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CORRECTION
CSS-2024
(i) Chewing slowly, the pepperoni pizza tasted delicious
(ii) Kicking and screaming, the exasperated father dragged his toddler out of the grocery
store.
(iii) A young girl in the corner, holding a red balloon.
(iv) Whom do you like more?
(v) He ordered a meal from the restaurant that was high in protein.
(vi) My favorite pizza topping is mushrooms they are really tasty I also like pizza with olives.
(vii) The group asked to hear the report that Shirley and me prepared.
(viii) I managed finishing the painting.
Corrected Sentences with Brief Explanations:
(i) Original: "Chewing slowly, the pepperoni pizza tasted delicious."
Corrected: "Chewing slowly, I thought the pepperoni pizza tasted delicious."
Explanation: The original sentence has a dangling modifier ("Chewing slowly"). The
pizza cannot chew, so the subject must be the person eating it.
(ii) Original: "Kicking and screaming, the exasperated father dragged his toddler out of
the grocery store."
Corrected: "The exasperated father dragged his kicking and screaming toddler out of
the grocery store."
Explanation: The phrase "kicking and screaming" was a misplaced modifier,
incorrectly implying the father was kicking and screaming. Moving it clarifies the
toddler is the one resisting.
(iii) Original: "A young girl in the corner, holding a red balloon."
Corrected: "A young girl in the corner was holding a red balloon."
Explanation: The original is a sentence fragment. Adding a verb ("was") makes it a
complete sentence.
(iv) Original: "Whom do you like more?"
Corrected: "Who do you like more?"
Explanation: While "whom" is technically correct (as the object of "like"), "who" is
widely accepted in modern informal English.
(v) Original: "He ordered a meal from the restaurant that was high in protein."
Corrected: "He ordered a meal that was high in protein from the restaurant."
Explanation: The original sentence has a misplaced modifier, implying the restaurant
(not the meal) was high in protein.
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(vi) Original: "My favorite pizza topping is mushrooms they are really tasty I also like
pizza with olives."
Corrected: "My favorite pizza topping is mushrooms; they are really tasty. I also like
pizza with olives."
Explanation: The original is a run-on sentence. Adding a semicolon and period
separates the clauses.
(vii) Original: "The group asked to hear the report that Shirley and me prepared."
Corrected: "The group asked to hear the report that Shirley and I prepared."
Explanation: "Me" is incorrect here. Use "I" as the subject of the clause ("Shirley and I
prepared").
(viii) Original: "I managed finishing the painting."
Corrected: "I managed to finish the painting."
Explanation: The verb "managed" requires an infinitive ("to finish"), not a gerund
("finishing").
CSS-2023
(i) His knowledge of languages and international relations aid him in his work.
(ii) The ambassador, with his family and staff, invite you to a reception at the embassy on
Tuesday afternoon.
(iii) This year, he will sit in the CSS examination.
(iv) The Chief Executive will let us know whether or not he can attend the meeting.
(v) When he came back from vacation, Aslam and me plan to look for another apartment.
(vi) If some of you make a noise, they shall be punished.
(vii) He came to me to enquire what is the salary attached to the appointment.
(viii) I am too tired that I do not hunt words and idioms in my English book.
Corrected Sentences with Brief Explanations:
(i) Corrected: "His knowledge of languages and international relations aids him in his
work."
Explanation: The singular subject ("knowledge") requires the singular verb "aids"
(subject-verb agreement).
(ii) Corrected: "The ambassador, with his family and staff, invites you to a reception
at the embassy on Tuesday afternoon."
Explanation: The singular subject ("ambassador") requires the singular verb "invites"
(ignoring the prepositional phrase "with his family and staff").
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(iii) Corrected: "This year, he will sit for the CSS examination."
Explanation: The preposition "for" is used with exams (e.g., "sit for an exam").
(iv) Corrected: "The Chief Executive will let us know whether he can attend the
meeting."
Explanation: "Whether" alone is sufficient; "or not" is redundant.
(v) Corrected: "When he came back from vacation, Aslam and I planned to look for
another apartment."
