How to Solve Spotting Error Tricks & Tips In Detail : 2020

Explanation 1: I enjoy playing musical instruments, like such as the piano and the violin. 
Piano and violin are not similar musical instruments. Clearly, then he must be referring not to a class of instruments but rather the list of instruments. Hence, they must be introduced using ‘such as’. Don’t forget the comma!!

Explanation 2: Countries such as India are democratic. Adding a comma before such as is incorrect as the phrase ‘such as India’ adds to the meaning of the statement. The corrected sentence would then be:
Countries such as India are democratic.

Explanation 3: Foods such as burgers or and pizzas are unhealthy.
The statement means all kinds of junk foods are unhealthy. ‘Or’ gives a choice: either burgers or pizzas are unhealthy. Thus, ‘or’ must be replaced with ‘and’. Note that if we omitted “such as burgers and pizzas” from the statement, then it would be saying that “All foods are unhealthy”. This is incorrect and thus we can say that “such as burgers and pizzas” are integral to the sentence. So we don’t need to add a comma.

Let’s start with an example of a sentence that shows you the use of “would rather… than”.

Eg: “I would not rather go there.”

What’s wrong in this sentence? You’ll be able to identify the error by the end of this article.

‘Would rather’ means like, prefer, etc.
‘I would rather go to the library than stand here’ means the speaker prefers being in the library to standing at that place.

What’s the Confusion between Its and It’s?

The confusion arises in the fact that nouns take an apostrophe ‘s’ after it when used in possessive form.

E.g. Sheela’s children were disobedient and spoilt.

E.g. The book’s pages contained many mysteries.

So you would expect that pronouns like ‘it’ would do the same. But they do not. In fact, no pronoun in its possessive form, will use an apostrophe.

What is Its?

It is the possessive form of the pronoun ‘it’. The possessive form is used to indicate possession or ownership.

E.g. The dog was sleeping. It cocked up its ears on hearing the sound.

Here, ‘its’ is used indicate that the ears belong to the dog.

What is It’s?

It is nothing but a contraction (short form) for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’.

E.g. It’s a beautiful piece of literature.

Here, it is the contraction for ‘it is’.

E.g. It’s been increasing in intensity since the morning.

Here, it is the abbreviation for it has.

A Trick to Remember Its and It’s

When you aren’t sure whether it should Its or It’s, simply use the following trick. The best way to figure out the difference is to replace the blank with ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. If grammatically and contextually they make sense, then the answer is It’s. If not, it must be denoting possession and the answer is Its. Though the difference is very simple, sometimes we use these simple words wrongly.

TALKING DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Some of us friends had gathered to catch up on each other’s lives. We were discussing our jobs when one of my friends compared her current work colleagues to her previous ones.

She said, “The people in my new office are way more friendlier than the people at my old office.”

One of my other friends chipped in, “Are they offering you a good salary than before?”

She replied, “Yes. They definitely are. The best part is I learn to use my time more effectively than at my previous work.

This simple conversation can be used to identify the errors people are prone to make when they use degrees of comparison. The degrees of comparison are easy to identify really. When we are talking about only one thing, it is the positive degree. Comparing between two things uses the comparative degree. When you want to compare one thing with all other things in its class and call it the best or the worst of the lot, then you use superlative degree.

SPOTTING EXTRA REDUNDANCIES!

Let us pinpoint the errors in the conversation given above.

Even though the first sentence seems correct, it is not. Since she is comparing two things, she has used the comparative degree of comparison; but she has incorrectly used ‘more’. The adjective ‘friendlier’ is already in the comparative form so it doesn’t need an additional ‘more’ before it.

‘More’ and ‘most’ is used in the comparative and superlative degree of comparison respectively when the rule of applying ‘er’ or ‘ier’ and ‘est’ or ‘iest’ does not apply.

Usually, when the word is too long (three or more syllables), the word takes ‘more’ and ‘most’ in its comparative and superlative degrees. Then do not add ‘er’, ‘ier’, ‘est’ or ‘iest’ at its end.

Eg: The palace we visited at Udaipur was more splendid than this palace.

IRREGULAR FORMS

In the second sentence, ‘as before’ implies there is a comparison between two timeframes – now and before. Thus, it should have been a ‘better salary’. Why not ‘gooder’? Or ‘more good’?

Because, some words follow an irregular pattern.

Here are some examples:

1. Good- Better- Best
2. Many/Much- More- Most
3. Bad/Ill- Worse- Worst
4. Far- Farther- Farthest (talking about distance)
5. Far- Further- Furthest (talking about achievements)
6. Old- Elder- Eldest (talking about blood relatives)
7. Old- Older- Oldest (talking about others)
8. Little- Less- Least
9. Late- Later- Latest (talking about an event)
10. Late- Latter- Last (talking about a person or object)

USING WITH ADVERBS – IT’S OKAY!

