Grammar: 10 common mistakes

Technical: Complete Quiz 3 – Grammar: 10 common mistakes

• a. Read Chapter 3 of Hicks, English for Journalists (Grammar: 10 common mistakes) to prepare for this quiz.
• b. Complete the quiz so that you get 100% correct (you will be able to make numerous attempts).
• c. Reflect on this briefly on your blog – Did you find the questions difficult? Did you have any problems in specific areas?

 I read the book "English for Journalists" and I had it in front of me during the quiz, however, there are parts of the book that give examples but don't say whether or not they are correct.

So I used this quiz to help me find out the answers and make notes in the text book.  Hence I went against what I thought and just put down what the text book said.  Obviously, I now know that the book was giving examples on what NOT to do.  

"Half work in the media and the other half is waiting to perform."  That is an example in the book.  There is no additional information to say whether or not it is correct.  FYI, its wrong.  "'Half’ is a collective noun and in this case is plural because the sentence is referring to two halves (one works in media, the other waiting to perform). The verb ‘is’ should therefore be ‘are’ so that subject (the halves) and verb agree (Ames, K 2014a) (Hicks, 2013 p. 32)."

In short I did okay, except where there was an issue with a collective noun.

REFERENCESAmes, K., 2014a. Quiz 3: Grammar: 10 common mistakes, Course notes, COMM 11007 Media Writing: CQUniversity e-courses, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/.

Ames, K., 2014b. Module 3: Identifying News, Course notes, COMM 11007 Media Writing: CQUniversity e-courses, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/.

Hicks, W., 2013. English for journalists. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.