Grammatical and semantic analysis of texts

The correct analysis of a text is not always possible for these reasons:

This page tells you about grammatical and semantic analysis. Rule numbers refer to ASD-STE100 issue 8.

Use a word only with the approved part of speech (rule 1.2)

The term checker finds approved nouns and approved verbs that have an incorrect part of speech. For example, the term checker gives a warning for each of these sentences:

If you get a warning for a term that is approved in your organization, add the term to disambiguation-projectterms.xml. For example, possibly stay or side stay is an approved noun. After you add the term, you will not get a warning about the part of speech.

In each example above, each word has only one part of speech. But, a sentence can contain a word that has an ambiguous part of speech. The table gives some examples:

A word is approved in ASD-STE100, but the part of speech is ambiguous
WordAmbiguous sentenceCorrect STE part of speechIncorrect STE part of speech
input (n) This is input to show you the problem. Noun: This is input to show you the problem.
(= This input shows you the problem. [Rule GR-4 is about the possible ambiguity of the pronoun this, but it is not applicable to this example.])
verb, passive voice: This is input to show you the problem.
level (adj, n) Make the aircraft level. adjective: Make the aircraft level.
(= Make the aircraft become level).
Intransitive verb: Make the aircraft level.
(= Do the procedure to level the aircraft.)
opening (n) The opening of the container is… Noun: The opening of the container is small.
(= The container has a small opening.)
verb: The opening of the container is easy.
(= To open the container is easy.)
felt (past participle) The felt covers were warm. Past participle: The felt covers were warm.
(= The covers that were felt by a person were warm.)
Noun: The felt covers were warm.
(= The covers that are made from felt are warm.)
filtered (adj) The pump supplies filtered water to the container. adjective: The pump supplies filtered water to the container.
(= Filtered water is supplied to the container by the pump.)
verb: The pump supplies filtered water to the container.
(= The pump supplies first filtered the water and then sent the water to the container. [Pump supplies is an item of equipment.])
operating system (TN, rule 1.5.19) Operating systems that are slow can cause problems. Noun: Operating systems that are slow can cause problems.
(= If an operating system is slow, problems can occur.)
verb + noun: Operating systems that are slow can cause problems.
(= If you operate systems that are slow, problems can occur.)
port authority (TN, rule 1.5.11) If this condition occurs, you must tell the port authority immediately. noun cluster: If this condition occurs, you must tell the port authority immediately. Adj + noun: If this condition occurs, you must tell the port authority immediately.
fire (n, v) This type of cartridge is resistant to fire. Noun: This type of cartridge is resistant to fire.
verb: This type of cartridge is easy to fire.
The example in danger (n) shows that fire is approved as a non-count noun.
No example
lock (v, TN) 3) The door locks. Noun [in a list of items]: 3) The door locks.
Intransitive verb [a step in a process]: 3) The door locks.
The example in CANNOT (v) shows that lock is a technical name. The examples in LOCK (v) show that lock is approved as a transitive verb and an intransitive verb.
No example
repair (n, v) Repair damaged covers. verb: Repair damaged covers.
(= Repair the covers that are damaged.)
Although the part of speech is correct, rule 2.3 tells you to use an article if it is applicable. A better sentence is 'Repair the damaged covers.'
Non-count noun: Repair damaged covers.
(= A repair caused damage to the covers.) The definition of repair is "The result when something is repaired". The non-count noun refers to the action of repairing, and is thus not approved.
last (adj, adv) Make the cover last. Adv: Make the cover last.
(= Make the cover after you make all the other items.)
verb: Make the cover last.
(= [Try to] increase the life of the cover.) The intransitive verb last has a meaning 'to continue to be serviceable or satisfactory'.
can (v modal) This can hit the cover. Modal verb: This can hit the cover.
(= It is possible for this item to hit the cover.)
Noun: This can hit the cover.
(= This container hit the cover.)

Usually, if the grammar is correct STE, the term checker does not give a warning if a word has an ambiguous part of speech.

The term checker gives a warning for a word that has an ambiguous part of speech

If a sentence is correct STE, the term checker gives only one part of speech to each word. But, if the grammar is not correct or if the text is not correct STE, the term checker can give 2 different parts of speech to a word.

The term checker has a set of rules with the name 'STE term checker: debug'. These rules find a word if it has two different parts of speech in a sentence. For example, the word this is approved as an adjective and as a pronoun. The word biweekly is unknown. In standard English, the word biweekly can be an adverb or a noun. Think about the sentence that follows:
The technician did not get this biweekly.