In the third sentence, the thing to be observed is that even though ‘effectively’ is an adverb it is being used in the comparative degree.

The aim is to indicate that the degree of comparison can be used for adverbs as well.

SWITCHING DEGREES

We can interchange the degrees of comparison by keeping the meaning of the sentence same.

Let us take the example of the previous sentence:

The palace we visited at Udaipur was more splendid than this palace.

Originally in comparative degree, let us change it to the positive degree.

This palace is not as splendid as the palace we visited at Udaipur. (Positive degree)

Another example:

This is the easiest way to learn degrees of comparison. (Superlative degree)

There is no other way as easy as this one to learn degrees of comparison. (Positive degree)

This way is easier than any other way to learn degrees of comparison. (Comparative degree)

The only way to master correct usage of degrees of comparison is reading and practising converting sentences from one degree to another. This way you can spot errors more easily in degrees of comparison.

When to Use Present Tenses – Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous

Charu was trying to understand tenses. She was just starting to understand the different Present tenses – Simple Present, Present Continuous, Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous tenses. She met Shashi, with whom she had this conversation. And lo and behold! Tenses suddenly started making sense.

Charu: Hi! My name is Charu. Who are you?

Shashi: Hi Charu! I am Shashikant. But people usually call me Shashi.

Notice how Charu and Shashi are introducing themselves. They tell each other their names. Names are facts – things that we can definitely find out if they are true or not i.e. either they are  true or false. There is no other way of looking at it. Notice how when stating facts such as their names, they use the simple present tense. Also, Shashi mentions that people usually know him as Shashi and not Shashikant. These kinds of habitual (repeated) actions are also conveyed through the simple present tense. ‘Is’, ‘are’, ‘am’, ‘call’ are all verbs in the simple present tense.

Charu: It is nice to meet you, Shashi. What do you do?

Shashi: Right now I am working on a project for the government. I have completed a Bachelors in Chemistry just this April.

Notice how Shashi is talking about what he is doing continuously or regularly these days. Such actions are used in the present continuous tense. The next sentence states his action which he completed just recently, and is valid even now at present. Such actions use the present perfect tense.

Charu: That is wonderful! Don’t you want to get a Master’s degree?

Shashi: Yes, I do. I have been studying every night for the entrance exams.

It looks like Shashi started the process of studying at some point in the past and it continues even now. Here the process and result are both important. So he uses the present perfect continuous tense.  

Rules to Understand Gerunds with Examples

A gerund is constituted by verb + ‘ing’. Every gerund without exception ends in ‘ing’. It is however difficult to identify a gerund since it is often confused with present participles and other words ending in ‘ing’.  The distinction lies in their use. Present participles are used as adjectives whereas gerunds as used as nouns. Here are 11 rules to understand gerunds with examples.

This short passage is a solution for all your confusions regarding gerunds. Some words may be highlighted for your attention.

PASSAGE:

Reading helps you improve your vocabulary and grammar. One of the crucial aspects of grammar is understanding gerunds. It is one topic students find confusing. Initially, you will have problems with putting gerunds in a sentence.  However, you should never give up trying. Working hard and long is, in fact, a tremendously rewarding activity. One must get used to using gerunds and participles comfortably. So put on your running shoes and go ahead with your preparation. It is no use learning if you don’t apply the rules. So keep practising. Be committed to discovering new things.

 

DISCUSSION:

Now that you have read the passage, let us discuss the highlighted words. The common factor among these words is that they end in ‘ing’. But are all of these gerunds? And have they been used similarly in all the sentences. Read on to find out.

1. Reading is the subject of the sentence and it is a gerund. Gerunds, as nouns, can also be subjects of a sentence. E.g. Smoking is prohibited here.
2. Understanding is also a gerund. It works here as the complement of the verb ‘to be’. This is different from the continuous verb. How? Here,the verb is clearly ‘is’, whereas ‘understanding’ is not part of this verb. It shows a different action. Eg: One of his duties is cleaning the room.
   
