You know the word. The sentence wants a different shape of it — and nothing underlines the mistake.
How this drill works, and why it is built this way›
Word-form errors were 6.1% of everything marked wrong in a corpus study of IELTS essays. They are also the errors students correct fastest once they can see them.
Drill V3 gives you a gap and four forms. Here there is no gap. You have to find the wrong form in a finished sentence — which is what proofreading actually is.
Three checks, in order. Does it follow a, the or an adjective? It should be a noun. Does it follow is, was or being? An adjective. Is it describing a verb? An adverb.
The wrong form almost always sounds fine, because it is the right word. That is why reading aloud will not catch it.
Worked example
The committee gave a detail account of how the funds had been spent.
detail → detailed
Answer: detailed
A plus a word plus account means the middle word describes the noun, so it must be an adjective. Detail is the noun. The point: look at what sits either side of the word, and the shape it needs will be obvious.
Moderate · CEFR B1around band 5 – 5.5change level:
The drill moves you up or down on its own. Two good sets and it gets harder; two hard ones and it steps back.
The band range is what this level practises for — it is a guide, not a score. Only your first answer to each item counts towards the level decision.
Your answers and explanations open after the set is complete, the attempt is saved and your email is verified.
