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 following sentence has been broken into three parts: (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

His son is taking extra classes (A)/ in Physics, Chemistry and (B)/ in Mathematics. (C)/ No error (D).

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

This part violates the rules of parallelism. The preposition ‘in’ should have been either repeated before every element in the series or included before the first item.

Multiple choice

Directions: The following sentence has been broken in three parts: (A), (B) and (C). If there is any grammatical error in any of these parts, that is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (D).

During our stay in the hostel, (A)/ some of us used to bring (B)/ their own beddings. (C)/ No error (D).

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

 In this sentence, the possessive pronoun in the end of the sentence (their) should have matched with the pronoun (us). But, it is not so.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find out which part of the following sentence has an error. If there is no error, (d) is the answer.

After the painting competition, (a)/ each of the students were (b)/ given a certificate for participation. (c)/ No error (d)

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

  4. (d)

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

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, the usage of pronoun ‘each’ makes the subject singular and hence, with a singular subject, a singular verb (was) is to be used and not a plural verb (were).

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) English had began (b) to be spoken in Britain only (c) after the arrival of the Saxons. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

English had begun. It has to be verb 3 or past participle. Had, have or has must take verb 3 in order to be grammatically correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) Her death (b) at so young an age is (c) must to be regretted. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

Must to be regretted is wrong and makes no sense. It has to be ‘much to be regretted’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) Leopard change its spots (b) whenever it goes (c) from one spot to another. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

Leopard is third person singular number. The verb ‘change’ should be corrected as ‘changes’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) By the time the administration woke up (b) to the calamity that had struck the valley (c) it was all over. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

No error. Both the clauses are in order.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) The doctor was (b) eagerly not very keen (c) to administer medicine. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

‘Eagerly not very keen’ makes no sense. ‘Not very keen’ adequately serves the purpose. The word ‘eagerly’ is an intrusion we could do without.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) Both of these exercises are (b) expected to arm the candidate (c) with necessary outputs for future interviews. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

Use of ‘output’ is wrong here. Output is the end result whereas the stress is on input. It is input that could help a candidate in an interview as it gives him time and opportunity to arm himself with knowledge, etc.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) The problem (b) was so difficult (c) to be resolved. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

The error is in part (b). So difficult is wrong. It should be too difficult. This comes under the category of transformation of sentences (remove too). In sentences containing adverb too, the transformation is done as under: The problem was too difficult to be resolved. The problem was so difficult that it could not be resolved.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence is underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read the sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. If there is no error, you may signify a ‘No error’ response.

(a) Beauty lies (b) in the vision (c) of the beholder. (d) No error

  1. (a)

  2. (b)

  3. (c)

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

‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ is the idiom. Use of ‘vision’ in part (b) is erroneous.