For most writing, your primary audience is readers who understand grammar. They may understand the meaning of badly-made sentences, but they’ll also recognize them as badly made and lose faith in the author.
Don’t be that author. We want to be taken seriously on all topics, even those about which we are not credentialed authorities. Except for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, nobody gets a pass for using poor grammar to write about the nation’s military defense. Our authorial voice and good writing ARE our only credential.
Copy and paste the sentences into a Reply field below. Edit or rewrite the sentences to correct any modifier errors you find. Make the smallest changes possible that correct the error. Leave any correct sentences alone.
THE QUIZ
- A dog appeared in my dream that seemed to have my father’s eyes.
- The assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts while biting his nails.
- Even wearing a helmet, a bicycle can still be quite dangerous.
- With forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
- Walter preferred female singer-songwriters unlike his sister.
- By booing the Commissioner at the ball park, he was embarrassed.
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Newspaperlessness 
1. A dog in my dream appeared to have my father’s eyes.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even riders wear a helmet.
4. With forty years of experience; you can trust us to provide quality care.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed at the ball park after he was booed.
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1. A dog that appeared in my dream had my father’s eyes.
2. The assistant was biting his nails while watching the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be dangerous even while the rider is wearing a helmet.
4. With forty years of experience, we promise you quality care.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter proffered female singer-songwriters.
6. After the Commissioner was booed at the ball park, he was embarrassed.
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1. A dog appeared that appeared in my dream seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2.The assistant, biting his nails, watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can be dangerous even while someone is wearing a helmet.
4. Forty years of experience guarantees quality care from us.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. Booing the commissioner at the ballpark resulted in his embarrassment.
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1. A dog that appeared in my dream seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2. The assistant bit his nails as he watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. Even when wearing a helmet, riding a bicycle can be quite dangerous.
4. With forty years of experience, we can be trusted for quality care.
5. Walter preferred female singer-songwriters to his sister.
6. When the commissioner was booed at the ballpark, he was embarrassed.
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3. Your bike needs a rider, or your helmet needs a wearer.
5. Walter loves his sister, but she doesn’t like female singer-songwriter.
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1. A dog in my dream appeared to have my father’s eyes.
2.While biting is nail, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, even wearing a helmet.
4. You can trust us for quality care, we have forty years of experience.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed by booing at ballpark.
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3. Your bike needs a rider. Your bike is still wearing the helmet.
6. You lose the point that the fans were booing the Commissioner.
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1.My fathers eyes appeared through a dog in my dream.
2. While bitting his nails, t he assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, while even wearing a helmet.
4. you can trust us for quality care, we have forty years of experience,
5. Walter preferred female singer-songwriters unlike his sister.
6. He was embarrassed, by booing the Commissioner at the ball park.
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*father’s
1. “appeared through a dog”?
3. Your bike needs a rider, or your helmet needs a wearer.
4. Needs a semicolon.
5. Still means he likes singers who are NOT LIKE his sister.
6. Sounds like he booed the Commissioner and was embarrassed to have done so.
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A dog in my dream appeared to have my father’s eyes.
The assistant bit his nails while he watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, even when wearing a helmet.
We have forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
The commissioner was embarrassed because of people booing him at the ballpark.
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3. Your bicycle is still wearing a helmet.
4. Needs a semicolon.
Otherwise very nice.
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1. A dog in my dream appeared to have my father’s eyes.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be dangerous even when wearing a helmet.
4. With forty years of experience, we provide you with quality care.
5. unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed at the ball park because he was being booed.
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3. Your bicycle is still wearing a helmet.
Otherwise, very nice.
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In my dream, a dog appeared that seemed to have my father’s eyes.
The assistant, while biting his nails, watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even if the rider is wearing a helmet.
We have forty years of experience, so you can trust us for quality care.
Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
The Commissioner was embarrassed when being booed at the ball park.
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Very nice throughout, Doughnut.
Unique solutions too, which is refreshing.
Just one thing, your Commissioner in your sentence isn’t necessarily embarrassed BY the booing (just during the booing).
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1. A dog that appeared in my dream with my fathers eyes.
2. Biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine.
3 A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even when the rider is wearing a helmet.
4. Our forty years of experience, gives you trust for quality care.
5. Unlike my sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. By booing the commissioner at the ball park the fans embarrassed him.
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1. Your version makes me realize for the first time that the dog might simply OWN your father’s eyes; they aren’t necessarily in the dog’s eye sockets. (Not your fault; just an observation)
3, 4, and 6 are very innovative; I’ve seen nothing quite like them in your classmates’ work.
