100 ERROR DETECTION MCQs WITH ANALYTICAL EXPLANATIONS
Practice 100 Error Detection MCQs with analytical explanations. Improve English grammar, sentence correction, error spotting, and accuracy for OPSC, UPSC, SSC, BANKING, RAILWAYS competitive exams ETC.
Directions: In each sentence, one part contains an error. Identify the incorrect part. If there is no error, choose D (No Error).
1. A) He do not know / B) where the office is / C) located. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “do not” → “does not”
Analytical Explanation:
The subject “He” is third-person singular. In the simple present tense, does is used with he/she/it. After does, the main verb remains in its base form.
Rule:
He/She/It + does not + V1
Correct: He does not know where the office is located.
2. A) She is senior / B) than me / C) in the organization. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “than me” → “to me”
Analytical Explanation:
The adjective senior is followed by the preposition to, not than.
Rule:
Senior + to
Junior + to
Superior + to
Inferior + to
Correct: She is senior to me in the organization.
3. A) Neither Ram nor his friends / B) was present / C) at the meeting. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “was” → “were”
Analytical Explanation:
With neither…nor, the verb generally agrees with the subject nearest to it. The nearest subject is “his friends”, which is plural.
Rule:
Neither A nor B + verb → verb agrees with B.
Correct: Neither Ram nor his friends were present at the meeting.
4. A) Each of the students / B) have submitted / C) the assignment. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “have” → “has”
Analytical Explanation:
The real subject is “Each”, which is singular. The phrase “of the students” does not change the number of the subject.
Rule:
Each of + plural noun + singular verb
Correct: Each of the students has submitted the assignment.
5. A) He is good / B) in mathematics / C) and science. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “in” → “at”
Analytical Explanation:
When describing someone’s ability or skill in a subject, the standard construction is good at.
Rule:
Good + at + subject/activity
Correct: He is good at mathematics and science.
6. A) I have been living / B) here since / C) five years. / D) No Error
Answer: C — “since” → “for”
Analytical Explanation:
Since is used with a point of time, while for is used with a period/duration.
Rule:
Since → starting point: since 2020
For → duration: for five years
Correct: I have been living here for five years.
7. A) She prefers tea / B) than coffee / C) in the morning. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “than” → “to”
Analytical Explanation:
The verb prefer takes to when comparing two things.
Rule:
Prefer A to B.
Correct: She prefers tea to coffee in the morning.
8. A) The news / B) are very surprising / C) to everyone. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “are” → “is”
Analytical Explanation:
Although news ends in “s,” it is treated as a singular uncountable noun.
Rule:
News + singular verb
Correct: The news is very surprising to everyone.
9. A) He returned back / B) to his hometown / C) after ten years. / D) No Error
Answer: A — Remove “back”
Analytical Explanation:
The verb return already expresses the meaning of going back. Therefore, back is redundant.
Correct: He returned to his hometown after ten years.
10. A) My father as well as my brothers / B) are attending / C) the function. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “are” → “is”
Analytical Explanation:
The phrase “as well as my brothers” is additional information. The main subject is “My father”, which is singular.
Rule:
A as well as B → verb agrees with A.
Correct: My father as well as my brothers is attending the function.
11. A) She has completed / B) her work yesterday / C) before leaving. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “has completed” → “completed”
Analytical Explanation:
The expression “yesterday” refers to a definite completed time in the past. Therefore, the simple past tense is required.
Rule:
Definite past time → Simple Past
Correct: She completed her work yesterday before leaving.
12. A) One of my friend / B) lives in Delhi / C) with his family. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “friend” → “friends”
Analytical Explanation:
The construction one of + plural noun is required because one member is being selected from a group.
Rule:
One of + plural noun
Correct: One of my friends lives in Delhi.
13. A) He asked me / B) that where I was going / C) after the meeting. / D) No Error
Answer: B — Remove “that”
Analytical Explanation:
In an indirect question beginning with where, the conjunction that is not used.
Rule:
asked + object + question word + subject + verb
Correct: He asked me where I was going after the meeting.
