Episode 8 — Aptitude and Reasoning / 8.26 — Error Identification
8.26 -- Practice MCQs: Error Identification
Instructions: Each sentence is divided into parts labelled (a), (b), (c), and (d). One part contains a grammatical error. Identify the part with the error. If there is no error, choose (d) "No Error" (where applicable).
Target Time: 30--45 seconds per question.
Questions
Q1.
(a) Each of the students / (b) have submitted / (c) their assignments on time. / (d) No Error.
Q2.
(a) The committee / (b) have decided / (c) to postpone the meeting / (d) until next Monday.
Q3.
(a) He has been living / (b) in this city / (c) since the last / (d) ten years.
Q4.
(a) Neither the teacher / (b) nor the students / (c) was present / (d) at the function.
Q5.
(a) One of the most / (b) important qualities / (c) of a leader are / (d) the ability to inspire others.
Q6.
(a) She told me / (b) that she will / (c) come to the party / (d) the next day.
Q7.
(a) The news / (b) are not / (c) encouraging for / (d) the investors.
Q8.
(a) He is / (b) one of the best player / (c) that has ever / (d) represented the country.
Q9.
(a) The manager along with / (b) his team members / (c) were present / (d) at the conference.
Q10.
(a) If I was you, / (b) I would not / (c) accept this offer / (d) under any circumstances.
Q11.
(a) He insisted / (b) to go / (c) to the market / (d) despite the heavy rain.
Q12.
(a) The teacher asked / (b) the students to / (c) discuss about / (d) the topic in detail.
Q13.
(a) She is / (b) more smarter / (c) than her / (d) elder sister.
Q14.
(a) Being a rainy day, / (b) we decided / (c) to stay indoors / (d) and watch a movie.
Q15.
(a) The number of accidents / (b) on this highway / (c) have increased / (d) significantly this year.
Q16.
(a) I would rather / (b) to die / (c) than beg / (d) for mercy.
Q17.
(a) He is / (b) a honest / (c) and hardworking / (d) employee.
Q18.
(a) No sooner did he / (b) reach the station / (c) when the train / (d) started moving.
Q19.
(a) The furniture / (b) in the office / (c) are very old / (d) and need to be replaced.
Q20.
(a) She prefers / (b) reading novels / (c) than watching / (d) television.
Q21.
(a) The poet and philosopher / (b) have been / (c) invited to / (d) deliver the keynote address.
Q22.
(a) He asked me / (b) that why / (c) I was absent / (d) from the meeting.
Q23.
(a) Everyone of / (b) the participants / (c) was given / (d) a certificate of merit.
Q24.
(a) The train had left / (b) before we / (c) reached / (d) the station. No Error.
Q25.
(a) Less people / (b) attended the seminar / (c) this year compared / (d) to last year.
Q26.
(a) He returned back / (b) the books / (c) to the library / (d) yesterday evening.
Q27.
(a) Walking along the road, / (b) a snake / (c) was seen / (d) by the children.
Q28.
(a) The principal / (b) of this school / (c) is a man of / (d) great principals.
Q29.
(a) She is / (b) senior than / (c) me in / (d) this organisation.
Q30.
(a) I, you, and he / (b) are responsible / (c) for this / (d) terrible mistake.
Q31.
(a) Hardly had he / (b) finished his speech / (c) than the audience / (d) began to applaud.
Q32.
(a) The reason for / (b) his failure is / (c) because he did not / (d) study hard enough.
Q33.
(a) She is one of those / (b) students who / (c) has always been / (d) punctual and sincere.
Q34.
(a) Despite of / (b) working hard, / (c) he could not / (d) pass the examination.
Q35.
(a) The sceneries / (b) of Kashmir / (c) are very / (d) beautiful and captivating.
Answer Key
| Q | Answer | Error Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (b) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 2 | (b) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 3 | (c) | Preposition (since/for) |
| 4 | (c) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 5 | (c) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 6 | (b) | Tense Error |
| 7 | (b) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 8 | (b) | Noun Number |
| 9 | (c) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 10 | (a) | Conditional/Subjunctive |
| 11 | (b) | Verb Pattern |
| 12 | (c) | Preposition Error |
| 13 | (b) | Double Comparative |
| 14 | (a) | Dangling Modifier |
| 15 | (c) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 16 | (b) | Verb Form |
| 17 | (b) | Article Error |
| 18 | (c) | Correlative Conjunction |
| 19 | (c) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 20 | (c) | Preposition Error |
| 21 | (b) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 22 | (b) | Reported Speech |
| 23 | (a) | Spelling/Usage |
| 24 | (d) | No Error |
| 25 | (a) | Fewer vs Less |
| 26 | (a) | Redundancy |
| 27 | (a) | Dangling Modifier |
| 28 | (d) | Confused Words |
| 29 | (b) | Preposition Error |
| 30 | (a) | Pronoun Order |
| 31 | (c) | Correlative Conjunction |
| 32 | (c) | Redundancy |
| 33 | (c) | Subject-Verb Agreement |
| 34 | (a) | Preposition Error |
| 35 | (a) | Uncountable Noun |
Detailed Explanations
Q1. Answer: (b)
Error: "have submitted" should be "has submitted".
