Learning English involves understanding the nuances of sentence structure, especially when it comes to subject-verb agreement and prepositions. One of the common questions that come up is how to phrase sentences that compare things between different countries. If you are learning English at the middle school level and want to improve your sentences, here’s a quick guide to help you correct common mistakes.
1. Analyzing the Sentence
The sentence ‘I think that it tastes is different between Japan and Australia.’ has a couple of issues. Let’s break it down:
- Incorrect subject-verb agreement: The phrase ‘it tastes is’ is grammatically incorrect. The correct construction would be ‘it tastes different.’
- Preposition confusion: The word ‘between’ is used to compare two entities, but in this context, we might want to use ‘in’ or ‘between’ with appropriate adjustments.
2. Correcting the Sentence
The correct way to phrase this sentence would be: ‘I think that the taste is different between Japan and Australia.’ or ‘I think that the taste is different in Japan and Australia.’
Here, we remove ‘tastes’ in the middle and fix the preposition. Both ‘between’ and ‘in’ are valid, but the choice depends on the exact meaning you wish to convey. ‘Between’ suggests a direct comparison, whereas ‘in’ is more general.
3. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are a few other things to keep in mind when forming sentences like these:
- Subject-verb agreement: Always ensure that the subject and the verb agree in number. In this case, ‘taste’ is a noun and should not be followed by the verb ‘tastes’ again.
- Preposition choice: Make sure to choose the right preposition (‘in’ or ‘between’) depending on the comparison you’re trying to make.
- Sentence clarity: Avoid extra words that make the sentence awkward or redundant, like ‘tastes is’.
4. Summary
English sentences, especially when making comparisons, should be structured carefully. By fixing subject-verb agreement and preposition use, you can improve clarity. The corrected sentence ‘I think that the taste is different between Japan and Australia.’ is grammatically sound and clear. Keep practicing to improve your English and avoid common mistakes!


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