Find Grammatical Error – Verbal Aptitude

“Find the Error” questions are a staple of grammar-based verbal ability tests and are particularly useful for testing a student’s command over the rules of English grammar, syntax, and sentence structure. In these questions, a sentence is divided into several parts, and the student must identify which part contains a grammatical error (if any).

This topic requires strong foundational knowledge of grammar rules, as well as an ability to recognize contextual cues that indicate incorrect usage.

Key Grammar Concepts for Error Detection

Here’s an overview of common grammar rules frequently tested in error-detection questions:

  1. Subject-Verb Agreement
    • The verb must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural).
    • Example: “The list of items are on the table.”
      • Error: “are” (should be “is” because “list” is singular).
      • Correct Sentence: “The list of items is on the table.”
  2. Tense Consistency
    • All verbs in a sentence should follow a logical tense based on context.
    • Example: “She studied hard and passes the test.”
      • Error: “passes” (should be “passed” to match past tense).
      • Correct Sentence: “She studied hard and passed the test.”
  3. Pronoun Consistency and Reference
    • Pronouns should match their antecedents in number and gender, and they should clearly refer to a noun.
    • Example: “Each of the players took their uniform.”
      • Error: “their” (should be “his or her” to agree with singular “each”).
      • Correct Sentence: “Each of the players took his or her uniform.”
  4. Parallelism
    • When listing actions, objects, or qualities, ensure they are in the same grammatical form.
    • Example: “She likes swimming, hiking, and to run.”
      • Error: “to run” (should be “running” to match the other gerunds).
      • Correct Sentence: “She likes swimming, hiking, and running.”
  5. Modifiers and Placement
    • Modifiers should be placed next to the word they describe.
    • Example: “The man drove the car with a leather interior recklessly.”
      • Error: Misplaced modifier “recklessly.”
      • Correct Sentence: “The man recklessly drove the car with a leather interior.”
  6. Use of Articles (a, an, the)
    • Articles should be used appropriately based on the noun’s specificity and context.
    • Example: “She is a best student in the class.”
      • Error: “a” (should be “the” to specify she is the best).
      • Correct Sentence: “She is the best student in the class.”
  7. Adjective vs. Adverb Usage
    • Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
    • Example: “She did a quick work on the project.”
      • Error: “quick” (should be “quickly” as it describes how she worked).
      • Correct Sentence: “She did the work quickly on the project.”
  8. Correct Use of Conjunctions
    • Conjunctions should connect ideas logically and grammatically.
    • Example: “She is smarter but more talented than her peers.”
      • Error: “but” (should be “and” because both qualities are positive).
      • Correct Sentence: “She is smarter and more talented than her peers.”

Steps to Approach Error Detection Questions

  1. Read the Sentence Carefully
    Don’t rush. Carefully read the sentence to get the context and meaning.
  2. Identify Grammatical Clues
    Look for subject-verb agreement, tenses, pronouns, and parallelism markers.
  3. Check Each Segment Individually
    Isolate each part of the sentence and analyze it independently for grammatical errors.
  4. Eliminate Distractors
    Remove options that seem correct, narrowing your focus to parts that might contain errors.
  5. Verify with Grammar Rules
    Use your knowledge of grammar rules to confirm the correct answer.

Common Error Types with Examples

Here are some examples to illustrate typical error-detection patterns:

Example 1

Question: Identify the error in the sentence below.
“Each of the students have completed their assignments on time.”

  • Error: “have” (should be “has” because “each” is singular).
  • Correct Sentence: “Each of the students has completed their assignments on time.”

Example 2

Question: Identify the error in the sentence below.
“He was more happier when he lived in the countryside.”

  • Error: “more happier” (incorrect comparative form; “happier” alone is correct).
  • Correct Sentence: “He was happier when he lived in the countryside.”

Example 3

Question: Identify the error in the sentence below.
“She sings well and has won several awards, but never have been to a singing class.”

  • Error: “have” (should be “has” to agree with the singular subject “she”).
  • Correct Sentence: “She sings well and has won several awards, but has never been to a singing class.”

Example 4

Question: Identify the error in the sentence below.
“Neither the manager nor the employees is willing to compromise on this issue.”

  • Error: “is” (should be “are” because the closest subject “employees” is plural).
  • Correct Sentence: “Neither the manager nor the employees are willing to compromise on this issue.”

Example 5

Question: Identify the error in the sentence below.
“They were upset with the results, yet they decided to try harder the next time.”

  • Error: None (The sentence is correct).
  • Explanation: This is a trick question to ensure careful reading. Always read each option thoroughly.

Practice Questions

Try these questions on your own. Identify the part with an error if any, and then check the answers below.

  1. “She along with her friends have planned a surprise party for her mother.”
  2. “The doctor advised him to take rest and avoid reading or writing for some days.”
  3. “The committee has reached their decision after a long discussion.”
  4. “He decided to quickly finish the report before the meeting started.”
  5. “I have known her since she is a child.”

Answer Key:

  1. Error: “have” (should be “has” because “she” is the main subject, not her friends).
    • Correct Sentence: “She along with her friends has planned a surprise party for her mother.”
  2. Error: “take rest” (should be “take a rest”).
    • Correct Sentence: “The doctor advised him to take a rest and avoid reading or writing for some days.”
  3. Error: “their” (should be “its” because “committee” is singular).
    • Correct Sentence: “The committee has reached its decision after a long discussion.”
  4. Error: None (the sentence is correct).
  5. Error: “since she is” (should be “since she was” to indicate past time).
    • Correct Sentence: “I have known her since she was a child.”

Additional Tips for Success

  1. Practice Reading Carefully: Often, minor errors are easy to miss if you skim through sentences. Develop a habit of reading slowly and critically.
  2. Review Common Grammar Rules: Refresh yourself on rules related to subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, tenses, and modifiers.
  3. Work on Sentence Structure and Syntax: Understanding sentence components helps in detecting misplaced modifiers, incorrect conjunctions, and errors in parallelism.
  4. Analyze Patterns in Errors: Over time, you’ll notice common types of errors. Familiarity with these patterns can make it easier to spot mistakes quickly.

Dive into next topic: https://www.learntheta.com/aptitude-verbal-analogies/

Refer Aptitude Questions with Solutions on Find Error (Grammar): https://www.learntheta.com/aptitude-questions-find-error/

Practice Aptitude Questions on Verbal Ability with LearnTheta’s AI Practice Platform: https://www.learntheta.com/placement-aptitude/

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