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 may have an error of grammar or syntax. Select the best replacement for the underlined part.

Among the objects found in the excavated temple were small terra-cotta effigies left by supplicants who were either asking the goddess Bona Dea's aid in healing physical and mental ills or thanking her for such help.

  1. in healing physical and mental ills or thanking her for such help

  2. in healing physical and mental ills and to thank her for helping

  3. in healing physical and mental ills, and thanking her for helping

  4. to heal physical and mental ills or to thank her for such help

  5. to heal physical and mental ills or thanking her for such help
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The underlined part is perfectly fine. 'Either asking the goddess ... or thanking her'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

An inventory equal to 90 days sales is as much as even the strongest businesses carry, and then only as a way to anticipate higher prices or ensure against shortages.

  1. as much as even

  2. so much as even

  3. even so much as

  4. even as much that

  5. so much even as
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The underlined part is perfectly fine.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

An unusually strong cyclist can, it is hoped, provide enough power to set a new distance record for human-powered aircraft in MIT’s diaphanous construction of graphite fibre and plastic.

  1. can, it is hoped, provide enough power to set

  2. it is hoped, can provide enough power that will set

  3. hopefully can provide enough power, this will set

  4. is hopeful to set

  5. hopes setting
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The underlined part is perfectly fine.

Multiple choice

Directions: The underlined part of the sentence may have an error of grammar or syntax. Select the best replacement for the underlined part. An artistic presence of the first order, one frequently ranked with Picasso, Stravinsky, and James Joyce, Martha Graham was acclaimed as a great dancer long before her innovative masterworks made her the most honored of American choreographers.

  1. Martha Graham was acclaimed as

  2. Martha Graham was acclaimed to be

  3. Martha Graham's acclaim is as

  4. Martha Graham's acclaim to be

  5. Martha Graham's acclaim was in being
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The underlined part is perfectly fine. 'An artistic presence' refers to 'Martha Graham'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Analysts blamed May’s sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.

  1. colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed

  2. which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing

  3. since it was colder and wetter than usually in some regions, which slowed

  4. being colder and wetter than usually in some regions, slowing

  5. having been colder and wetter than was usual in some regions and slowed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Error of pronoun usage. Here, to refer to the subject 'weather', we need a relative pronoun. Hence, 'which was' is the needed part.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Ancient Romans found it therapeutic to bathe in cold milk, in strawberries that had been crushed or in bathtubs filled with black caviar.

  1. to bathe in cold milk, in strawberries that had been crushed or in bathtubs filled with black caviar

  2. that they bathe in cold milk, in strawberries that had been crushed or in caviar that was black

  3. to bathe in cold milk, crushed strawberries or black caviar

  4. that they bathe in cold milk, crushed strawberries or black caviar

  5. to bathe in milk, strawberries or caviar
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Error of adjectival usage. 'Cold milk, crushed strawberries or black caviar' is the correct usage.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Any medical test will sometimes fail to detect a condition when it is present and indicate that there is one when it is not.

  1. a condition when it is present and indicate that there is one

  2. when a condition is present and indicate that there is one

  3. a condition when it is present and indicate that it is present

  4. when a condition is present and indicate its presence

  5. the presence of a condition when it is there and indicate its presence
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Error of parallelism. Option 3 best expresses the correct meaning.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Art museums do not usually think of their collections as capital or consider the interest income that would be generated if a portion of the capital would have been invested in another form.

  1. be generated if a portion of the capital would have been

  2. have been generated if a portion of the capital would have been

  3. be generated if a portion of the capital were

  4. be generated if a portion of the capital was

  5. be generated if a portion of the capital had been
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is a conditional sentence. To refer to the conditions, we use 'were'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Artificial intelligence emerged during the late 1950s as an academic discipline based on the assumption that computers are able to be programmed to think like people.

  1. are able to be programmed to think like people

  2. were able to be programmed to think as people

  3. can be programmed to think as people can

  4. could be programmed to think like people

  5. are capable of being programmed to think like people do
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Error of sentence formation in past tense. 'Emerged' means past tense case. Modal 'could' is used for past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Archaeologists in Ireland believe that a recently discovered chalice, which dates from the eighth century, was probably buried to keep from being stolen by invaders.

  1. to keep from

  2. to keep it from

  3. to avoid

  4. in order that it would avoid

  5. in order to keep from
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Error of missing subject in the original statement.  Subject 'it' is required to define what is being kept.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision, it would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind if it were an adult with such vision.

  1. As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision, it would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind if it were an adult with such vision.

  2. A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500, or legally blind as an adult.

  3. As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision would be rated about 20/500; qualifying it to be legally blind if an adult.

  4. A baby emerges from the darkness of the womb with a rudimentary sense of vision that would be rated about 20/500; an adult with such vision would be deemed legally blind.

  5. As a baby emerges from the darkness of the womb, its rudimentary sense of vision, which would be deemed legally blind for an adult, would be rated about 20/500.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Error of pronoun usage. Option 4 best expresses the meaning.

Multiple choice

Directions: Given below is a sentence with an underlined part. The underlined part may or may not have an error. Choose the best option to replace the underlined part to make the sentence correct. If the underlined part is correct as it is, mark (1) as your answer.

Architects and stonemasons, huge palace and temple clusters were built by the Maya without benefit of the wheel or animal transport.

  1. huge palace and temple clusters were built by the Maya without benefit of the wheel or animal transport

  2. without the benefits of animal transport or the wheel, huge palace and temple clusters were built by the Maya

  3. the Maya built huge palace and temple clusters without the benefit of animal transport or the wheel

  4. there were built, without the benefit of the wheel or animal transport, huge palace and temple clusters by the Maya

  5. were the Maya who, without the benefit of the wheel or animal transport, built huge palace and temple clusters
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Error of moddifier. The opening clause 'Architects and stonemasons' refers to the Mayas. Thus, the sentence is best formulated in option 3.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E) i.e. ‘No Error’. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any.)

During the flood (A)/ Shilpa's colleagues (B)/prayed for (C)/ her safety. (D) No error (E)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

There is no error in this sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: Read the sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (E) i.e. ‘No Error’. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any.)

Everyone admires Deepa (A)/ because of her ability (B)/ to generate (C)/ so good ideas. (D) No error (E)

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

"So" should not be used here.