Error Detection is one of the most important topics in **SSC English Grammar**. Questions from this topic regularly test candidates on subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, tenses, pronouns, conjunctions, modifiers, and other common grammatical rules.
The key to solving Error Detection questions quickly is to understand the grammar rule behind the error instead of simply memorizing corrections.
Below are 20 carefully selected Error Detection sentences with their correct forms and detailed explanations. These questions are useful for **SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, SSC CPO, SSC GD** and other competitive examinations.
20 SSC Error Detection Questions with Answers and Explanations
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
**Incorrect Sentence:**
Each of the students have submitted his assignment.
**Error:**
“have”
**Correct Sentence:**
Each of the students **has** submitted his assignment.
**Reasoning:**
“Each” is a singular distributive pronoun and always takes a singular verb. Therefore, “has” should be used instead of “have”.
**Grammar Rule:**
Each + singular verb.
2. Use of Article
**Incorrect Sentence:**
He is an university student.
**Error:**
“an university”
**Correct Sentence:**
He is **a university** student.
**Reasoning:**
The choice between “a” and “an” depends on the sound of the following word. “University” begins with the consonant sound /yu/, so “a” is used.
**Grammar Rule:**
Use “a” before a consonant sound and “an” before a vowel sound.
3. Preposition
**Incorrect Sentence:**
She is good in mathematics.
**Error:**
“good in”
**Correct Sentence:**
She is **good at** mathematics.
**Reasoning:**
The adjective “good” is generally followed by the preposition “at” when referring to someone’s ability in a subject or activity.
**Grammar Rule:**
Good at + subject/activity.
4. Tense
**Incorrect Sentence:**
I have seen him yesterday.
**Error:**
“have seen”
**Correct Sentence:**
I **saw** him yesterday.
**Reasoning:**
“Yesterday” refers to a definite time in the past. Therefore, the simple past tense must be used instead of the present perfect tense.
**Grammar Rule:**
Present perfect is generally not used with definite past-time expressions such as yesterday, last week, or ago.
5. Pronoun
**Incorrect Sentence:**
Between you and I, this plan will not work.
**Error:**
“I”
**Correct Sentence:**
Between you and **me**, this plan will not work.
**Reasoning:**
“Between” is a preposition, and a pronoun following a preposition should be in the objective case. Therefore, “me” is correct.
**Grammar Rule:**
Preposition + objective pronoun.
20 SSC Error Detection Questions with Answers and Explanations
6. Double Comparative
**Incorrect Sentence:**
This book is more better than that one.
**Error:**
“more better”
**Correct Sentence:**
This book is **better** than that one.
**Reasoning:**
“Better” is already the comparative form of “good”. We should not use “more” before another comparative adjective.
**Grammar Rule:**
Do not use “more” with adjectives that already have comparative forms.
7. Unnecessary Preposition
**Incorrect Sentence:**
He discussed about the problem with his teacher.
**Error:**
“discussed about”
**Correct Sentence:**
He **discussed the problem** with his teacher.
**Reasoning:**
The verb “discuss” is directly followed by its object. The preposition “about” is not required.
**Grammar Rule:**
Discuss + object, not discuss about + object.
8. Subject-Verb Agreement
**Incorrect Sentence:**
The quality of these products are excellent.
**Error:**
“are”
**Correct Sentence:**
The quality of these products **is** excellent.
**Reasoning:**
The main subject is “quality”, which is singular. “Of these products” is only a prepositional phrase and does not change the number of the subject.
**Grammar Rule:**
The verb agrees with the main subject, not with a noun inside an “of” phrase.
9. Infinitive
**Incorrect Sentence:**
He made me to wait outside.
**Error:**
“to wait”
**Correct Sentence:**
He **made me wait** outside.
**Reasoning:**
After the causative verb “make” followed by an object, we use the bare infinitive without “to”.
**Grammar Rule:**
Make + object + V1.
10. Article with Superlative
**Incorrect Sentence:**
Mount Everest is highest mountain in the world.
**Error:**
“highest mountain”
**Correct Sentence:**
Mount Everest is **the highest mountain** in the world.
