How editing questions work
Most editing items sit inside a passage. A sentence contains a drop-down menu, and you choose the option that makes the sentence correct. The menu usually changes only one or two words or one punctuation mark, so compare the choices first and ask what is different about them. That difference tells you which rule is being tested.
Always read the whole sentence with your choice in place, and often the sentence before it too. A verb that looks fine alone may not match a subject five words earlier, and a pronoun may not match a noun in the previous sentence. If two options both seem correct, pick the one that is shorter and clearer.
Complete sentences: fragments, run-ons, and comma splices
A complete sentence has a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. A fragment is missing one of these. “Because the shipment was late” has a subject and a verb, but the word because leaves the thought unfinished. Attach it to a main clause: “Because the shipment was late, the store reopened on Friday.”
A run-on joins two complete sentences with no punctuation. A comma splice joins them with only a comma. Both are errors, and both have the same four fixes.
- Use a period and start a new sentence.
- Use a semicolon between the two sentences.
- Use a comma plus a joining word: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
- Make one part dependent with a word such as because, although, when, or since.
Worked example
Fix this sentence from a clinic notice: “The clinic opens at 8 a.m., patients should arrive ten minutes early to complete forms.”
- Find the subjects and verbs: “the clinic opens” and “patients should arrive.” That is two complete sentences.
- Notice the connection: only a comma joins them, so this is a comma splice.
- Choose a fix that keeps the meaning: “The clinic opens at 8 a.m., so patients should arrive ten minutes early to complete forms.”
- Check the other options: a period or a semicolon after “8 a.m.” would also be correct. A comma alone, or no punctuation at all, would not.
Agreement: subject-verb and pronouns
A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. The trap is a phrase between the subject and the verb. In “The list of approved vendors is posted by the copier,” the subject is list, not vendors, so the verb is is. Cross out prepositional phrases (of vendors, in the office, with the new forms) to find the real subject.
Words such as each, everyone, either, and neither are singular: “Each of the drivers has a route.” With or and nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject: “Neither the manager nor the clerks were told.”
Pronouns must match the noun they replace and must point to one clear noun. “When Ana called Rosa, she said the meeting was canceled” is unclear, because she could mean either woman. Rewrite with a name. For pronoun case, drop the other person to test it: “Marcus and I will cover the shift” works because “I will cover” works. After a preposition, use the object form: “between you and me,” “for him and her.”
Commas and apostrophes
Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase (“After the meeting, staff returned to their desks”), before a joining word that links two complete sentences, between items in a series, and in pairs around extra information that could be removed (“Ms. Patel, who started in May, will train new hires”). Do not put a single comma between a subject and its verb.
Apostrophes show possession or a missing letter. Add ’s to a singular noun (the manager’s office) and just an apostrophe to a plural noun ending in s (the managers’ offices). Plurals that do not end in s take ’s (the children’s clinic). Never use an apostrophe to make a plain plural. Possessive pronouns have no apostrophe: its, yours, theirs. It’s always means “it is” or “it has.”
Worked example
Correct this sentence: “The companys new policy changes it’s rules for overtime, and all employees vacation requests.”
- “companys” shows ownership of the policy by one company, so it becomes company’s.
- “it’s rules” does not mean “it is rules,” so use the possessive its.
- The vacation requests belong to many employees, so the plural possessive is employees’.
- The comma before “and” joins a phrase, not a complete sentence, so remove it.
- Corrected: “The company’s new policy changes its rules for overtime and all employees’ vacation requests.”
Modifiers, parallel structure, confused words, tense, and capitals
A modifier must sit next to the word it describes. “Walking into the office, the printer was jammed” says the printer was walking. Fix it by naming the person: “Walking into the office, Dev saw that the printer was jammed.”
Items in a list or comparison need the same grammatical form. “The job requires lifting boxes, to answer phones, and data entry” mixes three forms. Make them match: “lifting boxes, answering phones, and entering data.”
Keep verb tense consistent unless the time actually changes. A memo that begins “Last week the team finished the audit” should not switch to “and then they submit the report.” Use submitted.
- their (belongs to them), there (a place), they’re (they are)
- your (belongs to you), you’re (you are)
- then (time), than (comparison)
- affect (usually a verb), effect (usually a noun)
- accept (take), except (leave out)
- Capitalize names of specific people, places, organizations, days, months, and holidays. Capitalize a title before a name (Mayor Lee) but not alone (the mayor). Do not capitalize seasons or general words such as city or company.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to know grammar terms for the GED?
- No. Questions ask you to choose the correct or clearest version of a sentence. Knowing the rules matters more than knowing their names.
- How can I tell which rule an editing question is testing?
- Compare the answer choices and find what changes between them. If only the verb changes, check agreement or tense. If only punctuation changes, check sentence boundaries and comma rules.
- Is it OK to start a sentence with “because” or “and”?
- Yes, as long as the sentence is complete. “Because the bus was late” alone is a fragment, but “Because the bus was late, I missed the meeting” is correct.