Two different analyses are possible for 'this biweekly' (adjective + noun, or pronoun + adverb). The term checker gives this warning:

The words 'this' and 'biweekly' each have 2 different parts of speech

The term checker gives part-of-speech warnings for some grammar errors

Although the term checker is not a grammar checker, it finds some grammar errors. For example, in standard English, the word problems is a a plural noun. It has no other part of speech.

This sentence is not correct:
The problems is not easy to correct.

Because the grammar is not correct, the term checker does not identify problems as a plural noun, and thus it gives a warning:

A grammar error can cause a part-of-speech warning

Use a word with its approved meaning (rule 1.3)

Each approved word in ASD-STE100 is approved with a specified meaning. For example, the word about means concerned with, not approximately. For other meanings, ASD-STE100 gives the alternatives approximately (adv) and around. The term checker gives a warning that a term is possibly misused for these conditions:

Usually, the term checker cannot tell you if you use a word correctly. It can only find the word and tell you to make sure that it is correct. (The Boeing Simplified English Checker has the same limit. "For example, although it is very difficult to detect approved and unapproved word senses, the Simplified English Checker does this in limited fashion.")

Many approved words in ASD-STE100 have meanings in standard English that are not approved in ASD-STE100. Because ASD-STE100 does not tell you about these meanings, the term checker does not give warnings. The table gives some examples:

A word is approved in ASD-STE100, but the meaning is incorrect
WordApproved meaningCorrect STEIncorrect STE
abrasive (adj) That can remove material by friction This material is abrasive. The manager is abrasive.
apply (v) To put or spread something on Do not apply too much pressure. These procedures do not apply to the modification.
authority (n) An official organization that gives approval to something Each authority uses a different procedure. Your manager has the authority to stop the test.
break (v) To cause to separate or become separated into parts by force Do not break the glass. Do not break the rules.
capacity (n) The maximum quantity that something can hold or make The capacity of the tank is 50 litres. In your capacity as manager, you must give instructions to the technical writers.
concentration (n) The strength of something contained in a mixture In a high concentration, this material is poisonous. Be careful. Your concentration is important to prevent accidents.
drain (v) To remove liquid Drain the system before you disconnect the components. Drain the battery before you disconnect the wires.
feel (v) To touch to find Carefully feel the heater to make sure that it operates. If you feel that the indication is incorrect, do the test again.
give (v) To provide This table gives examples of words that are used incorrectly. If the rope gives, stop the test.
hard (adj) Not easy to cut, not easy to go into or through Let the adhesive become hard. This procedure is hard to do.
right (adj) On the east side when you look north The indicator is on the right panel. Make sure that you get the right result.
start (v) 1) To begin a procedure, movement, or operation. 2) To come into being, activity, or operation The engine started because the technician pushed the START button. The technician started because of the sudden noise.
too (adv) More than is necessary or correct Make sure that the temperature is not too high. This computer is defective, too.

To give warnings to the technical writers in your organization, add rules for the words to grammar-projectterms.xml.

Use a word with its approved meaning (rule 1.3), multi-word terms

Two or more approved words that are used together can have an incorrect meaning. The term checker has rules for a small number of multi-word terms that writers frequently use incorrectly. The table gives some examples:

The words are approved in ASD-STE100, but the meaning is incorrect
Word(s) with an incorrect meaningApproved meaning(s)Incorrect STEAlternative
go (verb) To move to or from something For more information, go to www.techscribe.co.uk. refer to
on (preposition) Function word that shows contact, support, direction For instructions on how to clean the unit, refer to Appendix B. instructions about
point (noun) A sharp or tapered end, an accurate location At this point in time, the valve will open. time
where (conjunction) At, to, or in which location Where possible, do the inspection in the hangar. If possible

Refer also to When you use two words together, do not make phrasal verbs (rule 9.3).

Use technical names (rule 1.5): proper nouns

"The dictionary does not include technical names as approved words, because there are too many, and each manufacturer uses different technical names" (ASD-STE100 issue 8). You must add the technical names to disambiguation-projectterms.xml.

Some technical names are proper nouns:

To minimize the initial customization, the term checker shows a warning for these proper nouns:

The screenshot shows examples:

Frequently, capitalized text is a proper noun

Be careful if you deactivate a rule, because possibly, the term checker will not find an incorrect term. For example, if you write 'Federal Aviation Authority', the term checker will not show an error, but the correct term is 'Federal Aviation Administration'.

