Question 1

Error Spotting – Choose the segment (A–D) that contains a grammatical error; select “No error” only if the entire sentence is correct. Sentence: A) Rajesh won the case as B) he argued very forcefully and C) in such the intelligent way D) that the ju…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This question targets the “such … that …” construction and article usage before adjectives. English requires “such an + adjective + singular count noun” or “such + adjective + plural/uncount noun”.Given Data / Assumptions:Amplifier: “such … that …” linking cause to result.Noun phrase: “intelligent way” (singular count noun).Article used: “the” instead of “an”.Concept / Approach:With a singular count noun beginning with a vowel sound (“intelligent way”), use “such an intelligent way”. The determiner “the” disrupts the fixed pattern and is semantically off here.Step-by-Step Solution:1) Recognize the correlative “such … that …”.2) Ensure article correctness: “such an intelligent way”.3) Correct sentence: “Rajesh won the case, as he argued very forcefully and in such an intelligent way that the judge changed his opinion.”4) Therefore, C is the error segment.Verification / Alternative check:Compare: “such a clever method”, “such an effective strategy” — same pattern applies.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A, B, D: All parts are fine once C is fixed; punctuation before “as” is optional stylistically.Common Pitfalls:Confusing “such … that …” with “so … that …”; misusing articles with vowel sounds.Final Answer:Option C

Question 2

Error Spotting – Choose the segment (A–D) that contains a grammatical error; select “No error” only if the entire sentence is correct. Sentence: A) The minister's speech B) has been reported C) to the newspaper D) No mistake

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This tests correct preposition with the passive “reported”. News content appears “in the newspaper” or is carried “by the newspaper”, not reported “to the newspaper”.Given Data / Assumptions:Passive frame: “has been reported”.Recipient preposition used: “to”.Natural collocations: “reported in/by the newspaper”.Concept / Approach:In the passive, the locus of publication is expressed with “in”, and the agent organization (publisher) with “by”. “To” suggests a recipient of a report (e.g., “reported to the committee”), which is not the intended news-publication sense here.Step-by-Step Solution:1) Identify semantic role: place of publication vs recipient.2) Choose appropriate preposition: “in the newspaper” (place) or “by the newspaper” (agent).3) Correct versions: “The minister’s speech has been reported in the newspaper.” / “… by the newspaper.”4) Hence, C is erroneous.Verification / Alternative check:Parallel frames: “published in the magazine”, “covered by the channel”.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A–B: Grammatical; tense and possessive form are correct.D/E: Not part of the sentence content itself; evaluation markers only.Common Pitfalls:Overgeneralizing “to” for any target; ignoring collocational norms in media contexts.Final Answer:Option C

Question 3

Error Spotting – Choose the segment (A–D) that contains a grammatical error; select “No error” only if the entire sentence is correct. Sentence: A) Yesterday, a visitor to B) the park was attacked C) by a tiger and D) had to hospitalise.

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Introduction / Context:This item checks the correct passive complement after “had to …” when the subject undergoes a medical procedure. The active verb “hospitalise” requires an object (“doctors hospitalised the patient”), but when the patient is the subject, English uses the passive “be hospitalised”.Given Data / Assumptions:Event time: “Yesterday”.Passive attack clause: “was attacked by a tiger”.Subsequent necessity: “had to …”.Concept / Approach:With “had to”, use a base verb describing what the subject had to do or undergo. Since the subject (visitor) underwent hospital admission performed by others, the idiomatic form is “had to be hospitalised”.Step-by-Step Solution:1) Recognize that “hospitalise” is transitive in active voice.2) Align with subject-undergoer semantics: choose passive infinitive.3) Correct sentence: “Yesterday, a visitor to the park was attacked by a tiger and had to be hospitalised.”4) Therefore, D is the segment with the error.Verification / Alternative check:Parallel: “had to be treated/operated on/admitted” — all take passive when the subject is the patient.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A–C: Grammatically fine; the passive “was attacked … by a tiger” is standard.Common Pitfalls:Forgetting to switch to passive after “had to” when the subject is a recipient of an action performed by others.Final Answer:Option D

Question 4

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) All of you will agree with me B) that no problem faced by our society C…

