Campus Recruitment – Verbal Ability – Sentence Correction/ Spotting Errors
Contents
CONCEPTS
Sentence correction questions are designed to test your ability to identify written English that is grammatically correct. They also test your ability to understand the essential message conveyed in that sentence. Therefore, understanding the essential and discarding the unimportant or non-essential is the key point to be focused while attending to these type of questions. Questions on spotting errors/ sentence correction are usually based different grammatical rules. We have different types of grammatical errors. You have to concentrate chiefly on the following kinds of errors.
- Errors of Subject Verb Agreement.
- Errors based on the wrong usage words.
- Errors in the use of Nouns and Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Conjunctions, Prepositions etc.
- Errors in the use of Tenses.
- Errors on active and passive voice.
- Errors in the usage of Articles
- Errors in the usage of Reported Speech.
All the above topics are discussed in the previous chapters.
Types of sentence correction questions:
Spotting the Errors:
In this type of question, a sentence is given with certain parts have been underlined or marked a, b, c and d. one of these underlined or marked parts may contain and error or may not be acceptable in standard written communication. You have to find which part has an error.
Choosing the grammatically correct sentences:
In this type of question, four sentences are given and we are asked to choose the grammatically correct sentence. There is no underlined part so you have to observe the entire sentence for its accuracy and grammar.
Choosing the best alternative:
This is a different type of question where a part of the sentence is high-lighted or underlined. You have to choose the best alternative from among the four given sentences.
Inappropriate usage:
Here, the different usages of a word/ phrases are tested. You have to choose the option in which the usage is inappropriate or incorrect.
To score well in the above sections, you need to know Standard English Grammar. You must be able to recognize the various Parts of Speech and identify the way they are used incorrectly in test question.
Mainly, your attention should be focused on tenses of verbs, word order, word form, and agreement of the verb with the subject, difference between principal verb and Auxiliary verb, proper usage of preposition. You must also have a solid understanding of the different idiomatic phrases and the link between one clause and the other, i.e. principal clause and sub-ordinate clause.
Strategies to solve questions on choosing grammatically correct sentences.
- The first thing to do is to go through all the four sentences carefully. Sometimes there may be multiple errors in a sentence. Therefore while choosing the correct sentence; you have to be careful.
- While reading the options you may find one or two sentences with glaring grammatical mistakes.Obviously, what you should do is to short list your options. Then closely concentrate on the one or two short listed options out of the four given.
- Do not look for spelling errors or errors is the use of capital letters and punctuation marks.
Exercise – I
Each of the questions given below consists of four sentences on a topic numbered a to d. There may be an error in any one part of the sentence. Read the sentence and Identify the part which has the error and write it as the answer. If there is no error, mark the answer as (e).
1. (a) If he worked hard
(b) he would have
(c) got through the exam
(d) which he wrote recently.
2. (a) She told me
(b) that she will meet me
(c) the next day
(d) if she had time.
3. (a) He usually
(b) goes to college
(c) by walk
(d) because he stays close by.
4. (a) After he returned back
(b) from U.S
(c) he has started
(d) his own factory.
5. (a) The students
(b) work
(c) meticulously throughout the year
(d) doesn’t they.
6. (a) She could not give the exam
(b) since she lacked
(c) the requisite attendance
(d) required by the University.
7. (a) He hoped
(b) to top the exam
(c) but could not be able to do so
(d) because of ill-health.
8. (a) We have not met them yet
(b) though
(c) they lived here
(d) for a year.
9. (a) Neither he nor his brother
(b) are capable
(c) of taking over their father’s business
(d) after his retirement.
10. (a) No sooner the sale started
(b) at the shopping mall
(c) than there was a mad rush
(d) to grab everything available.
11. (a) The traffic
(b) in Hyderabad
(c) is worse
(d) than Chennai.
12. (a) The man with a blue shirt
(b) standing near the gate
(c) is the man
(d) I had mentioned earlier.
