Sentence Correction

Subject – Verb agreement

• Subject and verb are the most integral parts of a sentence. Thus, to get a
sentence right, it is important to make sure that its integral parts are in
the proper form.
• The term “subject” refers to what (or whom) the sentence is talking
about. Often, the subject happens to be a noun. The term “verb”
denotes an action.
• The subject-verb agreement rule, in its broadest sense, says that the
verb in a sentence must agree with the subject of the sentence in person
and number.
Example :
Subject Verb
Dog (Singular) bark (Plural form of verb)
Dogs (Plural) barks (Singular form of verb)

• As stated above, in the sentence “Dog barks”, both the subject (Dog) and
the verb (barks) are singular. Thus both the subject and the verb in the
sentence are singular and thus in agreement.
• The basic rule of Subject-Verb agreement has different inflections, which
are explained below.
(a) Dealing with Collective Nouns:
The term “Collective noun” refers to a number (or collection) of (similar)
people or things taken together and spoken of as one.
e.g., Flock of sheep, Team of players, Bunch of flowers, etc.
When using collective nouns, the verb to be used is determined by
whether the collection is considered as one single unit or as individuals.
That is to say, collective nouns can take singular as well as plural verbs
depending upon how they are used.
e.g., The team is all set to win the finals.
Here, ‘team’ is singular because it is looked at as one single unit. Thus the
singular verb ‘is’.
e.g., The team are divided as to who should keep wickets during the next
match.
Here, ‘team’ is plural because it is looked at as several individuals who are
divided. Thus, we use the plural verb ‘are’.
(b) The Proximity Principle:
When you use “neither-nor” and “either-or”, the number of the subject
closer to the verb determines whether you use a singular / plural verb.

Singular verb
Neither his parents nor he is watching the
movie now.
Singular
Subject

e.g., Either she or her friends need a car for the evening.
(c) The non-intervention principle:
When the subject of the sentence is followed by phrases like “in
addition to …”, “along with…”, “together with…”, “as well as…”,
“accompanied by...”, etc., the form of the verb is determined by the
main subject, regardless of the number of the noun(s) in the
intervening phrase.
Singular Verb

The child, together with his grandmother and his parents, is

going to the beach.
Intervening
Phrase
Main Subject
(Singular)
(d) Items which always take singular verbs:

I. Singular pronouns
Each (of), every (one / body), no (one / body), some (one / body)
e.g., Each of the twenty articles has to be reviewed thoroughly.
‘Each’ of (Singular) Singular Verb
e.g., Nobody is allowed into the hotel.
The pronouns each, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone,
somebody, nobody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be
misled by what follows ‘of’.
II. ‘Either of’ and ‘neither of’

Singular Verb

Either of you has to complete the job by tonight.

‘Either of’ (Singular)

e.g., Neither of them is permitted to provide

official authorization.
III. Sums of money, periods of time, quantities.

Singular Verb

Ten dollars is a high price to pay.

Singular subject

e.g., Twenty years is the maximum

sentence for that offence.
e.g., Five liters is the maximum amount of
fuel this vehicle can hold.
IV. None.

None can be singular or plural.

None is singular when it means ‘no amount’ or ‘no part of a whole’.
e.g.,
None of it is mine.15
None of the debt has been paid.
None is plural when it means more than one.
e.g.,
None of the ballplayers were on the team bus after the game
(if your meaning is ‘none of them’, treat the word as plural; if it is ‘none of
it’, treat it as singular.)
V.
‘The number of’ is singular and ‘a number of’ is plural
e.g.,
The number of students who took this test is fifteen.
A number of students are taking this test tomorrow.
Let’s Recall
Inspect the S-V agreement factor in each of the following. If it is error-free, give it a check mark
else, give it a cross mark and state the rule which it defies and correct the statement:

1. Either the boy or the girls have noted down the details of the match. [ ]

The sentence is correct.

Subject – The girls
Nature of the subject – Plural
Principle used – Proximity principle
Subsequent nature of the required verb – Plural
Verb given –have (Plural)
2. The mayor, as well as his brothers, are going to prison. [ ]

The sentence is incorrect.

Subject – The Mayor
Nature of the subject - Singular
Principle used – Non intervention principle
Subsequent nature of the required verb – Singular
Verb given – are (Plural)
There is a mismatch between the nature of the subject and the nature of the verb.
The correct sentence is “The Mayor, as well as his brothers, is going to prison.”
3. The committee has been set up to look into these issues. [ ]

The sentence is correct.

Subject – The committee
Nature of the subject – Singular (Collective noun)
Subsequent nature of the required verb – Singular
Verb given – Has (Singular)
4. The President is willing to abide by the people’s verdict. [ ]

The sentence is correct.

