通過分析近幾年高考中的短文改錯題，筆者認為約一半的錯誤設置與行文的一致性有關。因此，答題時查文章在行文中是否保持一致是發現錯誤并加以糾正的一個突破口。在尋查錯誤時，必須打破行的界限，起碼以一個完整的句子為單位，還要全篇考慮，注意上下文的語境。下面，筆者以高考試題為例，談談把哪幾個方面作為突破口去查尋行文不一致的錯誤。
一、查時態是否一致
時態錯誤幾乎是每年NMET短文改錯中必設的改錯題，要有目的地去檢查文中的每一個謂語動詞的時態與上下文、語境以及該句的時間狀語是否相符和一致。例如：
1. I don’t know why they don’t like to talk with me. Sometimes we talked to each other very well in class, but after class we become strangers at once.（NMET’2004） talked 與前面的Sometimes不一致，應改為talk。
2. What should you do when your parents become angry? If your parents got mad, try to have a conversation with them. （02 北京）根據短文所用的時態，got 應改為get。
3． There are advantages for students to work while studying at school. One of them was that they can earn money.  (NMET’05) 全文都是一般現在時，was 改為 is。
二、查主謂是否一致
在檢查謂語動詞的時態和語態是否正確的同時，還要注意檢查該動詞在人稱和數上是否與主語保持了一致。例如：
1. Playing football not only...but also give us a sense of fair play and team spirit.  (NMET’98) 此句的主語是playing football，視為第三人稱單數，其謂語give應改為gives。
2. Starting your collection of stamps are easy because they are everywhere.  (浙江卷2004)動名詞作主語，謂語用單數。are應改為is。
3． One evening she told me that something happened when her parents was out. (04 福建) par?鄄ents 應為父母親，was 應改為 were。
三、查指代是否一致
對于短文中出現的每一個代詞，都要查一下它所指代的內容以及在句中的作用，注意其數、格、詞性是否正確和前后一致，包括人稱代詞、指示代詞、反身代詞、關系代詞以及疑問代詞等。指代錯誤也是高考改錯題中常設的改錯題。例如：
1. I live in Beijing, where is the capital of China. (NMET’97) 關系副詞where在引導定語從句時不可作主語，應將其改為關系代詞which。
2. I think I liked those classes because I felt that it helped me understand what the world works. (01 北京春) it 改為 they ,they 指代 those classes。
3. It was about noon we arrived at the foot of the mountain. The three of them were very tired. (NMET’02) 作者和他的父母一起去旅游，這里指的是“我們”，而不是“他們”。them應改為us。
四、查名詞的單復數與修飾詞語或上下文是否一致
名詞數的錯誤也是高考常設的改錯題。要查一下名詞是否可數，與其修飾語是否一致。例如：
1. I used to love science class—all of them—biology, chemistry, geography and physics.  (01 北京春) 根據后面的四個學科，class 應為 classes。
2． They want me to devote all my time to my studies so that I’ll get good marks in all my subject.（NMET’01）所學科目不只一科，subject 應改為sub?鄄jects。
3． On the way up I was busy taking picture since the scenery was so beautiful. (NMET’02)  所拍照片不只一張，picture應改為pictures。
4． They make their living by collecting and selling used thing.(2004 浙江卷)thing 應改為things。
五、查平行結構是否平行一致
由and， or， but，either...or...，neither...nor...，not only...but also...，as well as等并列連詞和詞組連接的結構可稱為平行結構。平行結構在詞性、時態、非謂語動詞的形式上往往要求前后一致。答題時要留心平行結構前后是否對等平行，這也是常設的錯誤。例如：
1. It was very kind of them to meet me at the railway station and drove me to their home.  (NMET’96)句中的drove顯然與and前面的to meet不平行，應改為drive。
2. We fed monkeys, visiting temples and told stories. (NMET’02) 并列連詞 and 連接的是三個謂語：fed, visited和told。應把visiting 改為visited。
3．She liked it very much and reads it to the class. (NMET’03) reads 與liked 并列，reads 改為 read。