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 sentence below is underlined and broken into three separate parts, labelled (1), (2) and (3). One of the parts may have an error in grammar, word usage or idiom. Indicate the part having the error. If there is no error, mark (4) as your answer.

(1) Intense fear blocks/ (2) both to the generation/ (3) and expression of ideas./ (4) No error

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

(2) ‘both the generation and expression’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence below is underlined and broken into three separate parts, labelled (1), (2) and (3). One of the parts may have an error in grammar, word usage or idiom. Indicate the part having the error. If there is no error, mark (4) as your answer.

(1) The aim behind course/ (2) is to cater to students with diverse needs/ (3) ranging from basic knowledge to top-end research./ (4) No error

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

(1) Correct usage is ‘the course’ or 'this course'. Reference is to a particular course, as its aim is being talked about.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled (1), (2) and (3). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

Sumit, accompanied by (1)/ his friends (2)/ was at the studio. (3)/ No error (4)

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, ‘4’ is the correct option as the sentence has no error. Here, there is a correct subject-verb agreement as the subject (Sumit) is singular and the verb (was) is also singular. Thus, the sentence has no error.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled (1), (2) and (3). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

The flight had (1)/ gone before we (2)/ reached the airport. (3)/ No error (4)

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, ‘4’ is the correct option as the sentence has no error. In this case, the whole sentence is in perfect tense and has no error.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled 1, 2 and 3. Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer..

Ashok, accompanied by (1)/ his classmates, (2)/ was at the mall. (3)/ No error (4).

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Here, ‘4’ is the correct option as the sentence has no error. There is subject–verb agreement between the singular subject (Ashok) and the singular verb (was). Thus, the sentence is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled 1, 2 and 3. Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

The girl, along with (1)/ her mother and friends, (2)/ are going to the book shop. (3)/ No error (4).

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

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

Here, ‘3’ is the correct option as part (3) of the sentence has the error. The sentence has no subject–verb agreement. Here, the subject is singular but the verb is plural. The accompanying phrase “along with her mother and friends” does not alter the grammatical relation between the subject (the girl) and the verb (are going). Thus, the correct singular verb should be 'is going'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled 1, 2 and 3. Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

Mrs. Taneja cried (1)/ that she had (2)/ cut her hand! (3)/ No error (4).

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

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

Here, ‘3’ is the correct option as part (3) of the sentence has an error. Here, at the end of the sentence, exclamation mark has been used whereas in indirect sentence, no exclamation mark can be used.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled 1, 2 and 3. Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer

After he had (1)/ finished his exam, (2)/ he would go to the movie. (3)/ No error (4).

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

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

Here, ‘3’ is the correct option as part (3) of the sentence has the error. Here, both the events, the exam and the movie, happened in the past. Thus, according to the rule of grammar, both verbs should be in the past tense. 'Had finished' is in past perfect, but 'would go' is not. So, the correct usage should be 'went', instead of 'would go'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled 1, 2 and 3. Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

I have (1)/ wrote five letters (2)/ to him so far. (3)/ No error (4).

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Here, ‘2’ is the correct option as part (2) of the sentence has the error. Here, the past form (wrote) has been used whereas past participle form (written) should have been used.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled (1), (2) and (3). Select the part which has an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

Save from Tom, (1)/ no one else passed (2)/ the tough exam. (3)/ No error (4)

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Here, ‘1’ is the correct option as part (1) of the sentence has the error. The sentence uses an incorrect idiom 'save from', which means to rescue someone from something. Example: The police was able to save the kid from the kidnappers. The correct idiom should be 'save for', which implies except for.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a sentence is divided into three parts labelled (1), (2) and (3). Select the part having an error. If there is no error, then mark (4) as your answer.

Yesterday, she said that (1)/ she will (2)/ meet him. (3)/ No error (4)

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Here, ‘2’ is the correct option as part (2) of the sentence has the error. Here, ‘said’ fixes the time of the verb to be past. Therefore, past form of ‘will’, i.e. ‘would’ should have been used.

Multiple choice

Directions: Some parts of the sentence are underlined. One of the parts may have an error. Find out which part of the sentence has an error. If there is no error, your answer should be option (4).

The book contains fifteen leaves; (1) each of them (2) is of a different colour. (3) No error (4)

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The words: each, every, everyone, someone, somebody, everybody, anybody, nobody and anyone are always used as singular.