English Language Error Spotting
Practice Questions – Set 35
Directions (1 – 15): Read the sentence to find out whether
there is any error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the
sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, the
answer is (E). Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.
1. This project was initiated (A) when the author
was working as a Fellow (B) on the Indian Council for Research (C) on
International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, India. (D) No error (E)
2. With crime of women continuing unabated, (A) the
society is feeling the need to resort to different measures. (B) A whole
lot of apps have come out in the market since (C) the horrific Nirbhaya
case in December 2012 with each one of them boasting unique features. (D) No
error (E)
3. Researchers at the University (A) of Queensland
have revealed that crown-of-thorns (B) starfish gather on large numbers
due to a release of pheromones - a scent they have decoded (C) so the
prickly pests can be lured to their capture. (D) No error (E)
4. The new real-time automatic obstacle detection (A) system
uses a dashboard camera and an (B) algorithm that can determine whether an
object near (C) the vehicle is a on-road cow and whether or not its
movements represent a risk to the vehicle. (D) No error (E)
5. To ensure the news that Internet users got is not
fake, (A) Facebook is leading a consortium that is pouring $14 million
into (B) the creation of a News Integrity Initiative. Apart from academics
and non-profits, (C) Mozilla and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales
is also part of the consortium. (D) No error (E)
6. A mysterious flash of (A) X-rays has been
discovered by (B) NASA’s Chandra Observatory in the (C) deepest X-ray
image ever obtained.(D) No error (E)
7. Unlike the currently used dyes, (A) quantum
dots synthesised (B) from a mango leaf is biocompatible, have excellent (C) photostability
and show no cellular toxicity. (D) No error (E)
8. A faint fuzzball in the sky (A) was discovered
in 2015 (B) on the Pan-STARRS NEO survey team using (C) a telescope on the
summit of Haleakala, Hawaii. (D) No error (E)
9. A relatively large near-Earth asteroid flew safely
past (A) our planet tomorrow at a distance (B) of about 1.8 million
kilometres, over four (C) times the distance from Earth to the Moon NASA said. (D) No
error (E)
10. Pregnancy tests for cattle will soon become easier
with (A) the availability of a new kit being developed by scientists from (B) the
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. Using ELISA to
test a sample of dung can (C) reveal the pregnancy at an earlier stage
being compared with existing methods. (D) No error (E)
11. The economics of the city plays itself out, (A) /
when presenting sharp contrasts in the choices (B) / that the privileged and
economically independent have, (C) / compared to those that are not. (D) / No
error (E)
12. What has helped these centers develop (A) / so
rapidly is the development of (B) / social infrastructure like schooling,
healthcare, (C) / housing and urban transport tandemly. (D) / No error (E)
13. South Asian religious traditions (A) / have long
attracted admirers (B) / from the West, but none (C) / have been flamboyant as
Maximiani Portaz. (D) / No error (E)
14. The National Technical Advisory Group on
Immunization (NTAGI) is a group of experts (A) / who meet on an annual basis to
discuss the technical and policy issues (B) / pertaning with the program and
suggest introduction of (C) / newer vaccines based on the available disease
burden data. (D) / No error (E)
15. In parallel, the building up (A) of a defence base
(B) should gather great momentum (C) than the snail's pace it has now. (D) / No
error (E)
Answers with
Explanations:
1. C) The preposition 'on' has been wrongly used in
the third part of the sentence. We use 'at' for specific names of places. Thus
the correct sentence is - '.... Fellow at the Indian Council for
Research...
2. A) The Nirbhaya case was not a crime of women, it was
a crime against women. Therefore, the error is in A) and it should be:with
crime against women continuing unabated. Hence, Option A) is the
correct answer.
3. C) The error is in C). The correct phrase for implying
a huge quantity is in large numbers, whereas it has
been given on large numbers. Therefore,
Option C) is the correct answer.
4. D) The error is in D). On-road starts
with a vowel and therefore, it should be: an on road cow and... Hence,
Option D) is the correct answer.
5. A) Parts B) and D) indicate that it's in present tense.
Since they can't be simultaneously wrong, the entire sentence should be be in
the present. Therefore, there is an error in A), which is in the past. It
should be: users get is not fake. Hence,
Option A) is the correct answer.
6. E) The entire sentence is grammatically correct and
therefore, there is no error. Hence, Option E) is the correct answer.
7. C) There is an error in C). From a mango leaf
is biocompatible ... The subject for biocompatible = quantum
dots = plural. It should be : are biocompatible. Hence,
Option C) is the correct answer.
8. C) The team discovered the fuzzball in the sky. Therefore,
there is an error in C). Instead of on the Pan-STARRS NEO survey team, it
should be: by the Pan-STARRS NEO survey team. Hence, Option C)
is the correct answer.
9. A) The asteroid incident will occur in the future and therefore,
there is an error in A) which states it in the past. It should be asteroid
will fly safely past... Hence, Option A) is the correct answer.
10. D) The error is in D). They are trying to convey that
the new method reveals the pregnancy at an earlier stage in comparison to the
existing methods. As should replace Being. It
should be: as compared to the existing methods. Hence,
Option D) is the correct answer.
11. D) The sentence is in Present Indefinite Tense and the
fragment D must be "compared to those that do not." as per the rule
of Subject-verb agreement.
12. D) 'Tandemly' is a wrong expression used in the
fragment D of the sentence.
The appropriate adverbial phrase is 'in tandem'.
13. D) The fragment D has an error and it should be 'have
been as flamboyant as Maximiani Portaz.
We use as + adjective/adverb + as to make
comparisons when the things we are comparing are equal in some way.
14. C) Kindly replace 'pertaining with' by 'pertaining to'
because the word 'pertain' takes the preposition 'to' after it.
To pertain is to be relevant or somehow associated
with something.
15. C) The fragment C of the sentence is erroneous as the
adjective (great) used in it must be of comparative degree.
The correct sentence would therefore be, "In
parallel, the building up of a defence industrial base should gather greater
momentum than the snail's pace it has now."
