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Original poster

What's wrong with this sentence?

113 replies

MsAwesomeDragon · 15/09/2019 20:25

This is part of dd2s homework. She needs to identify three errors in this sentence, but she (and I) can only find 2.

The police managed to seize the robber and return Ellies handbag

OP posts:
ThePhoenixRises · 15/09/2019 22:05

She is not say returned?

ThePhoenixRises · 15/09/2019 22:07

Should it not read the word returned

Ignore the above post fuck knows what my brain though I was saying

trilbydoll · 15/09/2019 22:08

I think I was taught that if I wanted to put a comma before and I should consider using a semi colon and dispensing with and altogether. Pretty sure that would make the sentence very difficult to read!

elpth · 15/09/2019 22:10

Is the third error that there isn't a third error?
Though really I think you're onto it with the teacher expecting seize to be sieze.

clary · 15/09/2019 22:11

maybe returned ie they managed to seize and then returned rather than managed to return, which would be slightly odd. And then the apostrophe and full stop.

A comma before and is often acceptable, it's called an Oxfird comma. No need for one here tho IMHO.

clary · 15/09/2019 22:12

Aaargh Oxford comma!

theunperfectparent · 15/09/2019 22:24

The police, managed to seize the robber and return Ellie's handbag.

Iamtooknackeredtorun · 15/09/2019 22:28

Is it that the tenses have to match? So managed and returned. Rather than managed and return. Other than that I’m not sure.

popehilarious · 15/09/2019 22:28

I'd consider any comma to be clumsy, to be honest.

The police managed to seize the robber and return Ellie's handbag.

is perfectly correct.

If it said 'The police managed to seize the robber, and returned Ellie's handbag', the comma would be appropriate.

peachgreen · 15/09/2019 22:31

What Pope said. The comma is incorrect if it's "return".

Caramelblonde70 · 15/09/2019 22:31

No comma is needed. But police should have a capital P

popehilarious · 15/09/2019 22:35

Police doesn't need a capital P unless you're talking about a specific police force like Metropolitan Police. Or the pop group The Police, I guess.

Fink · 15/09/2019 22:35

If it were in the present tense you could have a confusion over whether the verb should be singular or plural, but as there's no difference between them in the past it can't be that.

I can honestly only see the two mistakes. Oxford comma is optional (although I favour it), omitting it isn't an error.

I'm also a teacher who can't always be bothered with some of the crappy homework dc come back with.

peachgreen · 15/09/2019 22:36

Police shouldn't have a capital P - it's not a proper noun. It should only have a capital P if you're referring to a specific force, e.g. Metropolitan Police.

peachgreen · 15/09/2019 22:38

Fink Isn't it an Oxford comma only when part of a list? So "fish, chips, and peas" - the second comma is an Oxford comma.

ToniBraxtonhicks · 15/09/2019 22:56

My very pedantic and literary DM would say there is a ‘to’ missing:

The police managed to seize the robber and to return Ellie’s handbag.

30under · 15/09/2019 23:00

It's not a case of robber vs burglar is it? One involves harm to the person but I can't remember which way round it is.

Lizsmum · 15/09/2019 23:16

And we dont know if Ellie was harmed so burgle/rob isn't relevant. I like starting sentences with and.

iklboo · 15/09/2019 23:30

The only time you really need a capital P for police is when you're talking about Sting & his mates or a specific named force.

Original poster
MsAwesomeDragon · 15/09/2019 23:32

She's only y5, so I think it is supposed to be a fairly easy mistake to spot. As a secondary teacher I really think I should be able to do any y5 homework (even though I teach maths and this is English).

DD has gone for putting the comma in, but I'm really starting to think the teacher is expecting seize to be sieze. All the spellings this week have been to do with I before e except after c. I'll let you know on Tuesday once it's been marked (although last year all homework just got a stamp to say it had been done, rather than being marked)

OP posts:
HereWeGoNow · 15/09/2019 23:56

The police managed to seize the robber and return Ellies handbag
The police managed to seize the robber and return Ellie's Handbag.

  1. Apostrophe for possession - Ellie's.
  2. Capital H for Handbag because it is an thing - Capital letter for person/place/thing
  3. Full stop to indicate period/end of sentence.
RuggyPeg · 16/09/2019 00:00

Caramel - no to the capital p and you never start a sentence with the word but

peachgreen · 16/09/2019 00:01

@herewegonow Er... "things" don't get capital letters. Only proper nouns (places/people) get capital letters. Not nouns.

Original poster
MsAwesomeDragon · 16/09/2019 00:27

I definitely know that handbag doesn't need a capital letter. If handbag needed a capital then so would police and robber because they're nouns too.

OP posts:
MrsJoshNavidi · 16/09/2019 00:27

herewegonow sorry, but you're talking rubbish!