Error Identification - Cheat sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for Error Identification - master the 9 key error types and test-taking strategies
The 9 Error Types to Check
Important facts
- Always read the ENTIRE sentence before choosing an answer
- Option E (No Error) is correct about 20% of the time - don't avoid it
- Collective nouns (team, family, group) are usually singular
- Each, every, either, neither take singular verbs
- Compound subjects joined by 'and' are plural
- Subjects separated by 'or/nor' match the closer subject
Key definitions
Subject-Verb Agreement
Example
The dogs ARE barking (plural subject + plural verb)
The verb must match the subject in number (singular/plural)
Pronoun Agreement
Example
Maria brought HER book (feminine singular)
Pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender
Parallelism
Example
I like running, swimming, and BIKING (not 'to bike')
Items in a series must have the same grammatical structure
Idiom
Example
Different FROM (not 'different than')
Fixed expressions that must be used word-for-word correctly
Diagrams to know
- Error identification flowchart
- Common error types hierarchy
Verb Agreement Rules
Important facts
- Indefinite pronouns: somebody, everyone, each = SINGULAR
- Neither...nor: verb agrees with the CLOSER subject
- Prepositional phrases don't affect subject-verb agreement
- Inverted sentences: verb still agrees with the subject
- Gerunds as subjects are always SINGULAR
Key definitions
Collective Noun Rule
Example
The team IS winning (one unit acting together)
Treat as singular when acting as one unit
Compound Subject Rule
Example
John and Mary ARE coming
Two subjects joined by 'and' = plural verb
Pronoun Errors
Important facts
- Who = subject form, Whom = object form
- Its = possessive, It's = it is
- They/their cannot refer to singular nouns
- Reflexive pronouns need a clear antecedent in same sentence
Key definitions
Antecedent
Example
Maria lost HER keys (Maria = antecedent, her = pronoun)
The noun that a pronoun replaces or refers to
Case Error
Example
Between you and ME (not 'I')
Wrong form of pronoun (I/me, who/whom, etc.)
Common Preposition Pairs
Important facts
- Differ FROM, different FROM
- Independent OF (not 'from')
- Comply WITH (not 'to')
- Capable OF (not 'to')
- Consist OF (not 'in')
- Rely ON (not 'in')
Key definitions
Idiomatic Preposition
Example
Different FROM (not 'than' or 'with')
Specific preposition required with certain words
Synonyms and Antonyms Strategy
Important facts
- Identify part of speech first (noun, verb, adjective)
- Eliminate look-alike/sound-alike distractors
- Use context clues from the sentence
- Determine if word is positive or negative
- Substitute each option to test meaning
Key definitions
Synonym
Example
Happy = joyful, glad, cheerful
Word with same or similar meaning
Antonym
Example
Happy ≠ sad, miserable, gloomy
Word with opposite meaning
Must remember
- Read the ENTIRE sentence before answering
- Check each underlined portion systematically
- Option E (No Error) appears in about 20% of questions
- Subject-verb agreement: identify the true subject, ignore prepositional phrases
- Pronoun agreement: check number, gender, and case
- Parallelism: items in series must have same structure
- Common idioms: different FROM, comply WITH, consist OF
- For synonyms/antonyms: check part of speech first
- Eliminate sound-alike distractors in vocabulary questions
- When in doubt, substitute options back into the sentence
Last minute tips
- If you can't find an error after checking all 9 types, choose E (No Error)
- Don't change an answer just because it 'sounds weird' - verify the actual error
- In synonym questions, eliminate options that are the wrong part of speech immediately
- For pronoun errors, always identify the antecedent first
- Trust your first instinct if you've applied the rules correctly
Comparison tables
Its vs It's and Common Confusions
| Correct Form | Meaning | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Its | Its | Possessive (belonging to it) | The dog wagged its tail |
| It's | It's | It is/It has | It's raining outside |
| Who | Who | Subject form | Who is coming? |
| Whom | Whom | Object form | To whom did you speak? |
Singular vs Plural Subjects
| Type | Rule | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Each/Every | Singular | Always singular verb | Each student HAS a book |
| Either/Neither | Singular | Singular verb | Neither option IS good |
| Compound with AND | Plural | Plural verb | Tom and Jerry ARE friends |
| Collective nouns | Usually Singular | Singular when acting as unit | The team IS winning |
Diagrams
Error Identification Process
Step-by-step process for systematically identifying errors in sentences
9 Types of Errors
Comprehensive overview of all error types to check during error identification questions
Synonym/Antonym Strategy
Strategic approach to solving synonym and antonym questions effectively