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SENTENCE CORRECTION & ERROR SPOTTING

SENTENCE CORRECTION &

ERROR SPOTTING
• Introduction
• Rules to Remember

INTRODUCTION

1) Shorter is better

One of the major concepts that the EXAM tests

is conciseness. As a result, short, clear
constructions are generally preferably to long
and wordy ones.

That does not, however, mean that the

shortest
answer – or even the second-shortest answer –
will consistently be right. There are many
exceptions to this rule, and you must judge
each question individually.

If you are unable to identify what concept a

question is testing, however, working from the
shortest answer to the longest can help you
stay focused and work systematically.
Likewise, if
you are stuck between two answers, length can be a helpful “tip” factor to take
into account.

2) Avoid gerunds (-ING words), especially BEING

As a general rule, conjugated verbs are

preferable to gerunds because the latter tend
to create wordy and awkward constructions as
well as fragments. Answers that include the
gerund being are almost never correct and can
often be eliminated immediately.

In addition, when the noun form of a word is

more idiomatic than the gerund, the noun
should be used. The EXAM frequently uses

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SENTENCE CORRECTION & ERROR SPOTTING

gerunds this way in incorrect answers. For

example:

Incorrect: The bacterium Pseudomonas is

useful because of its being able to aid in the
decomposition of many organic compounds.

Correct: The bacterium Pseudomonas is useful

because of its ability to aid in the
decomposition of many organic compounds.

3) Avoid the passive voice

In a passive construction, the normal order of

subject and object is flipped.

Active: x does y.

Passive: y is done by x.

You can also think of this rule as an offshoot of

#1: by nature, passive constructions are
always wordier and frequently more awkward
than active ones.

RULES TO REMEMBER

I. Sentences and Fragments

Every sentence must contain a subject and

a main verb that corresponds to the subject.
Any sentence that lacks a main verb is a
fragment.

A. Missing Main Verb

1. A verb that ends in –ING cannot act as a

verb.
A statement that contains only an –ING word
cannot be a sentence.

Incorrect: After her retirement from

international competition, tennis champion

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Maud Molesworth becoming one of the first

women in Australia to coach tennis
professionally.

Correct: After her retirement from international

competition, tennis champion Maud Molesworth
became one of the first women in Australia to
coach tennis professionally.

2. A passive construction must contain a form

of the verb to be.

Incorrect: Though the scientific method often

presented as a fixed sequence of steps, it
actually represents a set of general principles.

Correct: Though the scientific method is often

presented as a fixed sequence of steps, it
actually represents a set of general principles.

B. Missing Independent Clause

A clause is a phrase that contains both a

subject and a verb. A clause can be
independent (complete sentence) or dependent
(unable to stand on its own as a sentence).

1. Every sentence must contain a clause

that can stand on its own as a sentence.

Incorrect: Retiring from international

competition in 1937, and tennis champion
Maud Molesworth became one of the first
women in Australia to coach tennis
professionally.

Correct: Retiring from international competition

in 1937, tennis champion Maud Molesworth
became one of the first women in Australia to
coach tennis professionally.

2. A phrase that begins with a

subordinating conjunction (e.g. because,
although, when, unless, until) is a clause, and
an -ING word should not follow the
conjunction. A subject + conjugated verb
should be used instead.

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Incorrect: The company has recently

announced that it will soon accept only Visa for
credit card purchases, although traditionally
accepting both Visa and American Express.

Correct: The company has recently announced

that it will soon accept only Visa for credit card
purchases, although it has traditionally
accepted both Visa and American Express.

3. Clauses that begin with “w-words”

(relative pronouns) such as which, who(se),
and where are always dependent.

When a clause begins with a “w-word,” that

word is the subject of the verb that follows. On
the EXAM, these clauses are often inserted to
“remove” a verb from its true subject and
create fragments. To turn the fragment into a
sentence, the “w-word” must be eliminated.

Incorrect: After her retirement from

international competition, tennis champion
Maud Molesworth, who became one of the first
women in Australia to coach tennis
professionally.

Correct: After her retirement from international

competition, tennis champion Maud Molesworth
became one of the first women in Australia to
coach tennis professionally.

C. Comma Splices and Semicolons (tested

infrequently)

A comma should never be placed between two

independent clauses. Use a semicolon or
comma + coordinating (FANBOYS)
conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

Incorrect: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist that they avoid all performanceenhancing
substances, they do not share the same
confidence about the competition they could
soon face.

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Correct: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist that they avoid all performanceenhancing
substances; they do not share the same
confidence about the competition they could
soon face.

Correct: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist that they avoid all performanceenhancing
substances, but they do not share the same
confidence about the competition they could
soon face.

A semicolon should only be placed between

independent clauses. It is incorrect to place
one between an independent clause and a
dependent clause.

Incorrect: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist that they avoid all performanceenhancing
substances; but do not share the same
confidence about the competition they could
soon face.

Correct: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist that they avoid all performanceenhancing
substances; they do not share the same
confidence about the competition they could
soon face.

II. Non-Essential Clauses

Non-essential clauses are set off by commas

(one before, one after) and, as their name
suggests, are not essential to the meaning of a
sentence. When they are crossed out, the
sentence still makes sense.

Non-essential clauses are often used to distract

from errors. When they are removed, the error
is revealed.

Incorrect: The body’s circadian rhythms, which

are responsible for controlling sleep cycles and
which function on a 24-hour clock, and they
are more sensitive to light at night—even when
a person’s eyes are closed.

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Incorrect: The body’s circadian rhythms, which

are responsible for controlling sleep cycles and
which function on a 24-hour clock, and they
are more sensitive to light at night—even when
a person’s eyes are closed.

Correct: The body’s circadian rhythms, which

are responsible for controlling sleep cycles and
which function on a 24-hour clock, are more
sensitive to light at night—even when a
person’s eyes are closed.

Note that non-essential clauses may also be

included for no other reason than to make
sentences long and complicated, and to
distract from errors elsewhere in a sentence.

Tip: when you use paper-based prep materials,

you should practice drawing a line through
nonessential clauses in order to train yourself
to eliminate them mentally on the actual exam.

III. PRONOUNS

A. Pronoun Agreement

The word to which a pronoun refers is known

as its antecedent or referent. Pronouns must
agree with their referents in number: singular
pronouns must have singular referents, and
plural pronouns must have plural referents.
The most frequently tested pronouns are it/its
(sing.) and they/their/them (pl.).
The alternating use of it and they in various
answer choices indicates that a question is
testing pronoun agreement. Start by
determining whether the referent is singular or
plural, and eliminate all options that do not fit.
Example:

Computers began as tools of business and

research, designed to automate tasks such as
math and information retrieval, but it is today
a tool of personal communication, connecting
us not only to information but to one another.

(A) it is today a tool

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(B) today this is a tool

The most logical referent of the pronoun it

(sing.) is the plural noun computers (pl.). (A),
(B), and (D) all contain singular pronouns and
can be eliminated. (C) creates a fragment, and
(E) is correct.

