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 sentences or parts thereof may have an error of grammar or syntax. Select the sentence(s)/part(s) thereof having the error.

(A) Nuclear weapons are like the bull's horns -- we cannot just cut the horns (B) and then believe it is all right to let the bull go on living. (C) The reason the developed nations achieved modernization is that they are able to rob the developing nations of all manner of materials, (D) and discard the leftover garbage in every place imaginable.

  1. A and B

  2. B and C

  3. C and D

  4. A and C

  5. B and D
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Needed 'cut off' in A; and 'were able' in C.

Multiple choice

Direction: The following question has four sentences. Some of the sentences may have error in grammatical or syntactical usage. Find the sentences that make coherent sense grammatically.

A. We now come to the poets who have been called metaphysical and who must get ampler treatment. B. The cause he had at heart and for which he risked fortune and life was not furthered by this action. C. There are few who can sit at ease in your house and that you are truly glad to have with you. D. We were overpowered by the sun's heat, which was shining directly overhead.

  1. A & B

  2. B & C

  3. B & D

  4. C & D
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'That' in statement C needs to be replaced with objective pronoun 'whom'. 'Sun's heat' in statement D needs to be replaced with 'heat of the sun'.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentences or parts thereof may have an error of grammar or syntax. Select the sentence(s)/part(s) thereof having the error.

(A) In the present age we see parallels in the manufacture of such needless, (B) and often harmful things like trinkets and gewgaws, (C) cars and cameras, televisions, jets, and computers, (D) which only waste resources and spew forth pollution.

  1. A and B

  2. B and C

  3. C and D

  4. A and C

  5. B and D
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Both these statements have errors. Error of coordinating conjunction in B. The phrasal usage is ‘such … as’. ‘Such’ in part A should be followed by ‘as’ in place of ‘like’ in part B. ‘Cars’ and ‘cameras’ in C ought to be joined by a comma, not by the conjunction ‘and’. For items in series, ‘and’ is put only before the last item.

Multiple choice

Direction: The following question has four sentences. Some of the sentences may have error in grammatical or syntactical usage. Find the sentence(s) that make(s) coherent sense

A. The king with the Lords and Commons constitute the British Government. B. I hope to show you that neither ducking nor disgust have spoiled my appetite. C. If she or you have resolved to be miserable I cannot help it. D. It sounds strange to say Gandhi, Nehru, J.P. or Rajaji were not shrewd politicians.

  1. Only B

  2. B & C

  3. B & D

  4. Only C

  5. A, B & D
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Add 's' to 'constitute' in statement A to make it singular. We should use singular 'has' in statement B. 'To say' in D should be followed by 'that'

Multiple choice

Direction: The following question has four sentences. Some of the sentences may have error in grammatical or syntactical usage. Find the sentence(s) that make(s) coherent sense

A. The commission has directed advertisers to restrict the use of the word “natural” to foods that do not contain color or flavor additives, chemical preservatives or nothing that has been synthesized. B. Every independent candidate except Rajan and her was defeated in the election. C. Computers are becoming faster, more powerful and more reliable, and so too are modems, they are the devices to allow, two or more computers to share information over regular telephone lines. D. The coal strike reduced the country's energy reserves, which caused unemployment among the workers.

  1. A and B

  2. B and C

  3. Only D

  4. Only B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

“Nothing” in statement A should be replaced by “anything”. “They” in statement C should be replaced by “which”, and “to allow” by “that allow”. Statement D has a dangled modifier. The clause after the comma should read “an occurrence that caused…”.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

He is (A) not very gregarious, but (B) a few friends (C) he has are (D) sincere and faithful. (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

The correct usage is 'the few friends' as it means 'all his friends'. 'A few' means 'some of'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

I have been (A) to Andamans twice and (B) I am going to visit the islands again (C) very shortly, (D) along with my children. (E) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The correct usage is 'to the Andamans' .

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) I have never been (B) to Agra Fort, but I am planning to visit it, (C) as well as the Taj, in (D) the ensuing holidays. (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

Instead of 'to Agra Fort', the correct usage should be 'to the Agra Fort'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) Sun is (B) the source of life and energy (C) for all the plant and animal life (D) on the planet earth. (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

The correct usage is 'The sun' as we use article 'the' for unique things.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) I was also invited at (B) the dinner, which I duly attended (C) along with (D) my parents and siblings. (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

The error lies in part B because the preposition used with the noun dinner is incorrect. We do not say invited at the dinner; the correct idiom and prepositional phrase is invited to dinner.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) The plague has broken out (B) in the city and (C) the government is taking all preventive steps (D) to curb this disease. (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

Article 'the' is not used with the names of diseases.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) The winter is (B) a pleasant weather because one can wear (C) woollen clothes and can go anywhere(D) one wants to. (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

The correct usage is 'Winter is a pleasant weather'. Definitive article will be used only if we are talking of a particular winter.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) Though the history is not (B) a difficult subject, it is somewhat (C) monotonous and (D) uninteresting for me. (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

Article 'the' is not used before the names of subjects.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following sentence some parts have been underlined and labelled A, B, C and D. Identify the part that contains an error. If there is no error in any part of the sentence, mark your answer as E.

(A) I am feeling frustrated and have lost (B) the peace of my mind because of (C) the dirty politics of (D) the office. (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

The correct usage is 'peace of my mind' as the article 'the' is used only with particular things.