14. A) She is married / B) with a doctor / C) from Mumbai. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “with” → “to”
Analytical Explanation:
The standard grammatical construction is married to someone.
Correct: She is married to a doctor from Mumbai.
15. A) The furniture / B) in this room are / C) very expensive. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “are” → “is”
Analytical Explanation:
Furniture is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb.
Correct: The furniture in this room is very expensive.
16. A) He has been working / B) in this company / C) since 2019. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Since 2019 gives the starting point of an action that continues to the present. Present perfect continuous is appropriate.
Rule:
has/have been + V-ing + since + starting point.
17. A) I am knowing / B) him very well / C) for many years. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “am knowing” → “have known”
Analytical Explanation:
Know is generally a stative verb and is not normally used in the continuous form. The duration “for many years” also indicates an action/state continuing up to the present.
Correct: I have known him very well for many years.
18. A) The teacher told / B) the students to not make noise / C) during the examination. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “to not make” → “not to make”
Analytical Explanation:
In traditional formal examination grammar, the preferred negative infinitive structure is not + to + verb.
Correct: The teacher told the students not to make noise during the examination.
19. A) Hardly had I reached / B) the station when / C) the train left. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The correct correlative construction is:
Hardly/Scarcely/Barely + had + subject + V3 + when + simple past.
The sentence follows this structure correctly.
20. A) No sooner did he arrive / B) when the meeting started / C) in the hall. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “when” → “than”
Analytical Explanation:
The fixed pair is no sooner…than, not no sooner…when.
Correct: No sooner did he arrive than the meeting started in the hall.
21. A) He is one of those men / B) who always helps / C) others. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “helps” → “help”
Analytical Explanation:
The relative pronoun who refers to men, not to “one.” Therefore, the relative-clause verb is plural.
Correct: He is one of those men who always help others.
22. A) She is the only one / B) of the students who have / C) completed the project. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “have” → “has”
Analytical Explanation:
Here, who refers to the only one, which is singular.
Correct: She is the only one of the students who has completed the project.
23. A) The cattle / B) is grazing / C) in the field. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “is” → “are”
Analytical Explanation:
Cattle is treated as a plural noun and normally takes a plural verb.
Correct: The cattle are grazing in the field.
24. A) Mathematics / B) are my favorite subject / C) at school. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “are” → “is”
Analytical Explanation:
Although mathematics ends in “s,” when referring to the academic subject, it takes a singular verb.
Correct: Mathematics is my favorite subject at school.
25. A) He did not / B) went to school / C) yesterday. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “went” → “go”
Analytical Explanation:
After the auxiliary did, the main verb must be in its base form.
Rule:
did + V1
Correct: He did not go to school yesterday.
26–50
26. A) She does not / B) likes spicy food / C) very much. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “likes” → “like”
Analytical Explanation:
After does not, the main verb must be in its base form.
Correct: She does not like spicy food very much.
27. A) I am looking forward / B) to meet you / C) next week. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “to meet” → “to meeting”
Analytical Explanation:
In look forward to, the word to is a preposition, so it is followed by a gerund.
Rule:
look forward to + V-ing
Correct: I am looking forward to meeting you next week.
28. A) He insisted / B) on going there / C) alone. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The verb insist correctly takes the preposition on, followed by a gerund.
Correct structure:
insist on + V-ing.
29. A) The manager discussed / B) about the problem / C) with the staff. / D) No Error
Answer: B — Remove “about”
Analytical Explanation:
Discuss is a transitive verb and directly takes its object. The preposition about is unnecessary in this construction.
Correct: The manager discussed the problem with the staff.
30. A) She entered into / B) the room quietly / C) after the class began. / D) No Error
Answer: A — Remove “into”
Analytical Explanation:
When enter means “go into a place,” it directly takes the object.
Correct: She entered the room quietly.
31. A) He is suffering / B) from fever / C) since Monday. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “is suffering” → “has been suffering”
Analytical Explanation:
Since Monday indicates an action that began in the past and continues into the present. Present perfect continuous is appropriate.