Know:

Collective nouns = singular. Collective nouns

are nouns that refer to groups of people, e.g.
agency, company, corporation, institution,
university.
Each and every are singular.

B. Missing/Ambiguous Referents

1. If there are multiple nouns that a

pronoun could agree with, the sentence must
be rewritten to specify which noun is the true
referent.

Incorrect: Some dog breeders are breeding

English bull dogs with longer faces in order to
prevent the breathing problems that
consistently plague the breed, but it is unclear
whether people will continue to find bull dogs
appealing if they lose their famously wrinkled
faces.

Correct: Some dog breeders are breeding

2. Nouns may sometimes also be missing

referents.

Incorrect: Gecko lizards hail from all over the

world, but most of the ones they sell in pet

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stores in the United States are bred in

captivity.

Correct: Gecko lizards hail from all over the

world, but most of the ones sold in pet stores
in the United States are bred in captivity.

Know:

This/that, these/those not followed by a noun

= wrong.
Which must be directly preceded by its
referent, e.g. Smallpox is one of two infectious
diseases to have been eradicated, the other
being rinderpest, which was declared
eradicated in 2011.
That = no comma, which = comma, e.g. The
stocks that fell last week had been predicted to
rise, NOT The stocks which fell last week had
been predicted to rise. The EXAM tests this rule
frequently.

IV. RELATIVE PRONOUNS

Who(m) = people
Which, that = things
Whose = people + things
Where = places
When = times
Preposition + which can be used as an
alternative to where and when.

Be particularly on the lookout for errors

involving where. Although this pronoun is often
used in everyday speech to refer to books and
times, that usage is incorrect. Note that when
errors with where involve time, they can be
corrected with either when or in which.

Incorrect: The contemporary environmental

movement began in 1962, the year where
Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring revealed
the dangers of pesticides.

Correct: The contemporary environmental

movement began in 1962, the year where/in

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which Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring

revealed the dangers of pesticides.

Whereby is used to indicate method, and is

often used in the context of systems or
processes. Although constructions including
this word may sound awkward, there is nothing
inherently incorrect about them.

Correct: Bats can perceive and stalk their prey

in complete darkness by using a system
whereby ultrasonic sounds produce echoes that
identify the animal or insect’s location.

V. SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

Singular verbs end in –S; plural verbs do not

end in –S, e.g. he speaks = singular, they
speak = plural.

One effective strategy for approaching these

question is to scan answer choices for
differences in number. When some answers
contain singular verbs and other contain plural
verbs, the question is testing subject-verb
agreement.

Start by identifying the subject of the relevant

verb, determine whether it is singular or plural,
and eliminate all answers that do not fit.

Remember that verbs can be separated from

their subjects in a variety of ways, including
non-essential clauses and prepositional
phrases, so do not assume that the noun
immediately before the verb is the subject.

Example:

Most experimental results do not produce large

changes in human
understanding; improvements in
theoretical scientific understanding is
typically the result of a gradual process of
development over time, sometimes across
different domains of science.

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(A) improvements in theoretical scientific

understanding is typically the result of
(B) improvements in theoretical scientific
understanding typically results from (C)
improvements in theoretical scientific
understanding, which typically result from (D)
improvements in theoretical scientific
understanding are typically the result of
(E) improvements in theoretical scientific
understanding has typically resulted from

The subject of the verb is (singular) is

improvements (plural). The correct answer
must therefore contain a plural verb. (A), (B),
and (E) all contain singular verbs and can thus
be eliminated immediately.

Of the remaining answers, (C) creates a

fragment and can be eliminated, leaving (D).

Know:

Compound nouns (two singular nouns joined

by and) = plural.
When neither…nor is paired with a verb, the
verb agrees with the noun after nor.
And to reiterate:

Collective nouns = singular Each

and every = singular.

VI. VERB TENSE AND FORM

A. Present perfect vs. simple past vs. past perfect

1. Present perfect = has/have + past participle

Actions that began in the past and continues

into the present. Tip-offs = for & since.

Incorrect: The company, which accepted both

American Express and Visa for credit card
purchases since its founding, recently
announced that it would soon accept only Visa.

Correct: The company, which has accepted

both American Express and Visa for credit card
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purchases since its founding, recently

announced that it would soon accept only Visa.

2. Simple past = simple past form only (e.g.

went, drank, chose), indicates a finished
action in the past

Incorrect: In 2012, the company has

announced that it would sever its longstanding
relationship with American Express and accept
Visa exclusively for credit card purchases at its
stores.

Correct In 2012, the company announced that

it would sever its longstanding relationship
with American Express and accept Visa
exclusively for credit card purchases at its
stores.

Note: “To have + past participle” is a

grammatically acceptable alternative to the
simple past, e.g. Stocks are reputed to have
fallen = It is reputed that stocks fell.

3. Past perfect = had + past participle

When a sentence refers to two finished actions

in the past, the present perfect can be used to
refer to the action that came first.

Incorrect: Recently, the company took the final

step in severing its longstanding relationship
with American Express and had begun
accepting Visa exclusively for credit card
purchases at its stores.

Correct: Recently, the company took the final

step in severing its longstanding relationship
with American Express and began accepting
Visa exclusively for credit card purchases at its
stores.

Note: by and by the time are often tip-offs that

the past perfect is required.

Correct: By the early years of the twentieth

century, Chicago had become capable of

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maintaining its population and was no longer

dependent on rural areas for a steady stream
of new inhabitants.

B. Future

Use of the future (will + verb) is typically

based on context, e.g. verbs such as predict,
estimate, or hypothesize.

Incorrect: Market experts predict that stocks

fall over the next several months, having
recently reached historic highs.

Correct: Market experts predict that stocks will

fall over the next several months, having
recently reached historic highs.

C. Subjunctive

Used to indicate importance, necessity,

demands, and suggestions.
In the present, no –S on the end of third-
person singular verbs (e.g. it go). The
subjunctive form of to be is be; the subjunctive
of to have is have. In the past, were is used
with both singular and plural. Present:

Incorrect: Even in the Internet age, it is

important that traditional copyright protections
are not abolished because they uphold the idea
that people should be rewarded for original
work.

Correct: Even in the Internet age, it is

important that traditional copyright protections
not be abolished because they uphold the idea
that people should be rewarded for original
work.

Past:

Incorrect: If the traditional concept of

copyright protection was abolished, then the
idea that people should be rewarded for
original work would be seriously jeopardized.

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Correct: If the traditional concept of copyright

protection were abolished, then the idea that
people should be rewarded for original work
would be seriously jeopardized.

D. Sequence of tenses: “IF” (Hypothetical)

clause vs. Main clause

If Clause

If X happens/Should X happen
If X happened/If X were to happen
If X had happened/Had X happenedMain Clause

Y occurs, Y will occur

Y would occur
Y would have occurred

VII. FAULTY COMPARISONS

A. People vs. Things

Compare people to people and things to things.

Note that correct answers often replace a noun
in the comparison with the pronoun phrase
that of (sing.) or those of (p.).

