Study Notes on Spotting Error Download PDF Now

Rules on Spotting Error in English Grammar

1. Some nouns have one meaning in the singular and another in the plural:

Advice = counsel advice's = information

• Air = atmosphere, airs = proud
• Authority = command, authorities = persons in power
• Good = wise, goods = property
• Iron = metal, irons = fetters, chains
• Force = strength, forces = army
• Content = satisfaction, contents = things contained
• Physic = medicine, physics = physical sciences,
• Respect = regards, respects = compliments
• Work = job, works = compositions, factories,.
• Earning = income ,earnings = sowing
• Quarter = one – fourth ,quarters = houses

Examples

(A) Air is necessary for human life.

(B) It is bad to put on airs.

(A) I have eaten one-quarter of the cake.

(B) I live in the government quarters.

2. While using ‘everybody’ ‘everyone’, ‘anybody’, and ‘each’ the pronoun of the masculine or the feminine gender is used according to the content.

• Each of the six boys in the class has finished their tasks. Incorrect
• Each of the six boys in the class has finished his task. Correct

3. The pronoun ‘one must be followed by ‘one'.

• One must finish his task in time. Incorrect
• One must finish one’s task in time. Correct

4. Enjoy, apply, resign, acquit, drive, exert, avail, pride, absent, etc., when used as transitive verbs, always take a reflexive pronoun after them.

When ‘self’ is added to ‘my’, ‘your’, ‘him’, ‘her’, and ‘it’, and ‘selves to our and them – they are known as reflexive pronouns.

• He was absented from the class. Incorrect
• He absented himself from the class. Correct

5. Who’ denotes the subject and ‘whom’ is used for the object?

• Whom do you think won the award? Incorrect
• Who do you think won the award? Correct
• Who are you talking to? Incorrect
• Whom are your talking to? Correct

6. ‘Whose’ is used for living persons and ‘which’ for lifeless objects.

• What book do you read? Incorrect
• Which book do you read? Correct

7. ‘When’ denotes a general sense and ‘while’ implies a time duration of doing something.

• When learning how to sing, the technique is of utmost importance. Incorrect
• While learning how to sing, the technique is of utmost importance. Correct

8. ‘Unless’ expresses a condition and is always used in the negative sense. Thus ‘not’ is never used with ‘unless’.

• 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

9. ‘Though’ is followed by ‘yet’ and not by ‘but’.

• Though he is poor he is honest. Incorrect
• Though he is poor, yet he is honest. Correct

10. An infinitive verb should never be split.

• I request you to kindly tell me. Incorrect
• I request you kindly to tell me. Correct

11. ‘Some’ is used in affirmative sentences to express quantity or degree. ‘Any’ is used in negative or interrogative sentences.

• I shall buy some
• I shall not buy any
• Have you bought any apples?

But ‘some’ may be correctly used in interrogative sentences which are, in fact, requests.

• Will you please give me some milk? Correct
• I shall read any Incorrect
• I shall read some books. Correct
• Have you bought some apples? Incorrect
• Have you bought any apples? Correct
  

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 12. Use of ‘less’ and ‘fewer’

‘Less’ denotes quantity and ‘fewer denotes number.

• No less than fifty persons were killed. Incorrect
• No fewer than fifty persons were killed. Correct
• There are no fewer than five liters of water in the jug. Incorrect
• There are no less than five liters of water in the jug. Correct

 13. Use of little, a little, the little.

‘Little’ means ‘hardly any’

• There is little hope of his recovery. Incorrect
• There is little hope of his recovery. correct

‘A little’ means ‘some’, though not much.

• Little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Incorrect
• A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Correct

‘The little means ‘not much but all there is’.

• The little milk that is in the pot may be used for the patient. Incorrect
• The little milk that is in the pot may be used for the patient. Correct

14. Use of elder, older.

‘Older’ refers to persons as well as things and is followed by ‘than’.

• Ram is elder than all other boys of this area. Incorrect
• Ram is older than all other boys of this area. Correct

‘Elder’ is used for members of the family.

• Suresh is my older brother. Incorrect
• Suresh is my elder brother. Correct

15. Normally ‘than’ is used in the comparative degree, but with words like superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior and prefer ‘to’ is used.

• Shelley is a junior to Wordsworth. Incorrect
• Shelley is a junior to Wordsworth. Correct
• I prefer reading to sleeping. Incorrect
• I prefer reading to sleeping. Correct

That’s how Spotting Error questions are solved easily. We have provided you with an assignment based on the above rules !!