Er ror detection is one of the important topics that appears in all major banking exams including IBPS, SBI and NABARD. It is a part of the English language section and at least four to five questions will be asked from this topic. In order to solve error detection questions effectively, job aspirants must have a strong grasp of the English grammar including Tenses, Articles, Subject-Verbagreement and Parts of Speech. By understanding grammar rules and exceptions, aspirants can apply the elimination method to answer questions correctly and with better accuracy. The pattern of questions in banking exams changes periodically to keep pace with the updated syllabus, making the exams increasingly tricky. Aspirants should stay updated on these changes to stay ahead in their preparation. Therefore, a thorough understanding of error detection concepts and techniques is essential for aspirants aiming to excel in bank exams and pursue a career in the banking sector. In this article we will see some model questions and will also learn how to solve the questions based on the error detection topic effectively.
Directions (Qs. 1 - 15): The given sentence has been divided up into four different parts A, B, C and D. Select the portion of the sentence which contains an error (spelling, grammatical or contextual). If there is no error, choose option ‘E’(no error) as your answer.
1. When my sister
(A)/ comes back from the USA, (B)/ we discuss (C)/ about her marriage. (D)/ No error (E).
Explanation: Whenever two future actions are stated in single sentence, the first action that to be done is expressed in ‘simple present tense’ (comes back), and the next following action that to be done is expressed in simple future tense (will discuss). The discussion will happen only after my sister’s arrival. So, ‘we will discuss’ is the correct usage here.
Ans: C
2. The Math teacher taught
(A)/ the students since (B)/ morning; therefore, he (C)/ was exhausted. (D)/ No error (E).
Explanation: The math teacher had started his teaching in past, continued to teach in past and finished his teaching in the past itself. So, past perfect continuous tense (had been teaching) must be used here. We use the past perfect continuous tense to describe ongoing actions or situations that started in the past, continued for a certain duration, and were still in progress before another event or time in the past.
Ans: A
3. The Mumbai Indians team did not came out
A)/ victorious against the Gujarat Titans, yet they were (B)/ not disappointed rather (C)/ satisfied because they had played well. (D)/ No error (E).
Explanation: When forming the negative past tense of the verb ‘come’, we use the auxiliary verb ‘did’, followed by the base form of the verb, which is ‘come’. So, the correct construction is ‘did not come’. In the past tense, we use the base form of the verb without adding the ‘-ed’ ending. The auxiliary verb ‘did’ already indicate that the sentence is in the past tense. Therefore, there is no need to change the verb ‘come’ itself.
Ans: A
4. Japanese mangoes taste
(A)/ sweetly than (B)/ any other fruit (C)/ in this world. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: When making a comparison between two things and indicating that one has a greater level of sweetness than the other, we use the comparative form of the adjective ‘sweet,’ which is ‘sweeter.’ The correct syntax is ‘sweeter than.’ In comparative structures, we use the adjective in its comparative form (adding ‘-er’ to the base form) followed by ‘than’ to indicate the comparison between two items. Therefore, the correct form is ‘sweeter than.’
Ans: B
5. The athlete ran quick
(A)/ towards the finish line, (B)/ hoping to break C)/ her personal record. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: When describing how someone ran, we use the adverb ‘quickly’ rather than the adjective ‘quick’ to modify the verb ‘ran.’ Adverbs are used to describe the manner or how an action is performed, whereas adjectives describe the quality or characteristics of a noun.
Ans: A
6. I am really excited for going to
(A)/ watch the cricket match with my friends (B)/ tonight, but I am not (C)/ sure if I reach there on time. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: When expressing enthusiasm or anticipation for a particular action or event, we typically use the preposition ‘about’ followed by a gerund (a verb form ending in ‘-ing’) to indicate what we are excited about. So, the correct phrase is ‘excited about going’.
Ans: A
7. The little baby girl threw her toy
(A)/ car in the road (B)/ and returned home (C)/ empty handed. (D)/ No Error (E)
Explanation: When referring to the location or position of someone or something in relation to a road, we typically use the preposition ‘on’ to indicate that something or someone is physically situated on the surface of the road. In the above example, ‘on the road’ is used to indicate the physical location of the car because the girl threw her toy on the surface of the road.
