father has excellent potential to become two kinds of fathers. One is the ruling father, the other
one is the kind father. And although “father” and “dad” can have the same meanings. They still are
difference in some ways. “Father” represents rule and respect. And “Dad” represents the kindness and
niceness. So how do you introduce your father to your friends? For me, I would say, “He is my father.”
My father never force me to be “Number One,” like the father in the story we just read, because he is
the “Number One” of our family. He always try his best to do everything perfect. My father is most powerful
person of our family and the super idol of my life. I love him and I respect him, but I also afraid of him. He
look like the god of our family, when he says, “Yes”; we are not allow to say “No.” He always love to intone
from the head of the dinner table, and says, “I am going to buy a new TV… We are going to go out to
dinner tomorrow … I am going … .” And this is not family meeting; this is only his personal determine.
Thus, we could not say “no” to him, if we do, he would give us “the punishment eye,” which means he mad.
When my father is mad, he will has “evil eyes.” And when he watches us with his “evil eyes,” we would feel
nervous and anxious, and forget to be brave.
(a-4, v-6, p-5, ss-2, wf-3)
Sometimes, my father is ruling father, but sometimes he also is kind father. Every time when he
read the newspaper and knows tomorrow is a bad rainy day. He would say, “It is going to rain tomorrow -- do
not forget your umbrella.” Especially in winter, he would tell us all the time, “Do not come home late today,
wear more clothes, call after you leave the school, and …” Compare to other fathers, my father is really
difference, for example, last Friday I had to go to immigration office about American citizenship, when my
father knew, he would not sleep for whole night. In addition, he was the first person to wake me up, and told
me, “Do not be late, hurry up …” However, my appointment is at ten o’clock and he wake me up at six
o’clock. Then, I told him, “My appointment is at ten o’clock father, let me sleep …” When he knew my
appointment time, he did not say anything, he just sit on the sofa and kept bothering me every fifteen
minutes, “Get up, do not be late …” These six words was annoyed me all the day.
In conclusion, different people have different personality. And different father has different policy.
My father’s policy is to protect us all the time and to prepare the best future for us.
(a-4, pl-3, v-6, p-5, wf-2)
Essay Five
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns, verb forms (including infinitives, gerunds, and present and
past participles), punctuation and sentence structure, and word forms in the following essay (The types and
numbers of errors are indicated at the end of paragraphs).
In people’s life, everyone is a traveler, choosing the road and follow it. Actually, there are no straight
roads, people have to make a right decide and try it. A poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost tell
about important choices in life.
In beginning of the poem, Frost mentions that is difficult to make a decision about two roads: “Two
roads diverged in a hollow wood, and sorry I could not travel both …” However, Frost has to choose a road
that he want to follow: “And looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth.” For one
of the road, is difficult to see the end, and there may be danger in the undergrowth. So Frost want to take
the other one. Which less people have taking before. Most people want to take a road that many people
took, because they think that is easier to pass through. On the other hand, people will get more challenge
from road that less people taken, because people will learn new things and get new experience from it,
eventually, Frost decide to take this road, and he know there is no chance to come back, because when he
take this road, everything will be change: “I took the one less travel by, and that has made all the different.”
(a-5, v-11, p-3, wf-2)
“The Road Not Taken” is talks about choosing life path. The road symbols people’s life. In the
middle of two life paths, people find it difficult to make decision because they cannot see the end of each
path and do not want to lose a chance to take the other one. It is important decision, people cannot come
back if they take a wrong path. It is what my mother always tell me: “You have to know exactly what kind of
path you want to take, because your decision will affect your whole life.” I read some articles from
newspaper, which talked about some people used terrible and illegal tricks to make money, such as
robbing, selling drugs, and kidnap. That was the dangerous path they chose, some of them may face
death. In our life, we can see that parents try to make a good life path for their children; especially
immigrant parents. Because of their older age, many immigrants have language problem when they live
in foreign country, and they know that is a big problem. Therefore, they want their children go to school to
get higher education. Which will overcome this problem and give them a good future. Also, parents hope
their children will be better than others, so they would like buying a piano or violin, or giving class for their
children to learn more things. It is the path that parents give to us; we also can choose the path for
ourselves. For example, a mother hopes her son will be lawyer, so gives many law classes to him and want
him to go to law school. However, it is a dream of the mother, not his. The son is interest in medicine and
think to be a doctor will give more benefits to people. Finally, he achieve his dream and let his mother
knows that this is path he wants.
