Spotting Errors For SBI PO : Set – 21
Spotting Errors For SBI PO : Set – 21
Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. Mark the number f that part with error as your answer. If there is no error, mark (d). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.)
1. Even though the shirt is rather expensive (a) / but I wish to (b) / purchase it with my own money. (c) / No error (d)
2. No sooner did the sun rise (a) / when we took a hasty breakfast (b) / and resumed the journey (c) / No error (d)
3. Though she was sick (a) / but (b) / she went to work. (c) / No error (d)
4. The reason for (a) / his failure is because (b) / he did not work hard. (c) / No error (d)
5. Hardly he had arrived (a) / when the house caught fire (b) / and everything was reduced to ashes. (c) / No error (d)
6. Neither the famine (a) / or the subsequent fire (b) / was able to destroy the spirit of the people. (c) / No error (d)
7. 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)
8. 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)
9. 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)
10. Many a student (a) / are frustrated (b) / because of unemployment (c) / No error (d)
Answer Key With Explanations:
1. (b) ‘But’ is wrongly used here. The presence of ‘even though’ is enough to convey the sense of contrast.
2. (b) See explanation for Q. No. 2 above.
3. (b) ‘But’ is not required here, ‘though’ conveys the meaning that ‘but’ would have signified if the sentence had been used without ‘though’.
4. (b) ‘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’.
5. (b) The correct phrase is ‘Hardly had he arrived ‘. When ‘hardly ‘, scarcely’, ‘no sooner’ begin a sentence, there is subject-auxiliary inversion.
6. (b) 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.
7. (d) 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.
8. (d) No error
9. (d) No error
10. (b) With sentence construction involving ‘many a’ the singular verb is used.
