These
error are grammatical errors, while the error of spellings and punctuations are
not entertained in these types of questions. To solve these questions it is
first of all very necessary to understand the grammar rule which are to be
followed in finding these errors. In this sequence the first chapter which a
student must prepare is Syntax chapter, which covers the various grammar rules which
will help you to solve English (5 to 10) questions of error in all the
competitive exams.
The
basic rule of English Grammar which is properly known as Subject & Verb
Agreement
Subject & Verb Agreement :- The use of verb in a
sentence according to the person or subject number is concluded as Subject
& Verb Agreement.
ü If Subject is singular
then the Verb used with it is also singular in number.
ü If Subject is plural then
the verb used with it is also plural in number.
|
SINGULAR SUBJECT
|
SINGULAR VERB
|
|
I, You, He, She, It, Ram, Sita,
The boy, The girl
|
Am, is, was, has, Does, Writes,
Drinks, Reads, Eats, Goes, Studies, teaches etc.
|
|
PLURAL SUBJECT
|
PLURAL VERB
|
|
We, You, They, Ram and Shyam, Gita
and Sita, The boys, The girls
|
Are, were, have, Do, write, Drink,
Read, Eat, Go, Study, Teach etc.
|
|
NOUN + -s/ -es / -ies →
PLURAL NOUN
VERB + -s/ -es / -ies →
SINGULAR VERB
|
Syntax Rules
for Error Finding
RULE No. 1st :- If the subject of any sentence
is singular noun, then the verb used in those sentences will also singular
verb.
Example :- Mohan (subject) was
(verb) always late.
He (subject) will go (verb) there tomorrow.
RULE No. 2nd :- “I” is used as singular subject
but the verb used with it, is both singular and plural in number.
Example :- I (S.
Subject) am (S. Verb) a teacher.
I (S. Subject) was (S. Verb) a student.
I (S. Subject) have (P. Verb) a cycle.
I (S. Subject) write (P. Verb)
a letter.
RULE No. 3rd :- “You” is used in both forms
singular or plural, but the verb used with it is always plural in number.
Example:-
You (S. Subject) are a student.
You (P. Subject) are
engineers.
You (S/P. Subject) are playing.
Rule No. 04th :- Needn’t and daren’t
are used in plural form with singular or plural subject in a sentence. “To” is
not used with them. These are used in a sentence as marginal auxiliary verb.
Example :- (i) She needsn’t go there. (wrong sentence)
She needn’t go there. (correct sentence)
(ii) He daresn’t oppose his father. (wrong sentence)
He daren’t oppose his father. (correct sentence)
(iii) He daren’t come here. (correct sentence)
(iv) You needn’t go there. (correct sentence)
But Dare/ Need are used
as main verb in both singular and plural form. “To” is used according to the
requirement only.
Example :- (i) He dares to face the difficulties.
(ii) She needs a book.
(iii) They need books.
(iv) He (s. subject) does
(s. auxiliary verb) not dare (verb) to go out in the Sun.
(v) She (s. subject) does
(s. auxiliary verb) not need (verb) a book.
(vi) I do (p. auxiliary
verb) not need a pen.
(vii) He dares to oppose
his teacher.
(viii) She needs to come
here.
Rule No. 05th :- Suppositional
sentences; sentences starting with (if,
as if, as though, if only, suppose, I wish, He wishes, She wishes………..) in
these sentences pure imagination or totally impossible conditions are shown.
After these words, whatever the subject used either (singular / plural) but the
verb used must be plural in form only.
Example
:- (i) I wish Manisha was my friend.
(wrong sentence)
I wish Manisha were my friend. (correct sentence)
(ii) If he was my boss, he would suspend me. (wrong sentence)
If he were my boss, he would suspend me. (correct sentence)
(iii) Mahesh talks to me as if he was the General Manager of the company.
(wrong sentence)
Mahesh talks to me as if he were the General Manager of the
company. (correct sentence)
Rule No. 06th :- If two singular nouns
in a sentence are added with the help of “and” used as the subject of the
sentence, then the verb used with them is always plural in number.
Example
:- (i) Ravi and Kavi have done well in the examination.
(ii) A boy and a girl love
each other.
Rule No. 07th :- When pair of words,
“Bread and butter/ Rice and curry/ Hammer and sickle/ slow and steady/ Truth
and honesty/ Horse and carriage/ Crown and glory/ Rise and fall/ Coming and
going/ Screaming and shouting/ Age and experience/ Egg and bacon/ Long and
short/ Sum and substance/ Bag and baggage………etc.” are used as a subject of the
sentence then, these pair words are considered as singular subject of the
sentence are the verb used with them is also singular in number.
Example :- (i) Bread and butter is my favourite
breakfast.
(ii) Rice and curry is a popular dish.
When two singular
uncountable nouns, joint with “and”, used as the subject of the sentence, then
the verb used with them is always plural in number.
Example :- (i) Time
and tide wait for no man.
(ii) Fire and water do not agree.
(iii) Gold and silver are precious metals.
Family relation
expressing words, used in the form of pair words (joint with “and”) as the
subject of the sentence. Possessive adjectives are used before these pair
words, then they are considered as plural subject and the verb used with them
is always plural in number.
Example :- (i) My mother and father are proud of me.
(ii) Your uncle and aunt want to settle in Delhi.
Rule No. 08th :- When two singular
nouns joint with “and” and first singular noun is followed after an article or
possessive adjectives (my, your, our, …….etc.) then this combination is
considered as the same person due to which singular verb is used with such
combinations.
Example
:- (i) The Principal and Secretary was
there.
