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: A sentence is divided into four parts and numbered (1) to (4). Identify the part having an error and mark that part as your answer. If no part has an error, mark (5) as your answer.

  1. That is a decision

  2. which you must

  3. <font>live with for </font>

  4. the rest of your life

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

 'That is a decision you must' will be the correct one because you have already taken the decision and mentioned in the sentence. Hence, option 2 is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: A sentence has been divided into four parts and numbered (1) to (4). Identify the part having an error and mark it as your answer. If no part has an error, mark (5) as your answer.

  1. I am one of many

  2. who wants to know

  3. whether the gambling that takes place at a village

  4. on Trombay Island is authorised by the police

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

Many want to know and I am one of them. So, the correct phrase will be in plural, i.e. 'who want to know...'

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

(1) We were (2) yet below the surface of the (3) gale-driven river (4) of ice spicules.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

In this sentence, there is no need for the word ‘yet’ in part (2).

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

(1) It was (2) exactly noon than I (3) clambered over (4) the edge of the bridge.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Look at the underlined part (2), occurrence of the word ‘than’ instead of ‘that’ marks the sentence grammatically incorrect.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

(1) The hut was about (2) thirty degrees (3) warmer then the last time I (4) had been there.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The word ‘then’ is used to denote time and ‘than’ is used to introduce the second element in a comparison following an adjective or adverb. The speaker is comparing the condition at present to that the last time he had been at the place. This marks (3) as incorrect.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

The workers had (1) struck (2) work (3) since (4) 1st January, 1992.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In part (3) the word that marks the sentence incorrect is ‘since’. The word ‘from’ shall replace it. Thus correct answer for the question is option (3).

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

The match (1) between (2) the two champions (3) lasted for only one and (4) half hour.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In part (3) the expression ‘lasted for only’ is incorrect and should be replaced by ‘lasted for about’. Therefore, the required answer is option (3).

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

(1) Ambition to rise, but (2) also  (3) financial ability are  the (4) key requirements of a finance director.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The correlative conjunction is “Not only… but also.” ‘Not only ambition to rise but also financial ability are the key requirement of a finance director’. Therefore, part (1) has the error.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

(1) Owing to (2) his rude behaviour she was very (3) cut off (4) with him.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In part (3) ‘very cut off’ marks inappropriate phrase usage. The appropriate use is ‘cut up’ Hence, option (3) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence, four words or phrases have been underlines. Choose the word or phrase that is inappropriate in standard written English and mark your answer as (1), (2), (3) or (4) depending on whether the error is underlined part (1), (2), (3), or (4).

(1) After his father’s death he was (2) totally upset and (3) had lost (4) the peace of his mind.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The error is in part (3). The sentence is in simple past tense. So delete auxiliary ‘had’.