How to Detect Errors in Error Spotting

Hello, fellow banks and other central government aspirants. Greetings from Bankexamstoday. Just follow the rule given by us, and you would swiftly crack any exam, not just bank exams.
Today, our area of focus would be on the English section of the exam. Let’s see about a sub-part in error spotting today. Many candidates fail in this part because of weak understanding of English grammar.

Let’s start with the basics, I personally believe that one who has a strong grasp of basics would certainly crack any exam. So let’s begin with Subject definition, verb definition and gradually increase the level, so that even a layman could become proficient in English.

So, what is a subject?

The subject of a sentence is whom or what the sentence is about and predicate of a sentence is what the subject is doing at a point in time.
The boy ate.
The boy is the subject of the sentence because the sentence is telling something about that boy. And what is it telling? It says that the boy ate. So in this example, the subject is “boy” and the predicate is “ate.”
The boy ran after the thief.
In this sentence, the subject is still the “boy.” But the question, how can we know that the subject is “boy” and not “thief” since the sentence seems to be about both the persons?

First of all, to determine the subject of a sentence, first find the verb and then ask “who?” or “what?” In this sentence, the verb is “ran.”

Next, What is a verb?

The purpose of a verb is to be the action word in a sentence.
The cat killed the mice
The verb killed is referring to the actions of the cat.
There are past and present tenses of verbs as well.

For example:

The book is on my shelf.
The word is the present-tense verb.
Identifying verbs can sometimes be tricky and it may take some time to become comfortable with using them.

10 Golden rules of Error spotting:

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

Example: The Police has come (Incorrect)
The Police have come (Correct)

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

Example: The spectacles is kept on the table. (Incorrect)
The spectacles are kept on the table. (Correct)

RULE 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.

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

RULE 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.

Example: This sari is nine-yard long. (Incorrect)
This sari is nine yards long. (Correct)

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

Example: The crowd were unanimous in their opinion. (Incorrect)
The crowd was unanimous in its opinion. (Correct)

RULE 6: Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used in plural when they specify a difference of opinion or class..

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

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

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

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

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

RULE 9: Less’ is used to denote quantity while the word ‘fewer’ is used to denote number.

Example: No less than twenty people were (Incorrect)
No fewer than twenty people were (Correct)

RULE 10: The word ‘One of’ is always followed by noun in the plural form.

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

Error Spotting Rules with PDF

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

Spot the error in the given sentences:

1.

A.We discussed about the problem so thoroughly
B. on the eve of the examination
C. that I found it very easy to work it out.
D. No error.
Ans. A.

2.

A. A. An Indian ship
B. laden with merchandise
C. got drowned in the Pacific Ocean.
D. No error.
Ans. C.

3.

A. I could not put up in a hotel
B. because the boarding and lodging charges
C. were exorbitant
D. No error.
Ans. A.

4.

A. The Indian subcontinent
B. which was previously controlled by the British rulers
C. is free now from the narrow vested interests.
D. No error.
Ans. C.

5.

A. If I had known
B. this yesterday
C. I will have helped him.
D. No error.
Ans. C.

6.

A. These days, a lot of travel delay is caused
B. due to the inefficiency and lack of good management
C. on behalf of the railways.
D. No error.
Ans. C.

7.

A. One of the members
B. expressed doubt if
C. the Minister was an atheist.
D. No error.
Ans. B.

8.

A. I have got
B. my M.Sc. degree
C. in 1988.
D. No error.
Ans. A.

9.

A. Having received your letter
B. this morning, we are writing
C. to thank you for the same.
D. No error.
Ans. D.

10.

A. If you lend him a book
B. he will lend it to someone else
C. and never you will get it back.
D. No error.
Ans. C.