Why it matters on the HSPT
Modifier questions look for adjectives doing an adverb's job, comparisons built wrong, and words placed where they describe the wrong thing. They are spread across the usage items and the composition items, and they are easy to miss because casual speech breaks these rules constantly. He ran quick, she did good, and I could care less all sound normal and are all errors on the test.
The rules
Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Most adverbs end in ly. A quick runner, but she ran quickly. A careful driver, but he drove carefully. After a verb of action, you need the adverb. After a linking verb such as is, seems, looks, feels, tastes, or sounds, you need the adjective, because it describes the subject: the soup tastes good, the plan seems sound.
Good and well. Good is the adjective, well is the adverb. She is a good singer and she sings well. Well is also the adjective for health: he is not well today.
Bad and badly. Bad is the adjective, badly is the adverb. The milk smells bad, because smells is a linking verb. He played badly.
Fewer and less. Fewer for countable things, less for amounts. Fewer cars, less traffic. Fewer coins, less money.
Comparatives and superlatives. Compare two things with the comparative: taller, more careful, better. Compare three or more with the superlative: tallest, most careful, best. One-syllable adjectives take er and est. Most adjectives of two or more syllables take more and most. Never double up: more better and most tallest are wrong. The irregulars are good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; many or much, more, most; little, less, least.
Comparing the right things. The comparison must be between like things and must be complete. My score was higher than my brother is wrong; my score was higher than my brother's compares score to score. This car is faster needs a than to finish it in formal writing.
Double negatives. One negative per idea. Not, no, never, nothing, nobody, hardly, scarcely, and barely are all negatives. I do not have no money and he can hardly never see are double negatives. Fix by removing one: I do not have any money; he can hardly ever see.
Misplaced modifiers. A describing phrase attaches to the nearest noun, so put it next to the thing it describes. Running to the bus, my backpack fell open says the backpack was running. Running to the bus, I felt my backpack fall open fixes it. Watch especially for only, which changes meaning with position: only she ate the pie, she only ate the pie, and she ate only the pie mean three different things.
Worked examples
Example 1
Which sentence contains an error in usage?
A. The choir sang beautiful at the concert.
B. The choir sounded beautiful at the concert.
C. The choir sang beautifully at the concert.
D. No mistakes.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: A: A
Sang is an action verb, so it needs the adverb beautifully, as in sentence C. Sentence B uses beautiful after the linking verb sounded, where an adjective describing the choir is correct.
Example 2
Which sentence contains an error in usage?
A. Nadia did good on her science project.
B. Nadia did well on her science project.
C. Nadia's science project was good.
D. No mistakes.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: A: A
Did is an action verb, so it needs the adverb well. Sentence B is correct, and sentence C correctly uses good after the linking verb was.
Example 3
Which sentence contains an error in usage?
A. There were less students in the cafeteria today.
B. There was less noise in the cafeteria today.
C. There were fewer students in the cafeteria today.
D. No mistakes.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: A: A
Students can be counted, so the word is fewer, as in sentence C. Noise is an amount, so less in sentence B is correct.
Example 4
Which sentence contains an error in usage?
A. Of the two routes, the highway is the fastest.
B. Of the three routes, the highway is the fastest.
C. This route is faster than that one.
D. No mistakes.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: A: A
Two things are compared with the comparative, so it should be the faster of the two. Sentence B compares three and correctly uses the superlative, and sentence C compares two with faster.
Example 5
Which sentence contains an error in usage?
A. This puzzle is more harder than the last one.
B. This puzzle is harder than the last one.
C. This puzzle is more difficult than the last one.
D. No mistakes.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: A: A
More harder doubles the comparison. A one-syllable adjective takes er alone, as in sentence B, and a longer adjective takes more alone, as in sentence C.
Example 6
Which sentence contains an error in usage?
A. I could hardly hear the announcement.
B. I could not hardly hear the announcement.
C. I could not hear the announcement.
D. No mistakes.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: B: B
Hardly is already a negative, so not hardly is a double negative. Sentence A uses hardly alone and sentence C uses not alone, both correct.
Example 7
Which sentence is clearest?
A. Covered in mud, Mom would not let the dog inside.
B. Mom would not let the dog inside covered in mud.
C. Mom would not let the dog, covered in mud, inside.
D. Covered in mud, the dog was not allowed inside by Mom.
- A.A
- B.B
- C.C
- D.D
Show answer
Answer: C: C
The phrase covered in mud must sit next to the dog. In sentence A it attaches to Mom, and in sentence B it is far from the dog and could describe the house. Sentence D is clear but wordy and passive; sentence C is the cleanest fix.
Common mistakes
- Using an adjective after an action verb. Ran quick, sang beautiful, did good.
- Using an adverb after a linking verb. The soup tastes badly is wrong; it tastes bad.
- Less for countable things. Fewer people, fewer items.
- Doubling a comparison. More better, most fastest.
- Two negatives in one idea. Not never, can't hardly, don't have none.
Practice
Modifier errors appear in usage and grammar items, and misplaced phrases are a staple of the clarity questions in composition. The sentence structure lesson covers the other clarity problems.