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RULES AND EXAMPLES OF SPOTTING ERRORS - PART - I

1. Some nounsare singular in form, but they are used as plural nounsand always take aplural verb.Cattle, gentry, vermin, peasantry , artillery, people clergy, company , police.Example:

1. The cattleisgrazing in the ground ( Incorrect )

2. The cattlearegrazing in the ground ( correct )2. Some nouns are always used in a plural form and always take a plural verb.Trousers, scissors, spectacles stockings, shorts measles, goos, alms, premises,thanks , tiings, annals, chattels, etc.Example!1. Where ismy trousers? ( Incorrect)2. Where aremy trousers? ( Correct)

". There are some nouns that indiate length, measure, money , #eight or number.When they are preeded by a numeral, they remain unhanged in form.$oot, metre, pair , score, o%en, hea , year, hunre, thousan, million1. !t is a three " years degree ourse ( Incorrect)2. !t is a three " year degree ourse ( Correct )

&. Collective nounssuh as #ury, publi, team, ommittee, go$ernment, audiene,orhestra, ompany, et. are used both as singular and plural depending on the meaning.When these words indiate a unit, the $erb is singular, otherwise the $erb will be plural.$or example!1. The #ury was di$ided in this ase. ( Incorrect)2. The #ury were di$ided in this ase. ( Correct)

'. % pronoun must agree with its anteedent in person, number and gender.

Example !&$ery man must being hisluggage.

%ll students must do theirhome work.&ah of the girls must arry herown bag

. The pronoun 'one( must be followed by 'one(s(.Example !nemust finish histask in time ( Incorrect)nemust finish one*stask in time ( Correct)

+. hose*is used for li$ing persons and '#hich*for lifeless ob#ets.Example!

hichphotograph is lying here? ( Incorrect)hosephotograph is li$ing there? ( Correct)

-. *se of 'less*and 'e#er*Example!

/ess*denotes +uantity and 'e#er*denotes number.0o lessthan fifty persons #erekilled. ( In correct)0o e#erthan fifty person #erekilled. ( Correct)

. ne o* always takes a plural nounafter it.

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Example!!t is one of the important ayin my life. ( In Correct)!t is one of the important aysin my life. ( Correct)

1. *se of 'not only' and ' but also' &amine the sentenes gi$en below.Example!-e not onlyomes for swimming but alsofor oahing the learners. ( In correct)

-e omes not onlyfor swimming but alsofor oahing the learners. ( correct)

1. When a pronoun omes after 'like' and ' unlike' it takes an ob3ective case.Example:1. i) % man like Iwill not do it. ( Incorrect )

ii) % man like mewill not do it. ( Correct)

2. % pronoun takes an ob#eti$e ase after 'let(.Example:1. i ) /et Ido it. Incorrect)

ii) /et medo it. Correct)

". 0ronouns #oined by 'an' remain in the same ase.Example:1. i) -e and herare brother and sister. Incorrect) ii) -e and sheare brother and sister. Correct)2 i) -e and meare friends. Incorrect)ii) -e and Iare friends. Correct)

&. When pronouns o secon person an thir personare used as sub#ets, the pronounfollowing them will be accoring to the secon personpronoun.Example:

1. i) ou and hemust bring hisbooks Incorrect) ii)4ouand he must bring yourbooks. Correct)

'. When pronouns of secon person an irst personare used as sub#ets, the pronounfollowing them will be irst person plural orm.Example!1. i) ou and ! must finish yourwork in time. Incorrect)ii) ou and ! must finish ourwork in time. Correct)

. The relati$e pronoun 'thatis used in preferene to '#ho*or 'whih after ad#eti$es in thesuperlati$e degree.

Example:1. i) The wisest man #hoe$er li$ed made mistakes. Incorrect)ii) The wisest man thate$er li$ed made mistakes Correct)2. i) This is the best #hichwe an do Incorrect)ii) This is the best thatwe an do . Correct)

+. When there are t#oanteceents, a man and an animal or two things before the relati$epronoun, we should use 'that*.Example:

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1. i) The man and his dog #hichpassed through this road were killed. Incorrect)ii) The man and his dog thatpassed through this road were killed. Correct)

-. The ase of the noun or pronoun preeding or sueeding the $erb ' tobe*should be thesame.Example:

1. i) !t is himwho ame to see us. Incorrect)ii) !t is hewho ame to see us. Correct)2. !t is mewho aught the thief . Incorrect)ii) !t is Iwho aught the thief. Correct)

. To show e+uality 'as*is used before after ad#eti$e.Example:1. i) ! an run asfast, if not faster, than you. Incorrect)ii) ! an run asfast as, if not faster, than you. Correct)

1. 5ore than one*indiates a plural sense, but it is treated as a sort of ompound of one.Thus it agrees with a singular noun and takes a singular verb.Example:1. i) ore than employees were killed in the aident. Incorrect)ii) ore than one employee was killed in the aident. Correct)