Grammatical errors

AIM: To identify grammatical errors in a standard questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: The AUDIT questionnaire is a useful tool for assessing alcohol intake and its effects. The questions themselves can be asked in different ways, but need to be grammatically correct.

INSTRUCTIONS: For each of the following sets of questions, select the one which is grammatically correct.

AUDIT Question 1 *

How often have you drink alcohol?

How often you drink alcohol?

How often do you drink alcohol?

AUDIT Question 2 *

How many standard drinks have you on a typical day when you are drinking?

How many standard drinks did you have on a typical day when you are drinking?

How many standard drinks do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?

AUDIT Question 3 *

How often do you have six or more standard drinks on one occasion?

How often do you had six or more standard drinks on one occasion?

How often did you had six or more standard drinks on one occasion?

AUDIT Question 4 *

How often during the last year you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?

How often during the last year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you had started?

How often during the last year have you found that you did not able to stop drinking once you had started?

AUDIT Question 5 *

How often during the last year have you need a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session?

How often during the last year have you needed first drink in the morning to get yourself going after heavy drinking session?

How often during the last year have you needed a first drink in the morning to get yourself going after a heavy drinking session

AUDIT Question 6 *

How often during the last year did you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?

How often during the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drink?

AUDIT Question 7 *

Has you or someone else been injured because of your drinking?

Have you or someone else been injure because of your drinking?

Have you or someone else been injured because of your drinking?

AUDIT Question 8 *

How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happen the night before because you had been drinking?

How often during the last year have you unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?

How often during the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before because you had been drinking?

AUDIT Question 9 *

Has a relative, friend, doctor or other health care worker concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?

Has a relative, friend, doctor or other health care worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you have cut down?

Has a relative, friend, doctor or other health care worker been concerned about your drinking or suggested you cut down?

Please answer every question before continuing.

Many of the errors in this activity involved problems with agreement, that is, mismatches between auxiliary verb and main verb (how often have you drink? [correct = drunk]), or inaccurate formation of questions (how many you have?, how many have you? [correct = how many do you have?]).

FOLLOW-UP: To learn more about this area of grammar, consult a grammar reference book or check online (search for 'English auxiliary verbs', for example).

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