Incorrect: While Thackeray and Dickens were

both renowned as authors during the
nineteenth century, today the novels of
Dickens are more widely read than Thackeray.

Correct: While Thackeray and Dickens were

both renowned as authors during the
nineteenth century, today the novels of
Dickens are more
widely read than those of Thackeray

Note that possessive constructions can be

formed in a variety of ways: the novels of
Thackeray = those of Thackeray = Thackeray’s
novels = Thackeray’s. Any of these options can
be used, regardless of how the other side of
the comparison is constructed.

B. Non-Equivalent things

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Incorrect: Unlike a train, the length of a tram is

usually limited to one or two cars, which may
run either on train tracks or directly on the
street.

Correct: Unlike a train, a tram is usually limited

to one or two cars, which may run either on
train tracks or directly on the street.

C. Comparative phrases

Comparative phrases can also be formed

awkwardly or un-idiomatically. Correct answers
tend to include like and unlike, whereas
incorrect answers tend to be much wordier.

Errors involving comparative phrases may also

be combined with errors testing comparisons
themselves.

Incorrect: Contrasting with Thackeray, who fell

out of favor during the twentieth century, the
novels of Dickens have enjoyed uninterrupted
popularity since they first appeared.

Correct: Unlike the novels of Thackeray, which

fell out of favor during the twentieth century,
the novels of Dickens have enjoyed
uninterrupted popularity since they first
appeared.

D. Like vs. As

Like = compare nouns: x is like y

As = compare clauses (clause includes a
subject
+ verb)

Incorrect: Health insurance, as other forms of

insurance, allows people to collectively pool
their risk of incurring medical expenses.

Correct: Health insurance, like other forms of

insurance, allows people to collectively pool
their risk of incurring medical expenses.

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Incorrect: Health insurance allows people to

collectively pool their risk of incurring medical
expenses, like other forms of insurance do.

Correct: Health insurance allows people to

collectively pool their risk of incurring medical
expenses, as other forms of insurance do.

VIII. Amounts: Countable vs.

NonCountable

Countable (with pl. nouns)

Number
More
Fewer
Non-countable (with sing. nouns)
Amount
Much
Less
Incorrect: The Georges Bank seamounts rise
thousands of feet from the ocean floor and are
home to a large amount of deep-sea corals and
sponges, many of which are unknown to
science.

Correct: The Georges Bank seamounts rise

thousands of feet from the ocean floor and are
home to a large number of deep-sea corals and
sponges, many of which are unknown to
science.

IX. Modification

Rule: place modifiers as close as possible to

the words or phrases they modify.

A. Dangling Modifiers

When a sentence contains an introductory

clause that describes (modifies) but does not
name the subject, the subject must follow.
Otherwise, the modifier is dangling.

Incorrect: Among the most important

incubators of the ocean’s ecosystem, food and
shelter are provided by coral reefs to more
than a quarter of all marine life.
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What is among the most important incubators

of the ocean’s ecosystem? Coral reefs. So coral
reefs, the subject, must follow the comma.

Correct: Among the most important incubators

of the ocean’s ecosystem, coral reefs provide
food and shelter to more than a quarter of all
marine life.

B. Misplaced Modifiers

Misplaced modifiers are created when a

modifier is placed next to a word or phrase
other than the one it is intended to modify,
creating an illogical or even absurd meaning.

Misplaced modifiers can involve either single

words or longer phrases.

Incorrect: Stocks, which have been at historic

lows since the start of the year, are expected
sharply to climb beginning next quarter.

Correct: Stocks, which have been at historic

lows since the start of the year, are expected
to climb sharply beginning next quarter.

Note that which must refer to the noun

immediately preceding it (before the comma).
If it does not, a misplaced modifier is created.

Incorrect: Stocks are expected to climb

beginning next quarter, which have been at
historic lows since the start of the year.

Correct: Stocks, which have been at historic

lows since the start of the year, are expected
to climb beginning next quarter.

X. PARALLELISM

A. Lists

Many parallelism questions test lists of three

items. All the items should be presented in the

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same format, e.g. noun, noun, noun; verb,

verb, verb; gerund, gerund, gerund.

To simplify parallelism questions, start by

focusing on the first word of each item.

Incorrect: Painting outdoor

scenes, emphasizing the interplay of light and
dark, and to convey a sense of immediacy
were all important characteristics of the
Impressionist movement.

Correct: Painting outdoor scenes, emphasizing

the interplay of light and dark, and conveying a
sense of immediacy were all important
characteristics of the Impressionist movement.

The construction within each item must also be

consistent, e.g. “noun + preposition + noun.”
Incorrect: A focus on outdoor scenes, an
emphasis on the interplay of light and dark,
and an impression of being immediate were all
important characteristics of the Impressionist
movement.

Correct: A focus on outdoor scenes, an

emphasis on the interplay of light and dark,
and an impression of immediacy were all
important characteristics of the Impressionist
movement.

B. Phrases

The EXAM also tests two-part parallel structure

– two items joined by a conjunction such as
and or but. These questions can be appear in
many guises, but there are patterns.

1. Constructions with that (EXAM favorite)

Incorrect: The Thirty Years War, a political and

religious conflict that lasted from 1618 until
1648 and pitting Protestants against Catholics
throughout the Holy Roman Empire, left
destruction across wide swaths of Europe.

Correct: The Thirty Years War, a political and

religious conflict that lasted from 1618 until
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1648 and that pitted Protestants against

Catholics throughout the Holy Roman Empire,
left destruction across wide swaths of the
Europe.

2. Prepositions

Incorrect: Known for her musical compositions

as well as for her poems and letters, Hildegard
of Bingen was just as renowned in the twelfth
century as the twentieth.

Correct: Known for her musical compositions

as well as for her poems and letters, Hildegard
of Bingen was just as renowned in the twelfth
century as in the twentieth.

3. Verbs

Incorrect: Although Voltaire wrote a number of

tragedies and believed he would be
remembered as a dramatist, his theatrical
works are today less well-known than his
philosophical novels do.

Correct: Although Voltaire wrote a number of

tragedies and believed he would be
remembered as a dramatist, his theatrical
works are today less well-known than his
philosophical novels are.

XI. WORD PAIRS

Word pairs (or correlative conjunctions) are

pairs of words or phrases that must always be
used together.

Not only…but also

As…as
More/less…than
Between…and
So/such…that
Just as…so
Note that only half of a word pair is likely to be
included in the underlined portion of a
sentence. To identify that a question is testing

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word pairs, you must often rely on information

in the nonunderlined section.

Incorrect: The Hale–Bopp comet received so

much media coverage, becoming one of the
most highly observed astronomical bodies in
history.

Correct: The Hale–Bopp comet received so

much media coverage that it became one of
the most highly observed astronomical bodies
in history.

XII. REDUNDANCY

A. Synonyms

Incorrect: Radio stations were initially

established for the first time by radio
equipment manufacturers and retailers who
offered programs in order to sell more radios
to consumers.