Explanation:
● "I" is the subject pronoun (not "me").
● "Planned" matches the past tense of "came back."
(vi) Corrected: "If any of you makes noise, you will be punished."
Explanation:
● "Any" (singular) pairs with "makes" (singular verb).
● "You" maintains pronoun consistency (not "they").
(vii) Corrected: "He came to me to enquire what the salary is for the appointment."
Explanation: Indirect questions require statement word order (not "what is the
salary").
(viii) Corrected: "I am so tired that I cannot look up words and idioms in my English
book."
Explanation:
● "So...that" is the correct structure (not "too...that").
● "Look up" is more natural than "hunt" for searching in a book.
CSS-2022
(i) I must walk two miles to school every morning when I was a child.
(ii) After the storm, we had got to pick up some fallen branches..
(iii) Guitar is most popular instrument among teen age boys, but not girls.
(iv) You are not well and I wish you feel better soon.
(v) The grass not looking green now because it is not raining since last month.
(vi) The cold air made me shiver a little when I was waiting for him.
(vii) I offered my seat to an older woman who just smiled me.
(viii) She packed her bags, carried downstairs and put the back seat of her car.
Corrected Sentences with Detailed Explanations:
(i) Corrected: "I had to walk two miles to school every morning when I was a child."
Explanation:
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● Error: "Must" is a modal verb used for present or future obligations (e.g., "I
must study today"). It cannot describe past habits.
● Correction: "Had to" is the past tense of "must" and correctly expresses past
necessity or routine.
● Example: "When I was young, I had to wake up at 5 a.m."
(ii) Corrected: "After the storm, we had to pick up some fallen branches."
Explanation:
● Error: "Had got to" is non-standard and confusing. "Got to" typically means
"had the opportunity to" (e.g., "I got to travel last summer").
● Correction: "Had to" clearly conveys past obligation (necessity).
● Grammar Rule: Use "had to + base verb" for past necessity.
(iii) Corrected: "The guitar is the most popular instrument among teenage boys, but
not girls."
Explanation:
● Error 1: Missing definite article. "Guitar" requires "the" to specify the
instrument (e.g., "The piano is my favorite").
● Error 2: Superlatives like "most popular" require "the" (e.g., "the best movie").
● Error 3: "Teen age" is incorrect. "Teenage" is a compound adjective meaning
"related to teenagers."
(iv) Corrected: "You are not well, and I hope you feel better soon."
Explanation:
● Error: "Wish" is grammatically incorrect here. "Wish" is used for hypothetical
or unreal situations (e.g., "I wish I were rich").
● Correction: "Hope" expresses a realistic desire for the future (e.g., "I hope you
recover soon").
(v) Corrected: "The grass isn’t green now because it hasn’t rained since last month."
Explanation:
● Error 1: "Not looking" is awkward. Use "isn’t" (contraction of "is not") for clarity.
● Error 2: "Is not raining" (present continuous) incorrectly describes a temporary
action.
● Correction: "Hasn’t rained" (present perfect) emphasizes an ongoing situation
that started in the past (no rain for a month).
(vi) Corrected: "The cold air made me shiver while I waited for him."
Explanation:
● Error: "When I was waiting" (past continuous) is less natural here.
● Correction: "While" + simple past ("waited") emphasizes simultaneous actions
(shivering and waiting).
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● Example: "While I read, she cooked dinner."
(vii) Corrected: "I offered my seat to an older woman who just smiled at me."
Explanation:
● Error: "Smiled me" is missing a preposition. "Smile" is intransitive and requires
"at," "to," or "with."
● Correction: "Smiled at" indicates the direction of the action (toward the
speaker).
(viii) Corrected: "She packed her bags, carried them downstairs, and put them in the
back seat of her car."
Explanation:
● Error 1: Missing pronouns ("them") after "carried" and "put," creating
ambiguity.
● Error 2: Missing preposition ("in") to specify location.
● Clarity: Adding "them" and "in" ensures the sentence explicitly describes what
she carried and where she placed it.