Ans: B
8. No sooner had the Bharat Gaurav train reached
(A)/ at the Vijayawada railway station then (B)/ the passengers began to take (C)/ selfies with their mobile phones. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: The phrase "No sooner ... than" is used to express that one action or event happens immediately after another action or event. It is often used to emphasize the quick succession or immediate occurrence of two events. So, ‘No sooner had the Bharat Gaurav train reached at the Vijayawada railway station than…’ is the correct usage. The sentence structure for these types of sentences is: “No sooner + did/ had + noun + than”.
Ans: B
9. The number of government and
(A)/ private banks are being (B)/ increased in the country significantly (C)/ to serve the customers better. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: Here, the subject of the sentence is ‘number’, which is a singular noun. So, we have to use the singular verb that is associated with the singular noun. So, ‘The number of government and private banks is being increased’ is the correct usage.
Ans: B
10. I walking along
(A)/ the bank of the river, (B)/ the depth of the river (C)/ began to rise. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: ‘While I was walking along’ is the correct usage here. Here, two events were going on at the same time in the past (I was walking along the river and the depth of it began to rise). The word ‘while’ is a conjunction that is used to connect two actions or events that occur simultaneously or overlap in time. It can also introduce a subordinate clause indicating a contrast or contradiction to the main clause.
Ans: A
11. The female singer in the music concert sings beautifully, but
(A)/ she dances awful, which (B)/ is why her performances always seems (C)/ to be received mixed reviews from the audience. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: ‘Awfully’ is the adverb that describes the manner in which the action of dancing is performed. It conveys the idea that the dancing is done in a poor or unpleasant manner. Adverbs are used to describe the manner or how an action is performed, while adjectives describe the quality or characteristics of a noun.
Ans: B
12. Whenever my grandmother
(A)/ comes to our house, (B)/ she is bringing a lot of (C)/ sweets for us. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: In the given sentence, ‘she brings’ should be used in place of ‘she is bringing’. The given sentence is a habitual action. To describe a habitual or regular action, we use simple present tense, while ‘she is bringing’ is used to describe an action happening at the present moment in the present continuous tense.
Ans: C
13. My family members
(A)/ usually prefer (B)/ vegetarian food (C)/ than fast food to eat in the hotels. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: When expressing a preference for one option or action over another, we use the preposition ‘to’ after the verb ‘prefer’ (prefer to), to indicate the preferred choice. Here, vegetarian food is preferred against fast food.
Ans: D
14. Bear Grylls run brisk and careless through
(A)/ the forest, not worrying about (B)/ about tripping on a wet patch or getting (C)/ scratched by sharp needles like bushes. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: There are two grammatical errors present in this sentence. First one is the use of ‘brisk’ as an adverb instead of ‘briskly’ and the second one is the use of ‘careless’ as an adverb instead of ‘carelessly.’ The word ‘brisk’ is an adjective that describes a noun, while ‘briskly’ is the adverb that describes how the verb is being performed, which is required for the sentence. Similarly, the word ‘careless’ is an adjective that describes a noun, but for the sentence the adverb ‘carelessly’ is the correct word to describe how the verb is being performed. So, the correct sentence is: Bear Grylls run briskly and carelessly through the forest, not worrying about tripping on a wet patch or getting scratched by sharp needles like bushes.
Ans: A
15. It was too cold in the forest for
(A)/ shoot climax scenes last night, (B)/ so the director of the movie cancelled the shoot (C)/ and the entire crew stayed in their hotel rooms. (D)/ No error (E)
Explanation: In the above sentence, the preposition ‘to’ should be used in place of the preposition ‘for’. The ‘too ... to’ conjunction used in the English language is used to express that something cannot or should not be done because it exceeds a certain limit or condition. ‘Too’ is an adverb that is used to indicate excess or excessiveness, or to indicate that something is more than enough (here, it was too cold in the forest), followed by an infinitive verb ‘to.’ The combination of the words ‘too … to’ are used collectively to convey that something more than necessary has happened. It can also be used to indicate in addition, or to show agreement with a previous statement. For example: ‘Arijit singh can play the tabla too.’
Ans: A