Correct: Radio stations were initially

established by radio equipment manufacturers
and retailers who offered programs in order to
sell more radios to consumers.

The EXAM is particularly fond of redundancies

involving increasing and decreasing.

Incorrect: Economists predict that over the

next several months, stocks will increase by
more than a 40% rise, offsetting a series of
recent losses.

Correct: Economists predict that over the next

several months, stocks will increase by more
than 40%, offsetting a series of recent losses.

B. Double Conjunctions

Two consecutive clauses should not both

contain conjunctions.

Incorrect: Because it is always possible that

new and potentially contradictory evidence will
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be discovered, so no scientific theory can ever

be considered final.

Correct: Because it is always possible that new

and potentially contradictory evidence will be
discovered, no scientific theory can ever be
considered final.

Correct: It is always possible that new and

potentially contradictory evidence will be
discovered, so no scientific theory can ever be
considered final.

XIII. WHETHER VS. IF VS. THAT

Use whether to indicate uncertainty, or to

indicate/imply the presence of alternatives.

With phrases involving “the question,” whether

should always be used.

Incorrect: The Schengen accord on freedom of

movement for members of the European Union
has had limited success, raising the question of
if the bloc’s frontiers should be policed by a
European border control force.

Correct: The Schengen accord on freedom of

movement for members of the European Union
has had limited success, raising the question of
whether the bloc’s frontiers should be policed
by a European border control force.

Use that when only one possibility is

presented.

Incorrect: The country’s court is examining

allegations of irregularities in the counting of
postal ballots during the election, for it is
already clear whether rules on when those
ballots should be counted and processed were
often broken.

Correct: The country’s court is examining

allegations of irregularities in the counting of
postal ballots during the election, for it is
already clear that rules on when those ballots

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should be counted and processed were often

broken.

That vs. of + gerund

The EXAM frequently and incorrectly replaces

that after verbs with of + gerund.

Incorrect: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist of their avoiding all
performanceenhancing substances but do not
share the same confidence about the
competition they could soon face.

Correct: Many athletes at the Olympic Trials

insist that they avoid all performanceenhancing
substances but do not share the same
confidence about the competition they could
soon face.

XIV. IDIOMS

Fixed phrases are known as idioms. There is no

logical reason why these phrases evolved the
way they did. As a result, you must answer
them by ear.

A. Prepositions

Incorrect: After a lengthy review, officials have

decided to proceed with a broad investigation
toward accusations that the hospital submitted
hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent
claims.

Correct: After a lengthy review, officials have

decided to proceed with a broad investigation
into accusations that the hospital submitted
hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent
claims.

B. Commonly confused words

Incorrect: Beads from beauty products and

other microplastic debris are known to have a
detrimental affect on fish and other creatures,
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and studies suggest that the chemicals can

move up the food chain to humans.

Correct: Beads from beauty products and other

microplastic debris are known to have a
detrimental effect on fish and other creatures,
and studies suggest that the chemicals can
move up the food chain to humans.

C. To vs. –ING

-ING words (gerunds and participles) are

frequently switch with infinitives (the “to” form
of a verb).

Incorrect: Just as opponents of the old law

criticized it for being outdated, so do
opponents of the new law criticize it to be
costly and ineffective.

Correct: Just as opponents of the old law

criticized it for being outdated, so do
opponents of the new law criticize it for being
costly and ineffective.

Participles are often used to join clauses. The

EXAM is prone to incorrectly replacing
participles (-ING) form with infinitives.

Incorrect: Coral reefs are among the most

important incubators of the ocean’s ecosystem,
to provide food and shelter to more than a
quarter of all marine life.

Correct: Coral reefs are among the most

important incubators of the ocean’s ecosystem,
providing food and shelter to more than a
quarter of all marine life.

D. Gerund replaces Noun

When the noun form of a word is more

idiomatic than the gerund, the noun should be
used. The EXAM frequently uses gerunds this
way in incorrect answers.

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Incorrect: The using of rapid brush strokes to

create a sense of immediacy was among the
most prominent characteristics of the
Impressionist school of painting.

Correct: The use of rapid brush strokes to

create a sense of immediacy was among the
most prominent characteristics of the
Impressionist school of painting.

E. Shorter isn’t better

Although wordy constructions tend are more

likely to be incorrect, the EXAM is also fond of
condensing certain phrases in ways that, while
not entirely wrong, are not entirely idiomatic
either.

Incorrect: Alpha Centauri is an alluring

interstellar voyage target because it is the
closest star system to our own, and because it
could contain planets capable of supporting
life.

Correct: Alpha Centauri is an alluring target for

an interstellar voyage because it is the closest
star system to our own, and because it could
contain planets capable of supporting life.

Key Idioms:

A means to + infinitive = a way of (doing

something)
A means of + noun = a form of

Act like = act in a manner similar to

Act as = act in the capacity of

Between = compare two things

Among = compare three or more things

Due to = caused by. Note that this phrase is

virtually always used incorrectly when it
appears on the EXAM. Typically, answers
containing because (of) or as a result (of) are
correct.

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Regarded as, NOT regarded to be

Try to, NOT try and

Use such as, not like, to introduce examples

A term “refers to” something; it cannot “be”

something.

Incorrect: The term Dickensian is something

that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings,
such as poor social conditions or comically
repulsive characters.
Correct: The term Dickensian refers to
something that is reminiscent of Dickens and
his writings, such as poor social conditions or
comically repulsive characters.

PRACTICE PROBLEMS (EXPLANATORY ANSWERS AT THE END)

Sentence Correction

Choose the appropriate option that can replace

the underlined part of the question.

1. The contest between the five finalist in the last round of

the reality show was intense.

A. The contest between the five finalist

B. The contest between the five finalists
C. The contest among the five finalist
D. The contest among the five finalists
E. The contest of the five finalists

2. Sachin Tendulkar scored his first Test century

in the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester

A. in the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester

B. at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester
C. in the Old Trafford Cricket Ground at
Manchester
D. at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground at Manchester
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E. on the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in

Manchester

3. Even as we speak, the brave king along with

300 highly trained soldiers are marching
towards the battlefield.

A. along with 300 highly trained soldiers are

B. along with 300 high trained soldiers are
C. along with 300 high trained soldiers is
D. and 300 highly trained soldiers are
E. and 300 high trained soldiers are

4. The number of scientists involved in the research and

development of cryogenic rocket
engines has increased exponently

A. has increased exponently

B. have increased exponently
C. has increased exponentially
D. have increased exponentially
E. has been increased exponently

5. Oxygen, the life giving gas, constitute

approximately 21% of the air in the atmosphere
and gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide,
water vapour etc. constitutes the remaining
79%.

A. constitute approximately 21% of the

air in the atmosphere and gases such as
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour etc.
constitutes the remaining 79%.
B. constitutes approximately 21% of the
air in the atmosphere and gases such as
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour etc.
constitute the remaining 79%.
C. constitutes approximately 21% of the
air in the atmosphere and gases like nitrogen,
carbon dioxide, water vapour etc. constitute
the remaining 79%.
D. constitute approximately 21% of the
air in the atmosphere and gases such as
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour etc.
constitute the remaining 79%.