3. Confusing ends in ‘ing’. But it is not a gerund. It is a participle because it acts as the adjective for the noun ‘topic’. E.g. Singing birds do not sit on branches. Here, ‘singing’ modifies the noun ‘birds’.
4. Putting is a gerund and is used after the preposition ‘with’. Very often, when a verb is used after a preposition, it is in the ‘ing’ form. E.g. In keeping with the laws, the judge forgot all about justice. Here ‘in’ is the preposition.
5. Trying here is a gerund after a phrasal verb. Phrasal verbs composed of verb + preposition/adverb such as ‘give up’ and ‘put off’ are followed by gerunds or gerund phrases. Eg: I put off going to the doctor.
6. Working hard and long is a gerund phrase. It begins with the gerund ‘working’ and functions as a noun.
7. Some phrasal verbs include the preposition ‘to’. In that case, they are always followed by gerunds. Here, using is the gerund after the phrasal verb ‘used to’. ‘To’ is not a part of the verb but rather a part of the phrase and acts as a preposition.
8. Running has been used here as a gerund in a compound noun. A compound noun is a noun formed by joining two words. It is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a continuous verb. E.g. The water in the swimming pool is dirty.
9. Learning: A gerund is compulsorily used after expressions like ‘can’t help’, ’no use’ etc. E.g. She couldn’t help falling in love with him.
10. Practising here is the object of the verb ‘keep’. E.g. I enjoy singing.
11. Even though ‘to discovering’ may look wrong because you learnt about infinitives, this is correct. Some words like ‘committed’ and ‘inclined’ always take the preposition ‘to’ after it. Then rule 4 applies. The verb after the preposition ‘to’ takes the gerund form because the ‘to’ is not part of the verb itself. Otherwise infinitives never take the ‘ing’ form.

General Tips for Tenses in English Grammar

Tense of a verb indicates the time period during which an action or event has occurred. Tenses constitute a major part of our written and spoken English and is key in understanding conversational English. Quite often, we end up making grave errors where these tenses are concerned. Here are a few general rules of tenses.

There are three major tenses and theses are further subdivided. They are:

1. Past

• Simple past (Verb+ed)

This tense can be used to denote a single act in the past or a habitual action in the past. It is formed using the past participle form of the root verb. This usually involves adding ‘ed’ to the end of the root verb.

E.g.: Sachin scored a century in the last match.

E.g.: He studied many hours a day.

However there are certain exceptions to the rule of forming past tenses by adding ed to the verb. These have irregular past participle forms.

E.g.: Blew, came, drove

• Past perfect(Had/Have+Past participle):

This tense describes an action which has definitely ended in the past. It denotes an action completed at some point in the past before another action started. It generally compares two actions that took place in different time periods.

E.g.: I had completed my assignment way before its deadline (arrived).
E.g.: The rain had stopped when we came out.

• Past continuous(Was/Were+Present Participle):

This tense is used to describe an action that went on for some time in the past. This tense is usually used when the action concerned was in progress during another action also in the past.

E.g.: I wasplaying the guitar when Lakshmi walked into my room.

• Past perfect continuous(Had/Have been+Present participle):

This tense is indicative of actions that began at a particular point of time in the past and continued for a specific length of time up to another moment in the past.

E.g.: I hadbeen practising Mathematics since ten in the morning.

2. Present

• Simple present(Verb+s/es):

This tense describes universal truths, regular actions and habits which occur daily or at particular intervals of times.

E.g.: The Sun rises in the East.

• Present perfect(Has/have+Past participle):

It indicates an action that has just been completed. It is also used to indicate a past action as continuing to the present moment.
E.g.: He has solved the sum.
E.g.: We have lived here for ten years.

• Present continuous(Am/is/are+Present participle):

This tense is used to describe an action that is happening right now, at this very moment. It may be a short-term or a long-term action.

E.g.; The girls are getting ready for their performance.

• Present perfect continuous (Has/have+been+Present participle):

It describes an action which began at a particular point of time in the past and has continued till now.

E.g.: I have been studying for my examinations for over a month.

3. Future

• Simple future(Will+Verb/Am/is/are+going to+verb):

This tense describes an action that is going to happen in the future.

E.g.: Reeta is going to visit her relatives next month.

E.g.: I will call him tomorrow.

• Future perfect (Will have+Past participle):

This tense compares two actions and describes an action that will take place before something else in the future.

E.g.: By tomorrow evening, I will havecompleted my project.

• Future continuous(Will be+Present participle):

It describes a continuous action in the future or two actions occurring simultaneously in the future.

E.g.: Next year I will be applying for entrance to colleges.
E.g.: Tomorrow, I will be going to the university to get my certificates.

• Future perfect continuous (Will have been+Present participle):

This is rarely used in actual practice. It is used either to show a period of time before something will occur in the future or to establish a cause and effect relationship.

E.g. Derek will be exhausted by the time he makes his million because he will have been managing two companies by himself for over three years.

