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: Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence and that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (5).

  1. It is unlikely that you will

  2. find a more qualified and experience

  3. candidate than Mr. Prasad,

  4. for the post of President

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

 "find more qualified and experienced" is the correct phrase.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence and that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (5).

  1. The promotion means

  2. that you may be

  3. post in Chennai

  4. from next month

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

The phrase 'you may be post' is incorrect. It should be in the passive voice, 'you may be posted', to indicate that the subject is receiving the action of being assigned to a location.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) None can deny that (B) every scientific invention has proved (C) more harmful to humanity (D) than beneficial. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. (E)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(D) The acting verb is missing. So, add ‘being’ before beneficial.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) Whatever your views (B) may be I still hold (C) that the purpose of education is to succeed (D) in the life. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. (E)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(D) Delete the article ‘the’. We are talking about ‘life’ in general and not definite.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Anthropologists (A) agree that our (B) early ancestors who inhabited the tropics (C) probably have natural protection (D) against the sun. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(C) marks an error as ‘probably have’ (present tense) is not in tandem with ‘who inhabited’ (past tense). Therefore, ‘probably had’ is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Because the plan (A) that was made yesterday is (B) no longer feasible, the director (C) had to choose another (D) alternatives. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. (E)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

(D) alternative. Singular form of the word will be used on account of the word ‘another’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Because they are (A) generally taken simply to obtain a (B) recognisable and relatively (C) clear image, most non-professional photographs demand (D) little equipment. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(C) clearer. Since a comparison is being made between two images, so comparative form will be used.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select (E). In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) One of (B) a best (C) days of my life (D) was when I had my first child. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

Superlative degree is always preceded by the definite article 'the'.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select (E). In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Broadway (A) is known (B) throughout the world (C) of the centre for many famous (D) plays and musicals. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(C) as. With the word 'known' we always use 'as'. The correct version is “known….as”.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select (E). In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) Quite lot of students in our class (B) were born in America, but many (C) of them (D) grew up in India. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(A) Quite a lot. Article ‘a’ is missing that makes clear that we are referring to many students.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select (E). In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) There is very (B) little difference between (C) an university and (D) a college. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(C) a. Words starting with u, eu and giving a consonant sound (like university) are preceded by the article ‘a’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select (E). In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) Although some teachers are superior (B) in quality (C) from others, the success of a class depends (D) to a great extent on what the students do. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(C) to. With words like superior, inferior, prefer, etc, we always make use of the preposition 'to'.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence tests your ability to recognise grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence does not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice (E). In choosing your answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

(A) Perhaps (B) the known best of all agencies (C) of the Department of the Interior (D) is the National Park Service. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

(B) the best known - incorrect word order