5. Not YOUR sister, Walter’s sister.
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1.A dog that seemed to have my father’s eyes appeared in my dream.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be dangerous even if the rider is wearing a helmet.
4. You can trust us for quality care, we have forty years of experience.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. By booing the commissioner at the ball park, the fans embarrassed him.
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6. Brilliant.
4. Needs a semicolon.
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1. A dog appeared and seemed to have my father’s eyes in my dream
2. The assistant bit his nails and watched while the mechanic assemble the engine parts
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, even with a rider wearing a helmet.
4. You can trust us for quality care, we have forty years of experience
5. Walter, unlike his sister, preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed by the booing at the ball park.
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5. Brilliant and unique.
6. Doesn’t indicate that the fans were booing the commissioner.
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1. In my dream a dog appeared that seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. Riding a bicycle can still be quite dangerous even if a rider is wearing a helmet.
4. We have forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed by being booed at the ball park.
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Looks as if EVERYBODY copied 4 and NOBODY got the semicolon where it belongs.
6. Brilliant. “by being booed” says it all.
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1. In my dream a dog appeared to have my father’s eyes.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic.
3. Even while wearing a helmet, bicycles can be dangerous.
4. You can trust us for quality care, because we have forty years of experience.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The commissioner was embarrassed while being booed at the ballpark.
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3. Your bicycles are wearing a helmet.
4. Beautiful except the comma is an error.
6. To indicate that the booing (instead of something else) embarrassed him, you need to say he was embarrassed BY the booing not DURING the booing.
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1. A dog that appeared in my dream seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2. The nail biting assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even while wearing a helmet.
4. You can trust us for quality care due to our forty years of experience.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner at the ball park was embarrassed by being booed.
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2. I love the nail-biting assistant. Unique and quite correct.
3. Your bicycle is wearing a helmet.
4. “Due to” is hard to use correctly (wrong here) for pissy technical reasons. “Because of” is much safer.
6. Your stuff is good enough I feel I can nitpick. You could be referring to one of many Commissioners, this one the one at the ball park.
Otherwise very strong.
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A dog appeared in my dream, and it seemed to have my father’s eyes.
The assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts while he was biting his own nails.
Even when you wear a helmet, a bicycle can still be quite dangerous.
You can trust us for quality care because of our forty years of experience,.
Walter preferred female singer-songwriters, his sister shares a different opinion.
By booing the Commissioner at the ball park, the man was embarrassed.
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2. Doesn’t solve the problem. The mechanic might still be the nail-biter.
3. Good that you added a helmet wearer (you), but now YOU might not be riding the bike. (Yes . . . very picky.) How about: Bike-riding is dangerous even when the biker wears a helmet.
4. Brilliant.
5. Innovative. Needs a semicolon. Also, she doesn’t SHARE that opinion. The point of the sentence is that she and Walter DON’T share a preference.
6. Nope. In your version, the man (not the Commissioner) is embarrassed.
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1. A dog in my dream seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2. The assistant bit his nails while he watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be dangerous even if the rider is wearing a helmet.
4. We have forty years of experience, you can trust us.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed after being booed at the ballpark.
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Really nice.
Now for the picky part.
4. Needs a semicolon.
6. Did the booing embarrass the Commissioner, or something that happened afterwards? Solution: BY being booed.
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1. A dog in my dream appeared to have my father’s eyes.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even when wearing a helmet.
4. Due to forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The commissioner was embarrassed by people booing him at the ballpark.
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Very nice. Some unique solutions.
3. Your bicycle is wearing a helmet.
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A dog that seemed to have my father’s eyes, appeared in my dream.
The assistant was biting his nails as he watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
Even wearing a helmet while riding a bike, can still be quite dangerous.
With forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
Walter, unlike his sister, preferred female singer-songwriters.
The Commissioner at the ballpark was embarrassed from being booed at.
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Good work. Some unique solutions.
1. no comma.
2. clean
3. no comma. Also, in your version WEARING A HELMET is STILL QUITE DANGEROUS. Not what you meant.
6. “Embarrassed from” is odd. “Embarrassed by being booed”?
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1) A dog in my dreams seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2) While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine.
3) Even wearing a helmet, riding a bicycle can still be quite dangerous.
4) With forty years of experience, we provide you with quality care.
5) Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6) The Commissioner was embarrassed by being booed at the ballpark.
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Almost perfect.