Correct: He has been suffering from fever since Monday.
32. A) The police / B) has arrested the thief / C) near the station. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “has” → “have”
Analytical Explanation:
Police is generally treated as a plural noun in standard exam grammar.
Correct: The police have arrested the thief near the station.
33. A) Every boy and girl / B) were given / C) a certificate. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “were” → “was”
Analytical Explanation:
Every makes the subject singular. Therefore, the singular verb was is required.
Correct: Every boy and girl was given a certificate.
34. A) There is / B) many reasons to support / C) his argument. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “is” → “are”
Analytical Explanation:
In there is/are constructions, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it. Reasons is plural.
Correct: There are many reasons to support his argument.
35. A) Neither of the answers / B) are correct / C) according to the teacher. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “are” → “is”
Analytical Explanation:
Neither means “not one or the other” and is treated as singular in traditional exam grammar.
Correct: Neither of the answers is correct.
36. A) The quality of these products / B) have improved / C) considerably. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “have” → “has”
Analytical Explanation:
The subject is quality, not products. Since “quality” is singular, the verb must be singular.
Correct: The quality of these products has improved considerably.
37. A) He along with his friends / B) were invited / C) to the party. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “were” → “was”
Analytical Explanation:
The phrase along with his friends is additional information. The main subject is He, which requires a singular verb.
Correct: He along with his friends was invited to the party.
38. A) She has bought / B) a new furnitures / C) for her house. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “furnitures” → “furniture”
Analytical Explanation:
Furniture is an uncountable noun and does not normally take a plural -s.
Correct: She has bought new furniture for her house.
39. A) He gave me / B) an useful piece of advice / C) before I left. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “an” → “a”
Analytical Explanation:
The choice between a and an depends on the sound, not simply the first letter. Useful begins with the consonant sound /juː/.
Correct: He gave me a useful piece of advice.
40. A) She is / B) an university student / C) from Odisha. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “an” → “a”
Analytical Explanation:
University begins with a consonant sound /juː/, so a is used.
Correct: She is a university student from Odisha.
41. A) He is / B) a honest man / C) who always speaks the truth. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “a” → “an”
Analytical Explanation:
The h in “honest” is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound.
Correct: He is an honest man who always speaks the truth.
42. A) I saw / B) a elephant near the river / C) yesterday. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “a” → “an”
Analytical Explanation:
Elephant begins with a vowel sound, so the indefinite article an is required.
Correct: I saw an elephant near the river yesterday.
43. A) He went to / B) the school to meet / C) his son’s teacher. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The definite article the is appropriate because the sentence refers to a particular school and a specific purpose—meeting his son’s teacher.
44. A) The Ganges is / B) a sacred river / C) of India. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The Ganges is correctly used with the definite article because names of rivers normally take the.
45. A) Mount Everest is / B) the highest mountain / C) in the world. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The superlative highest normally takes the.
Correct structure:
the + superlative adjective.
46. A) She plays / B) the piano very well / C) for her age. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Musical instruments commonly take the after verbs such as play.
47. A) He has / B) a good knowledge about computers / C) and programming. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “about” → “of”
Analytical Explanation:
The standard collocation is knowledge of something.
Correct: He has a good knowledge of computers and programming.
48. A) She is / B) more intelligent than / C) her brother. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The comparative adjective more intelligent is correctly followed by than.
49. A) This book is / B) superior than that one / C) in quality. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “than” → “to”
Analytical Explanation:
Superior is one of the adjectives that takes to, not than.
Correct: This book is superior to that one in quality.
50. A) He is junior / B) than me / C) in the department. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “than me” → “to me”
Analytical Explanation:
The correct construction is junior to, just like senior to.
Correct: He is junior to me in the department.
51–75
51. A) She is accustomed / B) to wake up early / C) every morning. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “to wake” → “to waking”
Analytical Explanation:
In be accustomed to, to is a preposition. Therefore, it is followed by a gerund.
