Spotting
the Error Rules
Dear Learner,
Spotting the error is one of the important questions asked in all competitive exams like Bank exams, railway exams, etc. This lesson identifies fifty two ways in which mistakes may occur in a sentence. It consolidates all the grammar rules that you have studied already. Besides, there are further possible places where mistakes can occur. Learning these rules will improve your language accuracy.
1. Some
nouns always take a singular verb.
Scenery, advice, information, machinery, stationery, furniture, abuse, fuel,
rice, gram, issue, bedding, repair, news, mischief, poetry, business,
economics, physics, mathematics, classic, ethics, athletics, innings, gallows.
(A) The scenery of Ooty are enchanting. (Incorrect)
(B) The scenery of Ooty is enchanting. (Correct)
(A) The Indian team
defeated the English by 30 runs. (Incorrect)
(B) The Indian team defeated the English by 30 runs. (Correct)
(A) Mathematics are a
difficult subject. (Incorrect)
(B) Mathematics is a good / difficult subject. (Correct)
2. Some
nouns are singular in form, but they are used as plural nouns and always take a
plural verb.
Cattle, gentry, vermin, peasantry, artillery, people, clergy, company, police.
(A) The cattle is grazing in the ground. (Incorrect)
(B) The cattle are grazing in the ground. (Correct)
(A) The
people is tired after the long journey. (Incorrect)
(B) The
people are tired after the long journey. (Correct)
3. Some
nouns are always used in a plural form and always take a plural verb.
Trousers, scissors, spectacles, stockings, shorts, measles, goods, alms,
premises, thanks, tidings, annals, chattels, etc.
(A) Where is my trousers? Incorrect
(B) Where are my trousers? Correct
(A) Spectacles is now a costly item. Incorrect
(B) Spectacles are now a costly item. Correct
(A)
The shorts is too short for him. (Incorrect)
(B) The
shorts are too short for him. (Correct)
4.
There are some nouns that indicate length, measure, money, weight or number.
When they are preceded by
a numeral, they remain unchanged in form.
Foot, meter, pair, score, dozen, head, year, hundred, thousand, million.
(A) It is a three – years degree course. Incorrect
(B) It is a three – year degree course. Correct
(A) I have ten dozens of
shoes. Incorrect
(B) I have ten dozen of shoes. Correct
5.
Collective nouns such a jury, public, team, committee, government, audience,
orchestra, company, etc. are used both as singular; otherwise the verb will be
plural
(A) The jury was divided in this case. Incorrect
(B) The jury were divided in this case. Correct
(A) The team have not
come as yet. Incorrect
(B) The team has not come as yet. Correct
6.
Some nouns have one meaning in the singular and another in the plural:
· Authority
= command, authorities = persons in power
· Good
= wise, goods = property
· Iron
= metal, irons = fetters, chains
· Force
= strength, forces = army
· Content
= satisfaction, contents = things contained
· Physic
= medicine physics = physical sciences,
· Respect
= regards, respects = compliments
· Work
= job, works = compositions, factories,.
· Quarter
= one – fourth, quarters = houses
7.
People are often confused or they commit mistake in the use of certain nouns.
Example:
· Family
members is wrong; members of the family is correct.
· English
teacher is wrong; the teacher of English is correct.
· Cousin
– brother or sister is wrong; only cousin is correct.
· Wages
means punishments when used in singular.
8.
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number and gender.
For example:
Every man must bring his luggage.
All students must do their home work.
Each of the girls must carry her own bag.
Each students must bring their books.
Each student must bring his books.
9.
While using ‘everybody’ ‘everyone’, ‘anybody’, and ‘each’ the pronoun of the
masculine or the feminine gender is used according to the content.
I shall be happy to help each of the boys in this practice.
But when the sex is not mentioned, we use the pronoun of the masculine gender.
Anyone can do this job if he tries.
Each of the six boys in the class has finished their tasks. Incorrect
Each of the six boys in the class has finished his task. Correct
10. The
pronoun ‘one’ must be followed by ‘one’s’.
