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 sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Dr. Hakuta's research among Hispanic children in the United States indicates that the more the children use both Spanish and English, their intellectual advantage is greater in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic.

  1. their intellectual advantage is greater in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic

  2. their intellectual advantage is the greater in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic

  3. the greater is their intellectual advantage in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic

  4. in skills that underlay reading ability and nonverbal logic, their intellectual advantage is the greater.

  5. the greater their intellectual advantage in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The first part of the sentence begins a comparison by 'the more', so the second half should support the comparison in the same degree. Hence, (C) is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Astronomers at the Palomar Observatory have discovered a distant supernova explosion, one that they believe is a type previously unknown to science.

  1. that they believe is

  2. that they believe it to be

  3. they believe that it is of

  4. they believe to be of

  5. they believe is that of
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

option (A) and (B) do not lead to creation of meaningful sentences hence, they can be eliminated directly, option (E) has an incorrect phrasing. Although options (C) and (D) both seem to be correct, but (C) is too verbose, hence (D) is the best option.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

However much United States voters may agree that there is wastage in government and that the government as a whole spends beyond its means, it is difficult to find broad support for a movement toward a minimal state.

  1. However much United States voters may agree that

  2. Despite the agreement among United States voters to the fact

  3. Although United States voters agree

  4. Ever though United States voters may agree

  5. Despite the agreement amongst United States voters to the fact
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

All the options lead to an in complete sentence as the word 'that' is missing in all the options, so (A) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

State officials report that rates of liability insurance have risen to force cutbacks in the operations of 'everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities.

  1. rates of liability insurance have risen to force

  2. rates of liability insurance are a force for

  3. rates for liability insurance are forcing

  4. rise in liability insurance rates are forcing

  5. rates in liability insurances are forcing rises in
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

None of the options give a meaning to the sentence except (D), hence it's the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error.

Based on accounts of various ancient writers, scholars have painted a sketchy picture of the activities of an all-female cult that, perhaps as early as the sixth century B.C, worshipped a goddess known in Latin as Bona Dea, “the good goddess”.

  1. Based on accounts of various ancient writers

  2. Basing it on various ancient writers accounts

  3. With accounts of various ancient writers used for a basis

  4. Using accounts of various ancient writers

  5. Using base as accounts of various ancient writers

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

The rest of the sentence is in a past tense and is using ‘ed’ form, both ‘ing’ and ‘ed’ formations cannot be used together so options (B), (D) and (E) can be eliminated directly; option (C) uses an incorrect phrasing, 'used for a basic’, i.e. article ‘a’ is incorrectly used, so option (A) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Unlike a typical automobile loan which requires a fifteen to twenty % down payment, the lease loan buyer is not required to make an initial deposit on the new vehicle.

  1. the lease-loan buyer is not required to make

  2. with lease-loan buying there is no requirement of

  3. lease-loan buyers are not required to make

  4. a lease-loan does not require the buyer to make

  5. The lease loan buyer's are not required to make
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The first part of the sentence is making a comparison between the down payment system in two different types of loans, from all the options present only the (D) option recognizes the lease loan as a loan, so (D) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

In addition to having more protein than wheat does, the protein in rice is higher quality than that in wheat, with more of the amino acids essential to the human diet.

  1. the protein in rice is higher quality than that in

  2. rice has protein of higher quality than that in

  3. the protein in rice is higher in quality than it is in

  4. rice protein is higher in quality than it is in

  5. a higher quality protein in rice is that is
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

the conjunctor 'of' is missing before 'higher quality' in each of the other options present, so (B) is the correct option.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Native American burial sites dating back 5,000 years indicate that the residents of Maine at that time were part of a widespread culture of Algonquian- speaking people.

  1. were part of a widespread culture of Algonquian-speaking people.

  2. had been part of a widespread culture of people who were Algonquian- speaking

  3. were people who were part of a widespread culture that was Algonquian-speaking

  4. had been people who were part of a widespread culture that was Algonquian-speaking

  5. were a part of the widespread culture of Algonquian-speaking people
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The original sentence is perfect in itself and there is no change that is required. Since sentence is talking about residents, so there is no need for adding 'were people who' in the latter part, so options (C) and (D) are incorrect, option (B) has a incorrect pharsing done.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

In his research paper. Dr. Frosh, medical director of the Payne Whitney Clinic distinguishes mood swings, which may be violent without their being grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis.