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Introduction / Context:This question tests comparison structure with as … as and the avoidance of superfluous verbs in the second as-clause. In formal written English, the verb be after the second as is usually omitted when it does not add meaning.Given Data / Assumptions:Comparator frame: as grave and intractable … asSecond term of comparison: this problemExtra copula: is at the end of the sentenceConcept / Approach:In as … as comparisons, a repeated be after the second as is often unnecessary. The idiomatic form is as … as + noun/pronoun without an extra is. Keeping is produces awkward redundancy without changing meaning.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Identify the comparison frame: is as grave and intractable … as.Step 2: Check the second element: this problem already acts as the comparative benchmark.Step 3: Remove the redundant verb be after the second as.Corrected fragment: as this problem.Verification / Alternative check:Paraphrase: No problem is as serious as this problem. The natural end point is a noun phrase, not a verb phrase, confirming that is is superfluous here.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) Standard preface to an assertion; grammatical.B) Relative clause faced by our society is correctly formed.C) Predicate adjectives grave and intractable are fine.Common Pitfalls:Learners sometimes mirror earlier be-forms and add another be at the end of a comparison. Keep the structure lean: as + adjective + as + noun/pronoun.Final Answer:Option D contains the error. Use as this problem (omit is).

Question 5

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) The basket of apples B) sent by the gardener C) contained a number of D…

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Introduction / Context:The item assesses adverb placement (also) and end-focus in declarative sentences. English prefers also either before the lexical verb or immediately after the subject when it modifies the entire predicate.Given Data / Assumptions:Subject: The basket of apples (singular)Verb: containedDirect object: a number of green mangoesFocus adverb: alsoConcept / Approach:Sentence adverbs like also usually appear before the main verb (also contained) or after the subject (The basket of apples also …) when the intention is additive meaning for the predicate. Placing also at the very end after the object is less idiomatic and can miscue scope.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Determine scope: The additivity applies to the entire predicate, not just green mangoes.Step 2: Move also to a preferred slot.Step 3: Produce the corrected clause: The basket of apples also contained a number of green mangoes.Verification / Alternative check:Read both versions aloud. The end-placed also sounds tacked on; placing it before contained yields a smoother, standard rhythm and scope.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) Correct head noun with of-phrase; number agreement is with basket, which is fine.B) Past participle sent properly forms a reduced relative clause.C) a number of correctly takes a plural noun (green mangoes).Common Pitfalls:Overusing clause-final also leads to ambiguity. Prefer also contained or also after the subject for clarity.Final Answer:Option D is the error. Rewrite as: The basket of apples also contained a number of green mangoes.

Question 6

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) In order to save petrol, B) motorists must have to C) be very cautious …

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This tests modality and the redundancy of stacking must with have to. In standard usage, must and have to both express obligation; combining them is ungrammatical or at least nonstandard in formal writing.Given Data / Assumptions:Purpose clause: In order to save petrolModal sequence: must have toIntended meaning: obligation/recommendation for motoristsConcept / Approach:Use one marker of obligation: either must or have to. Choose must for strong speaker-imposed necessity or have to for external necessity. Do not stack them together.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Identify duplicated modality: must + have to.Step 2: Decide on tone: advice with strong necessity fits must.Step 3: Correct to motorists must be very cautious or motorists have to be very cautious.Verification / Alternative check:Substitute: They must be cautious vs They have to be cautious. Both are grammatical; the stacked form is not.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) Purpose phrase is fine.C) Complement be very cautious is grammatical.D) while + -ing clause correctly marks time/circumstance.Common Pitfalls:Learners often overemphasize necessity by doubling modals. Use one clear marker.Final Answer:Option B contains the error. Use must be or have to be, not must have to be.

Question 7

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) Even after requesting B) him, he did not C) tell us that how D) he solv…

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Introduction / Context:The item targets clause structure after reporting verbs and the incompatibility of that with wh-words in the same slot. In an embedded wh-clause (how, why, where), the complementizer that is not used before the wh-word.Given Data / Assumptions:Reporting frame: tell us …Wh-word: howAdded complementizer: thatConcept / Approach:After verbs like tell, say, or explain, we use either a that-clause (tell us that he solved it) or a wh-clause (tell us how he solved it), but not both together. Therefore, that how is incorrect; the correct structure is tell us how …Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Identify the clause type following tell us: it introduces manner (how), so it is a wh-clause.Step 2: Remove the complementizer that because wh-clauses do not take that.Step 3: Produce the corrected sequence: tell us how he solved the problem.Verification / Alternative check:Compare minimal pairs: He told us that he solved it (that-clause) vs He told us how he solved it (wh-clause). Mixing them is ungrammatical.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) Even after requesting … is an acceptable concessive preface (understood object is him).B) Pronoun reference he and negation did not are fine.D) Past form solved is correct and idiomatic.Common Pitfalls:Writers often overinsert that before wh-clauses. Choose one complementizer pattern only.Final Answer:Option C contains the error. Use tell us how he solved the problem.