One must finish his work in time. Incorrect
One must finish one’s work in time. Correct
11.
Enjoy, apply, resign, acquit, drive, exert, avail, pride, absent, etc., when
used as transitive verbs, always take a reflexive pronoun after them. When
‘self’ is added to ‘my’, ‘your’, ‘him’, ‘her’, and ‘it’, and ‘selves’ to our
and them – they are known as reflexive pronouns.
He absented from the class.
He absented himself form the class.
12.
‘Who’ denotes the subject and ‘whom’ is used for the object?
Whom do you think won the award? Incorrect
Who do you think won the award? Correct
Who area you talking to? Incorrect
Whom are your talking to? Correct
13.
When two or more singular nouns are joined together by ‘either or’; ‘neither
nor’, ; and ‘or’, the pronoun is singular.
Either Ram or Shyam will give their book. Incorrect
Either Ram or shyam will give his book. Correct
14. If
two subjects are joined by ‘either or’, ‘neither nor’, the verb agrees with the
subject that is near.
Either Ramesh or I are to do this work. Incorrect
Either Ramesh or I am to do this work. Correct
Neither he nor his friends is reading. Incorrect
Neither he nor his friends are reading correct
15. When
a singular and a plural noun are joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, the pronoun must be
plural.
Either the engineer or his mechanics failed in his duty. Incorrect
Either the engineer or his mechanics failed in their duty. Correct
16.
‘Each other’ is used when there are two subjects or objects and ‘one another’
when there are more than two.
Rameo and Juliet loved each other
The class friends love one another.
All the students of the class are friendly; they love each other. Incorrect
All the students of the class are friendly. Correct
17.
When a pronoun stands for a collective noun, it must be in the singular number
and in the neuter gender if the collective noun is viewed as a whole.
The jury gave ‘its’ verdict.
Here the ‘jury’ gives the idea of one whole.
If the collective noun conveys the idea of separate individuals comprising the
whole, the pronoun standing for it must be plural.
The jury were divided in their opinions.
18. If
pronouns of different persons are to be used together in a sentence, the serial
order of persons should be as follows; second person + third + first person in
a good normal sentences. But in fault is to be confessed, the order will be;
first person + second person + third person.
You, he and I have finished the work. Normal sentences
I, you and he are to blame. Confession [memory tool-Put urself first in bad
sense/bad works :)] Ram, I and you have finished our studies. Incorrect
You, Ram and I have finished our studies. Correct
20.
‘Some’ is used in affirmative sentences to express quantity or degree. ‘Any’ is
uses in negative or interrogative sentences.
I shall buy some oranges.
I shall not buy any oranges.
Have you bought any oranges?
But ‘some’ may be correctly used in interrogative sentences which are, in fact,
requests.
20. The
use of ‘few’, ‘a few’’ and ‘the few’ should be used with care. They denote
‘number’.
‘Few’ means ‘not many’. It is the opposite of many. A ‘few’ is
positive and means ‘some at least’. It is the opposite of none. ‘The few’ means
‘whatever there is’.
A few men are free from fault. Incorrect
Few men are free from fault. Correct
Here the sense is negative and thus ‘a few’ is wrong.
Few boys will pass in the examination. Incorrect
A few boys will pass in the examination. Correct
Here the sense is positive and thus ‘few’ is incorrect.
I have already read a few books that are on the bookshelf. Incorrect
I have already read t he few books that are on the bookshelf. Correct
Here the sense is ‘whatever there is’.
21. Use
of little, a little, the little.
‘Little’ means ‘hardly any’
There is a little hope of his recovery. Incorrect
There is a little hope of his recovery correct
‘A little’ means ‘some’, though not much.
Little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Incorrect
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Correct
‘The little means ‘not much but all there is’.
The little milk that is in the pot may be used for the patient. Incorrect
The little milk that is in the pot may be used for the patient. Correct
22. Use
of ‘less’ and ‘fewer’
‘Less’ denote quantity and ‘fewer’ denote number.