Correct: She is accustomed to waking up early every morning.
52. A) He prevented me / B) to enter the room / C) without permission. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “to enter” → “from entering”
Analytical Explanation:
The verb prevent follows the structure:
prevent + object + from + V-ing
Correct: He prevented me from entering the room without permission.
53. A) The teacher made / B) the students to write / C) the answer again. / D) No Error
Answer: B — Remove “to”
Analytical Explanation:
After make + object, the bare infinitive is used.
Rule:
make + object + V1
Correct: The teacher made the students write the answer again.
54. A) I let him / B) to use my computer / C) for an hour. / D) No Error
Answer: B — Remove “to”
Analytical Explanation:
The verb let is followed by an object and a bare infinitive.
Rule:
let + object + V1
Correct: I let him use my computer for an hour.
55. A) She suggested me / B) to take a rest / C) after the journey. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “suggested me” is incorrect
Analytical Explanation:
In traditional exam grammar, suggest is not followed by an object + infinitive in this way.
Acceptable structures include:
- suggest + V-ing
- suggest + that-clause
Correct: She suggested that I take a rest after the journey.
56. A) He ordered / B) me to leave the room / C) immediately. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Order + object + to-infinitive is grammatically correct.
Correct structure:
order + object + to + V1.
57. A) She asked me / B) where did I live / C) in the city. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “where did I live” → “where I lived”
Analytical Explanation:
An indirect question uses normal statement word order rather than question word order.
Direct: Where do you live?
Indirect: She asked me where I lived.
58. A) I don’t know / B) what is he doing / C) at the moment. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “what is he doing” → “what he is doing”
Analytical Explanation:
After I don’t know, the embedded question requires statement order.
Correct: I don’t know what he is doing at the moment.
59. A) Can you tell me / B) where is the nearest bank / C) from here? / D) No Error
Answer: B — “where is the nearest bank” → “where the nearest bank is”
Analytical Explanation:
The sentence contains an indirect question. Therefore, the subject comes before the verb.
Correct: Can you tell me where the nearest bank is from here?
60. A) He asked her / B) whether she would come / C) to the party. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Whether correctly introduces an indirect yes/no question.
61. A) If I will get time / B) I will visit / C) your office tomorrow. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “If I will get” → “If I get”
Analytical Explanation:
In the first conditional, the if-clause normally uses the simple present, while the main clause uses will + V1.
Structure:
If + present simple, + will + V1.
Correct: If I get time, I will visit your office tomorrow.
62. A) If he had worked hard / B) he would have passed / C) the examination. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
This is a correct third conditional structure.
Structure:
If + had + V3 → would have + V3.
63. A) Unless you do not study / B) you will not pass / C) the examination. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “Unless you do not study” → “Unless you study”
Analytical Explanation:
Unless already expresses a negative condition (“if not”). Adding do not creates an unnecessary double negative.
Correct: Unless you study, you will not pass the examination.
64. A) If I were you / B) I would accept / C) the offer. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
This is a standard second conditional used for an imaginary or hypothetical situation.
Structure:
If + subject + were → would + V1.
65. A) Had I known this / B) I would have helped / C) you earlier. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
This is an inverted third conditional. Had I known means If I had known.
66. A) He has gone / B) to Delhi last week / C) for an interview. / D) No Error
Answer: B — use “went to Delhi”
Analytical Explanation:
Last week is a definite completed past time, so the simple past is required instead of the present perfect.
Correct: He went to Delhi last week for an interview.
67. A) She finished / B) her work before I arrived / C) at the office. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The sentence clearly establishes two past events. Finished and arrived are acceptable because the conjunction before already establishes their sequence.
68. A) When I reached the station / B) the train already left / C) the platform. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “left” → “had already left”
Analytical Explanation:
The train’s departure occurred before another past event—I reached the station. The earlier past action is expressed using the past perfect.
Correct: When I reached the station, the train had already left the platform.
69. A) He was reading / B) when I entered / C) the room. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The past continuous describes an action in progress, while the simple past describes the shorter interrupting action.