Make a decision between two paths is difficult and important because we have to follow it without
come back and it will make different in our life.
(a-14, v-14, p-4, ss-3, wf-2)
Essay Six
Correct the errors in the use of articles, nouns, verb forms (including infinitives, gerunds, and present and
past participles), punctuation and sentence structure, and word forms in the following essay (The types and
numbers of errors are indicated at the end of paragraphs).
Someone once told me that I have so much to give, but I am too scare to. Yes, now women, and me
included, are afraid to give something up for the relationship with the men. Why should we? We were press
down under men’s power for so long that now we want something just for us. We want to take, not to give.
Sometimes, women try to rescue themselves with the help of marriage. To rescue themselves from bad
circumstances or finance pressure, thinking that if he loves me, he’ll make me happy. And sometimes it work
out; unfortunately, not always. We have so many examples when women put themselves under men’s will for
god knows what reasons. Then troubles start. They are not happy, and the women think it is man’s fault. And
men think, “She saw me the way I was before we got married. What does she want now?”
Indeed, what does she want? What does she want when she see her expectations collapse into little
pieces? She does not know herself; most of the time she wants freedom. Be able to breath with all strength
she has. Man, then, seems an obstacle in her way, and she does everything to clear the way; to end the
relationship and to get out. These relationships seem like a cage which grows smaller and smaller; so small
as to choke at any minute. You scared. You want finish it as soon as you can. Your man does not let you go -
he gave something, wasted years of his life maybe. But the two of you want the different things now. In some
cases, if one of you will die, maybe the other will feel free.
(a-6, v-5, p-3, ss-1, wf-2)
In “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin describes feelings of woman when her husband dies. This
returns us to the question “If death comes to one of you, who will feel free?” Speaking of the women’s
liberation, it would be good to mention how lady in this story feel: “When she abandoned herself, a little
whispered word escaped her parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: ‘free, free, free.’ The
vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright. Her
pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.” The woman felt joy,
isn’t it fascinating? Her husband died and she felt free and happy. Something that we cannot understand,
because we all carry childish ideas throughout the years; ideas that says - man and wife should be in love,
and so on. Here we meet something different and disturb. Mrs. Mallard in this story say, “There would be no
one to live for her during those coming years: she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will
bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a
private will upon a fellow creature.” Yes, women tend to life for someone else: kids, husband, but rarely for
themselves. They are used to bend themselves under someone else’s will. In my opinion, men imposed these
“rules” on women. We know until the 19th century, women have to deal with men’s will. They didn’t have a right
to anything. It doesn’t mean they were not smart; most likely, it was very convenient for a men to keep women
this way. It is because of our differences in gender, especially in those day, when men do not understand
what women need. For us women, it is so simple. We need tender love, care, and a bit of security. We want
to see the person we love often. But men are difference he cannot stay at home more that a few hours a day.
They are rougher, stricter, and tougher. In the end, men and women simply have difference expectations from
each other. For example, women are mad when they hear, “Yes you cook, you clean, you work forty hours a
week, and you study full time, but I don’t understand why your nails are not done, and you should put some
makeup on.” How tender and understanding is that?
We speak about beginning of 19th century and what situation we have now. I believe we have the
same situation now, maybe veiled a bit, but mostly the same. Yes, women are stronger now, and we have
feminist movement now. But women may want to be women again, some women live like men, but it is tough
to be a man, to live men’s role every day of your life. A lot of women don’t feel like women any more. We have
families where husband is currently a housewife. But it doesn’t sit right in our head. What do women want?
Will they still feel free if death visit their partner?
(a-10, pl-2, v-9, p-4, ss-1, wf-4)
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