Do As Indicated Against Each Of The Following Sentences

You're staring at a worksheet, a test, or a job application. The directions at the top read: Do as indicated against each of the following sentences.*

And your brain goes: Wait — what does that actually mean?*

You're not alone. That phrasing shows up everywhere — grammar workbooks, editing tests, language proficiency exams, even some hiring assessments — and it trips people up because it sounds formal, slightly archaic, and vaguely threatening. But strip away the stiffness and it's just asking you to perform a specific action on each sentence that follows. The action is defined per sentence* or per group*, not once for the whole page.

Let's break down what this instruction really means, why it exists, how to handle it without overthinking, and where people go wrong.

What "Do As Indicated" Actually Means

At its core, the phrase is a meta-instruction. So it tells you: The specific task changes from item to item. Read each prompt carefully.

You'll see it most often in:

• Grammar and editing workbooks (e.g., "Change to passive voice," "Identify the clause type," "Correct the punctuation")
• Standardized language tests (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge exams)
• Copyediting and proofreading assessments
• Linguistics problem sets
• Some technical writing evaluations

The key word is against. Sometimes the directive is written before* the sentence ("Rewrite in reported speech: He said, 'I'm tired.It doesn't mean "oppose.'"). Consider this: each sentence that follows is the object of a distinct directive. " It means applied to* or performed on*. Sometimes it's a column header in a table. Sometimes it's a numbered list where each number carries its own micro-instruction.

The Two Main Formats

Format A: Global instruction, varied sub-tasks
Directions: Do as indicated against each of the following sentences.*

1. Convert to passive: The chef prepared the meal.
2. Identify the tense: She has been waiting.
3. Add a question tag: You're coming, ___?

Format B: Embedded instruction per item

1. (Passive) The chef prepared the meal.
2. (Tense ID) She has been waiting.
3. (Question tag) You're coming, ___?

Both are saying the same thing. Format A is more common in textbooks. Format B shows up in exams where space is tight.

Why This Phrasing Exists (And Why It Annoys You)

It's not there to confuse you. It's there because the alternative — writing "Rewrite in passive voice" thirty times — wastes paper and clutters the page. The test designer assumes you can hold a shifting rule set in working memory while moving item to item.

That assumption is where the trouble starts.

Most people read the top line once, assume a single task applies to everything, and then either:

• Apply the first sub-instruction to all items (turning everything passive, say), or
• Freeze because the sub-instructions aren't repeated and they're not sure what "indicated" refers to.

The instruction is efficient for the writer. It's a cognitive load for the test-taker.

How to Approach It Without Losing Your Mind

1. Scan the whole set before you touch item one

Take fifteen seconds. Read every sub-instruction. Note the verbs: convert, identify, add, rewrite, punctuate, label, transform, combine, expand, reduce.* Circle them if you're on paper. This builds a mental map — you'll know item 4 wants a tense label before you get there.

2. Treat each item as a mini-contract

The prompt for item 3 is the law for item 3. Not item 2's prompt. Not the header. If item 3 says "Add a comma where needed," you add a comma. You don't also fix a spelling error unless it says "Correct all errors."

3. Watch for compound instructions

Sometimes a single item carries two tasks:
Rewrite in reported speech and underline the reporting verb.*
Miss the second half, you lose partial credit. Read to the period.

4. Don't import outside knowledge unless asked

If the instruction is "Identify the subordinate clause," don't also fix the dangling modifier in the main clause. That's not what was indicated. Restraint is part of the test.

5. Use the sentence itself as context

The sentence often signals what's possible. "If I were you, I'd go" — if the prompt is "Identify the mood," the sentence hands you the answer (subjunctive). Let the sentence do some work.

Common Mistakes (And How They Happen)

The "First Instruction Sticky" Error

You read item 1: "Change to passive." Your brain locks on passive*. Item 2 says "Identify the tense." You write the passive version of item 2.
Why:* Working memory prioritizes the most recent active rule.
Fix:* Verbalize each new instruction. "Okay, now I'm identifying tense."