Refer also to

'Recognising entity names' in OWL Simplified English: a finite-state language for ontology editing

Use technical names: noun clusters (rule 1.5 and rule 2.1)

A noun cluster or more adjacent nouns (and possibly adjectives) before the last noun) that are one lexical unit.. "A noun cluster can be a technical name" (rule 2.2). But, not all noun clusters are technical names.

Rule 1.5.2 gives overhead panel as a possible a technical name. But, although the term dirty panel is a noun cluster (adjective + noun), it is not a technical name. A technical name is a lexical unit. The words cannot be separated. The table gives some examples:

Not all noun clusters are technical names
Termtechnical name?Alternative/comment
adhesive tape Yes Not correct English: tape of the adhesive
cable tension No tension of the cable
bottom bolt ? the bolt that is at the bottom
oil filter ? filter for the oil

The terms bottom bolt and oil filter are possible technical names. But, possibly, they are only noun clusters. You must decide. If a term refers to an item, then it is usually a technical name. If the first word in a noun cluster is an adjective that describes the condition of an item, then the adjective is not part of the technical name. Thus, in the noun cluster dirty overhead panel, dirty is an adjective, and overhead panel is a technical name.

Thousands of permutations of approved nouns are possible technical names. The rulegroup STE_RULE_1_5_POSSIBLE_TN helps you to find possible technical names. For example, think about the approved nouns source, control, and system. Twenty-seven permutations are possible. The screenshot shows some examples of possible technical names.

Combinations of 'source', 'control', and 'system' include 'source control system', 'source system control', and 'control control control'

The term checker gives messages only for approved terms that are possible technical names. The rule does not give a message for terms that contain unknown words or not-approved words. For example, the word port is not-approved as an adjective and it is approved as a noun (rule 1.5.5). The term port authority is a possible technical name. But, until you add the technical names to disambiguation-projectterms.xml, you will get a message for the not-approved adjective port.

Use STE_RULE_1_5_POSSIBLE_TN at the start of a project. After you find the technical names, add the technical names to disambiguation-projectterms.xml.

Refer also to

The disambiguator is different to the LanguageTool disambiguator

Use an unapproved word only if it is a technical name or part of a technical name (rule 1.6)

If a word is not-approved in the dictionary, you can use the word if it is a technical name that has a different meaning to the not-approved word. ASD-STE100 has examples of not-approved words in the dictionary that are approved as a technical names. The technical name can have the same part of speech as the not-approved word or it can have a different part of speech. The table gives some examples:

The words are not-approved in the ASD-STE100 dictionary, but they can be technical names
Not-approved wordIncorrect STECorrect STECorrect example is in
anchor (v) The straps are anchored to a full-length rail. Make sure that the anchor is down. DOWN (adj)
attention (n) Pay attention to the results. Attention: this procedure is not easy. No example, but the technical name is in rule 1.5.15
base (n) Make sure that the two spigots at the base of the unit engage. The base of the triangle is 5 cm. Rule 1.6
critical (adj) The condition of the radome is critical to its performance. At the critical temperature, stop the test. No example, but the technical name is in rule 1.5.7
film (n) Spread a film of compound on the surface of the disc. For information about thin film deposition, refer to www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1145751. Possible technical name, no example in ASD-STE100
guide (v) As you lower the pump, guide it on to the mounting bracket. Let the sleeve move up the guide tube. UP (prep)
idle (v) Idle the engine for 20 minutes. Operate the engine at idle for 20 minutes. idle (v)

Use American English spelling (unless other official directives tell you differently) (rule 1.14)

The term checker uses the LanguageTool spelling checker for STE terms. Thus, if you select English (American), and if you write the word colour, you will get a warning about the spelling. If you select English (British), and if you write the word yoctometer, you will get a warning about the spelling.

The term checker does not use the LanguageTool spelling checker for project terms.

For British English, the term checker uses the Oxford spelling

In British English, you can spell some words with s or with z. For example, energise and energize are correct spellings in British English. The z spelling is known as the Oxford spelling. Words that have the Oxford spelling have the language subtag en-GB-oxendict.

As much as possible, the term checker uses the spellings that are approved in ASD-STE100. Thus, the term checker uses the Oxford spelling. You will get an error message if you write energise. If you want to use the s spellings, delete the applicable rules that are in PROJECT_RULE_1_14 in grammar-projectterms.xml and add the terms to disambiguation-projectterms.xml.