Subject – The president
Nature of the subject – Singular
Subsequent nature of the required verb – Singular
Verb given – is (Singular)
5. The children, along with their teacher, was supposed to meet the nurse the
next day. [ ]

The sentence is incorrect.

Subject – The children
Nature of the subject – Plural
Principle used – Non Intervention principle
Subsequent nature of the required verb – Plural
Verb given – was (Singular)
There is a mismatch between the nature of the subject and the nature of the
verb.
The correct sentence is “The children, along with their teacher, were supposed
to meet the nurse the next day”
 Modifiers
A modifier is any part of a sentence which provides extra information about a word, phrase or
clause. It can be a SINGLE WORD. Two classic cases of a single word acting as a modifier are the
adjective (which modifies a noun) and the adverb (which modifies a verb).
e.g.,
I drank a cup of hot coffee.

MODIFIES ‘COFFEE’
e.g.,
He ran up the stairs quickly. MODIFIES ‘RAN’
Sometimes, modifiers are a GROUP OF WORDS as well. They perform the same
function as adjectives or adverbs.
e.g.,
Rahul, driven by extreme hunger, ate 5 sandwiches for breakfast.
In the following example, the underlined part is the modifier. It provides extra
information about the subject of the sentence.
Placement of modifiers
Errors in modifiers always come up if you are not careful about where you place them in a
sentence. According to the rule regarding placement of modifiers, a modifier should be placed as
close as possible to what it is modifying.

e.g.,
Incorrect: She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates.
MODIFIER TALKS ABOUT ‘SANDWICHES’

As per the rule of placement of modifiers, the modifier ‘on paper plates’
should be as close as possible to what it modifies (‘sandwiches’).

Correct: She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.

Example :
Incorrect: The patient was referred to a psychologist with several
emotional problems.

Correct: The patient with several emotional problems was referred to a

psychologist.
Let’s Practice
Read the following sentences carefully. If the sentence has any
misplaced modifier, mark it with a ‘X’ and correct it. If it is error-free,
give it a check mark:

1. The girl returned the dress to the store which was torn.

1. The girl returned the dress which was torn to the store.
Let’s Practice
2. She answered all the questions quickly.

2. She quickly answered all the questions.

Let’s Practice

3. Please take time to look over the brochure that is

enclosed with your family.

3. Please take time with your family to look over the

brochure that is enclosed.
Let’s Practice

4. Students who miss classes frequently fail the course.

4. Students who frequently miss classes fail the course.

Let’s Practice

5. The writer read from his new book wearing glasses.

5. The writer wearing glasses read from his new book.

Let’s Practice

6. Many of the trustees congratulated him for his speech at the end of
the meeting and promised their support.

6. Many of the trustees congratulated him and promised their support

for his speech at the end of the meeting.
Let’s Practice

7. The guests who ate the sweet quickly began to feel giddy.

7. The guests who quickly ate the sweet began to feel giddy.
Let’s Practice

8. The guest speaker had dedicated his new book to his dog who was
an archaeologist.

8. The guest speaker who was an archaeologist had dedicated his new
book to his dog.
Let’s Practice

9. I found my missing cricket bat while cleaning my room.

9. While cleaning my room, I found my missing cricket bat.

Let’s Practice

10. The man walked towards the car carrying a briefcase.

10. The man carrying a briefcase walked towards the car.

 Parallelism
The parallelism rule of English grammar requires that if a sentence contains a
number of different items, all the items must be ‘parallel’ i.e., of the same
grammatical structure. This ensures consistency in a sentence structure. The
different items can be a series of related words (different parts of speech),
phrases or clauses.
e.g.,
Incorrect: (verb) Preethi ate mangoes, drank soda and was dancing in her
room.
Preethi ate mangoes, drank soda and was dancing in her room.
SIMPLE SIMPLE PAST
PAST PAST CONTINUOUS

Correct: Preethi ate mangoes, drank soda and danced in her

room.
e.g.,
Incorrect: On the morning of his fourth birthday, Johnny was giggly, energetic and
couldn’t wait for the party to begin.

ADJECTIVE VERB

On the morning of his fourth birthday, Johnny was giggly, energetic and couldn’t
wait for the party to begin.

Correct: On the morning of his fourth birthday, Johnny was giggly, energetic and
eager for the party to begin
e.g.,
Incorrect: (Phrase) We can travel to our destination by sea, by land or air.

Phrase
We can travel to our destination by sea, by land or air. Noun

Correct: We can travel to our destination by sea, by land or by air.