No less than fifty persons were killed. Incorrect
No fewer than fifty persons were killed. Correct
There are no fewer than five litres of water in the jug. Incorrect
There are no less than five litres of water in the jug. Correct
23. Use
of elder, older.
‘Older’ refers to persons as well as things and is followed by
‘than’.
Ram is elder than all other boys of this area. Incorrect
Ram is older than all other boys of this area. Correct
‘Elder’ is used for members of the family.
24.
normally ‘than’ is used in the comparative degree, but with words like
superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior and prefer ‘to’
is used.
Shelley is junior than Wordsworth. Incorrect
Shelley is junior to Wordsworth. Correct
I prefer reading than sleeping. Incorrect
I prefer reading to sleeping. Correct
25.
when a comparison is made by using a comparative followed by ‘than’, the word
‘other’ must be exclude the thing compared form the class of things with which
it is compared.
He is stronger than any man. Incorrect
He is stronger than any other man. Correct
‘Any man’ includes the man himself and thus the sentences will be absurd.
26.
‘many a’ is always followed by the singular verb.
Many a man were followed by the singular verb. Incorrect
Many a man was drowned in the area. Correct
27. ‘A
great many’ is always followed by a plural noun and a plural verb.
A great many student has been declared successful. Incorrect
A great many students have been declared successful. Correct
28. If
the subject is ‘the number of’ the singular verb is used.
The number of students are very small. Incorrect
The number of students is very small. Correct
29.
When ‘as well as’, ‘along with’, together with’, ‘no less than’, ‘in addition
to’ and ‘not’ and ‘with’ join two subjects, the verb will be according to the
first subject.
Ram, as well as his ten friends, are going. Incorrect
Ram, as well as his ten friends, is going. Correct
The teacher, along with the students, were going. Incorrect
The teacher, along with the students, was going. Correct
30.
‘Whose’ is used for living persons and
‘which’ for lifeless objects.
Which book did you select? Incorrect
Whose photograph is lying there? Correct
What book do you read? Incorrect
Which book do you read? Correct
31. When
two singular nouns joined by ‘and’ point out the same thing or person, the verb
will be singular.
Bread and butter make a good breakfast. Incorrect
Bread and butter makes a good breakfast. Correct
The hero and the director of the movie Hey Ram have come. Incorrect
The hero and the director of the movie Hey Ram has come. Correct
32. ‘One
of’ always takes a plural noun after it.
It is one of the important exam in my life. Incorrect
It is one of the important exams in my life. Correct
33. ‘not
only’ and ‘but also’ are always used in a single sentence:
He not only comes for swimming but also for coaching the
learners. Incorrect
He comes not only for swimming but also for coaching the
learners. Correct
34.
‘Scarcely’ and ‘hardly’ are followed by ‘when’ and not by ‘than’.
I had scarcely entered the room than the phone rang. Incorrect
I had scarcely entered the room when the phone rang. Correct
35.
If ‘Though’, ‘even though’ or ‘Although’ is used in conditional part,
conjunctions like ‘but’, ‘yet’ will not be used.
Though
he is poor but he is honest. Incorrect
Thought he is poor, yet he is honest. Correct
36. ‘No
sooner’ is followed by ‘than’.
No sooner had I entered the class when the student stood up. Incorrect
No sooner had I entered the class than the students stood up. Correct
37.
‘Lest’ must be followed by ‘should’.
Read regularly lest you will fail.
Read regularly least you should fail.
38.
‘such’ is followed by ‘as’.
He is such a singer that everybody should listen to him. Incorrect
He is such a singer as everybody should listen to him. Correct
39.
‘Unless’ express a condition. It is always used in the negative sense. Thus
‘not’ is never used with ‘unless’.
Unless you do not study well, you will not pass. Incorrect
Unless you study well, you will not pass. Correct
40. ‘Until’
expresses time. It has a negative sense and thus ‘not’ should never be used
with it.