13. (a) This organization provides
(b) good service to all
(c) the illiterate people in this village
(d) for the past ten years.
14. (a) By the time
(b) Harish and his friends
(c) reached the station
(d) the train left.
15. (a) Before you enter
(b) a place of worship
(c) you should
(d) take out your shoes.
16. (a) The green building
(b) besides the bank
(c) was the building
(d) in which my doctor lives.
17. (a) Due to old age
(b) the man
(c) is confined within his house
(d) and is unable to step out.
18. (a) Unless you do not complete
(b) the work
(c) you will not be allowed
(d) to leave this place.
19. (a) Every man and woman
(b) must vote
(c) for the candidate
(d) of their choice.
20. (a) This product is
(b) superior than
(c) many others
(d) from the same company.
21. (a) Though they require
(b) only fifteen candidate
(c) they have received
(d) 12000 applications.
22. (a) The teacher asked
(b) the poor boy
(c) why was he
(d) not attending classes regularly.
23. (a) She is believing
(b) all that her tell her
(c) is the truth
(d) and nothing but the truth.
24. (a) The two first students
(b) were rewarded
(c) by the Principal
(d) during their annual programme
25. (a) Each of the players
(b) have played
(c) well in
(d) the recent games.
26. (a) He had taken
(b) the exam more seriously
(c) if he had known
(d) how important it is.
27. (a) The chief minister
(b) as well as
(c) his cabinet colleagues
(d) have attended the plenary session.
28. (a) After the accident
(b) they discovered that
(c) the house’s compound wall
(d) had been knocked down.
29. (a) The master accused him
(b) for stealing the money
(c) but he denied
(d) having taken it.
30. (a) Neither my sister
(b) nor I
(c) are attending
(d)the seminar.
31. (a) The teacher asked
(b) the student
(c) why he had not
(d) informed beforehand.
32. (a) Don’t offer her
(b) anything hot as she prefers
(c) cool drinks
(d) than coffee or tea.
33. (a) He was my classmate
(b) when he studied
(c) in my college
(d) two years before.
34. (a) She does not
(b) talk to her sister
(c) as she is angry
(d) upon her.
35. (a) He hanged
(b) the picture of his mother
(c) in the drawing room
(d) above the window.
36. (a) Unlike most animals
(b) the crocodile can live
(c) both on land
(d) and water.
37. (a) By January next year
(b) we will be living
(c) in Hyderabad
(d) for thirty years.
38. (a) His friends congratulated him
(b) for his success
(c) in securing a job
(d) in an MNC.
39. (a) He usually travels
(b) with the local train
(c) So that he can avoid
(d) driving in chaotic traffic.
40. (a) He is very good
(b) in mathematics
(c) and will surely
(d) get a state rank.
41. (a) Hardly had the shopkeeper
(b) opened the shop
(c) then he was attacked
(d) by the hooligans.
42. (a) The district collector
(b) was invited to give up
(c) the prizes
(d) during the convocation.
43. (a) If he came on time
(b) he could have requested
(c) the Principal personally
(d) to give him permission.
44. (a) How much money
(b) you require
(c) to complete
(d) this work.
45. (a) Being a Sunday
(b) I decided
(c) that I would
(d) stay at home.
46. (a) She is faster
(b) than me
(c) in completing the work
(d) allotted to us.
47. (a) He asked
(b) that we had
(c) taken lunch before
(d) we arrived there.
48. (a) They had swam
(b) across the river
(c) before the
(d) sun set.
49. (a) I am not
(b) one of those
(c) who believes
(d) everything I hear.
50. (a) I got this information
(b) from a friend
(c) who was there
(d) when the incident happened.
Explanations
1)a; This is a conditional sentence, which talks about an unfulfilled condition. Here the first part should be in past perfect.
2)b; This is an example of reported speech. The answer should have been ‘she would meet me’.
3)c; ‘on foot’.
