Which Four Errors? Prioritising in a Grammar Edit
A Class 10 grammar editing task asks students to correct a 90-word paragraph. The paragraph begins: 'Last week, our class visit the science museum. Each students were given a worksheet. I was so excited that I could not hardly wait. The guide, who was knowing the exhibits well, explain the working of the steam engine. We were asked to not touch the models, but one of my friend accidentally touched it. The teacher did not said anything, but she looked angrily.' The marking guide awards 4 marks for any four corrected errors, but the teacher, Mr. Naik, must decide which four to prioritize when a script contains more than four. One student corrected 'visit' and 'did not said' but left 'could not hardly' and 'each students were'. Mr. Naik is also aware that 'to not touch' is a style preference, not a grammatical error in most registers, and he does not want to penalize a student for it. He has 12 scripts left to mark and 20 minutes.
1. Name the four errors you would prioritize under the 4-mark guide and justify your ranking. Identify at least one error you would not penalize and explain why.
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Prioritize errors that are rule-governed, unambiguous, and meaning-affecting. My four: (1) 'Each students were' → 'Each student was' (subject-verb agreement; 'each' is singular). (2) 'could not hardly wait' → 'could hardly wait' (double negative; standard English treats 'hardly' as negative). (3) 'did not said' → 'did not say' (the auxiliary 'did' takes the base form). (4) 'visit' → 'visited' (past tense consistency with 'Last week'). I would not penalize 'to not touch' because both 'asked not to touch' and 'asked to not touch' are grammatical; the first is more formal, but the second is acceptable in standard usage. 'was knowing' → 'knew' is also a strong candidate, and 'one of my friend' → 'friends' is agreement; if the rubric allows only four, choose the four that recur or block meaning most. The student already corrected two of my four, so feedback should focus on the pattern.
2. The student asks why 'to not touch' was not counted. Explain the rule and the register issue in two or three sentences.
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Both 'asked not to touch' and 'asked to not touch' are grammatical. The first is the more formal and conventional order, especially in edited writing; the second is common and accepted. Because the task tests grammar, not house style, I would not deduct a mark for it; if the question explicitly tested formal register, I would note it as a style improvement, not an error.
3. Write a 40-word feedback note that names the pattern behind the student's remaining errors and gives one checking strategy.
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Your remaining pattern is agreement: singular subjects with plural verbs or pronouns - 'Each students were', 'one of my friend'. Before writing a verb, underline its subject and ask: singular or plural? Then check the verb and any pronoun that refers back. (40 words)