Phrase
We can travel to our destination by sea, by land or by air.
 Let’s Practice
Rewrite the sentences after rectifying parallelism errors, if any. If they are
correct, provide them a check mark.

1. He invested his money in real estate, in stock market and solar energy.

Items present - in real estate, in stock market and solar energy

Required nature of the items present – noun
Odd one out – in stock market
The correct sentence - He invested his money in real estate, stock
market and in solar energy.
 Let’s Practice

2. His favorite hobbies are to swim, to skip and chatting.

Items present – to swim, to skip and chatting

Required nature of the items present – gerund
Odd one out – to swim, to skip
The correct sentence - His favorite hobbies are swimming, skipping, and
chatting.
Let’s Practice
3. Instead of smoking to de-stress, you can try reading a book, listening
to music or talking to a friend.

No error.
Items present - reading a book, listening to music, talking to a friend
Required nature of the items present – gerund
 Let’s Practice

4. All the books in this library have been either donated by a college
professor or purchased from the nearby book store.

No error.
Items present – either donated…or purchased
Required nature of the items present – conjunction pairs
 Let’s Practice

5. The computer network is safer, stronger and more secure.

No error.
Items present – safer, stronger and more secure
Required nature of the items present – comparative degree
 Pronoun – Antecedent Agreement

A PRONOUN is a substitute for a noun. It refers to a person, place, thing, feeling, or quality
but does not refer to it by its name.
Forms of pronouns in different cases:
 (a) Check if a pronoun is the SUBJECT or OBJECT of the sentence.
e.g.,
Incorrect: How could she blame you and he for the accident?
SUBJECT OBJECT
(INCORRECT OBJECT PRONOUN USED)

Correct: How could she blame you and him for the accident?
CORRECT OBJECT PRONOUN USED

(b) Check if possessive pronouns agree in person and number.

e.g.,
Incorrect: If anyone comes over, take their name.
Correct: If anyone comes over, take his/her name.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
An ANTECEDENT is the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers, and is
understood by the context.
Consider the following example sentence.
Antecedent Pronoun
The article about Sachin was written from a neutral point of view. It was an in-depth analysis
of Sachin’s career.
The PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT rule of English grammar states that a
pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number and gender.
Consider the following examples.

Antecedent – Singular Pronoun - Plural

Incorrect: If anybody wants to succeed in corporate life, they have to know the
rules of the game.

Correct: If anybody wants to succeed in corporate life, he/she has

to know the rules of the game.
e.g., Antecedent (Third person) Pronoun (Second Person)
Incorrect: If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, you have to know the
rules of the game.

Antecedent (Third person) Pronoun (Third person)

Correct: If a person wants to succeed in corporate life, he/she has to know the
rules of the game.
With compound subjects connected by ‘or/nor’, the pronoun agrees with the
antecedent closer to it.

e.g., Either he or his students are presenting their view to the Principal.
Antecedent (Plural) Pronoun (Plural)
 Let’s Practice
Examine the following sentences for pronoun agreement errors. In the case of an
error, mark it with a ‘X’ mark and correct it. If it is error-free, give it a check
mark.
1. During early rehearsals, an actor may forget their lines.

Antecedent noun– The actor (Singular noun)

Required pronoun – his/her (singular)
Pronoun used – their (plural)
The correct sentence – During early rehearsals, an actor may forget
his/her lines.
Let’s Practice
2. If anyone of your brothers needs a ride to the bus stop, they can call me.

Antecedent noun – anyone (singular)

Required pronoun – he( singular)
Pronoun used – they (plural)
The correct sentence – If anyone of your brothers needs a ride to the bus
stop, he can call me.
Let’s Practice

3. Steve, Bill and me went to the park.

Required pronoun- I (subject)

Pronoun used – me (object)
The correct sentence – Steve, Bill and I went to the park.
Let’s Practice

4. If one wants to win, you must perform

well.
Antecedent noun – One ( a gender-neutral pronoun)
Pronoun used – You
Required pronoun - One The correct sentence – If one wants to win, one
must perform well.
Let’s Practice

5. The money will be divided between you and I.

Pronoun used – I (subject)

Required pronoun – me (object)
The correct sentence – The money will be divided
between you and me.
 Verb-Time Sequence
In English, it is essential to make sure that the verb tense and the time
sequence it denotes are in the proper form.
e.g.,
Incorrect: She came tomorrow.
Correct: She came yesterday/ She will come tomorrow.
e.g.,
Incorrect: After he had finished his performance, he would go to the
party.
Correct: After he had finished his performance, he went to the party.
Here's an example of a relatively simple verb tense error,
and its correction:

Incorrect: After he had finished his performance, he would go to the party.