Correct structure:
was/were + V-ing + when + simple past.
70. A) By next year / B) I will complete / C) this course. / D) No Error
Answer: C — “will complete” → “will have completed”
Analytical Explanation:
By next year indicates that the action will be completed before a future point. Therefore, the future perfect is appropriate.
Correct: By next year, I will have completed this course.
71. A) She has been studying / B) since three hours / C) for the examination. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “since” → “for”
Analytical Explanation:
Three hours represents a duration, so for must be used.
Correct: She has been studying for three hours for the examination.
72. A) He has lived here / B) for 2010 / C) with his family. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “for” → “since”
Analytical Explanation:
2010 is a point in time, not a duration.
Correct: He has lived here since 2010 with his family.
73. A) I have known him / B) since five years / C) very well. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “since” → “for”
Analytical Explanation:
Five years expresses duration.
Correct: I have known him for five years.
74. A) She has been working here / B) for January 2024 / C) as an accountant. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “for” → “since”
Analytical Explanation:
January 2024 identifies the starting point of the action.
Correct: She has been working here since January 2024 as an accountant.
75. A) He has been waiting / B) for you since morning / C) outside the office. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Since morning gives a starting point and correctly works with the present perfect continuous tense.
76–100
76. A) The man which came here / B) yesterday is my uncle / C) from Mumbai. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “which” → “who”
Analytical Explanation:
For people, the relative pronoun who is used in this construction. Which is generally used for things.
Correct: The man who came here yesterday is my uncle from Mumbai.
77. A) This is the book / B) who I bought yesterday / C) from the market. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “who” → “which”
Analytical Explanation:
Book is a thing, so which is appropriate.
Correct: This is the book which I bought yesterday from the market.
78. A) The person whom / B) you met yesterday / C) is my brother. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Whom correctly refers to the person receiving the action of met.
79. A) This is the house / B) where I was born / C) twenty years ago. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Where is correctly used to refer to a place.
80. A) The reason why he failed / B) is because he did not study / C) properly. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “is because” → “is that”
Analytical Explanation:
In traditional formal exam grammar, the reason…is that is preferred.
Correct: The reason why he failed is that he did not study properly.
81. A) She is one of the best students / B) which have ever studied / C) in this school. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “which” → “who”
Analytical Explanation:
The antecedent students refers to people, so who is used.
Correct: She is one of the best students who have ever studied in this school.
82. A) The book, that I bought yesterday, / B) is very interesting / C) and informative. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “that” → “which”
Analytical Explanation:
The relative clause is separated by commas, making it a non-defining relative clause. In traditional formal grammar, which is used rather than that in such clauses.
Correct: The book, which I bought yesterday, is very interesting and informative.
83. A) He is the man / B) whom everyone trusts / C) in this village. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Whom is the object of the verb trusts, so the construction is grammatically correct in formal usage.
84. A) She herself / B) completed the project / C) without anyone’s help. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Herself is correctly used as an emphatic/reflexive pronoun to emphasize the subject she.
85. A) Each student / B) must bring their own book / C) to the class. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “their” → “his or her” in traditional exam grammar
Analytical Explanation:
The source follows traditional competitive-exam grammar, where each student is treated as singular and the pronoun is expected to agree in number.
Expected exam form: Each student must bring his or her own book to the class.
86. A) Neither Ram nor Shyam / B) has completed their assignment / C) on time. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “their” → “his”
Analytical Explanation:
The source uses traditional singular pronoun agreement. Since Ram or Shyam refers to an individual male subject in either case, his is expected.
Correct: Neither Ram nor Shyam has completed his assignment on time.
87. A) He and myself / B) went to the market / C) yesterday evening. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “myself” → “I”
Analytical Explanation:
The pronoun is part of the subject of the sentence. The subject form I is required.
Correct: He and I went to the market yesterday evening.
88. A) Between you and I / B) this matter should remain / C) confidential. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “I” → “me”
Analytical Explanation:
After the preposition between, an object pronoun is required.
