IBPS Clerk Find the Error (underlined parts) — Study Material & 3 Practice MCQs | ZestExam
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IBPS Clerk Find the Error (underlined parts)
Study Material · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
This page covers IBPS Clerk Find the Error (underlined parts) with complete concept notes, 3 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.
Find the Error (underlined parts)— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
You must analyze each underlined part for grammar violations including subject-verb disagreement, tense errors, preposition mistakes, article errors, and word usage problems. Only one part contains the error, or sometimes no error exists
Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subjects need singular verbs, plural subjects need plural verbs
2
Tense Consistency
Past, present, future must align logically
3
Preposition Errors
Wrong preposition usage (in/on/at/by/with)
4
Article Mistakes
Incorrect use of a/an/the
5
Pronoun Errors
Wrong pronoun forms or unclear references
6
Comparison Errors
Faulty comparative/superlative forms
7
Parallelism
Elements in series must have same grammatical form
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks 2-3 error spotting questions. Most errors (60%) involve subject-verb disagreement or tense mistakes. Preposition errors account for 25%, while article and pronoun errors make up 15%.
Shortcut Formula 1 - PASTA Method:
P - Preposition check (in/on/at/by)
A - Article verification (a/an/the)
S - Subject-verb agreement
T - Tense consistency
A - Adjective/Adverb usage
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Check subject-verb agreement in part A
2
Step 2
'Committee' is collective noun, treated as singular
3
Step 3
'Have' is plural verb, should be 'has'
4
Step 4
Parts B, C, D are grammatically correct
Answer: A (Error in subject-verb agreement)
Shortcut Formula 2 - Time Signal Method:
Identify time signals (yesterday/tomorrow/since/for) to catch tense errors quickly. If you see 'since 2010' with simple past, it's wrong - needs present perfect.
Worked Example 2:
Sentence: (A) She is working (B) in this company (C) since five years (D) without any break.
1
Step 1
Spot time signal 'since five years' in part C
2
Step 2
'Since' indicates starting point, needs present perfect tense
3
Step 3
'Is working' should be 'has been working'
4
Step 4
Also 'since five years' should be 'for five years'
Answer: A (Tense error with time signal)
Shortcut Formula 3 - Elimination Strategy:
Read options A and B first. 70% errors occur in first two parts. If both seem correct, check C and D. This saves 30-40 seconds per question.
Common Trap - The #1 Mistake: Students often choose 'No Error' when they can't spot obvious mistakes. In SSC CGL, only 15-20% questions have no error. Always re-examine using PASTA method before selecting option E. Many students miss subtle preposition errors like 'different than' (wrong) vs 'different from' (correct).
Another major trap involves collective nouns. Words like team, family, committee, class can be singular or plural depending on context. When acting as unit = singular verb. When emphasizing individual members = plural verb.
Practice tip: Read each underlined part separately, not as flowing sentence. This helps identify grammatical violations that sound correct in context but are technically wrong.
Test Find the Error (underlined parts) under exam conditions
The manager insisted that every employee should submit (A) their reports before the deadline, and he emphasised that no one will be (B) excused if they fail to comply (C) with the requirement, which has been clearly communicated (D) to all staff.
Practice 2hard
The research team, which comprises of (A) experts from various disciplines, have been working (B) on this project for over two years, and their findings, which are based on (C) rigorous methodology, will be published (D) in the coming months.
Practice 3hard
Neither the manager nor the supervisors (A) was aware of the changes that had been made (B) to the system, and they were surprised when they discovered (C) that the new software, which was installed (D) last week, had already been integrated into the workflow.
60-Second Revision — Find the Error (underlined parts)