4)a; ‘returned’ not ‘returned back’. This is an example of redundancy.
5)d; don’t they? The question tag must agree with the subject.
6)a; Students ‘take’ the exam and teachers ‘give’ the exam
7)c; was not able to do so.
8)c; they have been living here.
9)b;’is’ capable, neither-nor is followed by singular verb.
10)a; ‘did the sale start’
11)d; ‘that of Chennai’.
12)a; ‘in a blue shirt’.
13)a; ’has been providing.
14)d; had left. After a simple past tense, the past perfect must be used.
15)d; take off.
16)b; beside
17)c; confined to.
18)a; unless you complete.
19)d; his/ her choice.
20)b; superior to.
21) no error.
22)c; why he was.
23)a; believes.
24)a; the first two.
25)b; has;
26)a; would have taken.
27)d; has attended.
28)c; the compound wall of the house.
29)b; accused of.
30)c; am attending (neither…..nor).
31) no error.
32)d; prefer… to.
33)d; two years ago.
34) d; angry with.
35)a; hung (used for inanimate objects)
36)d; in water.
37)b; will have lived (future perfect).
38)b; on his success.
39)b; by the local train.
40)b; at mathematics.
41)c; when (hardly…..when).
42)b; give away.
43)b; could (remove have).
44)b; do you require.
45)a; it being a Sunday.
46)b; than I.
47)b; if/ whether we had.
48)a; swum.
49)d; everything they hear.
50)b; through.
Exercise – II
Each question consists of four sentences on a topic. Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence.
1)
a. She told me that she is leaving for London next week.
b. She told me she is leaving for London next week.
c. She told me that she was leaving for London next week
d. She told me that she was leaving to London next week.
2)
a. Our teacher told us that water boiled at 100°c.
b. Our teacher told us that water will be boiling at 100°.
c. Our teacher told us that water had been boiling at 100°c.
d. Our teacher told us that water boils at 100° c.
3)
a. The Duke of Kent, accompanied by a number of shepherds, soldiers and monks were proceeding on a hunting tour.
b. The Duke of Kent, accompanied by a number of shepherds, soldiers and monks are proceeding on a hunting tour.
c. The Duke of Kent, accompanied by a number of shepherds, soldiers and monks have been proceeding on a hunting tour.
d. The Duke of Kent, accompanied by a number of shepherds, soldiers and monks was proceeding on a hunting tour.
4)
a. When I entered the room, the class is going on.
b. When I entered the room, the class was going on.
c. When I entered the room, the class has been going on
d. When I entered the room, the class have been going on
5)
a. One of my friend is working as a Team Leader for WIPRO
b. One of my friends are working as Team Leader for WIPRO.
c. One of my friends is working as a Team Leader for WIPRO.
d. One of my friends have been working as a Team Leader for WIPRO.
6)
a. Neither Ravi nor you is at fault.
b. Neither Ravi nor you are at fault.
c. Neither Ravi nor you was at fault.
d. Neither Ravi or you are at fault.
7)
a. He lives in Chicago with his family which consists of his wife and two children.
b. He lives with his family in Chicago which consists of his wife and two children
c. He lives in Chicago with his family which consist of his wife and two children.
d. He lives with his family in Chicago that consists of his wife and two children.
8)
a. The PM Modi congratulated Poorna for her success in climbing the Everest at an young age.
b. The PM Modi congratulated Poorna on her success in climbing the Everest at an young age.
c. The PM Modi congratulated Poorna in her success in climbing the Everest at an young age.
d. The PM Modi congratulated Poorna with her success in climbing the Everest at an young age.
9)
a. The Rumour spread like wild fire.
b. The Rumour spreaded like forest fire.
c. The Rumours had spread like fire in the forest.
d. The Rumour had spreaded like wild fire.
