Error spotting: finding the wrong part of a sentence

The error spotting format gives a sentence split into four lettered parts and asks which part contains the error, with a fifth option for no error. Most candidates read the whole sentence for "sound", which catches obvious slips and misses the planted ones. The better method is a short checklist applied part by part. This lesson gives the checklist and the error types that fill most question banks.

The five-point checklist

1. Subject and verb. Find the real subject, skip the words between it and the verb, and check they agree.
2. Tense and time words. "Since", "for", "ago", "yesterday", "by next week" each demand a particular tense.
3. Pronouns. Does each one match its noun in number and person, and is it the right case: "between you and me", not "between you and I"?
4. Pairs that travel together. "Not only ... but also", "either ... or", "neither ... nor", "no sooner ... than", "hardly ... when".
5. Small words. Articles, prepositions, and comparatives: "superior to", "prefer tea to coffee", "more better" is wrong.

Worked examples

(A) The list of candidates / (B) who were shortlisted / (C) for the interview were / (D) sent to the manager / (E) no error.

Checklist point one: the subject is "list", singular; "of candidates" is in between. So "were sent" should be "was sent". The error is in part C.

(A) Hardly had the meeting started / (B) than the fire alarm / (C) rang and everyone / (D) left the building. / (E) no error.

Point four: "hardly" pairs with "when", not "than". Error in B. Note that A is correct; "hardly had" with inversion is the standard form.

(A) She has been working / (B) in this office / (C) since five years / (D) and knows every file. / (E) no error.

Point two: "since" takes a point in time; a length of time takes "for". Error in C: "for five years".

(A) Each of the reports / (B) submitted last week / (C) contains an error / (D) in the summary. / (E) no error.

Every point passes. "Each" is singular and "contains" agrees. The answer is E. Do not force an error into a correct sentence; the no-error option is there for a reason and is usually right about one time in five.

Common mistakes

• Agreeing the verb with the nearest noun instead of the subject.
• Marking a part because it sounds formal or unfamiliar, such as inverted word order after "hardly" or "seldom".
• Skipping the no-error option out of fear.

Practice habit: Do ten error-spotting sentences a day and, for each, write the checklist point number that found the error. After a week, count which point you miss most and read that rule again.