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E. constitutes approximately 21% of the

air in the atmosphere and gases such as
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water vapour etc.
constitutes the remaining 79%.

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger earned the nick

name “The Terminator” because in the 1984
blockbuster movie called “The Terminator” he
played the role of a robot sent from the future.

A. played the role of a robot sent from the

future
B. plays the role of a robot sent from the future
C. plays the role of a robot arrived from the
future
D. played the role of a robot sent by the future
E. played the role of a robot of the future

7. Before the rise of mammals, reptilian life forms like

the dinosaurs had dominated the Earth.

A. like the dinosaurs had

B. such as the dinosaurs had
C. like the dinosaurs
D. such as the dinosaurs
E. like those of dinosaurs had

8. The ratio between the mass of an organism’s

brain and its total mass indicate it’s
evolutionary refinement.

A. indicate it’s
B. indicate its
C. indicates it’s
D. indicates their
E. indicates its

9. Despite its gargantuan size Godzilla can

swim faster than a nuclear submarine, resisting
gunfire from armoured vehicles, climb buildings
as tall as the Empire State Building and out
running Apache helicopters.

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A. resisting gunfire from armoured

vehicles, climb buildings as tall as the Empire
State Building and out running Apache
helicopters.
B. resist gunfire from armoured vehicles,
climb buildings as tall as the Empire State
Building and out running Apache helicopters.
C. resisting gunfire from armoured
vehicles, climb buildings as tall as the Empire
State Building and out run Apache helicopters.
D. resist gunfire from armoured vehicles,
climb buildings as tall as the Empire State
Building and out run Apache helicopters.
E. resist gunfire from armoured vehicles,
climb buildings as tall as the Empire State
Building or out run Apache helicopters.

10. Tamraj Kilvish’s evil ploys to destroy

Shaktiman often involve the use of both dark
magic or deception.

A. Tamraj Kilvish’s evil ploys to destroy

Shaktiman often involve the use of both dark
magic or deception.
B. Tamraj Kilvish’s evil ploy to destroy
Shaktiman often involve the use of both dark
magic and deception.
C. Tamraj Kilvish’s evil ploys to destroy
Shaktiman often involve the use of both dark
magic and deception.
D. Tamraj Kilvish’s evil ploys to destroy
Shaktiman often involves the use of both dark
magic or deception.
E. Tamraj Kilvish’s evil ploy to destroy
Shaktiman often involves the use of both dark
magic or deception.

11. The crowd gathered at the WWE arena

were happy to see Stone Cold Steve Austin
back in the ring but were disappointed when
Austin said that he would not be wrestling.

A. arena were happy to see Stone Cold Steve

Austin back in the ring but were
disappointed
B. arena was happy to see Stone Cold Steve
Austin back in the ring but was disappointed

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C. arena were happy to see Stone Cold Steve

Austin back in the ring but was disappointed
D. arena was happy to see Stone Cold Steve
Austin back in the ring but were
disappointed
E. arena was happy to see Stone Cold Steve
Austin back on the ring but was disappointed

12. Mr. P. J. Malya the CEO of Queen Fisher

airlines said to their employees “In such
troubled times, we will succeed only if
everyone
does their job with utmost sincerely.”

A. said to their employees “In such

troubled times, we will succeed only if
everyone does their job with utmost sincerely.”
B. said to the employees “In such
troubled times, we will succeed only if
everyone does his job with utmost sincerity.”
C. said to their employees “In such
troubled times, we will succeed only if
everyone does his job with utmost sincerely.”
D. said to the employees “In such
troubled times, we will succeed only if
everyone does his job with utmost sincerely.”
E. said to the employees “In such
troubled times, we will succeed only if
everyone does their job with utmost sincerity.”

13. The protection offered from the Kevlar

vests is many times better than the armour
worn by European Knights of the medieval era.

A. from the Kevlar vests is many times

better than
B. by the Kevlar vest is many times
better than that offered by
C. by the Kevlar vest is many times
better than D. from the Kevlar vest is many
times better than
E. from the Kevlar vest is many times better
than that offered from

14. The green colour pigment, called

chlorophyll, present on the leaves enable the

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plants to harness the energy of the sun to

sustain itself.

A. present on the leaves enable

B. present in the leaves enable
C. present in the leaves enables
D. presented in the leaves enable
E. present on the leaves enables

15. Alex, an ardent comic book fan, wondered

if Spiderman’s web could support the weight of
a fully grown elephant.

A. if Spiderman’s web could support the weight

of a fully grown elephant.
B. if Spiderman’s web could support the weight
of a full grown elephant.
C. whether Spiderman’s web could support the
weight of a fully grown elephant.
D. whether Spiderman’s web could support the
weight of a full grown elephant. as if
Spiderman’s web could support the weight of
a fully grown elephant.

16. Rajnikant’s kick sent the villain tumbling

down the roof and into the road.

A. sent the villain tumbling down the roof and

into the road
B. send the villain tumbling down the roof and
into the road
C. send the villain tumbling for the roof and
onto the road
D. sent the villain tumbling down the roof on
the road
E. sent the villain tumbling down the roof and
onto the road

17. Rahul took his girlfriend Tina to the newly

upscale restaurant in the city in an attempt to
impress her.

A. to the newly upscale restaurant in the city in

an attempt to impress her.
B. to the new upscale restaurant in the city in
an attempt to impress her.
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C. to the new upscaled restaurant in the city in

an attempt to impress her.
D. to the new upscale restaurant in the city for
an attempt to impress her.
E. to the new upscaled restaurant in the city for
an attempt to impress her.

18. Film critics unanimously agree that Ranbir’s

acting in“Rockstar” is more better than any of
his previous films.

A. Ranbir’s acting in “Rockstar” is more better

than any of his previous films.
B. Ranbir’s acting for “Rockstar” is better than
any of his previous films.
C. Ranbir’s acting for “Rockstar” is better than
his acting for any of his previous films.
D. Ranbir’s acting in “Rockstar” is more better
than his acting in any of his previous films.
E. Ranbir’s acting in “Rockstar” is better than
his acting in any of his previous films.

19. Of all the wars that have been fought

throughout history, none is more destructive as
the second world war.

A. is more destructive as the second world war.

B. was more destructive as the second world
war.
C. is more destructive than the second world
war.
D. were more destructive than the second
world war.
E. was more destructive than the second world
war.

20. The Tiger II Tank's powerful gun and very

heavy armour made them superior than every
Allied or Soviet tank in a head-to-head
confrontation.

A. them superior than

B. it superior than
C. it superior to
D. them superior to

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E. it more superior to

ERROR SPOTTING

In the following question, one part of the

sentence may have an error. Find out which
part of the sentence has an error and select
the option corresponding to it. If the sentence
is free from error, select the “No error” option.