Rule: "Each" is always singular, regardless of the plural noun that follows. "Each of the students" takes a singular verb.
Corrected: Each of the students has submitted their assignments on time.
Q2. Answer: (b)
Error: "have decided" should be "has decided".
Rule: "Committee" is a collective noun. When acting as a single unit (making a unified decision), it takes a singular verb.
Corrected: The committee has decided to postpone the meeting until next Monday.
Q3. Answer: (c)
Error: "since the last" should be "for the last".
Rule: "Since" is used with a point in time (since 2015, since Monday). "For" is used with a duration/period (for ten years, for two hours). "The last ten years" is a duration, so "for" is correct.
Corrected: He has been living in this city for the last ten years.
Q4. Answer: (c)
Error: "was present" should be "were present".
Rule: With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject is "the students" (plural), so the verb should be "were."
Corrected: Neither the teacher nor the students were present at the function.
Q5. Answer: (c)
Error: "qualities of a leader are" should be "qualities of a leader is".
Rule: The subject is "One" (singular), not "qualities." "One of the most important qualities" takes a singular verb.
Corrected: One of the most important qualities of a leader is the ability to inspire others.
Q6. Answer: (b)
Error: "will" should be "would".
Rule: In reported speech with a past reporting verb ("told"), the future tense "will" changes to "would."
Corrected: She told me that she would come to the party the next day.
Q7. Answer: (b)
Error: "are not" should be "is not".
Rule: "News" is an uncountable noun and always takes a singular verb.
Corrected: The news is not encouraging for the investors.
Q8. Answer: (b)
Error: "player" should be "players".
Rule: After "one of the," the noun must be plural (because you are picking one out of many).
Corrected: He is one of the best players that has ever represented the country.
Note: Some grammarians also argue "that have ever" since the relative clause modifies "players." Both are tested, but "players" (plural noun) is the primary error here.
Q9. Answer: (c)
Error: "were present" should be "was present".
Rule: When the subject is connected by "along with," "together with," "as well as," or "in addition to," the verb agrees with the first subject only. "The manager" is singular.
Corrected: The manager along with his team members was present at the conference.
Q10. Answer: (a)
Error: "If I was you" should be "If I were you".
Rule: In the subjunctive mood (hypothetical/unreal conditions), use "were" for all subjects, including "I," "he," "she," and "it."
Corrected: If I were you, I would not accept this offer under any circumstances.
Q11. Answer: (b)
Error: "to go" should be "on going".
Rule: The verb "insist" is followed by "on + gerund" (not "to + infinitive").
Corrected: He insisted on going to the market despite the heavy rain.
Q12. Answer: (c)
Error: "discuss about" should be "discuss".
Rule: "Discuss" is a transitive verb and takes a direct object. No preposition is needed.
Corrected: The teacher asked the students to discuss the topic in detail.
Q13. Answer: (b)
Error: "more smarter" should be "smarter".
Rule: "Smarter" is already a comparative form. Adding "more" creates a double comparative, which is incorrect.
Corrected: She is smarter than her elder sister.
Q14. Answer: (a)
Error: "Being a rainy day" is a dangling modifier.
Rule: The participial phrase "Being a rainy day" must modify the subject that follows. The subject "we" was not a rainy day.
Corrected: It being a rainy day / Since it was a rainy day, we decided to stay indoors and watch a movie.
Q15. Answer: (c)
Error: "have increased" should be "has increased".
Rule: "The number of" is treated as singular. (Compare with "A number of," which is treated as plural.)
Corrected: The number of accidents on this highway has increased significantly this year.
Q16. Answer: (b)
Error: "to die" should be "die".
Rule: "Would rather" is followed by the bare infinitive (base form without "to").
Corrected: I would rather die than beg for mercy.
Q17. Answer: (b)
Error: "a honest" should be "an honest".
Rule: The "h" in "honest" is silent. The word begins with a vowel sound (/ɒnɪst/), so "an" is required.
Corrected: He is an honest and hardworking employee.
Q18. Answer: (c)
Error: "when" should be "than".
Rule: The correct correlative structure is "No sooner...than" (not "No sooner...when").
Corrected: No sooner did he reach the station than the train started moving.
Q19. Answer: (c)
Error: "are very old" should be "is very old".
Rule: "Furniture" is an uncountable noun and always takes a singular verb.
Corrected: The furniture in the office is very old and needs to be replaced.
Q20. Answer: (c)
Error: "than watching" should be "to watching".
Rule: "Prefer" takes "to," not "than." The correct structure is "prefer A to B."
Corrected: She prefers reading novels to watching television.
Q21. Answer: (b)
Error: "have been" should be "has been".
Rule: When "the + noun + and + noun" refers to a single person (the same person is both a poet and a philosopher), the verb is singular. The use of a single "the" before both nouns confirms this.