Correct: After he had finished his performance, he went to the party.

Why is the second sentence correct? Because the order of events is well clarified.
Both events - the performance and the party - happened in the past, but the
performance happened first, and the party second. Thus both verbs should be in
the past tense: "had finished" in past perfect to indicate that this happened first,
and then "went" in simple past. The incorrect sentence implies that the
performance happened once in the past, but that his after-performance party
attendance was ongoing - which doesn't make any sense.
Here's another example.
If the cyclist wins the race, it will be representing an extraordinary comeback from
his earlier cancer.

To determine whether this sentence is correct, let's break it down into its constituent parts:

The "if clause" at the beginning of the sentence indicates a hypothetical: a sentence written
in if...then... form. This kind of sentence requires that the dependent event be in the simple
future tense: meaning that the event, if it happens, will happen once, at some time in the future,
following the first event's occurrence. It will not keep happening. Here, however, the dependent
event is in the future continuous, not the simple future.
Incorrect: If the cyclist wins the race, it will be representing an extraordinary
comeback from his earlier cancer.

Correct: If the cyclist wins the race, it will represent an extraordinary comeback
from his earlier cancer.

Why is the second sentence correct? Because a positive outcome of the race, which is as yet
undetermined, is only going to "represent his comeback" once – as soon as it happens. The first
sentence implies that the cyclist's victory is going to keep representing a comeback for the
duration of his victory – which is confusing, and doesn't make much sense.
If Conditions
• Zero Condition= If+ Simple Present+ Simple Present.
• First Condition= If+ Simple Present+ Simple Future.
• Second Condition= If+ Simple Past+ Present condition.
• Third Condition= If+ Past Perfect+ Perfect condition.
• Mixed-1 Condition= If+ Past Perfect+ Present condition.
• Mixed-2 Condition= If+ Subject+ Were + Present condition.
• Present Condition= S+ would+ V1.
• Perfect Condition= S+ Would have+ V3.
53
 Let’s practice
Rectify the errors in the following sentences

1. She went to meet her friend last week.

No error
Given verb- went (Simple past)
Let’s practice

2. Ron had been talking to his friend for more than two
hours now.

Given verb- had been talking(past perfect continuous)

Verb to be used – has been talking (present perfect continuous), because
the reference point is ‘now’.
The correct sentence - Ron has been talking to his friend for more than
two hours now.
Let’s practice
3. No sooner had I entered the class, than the students rose to
wish me “Good morning”.

No error.
The first part denotes the past action and the second part of the
sentence denotes the action that took place after the first one.

Given verb- Had entered (past perfect- used to denote the action
that took place first), rose(past- used to denote the action that
took place second)
Let’s practice

4. Tina doesn’t like Peter taking over as President of the club.

No error.
Given verb- Taking over (present
continuous)
Let’s practice
5. After he had finished his performance, he would go to the
party.

Both events - the performance and the party - happened in the

past, but the performance happened first, and the party second.
Given verb – had finished, would go
Verb to be used – had finished (happened first), went (happened
later)
The correct sentence - After he had finished his performance, he
went go to the party.
 Comparisons
You can compare only grammatically similar or logically similar items. You can only compare an
individual with another individual, a quality with another quality, and so on.
e.g.,
Incorrect: The view from this apartment is not nearly as spectacular as from that
mountain lodge.
‘THE VIEW’ FROM AS ‘WHAT’ FROM?
The view from this apartment is not nearly as spectacular as from that mountain lodge.

Correct: The view from this apartment is not nearly as spectacular as the view
from that mountain lodge.
‘THE VIEW’ FROM AS ‘WHAT’ FROM?
The view from this apartment is not nearly as spectacular as the view from that mountain
lodge.
e.g.,
Incorrect: The height of my dog is less than your dog.

‘HEIGHT’ OF DOG ‘WHAT’ OF YOUR DOG?

The height of my dog is less than your dog.

Correct: The height of my dog is less than [the height/that] of

your dog.

