SPOTTING ERRORS: Exercise 1 Question 1 to 50.
Directions: Read each sentence and find out whether there is any grammatical error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the answer is (e), i.e., No error. (Ignore the errors of punctuation, if any.)
- I have been travelling by local (a)/ trains since last several years (b)/ but had never experienced (c)/ such a horrible situation as this. (d)/ No error. (e)
- I found this ring as (a)/ I dug in the (b)/ garden. It looks very old (c)/ I wonder who it belonged to (d)/ No error. (e)
- India today stands (a)/ at crucial (b)/ crossroads with its history as (c)/ an independent nation. (d)/ No error. (e)
- By April next year (a)/ I will have (b)/ been working in this office (c)/ for twenty years. (d)/ No error. (e)
- He was having a bath (a)/ when the (b)/ phone rang. Very unwillingly he (c)/ got out of the bath and went to (d)/ answer it. No error. (e)
- By the time he gets back (a)/ from his holidays (b)/ the milkman has left (c)/ twenty one bottles of milk outside his door. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Have you heard the news? (a)/ Mukesh and Malti are (b)/ engaged. That is not new, I (c) know it for ages. (d)/ No error (e).
- Ganesh is not only involved in (a)/ organising conferences and seminars (b)/ but also in conducting (c)/ adult literacy programmes. (d)/ No error. (e)
- When I heard his knock (a)/ I went to the door (b)/ and opened it. (c) but I was not recognise him. (d)/ No error. (e)
- If I would have realised (a)/ what a bad shape our library is in (b)/ I would have done something (c)/ to arrest the deterioration. (d)/ No error. (e)
Answers
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “for the last several years”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “I wonder whom it belonged to”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “at the crucial crossroads”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “I shall have been”.
- (e) : Part ‘e’ “No error”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be the “the milkman will have left”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “that is not news or that is no news”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “Ganesh is involved not only”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “but I did not recognise him”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “If I had realised”.
- We admired the way (a)/ he had completed all his work (b)/ and appreciating the method (c)/ adopted by him. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Our neighbours had repeated (a)/ the same illogical sequence of activities (b)/ if we had not brought the (c)/ facts to their notice. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Not only the judges acquitted (a)/ him of all the charges (b)/ levelled against him but, (c)/ also commended all his actions. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Due to certain inevitable circumstances (a)/ the scheduled programme had to be (b)/ postponed indefinite, (c)/ but the members could not be informed. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Honesty and integrity are (a)/ the qualities which cannot be (b)/ done away with (c)/ and hence assume a lot of importance. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Our system of assigning (a)/ different jobs to different people (b)/ should be based on their (c)/ strengths and weaknesses. (d)/ No error. (e)
- In a very harsh tone, (a)/ he shouted at his servants (b)/ and told them that (c)/ he does not need their services. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Reasonable ambition, if supported (a)/ at persistent efforts, (b)/ is likely to yield (c)/ the desired results. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Even after worked in the office (a)/ for as many as fifteen years, (b)/ he still does not understand (c)/ the basic objectives of the work. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Why some people don’t get (a)/ what they deserve (b)/ and why others get what they don’t deserve (c)/ is a matter decided by luck. (d)/ No error. (e)
Answers
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “and appreciated the method”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “Our neighbours would have repeated”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “The judges not only acquitted”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “postponed indefinitely”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “and hence they assume a lot of importance”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “different people different jobs”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “he did not need their services”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “with persistent efforts”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “Even after having worked in the office”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “is decided by luck”.
