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Grammar & Error Spotting

English Language & Comprehension — Paper-I · Official 2026 Coverage

Useful for: SSC CGL

Overview

Tier-II error spotting covers agreement, tenses, pronouns, articles, prepositions, modifiers and parallelism.

Key points

The verb agrees with the true subject, not the nearest noun.
Sequence of tenses: a past main verb is usually followed by past forms in the subordinate clause.
Pronoun must agree with its antecedent.
Parallel structure in lists and comparisons.
Misplaced modifiers change meaning; place them next to the word they describe.

Explanation

"Neither … nor" and "either … or": the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
"Scarcely/Hardly … when", "No sooner … than".
Comparisons must compare like with like: "The climate of Delhi is hotter than that of Shimla."
Avoid double negatives.

Step by step

Read the full sentence or passage first.
Apply the exact grammar or vocabulary rule.
Re-read the final answer in context.

Examples

"The climate of Delhi is hotter than Shimla" → "than that of Shimla".
"Walking in the park, the trees looked beautiful" → "Walking in the park, I found the trees beautiful" (dangling modifier).
"She said that she will come" → "would come" (sequence of tenses).

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Comparing unlike things.
Trap: Dangling modifiers.
Trap: Breaking tense sequence.

Quick revision

Like with like.
Modifier next to its word.
Past main verb → past clause.

Practice MCQs

Find the error: 'One of my friend is a doctor.'
1. 'friend' should be 'friends'
2. 'is' should be 'are'
3. 'a' should be 'an'
4. No error
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Answer: (a) 'friend' should be 'friends'. 'One of' is followed by a plural noun.
Find the error: 'He is senior than me.'
1. 'me' should be 'I'
2. 'is' should be 'was'
3. 'than' should be 'to'
4. No error
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Answer: (c) 'than' should be 'to'. Senior, junior, superior and inferior take 'to'.
Find the error: 'Neither of the boys have come.'
1. No error
2. 'boys' should be 'boy'
3. 'come' should be 'came'
4. 'have' should be 'has'
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Answer: (d) 'have' should be 'has'. 'Neither of' takes a singular verb.
Find the error: 'The furniture are new.'
1. 'the' should be 'a'
2. 'are' should be 'is'
3. 'new' should be 'news'
4. No error
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Answer: (b) 'are' should be 'is'. Furniture is an uncountable noun.
Find the error: 'I have been living here since five years.'
1. 'have' should be 'has'
2. 'since' should be 'for'
3. 'living' should be 'live'
4. No error
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Answer: (b) 'since' should be 'for'. Use 'for' with a period of time.
Find the error: 'He did not came yesterday.'
1. 'came' should be 'come'
2. 'did' should be 'does'
3. 'yesterday' should be 'today'
4. No error
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Answer: (a) 'came' should be 'come'. 'Did' is followed by the base form.