‘HEIGHT’ OF my dog ‘HEIGHT’ OF YOUR DOG

The height of my dog is less than that of your dog.
 Let’s Practice
Check whether the following comparisons are logically correct. If yes, give a
check mark, if not, mark a cross and correct it:

1. The Taj Mahal has a higher ceiling than my college.

Items compared – The ceiling of the Taj Mahal and the college
Items to be compared - The ceiling of the Taj Mahal and the
ceiling of the college
The correct sentence - The Taj Mahal has a higher ceiling than
my college does.
Let’s Practice

2. The speed of his car is not as high as mine. [ ]

Items compared – The speed of his car and my speed

Items to be compared - The speed of his car and the speed
of my car
The correct sentence - The speed of his car is not as high as
the speed of mine
Let’s Practice

3. She likes tea more than coffee. [ ]

Items compared – her liking towards tea and coffee

No error.
Let’s Practice

4. Raja has more fan-following than Rahman. [ ]

Items compared – Raja’s fan following and Rahman

Items to be compared - Raja’s fan following and Rahman’s fan
following.
The correct sentence - Raja has more fan-following than
Rahman does.
Let’s Practice

5. He rode his bike faster than his friend’s bike. [ ]

Items compared – how he drove his bike and his friend’s bike
Items to be compared – how he drove his bike and how his friend drove his
bike
The correct sentence - He rode his bike faster than his friend did/rode his
(bike).
 Determiners
Determiners are a closed class of noun modifiers that provide information such as
familiarity, location, quantity, and number about a noun or noun phrase.
Determiners include:
Articles “A, an, and the” all express the definiteness and specificity of a noun. For
example, “the” is a definite article, meaning the person using the word is referring
to a specific one. On the other hand, “a” or “an” are indefinite.
Demonstratives, such as “this, that, these and those,” require a frame of
reference in which an individual can point out the entities referred to by a speaker
or a writer.
Quantifiers, such as “all, few, and many,” point out how much or how little of
something is being indicated.
Possessives- When referring to an entity that belongs to another, you can use
possessives. “My, your, their, and its” are a few examples.
For example:-
"The dog barked at the boy."
"These apples are rotten."
"Their bus was late."
"Have you seen my keys?"

Until recently, English teaching in schools did not take determiners into account.
Many determiners were simply lumped into the category of “adjectives,” which
works for some but certainly not for all. Determiners are not gradable as are
adjectives. For example, a person may be angry, angrier, or the angriest. A person
can not be “her-est” or “the-est.”Determiners are usually necessary (or
obligatory) in a sentence, whereas adjectives are not.
Nouns That Need Determiners: Countable Singular Nouns
• We’ll start with some facts about nouns. First, some nouns in English can’t stand
alone. For example, you can’t just say, “Cat crossed the road.” You have to say
something like “A cat,” “The cat,” “Every cat,” or maybe “No cat.” “A,” “the,”
“every,” and “no” are all examples of what linguists call determiners, and in
English, some nouns have to have determiners.
• So exactly which nouns need them? Countable, singular nouns, such as “cat,”
must have a determiner.
Nouns That Don't Need Determiners: Proper Nouns
Of course, if you’re writing about a cat named Cat, or someone named Catherine
who’s called Cat for short, then “Cat crossed the road” works. This brings us to one
kind of noun that doesn't have to have a determiner: the proper noun. Proper
nouns usually don’t have determiners; for example, you wouldn’t say “a Tom” or
“every Tom,” except in the unusual situation where there’s more than one person
named Tom.
Nouns That Don't Need Determiners: Plural Nouns
• Plurals can go without determiners, too. Although you can say “the cats,” you can
also just say “cats,” if you don’t have any particular cats in mind.
• Mass nouns—also called uncountable nouns—don’t need a determiner, either.
Take the uncountable noun “information”: Although you can say, “I need your
information,” or “I need the information,” you can also just say “I need
information,” if you don’t want to be specific.
• Mass nouns usually allow any determiner, provided it’s not one that implies the
noun is countable. So you can’t say something like “one information,” “two
information,” or “many information.” In particular, you can’t say “an information,”
because “an,” which is a form of the word “one,” implies that “information” is a
countable noun.
 Given below is the usage of the major determiners.

1. FEW
Used to mean “none at all” before countable nouns.
e.g., FEW people who had come to the meeting were interested in the debate.
(There was hardly anyone interested in the debate).
2. A FEW
Used to mean “some of” before countable nouns.
e.g., A FEW people who came to the meeting were interested in the lecture.
(Among the many people who came to the meeting, a handful of them were
interested in the lecture.)
 Given below is the usage of the major determiners.

