IBPS PO Prelims Spotting Error and Sentence Improvement Qns 1

D.1-7): A sentence is shown in four parts marked as (a), (b), (c) and (d) in each question. Read the sentences carefully and select the part which is grammatically wrong. If every part of the sentence is grammatically correct then, choose ‘No error’ (e) as the answer.

Q.1) Marking the fifth consecutive month of softening retail (a)/ inflation measured by CPI turned (b)/ down more sharper than expected in December (c)/ and reached its lowest reading since November 2014. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans: Option c)

`More sharper’ is wrong. We need an adverb to modify the phrasal verb `turned down’ – correct form is `more sharply’

Q.2) It has become the norm for rich and powerful (a)/ to get bail with ease while the commoner (b)/ and the poor languish in jail, the Law Commission (c)/ of India said in its latest report. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans: Option e)

Q.3) The minister insisted on the need for improve (a)/the railway safety saying India (b)/needs to invest heavily in railway infrastructure (c)/to meet the decades-old backlog. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans: Option a)

Preposition `for’ in part a) should be followed by a noun or noun substitute. So `improving the railway safety’ should be the right noun phrase.

Q.4) Vardhini of RBI very nearly lost the match (a)/ and failed to qualify herself for the main draw (b)/ of the LIC-South Zone National-ranking (c)/ table tennis tournament at the Indoor Stadium. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans: Option b)

In part a) `nearly lost’ implies Vardhini won the match. Therefore in part

1. b) instead of `and failed to qualify’ we should have `but qualified herself’. This is a logical error.

Q.5) The Climate Bond Initiative, in its (a)/ India update, indicated that about (b)/ 62 percent of the green bond proceeds has been (c)/ allocated to renewable energy projects. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans:

1. c) Noun proceeds are always used in the plural sense. So we should have 62 percent of the proceeds have been

Note:

Plural verbs are required for nouns that have no singular form, such as proceeds, goods, ashes, remains, credentials, premises, etc.

The proceeds of the magic show are to be given to the fund for soldier’s welfare.

The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.

Q.6) On July 4, North Korea tested (a)/ Hwasong-14, described as (b)/ an intercontinental ballistic missile capable in (c)/ reaching the U.S. mainland. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans: Option

1. c) When capable is used for referring to capacity it should be used as `capable of’

Q.7) Pinning high hopes (a)/ on either of them (b)/ will only lead to (c)/ disappointments in the future. (d)/ No error. (e)

Ans: Option e)

D.8-15): A sentence or a part of the sentence is highlighted. Four alternatives marked as (a), (b), (c) and (d) are given as substitutions for the highlighted part, one of which will improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed, choose the option “No improvement is required” i.e. (e).

Q.8) The animal, muse as a hawkish tusker over the captive elephants of Kerala, remains chained to a coconut tree hardly 100 meters away from the swamp.

1. a) speculated as combative tusker of
2. b) ruminated as attacking tusker between
3. c) recognise as an intrusive tusker of
4. d) considered an aggressive tusker among
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option d)

Q.9) The plan is now to provide training to women mountaineers to achieve aimed to send at most one climber from south India to Mount Everest, he said.

1. a) the aim to send mostly
2. b) aim in sending at least only
3. c) the aim of sending at least
4. d) aim at sending almost
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: c)

The meaning of the sentence is the aim to send at least one climber from South India. The highlighted phrase gives a wrong meaning. Options a, b, and d are wrongly worded. Option c is correctly worded to substitute the highlighted phrase.

Q.10) Aditya’s friends who were with him at the time of the incident had turned hostile during the trial.

1. a) has turned adverse in
2. b) has been turned down towards
3. c) had been turns contrary to
4. d) had turns opposed due to
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option e)

Q.11) It is a confirmation of how formidable are the forces, anyway ideal it may face to the arm of the law, that individual activism is up against.

1. a) although unseen which go through
2. b) howsoever invisible they may be
3. c) even though ethereal it faces
4. d) because its screened that might
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option b)

The sentence conveys the meaning that a given situation or event confirms the fact individual activism has to face formidable forces even if these forces are hiding from the law and they are not visible. To convey this meaning the highlighted phrase is wrongly worded. Similarly options a, c and d are wrongly worded

Q.12) Mutual recognition will have to precede reunification and for this, the two Koreas wished to begins a dialogues on due course.

1. a) need to begin a dialogue in
2. b) urged had begun a dialogue on
3. c) must began a dialogues towards
4. d) ought has begun a dialogue over
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option a)

The highlighted phrase is wrong. `Wished’ does not convey the meaning of necessity. The verb form `begins’ after `to’ is also wrong. So the phrase needs replacement.

Option b, c and d are grammatically wrong. Option a) is rightly worded to replace the highlighted phrase.

Q.13) It is uncertain to the any democratic government will try to elucidate what these needs are and tailor the education system to fulfil what is required.

1. a) Obscure in the
2. b) indefinite over the
3. c) dubious towards the
4. d) Obvious that
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option d)

To elucidate means to clarify. So the sentence conveys the meaning that a democratic government will elucidate the needs (referred to in a previous sentence) and modify the education system to fulfil what is required. The highlighted words give an opposite meaning by the usage of `uncertain’. Obscure, dubious and indefinite will convey nearly an opposite meaning.

Q.14) Permitting private medical education was transparent a concession to powerful pressure groups who sought to circumvent the difficult entry barriers to medical education by buying their way.

1. a) were limpid
2. b) was glassy
3. c) was clearly
4. d) were apparently
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option c)

We need an adverb `transparently’ to answer the question `how’ on `permitting private medical education’. Option a and b give different meanings. Option d will lead to SVA error as `permitting’ is singular.

Q.15) This lead to user strategy their use of space and clustering around the strongest coverage area to maximize their signal strength when they stop or ‘hang out’ to use WiFi.

1. a) Leads to users strategizing
2. b) leading user strategies
3. c) Led to the user strategy
4. d) leaded users strategies
5. e) No improvement is required.

Ans: Option a)

The pronoun` this’ refers to a third person singular noun and the sentence is in present tense. So the verb should be `leads’. Only option a) has this.

Answer Key: (c) 2. (e) 3. (a) 4. (b) 5. (c) 6. (c) 7. (e) 8. (d) 9. (c) 10. (e) 11. (b) 12. (a) 13. (d) 14. (c) 15. (a)