Wait here until I do not return. Incorrect
Wait here until I return. Correct
41.
‘Since’ indicates a point of time and ‘for’ stands for the length of time.
He has been waiting since two hours. Incorrect
He has been waiting for two hours. Correct
42. ‘as
if’ used to convey the sense of pretension. When ‘as if’ is used in this sense,
‘were’ is used in all cases, even
with third person singular.
He behaves as if he was a king. Incorrect
He behaves as if he were a king. Correct
The sense of time and tense is also very important. Certain important rules are
listed below.
43. If
two actions in a sentence are showing happing in the past, one after the other;
the tense of the action happening first should be past perfect and that of the
second should be past indefinite.
The patient died before the doctor arrived. Incorrect
The patient had died before the doctor arrived. Correct
44. Before
a consonant ‘a’ is used.
A boy, a horse, a woman.
But ‘a’ is also used before words like university, useful, unicorn, union,
European, and one, etc., because these words began with a consonant sound.
Here is an university. Incorrect
Here is a university. Correct
An European lives in my area. Incorrect
A European lives in my area. Correct
It is a one – rupees note. Incorrect
It is a one – rupee note. Correct
45. Similarly, words
like ‘hour’, ‘honest’, ‘heir’, etc, take ‘an’ before them as they begin with a
vowel sound.
I have been waiting for him for a hour. Incorrect
I have been waiting for him for an hour. Correct
46. Some
important points to remember regarding the omission of a/an/the:
1. Before a common noun used in its widest sense, e.g.
Man is mortal.
2. before names of materials.
Bronze is a useful metal.
3. Usually before proper names.
Patina is the capital of Bihar.
4. Before abstract nouns used in general sense.
Beauty fascinates people.
5. before language.
English is a very popular language in the Delhi University.
6. Before ‘school’ ‘college’, ‘church’, ‘bed’, ‘table’, ‘hospital’, ‘market’,
and ‘prison’, when these place are visited or used for their common purpose.
My Christian friends go to church every Sunday.
But ‘the’ is used with these words when we refer to them as a definite place,
building or object rather than to the normal activity that goes on there.
I met my friend at the church.
7. before names of relations, like ‘father’, ‘mother’, ‘aunt’, ‘uncle’, ‘cook’
and ‘nurse’.
Father is very happy today.
8. before predicative nouns denoting a unique position that is normally held at
one time by one person only.
He was elected chairman of the Board.
47. Uses
of ‘the’
1. W hen the object is unique.
The earth, the sky, the equator.
2. before superlatives
The best, the finest, the most
3. with proper nouns like ‘seas’, ‘rivers’, ‘group of island’, ‘chains of
mountains’, ‘deserts’, ‘newspaper’, ‘buildings’, ‘religious books’, ‘gulfs’,.
The Arabian sea, The Ganges, The Taj Mahal,
4. before a proper noun, when it is qualified by an adjective.
The immortal Kalidas.
5. before an adjective, when the noun is hidden.
The rich should be kind and helping.
6. before musical instruments.
I know how to play the harmonium.
7. with a class of things.
The crow is a clever bird.
8. ‘The’ should be used before both comparative degrees when they are used in a
sentence for proportion.
Higher we go, cooler we feel. Incorrect
The higher we go, the cooler we feel. Correct
48.
‘What to speak of’ is incorrect; the correct expression is ‘not to speak of’.
What to speak of running, he cannot even walk. Incorrect
Not to speak of running, he cannot even walk. Correct
49. When
there is the sense of dislike, hesitation, risk, etc., in a sentence, we should
use a gerund instead of a verb. A gerund is that form of the verb which ends in
‘ing’ and can be used in the place of a noun.
I dislike to see a film late in the night.
I dislike to seeing a film late in the night.
Young girls hesitate to talk to strangers.
Young girls hesitate talking to strangers.
`50.
‘Cent per cent’ and ‘word by word’ are wrong. ‘Hundred per cent’ and ‘word for
word’ are correct expressions.
