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RECOGNIZING AND CORRECTING NEWS WRITING ERRORS

Answer Key Provided: See Appendix D

SECTION I: AGREEMENT

Edit the following sentences, correcting agreement and other errors.

1. The committee submits their data this weekend and expects it to help their church.

2. She said the company failed to earn enough to repay their loans, and she does not expect them to reopen.

3. The jury reached their verdict at 1 a.m., concluding that the media was guilty of libeling the restaurant and their twenty-two employees.

4. The decision allowed the city council to postpone their vote for a week, and they suggested that the sites developer design a plan to save more of it’s trees.

5. A representative for the organization said they help anyone that is on welfare obtain some job training and raise their self esteem.

SECTION II: PLURALS AND POSSESSIVES

Edit the following sentences, correcting for plurals, possessives and other errors.

1. The womens car was parked nearby, and sheriffs deputies asked to see the owners drivers license.

2. The juror said she opposes assisted suicide “because a doctors job is to save peoples lives, not end them.”

3. Last years outstanding teacher insisted that peoples complaints about the schools problems are mistaken.

4. Manvel Jones parents said there younger childrens teacher earned her bachelors degree in philosophy and her masters degree in eductaion.

5. Everyones money was stolen, and the neighborhood associations president warned that the police are no longer able to guarantee peoples safety in the citys poorest neighborhoods.

SECTION III: PLACEMENT

Rewrite these sentences, keeping related words and ideas together. Correct all errors.

1. The board of trustees voted 8–1 to fire the college president for his sexual misconduct during an emergency meeting Thursday morning.

2. On their arrival, the hotel manager took the guests’ bags to their rooms.

3. The union representative urged Americans to support better working conditions for the nations migrant workers at the Unitarian church Sunday.

4. Jogging around campus, a thorn bush ripped a hole in Zena’s shirt.

5. A suspect in the burglary case was arrested after a high-speed chase involving two lawn mowers stolen from a hardware store.

SECTION IV: PERSONIFICATION

Rewrite the following sentences, eliminating personification and other errors.

1. Slamming on its brakes, the car turned to the left, narrowly missing the dog.

2. The city said it cannot help the three businesses who asked for better lighting.

3. After detecting the outbreak, the hospital admitted that 7 babies born this month were infected, including one that died.

4. The Fire Department treated the child for smoke inhalation, then transported her to Mercy Hospital, which treated her broken legs.

5. The corporation, which denied any responsibility for the deaths, will appear in court next month.

SECTION V: PARALLEL FORM

Rewrite these sentences in parallel form, and correct all errors.

1. He was charged with drunken driving and an expired drivers license.

2. Karen Kim was a full-time student, Air Force reservist, and she worked part-time for a veterinarian.

3. To join the club, one must be a sophomore, junior or senior; studying journalism; be in good academic standing; and have demonstrated professional journalistic ability.

4. The mayor warned that the neighborhoods high crime rate causes residents to flee, contributes to more unemployment for workers, and the city loses tax revenue, along with lowering everyones property values.

5. She said the other advantages of owning her own business include being independent, not having a boss, flexible hours and less stress.

SECTION VI: MULTIPLE ERRORS

Rewrite the following sentences, correcting all errors. Most sentences contain more than one error.

1. A sheriffs deputy saw the teenagers Chevrolet pull out of the alley, driving recklessly without its headlines on, and arrested it’s driver.

2. The city also said that they cannot silence Sooyoung Li, the woman that fears pollution is likely to effect the neighborhoods 300 residents.

3. Seeking more money, publicity, and to help the poor, the churchs members said it wants the city to help it by providing food and offer housing for the homeless.

4. The Public Works Department said they could pave the developments road themselves for less than $1.2 million, the Roess Company submitted a bid of $2.74 million.

5. A jury awarded almost $10.5 million to the operators of an abortion clinic that charged that picketers tormented them and there clients. The clinics operators praised the jury’s verdict, saying their courage and understanding set a needed precedent.