Free Error Detection MCQs with Answers

1. Identify the error: Each of the students have submitted their assignment on time.

• A. Each of the students
• B. have submitted
• C. their assignment
• D. on time

Explanation: Each is singular and requires has submitted, so the plural verb is the error. The pronoun their is now widely accepted after each in general usage, and the phrase on time is idiomatically correct. Error detection items usually hide the fault in the verb, so check agreement first.

2. Identify the error: Neither the doctor nor the nurses was available.

• A. Neither should be Either
• B. nor should be or
• C. was should be were
• D. There is no error

Explanation: With neither nor the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which here is nurses, so the plural were is required. Reversing the two nouns would make was correct instead. Neither is always paired with nor and either with or, so the first two options are wrong on their own terms.

3. Identify the error: He is senior than me by three years.

• A. senior should be more senior
• B. than should be to
• C. me should be I
• D. There is no error

Explanation: Latin comparatives such as senior, junior, superior, inferior and prior take to rather than than. The construction is he is senior to me. Because these words already carry a comparative sense, adding more would also be wrong.

4. Identify the error: I have been living here since five years.

• A. have been should be am
• B. since should be for
• C. living should be lived
• D. There is no error

Explanation: Since introduces a point in time such as 2019 or Monday, while for introduces a length of time such as five years. The tense itself is correct for an action continuing from the past into the present. This pair is one of the most frequently tested points in Pakistani entry tests.

5. Identify the error: The scenery of Naran are very beautiful.

• A. scenery should be sceneries
• B. are should be is
• C. of should be in
• D. There is no error

Explanation: Scenery is an uncountable noun, so it takes a singular verb and has no plural form, which also rules out the first option. The same applies to information, furniture, advice, luggage and equipment. Learners often pluralise these nouns by analogy with their own language.

6. Identify the error: Each of the boys have submitted their assignment.

• A. Each should be All
• B. have should be has
• C. boys should be boy
• D. There is no error

Explanation: Each is singular and controls the verb, so has is required no matter how plural the intervening phrase sounds. The prepositional phrase of the boys never governs the verb. Strictly, formal usage would also prefer his rather than their, though that point is less often marked.

7. Identify the error: One of my friend is a surgeon.

• A. One should be Ones
• B. friend should be friends
• C. is should be are
• D. There is no error

Explanation: The phrase one of must be followed by a plural noun, since it selects a single member from a group, so it should read one of my friends. The verb stays singular because the subject is one, which is why is is correct. Both halves of this construction are tested together very often.

8. Identify the error: The teacher asked the students to not make noise.

• A. asked should be told
• B. to not make should be not to make
• C. students should be student
• D. There is no error

Explanation: In careful written English the negative particle precedes the infinitive marker, giving not to make. Splitting the infinitive with not is common in speech but is penalised in formal grammar questions. The rest of the sentence is correct as written.