General English Solved Paper II: 2005

(SPOTTING ERRORS)

Directions (For the 20 items which follows):

(i) In this section a number of sentences are given. The sentences are underlined in three separate parts and each one is labelled (a), (b) and (c) . Read each sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. No sentence has more than one error. When you find an error in any one of the underlined parts (a), (b) or (c), indicate your response on the separate Answer Sheet at the appropriate space. You may feel that there is no error in a sentence. In that case letter (d) will signify a ‘No error’ response.

(ii) You are to indicate only one response for each item in your Answer Sheet. (If you indicate more than one response, your answer will be considered wrong.) Errors may be in grammar, word usage or idioms. There may be a word missing or there may be a word which should be removed.

(iii) You are not required to correct the error. You are required only to indicate your response on the Answer Sheet. Examples ‘P’ and ‘Q’ have been solved for you.

P. The young child singed a very sweet song.
(a) (b) (c) No error. (d)

Q. We worked very hard hroughout the season.

(a) (b) (c) No error. (d)

Explanation:

In item P, the word ‘singed’ is wrong. The letter under this part is (b); so (b) is the correct answer. Similarly, for item Q, (d) is the correct answer, as the sentence does not contain any error.

1. The salesman tried to lead on me

(a) (b)
with talk of amazing savings on heating
(c)
bills. No error.
(d)

2. He is well up with the leaders over the

(a) (b)
half - way stage of the race. No error
(c) (d)

3. He regarded his marriage

(a)
as a mean to an end;
(b)
he just wanted his wife’s wealth. No error.
(c) (d)

4. Their offspring are all very inquisitive.
(a) (b) (c)
No error.
(d)

5. Their distress had no affect on him he was
(a) (b)
determined to have his pound of flesh.
(c)
No error.
(d)

6. Today should be saluted for the
(a) (b)
beginning of a new era. No error.
(c) (d)

7. Such considerations are secondary with our
(a) (b)
main aim of improving efficiency. No error.
(c) (d)

8. Ostensibly he was on a business trip
(a)
but he spent most of time on the beach.
(b) (c)
No error.
(d)

9. I can’t do the fourth and fifth questions
(a) (b)
but I have done all the other. No error.
(c) (d)

10. After a year without defeat
(a)
the team now reigns over supreme
(b)
as the finest in the country. No error.
(c) (d)

11. The question of finance is
(a)
subsidiary to the question whether
(b)
the project will be approved. No error.
(c) (d)

12. They ve surcharged us 10 per cent
(a)
on the price of the holiday
(b)
because of a rise of air fares. No error.
(c) (d)

13. She’s all sweetness and lightness
(a)
provided you’re doing what she wants.
(b) (c)
No error.
(d)

14. Unemployment has reached a level that
(a)
would have been not thinkable two years
(b) (c)
ago. No error.
(d)

15. The smell of cooking told them there
(a) (b)
was a meal in the offing. No error.
(c) (d)

16. I told him out rightly what I thought
(a) (b)
of his behaviour. No error.
(c) (d)

17. You may be a bit upset but it’s really nothing
(a) (b)
to make a song and dance about. No error.
(c) (d)

18. She would resign sooner than take part in
(a) (b)
such dishonest business deals. No error.
(c) (d)

19. Don’t apply for that job you’re in danger of
(a) (b)
overreaching yourself. No error.
(c) (d)

20. Weather conditions were bad
(a)
enough even to give pause to
(b)
the most experienced climbers. No error.
(c) (d)

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