Spotting Errors For SBI PO : Set – 36

In the following questions, find out which part of a sentence has an error. The letter corresponding to that part is your answer. If there is no mistake, the answer is ‘No error’

1. The foremost criterion of selection we adopted (a) / were the number of years of training (b) / a dancer had received (c) / under a particular guru (d) / No error (e)

2. The future is (a) / yet to come (b) / but you have a (c) / right to shape it (d) / No error (e)

3. Hindi and Marathi are (a) / different forms of the Sanskrit language, (b) / which were once spoken (c) / in almost every part of India (d) / No error (e)

4. Children visiting the (a) / park are amused (b) / by the monkeys (c) / play in the cages (d) / No error (e)

5. The job is much worse than I expected; (a) / if I would have realised (b) / how awful it was going to be (c) / I would not have accepted it (d) / No error (e)

6. The number of people (a) / applying were so large (b) / that the college had to (c) / stop issuing application forms (d) / No error (e)

7. Shared was entrusted with (a) / the task of coordinating yesterday’s programme (b) / but due to certain difficulties (c) / he does not do it (d) / No error (e)

8. Vipul was unhappy (a) / because he would (b) / not attend the marriage (c) / of his friend yesterday (d) / No error (e)

9. After the allotted (a) time was over, (b) / they torn off all (c) / the papers which they had used (d) / No error (e)

10. When I telephoned him (a) / the line was so bad (b) / that I cannot hear (c) / what he said (d) / No error (e)

Answer Key With Explanations:

1. (b) As the reference is to a ‘criterion’ (singular), the singular past tense verb, ‘was’, should be used.

2. (e) No error.

3. (c) The verb in (c) refers to Sanskrit language only; so it should be a singular verb (‘was’)

4. (d) The last part of the sentence should be ‘playing in the cages’. The reference is to the action of the monkeys playing when children are visiting the park.

5. (b) ‘If I had realised’ is the correct second part.

6. (b) As we are referring to ‘the number’ of people, ‘was’ and not ‘were’ should follow.

7. (d) The past tense should be used throughout (‘he did not do it’)

8. (b) ‘Could’ should replace ‘would’ as we are referring to an action that is over. The reference is to a past action, and not a future one.

9. (c) ‘Tore’ is the past tense of ‘tear’ but ‘torn’ is the past participle form. Simple past tense would do here.

10. (c) ‘I could not hear’ is correct, and not ‘I cannot hear’ as we are referring to a past action.