Tuesday 18 July 2017

Error Detection


Directions (1-15): Each of the following sentences are divided into parts, which are marked A, B, C and D. One of these parts may contain an error or may not be acceptable in standard written communication. Mark that part as your answer. (Ignore punctuation error if any)

Q1. Have you read in the Hindustan Times that Kapil Dev’s shoulder was broken while playing the final Test against Pakistan.
(a) Have you 
(b) read in the 
(c) Hindustan Times that Kapil Dev’s shoulder 
(d) was broken while playing 
(e) No error

Q2. Between you and I, I am convinced that this painting by Neetu shows greater artistry than that of Reshma.
(a) Between you and I, 
(b) I am convinced 
(c) that this painting by Neetu shows greater 
(d) artistry than that 
(e) No error

Q3. Being that you are interested in the outcome of the election, let us wait till the final tally has been made.
(a) Being that 
(b) you are interested in the 
(c) outcome of the election, let us wait till 
(d) the final tally has been 
(e) No error

Q4. Since it was an unusually warm day, the dog laid under the tree all afternoon. 
(a) Since it 
(b) was an unusually 
(c) warm day, the dog laid under 
(d) the tree all afternoon.
(e) No error

Q5. Neither Rakesh nor Rahul, presented their papers before the deadline for doing so.
(a) Neither 
(b) Rakesh nor 
(c) Rahul, presented their 
(d) papers before the deadline for doing 
(e) No error

Q6. A recent poll has indicated that Binny is considered brighter than any student in the class.
(a) A recent 
(b) poll has indicated 
(c) that Binny is considered 
(d) brighter than any student 
(e) No error

Q7. The question arises as to who should go out today – you or me.
(a) The question 
(b) arises as to who 
(c) should go out 
(d) today – you or me.
(e) No error

Q8. The company is planning a training programme for their senior officers sometime in December.
(a) The company is planning 
(b) a training 
(c) programme for their 
(d) senior officers sometime 
(e) No error

Q9. There was only a loaf of bread and two bottles of milk in the refrigerator when we came back after a weekend in Manali.
(a) There was only 
(b) a loaf of bread and two bottles of milk in the 
(c) refrigerator when 
(d) we came back 
(e) No error

Q10. Neither the old man nor his children knows what to do about the problem.
(a) Neither 
(b) the old man nor his 
(c) children knows 
(d) what to do about the 
(e) No error

Q11. Because of the recent strike in the mills, less men will be recruited in the coming season.
(a) Because of 
(b) the recent strike in the 
(c) mills, less men 
(d) will be recruited in the coming 
(e) No error

Q12. No sooner had he entered the hall when the lights went out and everybody began to scream.
(a) No sooner 
(b) had he entered 
(c) the hall when the 
(d) lights went out and everybody began 
(e) No error

Q13. The repetition of these sounds stir the emotions.
(a) The repetition 
(b) of these 
(c) sounds stir 
(d) the emotions.
(e) No error

Q14. Unemployment as well as poverty influence the votes.
(a) Unemployment 
(b) as well as 
(c) poverty influence 
(d) the votes.
(e) No error

Q15. Tonsillitis is among those diseases that is curable.
(a) Tonsillitis 
(b) is 
(c) among those 
(d) diseases that is curable.
(e) No error

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘… was broken while he was playing the …’
Add the word he was to make the meaning clear. Otherwise it gives the impression that shoulder was playing.

S2. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘Between you and me’
The object of the preposition between must be an objective case form (me and not I).

S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘Since you are interested …’
Being that is not used in place of since or because.

S4. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘… the dog lay under …’
The past tense of the verb lie is lay, and not laid.

S5. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘… presented his papers before …’
Singular antecedent (Rakesh and Rahul) joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ are referred to by singular pronoun (his).

S6. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘… brighter than any other student …’ is the correction.

S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘… who should go out today, you or I …’

S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘… training programme for its …’
A singular pronoun-adjective (its, not their) must be used to refer to a collective noun (company) when the member of the collective noun are considered a unit.

S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. ‘There were only …’
The subject of the sentence is plural (a bread and bottles).
Therefore, the verb must be plural (were, not was). Here the word there is not the subject.

S10. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘… children know …’
If one of the two antecedents joined by or or nor is singular and the other is plural, the pronoun agrees with the one nearer (‘children’ in this sentence).

S11. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘… fewer men will be recruited …’
Less denotes amount or degree and fewer denotes number.

S12. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘… the hall than the light ….’

S13. Ans.(c)
Sol. Stirs in place of stir.
The subjects ‘repetition’ is singular, hence ‘stirs’ a singular verb.

S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. ‘influences’ should be used in place of ‘influence’.
Two subjects joined by as well as take singular verb.

S15. Ans.(d)
Sol. ‘are curable’ is correct in place of ‘is curable’.
A relative pronoun (that, who, which) used as a subject takes on a singular or plural verb to accord with its antecedent. Here ‘that’ is referring to diseases that are curable.

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