  1. mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease and genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  2. between mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental diseases, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  3. between mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  4. between mood swings, perhaps violent with out beings grounded in mental disease, from genuine manic-depressive psychosis

  5. among the mood swings, which may be violent without being grounded in mental disease, and genuine manic-depressive psychosis.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Since the sentence is distinguishing between two symptoms and diseases, so 'distinguishes' should be followed by 'between' which is not present in options (A) and (B), (E) uses the word 'among' which is also incorrect as among is used for more than 3 things, 'between' should always be followed by 'and' as a grammar rule, so (C) is the correct option.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Each of Hemingway's wives - Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer Martha Gelhonn, and Mary Welsh - were strong and interesting women. Very different from the often pallid women who populate his novels.

  1. Each of Hemingway's wives- Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer Martha Gelhonn, and Mary Welsh- were strong and interesting women.

  2. Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer Martha Gelhorn, and Mary Welsh - were strong and interesting women.

  3. Hemingway's wives- Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer Martha Gelhorn, and Mary Welsh - were all strong and interesting women

  4. Strong and interesting women- Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer, and Mary Welsh - each a wife of Hemingway, was

  5. all of Hemingway's wives- Hadley Richardson, Pauline Pfeiffer, Martha gelhorn and Mary welsh -were strong and interesting women.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Each of' would involve a singular verb. No option does that. Note that the emphasis is not on 'all the wives' but on 'all were strong and interesting'. Hence, (3)

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Paleontologists believe that fragments of a primate jawbone unearthed in Burma and estimated at 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of a crucial step along the evolutionary path that led to human beings.

  1. at 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of

  2. as being 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of

  3. that it is 40 to 44 million years old provides evidence of what was

  4. to be 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of

  5. as 40 to 44 million years old provide evidence of
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

the subject 'Jawbone' is an object and it has to be followed by pronoun 'it', which is not used in any other option except (C), so (C) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

The first decision for most tenants living in a building undergoing being converted to co-operative ownership is if to sign a no-buy pledge with the other tenants.

  1. being converted to co- operative ownership is if to sign

  2. being converted to co -operative ownership is if to sign

  3. being converted to co -operative ownership is whether or not they sign

  4. conversion to co-operative ownership whether to sign

  5. of being converted to co-operative ownership is if to sign
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

All the options (A) , (B), (C) are not using any conjunction before being, so no meaning can be derived from the sentence.  Option (E) uses a wrong preposition 'of' so, it is incorrect.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Of all the possible disasters that threaten American agriculture, the possibility of on adverse change in climate is maybe the more difficult for analysis.

  1. is maybe the more difficult for analysis.

  2. is probably the most difficult to analyse.

  3. is maybe the most difficult for analyse.

  4. is probably the more difficult to analyse.

  5. is perhaps the more difficult to analyse.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Since the comparison is not made, between two things so more cannot be used.  Hence (A), (D) and (E) options are wrong.  Option (C) non sensical.  Hence, (B) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

Though garlic is often associated with Italian cuisine, it is actually the use of oregano which most distinguishes the Italians from the French.

  1. which most distinguishes the Italians from the French.

  2. which primarily distinguishes Italians from Frenchmen.

  3. which generally serves to distinguish an Italians sauce from a French one.

  4. which is the major distinction between the two great cuisine.

  5. which most distinguishes Italian cookery from French.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence here talks about the cuisine, so it's the food that is to be distinguished and not the people. When we add 'the' before any language it refers to the people and not the language i.e. the French would mean the people in France. So (A) and (B) are incorrect, (E) is incomplete and (C)is introducing something new 'seuce' which does not matches with what is being said in the previous part of clause.  Hence it is wrong.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below or part thereof has been underlined. The underlined part may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the option that best corrects the error, if any.

The end of the eighteenth century saw the emergence of prize-stock breeding with individual bulls and cows receiving awards, fetching unprecedented prices, and excited enormous interest whenever they were put on show.

  1. excited

  2. it excited

  3. exciting

  4. would excite

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

Here the sentence is talking about the prize stock breeding, being a non-living thing the  pronoun 'it' will be used to refer it, (B) is the only option which uses this and as a result brings out the entire             meaning of the sentence.