1. We discussed about the problem so

thoroughly (A) / on the eve of the
examination (B) / that I found it very easy
to work it out. (C)
/ No error (D)

2. An Indian ship (A) / laden with merchandise

(B) / got drowned in the Pacific Ocean. (C) /
No error (D)

3. I could not put up in a hotel (A) / because

the boarding and lodging charges (B) / were
exorbitant. (C) / No error (D)

4. The Indian radio / which was previously

controlled by the British rulers / is free now
from the narrow vested interests.

5. A lot of travel delay is caused (A) / due to

the inefficiency and lack of good
management (B) /
on behalf of the railways. (C) / No error

6. One of the members (A) / expressed doubt if

(B) / the Minister was an atheist. (C) / No
error
(D)

7. I have got (A) / my M.Sc. degree (B) / in

1988. (C) / No error (D)

8. According to the Bible (A) / it is meek

and humble (B) / who shall inherit the earth.
(C) /
No error (D)
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9. Locke's treatises on government

toleration and education (A) / show a mind
fully awake in (B) / the possibilities of social
reconstruction.
(C) / No Error

10. You will get (A) / all the informations

(B) / if you read this booklet carefully. (C) / No
error
(D)

11. None of the students attending your

class (A) / answered your questions (B) / did
they?
(C) / No error (D)

12. He is working in (A) / a bank in New Delhi

(B) / for the past several months. (C) / No
error
(D)

13. Had I (A) / known it earlier (B) / I would

contact you. (C) / No error (D)

14. A large scale exchange of nuclear weapons

(A / will produce unprecedented amounts of
radiation (B) / that can penetrate into the
biological tissue. (C) / No error (D)

15. Each one of the boys (A) / have paid (B) /

the tuition-fee. (C) / No error (D)

16. The presumption that the average investor

does not understand (A) / or take interest
in the affairs of the company (B) / is not
correct. (C) /
No error (D)

17. Twice twelve (A) / makes (B) / twenty-

four.
(C) / No error (D)

18. Regretfully, profits earned by your

company (A) / fell by 20 per cent last year
(B) / despite higher sales. (C) / No error
(D)
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19. In a report issued by Indian Statistical

Institute, (A) / the Iron and Steel Industry
is investing more than any other (B) /
Indian industry in fighting pollution. (C) /
No error (D)

20. He is going everyday (A) / for a morning

walk (B) / with his friends and neighbours.
(C)
/ No error (D)

SOLUTION WITH EXPLNATORY ANSWER

SENTENCE CORRECTION

1. The sentence tests the reader on the usage

of between and among. It also tests the correct
use of plurals.
Among is used when two or more entities are
present in the comparison and between is used
when the comparison involves two entities.
In this question there are five finalists
competing in the last round of the competition.
Thus, the contest is Among them and not
between them.
A. INCORRECT: Option is incorrect
because between is used and the noun finalist
must be used in plural.
B. INCORRECT: Finalist is in the plural
and is correct. However, the use of between in
the sentence is incorrect.
C. INCORRECT: The use of among in the
sentence is appropriate but the noun finalist
should be in its plural form
D. CORRECT: The use of among in the
sentence is correct and the noun finalist is in
its plural form.
E. INCORRECT: The use of of in the
sentence changes the meaning of the sentence
because the contest among the finalists is
intense and not the contest itself. OPTION D

2. The sentence tests the reader on the correct

usage of prepositions.
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The preposition “at” must be used when the

position of a noun is to be indicated with
respect to a specific location.
In the sentence, the place where Sachin scored
his first century is specifically mentioned.
Therefore, the correlation must be established
using the preposition “at.”
If an indefinite or generic location of a noun is
to be conveyed, then the preposition “in” must
be used. In the sentence, the exact location of
the ground in Manchester is not mentioned.
Hence the correct preposition to establish the
correlation between the Old Trafford Cricket
Ground and Manchester is “in.”
In all options, except Option B, the usage of
the prepositions is incorrect.
OPTION B

3. The sentence tests the reader on subject

verb agreement. The subject in a sentence
must agree with the verb in number. If the
subject is plural, the verb must be plural as
well. Similarly, a singular subject takes a
singular verb. However, in some instances it is
difficult to locate the actual subject that
governs the verb. When along with is used in
a sentence, the first noun governs the subject
and when and is used, the verb is always
plural.

A. INCORRECT: As discussed above, the

subject governing the verb is “king” and it is
singular. Therefore, the verb must be in its
singular form “is” instead of “are”
B. INCORRECT: In addition to subject-
verb disagreement, the option is incorrect
because an adjective cannot qualify another
adjective but an adverb can. The adjective
“high” cannot qualify the adjective “trained”,
but the adverbial form “highly”
C. INCORRECT: In this option the error
discussed in the first option is resolved by the
proper use of the verb. However, the error
discussed in the second option remains
unresolved.
D. CORRECT: The subject and the verb
agree in number and the adverb “highly is
used to qualify the adjective “trained”
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E. INCORRECT: The subject and verb

agree in number. However, the adjective
“high” cannot
qualify the adjective “trained”
OPTION D

4. The sentence tests the reader on

subjectverb agreement.
When “the number” is used, the verb is always
singular.
NOTE: When “a number” is used, the verb is
always plural.
“has” is singular and “have” is plural.
Therefore, the correct verb form is “has”
Also, there is no word called “exponently” and
the correct word to be used is “exponentially”
(meaning rapidly)
Only option C addresses both the errors.
OPTION C

5. The sentence tests the reader on

subjectverb agreement. The given sentence
contains two clauses. The main clause
“Oxygen… atmosphere” and the subordinate
clause “gasses… remaining 79%” are
connected using the conjunction “and”
In each clause, the subject of the clause and
the verb must agree. The subject of the main
clause is Oxygen and the subject of the sub
ordinate clause is gasses. Therefore, the verb
in the main clause must be singular and the
verb in the sub ordinate clause must be plural.
OPTION B

6. This sentence tests the reader on the

correct usage of verb tenses. To indicate an
action that was completed in the past, we use
the simple past form of the verb. The simple
past form of most verbs are formed by adding
the suffix “ed” to the root verb e.g. the simple
past form of play is played and the simple past
for earn is earned. Also, as far as possible the
verb tense in a sentence must be uniform.
In this sentence, Arnold earned the nickname
for the role that he played. Both the actions
were completed in the past. Therefore, the
simple past of the verb form must be used.

