Andhra Pradesh Police Sub‑Inspector (SI) – English Language
Topic: Error Spotting
1. Simple Explanation
- Error spotting is the skill of reading a sentence or paragraph and identifying any mistake in grammar, usage, punctuation, or style.
- In the AP Police SI exam, you’ll get a short passage or a set of sentences. One or more of them contain an error.
- Your task is to choose the correct sentence (or pick the sentence with the error) and justify the correction.
2. Key Points
| # | Category | Typical Errors | Quick Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subject‑Verb Agreement | “The list of items are on the table.” | Does the verb agree with the head noun? |
| 2 | Verb Tense | “He has finished the work yesterday.” | Does the tense match the time expression? |
| 3 | Pronoun Case | “Me and John went to the station.” | Must the pronoun be in subject or object case? |
| 4 | Article Usage | “She wants to become a engineer.” | Do we need a/an or the? |
| 5 | Prepositions | “He is afraid of the exam.” | Which preposition pairs with the verb? |
| 6 | Punctuation | “Let’s eat, grandma!” vs. “Let’s eat grandma!” | Are commas used to separate items or address? |
| 7 | Spelling / Homonyms | “Their going to the cinema.” | Is the word spelled correctly? |
| 8 | Parallel Structure | “She likes swimming, to read and hiking.” | Are all items in the same form? |
| 9 | Modifiers | “She almost drove her car into the river.” | Does the modifier attach to the right word? |
| 10 | Idiomatic Usage | “He is looking forward to meeting him.” | Are idioms used correctly? |
Tip: When in doubt, rewrite the sentence in your own words. If the meaning changes, a mistake likely exists.
3. Worked Example
Passage (one error)
- The chief inspector is arriving at the station at 9 am tomorrow.
- The evidence was stored in a locked drawer.
- Me and my colleagues will be on duty during the night shift.
- The suspect has been detained for the crime.
- They are planning to conduct a raid next week.
Identify the incorrect sentence and correct it.
Step‑by‑Step
- Sentence 1 – Subject‑verb agreement is fine.
- Sentence 2 – Past tense verb “was” matches “evidence” (singular). ✔️
- Sentence 3 – Error: Pronoun case. “Me” should be in the subject case because it is the subject of the clause.
- Corrected: My colleagues and I will be on duty…
- Sentence 4 – Fine.
- Sentence 5 – Fine.
Answer:
Sentence 3 is incorrect.
Corrected sentence: My colleagues and I will be on duty during the night shift.
4. Quick Revision Summary
| Concept | Quick Check |
|---|---|
| Subject‑Verb Agreement | Verb matches head noun. |
| Verb Tense | Tense matches time expression. |
| Pronoun Case | Subject → I, he, she; Object → me, him, her. |
| Articles | a/an for singular countable; the for specific. |
| Prepositions | Learn fixed pairs (e.g., “afraid of”, “responsible for”). |
| Punctuation | Commas for separation, dialogues, and to avoid ambiguity. |
| Spelling | Homophones: their/there/they’re, to/too/two. |
| Parallel Structure | Same grammatical form in lists. |
| Modifiers | Place next to the word it describes. |
| Idioms | Use the idiomatic expression as taught. |
5. Practice Problems
| # | Sentence | Identify the error |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The officers was on duty last night. | |
| 2 | I and the deputy will present the report tomorrow. | |
| 3 | She has a plan to increase the patrol frequency. | |
| 4 | The evidence are sealed in a safe. | |
| 5 | Their investigation is still ongoing. | |
| 6 | Let’s not forget to call the dispatch. |
Answer key:
- was → were (subject‑verb agreement)
- Correct (subject‑pronoun case)
- Correct
- are → is (subject‑verb agreement)
- Correct
- Correct
Final Tips
- Read aloud – Hearing the sentence often reveals awkwardness.
- Check the subject first – Many errors revolve around the subject.
- Use a “grammar checklist” – Keep the table above handy when studying.
- Practice under exam conditions – Time yourself to simulate the real test.
Good luck with your preparation, and keep polishing your error‑spotting skills!