Important Spotting Errors For Set – 35

1. I shall go to Australia (a) / for higher studies (b) / if you like it or not (c) / no error (d)

a) I shall go to Australia

b) for higher studies

c) if you like it or not

d) No Error

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c) if you like it or not

Whether’ should replace ‘if’. ‘Whether you like it or not’ implies ‘irrespective of’ __ that is, the action of going has already been decided upon. ‘If’, when used, makes the meaning of the sentence ambiguous. ‘Whether…or not’ is accepted usage; ‘If … or not’ is a construction that is not used.

2. They refused (a) / staying in that hotel (b) / as it was too crowded (c) / no error (d)

a) They refused

b) staying in that hote

c) as it was too crowded

d) No Error

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b) staying in that hote

Correct usage is ‘to stay’ and not ‘staying’. The ‘to-infinitive’ here functions as an adverb and qualifies the verb, ‘refused’.

3. Each person (a) / should look after (b) / their own belongings (c) / no error (d)

a) Each person

b) should look after

c) their own belongings

d) No Error

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c) their own belongings

Each person’ is singular, so ‘his’ or ‘her’, or ‘his’ or ‘her’ should be used , not ‘their’.

4. The soldier jumped to attention (a) / when the colonel (b) / passed him (c) / no error (d)

a) The soldier jumped to attention

b) when the colonel

c) passed him

d) No Error

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d) No Error

5. The train entered (a) / in the station (b) / and stopped slowly (c) / no error (d)

a) The train entered

b) in the station

c) and stopped slowly

d) No Error

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b) in the station

A person or a thing ‘enters’ (not ‘enters in’) a place.

6. I have (a) / seen her only once (b) / but I am liking her lot (c) / no error (d)

a) I have

b) seen her only once

c) but I am liking her lot

d) No Error

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c) but I am liking her lot

The present continuous form ‘am liking’ is incorrect. I ‘like’ is correct.

7. I told him (a) / that we enjoyed very much (b) / at the party (c) / no error (d)

a) I told him

b) that we enjoyed very much

c) at the party

d) No Error

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b) that we enjoyed very much

The past perfect tense has to be used instead of simple past in (b), as the action of enjoying was already over when I told him about it. (‘We had enjoyed very much’ instead of ‘we enjoyed very much’.)

8. John is working very hardly (a) / as the examinations (b) / are fast approaching (c) / no error (d)

a) John is working very hardly

b) as the examinations

c) are fast approaching

d) No Error

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a) John is working very hardly

Hardly’ is an adverb and so it must not be used here. The adjective form ‘hard’ is correct.

9. Two hours have passed (a) / since (b) / he had fallen asleep (c) / no error (d)

a) Two hours have passed

b) since

c) he had fallen asleep

d) No Error

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c) he had fallen asleep

The past tense, ‘fell’, needs to be used. ‘Since’ is used as a conjunction here.

10. Having broken down, (a) / the driver sent the car (b) / to the garage (c) / no error (d)

a) Having broken down

b) the driver sent the car

c) to the garage

d) No Error

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a) Having broken down

Having broken down’ refers to the car. So the sentence should read ‘As the car had broken down, the driver sent it (the car) to the garage’. The given sentence seems to suggest that the driver had broken down. When we use a participial phrase, the noun which it governs must be placed next to it.