Error detection is a common question type that appears on the IBA admission test. It tests your basic grammar knowledge. Each sentence will have four underlined sections, namely A, B, C, and D.You will have to scan the sections and figure out whether any of those contain any grammatical mistakes. Moreover, the sentence will also have an option {No error(E)}, which you will have to choose when the sentence is completely free of errors.
Honestly, there is no particular shortcut for cracking error detection questions. You have to have a good command of English grammar. Always focus on the details and exceptions of each rule.
Here are afew important rules that might come in handy:-
>Certain nouns possess a singular form but still represent plurality and thus, take a plural verb when used in a sentence.E.g. Cattle, peasantry, people, clergy, police. Thus,
The Police has come (Incorrect)
The Police have come (Correct)
>Certain nouns always take the plural verb because their form is always plural. E.g. Scissors, trousers, spectacles, thanks, premises. Thus,
The scissors is kept on the table. (Incorrect)
The scissors are kept on the table. (Correct)
>When a number is followed by a noun denoting measure, length, money, number or weight, the form of the nouns does not change so long as they are followed by another noun or pronoun. E.g. Million, pair, metre, year, dozen, foot, head. Thus,
This is a nine – metres cloth. (Incorrect)
This is a nine–metre cloth. (Correct)
>Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used as singular when they specify a unit. E.g. Public, team, committee, government, audience, orchestra, company, jury. Thus,
The public were unanimous in their opinion. (Incorrect)
The public was unanimous in its opinion. (Correct)
>Certain nouns, especially of the collective category, are used in plural when they specify a difference of opinion or class. E.g. Public, team, committee, government, audience, orchestra, company, jury. Thus,
The jury was divided in its opinion. (Incorrect)
The jury were divided in their opinion. (Correct)
>If the pronoun ‘one’ is used, it must be maintained throughout the sentence. Thus,
One must respect his elders. (Incorrect)
One must respect one’s elders. (Correct)
>The word ‘whose’ is used for living people and ‘which is used for non-living things or ideas. Thus, if we want to ask to whom the box kept on the table belongs,
Which box is kept on the table? (Incorrect)
Whose box is kept on the table? (Correct)
>Who is used as the subject of the verb in a relative clause, whereas whom is used as the object of the verb
or of a preposition.
The security guard WHO we met was nice. (Incorrect)
The security guard WHOM we met was nice. (Correct)
>‘Less’ is used to denote quantity while ‘fewer’ is used to denote number. Thus,
No less than twenty people were (Incorrect)
No fewer than twenty people were (Correct)
>‘One of’ is always followed by a noun in the plural form. Thus,
She is one of the least important person in the office. (Incorrect)
She is one of the least important people in the office. (Correct)
>If the verb indicates a purpose, an infinitive must be used and if the verb indicates a cause, a gerund must be used. Thus,
He went to the mall for watching a movie. (Incorrect)
He went to the mall to watch a movie. (Correct)
He was suspended to show indiscipline. (Incorrect)
He was suspended for showing indiscipline. (Correct)
>Adverbs should not be confused with adjectives. An adjective describes the characteristic of the subject while an adverb describes the action of the verb. Thus,
The horse looked beautifully. (Incorrect)
The horse looked beautiful. (Correct)
>‘Scarcely’ and ‘hardly’ are followed by ‘when’ and not by ‘than’.Thus,
Hardly had the teacher left the room than the pupils started enjoying themselves. (Incorrect)
Hardly had the teacher left the room when the pupils started enjoying themselves. (Correct)
>‘Unless’ expresses a condition and is always used in the negative sense. Thus ‘not’ is never used with ‘unless’.Thus,
Unless you do not work hard, you will not excel in the examination (Incorrect)
Unless you work hard, you will not excel in the examination. (Correct)
>‘When’ denotes a general sense and ‘while’ implies a time duration of doing something. Thus,
When learning how to sing, the technique is of utmost importance. (Incorrect)
While learning how to sing, the technique is of utmost importance. (Correct)
>The word “like” is a preposition, whose object is a noun, so it’s used for comparing noun-to-noun. The word “as” is a subordinating conjunction, which is followed by a full noun + verb clause, so it is used to compare events, and actions. A simpler way to differentiate is: "like" is used for nouns or noun phrases while "as" is used for other phrases having verbs.
>The expression ‘due to’ can only be used to modify nouns/noun phrases. Thus, you cannot use this expression to present a reason for an action in the clause. ‘Due to’ is correct if the sentence makes sense when you replace ‘due to’ with ’caused by’. If it does not, then the use of ‘due to’ is not correct. The expression ‘because of’ is used to modify entire clauses. Thus, you can use this expression to present the reason for an action in the clause. So, ‘Due to’ & ‘because of’ are not interchangeable.
>Although in everyday speech, people often use “if” and “whether” interchangeably, they are not interchangeable. Use “if” in a conditional sentence to show that one thing will happen if something else happens. Use “whether” to show that two alternatives are possible.
Video topic: "Common Grammatical Errors"