10)
a. Rita had met me yesterday while I was waiting at the GITAM bus stop.
b. Rita had met me yesterday while I had been waiting at the GITAM bus stop.
c. Rita met me yesterday while I was waiting at the GITAM bus stop.
d. Rita was meeting me yesterday while I was waiting at the GITAM bus stop.
11)
a. Being an unfriendly man, did not have many friends.
b. Being an unfriendly man> he did not have many friends.
c. Being an unfriendly man, he did not had many friends.
d. Having been an unfriendly man, he did not possessed many friends.
12)
a. Mary is the daughter of Mr. John who got the first prize in the music competition.
b. Mary is the daughter to Mr. John who got the first
prize in the music competition.
c. Mary, who is the the daughter of Mr. John, got the first prize in the Music Competition.
d. Mary, whom is the daughter of Mr. john, who got the first prize in the Music Competition.
13)
a. We watched a film of war on TV last night.
b. We watched a war’s film on TV last night.
c. We watched a war film on TV last night.
d. We watched a film of war in TV last night.
14)
a. If I was a bird, I would fly and come to you at once
b. If I was a bird, I will fly and come to you at once.
c. If I were a bird, I would fly and come to you at once.
d. If I were a bird, I will fly and come to you at once.
15)
a. The opinion of several lawyers and constitutional experts were in favour of the President of the country.
b. The opinion of several lawyers and constitutional experts was in favour to the president of country.
c. The opinion of several lawyers and constitutional experts was in favour of the president of the county.
d. The opinion of several lawyers and constitutional experts were in favour to the president of the country.
16)
a. This kind of forests with their large trees provide shade to the vegetation below.
b. These kinds of forests with their large trees provide shade to the vegetation below.
c. These kind of forests with its large trees provide shade to the vegetation below.
d. These kinds of forests with their large trees provides shade to f’ “getation below.
17)
a. Last year, I visited the Red Fort, the Qutub Minar and the Parliament House.
b. Last year, I had visited the Red Fort, the Qutub Minar and the Parliament House.
c. Last year, I had been visiting the Red fort, the Qutub Minar and the Parliament House.
d. Last year, I have visited the Red Fort, the Qutub Minar and the Parliament House.
18)
a. Recently, the leaders of both the countries India and Pakistan have reached on an agreement to avoid future conflicts.
b. Recently, the leaders of both the countries India and Pakistan reached on an agreement to avoiding future conflicts.
c. Recently, the leaders of both the countries India and Pakistan had reached on an agreement to avoid future conflicts.
d. Recently, the leaders of both the countries India and Pakistan have been reaching on an agreement to avoid future conflicts.
19)
a. Before giving milk to baby, it should be boiled.
b. Before giving milk to baby, the milk should be boiled.
c. If the baby does not drink milk, it should be boiled.
d. Whenever milk is given to baby, it must be boiled.
20)
a. The ebb and flow of tides were explained by Newton long back.
b. The ebb and flow of tides had been explained by Newton long back.
c. The ebb and flow of tides was explained by Newton long back long ago.
d. The ebb and flow of tides were being explained by Newton long ago.
21)
a. All the ten of us delivered a short speech on “pollution and its effects” and our teacher assessed the performance of each one of us.
b. All the ten of us delivered a short speech on “pollution and its effects” and our teacher assessed each other performance.
c. All the ten of us delivered a short speech on “pollution and its effects” and our teacher assessed the performance of one another.
d. All the ten of us delivered a short speech on “pollution and its effects” and our teacher assessed the performance of each other.
22)
a. The matter was referred back to the expert committee since it was a proposal different from the one proposed earlier.
b. The matter was referred to the expert committee since it was a proposal different from the one proposed earlier.
c. The matter was referred back to the expert committee since it was a proposal different than the one proposed earlier.
d. The matter was referred back to the expert committee since it was a proposal different from the one proposed earlier.
Explanations
1) c; In ‘Reported speech’ or ‘Indirect speech’, if the reporting verb is in the past, it should be followed by the past form of the ‘verb’.