3. I don’t know how you managed a unique error, but in your version “riding a bicycle” is “wearing a helmet.”
Otherwise very strong.
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1. A dog that seemed to have my father’s eyes, appeared in my dreams
2. While voting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be dangerous even while wearing a helmet.
4. You can trust us with quality care, with over forty years of experience.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer song-writers
6. The commission was embarrassed because of the people booing at the ballpark
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1. no comma.
2. “biting” his nails
3. Your bicycle is wearing a helmet.
4. Sounds as if the quality care has forty years experience. The comma doesn’t solve that misunderstanding.
5. singer-songwriters
6. This says the booing embarrassed him, but it DOESN’T say that the fans were booing the Commissioner.
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A dog that seemed to have my father’s eyes appeared in my dream.
The assistant watched the mechanic assembling the engine and biting his nails.
A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even if a helmet is worn.
With forty years of experience, we can be trusted for quality care.
Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
The booing embarrassed the Commissioner at the ball park.
LikeLike
I LOVE the brevity and forward drive of these sentences, RiceNoodles.
They’re not all unambiguous, but they’re beautiful.
I’m going to suggest some alternatives that “king” your checkers.
A dog with my father’s eyes appeared in my dream.
The nail-biting assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine.
Bicycle riding is dangerous even for riders wearing helmets.
Our forty years of experience guarantee quality care.
Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
Being booed at the ball park embarrassed the Commissioner.
These are a cheat on the instruction to “make the smallest changes possible,” but they are surely the smallest sentences possible. Thought you might appreciate them.
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1. A dog in my dream had my father’s eyes.
2. The assistant, while biting his nails, watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, even wearing a helmet.
4. With forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed because he was booed at the ball park.
LikeLike
Brief and brilliant and unambiguous except that your bicycle is still wearing a helmet.
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A dog in my dream seemed to have my father’s eyes.
The assistant watched, while biting his nails, as the mechanic assemble the engine parts
A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, even when wearing a helmet.
With forty years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
Walter preferred female singer-songwriters unlike his sister.
The Commissioner was embarrassed by booing at the ball park.
LikeLike
3. Your bike is wearing a helmet.
5. Doesn’t solve the problem. The singer-songwriters are still NOT LIKE his sister in your version.
6. Does not indicate that the booing was booing OF THE COMMISSIONER.
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1. A dog appeared in my dream that seemed to have my father’s eyes.
2. The assistant, while biting his nails, watched the mechanic assemble the engine’s parts.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous, even wearing a helmet.
4. With 40 years of experience, you can trust us for quality care.
5. Walter preferred female singers/songwriters, unlike his sister.
6. After booing the Commissioner at the ball park, he felt embarrassed.
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1. Your dream has eyes.
3. Your bicycle is wearing a helmet.
4. YOU, not the company, have 40 years experience.
5. The comma helps, but not as well as other solutions.
6. Who’s HE? Your sentence does not say. But your sentence makes clear that HE is not the Commissioner. Not what you intended.
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1. A dog that seemed to have my father’s eyes appeared in my dream.
2. The assistant watched the mechanic assembling the engine and biting his nails.
3. A bicycle can still be quite dangerous even if a helmet is worn.
4. With forty years of experience, we can be trusted for quality care.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The booing embarrassed the Commissioner at the ball park.
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Strong entries. Interesting choices.
2. That’s a busy mechanic.
3. The passive helps, but it could still be the bike wearing the helmet since you have no rider.
6. I like the brevity, but booing in your sentence isn’t necessarily the Commissioner being booed. That’s a loss.
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1. A dog that seemed to have my father’s eyes appeared in my dream.
2. The assistant bit his nails while watching the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. Even when wearing a helmet, a bicycle can still be quite dangerous.
4. You can trust us for quality care, we have forty years of experience.
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The Commissioner was embarrassed at the ball park because he was being booed.
LikeLike
3. Your bicycle is wearing a helmet.
4. Needs a semicolon.
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1. A dog in my dream appeared to have my father’s eyes.
2. While biting his nails, the assistant watched the mechanic assemble the engine parts.
3. A bicycle can still be dangerous even when wearing a helmet.
4. You can trust us for quality care, we have forty years of experience
5. Unlike his sister, Walter preferred female singer-songwriters.
6. The commissioner was embarrassed because people booing at the ballpark.
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Nice work, DogLover.
3. Your bicycle is wearing a helmet.
4. Needs a semicolon.
6. What we lose in your version is that the boos were directed at the Commissioner. Yours doesn’t specify.
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