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: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. When you speak to him, remember to who you are speaking.
  2. I wish we had killed and stained every germ in the universe.
  3. One bold bee, having evaded capture, sought to tempt the boy.
  4. If it were not so, the institution of the family could not survive in any great modern city.
  5. We were happy to be in Tolstoy's study, where he wrote many of his famous novels.

  1. Both 1 and 2

  2. Both 3 and 5

  3. Both 2 and 4

  4. Both 1 and 5

  5. Only 1

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

Correct; sentence 1 has the error of relative pronoun. The person to be spoken to is the object of the sentence. So, the pronoun should be in objective form 'whom'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. I know all about the film because I have watched it twice.
  2. I am sure I have seen him at the party last night.
  3. The legend reveals how the castle received its meaning.
  4. His subordinates accused him with various offences.
  5. The people regarded him as an imposter and called him a villain.

  1. Both 3 and 4

  2. Both 1 and 5

  3. Only 2

  4. Both 2 and 4

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

Correct; sentence 2 has error of tense. The adverb 'last' shows that the action took place in the past, so the tense should be in simple past, i.e. 'saw'. Sentence 4 has the error of preposition. The verb 'accused' should be followed by the preposition 'of'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. At almost any time in recorded history, an Indian would have felt more or less at home in any part of India.
  2. The great University of Texila was at the height of its fame 2000 years ago.
  3. I acquainted myself of more details before proceeding in the case.
  4. There is no question of teacher's responsibility for the moral lapses of the students.
  5. It does not recognise the laceration of our feelings as a case of compensation.

  1. 3 and 4

  2. Only 3

  3. Only 5

  4. 1 and 2

  5. 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; there is error of preposition in the sentence. 'Acquainted' should be followed by preposition 'with'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. There are some matters in regard to which the memory works with less than it's usual perfection.
  2. Let two statesmen try to recall the same event with precision.
  3. An old banyan tree stretched its powerful arms over the blossoming jack and neem plants.
  4. Every month they had to meet some targets, renew others and obtain more time.
  5. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling.

  1. Both 3 and 4

  2. Only 5

  3. Only 1

  4. Both 2 and 4

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

Correct; there is error in the possessive case of the pronoun 'it's'. The correct form is 'its'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. There is a social practice much elder and more sacred than any law which enjoins us to be civil.
  2. He apologised to her for the lack of consideration on his part.
  3. Foreign powers wished to add the new weapon to their stock of armaments.
  4. Nobel Prizes are awarded every year regardless of the nationality of the candidate.
  5. It is the efficiency rather than the inefficiency of human memory that compels my wonder.

  1. Only 4

  2. Only 1

  3. Both 2 and 3

  4. Both 4 and 5

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

Correct; the adjective in the comparative degree 'elder' is incorrect. 'Elder' is used to express the age of a person; for objects we use 'older'. The correct answer here is 'older'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

(1) My grandmother had been old and wrinkled since twenty years. (2) One of his knee cap had been torn off. (3) It is better to have a permanent income than to do odd jobs. (4) She was as serene as the winter landscape in the mountains. (5) Great nations are always built in absolute honesty.

  1. Both 3 and 4

  2. Both 2 and 5

  3. 2

  4. 1

  5. 1 and 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; sentence 1 has the error in preposition. 'Since' is used to denote a definite time. 'Twenty years' is a definitive period of time. So, the correct preposition here is 'for'.

Sentence 2 talks about 'one' out of two caps. So, it should be 'knee caps'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statements which are grammatically incorrect.

  1. But the fact did not lesson the glow of pleasure which so good-natured an action had given me.
  2. Nothing clears up our spirits like a fine day.
  3. As a novelist, few can approach Tolstoy in the depth of analysis of man as a social being.
  4. The poet made no apologies for writing a panegyric on unknown soldiers.
  5. No court can administer a law which govern our civilities.

  1. 1 and 3

  2. 2 and 5

  3. 1 and 5

  4. 2, 3 and 5

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

Correct; sentence 1 has the error of incorrect spelling of 'lesson'. The correct spelling here should be 'lessen' meaning 'reduce'. Sentence 5 has the error of subject verb agreement. The noun 'law' is singular, so it should follow the verb in the singular form, i.e. 'governs'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

(1) The doctor examined the patient and said that he was suffering from apoplexy. (2) The violence spread throughout the city after the bomb blast. (3) He was suspended not only for his absence from exercise but for his inability to meet the school's standard. (4) He was very sophisticated and managed to do the job with all the expertness. (5) He talked nonstop and we could not get a word of that.

