Important Spotting Errors Set – 46

1. Neither the famine (a) / or the subsequent fire (b) / was able to destroy the spirit of the people. (c) / No error (d)

a) Neither the famine

b) or the subsequent fire

c) was able to destroy the spirit of the people.

d) No Error

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b) or the subsequent fire

With ‘neither’ it is ‘nor’ that must be used; with ‘either’, it should be ‘or’. The pairs ‘neither…. nor’ and ‘either … or’ serve as correlative conjunctions

2. The managing director as well as the Board members (a) / was in favour of taking strict action (b) / against the striking workers. (c) / No error (d)

a) The managing director as well as the Board members

b) was in favour of taking strict action

c) against the striking workers.

d) No Error

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  d) No Error

The verb after an ‘as well as’ construction agrees with the first noun/noun phrase­­ ___ here, ‘The managing director’ which is singular. If the first noun/noun phrase is plural, the verb will be plural.

3. As much as I admire him for his sterling qualities, (a) / I cannot excuse him (b) / for being unfair to his friends (c) / No error (d)

a) As much as I admire him for his sterling qualities,

b) I cannot excuse him

c) for being unfair to his friends

d) No Error

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d) No Error

4. Since it was his first election campaign, the candidate was confused (a) / none could clearly understand (b) / either the principles he stood for or he benefits he promised. (c) / No error (d)

a) Since it was his first election campaign, the candidate was confused

b) none could clearly understand

c) either the principles he stood for or he benefits he promised.

d) No Error

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d) No Error

5. Many a student (a) / are frustrated (b) / because of unemployment (c) / No error (d)

a) Many a student

b) are frustrated

c) because of unemployment

d) No Error

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b) are frustrated

With sentence construction involving ‘many a’ the singular verb is used.

6. The child (a) / picked up a burned paper (b) / from the street. (c) / No error (d)

a) The child

b) picked up a burned paper

c) from the street

d) No Error

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d) No Error

The past tense and past participle of ‘burn’ is ‘burnt’ as well as ‘burned’. Other verbs that have two past tense and past participle forms are dream (dreamt/dreamed); smell (smelt/smelled); speed (sped/speeded; spell (spelt/spelled); spill (spilt/spilled) and spoil (spoilt/spoiled)

7. One of the drawbacks (a) / of modern education are (b) / that it does not encourage original thinking. (c) / No error (d)

a) One of the drawbacks

b) of modern education are

c) that it does not encourage original thinking.

d) No Error

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b) of modern education are

As ‘one’ of the drawbacks is being referred to, the singular verb ‘is’ is to be used.

8. When the dentist came in (a) / my tooth was stopped aching (b) / out of fear (c) / No error (d)

a) When the dentist came in

b) my tooth was stopped aching

c) out of fear

d) No Error

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b) my tooth was stopped aching

Delete ‘was’. Use of ‘was stopped’ is incorrect in standard English. Both ‘was’ and ‘stopped’ indicate the past.

9. He won’t return the money (a) / that he borrowed, (b) / will he? (c) / No error (d)

a) He won’t return the money

b) that he borrowed,

c) will he?

d) No Error

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d) No Error

10. If I knew (a) / that my friend had planned to visit the town that day, (b) / I would have made his stay comfortable. (c) / No error (d)

a) If I knew

b) that my friend had planned to visit the town that day,

c) I would have made his stay comfortable

d) No Error

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a) If I knew

‘If I had known’ is the correct beginning. ‘I would have made his stay comfortable’ bears reference to some time that has gone; ‘If I had known’ goes farther back than that time (so past perfect tense is to be used).

Important Spotting Errors Set – 45

 

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