The reporting verb in this sentence is ‘told’. So the correct tense to be followed is ‘was leaving’. Another error is with the verb ‘leaveThe preposition to be used after the verb ‘leave’ is ‘for’ but not ‘to’. Therefore, option-c is the correct sentence.
2) d; In the indirect speech, the verbs indicating universal truth are never changed according to the corresponding past tense. They remain the same, i.e., simple present tense. Therefore ‘boils’ is the correct form. Hence option-d is the correct choice.
3) d; Here the subject is ‘The Duke of kent’ but not ‘Shepards’, ‘soldiers’ or ’monks’. ‘The duke of kent’ is a singular subject. Therefore, the verb must be singular. So ’was proceeding’ is the correct tense to be used. Hence, option-d is correct.
4) b; The error is due to sequence of tense. If past tense is used in one of the clauses in a sentence, the same tense must be followed in the other clause, therefore the correct tense to be used is ‘was going on’. Hence, option-b is correct choice.
5) c; The indefinite pronoun ‘one’ is followed by plural number. However, the subject is ‘one’. Therefore, the verb should agree with the subject ‘one’, which is singular. So, the correct tense is ’is working’. Hence, option-c is correct choice.
6) b; When ‘neither…nor’ or ‘either…or’ is used, the noun or pronoun placed near the verb, should agree in number and person. Here, ‘you’ should agree with the verb ‘are’. Hence, option-b is correct.
7) a; Relative pronoun should be in close proximity to the noun it refers to.
(i) The relative pronoun ‘which’ should not be placed near to the noun ‘Chicago’. Because it is the family’ which consists of ‘wife and two children’ but not ‘Chicago’.
(ii) The conjunction ‘that’ also indicates the place ‘Chicago’.
(iii) Another incorrect usage is the verb ’consist’— which is a plural form.
It should be ’consists’ because family’ is singular
‘which’ refers to family’. So, the verb must be in singular number. Hence, option-a is correct choice.
8) b; The appropriate preposition to be used with the verb ‘congratulated’ is ’on’ but not ’in’, ’with’ or for’ etc. For example, The US President Obama congratulated Modi on winning the election. Hence, option-b is correct choice.
9) a; Some verbs like telecast, broadcast, cost, spread etc. have the same form in the present, in the past and in the past participle, i.e. v1,v2,v3. Spread – Spread – Spread. So, options b and d can be eliminated.
Since the sentence speaks about a general truth, it should be presented in ‘simple present tense’. So also, ’spread like a wild fire’ is the correct idiom. No other form viz., ‘like forest fire’, ‘fire in the forest’ etc can be used as the form of the idiom cannot be changed. Hence, option-a is correct.
10) c; Two actions happened in the past. One is continuous action and another happening at a point of time in the past. Hence past continuous and simple past need to be used. So option-c is correct choice.
11) b; After a participle phrase ‘being…’, the subject should be clearly mentioned. The subject ’he’ is used only in sentence-b appropriately. Though in sentence c and d, the subject ‘he’ is used the tense is wrong, ‘did’ itself is past and only present verb is followed by the auxiliary ‘did’. Hence sentence-b alone is correct.
12) c; The error is due to the wrong placement of the relative pronoun. It is not ’Mr. John’ who got the first prize but it is ’Mary’ who is the daughter of ‘Mr. iohn’ got the first prize. Therefore, the relative pronoun ‘who’ should be after the noun ‘Mary’ but not ‘Mr. John’. Hence sentence-c is correct choice.
13) c The correct usage is ‘war film’ but not film of war’ or ‘war’s film’ or ‘film of war’. So also anybody would watch a channel on TV and not in TV. Hence, sentence-c is correct choice.
14) c; In imaginary condition, with any noun • or pronoun, irrespective of its number and person, the verb used is ‘were’ and this is followed by ‘future past’ (i.e. would fly-). Therefore, sentence-c is correct.
