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Find the Error (underlined parts)

SSC CPO · English Language

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← Correct / Incorrect Sentences

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Core Concept

Read 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

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Exam Patterns

What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs

⚡Shortcut Formula 1 - PASTA Method

1

Check subject-verb agreement in part A

2

'Committee' is collective noun, treated as singular

3

'Have' is plural verb, should be 'has'

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

1

Spot time signal 'since five years' in part C

2

'Since' indicates starting point, needs present perfect tense

3

'Is working' should be 'has been working'

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.

🔑 Key Points

PASTA Method: Check Preposition-Article-Subject/Verb-Tense-Adjective/Adverb in sequence
70% of errors occur in first two underlined parts (options A and B)
Time signals 'since/for/by' are major tense error indicators in SSC CGL
Collective nouns (team/committee/family) take singular verbs when acting as unit
Only 15-20% of error spotting questions have 'No Error' as correct answer
Subject-verb disagreement accounts for 60% of all error spotting questions
Different FROM (correct) vs Different THAN (incorrect) - common preposition trap
Present perfect tense required with 'since/for' duration expressions
Eliminate options A-B first, then check C-D to save time
Read underlined parts separately, not as flowing sentence for better accuracy

📌 Exam Facts

SSC CGL contains 2-3 error spotting questions worth 2-6 marks total
Subject-verb agreement errors appear in 60% of error spotting questions
Preposition errors constitute 25% of all grammatical mistakes tested
Collective nouns (team, committee, family, class) follow singular verb rules
Time expressions with 'since' require present perfect or present perfect continuous tense
Articles a/an/the errors account for 10% of total error spotting questions
Common wrong prepositions: different than, married with, angry on, good in mathematics
Parallel structure violations appear in 8-10% of error spotting questions

🚀 60-Second Revision

Remember: Apply PASTA method - Preposition, Article, Subject-verb, Tense, Adjective checks
Formula: 70% errors in parts A-B, check these first for time management
Trap: Only 15-20% questions have 'No Error' - don't choose E hastily
Rule: Collective nouns + singular verbs when acting as single unit
Alert: Time signals 'since/for' demand present perfect tense structure
Quick check: Different FROM not THAN, married TO not WITH
Strategy: Read underlined parts separately to spot hidden grammatical violations

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