Find The Grammatical Errors In These Sentences
​
-
There were less than one hundred people at the rally.
-
First of all we need to buy supplies.
-
Who are you referring to?
-
If I wasn't so busy, I'd be glad to help you.
-
I'm not sure whether or not I'll be there.
​
Scroll down for answers
(no peeking)
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
1. "There were fewer than 100 people at the rally". If we can count individual items, we use fewer. If we are speaking in terms of volume or degree, we use less, e.g., “There was less soup and fewer potatoes available today”.
2. We need to insert a comma after the words "First of all", as it is an introductory phrase.
3. There are two (well, one and a half, actually) grammatical errors in this example:
a) Ending a Sentence With a Preposition. This only counts as an error if we subscribe to the conventional thinking that words in a sentence that precedes a noun that describe location, time, or spacial relationships, such as “in”, “on”, “with”, or “to”, should not end a sentence. See my article that debates this grammatical rule.
b) Who vs Whom. This often frustrating puzzle of the English language actually follows a very simple rule:
​
“He/Him” = “Who/Whom”
If the subject is “he” we would use “who” in your sentence. If the object is “him”, we would use “whom”.The proper way to express number 3 would be “To whom are you referring?” (the object is him, therefore we use whom).
4. "If I weren't so busy, I'd be glad to help you", as this sentence employs a subjunctive phrase. Think of the song from Fiddler On The Roof, “If I Were a Rich Man”. At first, it might appear improper; after all, we say “I was” (singular) and “we were” (plural), so why is “if I were” correct? It's because a subjunctive phrase is used to express a situation that is not factually true, but rather wishful or idyllic. The song lyrics express “If I were a rich man”, implying that he is, in fact, not rich. The same would be true in the sentence “I wish I were there with you", implying, “but, of course, I'm not”.
​
5. I'm not sure whether I'll be there. This is not a serious error, but in this case the words "or not" are not necessary. An easy rule to remember is, if you can replace whether with if, you don't need to use the or not wording (I'm not sure if I'll be there”). We use the phrase “whether or not” when the outcome is same in either case, e.g., “Whether or not I'm feeling well, I'll be there”.
