Rules for error spotting – SBI PO 2021: We are sure aspirants have already geared themselves up for the upcoming prelims exam. Today, we share one of the most important tools or a set of rules that are quite beneficial for English preparation, especially for prelims. The error spotting or error detection questions are highly common in any banking exam.
The best way to approach such questions is by learning the rules of error spotting or we can call them the rules of grammar and tenses.
A rule is mentioned first, and then a correct or incorrect statement is given to make you understand the application of that rule.
“If two different singular nouns express one idea, the verb should be in a singular form.”
Incorrect – Bread and butter are good for breakfast.
Correct – Bread and butter is good for breakfast.
So, the usage of the word “are” was wrong because bread and butter are complementary pairs that are written or expressed via a singular verb and not a plural one. Such pairs include demand and supply, life and death, etc.
“Two or more singular subjects connected by and usually take a Verb in the Plural.”
Incorrect – Tom and Jerry is here.
Correct – Tom and Jerry are here.
Always use a plural verb to describe two singular subjects if they are connected with the word “And.”
“A great many” is always followed by a plural noun and a plural verb
Incorrect – A great many vaccines has been declared successful
Correct – A great many vaccines have been declared successful
You can’t use “has”, a singular verb, when the sentence has “a great many” mentioned because a great many is itself plural.
Some nouns which are singular in form but plural in meaning take a singular verb.
Incorrect – Biology are a branch of study in every school.
Correct – Biology is a branch of study in every school.
Many such words have unique properties. For example, they are singular but have plural meanings. Other such words are – Mathematics, Cardiology, etc.
If two or more actions took place in a sequence, use Simple Past to denote the actions. (Otherwise, Past Perfect is used to denote the earlier action) This is usually used with the conjunction ‘before’.
Incorrect – He switched on the fan before he opens the door
Correct – He switched on the fan before he opened the door
“Although/Though is followed by “yet” and not by “but”.
Correct – Though he is emotionally weak, but he never gives up.
Incorrect – Though he is emotionally weak yet he never gives up.
“No sooner” is followed by “than”
Incorrect – No sooner had I entered the class when the students stood up
Correct – No sooner had I entered the class than the students stood up
“No sooner” error spotting questions are often asked in the banking exams.
‘So’ is followed by ‘That’
Incorrect – He is so rude so he can’t make friends
Correct – He is so rude that he can’t make friends
Since is used for indicating a point of time whereas for is used for the length of time
Incorrect – It’s been raining outside for Monday last.
Correct – It’s been raining outside since Monday last.
“As if” is used to convey the sense of pretension. When ‘as if’ is used in this sense, ‘were’ is used in all cases, even with third person singular
Correct – She acted as if she was my school principal.
Incorrect – She acted as if she were my school principal.
Else should be followed by ‘but.’
Incorrect – It is nothing else than sheer frustration
Correct – It is nothing else than sheer frustration
When gerunds (verb + ing are used as nouns) are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular verb form of the verb; but, when they are linked by and, they take the plural form.
Correct – Playing cricket and surfing in the ocean is my hobbies
Incorrect – Playing cricket and surfing in the ocean are my hobbies
Some nouns always take a singular verb
Incorrect – Mohammad Rafi has sung a lot of classics songs.
Correct – Mohammad Rafi has sung a lot of classic songs.
There are many such nouns when used in a sentence that will make you think that a plural should be used but instead, they are always used as singular nouns and are attached with singular verbs. For example – poetry, innings, repair, economics, physics, ethics, news, business, bedding, furniture, etc.
Some nouns are singular in meaning, but they are used as plural nouns and always take a plural verb.
Incorrect – All the cattles went for grazing.
Correct – All the cattle went for grazing.
Some nouns are always used in a plural form and always take a plural verb.
Incorrect – Blue jeans was first patented by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis on May 20, 1873.
Correct – Blue jeans were first patented by Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis on May 20, 1873.
Many nouns such as jeans, trousers, spectacles, goods, stockings, scissors, tidings, premises, thanks, chattels, shorts, measles, alms, are always used in plural forms and always take a plural verb.
There are some nouns that indicate length, measure, money, weight, or number. When they are preceded by a numeral, they remain unchanged in form.
Incorrect – I will stick with my current job as the money are still good there.
