Theory & Concepts
Master Error Spotting for SSC CGL
Get comprehensive theory, expert shortcuts, and hand-picked practice questions for Error Spotting specifically designed for the SSC CGL 2025-26 pattern.
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45 min readDifficulty: High
Error Spotting questions represent the ultimate test of your English grammar skills in the SSC CGL Exam. Spotting the error is not about reading by "gut feeling" or how it "sounds" — it relies on a strict, logic-based execution of standard grammatical rules.
Learning path
- Syntactic Breakdown Methods
- Subject-Verb & Pronoun Traps
- Modifiers & Fixed Preposition Rules
- 20 Premium Practice Questions
1. Core Error Categories
CGL Error Spotting can be systematically categorized into three main structural types:
1. Concord (Agreement)
Errors in Subject-Verb and Noun-Pronoun alignment in number, gender, and person.
"Everyone must do their (incorrect) -> his/her duty."
2. Modifier Placement
Misplaced or dangling adjectives/adverbs that modify the wrong word grammatically.
"Walking in the park, a dog bit him." (Incorrect: a dog was not walking)
3. Prepositions & Collocations
Using the wrong preposition after specific adjectives, verbs, or nouns.
"He is accused with (incorrect) -> of murder."
2. Highly Repeated CGL Error Patterns
Mastering these exact rules will allow you to quickly solve the majority of error spotting tasks:
1
One of + Plural Noun + Singular Verb
The structure "one of" is followed by a plural noun, but the grammatical subject remains 'one', which requires a singular verb.
✔ "One of my friends is a doctor."
✘ "One of my friends are a doctor."
2
Scarcely / Hardly / No Sooner Inversions
When negative adverbs start a sentence, they force subject-auxiliary inversion (verb before subject). Check both the inversion and the matching conjunction pairs ('than' for No sooner, 'when' for Hardly/Scarcely).
3
Uncountable Noun Rule
Nouns like 'information', 'scenery', 'furniture', 'luggage', 'baggage', 'advice', 'hair' are uncountable. They do not have plural forms (no -s) and never take the article 'a' or 'an' directly.
✔ "The furniture in this room is new."
✘ "The furnitures in this room are new."
4
Dangling Participles
An introductory participle clause must logically modify the subject of the main clause. If the subjects are different, the sentence must be rewritten to assign the subject clearly.
3. 20 Solved Practice Questions
Question 01Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "One of the most important task is to maintain discipline in the library."
A) One of the
B) most important task
C) is to maintain discipline
D) in the library
Correct answer: B) most important task
Solution
Step 1: Locate the structure: 'One of the'.
Step 2: Recall the rule: 'One of' must be followed by a plural noun.
Step 3: The word 'task' is in singular form. It must be corrected to 'tasks'.
Conclusion: The error is in Segment B.
Question 02Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "The sceneries of Kashmir are extremely beautiful and mesmerizing."
A) The sceneries of Kashmir
B) are extremely beautiful
C) and mesmerizing
D) No error
Correct answer: A) The sceneries of Kashmir
Solution
Step 1: Examine the subject: 'The sceneries of Kashmir'.
Step 2: 'Scenery' is an uncountable noun. It cannot be pluralized as 'sceneries'.
Step 3: Correct it to 'The scenery of Kashmir is...'.
Conclusion: Option A is correct.
Question 03Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "He senior than me in the organization and deserves respect."
A) He senior
B) than me
C) in the organization
D) and deserves respect
Correct answer: B) than me
Solution
Step 1: Check comparative structures with words ending in '-ior' (senior, junior, prior, superior, inferior).
Step 2: These comparative adjectives take the preposition 'to', never 'than'.
Step 3: Correct 'than me' to 'to me' (and add the missing auxiliary verb 'is' in part A: 'He is senior to me').
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 04Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "Neither the teacher nor the students was present in the school."
A) Neither the teacher
B) nor the students
C) was present
D) in the school
Correct answer: C) was present
Solution
Step 1: Look at the correlative: 'Neither... nor'.
Step 2: When subjects are connected by 'neither... nor', the verb must agree with the closer subject.
Step 3: The closer subject is 'the students' (plural). Therefore, the verb must be plural 'were', not 'was'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 05Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "Unless you do not work hard, you will not secure good marks in the exam."
A) Unless you do not
B) work hard,
C) you will not secure
D) good marks
Correct answer: A) Unless you do not
Solution
Step 1: Identify the conjunction: 'Unless'.
Step 2: 'Unless' means 'if not' and is inherently negative.
Step 3: Adding 'do not' in the same clause is a double negative error. Correct it to 'Unless you work hard'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 06Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "He had scarcely stepped out of the room than it began to rain heavily."
A) He had scarcely
B) stepped out of the room
C) than it began
D) to rain heavily
Correct answer: C) than it began
Solution
Step 1: Locate the adverb trigger: 'scarcely'.
Step 2: The correct correlative conjunction partner for 'scarcely' is 'when' or 'before'.
Step 3: 'than' is incorrect. Replace it with 'when'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 07Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "The furniture in the office are outdated and need to be replaced immediately."
A) The furniture in the office
B) are outdated and
C) need to be replaced
D) immediately
Correct answer: B) are outdated and
Solution
Step 1: Examine the subject: 'The furniture'.
Step 2: 'Furniture' is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
Step 3: Correct 'are' to 'is' and 'need' to 'needs'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 08Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "Supposing if it rains, what will we do for the picnic?"