In each case above, the same rule applies to each sub-type, whether the sentence be affirmative, negative or interrogative. Examples-

• Sheila goes for a jog daily. (Affirmative)
• Sheila does not go for a jog daily. (Negative)
• Does Sheila go for a jog daily? (Interrogative)

For a general sentence, this is how the conversion will take place:

• Yash ate an ice-cream yesterday. (Simple past)
• Yash had eaten an ice-cream the day before. (Past perfect)
• Yash was eating an ice-cream an hour ago. (Past continuous)
• Yash had been eating an ice-cream before going to class. (Past perfect continuous)
• Yash eats an ice-cream every other day. (Simple present)
• Yash has eaten an ice-cream. (Present perfect)
• Yash is eating an ice-cream now. (Present continuous)
• Yash has been eating an ice-cream for the past half an hour. (Present perfect continuous)
• Yash will eat an ice-cream after dinner. (Simple future)
• Yash will have eaten an ice-cream by the time you come. (Future perfect)
• Yash will be eating an ice-cream when you come. (Future continuous)
• Yash will have been eating an ice-cream by the time you come. (Future perfect continuous)

List of Common Errors

Following is the list of common errors that can be seen in “spotting the error” questions in exam –

1. words beginning with ‘h’ like, honour, honest, heir etc. are considered to be silent. Hence the vowel following it takes ‘an’, instead of ‘a’ for the article. Hence, the correct usage is “an hour”, “an heir”, “an honour” etc.
2. In case of using prepositions, you need to keep in mind the following definitions –

between (to be used for only two)

3.  Always check for subject-verb agreement – if a subject is singular, then its verb should also be singular. On similar grounds, if a subject is plural, then its verb should also be plural. Furthermore,  if you write in the present tense, both the noun and the verb take plural forms in opposite ways. For instance, the noun adds an “s” to its singular form, on the other hand, the verb removes the “s” from its singular form.
4. Check for errors in use of conjunctions – remember that a sentence only uses one conjunction at a time. For instance, use of both “as” and “so” in the same sentence is incorrect.
5. Distinction between “much” and “many” – the word “much” is used before uncountable nouns, while the word “many” is used before countable nouns.

Here, uncountable nouns are substances which can not be further broker down into smaller elements. For example, “litres of milk” (here the word “milk” can not be further broken down into smaller units). On the other hand, countable nouns are substances which can be broken down into smaller elements. For instance, “two dogs” (here the existence of the word “two” makes the verb countable.

NOTE: it is also important that you work on your vocabulary, to maximize your marks in the English Language section.

6. Distinction between “whose” and “which” – the word “whose” is used to address living entities and the word “which” is used  for lifeless objects.  For instance, the sentence, “which book is lying there?” is incorrect and the sentence “whose book is lying there?” is correct.
7. The pronoun “one”as a subject should use “one’s” because it does not indicate towards a specific gender – male or female.
8. The combination of words “One of” always takes a plural noun after it. For instance, the sentence, “it is one of the saddest day” is incorrect and the sentence, “it is one of the saddest days” is correct.
9. Collective nounslike public, committee, team, audience, government,  etc. can be used both as singular and plural depending on their meaning. When these words refer to a unit, the verb is singular, otherwise it is plural.
10. There are certain nouns that refer to length, measure, money or a number. When they are preceded by a numeral, they remain unchanged in form. These nouns are – Foot, metre, pair , score, dozen, head , year, hundred, thousand, million etc.

How to Solve Sentence Correction Questions

 In this topic you have to find the correct alternative which may improve the sentence. Sometimes there is no correction required then your answer will be no improvement.

Tips to solve Sentence Correction in Exam

(i) Read the original sentence carefully and try to spot grammatical errors by identifying whether something “sounds” wrong.

(ii) Always look at every choice.

(iii) Even when the original sentence seems fine, pay attention to the grammar that it tests and look through the choices systematically to see if any alternative provides a better option.

(iv) As you locate each error, eliminate all of the choices that contain that error.

(v) Do not read each answer choice back into the sentence individually; that wastes time and invites inaccuracy.

(vi) Instead, identify the differences among the choices and eliminate those that offer less effective or grammatically incorrect alternatives.

Questions for Practice

Directions: Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical error or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is ‘No error’, the answer is (5). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)

1. The area was plunged into, (1) / darkness mid a wave of (2) / cheering and shouting (3) / slogans like ‘Save and Earth’. (4) No error (5)
2. The poll contestants approached the commission (1) / complaining that the hoardings (2) / violated the code of conduct (3)/ and influenced the public perception. (4) No error (5)
3. The country has (1) / adequate laws but problems arise (2) / when these are not (3) / implemented in letter and spirit. (4) No error (5)
4. The management feels that (1) / the employees of the organization are (2) / non – productive, and do not want (3) / to work hard (4)/ No error (5)
5. As far the issue of land encroachment (1) / in villages is concerned, people will (2) / have to make a start from their villages by (3) / sensitizing and educating the villagers about the issue. (4) No error (5)

_______________________________________________

Answers :

1 (2) ; 2 (5) ; 3(5) ; 4 (3) ; 5(1)

26 Tips for Spotting Errors in English

Even those of us who are well-versed with English end up making the silliest of errors in grammar. It is a very natural tendency but error-spotting is not an art that one can’t master. It is just a matter of swearing by some guidelines and practice! Here are 26 tips for error spotting in English:

1. Certain nouns possess a singular form but still represent plurality and thus, take a plural verb when used in a sentence.

