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: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

Archaeological (A) investigations indicate that control of fire is an extremely old technical (B) attainment, though (C) the time , place, and mode of (D) their origin may never be learnt. (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

The error is in part (D). The pronoun 'their' is incorrect because 'control of fire' is singular (abstract concept). The correct pronoun should be 'its' to refer back to the singular antecedent. The phrase 'the time, place, and mode of its origin' refers to the origin of fire control.

Multiple choice

Directions: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

The (A) oceans contain many (B) forms of life that (C) has not (D) yet been discovered. (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

The error is in part (C). The verb 'has' should be 'have' because the subject is 'forms' (plural). The correct phrase should be 'forms of life that have not yet been discovered'. This is a subject-verb agreement error where a plural subject takes a singular verb.

Multiple choice

Directions: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

Magnesium, (A) the lightest of our structural metals, has an important place (B) among common engineering materials (C) because of (D) their weight. (D) No error

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

The error is in part (D). The pronoun 'their' is incorrect because 'Magnesium' is a singular metal. The correct pronoun should be 'its' to refer back to magnesium. The sentence discusses magnesium's lightweight property as an advantage among engineering materials.

Multiple choice

Directions: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

One can only live without water (A) for about ten days (B) because almost 60 percent of (C) their body (D) is water. (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

The error is in part (C). The pronoun 'their' is incorrect because the subject is 'One' (singular indefinite pronoun). The correct pronoun should be 'one's' to maintain consistency with the subject. The sentence states that a person can only survive without water for about ten days because most of their body consists of water.

Multiple choice

Directions: A part of the sentence that has been underlined has an error. Select the option that is the most coherent and precise representation of the underlined part.

Though Somalia is still one of the poorest countries of the world, there is score of potential area which if properly utilized could help ameliorate its impoverished state.

  1. there is scores of potential area

  2. there is a score of potential areas

  3. there are scores of potential areas

  4. there are scores of potential area

  5. there are scores and scores of potential area
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is (C). The phrase 'there is score of potential area' has multiple errors: (1) 'there is' should be 'there are' with plural 'areas', (2) 'score' in the sense of 'many' should be 'scores' (plural), and (3) 'area' should be plural 'areas'. Option C corrects all three issues with 'there are scores of potential areas'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Four parts of the sentences given below have been underlined. Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (E).

The Grey Wolf, a species (A) reintroduced into (B) their native habitat in the National Park, (C) has begun to breed (D) naturally there. (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 is in part (B). The pronoun 'their' is incorrect because 'The Grey Wolf' is a singular species name. The correct pronoun should be 'its' to refer back to the singular antecedent. The sentence discusses the species being reintroduced into its native habitat.

Multiple choice

Directions: A part of the sentence that has been underlined has an error. Select the option that is the most coherent and precise representation of the underlined part.

Either the President or one of his retinue members prefer not to have the punishment of the criminal commuted.

  1. retinue members prefer not to have

  2. retinue member prefers not to have

  3. retinue members prefers not to have

  4. retinue members do not want

  5. retinue members will prefer not to have
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Multiple choice

Directions: A part of the sentence that has been underlined has an error. Select the option that is the most coherent and precise representation of the underlined part.

Just a few meters away from banks of river Thames stand the Westminster Abbey which today looks exactly as it did when it was built.

  1. stand the Westminster Abbey which today looks

  2. stands the Westminster Abbey which today looks

  3. stands Westminster Abbey which today looks

  4. stand the Westminster's Abbey which today looks

  5. stands the Westminster Abbey which today look
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is (B). The subject 'Westminster Abbey' is a singular building name, so it requires the singular verb 'stands' (not 'stand'). Additionally, when referring to specific buildings, we typically use the name without 'the'. Option B correctly uses 'stands' with the building name.

Multiple choice

Directions: A part of the sentence that has been underlined has an error. Select the option that is the most coherent and precise representation of the underlined part.

His meteoric rise to fame was attributed to his clandestine nexus with the underworld, and because of it, everyone kept him at an arm’s length.

  1. and because of it, everyone kept him at an arm’s length

  2. and because of it, everyone kept him at arm’s length

  3. and because of this nexus, everyone kept him at an arm’s length

  4. and because of these, everyone kept him at an arm’s length

  5. and because of this, everyone kept him at arm’s length
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is (C). Option A has unnecessary 'an' before 'arm's length'. Option B misses specificity about what 'it' refers to. Option D uses 'these' which is awkward. Option E has 'arm's length' without 'an'. Option C correctly specifies 'this nexus' (referring to the underworld connection) and uses 'an arm's length' appropriately. The idiom is 'keep someone at arm's length'.

Multiple choice

Directions: A part of the sentence that has been underlined has an error. Select the option that is the most coherent and precise representation of the underlined part.

Ensconced in multiple layers of sponge, none of the Chinese potteries were broken when the worker inadvertently dropped the crate.

  1. Chinese potteries were broken when the worker inadvertently dropped the crate

  2. Chinese potteries broke away when the worker inadvertently dropped the crate

  3. Chinese potteries was broken when the worker inadvertently dropped the crates

  4. Chinese potteries got broken when the workers inadvertently dropped the crate

  5. Chinese pottery was broken when the worker inadvertently dropped the crate
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The correct answer is (E). With 'none of' as the subject, the verb should agree with the noun in the prepositional phrase. 'Pottery' is an uncountable noun (mass noun) when referring to the material or craft, so it requires singular 'was' and singular 'pottery'. Options A-D incorrectly use 'potteries' (which treats it as countable) or incorrect verbs.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (5).

  1. Shall you

  2. read this

  3. book

  4. for me?

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

In interrogative sentences starting with 'shall', the subject comes after the auxiliary verb. The correct order is 'Shall you read this book for me?' - which is grammatically incorrect. Modern English uses 'Will you' or 'Would you' instead for polite requests. The error is indeed in A.

Multiple choice

Directions: Identify the part having an error. If no part has an error, mark (5).

  1. Either Ganesh

  2. or Ganpat

  3. have committed

  4. this gruesome murder

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

With 'either...or' construction, if one subject is singular and the other is also singular (Ganesh/Ganpat are both singular), the verb should be singular. 'Have' is plural - the correct form should be 'has' to match the singular subject. Error is in part C.