3. LITTLE
Used to mean “not at all”, “hardly” before uncountable nouns and abstract ideas
(as the case may be).
e.g., It is LITTLE surprise that he is absent today.
(It is not a surprise at all that he is absent today.)
e.g., The gangster paid LITTLE heed to the inspector’s threats.
(The gangster paid no heed at all to the inspector’s threats.)
4. A LITTLE
Used to mean a trifling quantity (to the extent of saying that it is nothing at all)
e.g., The batsman gave himself A LITTLE room before he blasted the ball for a six.
5. MUCH
Used before uncountable nouns and ideas.
e.g., MUCH of what I know is because of my teacher.
e.g., They didn’t give MUCH time to think.
6. SOME
Can be used before countable as well as uncountable nouns. The verb associated
with it takes on singular or plural form depending on whether the noun is
countable or uncountable.
e.g., SOME of the participants WANT to have their names announced.
(Countable plural noun, hence plural verb)
e.g., SOME of the paper I bought yesterday WAS not of the quality you had asked
for.
(Uncountable noun, hence singular verb)
7. A LOT OF/LOTS OF
Both have the same meaning: “a large amount or number of things or
people”. Both are used before countable and uncountable nouns.
e.g., A LOT OF people went to the game.
LOTS OF people went to the game.
e.g., A lot of snow falls in winter.
Lots of snow falls in winter.
8. ANY
Used in constructing negative sentences. Can be used before countable
and uncountable nouns.
e.g., She didn’t have ANY place to keep her things.
(She had no place to keep her things)
 Let’s Practice

Fill up the blanks with appropriate determiners:

1. ________ of the staff members who had come to my home are meeting the
principal.

Answer :
A few/some
 Let’s Practice

Fill up the blanks with appropriate determiners:

2. ________ did I realize that my decision would have such an adverse
an impact on everyone here.

Answer :
Little
 Let’s Practice

Fill up the blanks with appropriate determiners:

3) When Sam was playing hide and seek, he peeped into the keyhole
________.

Answer :
A lot many time
 Let’s Practice

Fill up the blanks with appropriate determiners:

4) There was ________ coffee left in the cup after the guests had left.

Answer :
A little
 Let’s Practice

Fill up the blanks with appropriate determiners:

5) The teacher had to cancel the assignment because ________
students found it difficult.

Answer :
Many
 The following sentences are divided into four parts each. Spot the
errors in them. Take No error as option E.

Neither of the girls (A) / know that (B) / her teacher (C) / has
seen the
police report. (D)
Neither of the girls (A) / know that (B) / her teacher (C) / has
seen the
police report. (D)

Answer: B
Subject – Verb Agreement error
Subject- neither
Required verb- knows
Open criticism (A) / is best (B) / than (C) / secret admiration. (D)
Open criticism (A) / is best (B) / than (C) / secret admiration. (D)

Answer: B
Comparison error
Required comparative degree- better
Of all the problems that have confronted (A) / human beings
since (B) /
the beginning of recorded history, perhaps the most significant
have
been (C) / the riddle of their own origin. (D)
Of all the problems that have confronted (A) / human beings since (B) /
the beginning of recorded history, perhaps the most significant have
been (C) / the riddle of their own origin. (D)

Answer: C
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- the most significant
Required verb- has been
Anyone who want (A) / to pursue (B) / higher education (C) / has
to pass entrance exams. (D)
Anyone who want (A) / to pursue (B) / higher education (C) / has to
pass entrance exams. (D)

Answer: A
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- anyone
Required verb- wants
Possessing sixteen legs, (A) / I have never seen (B) / such a
creature (C) / in my life. (D)
Possessing sixteen legs, (A) / I have never seen (B) / such a
creature (C) / in my life. (D)

Answer: A
Misplaced modifier error
Modifier- possessing sixteen legs
What it should modify- creature
Either of the boys (A) / may take (B) / their seat (C) / in the front
of the room. (D)
Either of the boys (A) / may take (B) / their seat (C) / in the front of
the room. (D)

Answer: C
Pronoun – antecedent Agreement error
Antecedent - either of the boys
Required pronoun - his
Few of our trainers (A) / have gone (B) / to the college (C) / to
meet the
Principal. (D)

Answer: No error
Varsha recalls her college years (A) / with such nostalgia (B) / that
she
often lost (C) / herself in reminiscence. (D)
Varsha recalls her college years (A) / with such nostalgia (B) / that she
often lost (C) / herself in reminiscence. (D)

Answer: C
Verb- Time Sequence error
Required verb- loses
The gymnastic team has been practicing (A) / for the last five
years (B) /
but are yet (C) / to win a Gold medal. (D)
The gymnastic team has been practicing (A) / for the last five years (B)
/
but are yet (C) / to win a Gold medal. (D)

Answer: C
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- the gymnastic team
Required verb- is
He was studying (A) / for a rate of (B) / two practice CATs (C) per
day.
(D)
He was studying (A) / for a rate of (B) / two practice CATs (C) per day.
(D)

Answer: B
Preposition error
Required preposition- at a rate of
The captain, (A) / along with team, (B) / practice at the nets (C) /
every
day. (D)
The captain, (A) / along with team, (B) / practice at the nets (C) /
every
day. (D)

