July 29, 2015

DEECET General English Questions - Finding Errors in Sentences

1. One of / the cars / were / badly damaged.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: 'After 'one of' phrase the verb is always singular.
Ans: One of the cars was badly damaged.

2. You / had better / not to / tell her.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: Had better is followed by a bare infinitive not a to -
'infinitive'.
We use had better to give strong advice or to tell people what to do.
Had better refers to the immediate future.
It is more urgent than 'should' or 'ought to'.
Ans: You had better not tell her.

3. The train / leaves from / the Victoria / station.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: 'The' is not normally used with the name of a town / city
/ state / country.
Eg: Cambridge, New York, Saudi Arabia
'The' is used if the name contains a plural noun,
Eg: The Netherlands, the Philippines.
Ans: The train leaves from Victoria station.

4. All of the classrooms / were provided with black boards / but only
one of them/ has an OHP.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: This question refers to the right use of tense.
When we describe or report a situation we choose either a 'then' point
of view or a 'now' point of view.
If we choose 'then' point of view, we use past tenses (eg: were
provided + had). If we choose a 'now' point of view, we use present
tenses (eg: are provided + has).
The mixing of present and past forms (eg: were provided + has) can be
very confusing for the reader and ambiguous.
Ans: All of the classrooms were provided with black boards but only
one of them had an OHP.

5. The new / ZX 5495 is / superior than / earlier models.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: When it is necessary to mention a person or thing after
superior, we use 'to' - phrase not 'than'.
Ans: The new ZX 5495 is superior to earlier models.

6. The company / was / in India / since 1962.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: When a time expression begins with 'since', we normally
use the present perfect tense not the past simple.
Ans: The company has been in India since 1962.

7. Each / students were / given / a new book.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: When the noun comes immediately after each, every, either
and neither, it is always singular. When these words are followed by
an of + phrase, the noun in the of - phrase is always plural.
Examples:
Each student was given a new dictionary.
(Singular noun after each)
each + singular noun.
Each of the students was given a new dictionary.
(Plural noun after each - of phrase)
each of + plural noun / pronoun.
Ans: Each student was given a new book.

8. It is impossible to / obtain a credit card / unless you do not /
have a steady income.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: Unless means 'if ... not'. It indicates a negative
condition. Again, it is wrong and needless to use 'do not' in the
above sentence.
Ans: It is impossible to obtain a credit card, unless you have a steady income.

9. My headmaster / gave me / a good advice / on choosing a career.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: 'Advice' is an uncountable noun and is not used with a / an.
Ans: My headmaster gave me some good advice on choosing a career.

10. Either the land lord / or his wife / were / not telling the truth.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
1) a 2) b 3) c 4) d
Explanation: In formal styles, when the subject consists of two nouns
joined by 'or', either... or (or) neither ... nor, the verb usually
agrees with the second noun. In the sentence above 'wife' is singular
and so the verb
is singular.
Eg: Neither the principal nor his assistants are in favour of the proposal.
In the above sentence the second noun 'assistants' is plural and so
the plural verb is used.
Ans: Either the land lord or his wife was not telling the truth.

Answers: 1–-3; 2–3; 3–-3; 4–-4; 5–3; 6–-2; 7–-2; 8–-3; 9–-3; 10–3.

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