Aspirants’
ERROR
DETECTION
“Easiest section out there”
TIPS TO SOLVE
EVERY ED
DO NOT FALL FOR
YOUR INTUITION 01 RECOGNIZE
THE PATTERNS 03
ONLY THINK
GRAMMATICALLY 02 NO ERROR IS HARDLY
THE ANSWER. 04
STEPS TO SOLVE
EVERY ED
READ THE SENTENCE
ALL THE WAY THROUGH 01 CHOOSE A PART THAT
YOU THINK IS WRONG 03
CHECK EACH
UNDERLINED PORTION 02
STARTING WITH VERBS AND PRONOUNS
CONFIRM WHY IT’S
WRONG 04
READ LIKE A
DETECTIVE
#1: Verbs
Is the verb in the correct form
and tense?
Does it agree with the subject?
#2: Pronouns
• Does the pronoun agree with
the noun it's replacing?
• Is it in the correct case?
#3: Gerunds (-ing verbs)
• Is the gerund replacing a main verb
and creating a sentence fragment?
• Is it part of a list that isn't parallel?
• Has it been incorrectly switched with
an infinitive?
#4: Prepositions
• Is the preposition idiomatically
correct?
• Does it incorrectly complete a
word pair?
#5: Adjectives and Adverbs
• Is the modifier of the correct type?
• Are -er and -est used
appropriately? (Rare)
#6: Conjunctions
• Is the conjunction creating a
sentence fragment?
• Does it logically connect ideas?
#7: Nouns
• Is the noun part of a faulty
comparison?
• Is the sentence consistent in its use
of plural and singular nouns? (Rare)
#8: Relative pronouns (who, which, that, etc.)
• Is the correct pronoun used for the
context?
• Does the pronoun have a clear noun
antecedent?
Other issues to watch out for
• The presence of comparison words like “any” "than," "like," and
"as" tends to indicate illogical comparisons
• A sentence with a list often has a parallelism issue
• Make sure to watch for redundancy: the use of different two words
1. After the prince characterized modern architecture,
as uglyA he has beenB severelyC criticized for having
been so outspokenD in public. No errorE
Answer: B
PARALLELISM
ALL PARTS OF YOUR SENTENCE HAVE TO MAINTAIN
THE SAME STRUCTURE.
I like to dance and partying
I like to dance and party
I like to dance and to party
I like dancing and partying
Keep verb tense/form consistent. An underlined verb should stay
parallel to the surrounding verbs unless there is a clear reason for the
tense to change. Check verbs in the sentence/paragraph for context.
2.Absent fromA the speech wereB any mention of
the students and laboratory technicians upon
whoseC contributions the chemist had depended
heavilyD. No errorE
Answer: B
3. Long thought of asA a quiet, stuffy placeB where
peopleC just borrowed books, libraries have been
changingD their images dramatically over the last few
years. No errorE
Answer: B
4. Neither Bradley, nor moreA recent critics who
have writtenB on Shakespeare's tragedies, hasC
been able to give a convincing explanation for the
timing ofD events in Othello. No errorE.
Answer: C
5.A majority of the students whoA
attendedB the job fair expressed interest in
becomingC a doctor or lawyerD. No errorE
Answer: D
6. Neither of my brothers doA anything to
make life better for ourB parents whoC are
both suffering fromD arthritis. No errorE.
Answer: A
7.The recent discovery of the short films A. and the personal
diary B. of the renowned inventor C. allow historians to
appreciate his genius D. even more. E. No error
Answer: C
SUBJECT
VERB THE VERB OF THE SENTENCE
HAS TO AGREE WITH THE
SUBJECT.
AGREEMENT This is undoubtedly the most tested
topic in the IBA exam.
This is the first thing you should
look for in a error detection or a
sentence correction question.
8.The mostA important skill I had learnedB in
my two years ofC senior high school was toD
direct the course of my own studies. No errorE.
Answer: B
9.You wouldA have to choose herB, if
you are looking forC the best athlete to
representD the school. No errorE.
Answer: A
TENSE
the year 3045
DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES WITH TIME
a park
The time can be the past, present, or future. a day on Mars
Spain in 1512
Use past participle to mean something
happened even before past. a city underwater
10. Used primarilyA in the United States and Canada, American
Sign Language, whichB comprises hand signs, facial
expressions, and fingerspelling, includingC manyD regional
differences and slang. No errorE
Answer: C
11.The company bowedA to pressure,B now
itC has removed the offensive advertisement
fromD the hoarding. No errorE.
Answer: B
12. All the trapped miners beganA to
loseB hope , itC had been twenty four
hours sinceD the tunnel collapsed. No
errorE.
Answer: C
13.Art and culture flourished (A) briefly during the Prague
Spring, (B) a short period (C) when relaxed censorship
and (D) looser Soviet control. (E) No error
Answer: C
RUN-ON
SENTENCES
a blue dog
a wizard
a young girl
PUNCTUATIONS ARE ALSO PART OF ERROR
a teacher
DETECTION
a nurse
FANBOYS
PRACTICE
MATERIALS
CLIFF’S TOEFL/MENTORS’ ENGLISH LECTURE SHEET
SHOULD GIVE YOU A DECENT GROUNDWORK FOR
ERROR DETECTION. READ THE 50 GRAMMAR RULES
BY MAGOOSH AS WELL.
To develop your intuition:
Prepare from the Common Mistakes in
English Book
Learn all the Grammar
Rules
THANK YOU!
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