- Ramesh did not like (a)/ leaving his old parents alone in the house (b)/ but he had no alternative (c)/ as he has to go out to work. (d)/ No error. (e)
- I was being astonished (a)/ when I heard that (b)/ he had left the country (c)/ without informing anyone of us. (d)/ No error. (e)
- I would have lost (a)/ my luggage and other belongings (b)/ If I would have left the (c)/ compartment and gone out to fetch drinking water. (d)/ No error. (e)
- All of you will agree with me (a)/ that no problem faced by our (b)/ society is as grave and intractable (c)/ as this problem is. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The committee is thankful to (a)/ Shri Desai for preparing not only the main report (b)/ but also for preparing (c)/ the agenda notes and minutes. (d)/ No error. (e)
- No country can long endure (a)/ if its foundations (b)/ were not laid deep (c)/ in the material prosperity. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Mahatma Gandhi did not solve (a)/ all the problems of the future (b)/ but he did solve (c)/ problems of his own age. (d)/ No error. (e)
- We now look forward for (a)/ some great achievements (b)/ which to some extent (c)/ can restore the country’s prestige once again. (d)/ No error. (e)
- While Mahendra was away (a)/ on a long official tour (b)/ his office receive an important letter (c) which was marked ‘Urgent’. (d)/ No error. (e)
- We will pack not only (a)/ the material properly (b)/ but will also deliver it (c)/ to your valued customers. (d)/ No error. (e)
Answers
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “as he had to go out to work”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “I was astonished”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “If I had left the compartment”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “that no other problem faced by our country”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “but also the agenda notes and minutes”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “are not laid deep”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “the problems of the future”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “We now look forward to”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “his office received an important letter”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “We will not only pack”.
- We cannot handle (a)/ this complicated case today (b)/ unless full details are not given (c)/ to us by now. (d)/ No error. (e)
- According to one survey, (a)/ only those forests which were (b)/ not under village management (c)/ succumbed from fires recently. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Our school is making (a)/ every possible effort (b)/ to provide best facilities (c)/ and personal attention for each child. (d)/ No error. (e)
- We have done everything (a)/ that could be done (b)/ to avert the storm (c)/ which is now coming on. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Jayesh loved his Guru immensely (a)/ and gave him full loyalty, (b)/ yet he had his own (c)/ independent way of thinking. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The principal of equal justice (a)/ for all is one of (b)/ the cornerstones of our (c)/ democratic way of life. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The Trust has succeeded (a)/ admirably in raising (b)/ money for (c)/ its future programmes. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Honesty, integrity and being intelligent (a)/ are the qualities which (b) we look for when (c)/ we interview applicants. (d)/ No error. (e)
- In order to save petrol, (a)/ motorists must have to (b)/ be very cautious (c)/ while driving along the highways (d)/ No error. (e)
- If the by-stander had not been (a)/ familiar with first-aid techniques, (b)/ the driver which had met (c)/ with the accident would have died. (d)/ No error. (e)
Answers
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “unless full details are given”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “succumbed to fires recently”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “and personal attention to each child”.
- (e) : “No error”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “way of thinking”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “The principle of equal justice”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “its future programme”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “Honesty, integrity and intelligence”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “motorists have to” or “motorists must be”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “the driver who had met”.
- Not one of the children (a)/ has ever sang (b)/ on any occasion (c)/ in public before. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Neither the earthquake (a)/ nor the subsequent fire (b)/ was able to dampen (c)/ the spirit of the residents. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The customer scarcely had (a)/ enough money to pay (b)/ to the cashier (c)/ at the cash counter. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The apparently obvious solutions (a)/ to most of his problems (b)/ were overlook by (c)/ many of his friends. (d)/ No error. (e)
- By arresting the local criminals (a)/ and encouraging good people, (b)/ we can end (c)/ hostilities of that area. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Sharad was entrusted with (a)/ the task of coordination yesterday’s programme (b)/ but due to certain difficulties (c)/ he does not do it. (d)/ No error. (e)
- One should make (a)/ his best efforts if (b)/ one wishes to achieve (c)/ success in this organisation. (d)/ No error. (e)
- Having deprived from their (a)/ homes in the recent earthquake (b)/ they had no other option but (c)/ to take shelter in a school. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The technician reminded (a)/ them to have a (b)/ thoroughly cleaning of the (c)/ machine after each use. (d)/ No error. (e)
- The villager told (a)/ us where was the (b)/ temple and even led (c)/ us to the spot (d)/ No error. (e)
Answers
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “has ever sung”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be ‘could dampen’.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “had scarcely any money to pay”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “were overlooked by”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “hostilities in that area”.
- (d) : Part ‘d’ should be “he could not do it”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “one’s best efforts if”.
- (a) : Part ‘a’ should be “Having been deprived of their”.
- (c) : Part ‘c’ should be “thorough cleaning of the”.
- (b) : Part ‘b’ should be “us where the temple was”.