WRITING SKILLS

OPTIONAL TUTORIAL 2

Idioma Modern II

CHECKING YOUR WORK

The aim of this activity is to develop your skills in checking
(proof-reading) your written work.
Checking and correcting your text means that the reader will
be able to read it more easily.
The activity looks at your use of some language points in a
text specifically how to be consistent so that you dont
confuse the reader.
The tasks in this activity focus on typical mistakes with
verbs, personal pronouns and possessive words.
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CONSISTENCY IN VERB FORMS

Read this paragraph from a post about Life decisions
and decide what the main problem with it is.

I had to make a difficult decision

some years ago. I want to study,
but I didnt have the time. I was
working in a job I didnt enjoy
and Im looking for a change. A
friend suggested retraining for a
new career, while my parents say
I should stay where I was secure.
In the end, I choose to do a
course at the UOC and it was the
best thing I ever did.

Click to see the corrected paragraph. Compare it with

the original. Notice how it is different.

I had to make a difficult decision

some years ago. I wanted to
study, but I didnt have the time.
I was working in a job I didnt
enjoy and I was looking for a
change. A friend suggested
retraining for a new career,
while my parents said I should
stay where I was secure. In the
end, I chose to do a course at the
UOC and it was the best thing I
ever did.
The original paragraph mixed up past and
present tenses. The corrected text uses past simple
verbs consistently.
2

TENSE CONSISTENCY
The first use of the past simple had to tells
the reader that the events happened in the
past.
Check that the main events in the text
follow this pattern and use the past
simple.

Check that any other past tenses are

also consistent.

Check the ed endings of the regular

past simple verbs.

Check that irregular past simple verbs

are correct.

Check the verbs that often cause

problems with form such as modal verbs
like must and spelling such as choose.

I had to make a difficult decision

some years ago. I wanted to
study, but I didnt have the
time. I was working in a job I
didnt enjoy and I was looking
for a change. A friend suggested
retraining for a new career, while
my parents said I should stay
where I was secure. In the end, I
chose to do a course at the UOC
and it was the best thing I ever
did.
3

TENSE CONSISTENCY TASK 1

1 Find and correct four places where the incorrect
tense is used in this paragraph.

We were advised to invest our savings

in the stock market. It seemed like a
good idea at the time because
interest rates are very low. Then
suddenly, the markets crashed and
share prices fall. We lose about 30%
of our savings overnight. There was
nothing we can do except wait for the
markets to recover.

Click when you are ready to check your answer.

We were advised to invest our

savings in the stock market. It
seemed like a good idea at the
time because interest rates were
very low. Then suddenly, the
markets crashed and share
prices fell. We lost about 30% of
our savings overnight. There was
nothing we could do except wait
for the markets to recover.
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TENSE CONSISTENCY - TASK 2

1 Find and correct three incorrect tenses in this
paragraph.

Thinking about next year, I dont

think Ill still be working here. I
probably look for a temporary job
abroad. It might not be easy to find
at first, but something turns up. I
have a friend who lives in London
since 2014, so shell be able to help
me, Im sure.

Click when you are ready to check your answer.

Thinking about next year, I dont

think Ill still be working here. Ill
probably look for a temporary
job abroad. It might not be easy
to find at first, but something will
turn up. I have a friend who has
lived in London since 2014, so
shell be able to help me, Im sure.

CONSISTENCY IN OTHER VERB

FORMS
Find the inconsistencies in this paragraph giving
advice.

There are so many options open to

you. Think about activities such as
playing a team sport, join a choir,
getting out into the country or learn
to swim.

Click when you are ready to check your

answer.

There are so many options open to

you. Think about activities such as
playing a team sport, join a choir,
getting out into the country or learn
to swim.
The ing form playing is used at the start of
the list of activities. All the verbs following
this in the list should have the same form.

There are so many options open to

you. Think about activities such as
playing a team sport, joining a choir,
getting out into the country or
learning to swim..
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CONSISTENCY IN OTHER VERB

FORMS- TASK 1
Correct the inconsistent verb forms in this paragraph
about flat-sharing.

Its not always easy to share a flat.

The most common problems with
flatmates are to argue about
housework, paying the utility bills
and keep things tidy. Its a good idea
to agree to the rules from the start.

Click when you are ready to check your answer.

Its not always easy to share a

flat. The most common problems
with flatmates are arguing about
housework, paying the utility
bills and keeping things tidy. Its
a good idea to agree to the rules
from the start.

CONSISTENCY IN OTHER VERB

FORMS- TASK 2
Correct the inconsistent verb forms in this paragraph.

