The English section of SSC exams carry an equal weightage as other section do possess. A considerable aspirants face a few problems, while attempting this section comparatively as English language is not based on logics, calculations and methods. No one can predict the level of difficulty for each inquired question. However, we can surely find the important and basic concepts of some premier topics.
One such topic is Spotting Errors in which you are given a sentence containing errors, which you need to rectify. These errors are generally related to parts of speech, genders, Infinitives, participles, tenses, use of articles, etc. Questions from Error spotting are not only asked in SSC exams but also in other competitive exams as well including IBPS, RBI, etc.
Hence, you need to be well acquainted with all the rules of grammar and English language.
SSC English Types of Errors: Spotting Errors
To settle the errors in the sentence, you need to be aware of basic grammar skills. We are providing some common types of errors below, which can be observed during solving the problems-
Noun Error
A noun can be used to identify a place, person and things. It can be singular and plural. The verb used for them differ for singular noun and plural noun. So, first you have to identify the noun whether it is singular or plural.
Example:-
- The People is gathered in the cricket stadium. (Incorrect)
- The people are gathered in the cricket stadium. (Correct)
Such nouns including cattle, peasantry, police, clergy, vermin are appeared to be singular, but treated as plural noun.
SSC English free practice set: Spotting Errors (Set-1)
Example:-
- Employees is participating in Diwali celebration. (Incorrect)
- Employees are participating in Diwali celebration. (Correct)
All plural nouns should always be followed by plural verbs like Scissors, Stockings, Trousers, Specs, Shorts, Goods, Employees, etc.
Example:-
- The Company were founded in the year of 2001. (Incorrect)
- The Company was founded in the year of 2001. (Correct)
- Ethics are important in an organization. (Incorrect)
- Ethics is important in an organization. (Correct)
Some collective nouns like Team, Public, Government, Committee, Jury, Audience and a combined set of attributes like Poetry, Machinery, Ethics, Mathematics, Physics, Classics, Innings, Stationery, News, Abuse, Economics, Business are considered as singular noun.
Pronoun Error
A pronoun is a word, which refers to the noun in the sentence in case of possession. This can be easily understood by the following examples-
Example-
- All employees must complete their key result area. (Correct)
- Each student must bring their books. (Incorrect)
- Each student must bring his parents at exam meeting. (Correct)
A pronoun should always be compatible with its antecedent noun.
SSC English free practice set: Spotting Errors (Set-2)
Example-
- One must obey his duties and responsibilities. (Incorrect)
- One must obey one’s duties and responsibilities. (Correct)
- Whom is the manager? (Incorrect)
- Who is the project manager? (Correct)
- Who are you dealing with? (Incorrect)
- Whom are you dealing with? (Correct)
In the above example, you can observe the differences. The noun one must be followed by one’s pronoun. When there is an absence of noun and sentence contains ‘Who’, ‘Whom’, ‘Whomever’ and ’whoever’. Then, you must know that ‘who’ and ‘whoever’ are noun, whereas ‘Whom’ and ‘Whomever’ are objects.
Adjective Error
An adjective is a word, which represents the specialty, merits, demerits, quality and fault of an person, place or thing.
Example:-
- Nike shoes are superior than any other sports shoes. (Incorrect)
- Nike Shoes are superior to any other sports shoes. (Correct)
Comparative adjectives such as Superior, inferior, prior, must be suffixed with ‘to’.
- Ramesh works quicker than anybody else. (Incorrect)
- Ramesh works quickly than anybody else. (Correct)
Do not use adjectives in place of adverbs.
Adverbs Error
Adverb is a word that modify the meaning of an adjective or verb.
Example:-
- Less than 20% of students score high in the mathematics. (Incorrect)
- Fewer than 20% of students score high in the mathematics. (Correct)
- People want to spend fewer time in travelling. (Incorrect)
- People want to spend less time in travelling. (Correct)
Some adverbs have the same meaning and create confusion in people’s mind. These words includes less and fewer. ‘Less’ is used to describe quantity whereas ‘fewer’ is used to represent numbers.
SSC English free practice set: Spotting Errors (Set-3)
Some adverbs such as little, a little, the little, are used in different places.
Little- means a negative meaning or hardly any.
- There is a little hope of getting the train. (Incorrect)
- There is little hope of getting the train. (Correct)
A little- means a positive meaning or means some.
- Little enthusiasm is good thing. (Incorrect)
- A little enthusiasm is good thing. (Correct)
The Little- means not much but all that is.
- A little honey in the pot might prove useful. (Incorrect)
- The little honey in the pot might prove useful. (Correct)
Miscellaneous Error
The words beginning with ‘h’ such as honest, heir, hour, etc. are silent and an must be prefixed to them.
Example-
- The train is a hour late. (Incorrect)
- The train is an hour late. (Correct)
Use of ‘Since’ and ‘for’ are to be taken care of.
Example-
- I have been waiting for the bus since 3 hours. (Incorrect)
- I have been waiting for the bus for 3 hours. (Correct)
SSC English free practice set: Spotting Errors (Set-4)
SSC English preparation tips: Spotting Errors
- Practice previous year papers and mock tests.
- Read good novels and newspapers like The Hindu and The Times of India.
- Go through some standard grammar books.
- Read the sentence carefully and then proceed.
- Understand the meaning or objective of the sentence, what message is conveyed to the reader
- Apply your knowledge and grammar in that. So that, meaning remain intact
- Do not panic in the exam
- Practice and practice
We hope that the above article provide you all essential tips in short. Follow all of them strictly and look out for more such things in grammar.
All the best!
