faultypredication-wronglogicofsentenceconstruction

8/6/2019 FaultyPredication-Wronglogicofsentenceconstruction

1/4

Faulty Predication- Wrong logic of sentence construction

by Verbal Kitten - Saturday, 31 March 2007, 10:26 PM

So, you need a kitten to tell you about the CAT? Fair enough. Starting from today, we

will unearth every trap, every pitfall, and every dark alley of the English language. As aperson who loves the language, I like people who can write and speak English well. My

world is full of words. And by the time I am done with you, your world will be full of

words too.

Most of you are unaware that the biggest pitfall of the language is created by you

yourselves. Most of you MBA aspirants are trying to learn the language because its

something you have to do in order to clear your English section in CAT orGMAT. You cannot be far from the truth. You need to start loving the language

because your competency with the language is the most important tool you will need

when you are a manager. A good command over the language promotes effective

communication. And effective communication is necessary in every sphere of your life.Why? Heres why-

Corporate managers spend 60 percent of their day communicating orally in face-to-face

contexts.

Much of your time will be spent in meetings, international communication, interactionwith other employees, oral presentations, and using multimedia technology.

Studies indicate that persons who possess good communication skills also possess greater

critical thinking ability.In your personal life, communication exists as a dynamic and essential force in the

maintenance of relationships, and facilitates the development of a satisfied and healthyfamily.Communication, both oral and written, is identified as one of the biggest skills for

effective leadership.

So all you Hinglish mongers, learn English as if your life depends on it, because

it really does. To start with, we will take an easy topic in this article- Faulty Predication.

Faulty predication is when a subject and a predicate are connected to each other

illogically. A sentence with faulty predication tries to match a subject with an

inconsistent predicate or a verb that describes an activity that the subject of the sentencecannot carry.

Ha!

Did you read the first two sentences without a pause or a break in your reading? If you

did, you are one more unsuspecting victim of the silent killer called Faulty Predication.


2/4

Have a look at the sentences once again:

Faulty predication is when a subject and a predicate are connected to each other

illogically. (Faulty predication is not time)

Corrected: Faulty predication occurs when a subject and a predicate are connected to

each other illogically.

A sentence with faulty predication tries to match a subject with an inconsistent predicateor a verb that describes an activity that the subject of the sentence cannot carry. (A

sentence cannot try )

Corrected: The writer of a sentence with faulty predication tries to match a subject withan inconsistent predicate or a verb that describes an activity that the subject of the

sentence cannot carry.

Corrected: In a sentence with faulty predication, a subject is matched with an inconsistent

predicate or a verb that describes an activity that the subject of the sentence cannot carry.

In short, a faulty predication occurs when the subject and the predicate of a sentence donot make sense together. Faulty predication often goes unnoticed as the problem is not

with the grammar but with the logic (see the second sentence). The good part is that

expertise gained for solving faulty predication extends over to other areas of sentencecorrection techniques and resolves many doubts.

Here are some more demonstrations of faulty predication:

The company believes that the annual meeting of stockholders is a good opportunity forthe stockholders to meet the board of directors. (This sentence implies that the company

believes, but a company can do no such thing- only people can believe.)

Corrected: The chairman of the company believes that the annual meeting of stockholders

is a good opportunity for the stockholders to meet the board of directors.

The result of the recent elections gave a clean majority to the left party. (Result cannot

give)


3/4

Corrected: The result of the recent election was a clean majority to the left party.

Pay close attention to faulty predication involving is where, is when, andthe reason is because.

The greatest change in my life was when I moved away from the family. (change cannotbe time).

Corrected: The greatest change in my life occurred when I moved away from the family.

A vacation is where people get away from their busy lifestyle. (vacation is not a place).

Corrected: When on a vacation, people get away from their busy lifestyle.

The reason Verbal Kitten is gaining weight is because she eats lots of chocolates.

(The reason is because suffers from redundancy. The reason and is because essentially

mean the same thingboth phrases describe the cause. The reason is because is also

incorrect because the subject reason is a noun, and the verb is requires another noun or an adjective in order to complete the predicate)

Corrected: The reason Verbal Kitten is gaining weight is that she eats lots of chocolates.

Corrected: Verbal Kitten is gaining weight because she eats lots of chocolates.

By the way, I am NOT gaining weight. It was just an example.

Ok. Now try to solve some sentence correction questions based on faulty predication-

1. According to Henry David Thoreau, the reason a majority is allowed to rule is not

that it is more likely to be right, but because it is stronger.


4/4

faultypredication-wronglogicofsentenceconstruction

Documents