(ii) My uncle and guardian has come to see me.
(iii) A poet and philosopher has come.
Rule No. 09th :- When two singular
nouns joint with “and” and both singular noun are followed after separate
articles or possessive adjectives (my, your, our,…….etc.) then this type of
combination is considered as two different persons therefore the verb used in
such conditions is must be plural in number.
Example
:- (i) The Principal and the Secretary were
there.
(ii) My uncle and my guardian have come to see me.
(iii) A poet and a philosopher have come.
Rule No. 10th :- Collective Nouns,
”Government, Jury, Committee, Board, Federation, Public, Army, Crowd, Mob,
Society, Assembly, Parliament, Crew, Staff, Majority.” When used as single body
the verb used in such cases must be singular in form with pronoun “it/ its”.
But when meaning seems for individual member/ unit, then the verb used must be
plural in form with pronoun “them/ their”.
Example :- (i) The jury have given its decision. (Wrong Sentence)
The jury has given its decision. (Right
Sentence)
(ii) The jury was divided in
their opinions. (Wrong Sentence)
The jury were divided in
their opinions. (Right Sentence)
Rule No. 11th :- Verb used either
singular or plural depends on the antecedent after which relative pronoun is used in any sentence.
Example
:- (i) He is the boy who have helped
me. (Wrong Sentence)
He is the boy who has helped me. (Right Sentence)
(ii) One of the best students that has come be
rewarded. (Wrong Sentence)
One of the best students that have come be
rewarded. (Right Sentence)
(iii) I, who is your friend will not work with you. (Wrong Sentence)
I, who am your friend will not work with you. (Right
Sentence)
(iv) You, who is my senior, should teach me. (Wrong Sentence)
You, who are my senior, should teach me. (Right Sentence)
Rule No. 12th :- Plural Noun and
plural verb is used with “A number of”, while plural noun and singular verb is
used with “The number of”.
Example
:- (i) A number of boys has come. (Wrong Sentence)
A number of boy has come. (Wrong Sentence)
A number of boys has come. (Right Sentence)
(ii) The number of students are increasing. (Wrong Sentence)
The number of student is increasing. (Wrong Sentence)
The number of students is increasing. (Right Sentence)
Rule No. 13th :- Singular verb are
used with everyone, everybody, someone, no- one, nobody, anyone, anybody,
anything, nothing etc.
Example :- (i) Everyone were rewarded. (Wrong
Sentence)
Everyone was rewarded.
(Right Sentence)
(ii) Nothing were lost. (Wrong Sentence)
Nothing was lost. (Right Sentence)
(ii) Nobody know the fact. (Wrong
Sentence)
Nobody knows the fact. (Right Sentence)
Rule No. 14th :- Few/ a few/ the few/
very few is followed by plural noun and
plural verb, while little/ a little/ the little is followed by uncountable noun
and singular verb.
Example
:- (i) A few boys has come. (Wrong
Sentence)
A few boy have come.
(Wrong Sentence)
A few boys have come.
(Right Sentence)
(ii) Very few girls is laborious. (Wrong
Sentence)
Very few girls are laborious. (Right
Sentence)
(iii) Many were punished but a few was guilty. (Wrong
Sentence)
Many were punished but a few were guilty. (Right Sentence)
(iv) A little money were spent.
(Wrong Sentence)
A little money was spent.
(Right Sentence)
Rule No. 15th :- When “Each” or
“Every” are followed by two singular nouns (subjects) joint with “and”, the
subject of the sentence is considered as singular thus the verb used is also
singular in form.
Example
:- (i) Every boy and girl were
warned. (Wrong Sentence)
Every
boy and girl was warned.
(Right Sentence)
(ii) Each boy and each girl were rewarded. (Wrong Sentence)
Each boy and each girl was rewarded. (Right Sentence)
(iii) Every man, woman and child are happy. (Wrong Sentence)
Every man, woman and child is happy. (Right
Sentence)
Rule No. 16th :- When two personal
pronouns added with or/ nor then sequence should be :-Swcon person (you), third
person (he), first person (I).
The verb used in such
sentences is according to the nearest subject.
Example :- (i) Either he or I is at fault. (Wrong
Sentence)
Either he or I am at fault. (Right Sentence)
(ii) Neither you nor he are at fault. (Wrong
Sentence)
Neither you nor he is at fault. (Right
Sentence)
Rule No. 17th :- When “ Each, Every,
Either, Neither” is used instead of subject in a sentence then the verb used in
such sentences is always singular in form.
Example
:- (i) He has two daughters, either are
able to do the sum. (Wrong Sentence)
He has two daughters, either is able to do the sum. (Wrong
Sentence)
(ii) Each have come. (Wrong Sentence)
Each has come. (Right Sentence)
(iii) Every students have passed.
(Wrong Sentence)
Every students has passed.
(Wrong Sentence)
Every student has passed.
(Right Sentence)
(iv) Either students are able to do the sum. (Wrong
Sentence)
Either student are able to do the sum. (Wrong
Sentence)
Either student is able to do the sum. (Right
Sentence)
Rule No. 18th :- “Each of / Either of
/ Neither of” are followed by plural noun / pronoun, which are followed by
singular verb.
Example
:- (i) Each of them want to go. (Wrong Sentence)
Each of them wants to go.
(Right Sentence)
(ii) Either of you are to be rewarded. (Wrong Sentence)
Either of you is to be rewarded. (Right Sentence)
(iii) Each of the students have to come. (Wrong Sentence)
Each of the students has to come. (Right Sentence)
More rules and practice
questions will be followed soon keep visiting this blog regularly……..
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