You are never cent per cent sure of your success in a incorrect
competitive examinations.
You are never hundred per cent sure of your success in correct
A competitive examination.
I can reproduce this lesson word by word. Incorrect
I can reproduce this lesson word for word. Correct
51.
‘Since’, ‘because’, ‘as’, ‘for’, – all means ‘because’, but there is a
different in their degree. ‘Since’ and ‘because’ are used for stronger cases
and ‘as’ and ‘for’ for weak cases.
I respect him as he is my teacher. Incorrect
I respect him because he is my teacher. Correct
52. Use
of ‘when’ and ‘while’: Proper attention must be paid to these words. ‘when’
indicates a general sense and ‘while’ implies a time during the process of
doing a work.
When learning to swim, one of the most important things is to incorrect
relax.
While learning to swim, one of the most important things is to correct
relax.
Sample Sentences
1.The
teacher asked the students (A) / if each of them (B) / were ready to take (C) /
practical class everyday (D) / No Error (E).
Ans: C. was ready
2.
The principal along with the
teachers (A) / were seen boarding a bus (B) / to go to a picnic (C) / on a
national holiday (D) / No Error (E).
Ans: B. was seen
3.
The management warned the employees
(A) / that if they persist (B) / in their obstructionist attitude, (C) / they
would be suspended (D) / No Error (E).
Ans: B. persisted
4.
The dark and tranquil atmosphere (A) / was occasionally disturbed (B) / by the
thunder and lightning (C) / in the sky (D) / No Error (E).
Ans: E. No Error
5.He
ought to start at once (A) / lest he may (B) / not miss the train (C) / and
fail to appear for the interview (D) / No Error (E).
C. delete not
6.
It is definitely (A) / kind of this attitude (B) / that is required (C) / in
this day and age (D) / No Error (E).
B. this kind of attitude
7.
Neither he (A) / nor his wife (B) / were invited (C) / to the marriage function
(D) / No Error (E).
C. was invited
8.
There have been (A) / a heavy rainfall (B) / since yesterday morning (C) / in
Chennai (D) / No Error (E).
A. has been
9.
Even at the planning stage (A) / Rajesh was quite sure (B) / that the scheme
was (C) / binding to fail (D) / No Error (E).
D. bound to fail
10.
Elections to American (A) / President take place (B) / every fourth (C) / in
November (D) / No Error (E).
Ans: B. Presidency
11.
Since he could (A) / not hear clearly (B)/ Gopi asked the speaker (C)/ to repeat again.
(D) / No Error (E)
Ans: D delete ‘again’
12.
Prof. George (A)/ enjoys reading (B)/ more than (C)/ to teach.(D) /No Error (E)
Ans: D ‘teaching’
13.
The first two (A) / questions are (B) / very easy, but (C)/ the rest is
difficult. (D)/ No Error (E)
Ans: D
14.
He was much (A)/ senior than me (B)/ and was popular (C)/ because of his
cricket. (D)/ No Error (D)
Ans: B
15.
One of my best (A) / speeches were (B)/ delivered in (C)/ Shakespeare’s
Tragedies. (D)/ No Error (D)
Ans: B
16.
It is difficult (A)/for anyone (B)/to ran on a slippery surface (C)/ no error
(D)
Ans: to run on a slippery surface
(C)/
17.
Either Tom (A) or Peter forgot (B) to take (C) their pen. (D) No error (E)
Ans: D 'Their' should be replaced with 'his',
as we are talking about one person, either Tom or Peter.
18.
Can you (A) repair my (B) car until (C) Friday? (D) No error (E)
Ans: C 'Until' should be replaced
with 'by'
19.
If Tom had known (A)/ it yesterday (B)/ he will have helped him ©/ No. error
(D)
•Ans:
C
20.
While flying over (A) India we had (B) glimpses of (C) Himalayas and Ganges.
(D) No error (E)
•Ans:
D the Ganges
