短文改错是考查考生在理解的基础上对语篇整体的识错、纠错能力，必须从全篇考虑，而不能只顾一句或一行。要理解文章的谋篇布局，弄清楚整篇文章的意思。在阅读过程中，要注意行文逻辑、文章的时态以及人称等。
尽管短文改错是以行设置错误的，但语言毕竟是以句子为完整意义单位的。所以，可以逐句分析，看看单句是否有错；如果有错，有几处错误，是什么错误，再看看错误在哪一行。把“短文改错”转化为“单句改错”，然后再在行中找错，这样就会降低难度。
短文改错常有9个考点设置
考点设置1：时态命题特点及改正方法：现在时与过去时的误用，句中一般没有时间状语。每年都考。要注意联系上下文，着眼于整个语篇的时态。通常整篇都是过去，突然一个句子用现在时。其中又以一般现在时和过去时互改为多。
例句：
1.They did not want me to do any work at home; they want me to devote all my time to my studies so that---（did改为do）
2.The time passes quickly. Evening came.（passes改为passed）
3.She liked it very much and reads it to the class.（reads改为read）
4.I don’t know that they don’t like to talk with me.Sometimes, we talked to each other very well in class.（talked改为talk）
5.I will write again and send you the photos we take together.（take改为took）
6.We had guests last night who have not stayed in a B&B hotel ago.（have改为had）
命题特点改正方法：1）谓语动词和非谓语动词的错用；
2）动词不定式和动名词的错用；
3）现在分词和过去分词的错用等。
例句：
1.Earning their own money allow them to spend on anything as they please.（allow改为allows）
2.My parents will do all they can make sure that I get a good education.（make前加to）
3.Soon I began to enjoy talk to myself on paper as I was learning to express myself in simple English.（talk改为talking）
4.We fed monkeys, visiting temples and told stories.（visiting改为visited）
5.Some students may also to save up for our college or future use.（去掉to）
命题特点:本来用复数,却用单数.
改正方法:(1)根据名词前的修饰限定成份;
(2)根据上下文的逻辑关系.
例句：
1.She said that she and my schoolmate all wished me success.（schoolmate改为schoolmates）
2. After class we become stranger at once.（stranger改为strangers）
3. They want me to devote all my time to my studies so that I’ll get marks in all my subject.（subject改为subjects）
4. On the way up I was busy taking picture since the scenery was so beautiful.（picture改为pictures）
5. There are advantage for students to work while studying at school.（advantage改为advantages）
6. He had no ideas that the kitchen was not for guests.（ideas改为idea）
7. I looked at his other hands. （hands改为hand）
考点设置4：代词
命题特点：
1.女性代词指代男性或相反；
2.单数指代复数；
3.代词词性误用。
改正方法：联系上下文的逻辑关系。
代词的错误特点：
1.人称代词的偷换错误
2. 缺少人称代词的错误
3. 人称代词数的一致问题
4. 人称代词格的一致问题
例句：
1.The Smiths did his best to make me feel at home.(his改为their)
2.I have a good friend who’s name is Liu Mei.( who’s改为whose)
3.It was about noon when we arrived at the foot of the mountain. The three of them were very excited.（them改为us）
4.Soon I began to enjoy talking to myself on paper as I was learning to express me in simple English .（me改为myself）
5.One day I wrote a little story and showed to my teacher .（showed后加it）
6.Some students may also save up for our college or future use .（our改为their）
7.I took it in me and we walked. （me改为mine）
考点设置5：介词
命题特点及改正方法：介词涉及搭配错误，因此可从以下方面确定错误：
1）介词的基本用法；
2）习惯搭配；
3）动词词类确定错误，如talk,, serve, wait等。
介词的错误：
介词短语常常考，
固定搭配要记牢。
介词后边跟宾语，
结合语境细推敲。
例句：
1.We do not seem to get much time to talk about together.（去掉about）
2.I was so tired that I fell asleep at the moment my head touched the pillow. （去掉at）
3.The main problem was in that I always thought in Chinese and tried to translate anything into English.（去掉was后的in）
4.We’ll talk with our plan for the weekend over dinner.（with改为about）
5.I am writing to thank you with your kind help. （with改为for）
6.He was looking for a glass the cupboard. （glass后加in）
7.Each these lines stands for a trouble in my life. （each后加of）
命题特点：主要考查and、or、but、so等并列连词的误用。
However与although/though不能同时出现
改正方法；1）根据句意确定误；
2）根据句子的逻辑关系确定错误。
例句：
1. She is smiling at me but nodding at me.（but改为and）
2.It looks as if my parents treat me as a visitor and a guest.（and改为or）
3.The food was expensive and the service was good.（and改为but）
4.I came into the living room and saw one of them just go through the kitchen door but turn on the light.（but改为and）
考点设置7：从句连词
命题特点及改正方法：句子结构方面的错误主要涉及句子成份和复合句的关联词等。
解答这类题从以下方面来思考：
1）句子结构是否完整，成份是否冗缺；
2）复合句中从句的关系词或引导词的运用是否得当等。
平行结构常使用等立连词and,but, or或连词词组not only…but also…, either…or…,neither…nor…遵循就近原则。
主语 With,together with,as well as,besides，动词与主语一致
and，but,or,also 前后动词时态不一致。(具有对称性）
例句：
1.It was about noon we arrived at the foot of the mountain.（noon后加when）
2.I don’t know that they don’t like to talk with me.（that改为why）
3.The main problem was in that I always thought in Chinese and tried to translate everything into English.（去掉that前的in）
4.What things are in other homes, I wonder.（What改为How）
5.Earning their own money allows them to spend on anything as if they please.（去掉if）
6.They did not want breakfast because that they were going out early in the morning.（去掉that）
命题特点及改正方法：英语中冠词只有三个，只能从以下几个方向出题：
1）不定冠词a和an互改；
2）不定冠词a或an和定冠词the互改；
3）根据需要增删冠词。
例句：
1.As everyone knows, it’s famous mountain with all kinds of plants and animals. （famous前加a）
2.We may be one family and live under a same roof, but---（a改为the）
3.On Thursday I will have to decide what I want to do over a weekend.（a改为the）
4.I hope you’ve had pleasant journey home （had后加a）
命题特点及改正方法：主要考查形容词和副词的误用、形容词及副词的比较级等。
1）根据adj.或adv.的基本用法确定错误；
2）修饰连系动词或名词用形容词；
3）修饰行为动词、形容词、过去分词及整个句子用副词。
例句：
1.I would describe myself as shy and quietly.（quietly改为quiet）
2.There have been reports in America about people trying to steal person information for bad purposes.（person改为personal）
3.Finding information on the Net is easily.（easily改为easy）
4.So what I learned from the job was much more important as what I earned.（as改为than）
5.My pronunciation was terribly .（terribly改为terrible）
6.They came back lately and had some tea.（lately改为late）
短文改错口诀
动词形，名词数，
还要注意形和副；
非谓语，细辨别，
习惯用法要记住；
句子成分多分析，
逻辑错误须关注；
冠词连词常光顾
