Spotting Errors

Table of Contents

You need to spot sentences and error which are grammatically incorrect. This error can be anything.

1. Certain nouns being a singular form represent plurality and therefore, take a plural verb in a sentence.

Example: police, clergy, people, peasantry, cattle.

Cattle was not grazing in the field (Incorrect)
Cattle was not grazing in the field (Correct)

2. Certain nouns take the plural verb because of their plural form.

Example: Clothes, Scissors, trousers, amends, spectacles, thanks.

Some clothes is missing. (Incorrect)
Some clothes are missing. (Correct)

3. When a noun denoting weight, number, money, length or measure is following a number, the noun form does not change as long as another noun or pronoun follows it.

Example: Million, pair, meter, year, dozen.

This is a 9-meters scale. (Incorrect)
This is a 9-meter scale. (Correct)

4. When the pronoun ‘one’ is used, it should be maintained throughout the whole sentence.

Ram must help his siblings. (Incorrect)
Ram must help one’s siblings. (Correct)

5. For living people ‘whose’ is generally used and for things that are non-living ‘which’ is used.

Which phone is kept on charging? (Incorrect)
Whose phone is kept on charging? (Correct)

6. ‘Fewer’ is used for denoting number while ‘Less’ is used for denoting quantity.

No less than thirty dogs were. (Incorrect)
No fewer than thirty dogs were. (Correct)

7. Sentences are always opposite to question tags, for example, if the question tag is positive then the sentence is negative and vice versa.

It’s a bit early, is it? (Incorrect)
It’s a bit early, isn’t it? (Correct)

8. Instead of ‘who’ or ‘which’, the relative pronoun ‘that’ is used after adjectives in the superlative degree.

These are the best which he could get. (Incorrect)
These are the best that he could get. (Correct)

9. ‘As’ is used both before and after the adjective to show equality.

He can run as fast, if not faster than her. (Incorrect)
He can run as fast as, if not faster than her. (Correct)

In each of the following questions, statements are divided into 4 different parts. You have to choose the errors from these statements and mark the options given.

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Question 1-

He was for all (1) / selling the car (2)/ and buying a bicycle (3)/No error (4)

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Question 2-

Look at what (1) / I am doing (2) and do like I do. (3) / No error (4)

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Question 3-

The doctor asked his patient to regularly take his medicine.

(a) No error

(b) The doctor

(d) to regularly take his medicine

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Question 4-

He looked upon me eye-to-eye for a few moments before he spoke.

(a) No error

(b) before he spoke

(d) eye-to-eye for a few moments

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Question 5-

The articles suggests that when a person is under unusual stress you should be especially careful to eat a well-balanced diet,

(a) The article suggests that when a person is under unusual stress

(b) you should be especially careful

(d) No error

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Question 6-

I meant to repair the radio but hadn’t time to do it today.

(a) No error

(b) to do it today

(d) but hadn’t time

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Question 7-

Many a man (a) / have come to India from Bangladesh (b) / to live here permanently. (c) / No error(d)

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Question 8-

Our football team (a) comprises of (b) / eleven skilled players. (c)/ No error (d)

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Question 9-

Knowledge and wisdom makes (a) / an individual truly complete (b)/ and self-assured. (c) / No error (d)

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Question 10-

One of the boys (a) / who always give the correct answer (b)/is Samuel. (c) / No error (d)

Answer Table:-

1	(a)
2	(c)
3	(d)
4	(c)
5	(b)
6	(d)
7	(b)
8	(b)
9	(d)
10	(b)

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Answer Table:-

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