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 softskills communication

Spot the error in the below provided options: See the answers provided in the extra slots

  1. A lot of travel delay is caused

  2. due to the inefficiency and lack of good management

  3. on behalf of the railways

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

The error is in part C: "on behalf of the railways" is incorrect here. "On behalf of" means "as a representative of" or "for the benefit of" - typically used when someone acts for another person or organization. In this context about delays and inefficiency, the correct phrase should be "on the part of the railways" (meaning something done by the railways) or simply "by the railways".

Multiple choice softskills communication

Spot the error in the below provided options: See the answers provided in the extra slots

  1. One of the members

  2. expressed doubt if

  3. the Minister was an athiest.

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

The error is in part B: "expressed doubt if" is incorrect usage in formal English. After "doubt" in a negative or interrogative context, we use "whether" or "if" interchangeably. However, after "expressed doubt" (affirmative), standard formal English prefers "whether" over "if". The sentence should read "expressed doubt whether".

Multiple choice softskills communication

Spot the error in the below provided options: See the answers provided in the extra slots

  1. I have got

  2. my M.Sc. degree

  3. in 1988.

  4. No error.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The error is in part A: "I have got my M.Sc. degree" is incorrect usage. "Have got" typically means "possess" or "am obliged to" in present tense. For completed action with a specific year (1988), we should use simple past "I got my M.Sc. degree" or present perfect "I have received my M.Sc. degree". The form "have got" doesn't properly indicate the past completion.

Multiple choice softskills communication

Spot the error in the below provided options: See the answers provided in the extra slots

  1. Having received your letter

  2. this morning, we are writing

  3. to thank you for the same.

  4. No error
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

There is no grammatical error in this sentence. "Having received your letter this morning, we are writing to thank you for the same" is correctly constructed: perfect participle phrase in A, main clause in B and C. "For the same" is a formal/bureaucratic way of saying "for it" (referring to the letter). While somewhat old-fashioned, this is not grammatically incorrect, making D ("No error") the right answer.

Multiple choice

Choose the grammatically INCORRECT sentence.

  1. They gave us the money back less the service charges of three hundred rupees.

  2. This country's expenditure is not less than that of Bangladesh.

  3. This country’s expenditure on educational reforms is very less.

  4. The committee initially asked for a funding of Fifty Lakh rupees, but later settled for a lesser sum.

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Correct Answer: The committee initially asked for a funding of Fifty Lakh rupees, but later settled for a lesser sum.

The use of the word 'lesser' is incorrect here as lesser means inferior in quality or less in inportance - insignificant. Here we have to use 'less' which means the committee settled for an amount which was less than the one initially asked for.

Multiple choice

Choose the grammatically INCORRECT sentence from the given options.

  1. He is of Asian origin.

  2. They belonged to Africa.

  3. She is an European.

  4. They migrated from India to Australia.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct Answer: She is an European. Since, 'European' begins with the sound of 'y' we will use 'a' before it. Only with words beginning with a vowel sound we use 'an'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Carry One Mark Each.

In the following sentence, certain parts are underlined and marked P, Q and R. One of the parts may contain certain error or may not be acceptable in standard written communication. Select the part containing an error. Choose (4) as your answer if there is no error.

The student corrected $\frac{\text{all the errors}}{P}$ that $\frac{\text{the instructor marked}}{Q}$ on the $\frac{\text{answer book}}{R}$.

  1. P

  2. Q

  3. R

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

In part Q, the is not required.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below has been divided into four parts. One of the parts may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the part having the error.

  1. Any attempt to visualize Shakespeare

  2. in his contemporary environment, and

  3. to spiritually link his work year by year

  4. with the life of his time, would be impossible
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence bears the error of split infinitive. 'To spiritually link' should be 'to link spiritually'.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below has been divided into four parts. One of the parts may have an error of grammar or diction. Select the part having the error.

  1. The waning popularity of his

  2. party and desiring to spend

  3. more time with his family dissuaded

  4. the aspirant from seeking reelection
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The gerund form of 'desire' is not correct as this form is not consistent throughout the sentence. Bare infinitive 'desire' is the correct usage.