15) c; Here the subject is ‘opinion’. Since ‘opinion’ is a singular verb and is the subject of the sentence, the verb should also be singular in form so, ’was’ is correct but not ‘were’. Besides this, the usage of ‘in favour of alone is correct and not ’in favor to’.
Hence option-c is correct.
16) b; ‘These kinds of forests’ is the subject of the sentence. And it is a plural subject. Therefore, the only verb that can agree with the subject is ‘provide’. Similarly, when the subject is plural, the pronoun used referring to the subject i.e., ‘these kinds of forests’ should also be in the plural form. Therefore, ‘their’ is correct but not ‘its’. Hence sentence-b is correct.
17) a; ’Last Year’ in the sentence indicates a particular point of time in the past. Therefore the tense to be used is the simple past (i.e. visited) but not past perfect (i.e. had visited) or present perfect continuous (i.e. have been visiting) or present prefect (i.e. have visited).
Hence sentence-a is correct choice.
18) a; The beginning word of the sentence ‘recently’, denotes that the action is a latest one. Therefore, the correct tense to be used is present perfect’ which is used only in sentence-a.
Therefore, sentence-a is correct choice.
19) b; It is a conditional clause. There is an ambiguity in whether the ‘milk’ should be boiled or ‘the baby’. Since, the pronoun ‘it’ can refer to either the milk or the baby. Since baby is a neutral gender. The noun ’milk’ should be repeated to clear the ambiguity.
Besides this, in conditional clause, the verb .should be in the present tense agreeing with the subject. So, the only present tense agreeing with the subject ’baby’ is ‘does not drink’, and not ’do not drink’.
Hence, option-b is correct.
20) c; The subject in the sentence is ‘the ebb and flow’. It is just like the sentence ‘bread and butter is my breakfast’. The two nouns are joined by ‘and’ but conveys a single idea ‘breakfast’. Similarly, ‘the ebb and flow’ suggests one idea. Therefore, the verb must be singular.
Hence, sentence-c is correct.
21) a; The pronoun ‘each one of us’ is correctly used only in sentence-a. Hence is the correct choice.
22) b; The phrase ‘referred back’ in the sentence is wrong usage. The correct usage is ‘referred to’. The word ‘different’ takes the preposition ‘from’ but not ‘than’ or ‘to’. Hence sentence-b is correct choice.
Exercise-III
In each Question given below, the word at the top is used in four different ways, numbered (a) to (d). Choose the option in which the usage of the word is incorrect or inappropriate.
1) Open
a) Hari was staring at her with his mouth wide open.
b) It is a little gadget that helps you to open.
c) “I can’t open this shoelace” he said.
d) My friend has planned to open a super market just outside of town.
2) Notice
a) Did you notice what he was going?
b) I was about to leave when I noticed Pratap coming up the driveway.
c) If you do exercise regularly you can notice an improvement in your health.
d) I saw Pratap in town but he didn’t notice me.
3) Party
a) I really enjoyed my friend’s party last night.
b) My brother joined congress party.
c) Venkat would regularly throb lavish parties at the viceroy hotel.
d) Sarita said that she did not like this party.
4) Diary
a) I have been writing a diary Since I first went to college.
b) You can make a note of your next meeting in your diary.
c) Old diary tells us much about school history.
d) I was given a new year diary by my friend.
5) Early
a) It is too early to say what he will do in future.
b) They were dancing till the early hours.
c) Please return my book at your earliest convenience.
d) It received a message: “Get well early”
6) Commit
a) The motorist had committed the accident.
b) Rahul confessed to having committed numerous offenses of a similar nature.
c) Reddy is the kind who commit murder if necessary to gain his ends.
d) I asked her what she thought but she refused to commit herself.
7) Spoil
a) Most of the fruit has been spoiled by insects this year.
b) My refrigerator is spoiled.
c) The robbers divided up the spoils.
d) Everybody enjoys being spoiled from time to time.