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A. CORRECT: The verb form is consistent

and the meaning is clear.
B. INCORRECT: plays is the simple
present form of the verb play. Simple present
is inappropriate in this context
C. INCORRECT: Again, the simple present
form of the verb play is inappropriate in this
context. Also, the usage of the word arrived is
incorrect because arrived would mean that the
robot travelled through time on his own
accord.
D. INCORRECT: sent by the future is
incorrect because the future did not send the
robot to the past. Someone or something in
the future sent the robot.
E: INCORRECT: robot of the future is incorrect
because it changes the meaning of the
sentence. OPTION B

7. This sentence tests the reader on verb

tenses and the usage of “like” and such as.
Like is used to indicate similarity and such as is
used to give examples.
e.g.” Animals like lions, tigers and leopards are
carnivores” means that animals similar to lions,
tigers and leopards are carnivores.
“Animals such as lions, tigers and leopards are
carnivores” means that lions, tigers and
leopards are examples of carnivores.
In the sentence, the dinosaur is an example of
a reptilian life form. Therefore, “reptilian life
forms such as” is the correct usage. Hence
options A, C and E are incorrect.
In option B, the past perfect for of the root
verb dominate is used i.e. “had dominated”
and in option D, the simple past of the root
verb dominate is used i.e. “dominated”.
Past perfect is used to indicate a past event
before another past event. However, in the
sentence there are no two past events. Thus
the use of past perfect tense is not required.
The correct option is option D.

8. The sentence tests the reader on

subjectverb agreement and the use of
possessives. In the sentence, the subject “the
ratio” is singular. Hence, the verb must be
singular as well.
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It’s is the truncated form of it is.

Its is the possessive form of it.
Since “evolutionary refinement” is an attribute
of the organism, we must use its and not it’s.
A. INCORRECT: the verb does not agree
with the singular subject and the possessive
form of it must be used.
B. INCORRECT: the verb does not agree
with the singular subject
C. INCORRECT: the possessive form of it
must be used
D. INCORRECT: the use of there is not
correct because there is the possessive form of
they and not it
E. CORRECT: the subject and the verb
agree in number. The possessive form of it is
used.
OPTION E

9. The sentence tests the reader on

parallelism. Parallelism in grammar means
that expression of similar function or content
must have the same structure.
In the sentence various attributes of Godzilla is
expressed. Therefore, the attributes listed
must follow the same structure. The first
attribute listed (swim faster than a nuclear
submarine) is in the simple present. So all the
other attributes must use the simple present
form of the verb.
A. INCORRECT: The present participle
(root verb + ing) of the root verbs resist and
outrun is used and therefore the rule of
parallelism is violated.
B. INCORRECT: The rule of parallelism is
violated because the root verb outrun is in the
present participle form.
C. INCORRCT: The rule of parallelism is
violated because the root verb resist is in the
present participle form.
D. CORRECT: All the root verbs are in the
simple present. Therefore all the parallel
elements have the same structure.
E. INCORRECT: The rule of parallelism is
not violated. However, the list of attributes
must always have an end before the last
attribute and not or.
OPTION D
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10. The sentence tests the reader on

subjectverb agreement.
The subject of the sentence is ploy and the
verb is involve. The two elements must agree
in number.
Also the usage, both XYZ or PQR is wrong. The
correct form is both XYZ and PQR.
A. INCORRECT: The subject agrees with
the verb but the usage of both is incorrect.
B. INCORRECT: The subject and the verb
do not agree in number
C. CORRECT: The subject and the verb
agree in number and the usage of both is
correct D. INCORRECT: The subject and the
verb do not agree in number and the usage of
both is incorrect
E. INCORRECT: The subject and the verb agree
in number but the usage of both is incorrect
OPTION C

11. The sentence tests the reader on

subjectverb agreement.
The subject in this sentence is the collective
noun “crowd”
When the crowd acts a complete unit, the crow
is singular and when the members of the crowd
act as individuals then the crowd is plural. In
this sentence, the crowd is acting as a
complete unit and therefore is singular.
Therefore, all verbs linked to the subject must
be singular.
A. INCORRECT: The verb in the first and
the second parallel element is plural.
B. CORRECT: The verb in the first and the
second parallel element is singular
C. INCORRECT: The verb in the first
parallel element is plural
D. INCORRECT: The verb in the second
parallel element is plural
E. INCORRECT: The verbs are in
agreement with the verb. But the preposition
in the phrase “on the ring” is wrong. The
correct preposition is in.
OPTION B

12. This sentence has errors in pronoun

usage. Their is the possessive form of the
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pronoun they. Hence, ‘said to their employees’

is incorrect in this context because the pronoun
has no clear antecedent.
The pronoun must always agree with its
antecedent in number. The noun everyone is
always singular and the pronouns pointing to it
must be singular as well. Therefore, ‘everyone
does their’ job is incorrect because their is the
plural possessive form of the pronoun they. the
usage ‘with utmost sincerely’ is wrong because
the correct idiomatic usage is ‘with utmost
sincerity’
Only option B rectifies all the above errors.
OPTION B

13. The sentence tests the reader on

comparisons.
In the sentence, the protection offered by the
Kevlar vest is compared to the protection
offered by the armour worn by the knights.
The comparison is not between the Kevlar vest
and the armour.
Also ‘The protection offered by’ and ‘The
protection offered from’ have different
meanings.
‘The protection offered by the Kevlar vest’
means protection offered with the use of the
Kevlar vest.
‘The protection offered from the Kevlar vest’
means that something is being protected
against the Kevlar vest.
In the given context, ‘offered by’ must be used.
A. INCORRECT: as discussed above, ‘protection
offered from’ is incorrect and the comparison is
also faulty. Also, the plural form of vest is used
in the sentence.
B. CORRECT: The meaning is clear and the
comparison is also appropriate. C.
INCORRECT: comparison is inappropriate D.
INCORRECT: ‘protection offered from’ is wrong
and the comparison is also faulty E.
INCORRECT: ‘protection offered from’ is
inappropriate.
OPTION B

14. The sentence tests the reader on

subjectverb agreement and prepositions.

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The subject of the sentence ‘pigment’ is

singular. Hence the verb ‘enable’ must be
singular.
Also, the pigment is present inside the leaves
and not on the surface of the leaves. Hence,
‘in’ is the correct preposition and not ‘on’ A.
INCORRECT: The subject does not agree with
the verb and the preposition used is wrong.
B. INCORRECT: The subject and verb do not
agree in number
C. CORRECT: The subject and verb agree in
number and the preposition used is correct
D. INCORRECT: The use of the word
‘presented’, which means to make a gift,
fouls up the meaning.
E. INCORRECT: The preposition used is
incorrect
OPTION C

15. This sentence tests the reader on diction.

‘Whether’ is used when there is a doubt or
uncertainty regarding an event. ‘If……. , then’
is used to indicate a cause-effect relationship.
‘If’ cannot be used interchangeably with
‘whether’
A. INCORRECT: The usage of ‘if’ is incorrect
B. INCORRECT: The usage of ‘if’ is incorrect
and ‘full grown’ is incorrect because the
adjective ‘full’ cannot qualify the adjective
‘grown’
C. CORRECT: The word ‘whether’ has been
correctly used to indicate that Alex has a
doubt regarding the strength of Spiderman’s
web D. INCORRECT: ‘full grown’ is incorrect
E. INCORRECT: ‘as if’ means ‘as though’ or
‘like’ or ‘similar to’. Therefore, it makes the
sentence
meaningless
OPTION C