E.g. Cattle, peasantry, people, clergy, police.

Thus,

• The Police has come (Incorrect)
• The Police have come (Correct)

1. Certain nouns always take the plural verb because their form is always plural.

E.g. Scissors, trousers, spectacles, thanks, premises.

Thus,

• The scissors is kept on the table. (Incorrect)
• The scissors are kept on the table. (Correct)

1. When a number is followed by a noun denoting measure, length, money, number or weight, the form of the nouns does not change so long as they are followed by another noun or pronoun.

E.g. Million, pair, metre, year, dozen, foot, head.

Thus,

• This is a nine-metres cloth. (Incorrect)
• This is a nine-metre cloth. (Correct)

1. When a number is followed by a noun denoting measure, length, money, number or weight, but these are not followed by another noun or pronoun, then they take the plural form.
   E.g. Million, pair, metre, year, dozen, foot, head.

Thus,

• This sari is nine yard long. (Incorrect)
• This sari is nine yards long. (Correct)

1. Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used as singular when they specify a unit.

E.g. Public, team, committee, government, audience, orchestra, company, jury.

Thus,

• The public were unanimous in their opinion. (Incorrect)
• The public was unanimous in its opinion. (Correct)

1. Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used in plural when they specify a difference of opinion or class.
   E.g. Public, team, committee, government, audience, orchestra, company, jury.

Thus,

• The jury was divided in its opinion. (Incorrect)
• The jury were divided in their opinion. (Correct)

1. If the pronoun ‘one’ is used, it must be maintained throughout the sentence.

Thus,

• One must respect his elders.  (Incorrect)
• One must respect one’s elders. (Correct)

1. The word ‘whose’is used for living people and ‘which’ is used for non-living things or ideas.

Thus,

• Which box is kept on the table? (Incorrect)
• Whose box is kept on the table?  (Correct)

1. ‘Less’ is used to denote quantity while ‘fewer’ is used to denote number.

Thus,

• No less than twenty people were (Incorrect)
• No fewer than twenty people were (Correct)

1. ‘One of’is always followed by noun in the plural form.

Thus,

• She is one of the least important person in the office. (Incorrect)
• She is one of the least important people in the office. (Correct)

1. Only ‘than’ should be used after ‘no other’
   Thus,

• I like no other movie but Titanic. (Incorrect)
• I like no other movie than Titanic. (Correct)

1. After the word ‘Know’, ‘how, ‘what’ or ‘when’ should be used before using the infinitive.

Thus,

• I know to speak English. (Incorrect)
• I know how to speak English. (Correct)

1. If the verb indicates a purpose, an infinitive must be used and if the verb indicates a cause, a gerund must be used.

Thus,

• He went to the mall for watching a movie. (Incorrect)
• He went to the mall to watch a movie. (Correct)

• He was suspended to show indiscipline. (Incorrect)
• He was suspended for showing indiscipline.(Correct)

14.’As’ is not used with verbs like ‘appointed’, ‘elected’ , ‘considered’, ‘called’ but it is used with the word ‘regard’.

Thus,

• He was elected as Secretary of the organisation. (Incorrect)
• He was elected Secretary of the organisation. (Correct)

• I regard Sahil my best friend. (Incorrect)
• I regard Sahil as my best friend. (Correct)

15. Adverbs should not be confused for adjectives. An adjective describes the characteristic of the subject while an adverb describes the action of the verb.

Thus,

• The horse looked beautifully. (Incorrect)
• The horse looked beautiful. (Correct)

1. Question tags are always the opposite of the sentence which means that if the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative and vice versa.

Thus,

• You were dancing, were you? (Incorrect)
• You were dancing, weren’t you? (Correct)

17. An infinitive verb should never be split.

Thus,

• I request you to kindly tell me. (Incorrect)
• I request you kindly to tell me. (Correct)

1. A pronoun after ‘like’, ‘unlike’ and ‘let’ takes an objective case.

Thus,

• You will never find a woman like she. (Incorrect)
• You will never find a woman like her. (Correct)

• Let I do it. (Incorrect)
• Let me do it. (Correct)

1. The relative pronoun ‘that’is used instead of ‘who’ or ‘which’ after adjectives in the superlative degree.

Thus,

• This is the best which she could do. (Incorrect)
• This is the best that she could do. (Correct)

1. To show equality ‘as’is used both before and after the adjective.

Thus,

• I can run as fast, if not faster than you. (Incorrect)
• I can run as fast as, if not faster than you. (Correct)

1. Even though‘More than one’indicates a plural sense, it agrees with a singular noun and takes a singular verb.

Thus,

• More than one students completed their project. (Incorrect)
• More than one student completed his project. (Correct)

1. ‘Scarcely’and ‘hardly’ are followed by ‘when’ and not by ‘than’.

