Andaman & Nicobar Islands TET – English Language
Topic: Error Spotting
This module is designed to help you master the skill of detecting and correcting errors in sentences and paragraphs. The techniques are useful not only for the TET exam but also for any competitive exam that tests English language precision.
1. Why Error‑Spotting Matters
| Aspect | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | TET scores hinge on flawless grammar, punctuation, and style. |
| Time‑Efficiency | Quick detection saves precious minutes in the exam. |
| Confidence | Mastery of common pitfalls reduces anxiety. |
2. Types of Errors
| Category | Typical Mistake | Why It Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar | Subject‑verb agreement, tense consistency, pronoun‑antecedent mismatch | Lack of awareness of rule or over‑generalisation |
| Lexical Choice | Homonyms (affect/ effect, accept/except), incorrect word form | Limited vocabulary or phonetic confusion |
| Punctuation | Comma splices, run‑on sentences, missing commas after introductory clauses | Neglect of standard punctuation rules |
| Style & Fluency | Redundancy, wordiness, dangling modifiers, misplaced modifiers | Over‑expansion or lack of editing |
| Spelling | Incorrectly spelled words that look similar | Limited orthographic knowledge |
| Syntactic Structure | Fragmented sentences, improper parallelism | Failure to maintain consistent structure |
3. Rules & Derivations
3.1 Subject‑Verb Agreement
- Rule: Singular subject → singular verb; plural subject → plural verb.
- Derivation: “The list of items is on the table.”
Although “items” is plural, the governing noun list is singular.
3.2 Tense Consistency
- Rule: All main verbs in a clause should be in the same tense unless a shift is explicitly required.
- Derivation: Incorrect: She was going to the market and bought a book.
Correct: She went to the market and bought a book.
3.3 Pronoun‑Antecedent Agreement
- Rule: Pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent.
- Derivation: Incorrect: Everyone should bring their book.
Correct: Everyone should bring his or her book (or their as singular‑plural).
3.4 Parallelism
- Rule: Items in a list or clauses joined by and/or must have the same grammatical form.
- Derivation: Incorrect: She likes swimming, to hike, and reading.
Correct: She likes swimming, hiking, and reading.
3.5 Comma Usage
| Situation | Correct Use | Incorrect Use |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory clause | After the meeting, we went home. | After the meeting we went home. |
| Non‑restrictive clause | The book, which I bought, is great. | The book which I bought is great. |
| Items in a series | Red, blue, and green. | Red, blue and green. |
| Coordinate adjectives | A bright, sunny day. | A bright sunny day. |
3.6 Homophones & Homonyms
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affect | Verb (to influence) | The policy affects many people. |
| Effect | Noun (result) | The effect of the policy was noticeable. |
| Than | Comparative conjunction | She is taller than me. |
| Then | Adverb (time) | Finish your work, then go home. |
3.7 Dangling & Misplaced Modifiers
- Dangling: Modifier that appears to modify an unintended noun.
Incorrect: Walking down the street, the sunset was beautiful.
Correct: Walking down the street, I found the sunset beautiful. - Misplaced: Modifier placed far from the word it modifies.
Incorrect: I saw a man with binoculars on the roof.
Correct: I saw a man on the roof with binoculars.
4. Quick‑Check Checklist (Mnemonic: S‑P‑C‑R‑S)
| Check | What to Look For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| S – Subject‑verb | Singular vs plural | The team is ready. |