If you found this helpful, you might also enjoy particles that differ in number between isotopes or formula for finding the surface area of a cone.

The "Over-Correction" Reflex

You're a good editor. You see a sentence with a comma splice and a vague pronoun. The prompt says "Fix the comma splice." You fix both.
Why:* Expertise creates automaticity. You see errors; you fix errors.
Fix:* Literally put a finger on the prompt while you work. "Comma splice only. Comma splice only."

The "Format Blindness" Miss

The test uses Format B — instructions in parentheses before each sentence. You only read the top header ("Do as indicated...") and assume it's Format A. You hunt for a separate instruction list that doesn't exist.
Why:* Skimming the layout.
Fix:* Before starting, locate where* the indications live. Top? Side? Parentheses? Column header?

The "Terminology Mismatch" Panic

Prompt: "Label the syntactic function of the underlined phrase."
You know it's a noun phrase acting as direct object. But you blank on "syntactic function" vs "grammatical function" vs "grammatical relation." You write nothing.
Why:* Jargon anxiety.
Fix:* Write what you know in plain language ("direct object") — partial credit beats zero. Then add the formal term if it comes to you.

Practical Tips for Specific Task Types

Transformation Tasks (Active→Passive, Direct→Reported, Statement→Question)

• Keep the tense. Keep the meaning. Change only what the transformation requires.
• Watch for pronoun shifts in reported speech (I → he/she*, here → there*, now → then*).
• In passive, the

agent becomes the subject. If the agent is unknown or irrelevant, consider whether the by-phrase adds value or clutter.

Identification Tasks (Clause Type, Phrase Function, Part of Speech)

• Bracket the unit first. See its boundaries before you name it.
• For clauses: find the subject and verb. No finite verb? It's not a finite clause.
• For phrases: locate the head. The head determines the phrase type (NP, VP, AdjP, AdvP, PP).
• Function follows form. A noun phrase can be subject, object, complement, or appositive — position decides which.

Error Correction / Editing

• Read the sentence aloud (subvocally). The ear catches what the eye skims: agreement mismatches, missing articles, faulty parallelism.
• Fix the indicated* error. Resist polishing style unless "improve the sentence" is the actual prompt.
• If multiple errors exist and the prompt is general ("Correct the errors"), triage: structure first (fragments, run-ons), then grammar (agreement, tense, case), then mechanics (punctuation, spelling).

Analysis / Explanation Tasks ("Why is X wrong?" "Explain the ambiguity")

• Name the rule, then apply it to the specific words. "Wrong" isn't an explanation. "Subject-verb agreement: data* is plural in formal use; the verb was is singular" is.
• For ambiguity: paraphrase both readings. "Flying planes can be dangerous" → (1) The act of piloting planes is dangerous. (2) Planes that are flying are dangerous. Identify the structural source (gerund vs. participial adjective).

The Meta-Habit: Build a Pre-Flight Checklist

Before the first item, spend thirty seconds:

1. Locate the instructions. Are they global (top of page) or local (per item)? Parentheses? Bold? Column header?
2. Note the response mode. Write on the line? Circle? Underline? Label in a blank column? Fill a bubble sheet?
3. Check for compound prompts. Scan for "and" in the directions. "Identify and correct." "Transform and name the tense."
4. Calibrate your terminology. Does this test use "subordinate clause" or "dependent clause"? "Direct object" or "object complement"? Match the book.

During the test, after every five items (or at each page turn), pause. Now, ask: Am I still answering what's asked? Think about it: three breaths. * Drift happens in the middle third.

Conclusion

Precision in following directions isn't a separate skill from language knowledge — it's the delivery system for that knowledge. Here's the thing — a student who masters the subjunctive but answers "Identify the mood" with a passive transformation has demonstrated control of the subjunctive and failure of the test. The points live in the overlap.

Treat instructions as the first sentence of every item. On the flip side, read them with the same care you give the test sentence. Which means verbalize the task. Think about it: match your output to the prompt's demand. The grammar you know is the engine; the directions are the steering. Both are required to arrive at the right destination.