Thus,

• Hardly had the teacher left the room than the pupils started enjoying. (Incorrect)
• Hardly had the teacher left the room when the pupils started enjoying. (Correct)

1. ‘Though’ is followed by ‘yet’and not by ‘but’.

Thus,

• Though he is poor but he is honest. (Incorrect)
• Though he is poor, yet he is honest. (Correct)

1. ‘Lest’must be followed by ‘should’ or by nothing at all and ‘Such’ must be followed by ‘as’.

Thus,

• Work hard lest you will fail. (Incorrect)
• Work hard lest you should fail. (Correct)
• Work hard lest you fail. (Correct)

• He is such a writer that everybody should read his books. (Incorrect)
• He is such a writer as everybody should read his books. (Correct)

1. ‘Unless’ expresses a condition and is always used in the negative sense. Thus ‘not’ is never used with ‘unless’.

Thus,

• Unless you do not work hard, you will not excel in the examination. (Incorrect)
• Unless you work hard, you will not excel in the examination. (Correct)

1. ‘When’denotes a general sense and ‘while’ implies a time duration of doing something.

Thus,

• When learning how to sing, technique is of utmost importance. (Incorrect)
• While learning how to sing, technique is of utmost importance. (Correct)

After reading these amazing Error spotting techniques, do practice some exercises on the same to get a good grip on the topic. Keep looking this space as we would be coming up with more related articles to make your preparation journey easy.

You are now armed with 26 tips for spotting errors in English for SBI PO. Here are 26 more rules and you can be confident about tackling any error spotting or phrase replacement question.

1. Some nouns always use a singular verb.

Eg: Advice, scenery, stationery, mathematics, news

• Mathematics are a difficult subject. (Incorrect)
• Mathematics is a difficult subject. (Correct)

1. ‘Who’ denotes the subject and ‘whom’ denotes the object.

• Whom do you think won the competition? (Incorrect)
• Who do you think won the competition? (Correct)
• Who did you talk to? ( Incorrect)
• Whom did you talk to? ( Correct)

1. The verb and pronoun in case of two nouns joined by ‘either…or’ or ‘neither… nor’ or by ‘or’ take the form of the latter noun.

• Either my father or my sister will use their credit card. (Incorrect)
• Either my father or my sister will use her credit card. (Correct)

1. The verb and pronoun are plural when there is one singular noun and one plural noun and is joined by the conjunction ‘and’.

• The teacher and her students donated her money. (Incorrect)
• The teacher and her students donated their money. (Correct)

1. When there are two nouns joined by a preposition like ‘with’ or ‘along with’, the verb and pronoun take the form of the main (first) noun.

• Mansi, along with her students, were on their way to the movies. (Incorrect)
• Mansi, along with her students, was on her way to the movies. (Correct)

1. If the plural subject indicates a definite amount or quantity taken as a

whole, it takes the verb in the singular form.

• Eighty kilometres are a good distance.( Incorrect)
• Eighty kilometres is a good distance. (Correct)

1. When two or more adjectives show the qualities of the same person or thing, all the adjectives must be in the same degree.

• Bhanu is more intelligent and wise than Manu. (Incorrect)
• Bhanu is more intelligent and wiser than Manu. (Correct)

1. When two singular nouns are joined by ‘and’ are preceded by ‘each’ or ‘every’ the pronoun used is singular.

• Each man and each boy must be rewarded for their good deeds. ( Incorrect)
• Each man and each boy must be rewarded for his good deeds. (Correct)

1. ‘No sooner’ is always followed by ‘than’.

• No sooner had the bell rung when the students started leaving the classroom. (Incorrect)
• No sooner had the bell rung than the students started leaving the room.( Correct)

1. ‘No sooner’ is always followed by ‘does/do’ or ‘has/have’ in the present tense and by ‘did’ or ‘had’ in the past tense.

• No sooner are the boys marching than the whistle blows. (Incorrect)
• No sooner do the boys march than the whistle blows.( Correct)

1. ‘A great many’ is always followed by a plural noun and a plural verb.

• A great many invention has been declared successful. (Incorrect)
• A great many inventions have been declared successful. (Correct)

1. ‘Some’ is used in affirmative sentences to express quantity or degree. ‘Any’ is to be used in negative or interrogative sentences.

• I shall buy some books. (Correct)
• I shall not buy any books. (Correct)
• Have you bought any books? (Correct)

But ‘some’ might be used in interrogative sentences which are requests.