Question 8

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) Every animal in the zoo B) is fed regularly C) and attended to D) very …

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This question checks coordination of passive verb phrases sharing the same auxiliary. English allows a single auxiliary to control multiple past participles in coordinated structures.Given Data / Assumptions:Auxiliary: isParticiples: fed, attended (both past participles in passive)Coordinating conjunction: andConcept / Approach:When two passive predicates share the same subject and auxiliary, the auxiliary be is not repeated before the second participle if parallelism is clear: is fed regularly and attended to promptly.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Identify the shared auxiliary is.Step 2: Confirm that both fed and attended to are past participles.Step 3: Check parallel structure and adverb placement: regularly modifies fed; promptly modifies attended to.Step 4: The coordinated passive is grammatical; no change is required.Verification / Alternative check:Expanding yields is fed regularly and is attended to very promptly, which is also correct but unnecessarily repetitive. The compact form used here is fully acceptable.Why Other Options Are Wrong:They are not wrong; each segment is grammatical and idiomatic.Common Pitfalls:Learners sometimes repeat the auxiliary or mislabel attended to as an active form. It is a fixed transitive-prepositional verb whose passive past participle is attended to.Final Answer:No error.

Question 9

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) Since it was a memory test B) the students were instructed C) to learn …

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This item tests mastery of fixed idioms. The correct idiom in English for memorizing exactly is learn by heart, not learn with heart.Given Data / Assumptions:Instructional frame: the students were instructed to learn …Target idiom: by heartIncorrect preposition in the original: with heartConcept / Approach:Idioms are conventionalized; their prepositions are not freely interchangeable. By heart uniquely signals memorization; with heart suggests emotion or enthusiasm, which changes meaning.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Identify the idiomatic expression required for memorization.Step 2: Replace with with by to restore the fixed phrase.Step 3: Keep the rest of the sentence unchanged.Verification / Alternative check:Comparable idioms: know by heart, recite by heart. None allow with.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) Since as a causal subordinator is grammatical.B) Passive instruction frame is standard.C) Infinitival to learn the is fine.Common Pitfalls:Translating idioms literally from other languages often leads to wrong prepositions. Memorize the fixed form by heart.Final Answer:Option D contains the error. Use passage by heart.

Question 10

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) This is one of B) the most interesting book C) I have D) ever read.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:The focus here is number agreement in the partitive construction one of + plural noun. After one of, the following noun must be plural because the reference is to one item from a set of many.Given Data / Assumptions:Partitive opener: one ofAdjective phrase: the most interesting …Head noun written in singular: bookConcept / Approach:Structure: one of + the + superlative + plural count noun. Therefore, book must be books.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Locate the partitive marker one of.Step 2: Ensure the following noun is plural.Step 3: Correct the fragment to the most interesting books.Verification / Alternative check:Parallels: one of the best movies, one of the greatest players. Singular would be unidiomatic.Why Other Options Are Wrong:A) Deictic phrase This is one of is fine.C) Relative clause I have … introduces experience and is grammatical.D) ever read is a standard intensifier with present perfect.Common Pitfalls:Writers sometimes let the nearest adjective distract them from the number marking of the head noun. Always pluralize after one of.Final Answer:Option B contains the error. Use the most interesting books.

Question 11

Error Spotting – Choose the part (A–D) that contains the grammatical error, or choose No error if the sentence is fully correct. Sentence (parts correspond to options below): A) Neither the earthquake B) nor the subsequent fire C) was able to dampen…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context:This question checks subject–verb agreement with the correlative pair neither … nor. With this construction, the verb agrees with the nearer subject (the one after nor).Given Data / Assumptions:Subjects: earthquake (singular) and fire (singular)Nearest subject to verb: the subsequent fire (singular)Verb form used: was (singular)Concept / Approach:Rule: With neither A nor B, the verb should agree with B (the element closest to the verb). Because fire is singular, was is the correct choice.Step-by-Step Solution:Step 1: Identify the noun closest to the verb: fire (singular).Step 2: Choose singular agreement for was able.Step 3: Confirm object the spirit of the residents is grammatical and matches the idiom dampen the spirit.Verification / Alternative check:Substitute a plural second element (nor the fires). Then the verb would be were. With singular fire, was is correct, validating no error.Why Other Options Are Wrong:They are not wrong; each part is grammatical and idiomatic.Common Pitfalls:Learners sometimes force plural agreement with neither … nor, forgetting the proximity rule. Always check the noun nearest the verb.Final Answer:No error.

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