8) Resourceful
a) Shivaji was an extremely resourceful leader.
b) Resourceful students can find the Sowers in the library.
c) This is a very resourceful book for all students of the subjects.
d) Hitler was a resourceful general.
9) Problem
a) If you have any problem give me a call.
b) Scientist skills have not solved the problem of what to do with nuclear waste.
c) We have run into a few technical problems.
d) How to deal with juvenile crime is an important problem.
10) Wipe
a) Wipe that drawing off the board before the teacher sees it.
b) The teacher wiped off the blackboard and began the lesson in earnest.
c) All the finger prints have been wiped off.
d) This years losses have wiped out last years profits.
11) Exercise
a) She is not willing to exercise her authority over her daughter.
b) If such views are exercised all sectors of society will suffer.
c) Doing crosswords gives the mind some exercise.
d) His presentation showed considerable exercise of imagination.
12) Clear
a) He cleared all the hurdles in his path quite boldly.
b) I will have more time for general reading when I have cleared the examination.
c) Are you quite clear about what the job involves.
d) Allow four clear days for the letter to arrive.
13) Convention
a) This convention was established by the founder of the party.
b) It is advisable to observe the local conventions strictly during the early period of one’s stay.
c) If has a well laid convention that an MP should not be obstructed on his way to the parliament.
d) By convention the Vice President of this company is always a woman.
14) Pose
a) The spectator wanted the chief guest to pose for a photo.
b) Pollution poses a serious threat to the environment.
c) An observer asked if he might be permitted to pose a question.
d) The revised syllabus poses a heavy burden on the students.
15) Know
a) We have known each other since 1994.
b) They were whisked off in a car before they knew where they were.
c) He knows of one factory where they have never had a strike for 40 years.
d) He is from Chennai, as you can know from his accent.
16) Control
a) The crowd was too big for police to control.
b) A new advance has been made in the control of danger
c) We want to passport control into the departure lounge
d) I took my car to the garage and asked them to control the steering.
17) Need
a) You needn’t to pay for emergency calls in England
b) Everybody needs to rest sometime.
c) The boss seemed as if he was in need of a little friendly advice.
d) There is a growing need for trained soft skills trainer in Singapore.
18) Street
a) My friend lives in the house just across the street.
b) The street out of our village goes up a steep hill.
c) this job seems right up your street.
d) Ours is a country that is streets ahead in the production of tea.
19) Watch
a) We got into a fight yesterday evening while we were watching a cricket match.
b) Have you ever watched series “The Great Predator”
c) The cat was on the wall, watching for rats.
d) The cashiers were asked to watch out for forged bank noted.
20) Descend:
a) Calm descended to the crowd.
b) He should never descend to that sort of behavior.
c) According to the theory of evolution human beings descended from apes.
d) Night descends quickly in the tropics.
21) Too
a) He puts down the bag because it was too heavy.
b) They said “Let’s forget this too difficult problem”.
c) He too did not come to my rescue.
d) Accidents like this happen all too often.
22) Take
a) This is a nice hotel thanks for taking me here.
b) The strumming pills were taken off the market.
c) My friend has taken after his grand father.
d) Re writers took down every words & his speech.
23) Large
a) It was a large house situated near the river.
b) Everything about her appears larger than life.
c) By neglecting his health he was making a large mistake.
d) The escaped terrorist is still at large.
24) Fit
a) The times of India did not seems fit to publish my article.
b) The lift was so small that only 5 men could fit in.
c) The dress fits him like a glove.
d) Red and yellow are colors that fit her very well.
25) Indulge
a) When they won the match they indulged themselves with a bottle of champagne.
b) Fewer young people indulge in smoking these days.
c) There seems to be an increasing tendency among demonstration to indulge in violence.
d)She indulges her husband’s every to him.