**Reasoning:**
Superlative adjectives generally take the definite article “the”.
**Grammar Rule:**
The + superlative adjective.
20 SSC Error Detection Questions with Answers and Explanations
11. Wrong Preposition
**Incorrect Sentence:**
He has been absent from school since three days.
**Error:**
“since three days”
**Correct Sentence:**
He has been absent from school **for three days**.
**Reasoning:**
“For” is used to indicate a period of time, whereas “since” is used with a specific point of time.
**Grammar Rule:**
For + period of time.
Since + point of time.
12. Conditional Sentence
**Incorrect Sentence:**
If I will get time, I will visit you.
**Error:**
“will get”
**Correct Sentence:**
If I **get** time, I will visit you.
**Reasoning:**
In the first conditional, the “if” clause normally takes the simple present tense, while the main clause takes “will + V1”.
**Grammar Rule:**
If + simple present, will + V1.
13. Gerund
**Incorrect Sentence:**
I am interested to learn English.
**Error:**
“to learn”
**Correct Sentence:**
I am interested **in learning** English.
**Reasoning:**
The expression “interested in” is followed by a noun or gerund. Therefore, “learning” is correct.
**Grammar Rule:**
Interested in + noun/gerund.
14. Comparison
**Incorrect Sentence:**
Delhi is larger than any city in India.
**Error:**
“any city”
**Correct Sentence:**
Delhi is larger than **any other city** in India.
**Reasoning:**
When the subject itself belongs to the group being compared, “any other” is generally required to exclude the subject from the comparison.
**Grammar Rule:**
Comparative + than + any other + singular noun.
15. Uncountable Noun
**Incorrect Sentence:**
He gave me many useful advices.
**Error:**
“advices”
**Correct Sentence:**
He gave me **much useful advice**.
**Reasoning:**
“Advice” is an uncountable noun and does not normally have a plural form “advices”. We can say “some advice”, “a piece of advice”, or “much advice”.
**Grammar Rule:**
Advice is an uncountable noun.
16. Redundant Expression
**Incorrect Sentence:**
Return back the book to the library.
**Error:**
“return back”
**Correct Sentence:**
**Return** the book to the library.
**Reasoning:**
The verb “return” already means “go or give back”. Therefore, using “back” after “return” is unnecessary.
**Grammar Rule:**
Avoid unnecessary repetition of meaning.
17. Adjective and Adverb
**Incorrect Sentence:**
She sings very beautiful.
**Error:**
“beautiful”
**Correct Sentence:**
She sings very **beautifully**.
**Reasoning:**
The word “sings” is a verb, so an adverb is required to describe how she sings. “Beautifully” is the adverbial form of “beautiful”.
**Grammar Rule:**
Adverbs modify verbs.
18. Either…Or Agreement
**Incorrect Sentence:**
Either Rahul or his friends is responsible for this mistake.
**Error:**
“is”
**Correct Sentence:**
Either Rahul or his friends **are** responsible for this mistake.
**Reasoning:**
With “either…or”, the verb generally agrees with the subject closer to it. The nearest subject is “friends”, which is plural.
**Grammar Rule:**
Either A or B + verb agrees with the nearer subject.
19. Relative Pronoun
**Incorrect Sentence:**
This is the boy which won the competition.
**Error:**
“which”
**Correct Sentence:**
This is the boy **who** won the competition.
**Reasoning:**
“Who” is used for people, while “which” is generally used for things and animals.
**Grammar Rule:**
Who → persons.
Which → things/animals.
20. Correct Use of “One of”
**Incorrect Sentence:**
He is one of the best player in the team.
**Error:**
“player”
**Correct Sentence:**
He is one of the best **players** in the team.
**Reasoning:**
The structure “one of the” must be followed by a plural noun because the person or thing is one member of a larger group.
**Grammar Rule:**
One of the + superlative + plural noun.
Conclusion
Error Detection questions become much easier when you understand the grammar rules behind common mistakes. SSC aspirants should regularly practice subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions, tenses, pronouns, comparisons, and other important grammar concepts.
Try to identify the error yourself before checking the correction and explanation. Regular practice will improve both your accuracy and speed in the SSC English section.