Grammar questions reuse the same dozen errors. Run a fixed checklist on each sentence and the planted mistake usually jumps out.
The grammar checklist
Subject-verb agreement — a singular subject takes a singular verb ('one of the boys is'). Tense consistency — 'since 2010' needs the present perfect continuous ('have been living'). Prepositions — fixed pairs like 'married to', 'senior to', 'prefer X to Y'. Redundancy — 'return back', 'repeat again', 'free gift' all double up.
- Subject-verb agreement — strip the phrase between subject and verb ('one of the boys IS').
- Tense consistency — 'since' + a point in time needs the present perfect continuous.
- Prepositions — married to, senior to, prefer X to Y, capable of.
- Redundancy — cut 'return back', 'repeat again', 'free gift'; fix double comparatives like 'more taller'.
How to Approach It
- Find the true subject — strip away the phrase between subject and verb, then check agreement. In 'one of the boys is absent', the subject is 'one'.
- Check the tense logic — match the tense to the time markers; 'since' + a point in time needs the present perfect continuous, not the simple present.
- Test the fixed prepositions — run through the set pairs examiners love: married to, senior to, prefer X to Y, capable of.
- Cut redundancy and double comparatives — delete 'return back'/'repeat again' and fix 'more taller' style errors.
Techniques & Methods
- Strip to the subject — remove the phrase between subject and verb to expose agreement errors (e.g. 'one of the boys IS').
- Tense flags — 'since + a point in time' needs the present perfect continuous (e.g. 'I have been living here since 2010').
- Fixed prepositions — learn the set pairs: married to, senior to, prefer to.
- Cut redundancy — delete doubled phrases like 'return back' and 'repeat again'.
The Edge
Spot the real subject first by stripping out the phrase between it and the verb — in "one of the students are absent", the subject is one, so it must be is; the plural 'students' is a decoy. Memorise the high-frequency fixed phrases (married to, senior to, prefer to, comprises of [wrong], capable of) — a large share of error questions test exactly these.Worked example
Spot the error: 'One of the boys are absent today.'
- Strip the phrase between subject and verb: remove 'of the boys' and you are left with 'one ... absent'.
- The subject is 'one', which is singular — even though the nearby plural 'boys' tempts you toward 'are'.
- A singular subject needs a singular verb: 'is', not 'are'.
Answer: Correct: 'One of the boys IS absent today.'
Worked example
Spot the error: 'She is married with a doctor.'
- The error is the preposition after 'married' — English fixes certain verbs to certain prepositions.
- The correct collocation is 'married to', never 'married with'.
- Replace 'with' by 'to'.
Answer: Correct: 'She is married TO a doctor.'
Worked Drills
Worked example
'He don't like tea.' The correction is: a) do not b) does not c) did not d) is not.
- Third-person singular 'he' needs 'does not'.
Answer: b) does not
Worked example
'She is married with a doctor.' Replace 'with' with: a) to b) by c) at d) for.
- Fixed collocation: 'married to'.
Answer: a) to
Worked example
'I am living here since 2010.' Replace 'am living' with: a) lived b) have been living c) was living d) live.
- 'Since' + a point in time needs the present perfect continuous.
Answer: b) have been living
Worked example
'I prefer tea than coffee.' Replace 'than' with: a) to b) over c) from d) then.
- Fixed pair: 'prefer X to Y'.
Answer: a) to
Worked example
[Set B] 'I have went there.' Replace 'went' with: a) go b) gone c) going d) went.
- 'have' + past participle 'gone'.
Answer: b) gone
Worked example
[Set B] 'Less people came.' Replace 'less' with: a) fewer b) lesser c) least d) little.
- Countable nouns take 'fewer'.
Answer: a) fewer
Worked example
[Set C] Spot the error: 'The committee (a)/ have decided (b)/ to postpone (c)/ the meeting. (d)'
- 'Committee' is singular here, so it needs 'has decided'.
- The error is in segment (b).
Answer: b) (b)
Worked example
[Set C] Spot the error: 'He is one of (a)/ the best (b)/ player (c)/ in the team. (d)'
- 'One of the best' needs the plural noun 'players'.
- The error is in segment (c).
Answer: c) (c)
Worked example
[Set C] Spot the error: 'Scarcely had he left (a)/ the office (b)/ than (c)/ it began to rain. (d)'
- The correlative is 'Scarcely ... when', not 'than'.
- The error is in segment (c).
Answer: c) (c)
Worked example
[Set C] Spot the error: 'Each of the boys (a)/ were given (b)/ a prize (c)/ on the day. (d)'
- 'Each' is singular, so it needs 'was given'.
- The error is in segment (b).
Answer: b) (b)
Worked example
[Set C] Spot the error: 'I am (a)/ used to (b)/ get up (c)/ early. (d)'
- 'Used to' (habit) takes a gerund — 'getting up'.
- The error is in segment (c).
Answer: c) (c)
Worked example
[Set C] Spot the error: 'Neither he (a)/ nor his friends (b)/ was present (c)/ at the party. (d)'
- With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject 'friends', so 'were'.
- The error is in segment (c).
Answer: c) (c)
⚠ Watch out
- Don't let a plural noun near the verb fool you — find the true subject.
- 'Since' + a point in time needs a perfect tense, not a simple present.
- Cut redundant pairs like 'return back' and 'repeat again'.
Takeaways
- Strip the modifier between subject and verb, then check agreement — most planted errors are decoys.
- Memorise the fixed prepositions and 'neither/either' nearer-subject rule; they recur constantly.
- Watch for redundancy and double comparatives that slip past quick reading.