Get it correct: Part (1)

Let's look at the following sentences:

1. Preparations towards the upcoming trip to the UK is on course.
2. Issues concerning education and health must be addressed well by governments because it is important for the citizenry.
3. A book and calculator have been stolen from my schoolbag.
4. The pastor and the head teacher is my father.
5. Between James and John, the former is more taller.
6. Between you and I, we must keep this matter a secret.
7. The two boys we saw are in my class and all are my friends.
8. A man and his wife live near us but none of them is friendly.
9. Our teacher, together with his wife and all their children, are travelling abroad.
10. Sammy and myself are going to do this work.
11. From the look of things, you, I and the boy must go home.
12. About 60 persons are said to be involved in the scandal.
13. Esi wore a white, silk, beautiful dress to the party.
14. Its unfortunate that even in this age and time, some children still drop out of school.
15. We know that God bless His righteous servants.
16. The 2022 BECE results have been released and candidates who worked hard say it is excellent.
17. The puppy is hungry but it's mother is nowhere to be found.
18. We have heard the news and they are interesting.
19. Elon Musk is no longer the most richest person in the world.
20. Water is life; in order words, without water, there is no life.

These sentences concern some of the topics we have treated in this column over the years and I want us to recap what we have learnt by determining whether the sentences are correct or incorrect.

If you say a sentence is incorrect, you must be able to pinpoint the thing that makes it incorrect, so that you will be confident enough to teach others or even convince them if they think otherwise.

For instance, sentence 1 is incorrect because the subject preparations does not agree with the verb is.

Preparations is plural and must agree with a plural verb, not a singular verb.

The correct sentence should, therefore, be:

Preparations towards the upcoming trip to the UK are on course.

(To be continued).