16. The sentence tests the reader on the use of

tenses and preposition.
The sentence talks about a chronological
sequence that occurred after Rajnikant kicked
the villain. Since the action was completed in
the past, simple past should be used. ‘Sent’ is
the simple past of the root verb ‘send’ A.
INCORRECT: ‘into the road’ is an incorrect
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preposition because ‘into’ means ‘to the inside

of’
B. INCORRECT: The root form of the verb
is used instead of the simple past and it is
incorrect to use the preposition ‘into’
C. INCORRECT: The root form of the verb
is used instead of the simple past
D. INCORRECT: ‘the roof on the road’
makes the sentence meaningless
E. CORRECT: The tense and the
prepositions are appropriate
OPTION E

17. The sentence tests the reader on diction.

‘In an attempt to’ means ‘in order to’ ‘For an
attempt to” means ‘in exchange for an attempt
to’
Rahul too his girlfriend out in order to impress
her and not in exchange for an attempt to
impress her. Therefore, ‘for an attempt to’ is
incorrect.
A. INCORRECT: ‘upscale’ means luxurious
or costly and ‘newly upscale’ means recently
costly. Although the usage is
correct grammatically, the meaning is not
clear.
B. CORRECT: ‘new’ and ‘upscale’ are both
adjectives modifying the noun ‘restaurant’.
Hence, the intended meaning is conveyed
correctly.
C. INCORRECT: ‘upscaled’ means to
increase the scale. The usage of the word in
this context is inappropriate.
D. INCORRECT: ‘for an attempt’ is
incorrect E. INCORRECT: ‘upscaled’ and ‘for
and attempt’
is incorrect
OPTION B

18. The sentence tests the reader on

comparisons.
Ranbir’s acting in Rockstar should be compared
to his acting in his previous films.
The usage ‘more better’ is incorrect because
the right comparative form is ‘better’ and not
‘more better’
A. INCORRECT: The comparison is made
between Ranbir’s acting in Rockstar to his
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previous films. This is incorrect because

comparison can be made only between similar
entities.
B. INCORRECT: ‘acting for’ is incorrect
because it means ‘acting in exchange of’ C.
INCORRECT: ‘acting for’ is incorrect
D. INCORRECT: ‘more better’ is incorrect
E. CORRECT: All the comparisons are made
correctly
OPTION E

19. The sentence tests the reader on

comparison and subject-verb agreement. In
the sentence, ‘none’ is the subject. ‘None’
always takes a singular verb.
The structure for comparison using ‘more’ is –
‘more ____________ than ______________’
A. INCORRECT: The structure ‘more _____ as’
is incorrect. The simple present form ‘is’ is
incorrect because the sentence talks about
wars of the past
B. INCORRECT: The structure ‘more
_____ as’ is incorrect.
C. INCORRECT: The simple present form
‘is’ is incorrect because the sentence talks
about wars of the past
D. INCORRECT: The plural verb ‘were’ is
not in agreement with the singular verb
E. CORRECT: The subject and verb agree
in number and the correct structure for
comparison using ‘more’ is used
OPTION E

20. The sentence tests the user on pronoun

usage. The pronoun and its antecedent must
agree in number.
A. INCORRECT: the pronoun ‘them’ points to
the singular noun ‘Tiger II Tank’. Therefore,
the pronoun does not agree with its
antecedent. ‘Superior than’ is incorrect. The
correct usage it
‘superior to’
B. INCORRECT: ‘Superior than’ is incorrect
C. CORRECT: the pronoun ‘it’ and its
antecedent ‘Tiger II Tank’ agree in number
and ‘superior to’ is the correct usage
D. INCORRECT: The pronoun ‘them’ does not
agree with its antecedent
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E. INCORRECT: The usage ‘more superior to’ is

redundant
OPTION C

ERROR SPOTTING

1. Answer- A
The preposition ‘about’ is not used with
words like discuss, describe etc.

2. Answer- C
Right explanation- sank in the Pacific Ocean.
‘Drowned’ is used for living things where as ‘sink’
is used for objects.

3. Answer- A
In this sentence it is talking about a
particular hotel having high boarding and
lodging rate. Therefore the right
preposition after ‘put up’ will be ‘at’, not in.
4. Answer- C
Right explanation- “is now free”. Because
we are emphasising on the word ‘free’,
therefore it’ll come last. The word you
emphasize on will appear at the last
position. We use "now free" for
exclamatory or surprised sentences and in
other hand "free now" is use in normal
present condition.

5. Answer- C
Right explanation- on the part of the
railways. ‘On behalf of’ means as a
representative of or a proxy for. But here
the actual incident happened because of
not any individual rather on the part of the
railway management department as a
whole.

6. Answers- B
Right explanation- expressed doubt ‘that’.
Expressed is rightly written here as he has
not kept the doubt to himself (in that case

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‘doubted’ would have been fine) but

expressed in front of others. This
explanation is just about the redundancy of
doubting as both "if" and "doubt" are
expressing the same thing hence it should
be replaced by ‘that’.

7. Answer- A
‘I have got’ implies that this particular
event has taken place in the present. But,
the incident actually happened in the past
i.e. in 1988, therefore, the right tense for
this sentence would be simple past tense.
The right answer is ‘I got’.

8. Answer- B
The definite article ‘the’ should be used
before ‘meek and mild’ as here it is
specifically talking about a certain mild
nature of living beings.

9. Answer- B
Using the ‘alert’ in place of ‘awake’ makes
the meaning of the sentence more
accurate. Human mind can only be ‘alert’ in
responding to a certain situation or
condition.

10. Answer- A,B

In the first fragment ‘can’ should be used
instead of ‘will’ because in the sentence ‘if’
is used as a conditional. Second error is in
the word ‘informations’, because the plural
form of this word is information only.

11. Answer- C
Right explanation- did any/ one. ‘None’ is
singular number, consequently the right
pronoun for it will not be ‘they’ which
implies plural form.

12. Answer- A
Right explanation- he ‘has been’ working.
In this sentence it is talking about an event
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that had already started before and still

continuing. Hence, the right tense for this
sentence would be present perfect
continuous tense, not present tense.

13. Answer- C
This is a conditional sentence, that’s why
the right form of the last fragment would
be ‘I would have contacted you’.

14. Answer- C
The word ‘penetrate’ means to pierce into
something or someone/ to stick deep into
something or someone. Hence, the
preposition ‘into’ will not be used
separately after penetrate.

15. Answer- B
Each one means singular, therefore the
right be verb would be ‘has’ paid, not
‘have’ paid.

16. Answer- D

17. Answer- B
Since ‘twice’ means two times, therefore
the right verb after twice would be ‘make’.

18. Answer- A
Right explanation- write ‘regrettably’ the
adjective regretful refers to people and
means full of regret. Regrettable applies to
incidents or situations and means causing
or deserving regret.

19. Answer- C
Right preposition after is ‘on’ in place of ‘in’
fighting pollution. On' is used because
investing is always followed by on.

20. Answer- A
Right explanation- He ‘goes’ every day. The
sentence should be in simple present tense
as here it is talking about an action that
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the person does regularly or ‘everyday’.

Any work or action that happens regularly
as a routine work is called the simple
present tense.

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