Answer: C
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- the captain
Verb required- practices
Sachin scored (A) / more runs (B) / in this match (C) / than the
previous
match. (D)
Sachin scored (A) / more runs (B) / in this match (C) / than the
previous
Match (D)

Answer: D
Comparison error
Items to be compared- the number of runs Sachin scored in this
match and the number of runs he scored in the previous match
I like (A) / to read books, (B) / play the guitar (C) / and to watch
movies.
(D)
I like (A) / to read books, (B) / play the guitar (C) / and to watch
movies.
(D)

Answer: D
Parallelism error
Items in parallel structure- read books, play the guitar, watch movies
Neither the teacher (A) / nor her students (B) / are bringing (C) /
any
furniture. (D)

Answer: No error
Shakespeare’s plays (A) / are different (B) / from any other
playwrights
(C) / of his era. (D)
Shakespeare’s plays (A) / are different (B) / from any other
playwrights
(C) / of his era. (D)

Answer: C
Comparison error
Items to be compared- Shakespeare’s plays and other playwright’s
plays
Acquisition of certain specific skills (A) / can be facilitated from
(B) /
creating general awareness (C) / and sharing many real-life
experiences(D)
Acquisition of certain specific skills (A) / can be facilitated from (B) /
creating general awareness (C) / and sharing many real-life
experiences(D)

Answer: B
Preposition error
Required preposition- facilitated by
The population of Tokyo (A) / is greater (B) / than any other town
(C) in the world. (D)
The population of Tokyo (A) / is greater (B) / than any other town
(C) / in the world. (D)

Answer: C
Comparison error
Items to be compared- population of Tokyo and population of
any other town
She underlines (A) / passages in my Bible (B) / because she can’t
(C) /
find her. (D)
She underlines (A) / passages in my Bible (B) / because she can’t (C) /
find her (D)

Answer: D
Pronoun- Antecedent Agreement error
Required pronoun- hers
Unwilling to admit that the hotel had overbooked its rooms, (A) /
it was
decided by the manager (B) / to tell the arriving customer (C) /
that the
room’s toilet had flooded. (D)
Unwilling to admit that the hotel had overbooked its rooms, (A) / it was
decided by the manager (B) / to tell the arriving customer (C) / that the
room’s toilet had flooded. (D)

Answer: B
Modifier error
Modifier used- unwilling to admit that the hotel had overbooked its rooms
What it should modify- the manager
As there was no time, (A) / the remaining items (B) / were
deferred into (C) / the next meeting. (D)
As there was no time, (A) / the remaining items (B) / were
deferred into (C) / the next meeting. (D)

Answer: C
Preposition error
Required preposition- deferred until
 Choose the best alternatives for the underlined
parts:
The Black Forest cake tastes deliciously.

a. The Black Forest cake taste delicious.

b. The Black Forest cake tastes delicious.
c. The Black Forest cake tastes deliciously.
d. The Black Forest cake taste deliciously.
 Choose the best alternatives for the underlined
parts:
Answer: B
Modifier error
‘Taste’ is a sense verb and hence should be described using an
adjective.
No sooner did I reach the theatre than the film started.

a. No sooner had I reached the theatre than the film started.

b. No sooner did I reach the theatre than the film had started.
c. No sooner did I reach the theatre than the film started.
d. No sooner had I reached the theatre than the film had started.
Answer: A
Verb- Time Sequence error
The sequence of events is clearly mentioned in this option. Both
the actions happened in the past but the person reaching the
theatre happened first, and therefore, should be mentioned
using past perfect tense.
Unless you practice well, you could not perform well.

a. you should not perform well.

b. you cannot perform well.
c. you could not perform well
d. you cannot be able to perform well.
Answer: B
Verb- Time Sequence error
A conditional clause will not be followed by an event in the past
tense.
The informations are passed.
a. The information are passed.
b. The information is passed.
c. The informations are passed.
d. The informations is passed.
Answer: B
Subject- Verb Agreement error
The word ‘ information’ always takes the singular verb
Although criticized by a few for her daredevil aviation escapades,
most
people viewed Amelia Earhart as a skillful pilot.

a. most people viewed Amelia Earhart as a skillful pilot

b. most people viewed Amelia Earhart to be a skillful pilot
c. a skillful pilot was what most people viewed Amelia Earhart as
d. Amelia Earhart was viewed by most people as a skillful pilot
Answer: D
Modifier error
Modifier- Although criticized by a few people for her daredevil
aviation escapades
What it should modify- Amelia Earhart
Ram, Noah, and I am going.

