Question 1

Neither the manager nor the employees (A) was / (B) were / (C) has been / (D) have been willing to compromise on the salary issue. No error

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is (B) 'were'. When 'neither...nor' connects two subjects, the verb agrees with the nearest subject. Here, 'employees' (plural) is nearest, so the plural verb 'were' is required. Option (A) 'was' incorrectly agrees with 'manager' (the farther subject). Option (C) 'has been' is singular and incorrect. Option (D) 'have been' is plural but uses present perfect continuous, which is less appropriate for a general statement about willingness.

Question 2

The data (A) shows / (B) show / (C) is showing / (D) are showing that the sales have increased significantly in the last quarter. No error

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is (A) 'shows'. In modern English, 'data' is treated as a singular mass noun (like 'information' or 'evidence') and takes a singular verb. Although 'data' is technically the plural of 'datum', contemporary usage treats it as singular, especially in Indian and British English. Option (B) 'show' incorrectly treats 'data' as plural. Options (C) and (D) use present continuous, which is inappropriate for a statement of fact.

Question 3

The professor insisted that every student (A) submit / (B) submits / (C) should submit / (D) submitted their assignment on time. No error

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is (A) 'submit'. After 'insisted that', the subjunctive mood is required in formal English, which uses the base form of the verb without 's' or 'should'. Option (B) 'submits' uses indicative mood (simple present), which is incorrect after 'insisted that'. Option (C) 'should submit' is overly formal and not standard in this context. Option (D) 'submitted' uses past tense, which contradicts the future-oriented meaning of the sentence.

Question 4

The government has announced that it will provide financial assistance to (A) whoever / (B) whomever / (C) who / (D) whom are in need of support. No error

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is (A) 'whoever'. The relative pronoun here is the subject of the relative clause 'are in need of support', so the nominative case 'whoever' is required. Option (B) 'whomever' is the objective case and is incorrect because the pronoun is the subject of the clause, not the object. Option (C) 'who' is also nominative but is less formal and less commonly used in this construction. Option (D) 'whom' is objective case and incorrect for a subject position.

Question 5

The committee (A) have decided that the new policy, which affects (B) thousands of employees across multiple departments, will be implemented (C) by the end of next quarter, provided that all stakeholders agrees (D) to the terms.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (D). The subject 'all stakeholders' is plural and requires the plural verb form 'agree', not the singular 'agrees'. In the context of a conditional clause introduced by 'provided that', subject-verb agreement must still be maintained. The correct form should be 'agree'.

Question 6

Neither the manager nor the employees (A) was willing to compromise, and as a result, the dispute (B) has escalated into a serious conflict that threatens (C) the stability of the entire organisation, which requires (D) immediate intervention.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (A). When using 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearest subject. Here, 'employees' (plural) is nearest, so the verb should be 'were', not 'was'. The correct form is 'Neither the manager nor the employees were willing to compromise.'

Question 7

The research team, along with their international collaborators, (A) are conducting a comprehensive study on climate change, and they have been (B) collecting data for over three years, which will be analysed (C) using advanced algorithms that has (D) been recently developed.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (D). The subject of the relative clause is 'algorithms' (plural), so the verb should be 'have', not 'has'. The correct form is 'that have been recently developed'. The singular 'has' incorrectly agrees with the singular 'advanced' or misidentifies the subject.

Question 8

The board of directors have unanimously agreed that the company should invest in renewable energy, and they believe (A) that this decision will not only reduce operational costs but also (B) demonstrates the organisation's commitment to environmental sustainability, which (C) has been increasingly demanded by consumers and investors alike, and therefore (D) the implementation must begin immediately.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). There is a tense and parallel structure inconsistency. The sentence uses 'will not only reduce' (future tense) but then shifts to 'demonstrates' (present tense). For parallel structure and consistency, it should be 'will not only reduce...but also demonstrate' (both future tense). The correct form is 'but also demonstrate'.

Question 9

The government's new policy, which was announced last month and has been widely debated (A) by economists and policymakers, aims to address the growing inequality that have (B) plagued the nation for decades, and it is expected that the measures will be implemented (C) gradually, provided that the parliament approves (D) the necessary legislation.

Accepted Answer

The error is in part (B). The subject 'inequality' is singular, so the verb should be 'has', not 'have'. The correct form is 'that has plagued the nation'. The relative pronoun 'that' refers to the singular noun 'inequality', requiring singular verb agreement.

SSC MTS Correct / Incorrect Sentences

Correct / Incorrect Sentences— Rules & Concept

Key Points to Remember

Exam-Specific Tips

Correct / Incorrect Sentences — Practice Questions

60-Second Revision — Correct / Incorrect Sentences