SOLUTION ERROR FINDING PRACTICE SET 6 IN ENGLISH
ERROR FINDING Practice Set 6 SOLVED IN HINDI & ENGLISH
VIEW SOLUTION WITH EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH
1. She always fed /her children /before she fed her dog. / NE
Answer: D
Explanation: No error. Actions in both the clauses are habitual actions. For habitual actions in both the clauses we use Simple Tenses at both places (not The Past Simple Tenses and the Past Perfect Tense in togetherness). In this sentence because it’s a past habitual activity, we’ll use the Past Simple Tense in both the clauses.
2. This is / the man whose all sons / are mad. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘whose all sons’ by ‘all of whose sons’ in part ‘B’. When a noun has a possessive adjective having the word ‘all’ we use ‘all of + whose + noun’ structure.
3. Vikash is younger / than I / by at least three years. /NE
Answer: D
Explanation: No error. Some people use ‘to’ instead of ‘than’ while comparing people using the adjective ‘younger’. But it’s incorrect. Remember one thing, if the words end with ‘er’ then use ‘than’; if the words end with ‘ior’ like superior, inferior etc. then use ‘to’.
Also, some people tend to use the objective pronouns like Me, Them, etc. after ‘than’, but it’s also incorrect. In fact it all depends on the persons/things being compared. If the subject is being compared we use the pronouns in the subjective case like ‘I’, We, He, They, etc.; if a object is being compared we use the pronouns in the objective case like Me, Us, Him, Them, etc.; e.g.
a) He is as slow as I. (not ‘me’ as the subject ‘he’ is being compared)
b) You run faster than he. (not ‘him’ as the subject ‘you’ is being compared)
c) He loves you as much as me. (not I as the object ‘you’ is being compared)
4. What kind/ of a man / you are! / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Remove the article ‘A’ before ‘man’ from part ‘B’. We do not use an article with nouns used after the following:
| Type of | Kind of | Sort of | Variety of |
INCORRECT: She does not like this kind of the movies.
CORRECT: She does not like this kind of movies.
INCORRECT: Recently I have bought a new variety of the horses.
CORRECT: Recently I have bought a new variety of horses.
INCORRECT: What sort of a person he is!
CORRECT: What sort of person he is!
NOTE: In interrogative sentences, we can use A/AN after Kind of, Type of, Sort of, but in this case meanings will be entirely different; e.g.
a) What kind of poet is he?
b) What kind of a poet is he?
[Both these sentences have different meanings. The first sentence asks about the person’s trade or occupation, means whether he composes romantic or sad, etc. Whereas the second sentence asks about the person’s proficiency or capability, whether he composes good or not.]
5. I have picked / a basket of oranges / but none is sweet and tasty. /NE
Answer: C
Explanation: Replace ‘is’ by ‘are’ in part ‘C’. Verb after ‘none’ is either singular or plural depending on what it is referring to; e.g.
a) I’m always looking for inspiration. None ever comes. (‘Inspiration’ is singular, so the verb is also singular)
b) She’s always looking for ideas. None ever come. (‘Ideas’ is plural, so the verb is also plural)
c) None of this furniture is ready to use yet.
In the given sentence you see ‘none’ has been used for ‘oranges’, which is plural.
NOTE: Verb after ‘none of’ is optional, means it’s our wish whether we use it in singular or plural form; e.g.
None of these suggestions is very helpful.
= None of these suggestions are very helpful.
6. He / died of / an accident. NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘died of’ by ‘died in’ in part ‘B’. With the verb ‘die’ we use preposition ‘of’ or ‘from’ when one dies because of injuries or any illness, otherwise we use any other suitable preposition with the verb ‘die’. An ‘accident’ is neither an illness nor an injury, it’s an event rather.
7. My sister doesn’t know / whether / tomorrow will be a holiday for her. /NE
Answer: C
Explanation: Replace ‘will be’ by ‘is’ in part ‘C’. According to the context the plan for tomorrow’s holiday has already been decided, means it’s a part of a fixed timetable now. To express an event that is a part of a fixed timetable we use the Present Simple Tense to express future. In other words we can say that to state facts we use the Present Simple Tense ; e.g.
a) Today match starts at 9 a.m.
b) The Mumbai Rajdhani Express leaves at 5 in the evening.
c) When does the shop open?
d) His marriage comes off next Friday.