A) Supposing if
B) it rains,
C) what will we do
D) for the picnic
Correct answer: A) Supposing if
Solution
Step 1: Look at the words 'Supposing' and 'if'.
Step 2: Both words express the same conditional meaning. Using them together is redundant.
Step 3: Use either 'Supposing' or 'If', never both. Correct it to 'If it rains' or 'Supposing it rains'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 09Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "The mother, along with her three children, were going to the market."
A) The mother,
B) along with her three children,
C) were going to
D) the market
Correct answer: C) were going to
Solution
Step 1: When two nouns are joined by 'along with', 'with', 'together with', 'as well as', the verb agrees with the first noun.
Step 2: The first noun is 'The mother' (singular).
Step 3: The verb must be singular 'was', not 'were'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 10Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "The two sisters shared the property between themselves."
A) The two sisters
B) shared the property
C) between
D) themselves
Correct answer: D) themselves
Solution
Step 1: Identify the pronoun reference. Two sisters are sharing something 'between' themselves.
Step 2: The sentence is grammatically correct. 'Between' is correctly used for two entities.
Step 3: No error is present.
Conclusion: Option D (No error - under actual CGL papers, this option represents standard perfect sentences).
Question 11Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "Many a student have failed in this critical examination."
A) Many a
B) student
C) have failed
D) in this examination
Correct answer: C) have failed
Solution
Step 1: Look at the subject structure: 'Many a + Singular Noun'.
Step 2: 'Many a' is always followed by a singular noun ('student') and requires a singular verb.
Step 3: Correct 'have failed' to 'has failed'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 12Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "He is the most cleverest boy in our class."
A) He is
B) the most cleverest
C) boy in
D) our class
Correct answer: B) the most cleverest
Solution
Step 1: Look at 'most cleverest'.
Step 2: 'cleverest' is already a superlative form. Using 'most' creates a double superlative error.
Step 3: Correct it to 'the cleverest boy'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 13Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "He entered into the classroom without permission yesterday."
A) He entered
B) into the classroom
C) without permission
D) yesterday
Correct answer: B) into the classroom
Solution
Step 1: Examine the verb 'entered'.
Step 2: The verb 'enter' means to go into. Thus, placing the preposition 'into' immediately after 'entered' is redundant for physical spaces.
Step 3: Correct it to 'He entered the classroom'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 14Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "She had been working here since five years before she resigned."
A) She had been
B) working here
C) since five years
D) before she resigned
Correct answer: C) since five years
Solution
Step 1: Look at the time indicator 'five years'.
Step 2: 'five years' is a duration, not a specific starting point in time.
Step 3: Replace 'since' with 'for'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 15Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "No sooner did I see the tiger then I ran away as fast as possible."
A) No sooner did I
B) see the tiger
C) then I ran away
D) as fast as possible
Correct answer: C) then I ran away
Solution
Step 1: Check the correlative: 'No sooner'.
Step 2: 'No sooner' must be followed by 'than'.
Step 3: The sentence uses 'then' which is a standard homophone trap. Replace 'then' with 'than'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 16Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "My elder brother is more superior to me in intelligence."
A) My elder brother
B) is more superior
C) to me in
D) intelligence
Correct answer: B) is more superior
Solution
Step 1: Look at the word 'superior'.
Step 2: Words like 'superior', 'junior', 'senior' have comparative force built into them. They do not take 'more' or 'most'.
Step 3: Correct it to 'is superior to me'.
Conclusion: Option B.
Question 17Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "He as well as his parents are coming to the party tonight."
A) He as well as
B) his parents
C) are coming
D) to the party tonight
Correct answer: C) are coming
Solution
Step 1: Two subjects are joined by 'as well as'.
Step 2: The verb must agree with the first subject: 'He' (singular).
Step 3: The verb must be singular 'is coming', not 'are coming'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Question 18Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "The jury was divided in their opinions regarding the verdict."
A) The jury was
B) divided in
C) their opinions
D) regarding the verdict
Correct answer: A) The jury was
Solution
Step 1: Analyze the collective noun: 'The jury'.
Step 2: Collective nouns take singular verbs if they act as a single unit, but plural verbs and plural pronouns ('their') if their members are divided in opinion.
Step 3: Since they are 'divided in their opinions', the verb must be plural 'were'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 19Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "He told to me that he had completed the assignment."
A) He told to me
B) that he had
C) completed the
D) assignment
Correct answer: A) He told to me
Solution
Step 1: Analyze the transitive verb 'told'.
Step 2: 'told' is a transitive verb that directly takes a personal object without any preposition. 'Said to' is correct, but 'told to' is incorrect.
Step 3: Correct 'He told to me' to 'He told me'.
Conclusion: Option A.
Question 20Exam Pattern
Identify the segment containing the grammatical error: "Although he worked hard, but he failed the exam."
A) Although he
B) worked hard,
C) but he failed
D) the exam
Correct answer: C) but he failed
Solution
Step 1: Check the pairing with 'Although'.
Step 2: 'Although' can only be paired with a comma or 'yet'.
Step 3: The use of 'but' after 'although' creates a grammatical conflict. Remove 'but' or replace it with 'yet'.
Conclusion: Option C.
Strategy errors to avoid
!
Subject Isolation Failure
Always isolate parenthetical phrases starting with 'along with', 'as well as', 'together with'. The verb must completely ignore these middle phrases and match the main subject before them.
!
"Gut Feeling" Readings
Many errors reside in structures that sound normal to the untrained ear (like "Many a student have..."). Do not rely on your pronunciation habits; verify the grammatical rules directly.