A spelling checker does not find all spelling errors

A spelling checker finds spelling errors. Usually, a spelling checker does not find an error if a word has a correct spelling, but the meaning or the part of speech is not correct. In British English, the sentences that follow are not correct:
1) The manager lost his check book.
2) The license fee is too much.
3) It is necessary to meter the flow of water.
4) The length is approximately 3 meters.
5) Be careful when you practice karate.
6) Use gray paint only.
7) THE PAINT IS GRAY.
8) USE GRAY PAINT IN THIS TEST.
9) The tire pressure is not correct.
10) Slowly inflate the tires.

The Microsoft Word spelling checker finds one error (sentence 6):

The Microsoft spelling checker finds one error'

The LanguageTool spelling checker finds one error (sentence 2):

The LanguageTool spelling checker finds one error'

If you use British English for the STE checks, the LanguageTool spelling checker does not find spelling errors for the nouns meter and tire. (The noun check in the noun cluster check book is correct. The term checker has no semantic information to know that the correct spelling is cheque book.)

The term checker finds a spelling error for 'gray'

For a very small number of project terms, the correct spelling is dependent on the language variant (the locale).

For British English, to get a full analysis for the term gray (unit of measurement or incorrect spelling of the adjective grey), you must select the rule for the word gray from the STE Project Rules tab. (Refer to the rule PROJECT_APPROVED_WORD_INCORRECT_SPELLING_gray_GRAY in grammar-projectterms.xml.)

The verb tire is correct in British English. The noun tire is not correct. You must use tyre. The noun tire is approved in disambiguation-projectterms.xml. (If you do not use British English for the STE checks, you can delete the noun tire.) The term checker does not give a warning for the noun tire (but it identifies tire pressure as a possible technical name).

When applicable, use an article or demonstrative adjective before a noun (rule 2.3)

This rule is necessary for these reasons:

An approved count noun is used as a non-count noun with an incorrect meaning
NounNon-count noun, incorrect STECount noun, correct STE
connection Incorrect connection will cause damage. An incorrect connection will cause damage.
change This vending machine does not give change. Write the change in the logbook.
conjunction Conjunction of the planet with the sun will occur in February 2099. A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, and clauses.
cover Your policy gives cover against damage that is caused by subsidence. Put the cover on the container.
entry Entry to the building after 17:00 is not permitted. Make an entry in the log card.
gear Remove unwanted gear from the work area. Remove the gear from the spindle.
method There is method in his madness. If the special tool is not available, use an alternative method.
port Port is a type of wine. The ship is in a port.
procedure Standard procedure is as follows: The standard procedure is as follows:
An approved count noun is used with a preposition to make an idiom or an adverbial phrase
NounPreposition + non-count noun, incorrect STECorrect STE uses a different word
accident The cover broke by accident. The cover broke accidentally.
connection In connection with the documentation, the technical writers found errors. The technical writers found errors with the documentation.
hand Try to lift the cover by hand. Try to lift the cover manually.
hand Make sure that the tool is subsequently on hand for the installation procedure. Make sure that the tool is subsequently available for the installation procedure.
hand The two procedures go hand in hand. The two procedures are related.
guard To prevent accidents, always be on guard. To prevent accidents, always be careful.
length At length, the technician found the cause of the error. After much time, the technician found the cause of the error.
note The information in Table B is of of note. The information in Table B is important.

Rule 2.3 tells you, "When applicable, use an article (the, a, an) or a demonstrative adjective (this, these, that, those) before a noun or a noun cluster." The instruction is not correct. Do not use that or those before a noun or a noun cluster, because these words are not approved as demonstrative adjectives:

(TechScribe sent a change form to the STEMG about this specification error.)

Do not use a singular determiner before a non-count noun

Rule 2.3 does not give examples of a singular article that is used incorrectly with a non-count noun. But, rule 2.3 is applicable. The table gives examples:

An approved non-count noun is used as a count noun with an incorrect meaning
NounCount noun, incorrect STENon-count noun, correct STE
air The cat had an air of supreme indifference. Cold air comes out of the outlets.
condensation A large condensation of the document is necessary. The cold temperature caused condensation on the window.
gravity The oil has an unusually low API gravity. Gravity is the force that causes something to fall to the ground.
iron A hot iron can burn you. Steel is made from iron.
performance We want a good performance from you. Fuel leaks can decrease engine performance.
tin Did the technician use a screwdriver to open a tin of paint? Tin is a soft shiny metal.
wood A wood is a small forest. Wood is a good insulation material.