8. It had laid / in the closet / for a week before we found it. / NE
Answer: A
Explanation: Replace ‘laid’ by ‘lain’ in part ‘A’ as we have no object of the verb ‘had laid’ here. Translation in Hindi: यह एक सप्ताह से अलमारी (closet) में पड़ी हुई थी इस से पहले की हम इसे ढूंड पाते.
Use of the verbs ‘lay’ and ‘lie’ often confuses us as both these verbs have a similar meaning. Lay = to put something down carefully in a flat position. Lie = to be in or put yourself into a flat position. By going through the meanings of both of these verbs we can say that they are used in the same context. But there is a difference between the usages of both. Forms of these verbs are also different.
Three Forms of these verbs:
| I | II | III |
| Lay | Laid | Laid |
| Lie | Lay | Lain |
A) LAY
Verb ‘lay’ is a transitive verb, means it must have an object; e.g.
a) Lay the child on the bed. (The verb has an object, so it’s 1st form of ‘lay’.)
b) I laid the book on the table. (The verb ‘laid’ has an object, so it’s 2nd form of ‘lay’.)
c) The hen has laid an egg. (The verb ‘has laid’ has an object here, so it’s 3rd form of ‘lay’.)
B) LIE
The verb ‘lie’ is an intransitive verb, means it doesn’t take an object; e.g.
a) The boy lay on the sofa and slept. (You see that there is no object of the verb ‘lay’ in the sentence, so it’s 2nd form of ‘lie’ here.)
b) Let me lie. (There is no object of the verb ‘lie’ in the sentence, so it’s the 1st form of ‘lie’.)
c) How long had he lain there? (There is no object of the verb ‘lain’ in the sentence, so it’s the 3rd form of ‘lie’ here.)
d) I love to lie on a beach and read.
e) She lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling, daydreaming.
f) The dog was lying by the gate waiting for me to come home.
NOTE: The verb ‘lie’ can also mean ‘say something which is not true’. With this meaning its three forms are:
| I | II | III |
| Lie | Lied | Lied |
Example:
I lied to my teacher about my homework.
9. Our office building comprises / seven floors and a restaurant at the top in an / area of about eight hundred sq. metres. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘and’ by ‘with’ in part ‘B’. A restaurant is part of one of the floors of the building; it’s not made on a separate floor. Therefore you can’t use a conjunction here, hence, here the conjunction ‘but’ needs to be replaced by another type of word. Here the preposition ‘with’ will be the right choice.
10. These all / mangoes / are ripe. /NE
Answer: A
Explanation: Replace ‘these all’ by ‘all these’ or ‘all of these’ in part ‘A’. If there is a determiner [articles, possessives (my, our, your, etc.) or demonstratives (this, these, that, those)] before a noun we use ‘all’ or ‘all of’ before that determiner, not after; e.g.
INCORRECT: I have sent an invitation to my all friends.
CORRECT: I have sent an invitation to all my friends. OR I have sent an invitation to all of my friends.
11. They gave / witness to / their faith. / NE
Answer: D
Explanation: No error. In one of the meanings ‘give witness’ = to declare belief in something
Translation in Hindi: उन्होंने अपने भाग्य पर भरोसा जताया.
12. I have not come across / many people / who think of thing beyond / their daily work. NE
Answer: C
Explanation: Replace ‘thing’ by ‘a thing’ or ‘things’ in part ‘C as ‘thing’ is a countable noun.
13. The Indian way of thinking is superior / to most of the / countries of the world. / Ne
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘to most of’ by ‘to that of most’ in part ‘B’ because the comparison here is not between India and other countries of the world, rather it’s between the way of thinking in India and the way of thinking in other countries. Therefore here we need the pronoun for way of thinking, ‘that’ is the right pronoun to use here. Read this:
Comparison is always made in two or more similar type of things, therefore we should use a correct noun/pronoun after ‘that/to’; e.g.
INCORRECT: The price of this table is as much as that table.
