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 a
person 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 it’s
something “you have to do in order to clear your English section in CAT or
GMAT.” 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? Here’s 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, interaction
with 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 healthy
family.
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 sentence cannot 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.

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 predicate
or 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 with
an 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 do
not 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 sentence
correction 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 for
the 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)
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,’ and
‘the reason is because.’

The greatest change in my life was when I moved away from the family. (change cannot
be 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 thing—both 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.
(A) the reason a majority is allowed to rule is not that it is more likely to be right, but
because it is stronger
(B) a majority is allowed to rule not because it is more likely to be right, but because it is
stronger
(C) the reason for majority rule is not because they are more likely to be right, they are
stronger
(D) the majority is allowed to rule because of its strength, not because it is more likely to
be right
(E) the reason why the majority rules is that it is strong, not because it is likely to be right

2. The only way for growers to salvage frozen citrus is to process them quickly into
juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather returns.
(A) to process them quickly into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer weather
returns
(B) if they are quickly processed into juice concentrate before warmer weather returns to
rot them
(C) for them to be processed quickly into juice concentrate before the fruit rots when
warmer weather returns
(D) if the fruit is quickly processed into juice concentrate before they rot when warmer
weather returns
(E) to have it quickly processed into juice concentrate before warmer weather returns and
rots the fruit

3. The technical term “pagination” is a process that leaves editors, instead of

printers, assemble the page images that become the metal or plastic plates used in
printing.
(A) is a process that leaves editors, instead of printers, assemble
(B) refers to a process that allows editors, rather than printers, to assemble
(C) is a process leaving the editors, rather than printers, to assemble
(D) refers to a process which allows editors, but not to printers, the assembly of
(E) has reference to the process leaving to editors, instead of the printer, assembling

4. The domesticated camel, which some scholars date around the twelfth century
B.C., was the key to the development of the spice trade in the ancient world.
(A) The domesticated camel, which some scholars date
(B) The domesticated camel, which some scholars having thought to occur
(C) Domesticating the camel, dated by some scholars at
(D) The domestication of the camel, thought by some scholars to have occurred
(E) The camel’s domestication, dated by some scholars to have been
Answers: 1- B, 2- E, 3- B, 4- D