Before you start painting your house,

you need to do some preparation:
cover the furniture with a sheet, to
wear old clothes and cleaning the
surfaces. You shouldnt begin until
everything is prepared.

Click when you are ready to check your answer.

Before you start painting your

house, you need to do some
preparation: cover the furniture
with a sheet, wear old clothes
and clean the surfaces. You
shouldnt begin until everything
is prepared.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND

POSSESSIVE WORDS
The next set of tasks focus on using pronouns (her,
him etc) and possessive words (her, your etc)
consistently in your text.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND

POSSESSIVE WORDS
Read this paragraph from a text about new
relationships. Decide why it is confusing for the
reader.

After the first date with your new

girlfriend, then the second step is to meet
his friends. And of course, at some point
youll have to introduce him to your friends
too.

Click when you are ready to check your

answer.

After the first date with your new

girlfriend, then the second step is
to meet his friends. And of course,
at some point youll have to
introduce him to your friends too.
The noun and the pronouns are
inconsistent so the reader doesnt know if
its a girlfriend or boyfriend how can we
know which is correct, the noun or the
pronouns? We cant.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND

POSSESSIVE WORDS - TASK
1 Now change the paragraph so it is consistent and
correct. There are two ways of doing this.

After the first date with your new

girlfriend, then the second step is to meet
his friends. And of course, at some point
youll have to introduce him to your friends
too.

Click when you are ready to check your

answer.

After the first date with your new

girlfriend, then the second step is
to meet her friends. And of course,
at some point youll have to
introduce her to your friends too.
After the first date with your new
boyfriend , then the second step is
to meet his friends. And of course,
at some point youll have to
introduce him to your friends too.
10

PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND

POSSESSIVE WORDS
If the noun is boyfriend, any pronouns
referring back to boyfriend must be
masculine and singular.
Check what the first noun is. Is it
singular or plural?

Check that any possessive adjectives

match the noun they refer to.

my / your / his / her / its / our / your /

their

After the first date with your new

boyfriend, then the second step is
to meet his friends. And of
course, at some point youll have
to introduce him to your friends
too.

Check that any object pronouns match

the noun they refer to.

me / you / him / her / it / us / you /

them
Check that any possessive pronouns
match the noun they refer to.

mine / yours / his / hers / its / ours /

yours / theirs

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PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND

POSSESSIVE WORDS TASK
2 Now read the rest of the paragraph and make
changes to the pronouns so that it doesnt
confuse the reader.

Meeting her friends doesnt need

to be a disaster, but you need to
be prepared. When the day
comes and your guy brings their
friends, be aware that they will
talk about such boring topics that
you wont understand your
conversation. My advice is to
smile and agree with they. If you
get through this, youll be ready
for the next stage: meeting the
parents!

Click to see the correct version.

Meeting his friends doesnt need

to be a disaster, but you need to
be prepared. When the day comes
and your guy brings his friends,
be aware that they will talk about
such boring topics that you wont
understand their conversation.
My advice is to smile and agree
with them. If you get through
this, youll be ready for the next
stage: meeting the parents!
How did you do? If you need to, you can
revise the grammar via the Grammar
Reference in the classroom.

12

PERSONAL PRONOUNS AND

POSSESSIVE WORDS TASK
3 Now read this paragraph about the future.
Make five changes to the pronouns so that it
doesnt confuse the reader.

Its hard to know what life will be

like for my young niece, Anna.
Hes only three and so has her
whole life ahead of him. Your
parents, my sister and his
husband, have already started
saving money for her education. I
admire your planning and
organisation I guess thats
what being a parent means.

Click to see the correct version.

Its hard to know what life will be

like for my young niece, Anna.
Shes only three and so has her
whole life ahead of her. Her
parents, my sister and her
husband, have already started
saving money for her education. I
admire their planning and
organisation I guess thats what
being a parent means..
How did you do? If you need to, you can
revise the grammar via the Grammar
Reference in the classroom.

13

CHECKING YOUR WORK:

CONSISTENCY
Remember:
Try to leave some time between finishing your final draft and
checking it.

Make sure the verbs in your text are all in the correct tense.

If you have a list in your text, make sure all the main words
are the same grammatical form. For example. ing forms,
infinitives, infinitives without to.

Check that pronouns match the noun they refer to.

Check that possessive words match the noun they refer to.

Use the Grammar reference which is linked to from the

classroom.

Use the Essay Revision Checklist which is posted in the

classroom.

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