CORRECT: The price of this table is as much as that of that table.
INCORRECT: The climate of Shimla is better than Delhi.
CORRECT: The climate of Shimla is better than that of Delhi.
INCORRECT: The people of Mumbai are more hard-working than Banglore.
CORRECT: The people of Mumbai are more hard-working than those of Banglore.
14. He was present / in the court / to give witness. /NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Remove the article ‘the’ before the noun ‘court’ in part ‘B’. When a court/bed/church/hospital/prison/school/college/university is visited for its primary purpose is not preceded by the article ‘the’. If a person goes to a court to give witness is one of the primary purposes of going there. ‘to give witness’ is right.
‘Give witness’ is an idiom which means to provide evidence of the truth of
something.
15. I am / too glad / to meet you. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘too’ by ‘very’ in part ‘B’. Construction ‘too — to’ is used for negative ideas, but for positive ideas we use ‘very — to’ construction. Here it’s a positive statement.
Translation in Hindi: मुझे तुमसे मिलकर बहुत ख़ुशी हुई.
Compare:
a) She is too weak to climb a tree. (= वह इतनी कमजोर है कि किसी पेड़ पर चढने में समक्ष नहीं है.)
b) She is very happy to meet me. (उसको मुझे तुमसे मिलकर बहुत ख़ुशी हुई.)
16. This is the woman / that always wears / a black shawl to work. / NE
Answer: C
Explanation: Replace ‘to work’ by ‘for work’ in part ‘C’. Preposition TO is used for verbs of motion, for static verbs we use ‘for’ The verb ‘wear’ does not indicate a motion, we don’t go anywhere while wearing clothes; e.g.
He drives to work by car. (‘Drive’ is a verb of motion.)
17. Nothing but trees / were seen / in the garden. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘were’ by ‘was’ in part ‘B’. In ‘nothing but trees’ the real subject is ‘nothing’, with ‘nothing’ the verb is always singular. ‘But’ is a preposition here, therefore ‘trees’ can’t be subject.
Translation in Hindi: बाग़ में पेड़ों के अलावा कुछ भी नहीं था.
Also read this:
Subject-verb Agreement with ‘with’, ‘along with’, ‘as well as’, etc.
When two nouns/pronouns in the subjects are joined by the following, the verb agrees with the first noun/pronoun. Though such a group of words appears to be the part of the subject, but it’s not like that:
| with | together with | as well as | accompanied by |
| headed by | guided by | governed by | led by |
| dominated by | controlled by | run by | in addition to |
| like | unlike | and not | rather than |
| but | besides | except | no less than |
| along with |
INCORRECT: He, and not his friends, are guilty.
CORRECT: He, and not his friends, is guilty.
INCORRECT: He together with his friends are coming today.
CORRECT: He together with his friends is coming today.
INCORRECT: All the teachers as well as the principal has decided to meet the M.L.A. of the area today.
CORRECT: All the teachers as well as the principal have decided to meet the M.L.A. of the area today.
INCORRECT: Nothing but cars are sold here.
CORRECT: Nothing but cars is sold here.
INCORRECT: Everyone but you do work regularly.
CORRECT: Everyone but you does work regularly.
INCORRECT: She and not her friends are guilty.
CORRECT: She and not her friends is guilty.
18. What to speak of food / even water / was not available there. / NE
Answer: A
Explanation: Replace ‘what to speak of’ by ‘not to speak of’ in part ‘A’. When we want to indicate that there is so little of something that it is hardly worth mentioning we use ‘not to speak of’.