Key Takeaways:
1. Tense Consistency: Use past tense ("had to," "planned") for past routines.
2. Articles: Use "the" for specific nouns and superlatives.
3. Prepositions: Verbs like "smile" or "put" often require prepositions to complete
their meaning.
4. Pronouns: Include pronouns like "them" to avoid ambiguity.
CSS-2021
(i) They were lieing in the sun.
(ii) He will not come without he is asked.
(iii) John as well as Harry bear witness to it.
(iv) The crew was now on board and they soon busied themselves in preparing to meet the
coming storm.
(v) Could I have piece of please?
(vi) Is there a sport club near by?
(vii) The coat is quite big.
(viii) It’s only a short travel by train.
Corrected Sentences with Detailed Explanations:
(i) Original: They were lieing in the sun.
Corrected: They were lying in the sun.
Explanation:
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● Error: "Lieing" is a misspelling.
● Rule: The correct present participle of "lie" (to recline) is "lying". The spelling
follows the pattern: verbs ending in "-ie" drop the "e" and change to "-ying"
(e.g., die → dying).
(ii)
Original: He will not come without he is asked.
Corrected: He will not come unless he is asked.
Explanation:
● Error: "Without" cannot introduce a conditional clause.
● Rule: Use "unless" to mean "except if" in conditional sentences. Example:
"Unless you study, you’ll fail."
(iii)
Original: John as well as Harry bear witness to it.
Corrected: John, as well as Harry, bears witness to it.
Explanation:
● Error: Incorrect subject-verb agreement.
● Rule: When using "as well as," the verb agrees with the first subject (John,
singular). Example: "The teacher, as well as the students, is excited."
(iv)
Original: The crew was now on board and they soon busied themselves in preparing
to meet the coming storm.
Corrected: The crew was now on board and soon busied themselves with preparing
to meet the approaching storm.
Explanation:
● Error 1: "In preparing" uses the wrong preposition.
● Rule: The phrase is "busy oneself with" (e.g., busy with work).
● Error 2: "Coming storm" is correct but less natural. "Approaching" is more
idiomatic.
(v)
Original: Could I have piece of please?
Corrected: Could I have a piece of cake, please?
Explanation:
● Error 1: Missing article ("a") before "piece."
● Error 2: Missing noun after "of" (e.g., cake, bread).
● Rule: Use "a piece of [noun]" for countable items (e.g., a piece of paper).
(vi)
Original: Is there a sport club near by?
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Corrected: Is there a sports club nearby?
Explanation:
● Error 1: "Sport club" → "sports club" (compound noun).
● Error 2: "Near by" → "nearby" (adverb meaning "close to this place").
(vii)
Original: The coat is quite big.
Corrected: The coat is rather large.
Explanation:
● Error: "Big" is informal.
● Rule: In formal contexts, "large" is preferred. "Quite big" is grammatically
correct but less precise.
(viii)
Original: It’s only a short travel by train.
Corrected: It’s only a short journey by train.
Explanation:
● Error: "Travel" is an uncountable noun (e.g., I love travel).
● Rule: Use "journey" or "trip" for countable instances (e.g., a long journey).
Key Grammar Takeaways:
1. Verb Forms: Avoid misspellings like "lieing" → "lying."
2. Conditionals: Use "unless" for "except if" scenarios.
3. Subject-Verb Agreement: "As well as" does not make the subject plural.
4. Prepositions: "Busy with" (not "in").
5. Countable Nouns: "A piece of [noun]" requires an article and object.
6. Compound Words: "Sports club" (not "sport club").
CSS-2020
(i) I won him in the race.
(ii) He said that I am playing chess.
(iii) Unless you do not try, you will never succeed.
(iv) He wrote with ink.
(v) What country he belongs to?
(vi) When he reaches to manhood, he will visit to England.
(vii) The new session commences from February 1st, 2020. (viii) Please send this letter on
my address.
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Corrected Sentences with Explanations:
(i) Corrected: "I beat him in the race."
Explanation:
● "Won" is incorrect because you win a race (event) but beat a person
(competitor).
(ii) Corrected: "He said that I was playing chess."
Explanation:
● When reporting speech in the past tense ("said"), the subordinate clause must
use past tense ("was playing", not "am playing").