Correct – I will stick with my current job as the money is still good there.
Nouns like foot, meter, year, hundred, million, dozen, head, pair, fall in this category.
Some of the collective nouns such as jury, team, government, public, audience, company, etc. Are used both as singular and plural. It depends on their usage.
The Rajhya Sabha was unanimous over the final bill verdict.
The above sentence has no error because the collective noun used is singular in nature and has a singular verb attached to it.
Incorrect – The Rajhya Sabha was at sixes and sevens over the final bill verdict.
Correct – The Rajhya Sabha were at sixes and sevens over the final bill verdict.
The term ‘sixes and sevens indicate that the Rajhya Sabha got divided and now the sentence is referring about the Rajhya Sabha’s members and not as a unanimous body.
Some nouns have one meaning in singular and another in plural. For example – Authority = command, and Authorities = people in power, Good = wise, Goods = physical property
Incorrect – Virat Kohli took advices from Sachin Tendulkar with regards to his batting before leaving for the England cricket tour of India.
Correct – Virat Kohli took advice from Sachin Tendulkar with regards to his batting before leaving for the England cricket tour of India.
Advices would mean seeking information and advice means to seek tips or suggestions.
A pronoun must agree with its antecedent in person, number, and gender
Incorrect – When a teacher doesn’t agree with their student’s demands, the teacher should not support that demand.
Correct – When a teacher doesn’t agree with his or her student’s demands, the teacher should not support that demand.
The teacher is used as a singular, so it should be followed by a singular verb.
While using ‘everybody’ ‘everyone’, ‘anybody’, and ‘each’ the pronoun of the masculine or the feminine gender is used according to the context. But when sex is not mentioned, we use the pronoun of the masculine gender.
Incorrect – Each of the seven surgeons in the hospital has successfully completed their surgery.
Correct – Each of the seven surgeons in the hospital has successfully completed his surgery.
When a singular and a plural noun are joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, the pronoun must be plural.
Incorrect – Either the doctor or the nurses failed in his duty.
Correct – Either the doctor or the nurses failed in their duty.
‘Whose’ is used for living persons and ‘which’ for lifeless objects.
Which book did you select?
Whose bag is lying there?
Use of elder, older. ‘Elder’ is used for persons of the same family. ‘Older’ refers to persons as well as things and is followed by ‘than.’
Incorrect – Harish is elder than all the academy students.
Correct – Harish is older than all the academy students.
If the subject is ‘the number of’ the singular verb is used. And when the expression (‘a + number + of) is used, plural verb is used.
Incorrect – The number of egg trays are quite a few.
Correct – The number of egg trays is quite a few.
Incorrect – A number of students is failed the exam.
Correct – A number of students have failed the exam.
A noun, usually forms its plural by adding ‘-s’ at the end.
E.g. dog – dogs, pigeon – pigeons
Most nouns ending in ‘f’ or ‘fe’ change into ‘-ves’.
E.g. leaf – leaves, knife – knives Exceptions: staffs, cliffs, chiefs, roofs, safes
Nouns ending in ‘y’ add ‘s’ if the ‘y’ follows a vowel.
E.g., toy – toys, ray – rays
Nouns ending in ‘y’ change the ‘y’ to ‘-ies’ if the ‘y’ follows a consonant.
E.g. baby – babies, story – stories
Most nouns ending in ‘o’ form their plurals by adding ‘-es’.
E.g., tornado – tornadoes, echo – echoes Exceptions: pianos, solos, bamboos
Nouns ending in ‘s’, ‘ss’, ‘ch’, ‘sh’, ‘x’, or ‘z’ add ‘es’ to form plurals.
E.g., gas – gases, grass – grasses, branch – branches
When the sound is ee and alphabets used are ‘i’and ‘e’:
1) ‘e’ comes first, when they come after ‘c’ E.g., deceive, receive
2) ‘i’ comes first in all other cases
E.g., pie, grief Exceptions: seize, weird
When the words ‘all’ and ‘full’ are used to make up longer words, one ‘l’ is dropped.