19. No proposal should aim to seek funding with a view to use it / for achieving a partial fulfillment of goals / without any plan for completing the remainder. / NE
Answer: A
Explanation: Replace ‘use’ by ‘using’ in part ‘A’. निम्नलिखित के बाद या हम कोई noun ही use कर सकते हैं या फिर कोई gerund (ing form). परन्तु इन के बाद अगर कोई action दिया हुआ हो तो हम सिर्फ gerund ही use कर सकते हैं, कोई noun नहीं. ऊपर दिए गये sentence में ‘with a view to’ के बाद action use दिया हुआ हुआ है तो यहाँ हम सिर्फ gerund ही use कर सकते हैं, अर्थात ‘using’ ही use कर सकते हैं.
| accustomed to | habituated to | owing to | be/become/get used to |
| addicted to | in addition to | with a view to | |
| averse to | look forward to | prone to | |
| devoted to | object to | taken to |
a) I am looking forward to your reply. (‘Reply’ एक noun है)
b) I am looking forward to receiving my payment soon. (‘Receiving’ एक gerund है)
a) I am used to noise. (‘Noise’ एक noun है)
b) I am used to working in a noisy environment. (‘Working’ एक gerund है)
a) This road is prone to accidents. (‘Accidents’ एक noun है)
b) In his youth he was prone to gambling. (‘Gambling’ एक gerund है)
[PRONE = likely to suffer from an illness or show a particular negative characteristic]
He comes to me with a view to getting some help.
My father is addicted to smoking.
NOTE: ‘Used to’ के बाद अगर ‘be/become/get’ नहीं दिया हुआ हो तो हम फिर gerund की अपेक्षा infinitive (V1) use करते हैं; जैसे
‘I used to smoke earlier.’
20. She was to have married / my brother but she had been killed in a plane crash / a month before the wedding date. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘had been killed’ by ‘was killed’ in part ‘B’. In the above sentence ‘before’ is a preposition, not a conjunction. ‘Before’ as a conjunction can only be used before clauses, but ‘the’ ‘wedding date’ is not a clause as it has no subject and verb. As it’s a context of a past event we need to use the Past Simple Tense here. But yes, if its use was before a clause, use of any other tense would also be possible.
Translation in Hindi: उसकी मेरे भाई से शादी होनी थी लेकिन शादी की तारीख से एक महीना पहले ही वह एक plane crash में मारी गयी.
21. Mohan wishes / he will be / richer. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘will be’ by ‘were’ in part ‘B’. When ‘wish’ is a verb with a ‘that-clause’ we never use a present or a future tense in the ‘that-clause’, rather we use a past tense there. After the verb ‘wish’ use of ‘that’ is optional; e.g.
INCORRECT: I wish I have a car.
CORRECT: I wish I had a car. OR I wish that I had a car.
22. Go slowly / otherwise we might meet / with an accident. / NE
Answer: A
Explanation: Replace ‘slowly’ by ‘slow’ in part ‘A’. ‘Slow’ is an adjective as well as an adverb while ‘slowly’ is only an adverb. ‘Go slowly’ is an imperative part of the sentence. In imperative sentences/clauses we use the adverb ‘slow’, not ‘slowly’. We use the adverb ‘slowly’ in sentences which are not imperatives; e.g.
Compare:
a) Drive slow. (Imperative sentence)
b) He drives slowly. (Not an imperative sentence)
23. The museum’s revolving doors / stopped the crooks / as they jam half way round. / NE
Answer: C
Explanation: Replace ‘jam’ by ‘jammed’ in part ‘C’. Use of ‘museum’s’ is correct. The possessive by adding (‘s) to a noun can also be used with lifeless nouns that have some relationship of human activity; e.g.
a) the game’s history (or the history of the game)
b) the book’s author (or the author of the book)
c) the college’s president (or the president of the college)
d) the plan’s importance (or the importance of the plan)
24. Everyone gathered around grandmother / to listen to her stories /which were interesting and very animated. / NE
Answer: A
Explanation: Place the possessive adjective ‘his’ before the noun ‘grandmother’ in part ‘A’. Rule:
When the sex is not known we use the pronoun of the masculine gender for Anybody, Everybody, Everyone, Anyone, Each, etc.; and that pronoun is in the singular; e.g.
a) Anyone can do this sum if he tries.
b) Everyone has to do his work.
c) Each of them has submitted his report.
25. With a lot of persuasion / Mrinal was able to get the professor to agree / to review her article. / NE
Answer: B
Explanation: Replace ‘to agree’ by ‘agreed’ in part ‘B’. If a past reference is given (here ‘was’) after ‘get + object’ we use V3. Here in this sentence we are given an object (the professor) after ‘get’.
View solution with explanation in Hindi
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