English Language

Spotting Errors

4,734 Questions
All Noun, Article, and Determiner Usage 629 Subject-Verb Agreement 529 Preposition and Phrasal Verb Choice 510 Tense and Time Sequence 429 Pronoun Agreement and Case 415 Adjective and Adverb Form 372 Idiom and Confusable Word Choice 367 Verb Complement and Mood 347 Sentence Structure and Modifier Placement 296 Conjunction and Connector Choice 228 Parallel Structure 220 Redundancy and Negation 148

Spotting Errors Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

The desserts (A)/ prepared by the chef (B)/ taste deliciously. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, ‘tastes’ is a sense verb which describes someone’s sensation or feeling or perception. Sense verbs require adjectives, not adverb modifiers. Thus, the correct sentence would replace ‘deliciously’ (adverb) with 'delicious' (adjective).

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

The lady brought (A)/ soap and water and (B)/ mixed them both together. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. This sentence has the error of redundant preposition "both". In the sentence, the preposition "both" was not needed as the sentence is already stating the mixing of two items together. The correct sentence would be, "The lady brought soap and water and mixed them together".  

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

I eat bread (A)/ and had a glass of (B)/ milk this morning. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, "I eat bread" means that I am continuing the eating; "I ate bread" means that the act of eating is in the past. Now, as the rest of the sentence is in the past tense, 'eat' should be replaced with 'ate' to make the sentence correct. 

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

Several of the beneficiaries (A)/ has already collected their (B)/ dues from the bank. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, the pronoun used is plural (several) and the verb used is singular (has). To make the sentence correct, the singular verb should be changed into plural verb (have).

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

If I was you, I would (A)/ never place (B)/ my money on that horse. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, in the subjunctive mood, the plural form 'were' should be used with a singular subject, not 'was'. The correct sentence would be, "If I were you, I would never place my money on that horse".

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

It must have been (A)/ her who complained to the authorities (B)/ about your illegal construction. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. ‘It must have been’ is a ‘to be’ verb, so the pronoun must be in the subject form. It should be ‘she’, not ‘her’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

On our marriage anniversary, (A)/ Suman and me invited (B)/ the whole family. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. This sentence is grammatically incorrect due to the incorrect usage of the pronoun ‘me’. To make the sentence correct, ‘me’ should be replaced with ‘I’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

The activities at the camp (A)/ included swimming, kite flying (B)/ and to ride on the horse. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. This sentence violates the rule of parallelism that demands consistency in a sentence’s structure. Any ideas, places, activities, etc. must be written in the same grammatical form. Thus, the correct sentence will be, ”The activities at the camp included swimming, kite flying and riding on the horse”.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

You will have to (A)/ appraise your father of the fact (B)/ that you smashed his new car. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This part of the sentence is incorrect. Here, an incorrect word 'appraise' has been used, which is a homonym of the word 'apprise'. To appraise is to estimate the value of something, but apprise means 'to tell'. The correct sentence would be, "You will have to apprise your father of the fact that you smashed his new car".

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

No one from the authorities (A)/ were present during (B)/ the demolition drive. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. In this sentence, the pronoun and its verb do not agree in number as ‘no one’ is a singular pronoun and ‘were’ is a plural one. Thus, to make the sentence correct, ‘were’ must be changed into ‘was’ (singular verb).

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been split into three parts (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

After turning forty, (A)/ one should have their health (B)/ check-up done every year. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. In this sentence, the impersonal pronouns are not correctly matched. ‘One’ is not correctly matched with ‘their’. The correct sentence would be, “After turning forty, one should have one’s health check-up done every year".

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into three parts labelled (A), (B) and (C). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (D) as your answer.

Either of us (A)/ are not going to his (B)/ birthday party tonight. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, ‘either’ is the subject of the sentence. According to the rule of grammar, ‘either’ always takes a singular verb, i.e. ’is’ and not a plural verb (are) when acting as the subject of the sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into three parts labelled (A), (B) and (C). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (D) as your answer.

The student, together (A)/ with his mother and teacher (B)/ are going to the principal’s office. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. This sentence has subject–verb disagreement between the singular subject (the student) and plural verb (are going). For the sentence to be correct, the verb should also be singular (is going). The sandwiched phrase will not, in any way, alter the grammatical relationship between the subject and the verb.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into three parts labelled (A), (B) and (C). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (D) as your answer.

He said that (A)/ he shall go to Delhi (B)/ the next day. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. In indirect speech, ‘shall’ is changed to ‘would’, which has not been done in this sentence. The correct sentence would be, “He said that he would go to Delhi the next day".

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence has been divided into three parts labelled (A), (B) and (C). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (D) as your answer.

After he had finished (A)/ his lunch, he would go (B)/ to play cricket. (C)/ No error (D)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, both the events happened in the past – the lunch and the cricket. Thus, both the verbs should be in the past tense. 'Had finished' in past perfect is used to indicate that this happened first, and then went in simple past (and not ‘would go’).