RULES AND EXAMPLES OF SPOTTING ERRORS - PART - I

1. Some nouns are singular in form, but they are used as plural nouns and always take a
plural verb.
Cattle, gentry, vermin, peasantry , artillery, people clergy, company , police.
Example :
1. The cattle is grazing in the ground ( Incorrect )
2. The cattle are grazing in the ground ( correct )
2. Some nouns are always used in a plural form and always take a plural verb.
Trousers, scissors, spectacles stockings, shorts measles, goos, alms, premises,
thanks , tiings, annals, chattels, etc.
Example!
1. Where is my trousers? ( Incorrect)
2. Where are my trousers? ( Correct)
". There are some nouns that indiate length, measure, money , #eight or number.
When they are preeded by a numeral, they remain unhanged in form.
$oot, metre, pair , score, o%en, hea , year, hunre, thousan, million
1. !t is a three " years degree ourse ( Incorrect)
2. !t is a three " year degree ourse ( Correct )
&. Collective nouns suh as #ury, publi, team, ommittee, go$ernment, audiene,
orhestra, ompany, et. are used both as singular and plural depending on the meaning.
When these words indiate a unit, the $erb is singular, otherwise the $erb will be plural.
$or example!
1. The #ury was di$ided in this ase. ( Incorrect)
2. The #ury were di$ided in this ase. ( Correct)
'. % pronoun must agree with its anteedent in person, number and gender.
Example !
&$ery man must being his luggage.
%ll students must do their home work.
&ah of the girls must arry her own bag
(. The pronoun 'one( must be followed by 'one(s(.
Example !
)ne must finish his task in time ( Incorrect)
)ne must finish one*s task in time ( Correct)
+. ,hose* is used for li$ing persons and '#hich* for lifeless ob#ets.
Example!
,hich photograph is lying here? ( Incorrect)
,hose photograph is li$ing there? ( Correct)
-. *se of 'less* and '.e#er*
Example!
/ess* denotes +uantity and '.e#er* denotes number.
0o less than fifty persons #ere killed. ( In correct)
0o .e#er than fifty person #ere killed. ( Correct)
1. )ne o.* always takes a plural noun after it.
Example!
!t is one of the important ay in my life. ( In Correct)
!t is one of the important ays in my life. ( Correct )
12. *se of 'not only ' and ' but also ' &,amine the sentenes gi$en below.
Example!
-e not only omes for swimming but also for oahing the learners. ( In correct )
-e omes not only for swimming but also for oahing the learners. ( correct )
1. When a pronoun omes after 'like ' and ' unlike ' it takes an ob3ective case.
Example:
1. .i) % man like I will not do it. ( Incorrect )
. ii) % man like me will not do it. ( Correct)
2. % pronoun takes an ob#eti$e ase after 'let(.
Example :
1. . i ) /et I do it. . Incorrect)
. ii) /et me do it. . Correct)
". 0ronouns #oined by 'an ' remain in the same ase.
Example :
1. .i) -e and her are brother and sister. . Incorrect)
. ii) -e and she are brother and sister. .Correct)
2 . i) -e and me are friends. . Incorrect)
.ii) -e and I are friends. . Correct)
&. When pronouns o. secon person an thir person are used as sub#ets, the pronoun
following them will be accoring to the secon person pronoun.
Example:
1. . i) 1ou and he must bring his books . Incorrect)
. ii) 4ou and he must bring your books. . Correct)
'. When pronouns of secon person an .irst person are used as sub#ets, the pronoun
following them will be .irst person plural .orm.
Example!
1. .i) 1ou and ! must finish your work in time. . Incorrect)
.ii) 1ou and ! must finish our work in time. . Correct)
(. The relati$e pronoun 'that is used in preferene to '#ho* or 'whih after ad#eti$es in the
superlati$e degree.
Example:
1. .i) The wisest man #ho e$er li$ed made mistakes. . Incorrect)
.ii) The wisest man that e$er li$ed made mistakes . Correct)
2. .i) This is the best #hich we an do . Incorrect)
.ii) This is the best that we an do . . Correct)
+. When there are t#o anteceents, a man and an animal or two things before the relati$e
pronoun, we should use 'that*.
Example:
1. .i) The man and his dog #hich passed through this road were killed. . Incorrect)
.ii) The man and his dog that passed through this road were killed. . Correct)
-. The ase of the noun or pronoun preeding or sueeding the $erb 'to be* should be the
same.
Example:
1. .i) !t is him who ame to see us. . Incorrect)
.ii) !t is he who ame to see us. . Correct)
2. !t is me who aught the thief . . Incorrect)
.ii) !t is I who aught the thief. . Correct)
1. To show e+uality 'as* is used before after ad#eti$e.
Example:
1. .i) ! an run as fast, if not faster, than you. .Incorrect)
.ii) ! an run as fast as, if not faster, than you. . Correct)
12. 5ore than one* indiates a plural sense, but it is treated as a sort of ompound of one.
Thus it agrees with a singular noun and takes a singular verb.
Example:
1. . i) 2ore than employees were killed in the aident. . Incorrect)
.ii) 2ore than one employee was killed in the aident. . Correct)