Important Spotting Errors Set – 45

1. Because of the emergency help (a) / that the patient received (b) / he would have died (c) / No error (d)

a) Because of the emergency help

b) that the patient received

c) he would have died

d) No Error

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a) Because of the emergency help

But for’ should be used in place of ‘because of’. ‘But for’ means ‘were it not for’.

2. No sooner did I open the door (a) / when the rain, heavy and stormy, rushed in, (b) / making us shiver from head to foot (c) / No error (d)

a) No sooner did I open the door

b) when the rain, heavy and stormy, rushed in,

c) making us shiver from head to foot

d) No Error

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b) when the rain, heavy and stormy, rushed in,

No sooner’ should be followed by ‘than’ and not ‘when’. The pair ‘no sooner… than’ is a subordinate conjunction of time. It indicates that the second event occurs immediately after the first one.

3. A downfall of this kind (a) is to be attributed to (b) / nothing else than pride. (c) / No error (d)

a) A downfall of this kind

b) is to be attributed to

c) nothing else than pride

d) No Error

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c) nothing else than pride

Should read ‘nothing else but pride’ or ‘nothing other than pride’.

4. The old women has had the best medical facilities available (a) / but she will not be cured (b) / unless she does not have a strong desire to live. (c) / No error (d)

a) he old women has had the best medical facilities available

b) but she will not be cured

c) unless she does not have a strong desire to live

d) No Error

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c) unless she does not have a strong desire to live There is a double negative in ‘unless she does not’; this part should read: ‘unless she has a… live’.

5. The manager of the bank was busy; (a) / so he asked them to come and (b) / see him between two to three in the afternoon (c) / No error (d)

a) The manager of the bank was busy;

b) so he asked them to come and

c) see him between two to three in the afternoon

d) No Error

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c) see him between two to three in the afternoon

Between’ should be followed by the conjunction ‘and’ and not ‘to’ (between this ‘and’ that).

6. Even though the shirt is rather expensive (a) / but I wish to (b) / purchase it with my own money. (c) / No error (d)

a) Even though the shirt is rather expensive

b) but I wish to

c) purchase it with my own money

d) No Error

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b) but I wish to

But’ is wrongly used here. The presence of ‘even though’ is enough to convey the sense of contrast.

7. No sooner did the sun rise (a) / when we took a hasty breakfast (b) / and resumed the journey (c) / No error (d)

a) No sooner did the sun rise

b) when we took a hasty breakfast

c) and resumed the journey

d) No Error

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b) when we took a hasty breakfast

See explanation for Q. No. 2 above.

8. Though she was sick (a) / but (b) / she went to work. (c) / No error (d)

a) Though she was sick

b) but

c) she went to work

d) No Error

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b) but

But’ is not required here, ‘though’ conveys the meaning that ‘but’ would have signified if the sentence had been used without ‘though’.

9. The reason for (a) / his failure is because (b) / he did not work hard. (c) / No error (d)

a) The reason for

b) his failure is because

c) he did not work hard.

d) No Error

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b) his failure is because

‘Because’ itself means ‘for the reason that. So it is never used with the phrase ‘the reason that’ or ‘the reason why’ (‘The reason for his failure is that did not work hard’ is correct). If ‘because is to be used, the sentence should read: ‘He failed because he did not work hard’. ”

10. Hardly he had arrived (a) / when the house caught fire (b) / and everything was reduced to ashes. (c) / No error (d)

a) Hardly he had arrived

b) when the house caught fire

c) and everything was reduced to ashes

d) No Error

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The correct phrase is ‘Hardly had he arrived ‘. When ‘hardly ‘, scarcely’, ‘no sooner’ begin a sentence, there is subject-auxiliary inversion.

The correct phrase is ‘Hardly had he arrived ‘. When ‘hardly ‘, scarcely’, ‘no sooner’ begin a sentence, there is subject-auxiliary inversion.


Important Spotting Errors Set – 44


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