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Sprint 5.2: Finding Errors In Someone Else's Writing

Learner finds and names all four fault types in unfamiliar text, which is the easier half of self-editing and builds the eye for the harder half.

6 micro-lessons

Preview · progress not saved — Chapter 1 is free

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Someone Else's Mistakes Are Easier

Why unfamiliar text comes first, and why naming beats fixing.

Why start with someone else's writing

You read your own sentence as you meant it.

You read someone else's as it is.

This is not a warm-up. It is the only place the fault is fully visible.

So the eye is built here first.

1 / 2

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How Many Can You Find

Six spans from one paragraph. Two of them are fine.

1 / 6

Many student comes to this city every September. Is there a fault?

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Repair the Sample, Pass by Pass

One paragraph, four passes. Count what you missed first time.

Here is the whole paragraph. Work through it four times, hunting one question per pass.

0 of 10 blanks filled

many student comes to this city every september. they need a accommodation close to the campus. the rent is high, most of them share a flat. last year my cousin moved here and finds a room in a week. the landlord asked for a deposit before she moved in. information about housing is easy to find online.

PASS 1 — articles.

a accommodation →
the rent is high — correct, or change?

PASS 2 — number. 3. many student comes → 4. information ... is — correct, or change?

PASS 3 — time. 5. moved here and finds a room → moved here and a room 6. asked ... before she moved in — correct, or change?

PASS 4 — boundaries. 7. The first word of the paragraph → 8. september → 9. the rent is high, most of them share a flat → the rent is high most of them share a flat 10. they need at the start of sentence two →

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Sort the Faults

Twelve corrections. Which question caught each one?

Sort each item into the correct category

Question 1 — articles

Question 2 — number

Question 3 — time

Question 4 — boundaries

Unassigned

a accommodation → accommodation

many student → many students

moved here and finds → moved here and found

many → Many at the start of the paragraph

a good advice → good advice

student comes → students come

september → September

the rent is high, most share → the rent is high, so most share

the informations was → the information was

she arrived and sits down → she arrived and sat down

I need the advice → I need advice (first mention, general)

if it will rain → if it rains

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A Second Sample

A new paragraph. No passes offered — work unaided.

A different paragraph, and this time nothing tells you which question to run. Correct each numbered span, or write correct where nothing is wrong. Two of the twelve are already right.

0 of 12 blanks filled

My brother finished (1) the university last year. (2) He look for work in the capital for six months. (3) the competition was fierce, hundreds of people applied for every post. (4) He sent out a applications every week without hearing anything. (5) Eventually a friend gives him an introduction to a small firm. (6) The firm offered him (7) a trial month. (8) He accepted immediately and (9) starts on the first of (10) march. (11) The salary was low, but (12) the experience was worth more than the money.

the university →
He look for work →
the competition at the start of a sentence →
a applications →
a friend gives him →
The firm offered →
a trial month →
He accepted immediately →
starts on the first →
march →
hundreds of people applied →
the competition was fierce, hundreds of people applied → the competition was fierce hundreds of people applied

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Report What You Found

List the faults and name the category of each.

List the faults you found in the second sample and name the category of each.

Go back to the second paragraph — the one about your brother finding work.

List the faults you found, and for each one name the question that caught it: articles, number, time or boundaries.

Then say how many you found on your first read, before you worked through the numbered spans.

The faults, with their category*

One per line.

How many did you find on your first read?*

A number.

← previousSprint 5.1: The Four-Question Check next →Sprint 5.3: Finding Errors In Your Own