  1. 5

  2. 1

  3. 3

  4. 2

  5. 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; there is an error in this sentence .'Not only ' is followed by only 'but'. The correct sentence should read 'but also for his inability-----'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. Gandhiji is the man whom nobody has ceased to respect.
  2. No sooner I stepped out of the house, it began to rain torrentially.
  3. Experts say that carbon dioxide is ideal for dousing fires.
  4. The glue of urban infrastructure holds our cities' diverse population together.
  5. The bankers are appalled at the economic incompetence of some officials.

  1. 5

  2. 2

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 2 and 4

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

Correct; the sentence has the error of incorrect construction. The correct construction should be 'No sooner had I step out than it began...' .

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. Our actions should be governed by prudence and moderation.
  2. He remarked vehemently that he was against every kind of fraudulence.
  3. The contest judges were told to give the prize to draw the best picture.
  4. In quake prone zone the proliferation of high-rise buildings is very dangerous.
  5. The low rupee triggered panic selling in the equity market.

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 5

  3. 3

  4. 2 and 4

  5. 3 and 5
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct; the sentence has the error of pronoun ambiguity. It does not make clear to whom the prize is to be given. So, the correct answer should be ' to whoever drew the best picture'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. She longed for the holidays to come so that she could be with her family again.
  2. Eating sweets is supposed to be bad for the teeth.
  3. The latest news of the earthquake survivors are very disturbing.
  4. I was often kept awake at night by their song which floated up through the window.
  5. Much remains to be done before the drug can be used by humans.

  1. 4 and 5

  2. 1 and 3

  3. 3

  4. 2

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

Correct; the sentence has the error of subject verb agreement. The word 'news' is always treated as singular, and followed by verb in the singular form. So, the verb should be 'is'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. The beams have to be strong enough to support the roof.
  2. The channel has produced a number of documentaries on violence on television.
  3. The office which Graham led the way to was filled with books.
  4. If we were serious about pollution, we would have spent more money on research.
  5. We are all going to US during the vacation.

  1. 1 and 3

  2. 4 and 5

  3. 2

  4. 4

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

Correct; the sentence has the error of verb in the principal clause. Replace 'have spent' with 'spend'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

(1) I disapproved of his smoking in the office. (2) She came to be recognised as the leading violinist of her generation. (3) The doctor advised the patient to cut down on cakes and biscuits. (4) The old man got up and pleaded with the soldiers that the village should be left in peace. (5) School should be a place where children are taught to enjoy learning.

  1. Both 1 and 5

  2. Both 3 and 4

  3. Only 2

  4. Only 1

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

Correct; all the sentences are correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. These days the doctors can transplant any organ of the human body successfully.
  2. My uncle enquired what were all those things doing on his land.
  3. He lived at the top of an old house whose attic had been converted into a flat.
  4. Before going into the temple, everyone has to take off the shoes.
  5. I would be grateful if you could send me a copy of your latest catalogue.

  1. 3 and 4

  2. 1 and 2

  3. 5

  4. 2

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

Correct; the sentence has the error of the helping verb which is misplaced. The sentence has been changed into indirect form, from question to assertive, and in such changes, the helping verb follows the subject. So, the correct sentence should read 'what all those things were doing on his land'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the statement(s) which is/are grammatically incorrect.

  1. The youth of today is disillusioned with the current political situation.
  2. Politics is all a game hobbled by money, muscle power and connections.
  3. The boy was badly mauled by a mad dog.
  4. The leaders make esoteric promises near the elections to lure people .
  5. As I walked away hastily, a coarse threatening sound like the clarionets fell into my ears.

  1. 3

  2. 1 and 4

  3. 2 and 5

  4. 5

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

Correct; the sentence has the error of parallel comparison. While comparing, the things compared should be of the same kind. In the sentence, the sound should be compared with the sound of clarionets, not clarionets. So, it should be 'like that of clarionets'.