E.g., always, cheerful
When adding ‘dis’ and ‘mis’ to other words, the ‘s’ is always kept, even if the other word begins with an ‘s’. E.g., Misspell
‘Where’, ‘When’ & ‘Why’ as Relative Pronoun
Although there is no place for these three words in the formal English, but we are still habitual in using them. Let’s understand this by taking three different examples:
Case 1 – Where’ as a relative pronoun – Places
Informal – This is the temple where I visited last year for my prayers.
Formal – This is the temple at which I visited last year for my prayers.
Case 2 – ‘When’ as a relative pronoun – Times
Informal – The day when I joined my first job was a day to be remembered.
Formal – The day on which I joined my first job was a day to be remembered.
Case 3 – ‘Why’ as a relative pronoun – ‘Reasons’
Do you know the reason why our boss fired our co-employee?
Do you know the reason for which our boss fired our co-employee?
The hyphenated noun does not have a plural form
Correct – I always stay at five-stars hotels whenever I visit a new city.
Incorrect – I always stay at five-star hotels whenever I visit a new city.
Hyphenated (compound nouns) are always used in singular form.
Superlative degree, none, no one, anyone, much, little, (the same + noun,) (the only + noun) are followed by ‘that’ relative noun.
Incorrect – Julie is the smartest girl who I ever met
Correct – Julie is the smartest girl that I ever met
A Noun or Pronoun governing a Gerund should be put in the possessive case.
Incorrect – My father doesn’t like me partying late night with my friends.
Correct – My father doesn’t like my partying late night with my friends.
After let, if a Pronoun is used, that Pronoun must be in the objective case.
Incorrect – Let she go to the Himalayas.
Correct – Let her go to the Himalayas.
When the sentence begins with ‘it’, the verb is used according to the subject.
Incorrect – It is I who is being punished for my sins.
Correct – It is I who am being punished for my sins.
If ‘it’s high time/ it’s about time/ it’s time is used in sentence, v2 (past form of verb) comes in the sentence.
Incorrect – It’s high time you start taking mock tests seriously.
Correct – It’s high time you started taking mock tests seriously.
While expressing a positive idea or [raise, the sequence of the personal pronouns should be as follows:
You, Rajesh and I have finished our homework
(Second person, third person, and first person)
Incorrect – She, I, and Ramesh have won the chess competition.
Correct – She, Ramesh, and I have won the chess competition.
After ‘But’, ‘Except’, ‘Between’ and ‘Let’ the pronoun is used in objective case, whereas after ‘such as’ in the subjective case.
Incorrect – None attended the ceremony expect she.
Correct – None attended the ceremony expect her.
‘Some’ is used in affirmative sentences to express quantity or degree. ‘Any’ is used in negative or interrogative sentences.
Incorrect – I will not buy some raw material from this vendor.
Correct – I will not buy any raw material from this vendor.
We use ‘a lot of’ or ‘lots’ with both countable and uncountable nouns.
For example – There was a lot of rain last week. (Rain = uncountable)
There were a lot of people at the banquet hall. (people = countable/plural)
When the percentage or a part of something is mentioned with plural meaning the plural verb is used.
Incorrect – Three-quarters of the food is been eaten
Correct – Three-quarters of the food has been eaten
In sports, while referring to the players, the name of the country is followed by a plural verb.
Incorrect – India have won the Hockey Olympic finals this time.
Correct – India has won the Hockey Olympic finals this time.
Titles of books, movies, novels, etcetera are treated as singular and take a singular verb
Incorrect – The Lord of the Rings are a collection of epic fantasy tales which makes it a classic read for fiction lovers.
Correct – The Lord of the Rings is a collection of epic fantasy tales which makes it a classic read for fiction lovers.
If two infinitives are separated by ‘and’ they take the plural form of the verb.
Incorrect – To bat and to bowl requires great skill.
Correct – To bat and to bowl require great skill.
Although/Though is followed by yet or a comma.
Incorrect – Though he became a successful man he isn’t happy.
Correct – Though he became a successful man yet he isn’t happy.
Correct – Though he became a successful man, he isn’t happy.
Always use correct pair – No sooner…. than, hardly…. when or before, barely…. when or before, etc. Do not use not, no, never with the clause containing these words. If a sentence starts with a negative word, use inversion form, i.e., helping verb before the subject.
Incorrect – No sooner had he scored a century when he was applauded.
Correct – No sooner had he scored a century than he was applauded.
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