Error Spotting

What you'll learn

Learn to find the one faulty part in SSC-CGL error-spotting sentences using a proofreader's method, a table of common error zones and worked examples.

This chapter has

Error Spotting — solved practice questions

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

1. Q1easy

   Find the error: 'He don't know the answer.'

   • Adon't → doesn't
   • Bknow → knows
   • Cthe → a
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) don't → doesn't

   'He' is third person singular → the correct form is 'doesn't know'.

2. Q2easy

   Find the error: 'She is more smarter than him.'

   • Amore smarter → smarter
   • Bthan → then
   • Chim → he
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) more smarter → smarter

   'Smarter' is already comparative. 'More smarter' is a double comparative — incorrect. Should be 'smarter'.

3. Q3easy

   Find the error: 'The news are bad today.'

   • Aare → is
   • Bnews → new
   • Cbad → badly
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) are → is

   'News' is singular (uncountable) → 'The news is bad today'.

4. Q4medium

   Find the error: 'Neither of them are correct.'

   • Aare → is
   • BNeither → Both
   • Cthem → they
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) are → is

   'Neither' is singular → 'Neither of them is correct'.

5. Q5easy

   Find the error: 'He works very hardly.'

   • Ahardly → hard
   • Bvery → much
   • Cworks → work
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) hardly → hard

   'Hardly' means 'barely/scarcely'. The correct adverb for diligently is 'hard' → 'He works very hard'.

6. Q6easy

   Find the error: 'I am knowing the answer.'

   • Aam knowing → know
   • Bthe → a
   • Canswer → answers
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) am knowing → know

   'Know' is a stative verb — it cannot be used in continuous tenses. 'I know the answer'.

7. Q7medium

   Find the error: 'We discussed about the plan.'

   • Aabout → (remove it)
   • Bdiscussed → talk
   • Cthe → a
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) about → (remove it)

   'Discuss' is transitive — it doesn't need 'about'. 'We discussed the plan'.

8. Q8medium

   Find the error: 'She is elder than her brother.'

   • Aelder → older
   • Bthan → then
   • Cbrother → brothers
   • Dno error
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (A) elder → older

   'Elder' is used for family members and cannot take 'than'. Use 'older than' in comparisons.

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