Rule:
between + object pronouns
Correct: Between you and me, this matter should remain confidential.
89. A) The teacher asked / B) him and I to stay / C) after class. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “I” → “me”
Analytical Explanation:
The pronouns are objects of the verb asked, so object forms are required.
Correct: The teacher asked him and me to stay after class.
90. A) She is as tall / B) as me / C) according to the measurement. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “as me” → “as I am”
Analytical Explanation:
In formal examination grammar, the comparison is completed using a subject and verb.
Correct: She is as tall as I am.
91. A) He runs / B) faster than me / C) in the race. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “than me” → “than I do”
Analytical Explanation:
In formal exam usage, the comparison is expressed with the subject pronoun and auxiliary verb.
Correct: He runs faster than I do in the race.
92. A) The two brothers / B) love one another / C) very much. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
One another is correctly used to show a reciprocal relationship between the two brothers.
93. A) The students / B) congratulated each other / C) after the examination. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Each other correctly expresses reciprocal action among the students.
94. A) He is / B) too weak to walk / C) without support. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The structure too + adjective + to + verb is grammatically correct.
Meaning: He is so weak that he cannot walk without support.
95. A) She is / B) so tired that she cannot walk / C) any further. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The structure so + adjective + that-clause is correctly used.
96. A) He is / B) enough strong to lift the box / C) by himself. / D) No Error
Answer: B — “enough strong” → “strong enough”
Analytical Explanation:
When enough modifies an adjective, it comes after the adjective.
Rule:
adjective + enough + to-infinitive
Correct: He is strong enough to lift the box by himself.
97. A) She speaks English / B) very fluently / C) in the interview. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
Fluently is the adverbial form used to modify the verb speaks. The sentence is grammatically correct.
98. A) He did the work / B) more carefully than / C) his colleague. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
The comparative adverb more carefully is correctly used with than.
99. A) The project was completed / B) more quickly than expected / C) by the team. / D) No Error
Answer: D — No Error
Analytical Explanation:
More quickly is the correct comparative adverb and than expected completes the comparison.
100. A) Despite of being tired / B) he continued working / C) until midnight. / D) No Error
Answer: A — “Despite of” → “Despite”
Analytical Explanation:
Despite is itself a preposition and is not followed by of.
Rule:
Despite + noun/gerund
Correct: Despite being tired, he continued working until midnight.
QUICK REVISION: MAJOR ERROR-DETECTION RULES
1. Subject–Verb Agreement
- Each/Every → singular verb
- Neither/Either → generally singular in traditional exam grammar
- News, furniture → singular
- Cattle, police → plural
2. Preposition Errors
- senior to
- junior to
- superior to
- inferior to
- married to
- good at
- prefer A to B
- knowledge of
3. Since vs. For
- Since → point of time
- For → period of time
Examples:
- since 2019
- since Monday
- for five years
- for three hours
4. Auxiliary + Main Verb
After do/does/did, use the base form.
- does not like
- did not go
5. Fixed Constructions
- hardly/scarcely → when
- no sooner → than
- look forward to → V-ing
- prevent → from + V-ing
- make → object + V1
- let → object + V1
6. Indirect Questions
Use statement word order:
❌ where did he go
✅ where he went
❌ what is he doing
✅ what he is doing
7. Conditional Sentences
First Conditional:
If + present simple → will + V1
Second Conditional:
If + past/were → would + V1
Third Conditional:
If + had + V3 → would have + V3
8. Articles
Use a/an according to sound:
- a university
- a useful book
- an honest man
- an elephant
9. Relative Pronouns
- who → people
- which → things
- whom → object/person in formal usage
- where → places
10. Enough
Use:
adjective + enough
✅ strong enough
❌ enough strong
11. Despite
Use:
✅ despite being tired
❌ despite of being tired
Exam Tip:
In Error Detection questions, first identify the subject, then check the verb, followed by tense, preposition, article, pronoun, conjunction, and fixed grammatical structures. This systematic approach helps locate errors much faster.