(iii) Corrected: "If you do not try, you will never succeed."
Explanation:
● "Unless" means "except if," so pairing it with "do not" creates a double
negative. Use "if...not" instead.
(iv) Corrected: "He wrote in ink."
Explanation:
● Use "in" for writing materials (e.g., "write in pencil," "paint in watercolor").
(v) Corrected: "Which country does he belong to?"
Explanation:
● "What" → "Which" when asking about a specific category (e.g., countries).
● Add the auxiliary verb "does" for correct question structure.
(vi) Corrected: "When he reaches manhood, he will visit England."
Explanation:
● "Reaches to" → Remove "to." The verb "reach" does not need a preposition
here.
● "Visit to" → Remove "to." The verb "visit" is transitive (direct object: "England").
(vii) Corrected: "The new session commences on February 1st, 2020."
Explanation:
● Use "on" for specific dates (e.g., "on Monday," "on July 4th"). "From" implies a
duration (e.g., "from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.").
(viii) Corrected: "Please send this letter to my address."
Explanation:
● Use "to" for destinations (e.g., "send to my email," "deliver to the office"). "On"
is incorrect here.
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Key Grammar Rules:
1. Win vs. Beat: Use "win" for events/awards, "beat" for competitors.
2. Tense Consistency: Match tenses in reported speech.
3. Prepositions: "In" for materials, "on" for dates, "to" for destinations.
4. Avoid Double Negatives: Replace "unless...not" with "if...not."
CSS-2019
(i) He enjoyed during the holidays.
(ii) None of the boys had learnt their lesson.
(iii) He is abusing the money of his father.
(iv) I regret at the delay.
(v) I could not help but laugh.
(vi) I always have and always shall be your friend.
(vii) I was out walking when I saw the new moon in the garden.
(viii) He cried as if he was mad.
Corrected Sentences with Explanations:
(i) Corrected: He enjoyed himself during the holidays.
Explanation:
● Error: The verb "enjoyed" requires an object (e.g., himself, the trip).
● Rule: Reflexive pronouns like "himself" are used when the subject and object
are the same.
(ii) Corrected: None of the boys had learnt his lesson.
Explanation:
● Error: "None" is singular here (emphasizing "not one"), so the pronoun should
match with "his" (formal) or "their" (informal).
● Note: In modern usage, "their" is often accepted for gender neutrality, but "his"
aligns with strict grammatical agreement.
(iii) Corrected: He is misusing his father’s money.
Explanation:
● Error: "Abuse" typically refers to harmful treatment of people or misuse of
power, not money.
● Better Word Choice: "Misusing" (using incorrectly) is more appropriate.
● Grammar: Use the possessive form ("his father’s money") instead of "the
money of his father."
(iv) Corrected: I regret the delay.
Explanation:
● Error: "Regret" is a transitive verb and does not require the preposition "at."
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(v) Corrected: I couldn’t help laughing.
Explanation:
● Error: "Could not help but laugh" is informal.
● Formal Structure: "Couldn’t help + gerund" (e.g., laughing) is standard.
(vi) Corrected: I have always been and always shall be your friend.
Explanation:
● Error: Incomplete verb structure. The auxiliary verb "have" requires the past
participle "been" for parallelism.
(vii) Corrected: I was out walking when I saw the new moon over the garden.
Explanation:
● Error: "In the garden" incorrectly locates the moon.
● Correction: Use "over" to indicate the moon’s position in the sky above the
garden.
(viii) Corrected: He cried as if he were mad.
Explanation:
● Error: "Was" is incorrect in hypothetical or unreal comparisons.
● Rule: Use the subjunctive mood "were" after "as if" for hypothetical situations.
Key Takeaways:
1. Transitive Verbs: Ensure verbs like "enjoy" or "regret" have direct objects.
2. Pronoun Agreement: Match singular/plural pronouns with their antecedents.
3. Subjunctive Mood: Use "were" (not "was") for hypothetical scenarios.
4. Prepositions: Choose contextually accurate prepositions (e.g., over vs. in).
