In error spotting, a sentence is cut into parts (A, B, C, D) and exactly one part has a grammar mistake — you pick that part. In sentence improvement, you choose the correct replacement. The mistake is almost always one of a few types: subject-verb agreement, prepositions, tenses, articles, comparatives, adjective vs adverb and pronouns. Learn these few types and you can clear most questions. Every quiz below is a real Punjab Police SI or Constable question.
The error types that come again and again
Check these in order. The first match is usually the answer.
| Error type | Watch for | Example (wrong → right) |
|---|---|---|
| Subject-verb agreement | singular subject → singular verb | people prefers → prefer; minutes are → is |
| Preposition | the fixed word after a verb/adjective | agree to you → agree with you |
| Tense | time words like yesterday, when, past | she can already read → could |
| Article (a/an/the) | country/person names take no 'the' | The India → India |
| Comparative | 'than' needs -er / more | healthy than → healthier than |
| Adjective vs adverb | a verb is described by an adverb (-ly) | assessed very nice → very nicely |
| Between / Among | between = 2, among = 3+ | between six children → among |
A singular subject takes a singular verb, a plural subject a plural verb. Traps: 'A lot of people' is plural; 'Sixty minutes' as one block of time is singular; with 'as well as' / 'along with' the verb follows the first subject only.
Some verbs/adjectives take a fixed preposition: agree with a person, agree to a plan, answerable to someone, married to, superior to. Learn the pair, not a rule.
Keep the whole sentence in one time. A past clue like 'When my niece was three' forces could, not 'can'. After to, use the base verb: to bring, not 'to brought'.
Most country and person names take no 'the': India, Punjab, Gandhi. (Exceptions: the USA, the UK, the Netherlands.) Use a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound.
With than, the word must be comparative: healthier than, better than. An adjective describes a noun (a strong supporter); an adverb describes a verb (assessed nicely).
- as well as / along with / with → verb follows the FIRST subject only.
- between = 2, among = 3+.
- agree with a person, agree to a plan.
- After to, base verb (to go, to bring) — never past.
- Country/person names take no 'the' (India, not The India).
- -ly word describes a verb; plain word describes a noun.
Find the error: 'Neither of the two boys / have / finished / their homework.'
Show answer
'have' is the error. Neither is singular, so the verb is has: 'Neither of the two boys has finished…'.