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 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 any one from the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select option (E). In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

They (A) have devoted most (B) of their time (C) in gossiping (D) with friends. (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) delete 'in' – unnecessary use of preposition

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 any one from the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select option (E). In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Carrie Chapman Catt (A) contributed a sophisticated (B) political sense, a concentrated (C) personal drive, and (D) an administrative skills to the cause of woman suffrage. (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 ‘an’. Article 'an' is used for a singular noun, but on account of word 'skills', it will not be used in this sentence.

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 any one from the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select option (E). In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

The Medal of Honour is the (A) highest (B) award military for courage that (C) can be given to any (D) individual in the United States. (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) 'military award'; wrong word order

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 any one from the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select option (E). In choosing the answer, follow the requirements of standard written English.

Fifty-eight years (A) after (B) novel Richard Wright left his (C) home in Mississippi, the State (D) proclaimed November 6 to 13 as Richard Wright week. (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) 'novelist' in place of 'novel'; we are talking about a person/novelist, not a book/novel.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. They

  2. discovered

  3. a large number of hoarded sugar

  4. in his shop
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

– a large quantity of … quantity refers to bulk or mass, number to individuals or units. (e.g. a large number of cars). Number is used for countable nouns. and quantity is used for inanimate objects which can be measured.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. It is necessary

  2. that

  3. the work finishes

  4. before we leave.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
  • (that) the work be finished (or shall be finished). With words expressing command, necessity and the like either the subjunctive form is used, or a verb-phrase containing the auxiliary shall or should is substituted for it. The indicative mood should not be used.
Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. Even though he was over ninety

  2. he still enjoyed reading novels

  3. and sometimes spend

  4. an evening at the cinema.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Spent' in place of 'spend'. The reporting verb is in the past tense and thus all other clauses must be in the past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. It is clear from the facts

  2. gathered so far

  3. that he had hand

  4. in that murder.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'That he had a hand.' The indefinite article ‘a’ is used before a singular noun which is countable when it is mentioned for the first time and represents no particular person or thing."Had a hand in' is an idiom meaning to be involved in something.

Multiple choice

Identify the part with an error.

  1. Less

  2. men

  3. are present

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

With countable nouns 'fewer' is to be used. 'Fewer' refers to individuals or units; less to bulk or mass. (e.g. fewer pennies, less money). There might be a is a comparision to a previous day or a previous meeting. So, a comparative form should be used.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. Up to the time the last vote was recorded,

  2. it was difficult

  3. to decide whether victory lay with the ruling party

  4. or the opposition.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

‘had been recorded’. When two events are in succession in the past tense; the earlier event in time will take past perfect tense and the latter event will take simple past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. Nothing

  2. but fraud and double dealing

  3. are discernible

  4. in his actions.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

(is discernible). The subject of the sentence is ‘nothing’ and not ‘fraud and double-dealing’. Nothing is treated as singular. Hence ‘is’ and not ‘are’.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. Narmada

  2. is

  3. a sacred river

  4. of the Hindus.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'The' Narmada. Definite article is used before names of seas, rivers, chains of mountains, groups of islands and plural names of countries.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part with an error.

  1. You

  2. look

  3. much handsome

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

It should be ‘You look more handsome now’ or 'You look much more handsome now'. 'Now' shows that comparison is being done with an earlier  time, so we need to use 'more'.