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 numbered part that bears an error of grammar or diction. If there is no error, mark (5) as your answer.

(1) The critic and (2) the intellectual (3) has expressed his grave concern (4) over communalization of politics. (5) No error

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

Change ‘has expressed his’ to ‘have expressed their’. When two or more singular nouns are joined by ‘and’, each preceded by definite article ‘the’, it means that separate persons are being referred to.

Multiple choice

Directions: The sentence given below has been divided into four parts, one of which may contain an error. The sentence doesn't contain more than one error. Select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct as given, select (5) 'No error' as your answer.

The world is full of (1) officials, who, if they cannot plan some kind of project, (2) are capable of (3) nothing but yawning; the proprietors, who, in order to make money, cannot (4) rest from their labours for a minute. (5) No error

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

No error in the sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: The under given sentence has been divided into four parts, one of which may contain an error. No sentence contains more than one error. Select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct as given select (5) 'No error' as your answer.

There are, (1) to be sure, occasional pea gravel gardens (2) or dirt playing fields in the (3) cities, but these are (4) few and for between. (5) No error.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

The correct idiomatic usage is ‘few and far between’.

Multiple choice

Directions: The under given sentence has been divided into four parts, one of which may contain an error. No sentence contains more than one error. Select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct as given select (5) 'No error' as your answer.

(1) The more you block off the land, (2) more the functions of nature (3) are necessarily impaired, and we will (4) pay for this sooner or later. (5) No error.

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

Insert ‘the’ before more. When a comparative is used as a headword, we use article ‘the’ before it.

Multiple choice

Directions: The under given sentence has been divided into four parts, one of which may contain an error. No sentence contains more than one error. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice 5 as the answer.

Maria had (1) a seizure while she was (2) holidaying yesterday, but she now claims (3) that she is not epileptic as she is (4) comparatively better today. (5) No error

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

Error of double comparative.

Multiple choice

Directions: The given sentence has been divided into four parts, one of which may contain an error. No sentence contains more than one error. If the sentence contains an error, select the underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice 5 as the answer.

The purpose of grammatical links is to introduce students (1) to a select list of sources that they will find Immensely (2) interesting and useful in their grammar study, (3) especially those who (4) confuse between the noun and verb forms. (5) No error

  1. (1)

  2. (2)

  3. (3)

  4. (4)

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

Error of redundancy. Delete’ between’.

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).

Raman and me (A)/ went for a movie (B)/ at the mall. (C)/ No error (D).

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, an incorrect pronoun ‘me’ has been used. The correct pronoun here is ‘I’, which will make the sentence correct.

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).

At the birthday party, (A)/ Riya ate burger, had fries (B)/ and was drinking Coke. (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 is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. In this sentence, there are two singular simple past tense verbs (ate and had) and one singular past progressive verb (was drinking). To make all the verbs match, ‘was drinking’ should be changed to ‘drank’ (simple past tense).

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).

The students, accompanied (A)/ by the teachers and the principal, (B)/ was going to the picnic. (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 is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. The sentence has the subject-verb disagreement between the plural subject (students) and the singular verb (was). The correct sentence should have a plural verb (were), instead of the singular verb (was). The accompanying phrase does not, in any way, alter the relationship between the subject and the verb but only provides extra information.

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).

Neither Anita nor Shreya (A)/ were at the home when (B)/ the postman came. (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 error. As a grammatical rule, if the names are separated by ‘nor’, a singular form of verb (was) is to be used, and not a plural form (were). The sentence tells that Anita was not at home and Shreya was not at home either. Since neither one of the two was at home, we use a singular verb.

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).

I have wrote many (A)/ letters to him (B)/ but he has never replied. (C)/ No error (D).

  1. (A)

  2. (B)

  3. (C)

  4. (D)

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

This is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, with ‘have’, the past perfect form of verb (written) should have been used instead of the simple past form (wrote). Thus, the correct sentence should be, “I have written many letters to him but he has never replied”.

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).

Sunil, accompanied by (A)/ his parents, are at Manali (B)/ for the vacations. (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. The sentence has the subject-verb disagreement between the singular subject (Sunil) and plural verb (are). The correct sentence should have a singular verb (is), instead of the plural verb (are).

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).

I really feel proud (A)/ of my son as he (B)/ performed quite well in exams. (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 is the correct option as this part of the sentence has the error. Here, simple past form (performed) has been incorrectly used with ‘feel proud’, which is in present tense. Thus, with ‘feel proud’, present perfect tense (has performed) should be used.