a. Ram, I and Noah are going.

b. I, Ram and Noah are going.
c. Ram, Noah and I are going.
d. Ram, Noah, and I am going.
Answer: C
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- Ram, Noah and I
Required verb- are
Lost in thought, with a vacant look in his eyes, he laid on the
couch.

a. he lied on the couch.

b. he laid on the couch.
c. he lay on the couch.
d. he lying on the couch.
Answer: C
Lie- to be a horizontal position of rest
Past tense of lie- lay
Lay- to place something in a horizontal position of rest
Past tense of lay- laid
I bought a ten years old car.

a. I bought a ten year old car.

b. I bought a ten years old car.
c. I bought a car which is ten year old.
d. I bought a ten years car.
Answer: A
The correct syntax- a ten- year- old car
The team has been playing hockey since three hours every day.

a. due to three hours every day.

b. for three hours every day.
c. since three hours every day.
d. from three hours every day.
Answer: B
‘For’ is used to indicate a duration of time, in this case, three
hours.
‘Since’ is used to indicate a time frame which started at a specific
point in the past and continues till the present moment.
Hospitals have always been thought of as a place for the sick and terminally
ill, so many people avoid them, even for preventative medicine.

a. have always been thought of as places for the sick and terminally ill, so
many people avoid them
b. have always been thought of as a place for the sick and terminally ill, so
many people avoid it
c. have always been thought of as a place for the sick and terminally ill, so
many people avoid them
d. are always thought of as a place for the sick and terminally ill, so many
people avoid them
Answer: A
Correction- Hospitals (plural) have always been thought of as
places (plural).
 The following sentences are divided into four parts
each. Spot the errors in them. Take No error as option
e.
The boys hostel food (A) / was so delicious (B) / that we found it
very hard (C) / to force ourselves to stop eating. (D)
The boys hostel food (A) / was so delicious (B) / that we found it
very hard (C) / to force ourselves to stop eating (D)

Answer: A
Correction- The boys’ hostel food
The team (A) / is fighting (B) / amongst (C) / themselves. (D)
The team (A) / is fighting (B) / amongst (C) / themselves. (D)

Answer: B
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- the team
Required verb- are
The lobbyists requested (A) / the implementation of health care
reforms, (B) / reductions in state taxes and (C) / increasing
awareness
of environmental issues to the general public. (D)
The lobbyists requested (A) / the implementation of health care
reforms, (B) / reductions in state taxes and (C) / increasing awareness
of environmental issues to the general public (D)

Answer: D
Parallelism error
Items in parallel structure- implementation of health care reforms,
reductions in state taxes, increase in awareness of environmental
issues
I need not offer (A) / any explanation regarding (B) / this incident
– (C) /
my behavior is speaking for itself. (D)
I need not offer (A) / any explanation regarding (B) / this incident –
(C) /
my behavior is speaking for itself (D)

Answer: D
Verb- Time Sequence error
Required tense- speaks for itself
Scoliosis, a condition when the spine curves abnormally (A) / and
throws the body out of line, (B) / causes heart and lung problems
(C) / as well as physical deformity.(D)
Scoliosis, a condition when the spine curves abnormally (A) / and
throws the body out of line, (B) / causes heart and lung problems (C)
/ as well as physical deformity.(D)

Answer: A
Pronoun- Antecedent agreement error
Required pronoun- where the spine curves
A little (A) / did I know (B) / that the parcel would arrive (C) /
only the
following day. (D)
A little (A) / did I know (B) / that the parcel would arrive (C) /
only the
following day. (D)

Answer: A
Determiner error
Required determiner- Little
All of (A) / the books, (B) / including yours, (C) / is in the box. (D)
All of (A) / the books, (B) / including yours, (C) / is in the box (D)

Answer: D
Subject- Verb Agreement error
Subject- all of the books
Required verb- are
The principal, backed by (A) / the survey which confirmed that
the
students were very happy with the new professor, (B) / was
confident
that (C) / a few students would let the new professor resign. (D)
The principal, backed by (A) / the survey which confirmed that the
students were very happy with the new professor, (B) / was confident
that (C) / a few students would let the new professor resign (D)

Answer: D
Determiner error
Required determiner- few students would let
We are forced (A) / to fall back to fatalism (B) / as an explanation
(C) / of irrational events. (D)
We are forced (A) / to fall back to fatalism (B) / as an explanation
(C) / of irrational events. (D)

Answer: B
Preposition error
Required preposition- fall back on
In addition to enhanced their reputations (A) / through strategic
use of
philanthropy, (B) / companies are sponsoring (C) / social
initiatives to
open new markets. (D)
Thank You