• Will you please give me some water? (Correct)

1. ‘Since’ indicates a point of time and ‘for’ stands for the length of time.

• He has been reading the book since three hours. (Incorrect)
• He has been reading the book for three hours. (Correct)
• It has been raining heavily for Monday. (Incorrect)
• It has been raining heavily since Monday. (Correct)

1. When we use ‘everybody’ ‘everyone’, ‘anybody’, and ‘each’ the pronoun of the masculine or the feminine gender is used with respect to the content.

• I shall be willing to help each of the girls in her practice. (Incorrect)

But when the gender is not mentioned, we use the pronoun of the masculine gender.

• Anyone can do this job if he tries. (Correct)
• Each of the boys in the class has finished their tasks. (Incorrect)
• Each of the boys in the class has finished his task. (Correct)

1. A singular pronoun is used for a collective nouns, and should be in the neuter gender if the collective noun is viewed as a whole.

• The pride gave away their location by roaring loudly. (Incorrect)
• The pride gave away its location by roaring loudly. (Correct)

1. When pronouns of different persons are to be used together in a sentence, the sequence of persons should be as follows: second person + third + first person in a normal sentence.

• Raju, I and you have finished the work. (Incorrect)
• You, Raju and I have finished our studies. (Correct)

1. ‘Older’ refers to persons as well as things and is usually followed by ‘than’.

• Raju is elder than all other boys of this class. (Incorrect)
• Raju is older than all other boys of this class. (Correct)

‘Elder’ is used for members of the family.

• Suyash is my older brother. (Incorrect)
• Suyash is my elder brother. (Correct)

1. ‘Than’ is used in the comparative degree usually , but with words like superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior and prefer ‘to’ is used.

• Gandhi is preferred than Nehru. (Incorrect)
• Gandhi is preferred to Nehru. (Correct)

1. ‘Many a’ is always followed by the singular verb.

• Many a man were influenced by the speech. (Incorrect)
• Many a man was influenced by the speech. (Correct)

1. The singular verb is used when the subject is “the number of”.

• The number of buildings are very low. (Incorrect)
• The number of buildings is very low. (Correct)

1. ‘Since’, ‘because’, ‘as’, ‘for ‘are often used alternatively, however there is a difference in their degree. Stronger cases use ‘since’ and ‘because’ and ‘as’ and ‘for’ are used in weak cases.

• I respect him as he is the best teacher. (Incorrect)
• I respect him because he is the best teacher. (Correct)

1. A pronoun is sometimes incorrectly used where it is not required at all. Eliminate the redundant ones.

• He, being an M.A., he is over qualified for the position. (Incorrect)
• He, being an M.A., is over qualified for the position. (Correct)

1. The relative pronoun ‘that’ is used instead of ‘who’ or ‘which’ after adjectives in the superlative degree.

• This is the best which the doctors could do. (Incorrect)
• This is the best that the doctors could do. (Correct)

1. When ‘as if’ is used in the sense of pretension, ‘were’ is used in all cases, even with third person singular.

• She behaves as if she was a queen. (Incorrect)
• She behaves as if she were a queen. (Correct)

1. A pronoun takes an objective case after ‘let’.

• Let I show it. (Incorrect)
• Let me show it. (Correct)

1. Pronouns joined by ‘and’ are in the same case.

• He and me are friends. (Incorrect)
• He and I are friends. (Correct)

 

1. Certain nouns possess a singular form but still represent plurality and thus, take a plural verb when used in a sentence.

E.g. Cattle, peasantry, people, clergy, police.

Thus,

• The Police has come (Incorrect)
• The Police have come (Correct)

2. Certain nouns always take the plural verb because their form is always plural.

E.g. Scissors, trousers, spectacles, thanks, premises.

Thus,

• The scissors is kept on the table. (Incorrect)
• The scissors are kept on the table. (Correct)

3. When a number is followed by a noun denoting measure, length, money, number or weight, the form of the nouns does not change so long as they are followed by another noun or pronoun.

E.g. Million, pair, metre, year, dozen, foot, head.

Thus,

• This is a nine-metres cloth. (Incorrect)
• This is a nine-metre cloth. (Correct)

4. When a number is followed by a noun denoting measure, length, money, number or weight, but these are not followed by another noun or pronoun, then they take the plural form.
   E.g. Million, pair, metre, year, dozen, foot, head.

Thus,

• This sari is nine yard long. (Incorrect)
• This sari is nine yards long. (Correct)

5. Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used as singular when they specify a unit.

E.g. Public, team, committee, government, audience, orchestra, company, jury.

Thus,

• The public were unanimous in their opinion. (Incorrect)
• The public was unanimous in its opinion. (Correct)

6. Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used in plural when they specify a difference of opinion or class.
   E.g. Public, team, committee, government, audience, orchestra, company, jury.

