ESC Online Writing Center

Exercise 1: Advanced Noun-Verb Agreement

Each sentence contains at least one error in noun-verb agreement. Write the correct form of the incorrect verbs in the spaces below, then click "submit" to check your answers.

Question 1

Louise Erdrich, in her book "The Bingo Palace," detail the continuing story of Lipsha Morrisey, the young Native American man who try to find a comfortable identity for himself.

Answer

Louise Erdrich, in her book, "The Bingo Palace," details the continuing story of Lipsha Morrisey, the young Native American man who tries to find a comfortable identity for himself.

Question 2

Lipsha, along with many other characters in "The Bingo Palace," were introduced in an earlier Erdrich novel, "Love Medicine."

Answer

Lipsha, along with many other characters in "The Bingo Palace," was introduced in an earlier Erdrich novel, "Love Medicine."

Question 3

Anyone who reads either of these novels develop a sense of the experience of members of a distinct cultural group who want to come to terms with both their heritage and contemporary American life.

Answer

Anyone who reads either of these novels develops a sense of the experience of members of a distinct cultural group who want to come to terms with both their heritage and contemporary American life.

Question 4

A reviewer of "The Bingo Palace" stated, in The New York Times Book Review, that Erdrich "show us a place where love, fate, and chance are woven together like a braid; a world where daily life is enriched by a powerful spiritual presence."

Answer

A reviewer of "The Bingo Palace" stated, in The New York Times Book Review, that Erdrich "shows us a place where love, fate, and chance are woven together like a braid; a world where daily life is enriched by a powerful spiritual presence."

Question 5

Erdrich herself, in her book's acknowledgements, mention her father and grandfather as inspiration, among others. Actually, many people serves as inspiration for any writer.

Answer

Erdrich herself, in her book's acknowledgements, mentions her father and grandfather as inspiration, among others. Actually, many people serve as inspiration for any writer.

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