Grammar quiz:
Can you spot the mistakes and explain what is wrong? Write down the mistakes you find and compare your list with a partner's.
Find the mistakes:
With the seven categories of word crimes in mind, study the excerpt from Agatha Christie’s The Murder on the Links.
We have added twelve different mistakes to the text. Identify the mistakes. Correct the sentences.
An Appeal for Help
It was five minutes past nine when I entered our joint sitting-room for breakfast on the following morning.
My friend Poirot, exact to the minute as usual, were just taping the shell of his second egg.
...
Elsewhere, I have described Hercule Poirot. A extraordinary little man! Height, five feet four inches, egg-shaped head carried a little to one side, eyes that shone green when he was excited, stiff military mostache, air of dignity immense! Sitting their, he was neet and dandified in appearance. For neatness of any kind, he had a absolute passion. To see an ornament set crooked, or a speck of dust, or a slight disarray in ones attire, was torture to a little man until he could ease his feelings by remedying the matter. 'Order' and 'Method' was his gods. He had a certain disdain for tangible evidence, such as footprints and cigarette ash, and would maintain that, taken by themselfs, they would never enable a detective to solve a problem. Than he would tap his egg-shaped head with absurd complacency, and remark with great satisfaction: “True work, is done from within. The little grey cells—always remember the little grey cells, mon ami!”
Correct version
In this version, you will find the correct version in bold with a number reference and a description of the mistake at the end of the text.
It was five minutes past nine when I entered our joint sitting-room for breakfast on the following morning.
My friend Poirot, exact to the minute as usual, was1 just tapping2 the shell of his second egg.
...
Elsewhere, I have described Hercule Poirot. An3 extraordinary little man! Height, five feet four inches, egg-shaped head carried a little to one side, eyes that shone green when he was excited, stiff military moustache4, air of dignity immense! Sitting there5, he was neat6 and dandified in appearance. For neatness of any kind, he had an7 absolute passion. To see an ornament set crooked, or a speck of dust, or a slight disarray in one’s8 attire, was torture to the9 little man until he could ease his feelings by remedying the matter. “Order” and “Method” were10 his gods. He had a certain disdain for tangible evidence, such as footprints and cigarette ash, and would maintain that, taken by themselves11, they would never enable a detective to solve a problem. Then12 he would tap his egg-shaped head with absurd complacency, and remark with great satisfaction: “True work, is done from within. The little grey cells—always remember the little grey cells, mon ami!”
1. was / were: concord mistake (subject-verb agreement)
2. tapping / taping: misspelling/incorrect word
3. an/a: article
4. mostache / moustache: misspelling
5. there / their: homophone / misspelling
6. neat / neet: misspelling
7. an / a: article
8. one's / ones: apostrophe
9. the / a: article
10. were / was: concord (subject-verb agreement)
11: themselves / themselfs: misspelling
12. then / than: misspelling/homophone
Grammar project:
Step 1:
Work together in class.
Watch the "Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes video.
Link to YouTube video: "Weird Al" Yankovic - Word Crimes
While listening to the song, write down the various grammatical problems (or 'word crimes') that are mentioned.
What are the most common grammatical mistakes that you make in English? Are any of these mistakes mentioned in the video?
Can you think of situations where correct grammar and spelling is particularly important?
Step 2:
We have made a selection of the most common grammatical problems for Norwegian students, many of which are referred to in the video. Divide these problems among the groups. Make sure that every group works on a different problem.
Grammatical problems / 'word crimes':
verb conjugation
concord (subject-verb agreement)
the use of prepositions
The difference between countable and uncountable nouns. (Include a description of the difference between 'less' and 'fewer').
the use of pronouns
showing ownership: the possessive case
the use of contractions
dangling participles
the most common comma rules, including the Oxford comma
homophones
the use of relative pronouns: who, whom, which, that
adjective vs adverb (e.g. the difference between good and well)
Study your assigned word crime and find:
important rules or definitions that will help your classmates understand the grammatical problem
good examples of correct usage as well as examples of mistakes that you can learn from
You are now going to teach your classmates how to avoid the grammatical problem. Present the rules and the examples in a presentation or in a short film. Remember: You are the teacher now. Make a presentation that will help your classmates understand and remember the rules. Be creative, have fun!