Error Detection & Sentence Improvement

What you'll learn

A fast, exam-focused guide to the five grammar rules — subject-verb agreement, tense, prepositions, articles and parallelism — that power almost every Error Detection and Sentence Improvement question in IBPS and SBI PO/Clerk exams, with a 4-step attack method and two fully worked examples.

This chapter has

Error Detection & Sentence Improvement — solved practice questions

8 Banking English Language questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1medium

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'One of the most common mistake (A) / that students make (B) / is ignoring (C) / basic grammar rules. (D)'

   • AOne of the most common mistake
   • Bthat students make
   • Cis ignoring
   • Dbasic grammar rules
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) One of the most common mistake

   'One of the' must be followed by a plural noun, so 'mistake' should be 'mistakes'.

2. Q2medium

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'The number of applicants (A) / have increased (B) / significantly (C) / this year. (D)'

   • AThe number of applicants
   • Bhave increased
   • Csignificantly
   • Dthis year
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) have increased

   The phrase 'the number of' takes a singular verb, so 'have' should be 'has'.

3. Q3easy

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'Every student (A) / in the class (B) / were given (C) / a certificate. (D)'

   • AEvery student
   • Bin the class
   • Cwere given
   • Da certificate
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) were given

   'Every' is singular and takes a singular verb, so 'were given' should be 'was given'.

4. Q4easy

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'He speaks English (A) / fluently (B) / and writes it (C) / very good. (D)'

   • AHe speaks English
   • Bfluently
   • Cand writes it
   • Dvery good
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) very good

   An adverb is needed to describe how he writes, so 'very good' should be 'very well'.

5. Q5medium

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'The scenery (A) / of the hills (B) / were breathtaking (C) / that morning. (D)'

   • AThe scenery
   • Bof the hills
   • Cwere breathtaking
   • Dthat morning
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) were breathtaking

   'Scenery' is an uncountable singular noun, so the verb should be 'was breathtaking', not 'were'.

6. Q6medium

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'Ravi is one (A) / of the most (B) / brilliant (C) / student in his class. (D)'

   • ARavi is one
   • Bof the most
   • Cbrilliant
   • Dstudent in his class
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (D) student in his class

   'One of the most brilliant' requires a plural noun, so 'student' should be 'students'.

7. Q7medium

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'She is senior than (A) / all her colleagues (B) / in terms of (C) / years of service. (D)'

   • AShe is senior than
   • Ball her colleagues
   • Cin terms of
   • Dyears of service
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) She is senior than

   'Senior' takes the preposition 'to', not 'than', so it should read 'senior to'.

8. Q8hard

   Identify the part that contains an error: 'I have been (A) / knowing him (B) / since childhood (C) / very well. (D)'

   • AI have been
   • Bknowing him
   • Csince childhood
   • Dvery well
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) knowing him

   'Know' is a stative verb and is not used in the continuous form, so it should be 'I have known him'.

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