26) Raise
a)There were a lot of raised eyebrows when he arrived at the party without his children and wife.
b)The principals sudden out burst raised the temperature of the discussion.
c) My neighbor raised the alarm whom he saw unsocial elements around.
d)The minister asked permission from the speaker to raise a discussion on this mater without delay
Explanation
1) c; The word open is generally not used refer to the fashioning of clothes, shoelace, or to switches or taps.
2) c; Can is not used with notice.
3) d; There is a change of place. Sarita was no longer at that party. So the correct sentence is ‘Sarita said that she did not like the party’.
4) a; We do not write a diary we keep a diary.
5) d; The usage of the word early in the sentence-d is incorrect. We say ‘get well soon’ but not ‘get well early’
6) a; Sentence-a is incorrect because ‘one does not commit the accident’. ‘One causes or is responsible for the accident’.
7) b; Spoil does not go with words denoting items of household equipment. We say ‘My refrigerator is Broken. I will have to buy a new one’.
8) c; Resourceful means imaginative, creative, talented etc. Except in sentence-c, in all other sentences the word resourceful is appropriately used. The word Resourceful does not collocate with nouns denoting things. Sentence-c should be ‘This is a comprehensive book for all students of the subjects’.
9) d; In sentence-d, we don’t say an important problem. We say a serious or big problem.
10) b; Wipe means to clean or dry something by rubbing with a cloth or a piece of paper. Sentence-b should be ‘The teacher cleaned the black board’. The word wipe does not collocate with blackboard.
11) b; The word exercise means action, effort etc. Sentences-a,c, d are meaningful. Sentence-b is incorrect. Because exercise does not collocate with view. We say ‘If such views are put into practice all sectors of society will suffer’.
12) b; The meaning of the word clear changes according to context. Clear means understandable, uncomplicated, or to be away from or to be safe. In sentence-b, we say ’we pass the exams’ but not ‘we clear the exams’.
13) c; Convention means tradition or a practice. It is appropriately used in sentences-a, b, d. Sentence-c should be ‘It was a well established convention’. The word convention does not collocate with word lay.
14) d; Pose means posture or to put forward an idea. We do not say ‘poses a heavy burden’. We say ‘places/ puts a heavy burden’. Pose does not collocate with burden. Hence, sentence-d is correct choice.
15) d; To talk about getting knowledge we use the word tell. Therefore, sentence-d should be ‘you can tell from his accent’.
16) d; Control generally means to command or to restrict, govern etc. The sentence-d should be 7 took my car to the garage and asked then to have a look at /or check the steering’.
17) a; In sentence-a, ’you don’t need to pay for emergency calls in England’ is correct. We cannot use ‘need’ as a modal form of verb to talk about habitual, general necessity.
18) b; Sentence-b is incorrect. It should be ‘The road out of our village goes up a steep hill’. A street is a road with houses on either side. We use street for roads in towns or villages but not for the roads which are out of the towns or villages.
19) b; Watch is typically used to talk about experiences that are going on or going to happen where as ’see’ is used to talk about the whole of a performance, play, cinema etc. Hence, sentence-b should be ‘Have you ever seen series, “The great Predator’”.
20) a; Descend means to fall or move down. Sentence-a should be ‘calm descended on the crowd’. If a group of people descend on a place, they arrive, usually without warning or without being invited.
21) b; Sentence-b should be ‘let’s forget this problem’.
22) a; The correct usage is ‘thanks for bringing me here’. We use the word bring for movements to the place where the speaking is but we use the word take for movements to other places.
Hence, sentence – a is wrong.
23) c; We do not make ‘a large mistake’.
We make ‘a big mistake’.
Hence, sentence-c is incorrect.
24) d; Fit refers to size and shape whereas suit refers to style, colour etc. Hence, sentence-d should be ‘Red and yellow are colours that fit colour that suits her very well’.
25) c; The word Indulge does not collocate with the word violence. Sentence-c should be ’…to resort to violence’.
26) d; In sentence-d, the correct usage is To open a discussion’ but not ‘to raise a discussion’.
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