SF Prep
08 General English — Common Notes 🕒 Updated 2026-10-16
Common Notes SSC CGL · CHSL · Police · Bank · Railway Chapter 08

🔍 Error Spotting

The sentence is split into 3-4 parts; one part has an error. A rule-wise checklist catches 80% of errors in 30 seconds.

📌 1. Approach — a 5-step Checklist

  • 1. Subject-verb: is the subject singular or plural? Does the verb match?
  • 2. Tense: does the tense fit the time marker (yesterday, since, already)?
  • 3. Pronoun: case (I/me), agreement (each…his), clear reference?
  • 4. Modifiers: adjective vs adverb, degree of comparison, few/little.
  • 5. Fixed pairs & prepositions: no sooner…than, prefer…to, discuss (no about), parallelism.
  • If no error is found choose "No error" — but treat it as the last resort.

📌 2. High-frequency Error Rules

RuleWrongRight
Each/every/either + singular pronounEach student must bring their book.Each student must bring his or her book.
"One" takes one'sOne should do his duty.One should do one's duty.
ParallelismHe likes swimming, to read and cycling.He likes swimming, reading and cycling.
Compare like with likeThe climate of Shimla is better than Delhi.…better than that of Delhi.
RedundancyHe returned back home.He returned home.
Though…yet (not but)Though he is poor but he is honest.Though he is poor, (yet) he is honest.
Unless/until are already negativeUnless you do not work hard, you will fail.Unless you work hard, you will fail.
No double negative with scarcely/hardlyI can't hardly hear you.I can hardly hear you.
Superlative + of all; comparative + any otherHe is taller than any boy in the class.…taller than any other boy in the class.
Enjoy/avail/absent/pride need a reflexiveWe enjoyed at the party.We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
⚠️ Exam Traps:
  • "Cousin brother/sister" ❌ — just cousin.
  • "Kindly revert back" ❌ → "Kindly reply". "Return back", "repeat again", "the reason is because" — redundant.
  • "Ought" takes "to": You ought to respect elders.

📌 3. Confusable Words

PairDifference
lie / laylie = recline (lie-lay-lain); lay = put down (lay-laid-laid)
rise / raiserise = go up by itself; raise = lift something
affect / effectaffect = verb; effect = noun
principal / principleprincipal = chief/head; principle = rule/belief
stationary / stationerystationary = not moving; stationery = writing materials
beside / besides, among / betweenSee the Prepositions page

📌 4. Practice MCQs

📝 Practice MCQs (prepared by SF Prep — not PYQs)
Q1. Identify the part with an error: Each of the boys / have finished / their homework. Practice
(A) Each of the boys
(B) have finished
(C) their homework
(D) No error
Correct answer: (B) have finished
Explanation: 'Each of' is singular → has finished (and his homework).
Q2. Identify the part with an error: One should keep / his promises / at any cost. Practice
(A) One should keep
(B) his promises
(C) at any cost
(D) No error
Correct answer: (B) his promises
Explanation: 'One' takes the possessive 'one's'.
Q3. Identify the part with an error: The climate of Bengaluru / is better / than Chennai. Practice
(A) The climate of Bengaluru
(B) is better
(C) than Chennai
(D) No error
Correct answer: (C) than Chennai
Explanation: Climate must be compared with climate: than that of Chennai.
Q4. Identify the part with an error: Though he is rich / but he is not / happy. Practice
(A) Though he is rich
(B) but he is not
(C) happy
(D) No error
Correct answer: (B) but he is not
Explanation: 'Though' does not pair with 'but'; use 'yet' or a comma.
Q5. Identify the part with an error: Unless you do not / study regularly, / you will not pass. Practice
(A) Unless you do not
(B) study regularly,
(C) you will not pass.
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) Unless you do not
Explanation: 'Unless' is already negative; remove 'do not'.
Q6. Identify the part with an error: She is taller / than any girl / in her class. Practice
(A) She is taller
(B) than any girl
(C) in her class
(D) No error
Correct answer: (B) than any girl
Explanation: Comparing within the same group → any other girl.
Q7. Identify the part with an error: We enjoyed / very much / at the wedding. Practice
(A) We enjoyed
(B) very much
(C) at the wedding
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) We enjoyed
Explanation: 'Enjoy' needs an object/reflexive: We enjoyed ourselves.
Q8. Identify the part with an error: He returned back / from Mumbai / last week. Practice
(A) He returned back
(B) from Mumbai
(C) last week
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) He returned back
Explanation: 'Returned' already means 'came back' — redundant.
Q9. Identify the part with an error: My cousin brother / is coming / to stay with us. Practice
(A) My cousin brother
(B) is coming
(C) to stay with us
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) My cousin brother
Explanation: Just 'cousin' — 'brother' is redundant.
Q10. Identify the part with an error: She likes dancing, / singing and / to paint. Practice
(A) She likes dancing,
(B) singing and
(C) to paint
(D) No error
Correct answer: (C) to paint
Explanation: Parallelism: dancing, singing and painting.
Q11. Identify the part with an error: I can't hardly / believe / what he said. Practice
(A) I can't hardly
(B) believe
(C) what he said
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) I can't hardly
Explanation: 'Hardly' is already negative — 'can't hardly' is a double negative.
Q12. Identify the part with an error: The book is lying / on the table / since morning. Practice
(A) The book is lying
(B) on the table
(C) since morning
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) The book is lying
Explanation: Since + up to now → has been lying.
Q13. Identify the part with an error: He laid / on the bed / for an hour. Practice
(A) He laid
(B) on the bed
(C) for an hour
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) He laid
Explanation: To recline = lie (past: lay). 'Laid' = put. Correct: He lay on the bed.
Q14. Identify the part with an error: You ought / respect / your elders. Practice
(A) You ought
(B) respect
(C) your elders
(D) No error
Correct answer: (B) respect
Explanation: 'Ought' takes 'to': ought to respect.
Q15. Identify the part with an error: The price of vegetables / have risen / sharply this month. Practice
(A) The price of vegetables
(B) have risen
(C) sharply this month
(D) No error
Correct answer: (B) have risen
Explanation: The subject 'price' is singular → has risen.
Q16. Identify the part with an error: No sooner did he / reach the station / when the train left. Practice
(A) No sooner did he
(B) reach the station
(C) when the train left
(D) No error
Correct answer: (C) when the train left
Explanation: 'No sooner' pairs with 'than'.
Q17. Identify the part with an error: The government has raised / the prices of petrol / again this year. Practice
(A) The government has raised
(B) the prices of petrol
(C) again this year.
(D) No error
Correct answer: (D) No error
Explanation: 'Raise' is transitive (raised the prices) — the sentence is correct.
Q18. Identify the part with an error: The new rule will effect / all employees / from next month. Practice
(A) The new rule will effect
(B) all employees
(C) from next month
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) The new rule will effect
Explanation: The verb 'affect' is needed; 'effect' is a noun.
Q19. Identify the part with an error: He is one of the best player / in the team / this season. Practice
(A) He is one of the best player
(B) in the team
(C) this season
(D) No error
Correct answer: (A) He is one of the best player
Explanation: 'One of the' + plural noun: best players.
Q20. Identify the part with an error: She has been / absent / since three days. Practice
(A) She has been
(B) absent
(C) since three days
(D) No error
Correct answer: (C) since three days
Explanation: A period takes 'for': for three days.

📝 Practice questions

General English — Practice MCQs Ch 8: Error Spotting
📝 Test this chapter Practice questions

Practice MCQs prepared by SF Prep (not PYQs). Rules checked against standard grammar references.