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 underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

Most early of the hackers were visionaries who would later shape the computer industry in the way we see it today.

  1. Most early of the visionaries were hackers who would later shape the computer industry

  2. Most of the early hackers were visionaries who would later shape the computer industry

  3. Most of the hackers were early visionaries who would later shape the computer industry

  4. Most later of the hackers were visionaries who would early shape the computer industry

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Here, 'early' rectifies the error of its misplacement. In the original sentence 'early' is used for 'hackers'. Here, the adjective 'early' qualifies the noun 'hackers'. An adjective is a word which qualifies a noun.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

The hackers were programmers who simply could break into the computer to see its code - the statements written by the original programmers to specify the actions to be performed by a computer.

  1. The hackers were programmers who could break into the computer simply to see its code

  2. The hackers were programmers who could break into the computer to see simply its code

  3. The programmers were hackers who could simply break into the computer to see its code

  4. The hackers were programmers who could simply break into the computer to see its code

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, change of place of 'simply' rectifies the error of its misplacement. Adverb 'simply' is used before the word for which it is used.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

Academic education should aim giving a comprehensively if not specialised study, which increase of knowledge has made unavoidable.

  1. Academic education should aim at giving a comprehensively if not specialised study

  2. Academic education should aim at giving a comprehensively if it is not specialised study

  3. Academic education should aim at giving a comprehensive if it is not specialised study

  4. Academic education should aim at giving a comprehensive if not specialised study

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, 'at' rectifies the error of its omission. The verb 'aim' is generally followed by the preposition 'at'. Adjective 'comprehensive' rectifies the error of 'comprehensively'. Here, the adjective 'comprehensive' qualifies the noun 'study'. An adjective is a word which qualifies a noun.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

The modern man, although he believes profoundly in the wisdom of his period, must be presumed to be much modest about his personal powers.

  1. yet he must be presumed to be much modest about his personal powers

  2. yet he must be presumed to be very modest about his personal powers

  3. must be presumed to be very modest about his personal powers

  4. must be presumed to be much modest about his powerful personality

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Here, 'very' rectifies the error of 'much'. The adverb 'very' is used before the adjective or adverb of positive degree. Here, 'modest' is the adjective of positive degree.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

I know all about the ways what you have planned to cheat Jack who is not only my classmate but also my best friend.

  1. what you have planned to cheat Jack who is not only my classmate but also my the best friend

  2. that you have planned to cheat Jack who is not only my classmate but also my best friend

  3. that you have planned to cheat Jack who is not only my classmate but also my the best friend

  4. that you have planned to cheat Jack is not only my classmste but also my best friend

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Here, 'that' rectifies the error of using 'what'. When there is an antecedent in the sentence, we use 'that' after the antecedent. Here, 'that' follows its antecedent 'ways'.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

Yesterday he beat an old man that is really a shame for an educated man like him.

  1. that is really a shame for an educated man as him

  2. that is a shame really for an educated man like him

  3. which is really a shame for an educated man like him

  4. which is really a shame for an educated man as him

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Here, 'which' rectifies the error of using 'that'. In such sentences, 'which' is used for the whole clause. Here, 'which' is used fo the whole clause 'yesterday he beat an old man'; 'that' cannot be used in this way.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

In antiquity, while male supremacy was unquestioned and Christian ethics still were unknown, women were thought to be harmless, rather silly, and a man who took them seriously was somewhat despised.

  1. In antiquity, when male supremacy was unquestioned and Christian ethics still were unknown, women were thought to be harmless, rather silly

  2. In antiquity, when male supremacy was unquestioned and Christian ethics were still unknown, women were thought to be harmless, rather silly

  3. In antiquity, while male supremacy was unquestioned and Christian ethics were still unknown, women were thought to be harmless, rather silly

  4. In antiquity, when male supremacy was unquestioned and Christian ethics were still unknown, women were thought to be harmless, fairly silly

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'When' rectifies the error of using 'while'. 'when' implies 'at that time' whereas 'while' shows 'simultaneous time'. 'still' rectifies the error of its misplacement. Adverb 'still' is used before the word for which it is used. In the sentence, 'still' is used for 'unknown'.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

There are times when the patient has an oral condition for a long time but he however comes to an oral pathologist very late by which time the cancer is beyond control.

  1. but he comes to an oral pathologist very late until the cancer is beyond control

  2. but he however comes to an oral pathologist very late unless then the cancer is beyond control

  3. but he however comes to an oral pathologist very late until then the cancer is beyond control

  4. but he comes to an oral pathologist very late by which time the cancer is beyond control

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, omission of 'however' rectifies the error of using 'but' and 'however' together. Either 'but' or 'however' is used in a sentence. Here, only 'but' is used.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

As technological capabilities improved and life expectancy increased, the numbers of children per family went down, demonstrating the fact that nature keeps on balancing the population figure.

  1. the numbers of children per family went down, is demonstrating the fact that nature keeps on balancing the population figure

  2. the number of children per family went down, demonstrates the fact that nature keeps on balancing the population figure

  3. the number of children per family went down, demonstrating fact that nature keeps on balancing the population figure

  4. the number of children per family went down, demonstrating the fact that nature keeps on balancing the population figure

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, singular 'number' rectifies the error of plural 'numbers'. 'Numbers' means 'verses' or 'poetry' which does not fit in the framework of the meaning of the original sentence. 'Number' means 'counting' and it fits in the framework of the meaning of original sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence below may have some errors. Five options are given below the sentence. Choose the option that improves the sentence. If the sentence has no error, choose option 5 as your answer.

What is it which one cannot achieve by using one's skill and working hard consistently.

  1. which one cannot achieve by using his skill and working hard consistently

  2. that one cannot achieve by using one his skill and working hard consistently

  3. which one cannot achieves by using one's skill and working hard consistently

  4. that one cannot achieve by using one's skill and working hard consistently

  5. No improvement required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, 'that' rectifies the error of using 'which'. In the complex sentences the interrogative pronoun 'what' is followed by the relative pronoun 'that'.