Question 1

Neither the students nor the teacher (A) were present (B) at the assembly (C) yesterday morning (D). Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). When using 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearest subject. Here, 'teacher' (singular) is nearest to the verb, so the correct form should be 'was present' not 'were present'. The rule states: with 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Question 2

The data shows (A) that the majority of employees (B) prefers (C) to work from home (D). Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (C). 'Majority' is a collective noun that, when referring to a group as a single unit, takes a singular verb. However, when 'majority of' is followed by a plural noun (employees), the verb should agree with the plural noun. The correct form should be 'prefer' not 'prefers'. When 'majority of + plural noun' is used, the verb is plural.

Question 3

The committee (A) have decided (B) to postpone the meeting (C) until next week (D). Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). 'Committee' is a collective noun that takes a singular verb in Indian English. The correct form should be 'has decided' not 'have decided'. In British and Indian English, collective nouns like committee, team, group are treated as singular units and require singular verbs.

Question 4

The number of applicants (A) have increased / (B) significantly / (C) since the / (D) announcement was made. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). 'The number of' is a singular construction and requires a singular verb. The correct form should be 'has increased' not 'have increased'. (Note: 'A number of applicants have increased' would be correct, but 'The number of applicants' requires singular verb.)

Question 5

Neither the manager (A) nor the employees / (B) was aware / (C) of the changes / (D) in the schedule. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). When using 'neither...nor', the verb must agree with the nearest subject. Here, 'employees' (plural) is nearest to the verb, so it should be 'were aware' not 'was aware'.

Question 6

The report suggests that (A) the government should / (B) take immediate action / (C) on the issue of / (D) poverty in rural areas. / No error

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). After 'suggests that', the verb should be in the base form (subjunctive mood in formal English). The correct form should be 'the government take' not 'should take'. However, in modern Indian English, 'should take' is also acceptable. The sentence is grammatically correct as written.

Question 7

The research findings suggest that employees who are committed to their work and who takes (A) responsibility for their actions tend to receive (B) higher performance ratings than those who merely comply (C) with the organizational rules (D). Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). The sentence contains a compound relative clause: 'who are committed to their work and who takes responsibility.' Both relative clauses refer to the same antecedent 'employees' (plural), so both verbs must be plural. The first verb 'are' is correct (plural), but the second verb 'takes' is singular and should be 'take' to maintain parallel structure and agreement.

Question 8

The committee (A) have decided that the new policy, which affects (B) all employees who works (C) in the administrative department, will be implemented (D) next month. Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (C). The relative pronoun 'who' refers to 'employees' (plural), so the verb must be 'work' (plural), not 'works' (singular). The phrase 'who works' violates subject-verb agreement within the relative clause.

Question 9

The manager, along with his team members, are planning (A) to introduce a new system that will reduce (B) the time required for processing applications, which has been (C) a persistent problem for many years (D). Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). The subject is 'The manager' (singular), and the phrase 'along with his team members' is a prepositional phrase that does not affect the subject's number. Therefore, the verb should be 'is planning' (singular), not 'are planning' (plural). The rule is: phrases introduced by 'along with,' 'as well as,' 'in addition to,' and similar expressions do not change the number of the subject.

Question 10

The financial advisor recommended that the client invests (A) in a diversified portfolio, which would provide (B) better returns than keeping (C) the money in a savings account with a lower interest rate (D). Find the error.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). The sentence uses the verb 'recommended that the client invests,' but after the verb 'recommend' (and similar verbs like 'suggest,' 'insist,' 'demand,' 'propose'), the subjunctive mood requires the base form of the verb without '-s' or '-es.' The correct form is 'invests' should be 'invest.' This is the subjunctive mood in English, which is mandatory after certain verbs of recommendation, suggestion, and demand.

SBI Clerk Find the Error (underlined parts)

Find the Error (underlined parts)— Rules & Concept

Key Points to Remember

Exam-Specific Tips

Find the Error (underlined parts) — Practice Questions

60-Second Revision — Find the Error (underlined parts)