For your project, if a non-count noun in the term checker is a technical name or part a technical name, add the technical name to disambiguation-projectterms.xml.

An article is a type of determiner. These other determiners are not used with non-count nouns: another, each, either, every, neither, one. Refer to Determiners and types of noun (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/determiners-and-types-of-noun). Although some of these determiners are not approved terms, the rule finds errors if a noun-count noun is used with these determiners.

Conjoined noun phrases can be ambiguous

A conjoined noun phrase is two smaller noun phrases that are joined by and or or. Some conjoined noun phrases are ambiguous. Think about the sentence that follows:
The area is a wet sand and gravel strip adjacent to the building.

Two interpretations are possible:

  1. The area is (wet sand) and (a gravel strip) adjacent to the building.
  2. The area is a wet (sand and gravel strip) adjacent to the building.

The rules in the term checker use the chunker. For the example sentence, the chunker identifies a and gravel as the start of noun phrases. This is equivalent to the first interpretation. Thus, the term checker give two warnings for rule 2.3. The warning for sand is because sand is approved as a non-count noun. The warning for strip is because strip is approved as a count noun:

The sentence 'The area is a wet sand and gravel strip adjacent to the building.' has  2 interpetations'

Use the approved forms of a verb to make approved tenses (rule 3.2)

Be + to + infinitive is approved with only some meanings

The structure be + to + infinitive is approved, as shown in these examples from ASD-STE100:

If be + to + infinitive is used as a command or to refer to some types of future action, then it is not correct STE.

'be + to + infinitive' is used with an incorrect meaning
MeaningIncorrect STECorrect STE
command The indications are to agree with those in Table 2. The indications must agree with those in Table 2.
command You are not to do the procedure without approval. You must not do the procedure without approval.
future action Tell the ground crew that you are to operate the system. Tell the ground crew that you will operate the system.
future action The Accident Report is to include information about the …. The Accident Report will include information about the ….

Emphatic do is not an approved tense

Emphatic do has this structure: do + infinitive (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/ask_about_english/071112/). Emphatic do is used to emphasize the primary verb.

Although emphatic do is not a large problem with most technical texts, the term checker has a rule to find emphatic do. Examples of emphatic do:

Sometimes, text can be analysed in 2 different ways. For example, "When you do work on the engine, make sure that…" has 2 grammatical interpretations:

This ambiguous text is not a problem. The term checker does not find do work.

Use only the active voice in procedural writing (rule 3.6)

The sentence, "The wires were disconnected by the technician" is in the passive voice. The passive voice is not permitted in a procedure.

ASD-STE100 rule 3.3 gives this example in which the past participle disconnected is an adjective that shows the condition of the wires: "The wires are disconnected."

But, the sentence has 2 grammatical interpretations. Without context, you cannot know if the sentence is active voice or passive voice:

Persons use their knowledge of the world to disambiguate text:

A typical spelling checker can disambiguate these texts, because knowledge is put into the rules. For example, the term waiter can be specified as a human agent.

Knowledge of the world is not in the term checker. Thus, the term checker does not disambiguate the passive voice and the past participle as an adjective after the verb BE. The rule for passive voice always gives a warning.

Refer also to

Participial Adjectives (www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/adjectiv/particip.htm)

Passives (www.cs.ox.ac.uk/files/217/passives.pdf)

Use an approved verb to describe an action (not a noun or other part of speech) (rule 5.1)

The term checker does not have sufficient 'intelligence' to know when a word is used correctly. For example, think about these sentences:

The message in the term checker tells you that possibly, you can use an approved verb as an alternative to the approved noun. That message does not tell you that you must use an approved verb.

Use hyphens (-) to connect closely related words (rule 8.2)

Rule 8.2 tells you how to use hyphens to connect words or parts of words.

The term checker ignores these hyphenated terms:

Rule 8.2 tells you that "a hyphen is different from a dash, which keeps words apart, indicates a range, or shows a pause". The term checker rule finds a hyphen that is possibly incorrectly used as a word separator if a word before the hyphen or after the hyphen is approved. If the hyphenated term is correct, add the hyphenated terms to disambiguation-projectterms.xml. (Rule 1.1 finds all unknown terms, thus, for many hyphenated terms, you will get 2 warnings.)

When you use two words together, do not make phrasal verbs (rule 9.3)

The term checker finds some phrasal verbs if the parts of the phrasal verb are together. For example, the term checker finds the two phrasal verbs that are examples in rule 9.3 (put out and give off).

