Page 60 - Grammar for Great Writing B

Common Errors

Common Error 4.1 Is the correct verb form used after will or may?

benefit
Studies have shown that regular meditation will to benefit people both physically and mentally.

RemembeR: Use the base form of the verb after will or may, not the infinitive (to + verb) form. Do not
add an -s, -ed, or -ing ending.

ACTIVITY 3 Common Error 4.1

Read each sentence. Underline the correct verb form in parentheses.

1. This paper (will to describe / will describe ) two ways employers use social media to hire workers and
(will evaluates / will evaluate ) each use.

2. Researchers hope that they (will finding / will find ) the causes of schizophrenia and that this discovery
(may helping / may help ) prevent the disorder.
3. Limiting the time children use electronic devices (will likely result / will likely results) in their
developing better social skills.

4. Power companies that charge customers too much (may to be / may be) responsible for repaying
them tens of millions of dollars.

5. Higher fees (may to lead / may lead ) many senior citizens to decide against reverse mortgages.
6. Although the results of this health and fitness study are not conclusive, they (will guiding / will guide)
future research.

7. Additional data from wildlife managers (may confirm / may confirms) that wolves and bears indeed
caused the decline in the elk population in the nation’s wilderness parks.

8. In order to begin solving their clean-water problems, some countries (may needing / may need ) to
supply their citizens with water filters and build water tanks to collect and filter rain.

Common Error 4.2 Do you need to use will or may?

will require
This experiment may require participants to record their daily exercise over the next three months.
may show
Further studies will show which types of exercise provide the greatest health benefits.

RemembeR: Use will to express strong certainty and may to express less certainty or possibility.

50 Unit 4 Writing about the Future

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
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