Thus,

• The jury was divided in its opinion. (Incorrect)
• The jury were divided in their opinion. (Correct)

7. If the pronoun ‘one’ is used, it must be maintained throughout the sentence.

Thus,

• One must respect his elders.  (Incorrect)
• One must respect one’s elders. (Correct)

8. The word ‘whose’is used for living people and ‘which’ is used for non-living things or ideas.

Thus,

• Which box is kept on the table? (Incorrect)
• Whose box is kept on the table?  (Correct)

9. ‘Less’ is used to denote quantity while ‘fewer’ is used to denote number.

Thus,

• No less than twenty people were (Incorrect)
• No fewer than twenty people were (Correct)

10. ‘One of’is always followed by noun in the plural form.

Thus,

• She is one of the least important person in the office. (Incorrect)
• She is one of the least important people in the office. (Correct)

11. Only ‘than’ should be used after ‘no other’
    Thus,

• I like no other movie but Titanic. (Incorrect)
• I like no other movie than Titanic. (Correct)

12. After the word ‘Know’, ‘how, ‘what’ or ‘when’ should be used before using the infinitive.

Thus,

• I know to speak English. (Incorrect)
• I know how to speak English. (Correct)

13. If the verb indicates a purpose, an infinitive must be used and if the verb indicates a cause, a gerund must be used.

Thus,

• He went to the mall for watching a movie. (Incorrect)
• He went to the mall to watch a movie. (Correct)

• He was suspended to show indiscipline. (Incorrect)
• He was suspended for showing indiscipline.(Correct)

14.‘As’ is not used with verbs like ‘appointed’, ‘elected’ , ‘considered’, ‘called’ but it is used with the word ‘regard’.

Thus,

• He was elected as Secretary of the organisation. (Incorrect)
• He was elected Secretary of the organisation. (Correct)

• I regard Sahil my best friend. (Incorrect)
• I regard Sahil as my best friend. (Correct)

15. Adverbs should not be confused for adjectives. An adjective describes the characteristic of the subject while an adverb describes the action of the verb.

Thus,

• The horse looked beautifully. (Incorrect)
• The horse looked beautiful. (Correct)

16. Question tags are always the opposite of the sentence which means that if the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative and vice versa.

Thus,

• You were dancing, were you? (Incorrect)
• You were dancing, weren’t you? (Correct)

17. An infinitive verb should never be split.

Thus,

• I request you to kindly tell me. (Incorrect)
• I request you kindly to tell me. (Correct)

18. A pronoun after ‘like’, ‘unlike’ and ‘let’ takes an objective case.

Thus,

• You will never find a woman like she. (Incorrect)
• You will never find a woman like her. (Correct)

• Let I do it. (Incorrect)
• Let me do it. (Correct)

19. The relative pronoun ‘that’is used instead of ‘who’ or ‘which’ after adjectives in the superlative degree.

Thus,

• This is the best which she could do. (Incorrect)
• This is the best that she could do. (Correct)

20. To show equality ‘as’is used both before and after the adjective.

Thus,

• I can run as fast, if not faster than you. (Incorrect)
• I can run as fast as, if not faster than you. (Correct)

21. Even though‘More than one’indicates a plural sense, it agrees with a singular noun and takes a singular verb.

Thus,

• More than one students completed their project. (Incorrect)
• More than one student completed his project. (Correct)

22. ‘Scarcely’and ‘hardly’ are followed by ‘when’ and not by ‘than’.

Thus,

• Hardly had the teacher left the room than the pupils started enjoying. (Incorrect)
• Hardly had the teacher left the room when the pupils started enjoying. (Correct)

23. ‘Though’ is followed by ‘yet’and not by ‘but’.

Thus,

• Though he is poor but he is honest. (Incorrect)
• Though he is poor, yet he is honest. (Correct)

24. ‘Lest’must be followed by ‘should’ or by nothing at all and ‘Such’ must be followed by ‘as’.

Thus,

• Work hard lest you will fail. (Incorrect)
• Work hard lest you should fail. (Correct)
• Work hard lest you fail. (Correct)

• He is such a writer that everybody should read his books. (Incorrect)
• He is such a writer as everybody should read his books. (Correct)

25. ‘Unless’ expresses a condition and is always used in the negative sense. Thus ‘not’ is never used with ‘unless’.

Thus,

• Unless you do not work hard, you will not excel in the examination. (Incorrect)
• Unless you work hard, you will not excel in the examination. (Correct)

26. ‘When’denotes a general sense and ‘while’ implies a time duration of doing something.

Thus,

• When learning how to sing, technique is of utmost importance. (Incorrect)
• While learning how to sing, technique is of utmost importance. (Correct)

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