The term checker does not find a phrasal verb if a noun or a noun phrase is between the parts of the phrasal verb.

Some phrasal verbs cause many incorrect warnings. Usually, a person uses knowledge of the world to know if a term is a phrasal verb. The term checker does not have this knowledge. The examples in the table show that go through can be a phrasal verb and it can be a verb that is followed by a preposition.

'go through' can be a phrasal verb or a verb + preposition
ExampleComment
The water must go through the filter. Correct STE (verb + preposition)
The technical writer must go through the document. Incorrect STE (phrasal verb)
If the scratch goes through the protective layer, discard the unit. Correct STE (verb + preposition)
The technician went through the tunnel. Correct STE (verb + preposition)
The material goes through this process: Incorrect STE (phrasal verb)

The term checker cannot tell you if you use a term correctly. It can only find the term and tell you to make sure that it is correct.

The pronoun "this" (GR-4)

GR-4 tells you to make sure that the reader knows what the pronoun this refers to. The example is "Make sure that the cover is not locked (this can cause damage to the probe.)"

GR-3 tells you that a pronoun refers back to a person, a place, or a thing. But, a pronoun can also refer forward. This forward reference makes a sentence more difficult than necessary. For example, think about these two sentences:

For the first sentence, the term checker gives a warning for the pronoun this, which is a forward reference to the noun sequence.
The pronoun 'this' is a forward reference

Dictionary, forms of approved words, page 2-0-5

The dictionary shows only the singular form of each approved noun. The plural form of a count noun is permitted unless the dictionary tells you that it is not approved. The dictionary does not tell you if a noun is a count noun or a non-count noun.

In standard English, a noun can be a count noun with one meaning and a non-count noun with a different meaning. A good example is the noun damage. The noun is approved in the dictionary. It has the meaning, "The result of an occurrence that causes deterioration of the condition of something". For this meaning, the noun is a non-count noun.

The plural noun damages has the meaning, "compensation in money imposed by law for loss or injury" (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damage).

The dictionary does not tell you that the plural noun damages is not an approved noun. The term checker has a rule that finds damages and a small number of other plural nouns. The rule tells you to use the singular form of the noun. If the plural noun is approved for your documentation, add it to disambiguation-projectterms.xml.

Some technical names are not specified

Some approved examples in the dictionary contain words that are used as technical names, but which are not specified as technical names. Some of these words are not-approved in the dictionary. The term checker gives a warning for these words. Some examples are as follows:

Some approved examples contain unspecified TNs

If a term is approved, to prevent a warning, add the term to disambiguation-projectterms.xml.

Subject-verb agreement in prepositional phrases

A subject must agree with its related verb. In a simple sentence, errors are easy to find.

Subject-verb agreement in plural prepositional phrases

If a plural prepositional phrase is between a singular subject and the verb, errors are not always easy to find. Also, in standard English, specially British English, collective nouns can have a singular verb or a plural verb. Refer to 'Collective Nouns and Verb Agreement' ( https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/eb/qa/Collective-Nouns-and-Verb-Agreement.

A rule finds errors of subject-verb agreement if a singular subject is before a plural prepositional phrase. The rule also finds some errors for adverb phrases that do not have a comma after the adverb phrase (in the examples, At the time of the explosion and In the course of the 19th century):
Examples of  errors in subject-verb agreement

For the example, "A group of safety personnel were in the hangar.", you cannot see a green background on the word personnel because the rule for noun clusters (rule 1.5 and rule 2.1) is selected and it gives a yellow background to the term safety personnel. A message for the subject-verb agreement is in the lower part of the screen, but to see the green background, you must deactivate the rule for noun clusters.

Subject-verb agreement in singular prepositional phrases

A rule finds errors of subject-verb agreement if a plural subject is before a singular prepositional phrase:
Examples of  errors in subject-verb agreement

This rule will be available in the April 2024 version of the term checker.

The term checker cannot give an analysis of more than one sentence

The term checker uses LanguageTool. An XML grammar rule in LanguageTool can give an analysis of only one sentence. A rule cannot give an analysis of two or more sentences. Some errors are dependent on context, and the term checker does not always find these errors. Think about these examples:

The first example is correct because the words in the list are nouns. The second example is incorrect because the words in the list are verbs. (Also, the noun actions is not approved.) The term checker cannot use the first sentence of each example to give a correct analysis of items in a list.

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