Corrected: The poet and philosopher has been invited to deliver the keynote address.
Note: If it were two different people, it would be "The poet and the philosopher have been invited."
Q22. Answer: (b)
Error: "that why" should be "why".
Rule: In reported speech, when the question word (why, what, when, how) is used, "that" is not added. The question word itself acts as the conjunction.
Corrected: He asked me why I was absent from the meeting.
Q23. Answer: (a)
Error: "Everyone of" should be "Every one of".
Rule: "Everyone" (one word) means "everybody" and cannot be followed by "of." "Every one" (two words) means "each one" and can be followed by "of."
Corrected: Every one of the participants was given a certificate of merit.
Q24. Answer: (d) -- No Error
Explanation: This sentence is grammatically correct.
- "Had left" (past perfect) for the earlier event -- correct.
- "Reached" (simple past) for the later event -- correct.
- "Before" correctly connects the two events.
Q25. Answer: (a)
Error: "Less people" should be "Fewer people".
Rule: "Fewer" is used for countable nouns (people, books, cars). "Less" is used for uncountable nouns (water, time, money).
Corrected: Fewer people attended the seminar this year compared to last year.
Q26. Answer: (a)
Error: "returned back" is redundant. It should be just "returned".
Rule: "Return" already means "to go back" or "to give back." Adding "back" is unnecessary repetition.
Corrected: He returned the books to the library yesterday evening.
Q27. Answer: (a)
Error: "Walking along the road" is a dangling modifier.
Rule: The participial phrase "Walking along the road" modifies the subject that follows. "A snake" was not walking along the road -- the children were.
Corrected: Walking along the road, the children saw a snake.
Q28. Answer: (d)
Error: "principals" should be "principles".
Rule: "Principal" = head of a school or main/primary. "Principle" = a rule, law, or fundamental truth. Here, "a man of great principles" (values/rules) is intended.
Corrected: The principal of this school is a man of great principles.
Q29. Answer: (b)
Error: "senior than" should be "senior to".
Rule: "Senior," "junior," "superior," "inferior," "prior," and "posterior" are followed by "to," not "than."
Corrected: She is senior to me in this organisation.
Q30. Answer: (a)
Error: "I, you, and he" should be "You, he, and I".
Rule: When taking responsibility or blame, the correct pronoun order is: second person (you), third person (he/she), first person (I) -- placing yourself last as a matter of courtesy and convention. (In positive contexts, the order is: I, you, he.)
Corrected: You, he, and I are responsible for this terrible mistake.
Q31. Answer: (c)
Error: "than" should be "when".
Rule: The correct correlative structure is "Hardly...when" (not "Hardly...than"). Also acceptable: "Scarcely...when."
Corrected: Hardly had he finished his speech when the audience began to applaud.
Q32. Answer: (c)
Error: "because" should be "that".
Rule: "The reason is because" is redundant -- "reason" and "because" both indicate cause. The correct structure is "The reason is that."
Corrected: The reason for his failure is that he did not study hard enough.
Q33. Answer: (c)
Error: "has always been" should be "have always been".
Rule: In the structure "one of those + plural noun + who," the relative pronoun "who" refers to the plural noun (students), so the verb should be plural.
Corrected: She is one of those students who have always been punctual and sincere.
Q34. Answer: (a)
Error: "Despite of" should be "Despite" (or "In spite of").
Rule: "Despite" is never followed by "of." The correct forms are "despite + noun/gerund" or "in spite of + noun/gerund."
Corrected: Despite working hard, he could not pass the examination.
Q35. Answer: (a)
Error: "sceneries" should be "scenery".
Rule: "Scenery" is an uncountable noun and has no plural form. You cannot say "sceneries."
Corrected: The scenery of Kashmir is very beautiful and captivating.
Note: Since "scenery" is singular/uncountable, "are" in part (c) would also need to change to "is," but the primary error is the incorrect pluralisation in (a).
Error Type Distribution in This Set
| Error Type | Questions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Subject-Verb Agreement | Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5, Q7, Q9, Q15, Q19, Q21, Q33 | 10 |
| Tense Error | Q6, Q10 | 2 |
| Preposition Error | Q3, Q12, Q20, Q29, Q34 | 5 |
| Article Error | Q17 | 1 |
| Dangling Modifier | Q14, Q27 | 2 |
| Redundancy | Q26, Q32 | 2 |
| Double Comparative | Q13 | 1 |
| Confused Words | Q25, Q28 | 2 |
| Verb Pattern | Q11, Q16 | 2 |
| Correlative Conjunction | Q18, Q31 | 2 |
| Reported Speech | Q22 | 1 |
| Noun Error | Q8, Q23, Q35 | 3 |
| Pronoun Order | Q30 | 1 |
| No Error | Q24 | 1 |
Scoring Guide:
- 30--35 correct: Excellent -- you are exam-ready.
- 24--29 correct: Good -- revise the rules for the types you missed.
- 18--23 correct: Average -- re-read the Concepts file and practise more.
- Below 18: Needs work -- study each rule carefully with examples before re-attempting.