Goa PSC – English Language
Topic: Error Spotting
(Identify and correct errors in sentences)
1. Simple Explanation
Error‑spotting is a type of question where you are given a sentence (or a short paragraph) that contains one or more mistakes.
Your job is to:
- Read carefully – look for grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage and style errors.
- Identify the exact error(s) – write a short note such as “Wrong verb tense” or “Comma missing”.
- Write the corrected sentence – keep the original meaning unchanged.
Typical errors in Goa PSC papers:
| Error Category | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Grammar | Tense, subject‑verb agreement, pronoun‑antecedent agreement, articles, prepositions |
| Punctuation | Comma splices, missing commas, wrong apostrophes, semicolons |
| Spelling | Commonly confused words (their/there/they’re), typographic errors |
| Usage | Wrong word choice (effect/affect, principal/principle, etc.), idiomatic expressions |
| Sentence Structure | Run‑on sentences, fragments, misplaced modifiers |
| Style/Clarity | Redundancy, wordiness, passive voice that can be simplified |
2. Key Points to Remember
| # | Key Point | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read for meaning first | Mistakes often distort meaning; understanding the intended sense helps spot errors. |
| 2 | Check verb tense consistency | Mixed tenses often indicate a mistake. |
| 3 | Look for subject‑verb agreement | Especially with collective nouns or “each,” “every.” |
| 4 | Watch article usage | “a,” “an,” “the” can change the sentence’s meaning. |
| 5 | Commas | Separate clauses, list items, and non‑essential information. |
| 6 | Spelling of homophones | “to/too/two,” “their/there/they’re” – easy to slip. |
| 7 | Pronoun antecedent clarity | Pronoun must clearly refer to a specific noun. |
| 8 | Avoid sentence fragments | Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate. |
| 9 | Use a checklist | Keep a mental or written list of common pitfalls. |
| 10 | Practice with sample questions | Familiarity reduces errors under exam time pressure. |
3. Worked Example
Original Sentences (with errors)
- The committee, which has been working for the last week, will finalize the report tomorrow.
- He have finished his assignment before the deadline.
- The company’s profits has risen 12% this year.
- There’s many reasons why we should consider this proposal.
- She, unlike her brother, is a experienced engineer.
Step‑by‑Step Analysis
| # | Original | Error | Corrected | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The committee, which has been working for the last week, will finalize the report tomorrow. | Comma splice / misplaced modifier – “for the last week” is incorrect; should be “for the last week” → “for the last week” is fine, but the relative clause is fine; actually error is comma splice? Wait: The clause is fine. Let's re-evaluate. | The committee, which has been working for the last week, will finalize the report tomorrow. | No error – correct as is. (This illustrates that not every comma is wrong.) |
| 2 | He have finished his assignment before the deadline. | Wrong verb form – should be has. | He has finished his assignment before the deadline. | Third‑person singular present perfect. |
| 3 | The company’s profits has risen 12% this year. | Subject “profits” is plural → use have. | The company’s profits have risen 12% this year. | Plural subject + present perfect. |
| 4 | There’s many reasons why we should consider this proposal. | “There’s” is contraction of there is; with plural “many reasons” it must be are. | There are many reasons why we should consider this proposal. | Plural subject + correct verb. |
| 5 | She, unlike her brother, is a experienced engineer. | “a experienced” → article mismatch. | She, unlike her brother, is an experienced engineer. | Use an before vowel sound. |
Corrected Paragraph
The committee, which has been working for the last week, will finalize the report tomorrow.
He has finished his assignment before the deadline.
The company’s profits have risen 12% this year.
There are many reasons why we should consider this proposal.
She, unlike her brother, is an experienced engineer.
4. Quick Revision Summary
| ✔️ Quick Checklist (at the end of the test) |
|---|
| 1. Subject‑verb agreement – plural vs singular. |
| 2. Verb tense consistency – present, past, perfect. |
| 3. Article usage – a/an/the. |
| 4. Comma placement – after introductory clauses, in lists, before “but/and.” |
| 5. Spelling of homophones – to/too/two, there/their/they’re. |
| 6. Pronoun‑antecedent clarity – singular/plural match. |
| 7. Avoid fragments – each sentence must have subject + verb. |
| 8. Correct contractions – there’s vs there are. |
| 9. Use of “an” before vowel sounds – an apple, an engineer. |