Error Detection Practice Set-1

The fragment B of the sentence is erroneous. In this context, the word ‘put’ must be
followed the preposition ‘on’ instead of ‘in’ so as to make the sentence correct.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
Parts of northern France were also put on drought alert, with water supplies to
businesses, farmers and ordinary residents restricted.
Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The fragment A of the sentence is erroneous as the word ‘abide’ must be followed the
preposition ‘by’ instead of ‘to’. Here, ‘abide by’ means ‘to follow a rule, decision, or
instruction’.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
She is expected to abide by a checklist taped to the back of the front door, which insists
that hair straighteners are turned off, and lists the various doors, windows and skylights
that must be locked prior to leaving.
Hence, option A is the correct answer.

The correct idiomatic expression is 'jumped into the fray' and not 'jumped the fray'. The
error hence is in fragment B.
Jump into the fray (Idiom):
To join the fight or argument
E. g. The group of politicians jumped into the fray and started criticizing each other on
social media.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
A set of eminent statisticians jumped into the fray, vehemently defending their colleagues
and their findings.
Hence, option B is the correct answer

Usage of the phrasal verb 'to fend for' which means ‘to defend' in fragment C is
inappropriate.
'Fend off' which means ‘to defend oneself against (someone or something)’ would be
suitable in the context.
Eg: He managed to fend off his attackers with a stick.
The correct sentence would be:
The company wants to stay in the fossil fuel business, but it needs to fend off the
regulation that might threaten this business.
Hence option C the correct answer.

The error is in fragment B. The superlative degree of adjective should be used here. So
‘biggest’ should be used instead of ‘big’ in order to make the sentence correct.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
Lower purchases by India, the world’s second biggest consumer after China, could limit a
rally in global prices that hit a 6-year high earlier this week.
Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The sentence is absolutely correct and thus has no error in it.
Hence, option E is the correct answer.

The error is in fragment B. The subject ‘farmers’ is plural. Hence the plural verb ‘are’
should be used instead of ‘is’ in order to make the sentence correct.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
Farmers like Baburao Tadas from Wardha district in Maharashtra are praying for normal
monsoon rains after their incomes were hit by erratic weather and lower crop prices over
the past few years.
Hence, option B is the correct answer.

The correct idiomatic expression is 'in line with' and not 'in lines with'. The error hence is
in fragment C.
In line with (Idiom):
In agreement with
E. g. The new policy is in line with the plans that were discussed last year.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
Local gold prices hit a record 35,960 rupees ($519) per 10 grams on Tuesday, having
jumped more than 10 percent over the past month, rising in line with international prices
on tensions in the Middle East.
Hence, option C is the correct answer.

The error is in fragment B. The word ‘trustworthyness’ is incorrect.
The correct spelling is ‘trustworthiness’.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
We hypothesized that the trustworthiness of the original source might be an element that
contributed to the accuracy of people’s judgment about online images.
Hence, option B is the correct answer.

Usage of the phrasal verb 'draw over' which means ‘to cover someone or something with
something by pulling it on top' in fragment B is inappropriate.
'Draw down' which means ‘withdraw water, oil, or gas from a reservoir or repository’
would be suitable in the context.
Eg: The state began drawing down some of its stored water.
The correct sentence would therefore be:
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) points out, drawing down large
amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is essential if we are to stand any chance
of preventing more than 1. 5C or even 2C of global heating.
Hence, option B is the correct answer.